William Gregory Blumberg

Prior to coming to NASA Goddard, I spent many years at the University of Oklahoma (OU) in Norman, Oklahoma. Between 2007 and 2018, I accumulated three degrees (B.S., M.S., PhD) in meteorology and countless experiences. During my time at the National Weather Center, I worked on several research projects with individuals from both the operational and research severe storms community (e.g., SPC, NSSL, CIMMS). By doing so, I aimed to acquire unique experiences that could allow me to work across the different communities of the meteorology enterprise. Meanwhile, I also taught and mentored many students at the college and high-school level to refine my own knowledge and understanding.

My work interests are often motivated by the applicability of the project. While at OU, I developed with other students and operational meteorologists an open-source sounding analysis code called SHARPpy. This code is currently used internationally by research and operational meteorologists alike. Due to its broad applicability, I have focused on planetary boundary layer (PBL) research.  This focus has enabled me to learned a lot about PBL modeling and observational techniques (e.g., ground-based remote sensors and retrievals). Along these lines, my dissertation focused on understanding the processes behind and implications of the rapid increases in PBL moisture that can be found occuring around sunset in Oklahoma.  As moisture is a key ingredient for severe weather, my motivation for this project was to help us better understand why storms tend to intensify around sunset.

Now as a NASA Postdoctoral Program Postdoctoral Fellow, my overarching goal is to help NASA Goddard begin to meet the PBL objectives set forth by the 2017 Decadal Survey using instrument suites such as SMARTLabs. Having worked with the academic, NOAA, and DoE/ARM communities in the past, I am excited to broaden my experiences and learn more about NASA. Currently, I am collaborating with people at Wallops Flight Facility to help find ways to enhance both NASA range and science objectives with ground-based instrumentation and UAS/UAVs. Research-wise, I am using this opportunity to expand into new PBL-relevant areas, including air quality, coastal meteorology, and the improvement of launch operations.
 

I have loved teaching for a long time. It is a humbling and incredibly stimulating process.  While teaching, I have to regularly observe and listen to students.  Only by reflection can I adequately adapt (sometimes on the fly!) the material and concepts to fit the goals and interests of each student.  Because of this calling, I have numerous teaching and mentorship experiences spanning over the course of 15 years. These days, I aim to prepare students with a wide variety of skills and concepts that can be applicable to the future problems they will encounter. I teach both in one-on-one and classroom settings. To build the confidence of students, I opt to provide opportunities that empower them to develop their own curiosity through exploration and play, while providing them a strong background in attitudes and concepts needed for them to continue learning independently. Should you walk into my classroom, you would probably find us discovering all sorts of meteorology concepts through experimentation, practicing the scientific method, learning about epistemology (the study of knowledge), and developing reasoning and communication skills. I am proud to say this process has help shape the growth of multiple talented individuals currently working in the Earth sciences.

My teaching is also interspecies - I've also taught my cat several tricks!

2018 Ph.D. in Meteorology, The University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma
2013 M.S. in Meteorology, The University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma
2011 B.S. in Meteorology, The University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma