As a student research assistant with the University of Oklahoma’s Center for Analysis and Prediction of Storms (CAPS), meteorology senior Ivy Jeffries has published and nationally presented her research regarding the relationship between weather forecasters and their local decision-makers. Ivy believes that if the educational and social gap between these two groups of people is closed, communities will be safer and better prepared when facing inclement weather.
As an undergraduate, I have learned about and been a part of the research process from start to finish. This is a rewarding experience that is unique to OU, given the numerous research centers and experts available right on campus for students to access. My research with CAPS has allowed me to get involved with additional opportunities outside of OU!
CAPS is an on-campus research center aimed at developing and demonstrating techniques that analyze and predict local weather and environmental conditions. The research completed here analyzes the physical and social sciences of meteorology and employs not only research scientists but OU students, as well.
Students here have the unique opportunity to get involved in research early in their educational careers. Typically, you can’t complete research until you begin a graduate-level degree—but with so many experts and research centers here on OU’s campus, students are encouraged to begin research as soon as they step foot on campus. Having research experience under your belt before earning a bachelor’s degree means you have the time to explore what methods and disciplines of research truly interest you.
Weather forecasting is not an exact science and is dependent on so many factors that make it hard for people outside of the weather community to understand. Because of this, local decision-makers—all of whom come from unique educational backgrounds—are forced to learn how to interpret weather forecasts on the job and in the moment. My hope for this research is to not only foster better relationships between weather forecasters and decision-makers, but to also promote safer communities by helping forecasters understand their partners’ misinterpretations of weather forecasts and relieve these misunderstandings in future forecasts.
For the past two years, I’ve attended the American Meteorological Society’s Annual Meeting conference, which is the world’s largest yearly gathering for the weather, water, and climate community. In 2023, I presented my project, A Psychological Analysis of Emergency Managers’ Use of Weather Forecast Information in the Societal Applications session. This year, I presented in the Weather and Society session for my project, A Comparative Analysis of NEWS Parterns’ Forecast Informational Needs Ahead of High-Impact Weather, where I received a second-place award in the student presentation competition of the Symposium on Societal Applications: Policy, Research, and Practice.
