Dr. Changnon named as 2010 Board of Trustees Professor

Congrats to NIU Meteorology's Dr. Changnon, who has been named as a 2010 Board of Trustees Professor. Established in 2007, the professorship recognizes faculty members who have achieved a consistent record of excellence in teaching, academic leadership, scholarship or artistry, and service and outreach. Special emphasis is placed on the recognition of those who have earned widespread acclaim for their scholarship or artistry and continue to engage students in their research and professional activities.

Any student interested in meteorology would covet an opportunity to intern with the weather guru of gurus, Tom Skilling.

Fortunately for NIU meteorology undergraduates, Professor David Changnon has an in. Over the past decade, he has supplied WGN-TV’s famous weatherman with more than 50 interns who have assisted Skilling with his broadcasts and Chicago Tribune weather page.

“It’s hard to put into words what it means to work with Tom Skilling,” says senior Robert Clavey II, who was encouraged by Changnon to apply for the internship. “I’m learning so much in my time at WGN that I cannot thank Dr. Changnon enough for the opportunities he offered me.”

When it comes to experts in weather and climate, Changnon has used his many contacts nationwide to make hands-on experience a hallmark of the NIU meteorology program, for which he serves as undergraduate adviser.

In the mid-1990s, Changnon won a grant to develop an applied climatology course that has resulted in students working alongside professionals, winning internships and landing jobs. During the course, students conduct research that helps businesses such as Allstate Insurance, Del Monte Foods and United Airlines make better-informed, weather-sensitive decisions.

And, yes, they help with daily weather forecasts, too, not only on WGN-TV but also at TV stations in Rockford and downstate Illinois.

“Professor Changnon is the leading advocate for including hands-on applied climatological work experience as part of an undergraduate degree program in atmospheric science,” says Julie Winkler, a professor of geography at Michigan State University. “He has developed perhaps the only truly applied climatology course offered at a U.S. academic institution.

“What a remarkable learning experience for these undergraduate students,” she adds.

Changnon himself is one of the nation’s leading scholars in applied climatology, focusing on the human and societal impacts of climate and climate change. He has researched trends in snowstorms, flooding, droughts, cyclone frequency and heat waves. He also has shown how businesses can benefit from long-term seasonal forecasts and documented the impact of climate change on agriculture, as well as the impact of changing agricultural practices on climate.

Amazingly, nearly 40 percent of his published articles, some of which have gained widespread media attention, were co-authored by students. They credit him with connecting textbooks to their life experiences and inspiring their meteorology careers.

“Without his guidance, patience and encouragement, I know I would not be where I am today in my own career,” says Tamara Houston, who as a student co-authored research with Changnon. She now works as a physical scientist for NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center.

Changnon also is known for service to his profession and to NIU. He has participated as a reviewer for the International Panel for Climate Change and served on the American Meteorology Society’s undergraduate degree-experience committee. Active in many faculty teams at NIU, he recently led a task force on curricular innovation, exploring ways to improve teaching.

“David Changnon represents the epitome of a fully engaged professor,” says Andrew Krmenec, chair of the Department of Geography, which oversees the meteorology program.

Adds colleague Lesley Rigg, “Every time I look in his office, he is with students. Every time I am amazed by the passion of a lecturer in a classroom, it is Dave’s voice I hear. And every time a professor is rallying the cause of student research and mentored learning in a faculty meeting, it is Dave. He is by far one of the most inspirational, demanding and creative teachers and researchers on campus.”

Text from Northern Today, 22 March 2010.