Student Participates in "Research Experiences for Undergraduates"

This past summer, NIU meteorology student Becky Belobraydich (pictured right) participated in a prestigious internship at the National Weather Center (NWC) on the University of Oklahoma campus in Norman, Oklahoma. This “active research” internship was part of the Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program, which is sponsored by the National Science Foundation. The primary purpose of these internships is to provide talented undergraduates with the opportunity to experience life as a research scientist. Becky worked with her mentor, Dr. Matthew Biddle, to develop and carry out a social science-related project that examined how people, specifically university students, perceive and understand severe weather watches issued by NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center and, in turn, how they use (or neglect to use) the watch information for mitigation activities. Her research involved writing a survey, arranging for permission from various academic departments at both the University of Oklahoma and Northern Illinois University to survey their students, filling out and filing the required paperwork necessary to have her study approved, administering the surveys to students, and analyzing the resulting data.

Along with the research, Becky’s summer was filled with other opportunities to learn about the different aspects of meteorology. During the early summer, she had the chance to go storm chasing several times in the Great Plains with both her mentor and fellow interns, fulfilling a lifelong dream of hers. Throughout the summer, she and her fellow interns were also able to attend seminar talks by various weather professionals, tour the National Weather Radar Testbed, and visit both government weather offices and privately owned weather companies to discover the variety of job opportunities that exist within the field of meteorology. The work performed by the interns culminated at the end of the summer with final presentations and papers on their research and findings. Becky plans to present her work at a professional conference in the near future.

One of the beautiful storms Becky was able to chase during her REU experience.

Since 1999, NIU has placed seven undergraduates in the REU program. In 2007, NIU meteorology student Victor Gensini (currently working on a M.S. at NIU) collaborated with Dr. Harold Brooks (NOAA’s National Severe Storms Laboratory) to examine the regional variability of thunderstorm parameters over a 42-year period. Other past NIU meteorology participants include: Heather Flachs (2004), Becca Mazur (2003), Kadi Carroll (2002), Jesse Sparks (2000), and Peggy Concannon (1999). NIU students interested in future REU opportunities are asked to contact Dr. Ashley or Dr. Changnon.