The Cooperative Institute for Mesoscale Meteorological Studies at the University of Oklahoma was in the spotlight at the 2021 American Meteorological Association Annual Meeting, and several other annual meetings. Several CIMMS researchers were recognized for their work.

  • CIMMS Associate Director Randy Peppler and Researcher Ken Kehoe received a University of Oklahoma Vice President for Research and Partnerships Annual Award for Excellence in Research Grants for their project with the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement User Facility (ARM).
  • CIMMS Researcher Joseph Trujillo received 1st place overall in the AMS 2021 Societal Applications Symposium for the oral presentation entitled, “Creating Unifying Risk Messages En Espaņol: Frameworks for Translation and Interpretation.”
  • CIMMS Researcher Dorothy Yemaa Na-Yemeh received the Jeanne X. Kasperson Student Paper Competition Award at the 2021 American Association of Geographers Annual Meeting for the paper titled, “Impacts of Extreme Weather on Military Installations in Oklahoma.” The paper was selected among others as an outstanding example of hazards geography research. The paper, along with the other winning submissions, will be featured in a special virtual paper session sponsored by the Hazards, Risks, and Disasters Specialty Group at the AAG 2021 in April.
  • CIMMS Researcher Jose E. Aguilar Escamilla won first place at the Student Competition at the 20th Conference on Artificial Intelligence and Environmental Science at AMS. Outstanding paper awards were awarded based on the originality of research and quality of presentation delivery. Contenders for the award had to be enrolled at a University (either at undergraduate or graduate level), be the lead-author, and personally make the presentation of their work.
  • Kevin Thiel was awarded the Student Presentation award for the AMS 10th Conference on the Meteorological Application of Lightning Data.
  • CIMMS Researchers and NWS Researchers with the NWS Warning Decision Training Division received the NWS Isaac Cline Award in Outreach for “Providing hands-on, experimental warning experiences to hundreds of attendees of the National Weather Center Festival.” The team includes CIMMS Researchers Jill Hardy (team lead; CIMMS), Eric Jacobsen (CIMMS), Alyssa Bates (CIMMS), Hannah Wells (CIMMS), Melissa Lamkin (CIMMS), Andrew Wood (CIMMS), Kevin Grempler (CIMMS), Stephanie Edwards (CIMMS), Katy Christian (CIMMS), Dale Morris (CIMMS), Mark McAvoy (contractor), Beau Lewis (contractor), Justin Gibbs (NWS), Jim Ladue (NWS). The award was received via the NWS Office of the Chief Learning Officer.
  • CIMMS Researchers with NWS Warning Decision Training Division – Jill Hardy, Chris Spannagle, Alyssa Bates, and NWS Researcher Dr. Barbara Mayes Bousted received the NWS Isaac Cline Award in Meteorology for “Re-establishing the popular ‘Storm of the Month’ webinars during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
  • CIMMS Researchers with the NWS WDTD – Sarah Borg, Katy Christian, Kevin Grempler, and Justin Gibbs of the NWS, received the NWS Issacc Cline Award in Engineering, Electronics, or Facilities for the development and deployment of essential and timely WSR-88D Build 19 training, during a time of staffing gaps and COVID-19.
  • The National Weather Association Special Appreciation Award to Tim Brice and the NOAA NWS National School Outreach Team, including CIMMS Researcher Pat Hyland, for providing hundreds of presentations to countless thousands of school-aged K-12 students across the United States and also internationally (United Kingdom, Mexico, Argentina, and Japan). The virtual visits include a discussion of the weather basics but can also focus on particular topics; including severe weather, winter weather, mountain meteorology, among others.

To see a full list of awards, please visit our Awards Page.