Tony Bedel of Florence, a junior meteorology major in WKU’s Department of Geography and Geology, has been awarded a summer 2009 internship at the Midwest Regional Climate Center (MRCC) in Champaign-Urbana, Ill.
The MRCC is one of six regional climate centers in the United States and is a cooperative program of the Illinois State Water Survey and the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC). The MRCC serves the nine-state Midwest region with climate data, information, and applied research on climate-sensitive issues such as agriculture, climate change, energy, environment, human health, risk management, transportation, and water resources. Only one paid internship is awarded each summer.
Dr. Gregory Goodrich, Meteorology Program Leader, said: Tony is the fourth junior in the meteorology program to be awarded with a paid internship for the upcoming summer. This is remarkable in that even at the larger and more established meteorology programs across the country it is rare to have more than a single student receive a paid summer internship. This opportunity to work on applied climate research with MRCC staff has the potential to open a lot of doors for Tony when he applies to graduate programs in the fall.
Geography and Geology Department Head David Keeling commented that the growth and continuing success of WKU’s meteorology program is a testament to the hard work of the faculty and the quality of students recruited to the program. The BS Meteorology program is fast building an enviable reputation for teaching, research and service excellence in the region.
The press release is available here.
