Workshop in Measurements, Modeling and Data Analysis of the Planetary Boundary Layer; Beltsville, Maryland; Summer 2020

A two-week summer workshop for advanced undergraduate and graduate students focused on atmospheric weather and air pollution processes will be held during the summer of 2020 at the Howard University Beltsville Campus in Beltsville, MD. Students from Howard University, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Pennsylvania State University, the University of Texas, El Paso and other institutions will be involved. They will work with faculty mentors in understanding how atmospheric measurements are made and how to use those measurements to better understand weather and air pollution. Students will also receive instruction in how to make conference quality presentations of scientific material. The workshop will help to train the next generation of atmospheric scientists who will be responsible for improving short- and long-term weather forecast.

The workshop will offer tracks in three areas of planetary boundary layer (PBL) research from which the students will choose one as their focus: 1) instrumentation, 2) numerical modeling, 3) in-depth analysis of an existing dataset. The three tracks will overlap in such a way that all students will be exposed to the three research areas. In addition, students will receive professional development training through preparation and delivery of conference-quality poster and oral scientific presentations. The workshop will have broader impacts in STEM fields that address important national priorities. Under-represented students will especially be engaged, so that they will be motivated to continue the study of atmospheric and environmental sciences.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.