American Meteorological Society Centennial Oral History Project

  • Collection DOI:
    Principal Investigator:
    Jinny Nathans, Sophie Mankins
  • In celebration of the 100th Anniversary of theAmerican Meteorological Society, interviews were conducted with its many members and leaders.  These interviews serve to recognize the strength, diversity, and accomplishments of the AMS community, from the beginning right up to today.

    For more information, visit: ametsoc.org/index.cfm/ams100/oral-histories/

Interviewee Collection Sort descending Description Interviewer Date of Interview Location of Interview Affiliation
Bruce Telfeyan American Meteorological Society Centennial Oral History Project

Bruce Telfeyan is a seasoned meteorologist with a lifelong passion for weather and its scientific study. His interest in meteorology was sparked at a young age, around 11 years old, when he experienced a series of severe weather events including a big blizzard in March of 1960, Hurricane Donna in September of the same year, and three blizzards during the winter of 1960-61 while growing up on Long Island, about twenty miles east of Manhattan. Telfeyan's early fascination with weather led him to pursue a career in meteorology. His early mentor was Mr.

Jinny Nathans Denver, CO American Meteorological Society
Jack Beven American Meteorological Society Centennial Oral History Project

Jack Beven is a Senior Hurricane Specialist at the National Hurricane Center (NHC) in Miami, a position he has held since 1999. Prior to this, he worked as a marine aviation forecaster for five years in the tropical analysis forecast branch. Beven's academic background is in physics and meteorology. He earned his bachelor's degree in physics from Louisiana State University in 1984, followed by a master's degree in meteorology in 1988 and a PhD in 1994, both from Florida State.

Jinny Nathans Ponte Vedra, FL American Meteorological Society
Clifford Mass American Meteorological Society Centennial Oral History Project

Clifford Mass is a renowned meteorologist who has had a significant impact on the field of atmospheric sciences. He has had a long and illustrious career, during which he has worked with some of the most influential figures in the field, including Carl Sagan, Steve Schneider, and Dick Reed. Mass began his career at Cornell, where he worked with Carl Sagan on a numerical model of the Martian atmosphere. This work resulted in his first publication, which was published in the Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences.

Jinny Nathans Denver, CO American Meteorological Society
Jordan Rabinowitz American Meteorological Society Centennial Oral History Project

Jordan Rabinowitz is a Ph.D. student at the University of Missouri, specializing in meteorology. He is also the CEO and operations director of the Global Weather and Climate Center website, an organization dedicated to global weather, climate, and environmental education, communication, and awareness. Rabinowitz's interest in science and meteorology was sparked during his childhood in Long Island, where he developed a fascination with snowstorms. This fascination grew into an obsession, which eventually became a passion and led to his career in meteorology.

Jinny Nathans Ponte Vedra, FL American Meteorological Society
Brian Etherton American Meteorological Society Centennial Oral History Project

Brian Etherton is a meteorologist who has worked extensively on climate modeling. He is currently a Principal Scientist at Vaisala, a Finnish company that provides environmental and industrial measurement solutions, where he leads the climate modeling team.

Jinny Nathans, Sophie Mankins Denver, CO American Meteorological Society
Mrinal Biswas American Meteorological Society Centennial Oral History Project

Mrinal Biswas is a project scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado. He initially pursued a bachelor's degree in mathematics before transitioning to applied science, earning a master's degree in geophysics. His interest in meteorology was sparked by a severe cyclone that hit Odisha, India, in 1999, causing a significant loss of life. This event, coupled with the influence of a professor who taught tropical meteorology, led him to specialize in this field. Biswas completed his master's degree in India and then moved on to his PhD.

Jinny Nathans Ponte Vedra, FL American Meteorological Society
John Brown American Meteorological Society Centennial Oral History Project

John Brown is a renowned meteorologist who developed an interest in weather at a very early age. Born and raised in San Diego, he recalls his earliest memories of rain showers coming in off the ocean, which played a significant role in his interest in meteorology. Brown pursued his passion for meteorology in his academic career, starting with a bachelor's and master's degree from UCLA, followed by a Ph.D. from MIT. He had the opportunity to work with the US Weather Bureau and the National Hurricane Research Project in Miami, which he believed would shape his career in studying hurricanes.

Jinny Nathans Denver, CO American Meteorological Society
Patricia Vollmer American Meteorological Society Centennial Oral History Project

Patricia Vollmer is an accomplished meteorologist and educator with a rich history in the field of weather forecasting and numerical weather prediction. She is currently an assistant professor at the United States Air Force Academy, where she has the opportunity to discuss her experiences as a woman in a male-dominated discipline with prospective future meteorologists, Air Force officers, and pilots. Vollmer's journey in meteorology began at Penn State, where she studied from 1991 to 1995. During her undergraduate years, she was inspired by Dr.

Jinny Nathans Denver, CO American Meteorological Society
Lance Bosart American Meteorological Society Centennial Oral History Project

Lance Bosart is a renowned meteorologist who developed an interest in weather and climate from a young age. His fascination with weather patterns and climate variations was sparked by the weather tables in the New York Times, which he read daily. He also learned elementary statistics from the backs of baseball cards, which furthered his understanding of weather and climate variations around the world. Bosart initially pursued aeronautics and astronautics at MIT, with a particular interest in the theoretical aspects of fluid or air flow around rockets or airplane wings.

Jinny Nathans Denver, CO American Meteorological Society
Lixion Avila American Meteorological Society Centennial Oral History Project

Lixion Avila is a senior forecaster at the National Hurricane Center with the longest tenure among the current forecasters. His interest in meteorology began on the north coast of Cuba, where he observed the weather's impact on the waves and the local mariners and farmers. He pursued his education in Havana and later at the University of Miami, where he earned his master's degree in 1984 and his PhD in 1993. Avila's career at the National Hurricane Center began when he was the youngest hurricane specialist in the United States.

Jinny Nathans Ponte Vedra, FL American Meteorological Society