Contact: Paul C. DiNero
E-mail: dinerop@kean.edu
Kean University to host Weather & Environmental Hazards: the Challenges of Awareness, Research and Education in N.J. on November 14
UNION, NJ—Kean University’s Center for Earth System Education, in association with the New Jersey Center for Science, Technology and Mathematics Education, will host a symposium entitled Weather & Environmental Hazards: the Challenges of Awareness, Research and Education in N.J. on Friday, November 14 from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at various locations throughout campus, located at 1000 Morris Avenue in Union, N.J.
Sponsored by a Kean University Quality First Initiative grant (provided through the University Planning Council), the symposium is open to environmental specialists and professionals and will include a parallel session of activities for schools and the public. The Symposium will feature a day-long series of presentations and panel discussions on various aspects of weather and environmental hazards in New Jersey, including the critical impact on the state’s population, economy and infrastructure.
“New Jersey is particularly vulnerable to many environmental hazards that result from severe weather, including lightning, nor'easters, hurricanes and snow storms,” said Dr. Paul Croft, professor of meteorology at Kean. “The symposium will engage a diverse audience to help foster awareness and action, so that we may better respond to such emergencies as they arise."
Each speaker will bring a specific perspective on the challenges facing weather and environmental professionals and the community. The speakers will include:
• Dr. John Scala, president of the National Weather Association, is a News 8 WGAL-TV Storm Team meteorologist and former on-air storm analyst for The Weather Channel. An expert private consultant, Scala also served as the associate director of Millersville University’s Center for Disaster Research & Education. He began his professional career at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center where he focused on the observation and numerical modeling of storms.
• Les Lemon, a research associate meteorologist with the Cooperative Institute for Mesoscale Meteorological Studies and the NWS Warning Decision Training Branch, is an expert private consultant with the L.R. Lemon Meteorological Services. He provides thunderstorm and radar meteorology training, weather forecasting and operational radar techniques. Lemon conducts Doppler radar applications and interpretation research and has developed and presented training seminars nationally and internationally. His discoveries led to the NEXRAD (WSR-88D) Doppler Radar program across the United States.
• Kenneth Mallette is the director of Homeland Security and vice president and director of the Northeast Region of James Lee Witt Associates. As executive officer for the Special Operations Section of the Homeland Security Branch, Mallette was responsible for the day-to-day operation of six bureaus including: aviation, technical response, deployment services, commercial transportation safety, marine services and state governmental building security and executive protection services. He is recognized as a national expert in the National Incident Management System.
• Dr. David Robinson, a professor and chair of the department of geography at Rutgers University, is the New Jersey State Climatologist. An expert on state and regional climate and climate change issues, he established the New Jersey Weather and Climate Network online and is a member of the NJ State Hazard Mitigation Team and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Internal Drought Task Force.
Concurrent educational sessions will take place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and are open to the public. Middle and high school students and educators are particularly encouraged to attend. These sessions are intended to raise awareness, educate and engage audiences through inquiry-based demonstrations and hands-on methods. Additional information will be posted to the symposium’s website.
The symposium is open to the public. However, advanced registration is required at www.kean.edu/~wecare. There will be no on-site registration for this event. For more information, please e-mail cese@kean.edu.