Department Newsletter

Victoria McIlvain (Met ’26)

I started my internship with News10NBC in June 2024, by shadowing meteorologists Rich Caniglia and Stacey Pensgen for noon and evening shows. I took notes on the shows, practiced my weather forecasting, and was also able to field shadow Glenn Johnson for a live weather report in Charlotte. I learned how to edit and organize weather graphics in the weather software, MAX.

This allowed me to regularly put together my own forecast using model data and observations, create my own show in MAX, and practice running through a simulated “live” weather hit. Later into my internship, I was able to write weather articles for the News10NBC website.

In August, my internship was ending, but my time with News10NBC was not! I was offered to join the station as a part-time on-air weather forecaster. After accepting, I still had a lot to learn. I spent a lot of practice time in front of the green screen, learned how to post forecast videos to the weather mobile app and online, and became familiar with severe weather alert day protocol (News10NBC issued Yellow or Red Alert days). I started doing live weather broadcasts on television in August 2024 for weekend morning shows. I had to become accustomed to waking up at 2:30 a.m. to do my hair and makeup, prepare the 10-day forecast, and put together my show before going live at 6:00 a.m. I have been fortunate to also fill-in for Stacey Pensgen on some Friday evenings, Glenn Johnson on weekend evenings, and I am looking forward to covering upcoming shows this summer!

Nathan Himpsl (MET ’25)

In Summer 2024, I had the incredible opportunity to intern at CBS 6 Albany (WRGB). This experience was a major turning point for me—it was my first time working in a professional newsroom environment, and it helped solidify my goal of becoming a broadcast meteorologist.

Throughout the internship, I worked closely with the meteorology team to create daily weather graphics using WSI Max, assist in forecasting for on-air segments, and sit in on live broadcasts. One of the most exciting parts of the role was getting out into the field, including helping cover major events like opening day at the Saratoga Race Course. It was surreal to go from classroom weather discussions to standing in front of a camera and reporting on active weather events or community stories.

The skills I gained during my time at CBS 6 didn’t just stay in Albany—I brought them back to campus at SUNY Brockport. At 89.1 The Point, our campus radio station, I refined my ability to communicate forecasts in a clear and conversational way, adapting what I learned in front of the green screen to the world of radio. In addition, I launched a brand-new weather segment for Talon TV, our student-run television station. I built the entire set of graphics from scratch, including full-screen forecasts, radar loops, and severe weather alerts, drawing on everything I learned during my internship. It was exciting to bring a polished, professional weather presence to our student broadcast and create something from the ground up that could be used by future meteorology students at Brockport. Taking the skills I had gained and passing them to underclassmen who were looking to join the broadcasting world was unbelievably rewarding.

My background in meteorology coursework gave me the scientific foundation I needed, but it was these hands-on opportunities—in the field, on the radio, and in the studio—that brought everything to life. I recently accepted a full-time position with Storm Team 5 at WFRV-TV in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Now, I’m working as a broadcast meteorologist, forecasting for real audiences and continuing to grow in this field that I’m passionate about. None of this would’ve been possible without the support of the Earth Sciences Department and the mentorship I received along the way. I’m incredibly grateful for the experiences that helped get me to where I am today.

Dr. Casey Griffin co-authored an article titled “A Novel Technique to Correct Debris Centrifuging Bias in Doppler Velocity Measurements from Tornadoes” with Morgan E. Schneider, David J. Bodine, Robert D. Palmer, Boonleng Cheong, Caleb J. Fulton from Advanced Radar Research Center, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma and Takashi Maruyama from Disaster Prevention Research Institute, Kyoto University. The research was published in the Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology.

Dr. Nandini Kar recently published an article titled “Comparative Organic Geochemistry of Shale Deposits of the Northern Appalachian Basin.” The co-authors in this study include emeritus faculty Dr. Mark Noll, Research Foundation volunteers Dr. Richard Smith and Dr. Stella Woodard, alumni André Brunette and Reilly Blocho, and industry collaborators Katie Tamulonis (Vault 44.01) and William A. Heins. This article was published in Petroleum Research.

Emeritus Professor Dr. Mark Noll collaborated on two publications over the past year. The first, led by first author Pankaj R. Kaushik from SUNY Brockport, was titled Evaluation of precipitation products for enhancing hydrological model output: A Chemung River watershed case study and published in Geomatica. Other co-authors included Christopher E. Ndehedehe, and Rupesh Patil from Griffith University.

The second, titled Origin and Evolution of Miocene Basanite to Comendite Lavas at the Mount Overlord Volcanic Field, Northern Victoria Land, Antarctica, was published in the Journal of Petrology. This study was conducted in collaboration with Jihyuk Kim from Pusan National University; Philip R. Kyle and Matthew Heizler from the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology; Mi Jung Lee and Jong Ik Lee from the Korea Polar Research Institute; and Sunghwan Im from Seoul National University.

Emeritus Professor Dr. Judy Massare published two articles this year in the journal Paludicola. The first, A Catalog of the Lower Lias Ichthyosaurs in the Charles Moore Collection, was co-authored with Dean R. Lomax (University of Bristol and University of Manchester), Matt Williams (University of Manchester), and Cindy Howells (Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum of Wales).

The second, The Most Complete Early Jurassic Ichthyosaur from North America, was co-authored with Murray Edmunds (Murray Edmunds Writing), Robert J. Morros, Terence P. Poulton (Geological Survey of Canada), Shyong E.N. Pan (Canadian Museum of Nature), and Jordan C. Mallon (Carleton University).