I've been posting, on and off, at this blog for a few years. Mostly, I've posted when something catches my interest, whether it be related to atmosphere and climate, or politics, or anything else that seems out of the ordinary.
Today is different. This is my last blog as a member of the faculty at Central Connecticut State University. I will be retiring from CCSU on June 1st, after 34 years as a Professor of Physics & Earth Sciences, specializing in Meteorology. I finish my CCSU career as Acting Chairperson of the department, a position I accepted after our previous Chair retired last August.
Overall, it's been a great run here in Connecticut. I got to work with many local broadcast meteorologists, some of whom are still working in the Hartford area. I got to work as an off-camera forecaster for WFSB-TV, and on radio, as a broadcast meteorologist myself for WRCH-FM/WRCQ-AM in the late 1980s and early 1990s, and I earned the American Meteorological Society (AMS) Seal of Approval for Radio Meteorologists during that period. My involvement with the AMS led to my service on numerous national AMS Boards, as well as a stint as Chairperson of the AMS Board for Continuing Education. It was that board, under my leadership, and along with John Toohey-Morales of Univision and Todd Glickman of the AMS, that spearheaded the new, more rigorous AMS Certificate of Broadcast Meteorology, which has become the gold standard for certification of TV and Radio Weathercasters. As part of the AMS Professional Affairs Commission, the Board for Continuing Education oversees the continuing education requirements for re-certification of all Broadcast Meteorologists and Certified Consulting Meteorologists within the AMS.
I got to see a number of my students go on to professional careers in the Atmospheric and Environmental Scientists. Some are still employed by the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection. Others went on to become professional airline pilots. And some are working in the private sector, designing and testing new meteorological equipment used by the National Weather Service. I am proud of these former students, and pleased to have been a part of their professional development.
My wife and I are relocating to the Baltimore/D.C. area. I hope to be able to continue to teach meterorology on a part-time basis. I also hope to volunteer my time and energy to any of a number of museums in the Washington, D.C. area that can make use of my expertise. I'll continue to blog from time to time, and will share those blog entries on Facebook for those who are my friends or who wish to check in every so often.
So while some doors are closing for me, new ones are opening. I'm excited to walk through them and see what awaits me on the other side.
