NSSL researcher named Iowa State Young Alumnus

During the spring, National Severe Storms Laboratory Research Scientist Adam Clark is usually in the NOAA Hazardous Weather Testbed. In fact, he has been a lead planner and facilitator of this groundbreaking experiment since 2010.

Meteorologist, research scientist, amateur storm chaser, award winner, journal editor, mentor, and advisor—Clark never misses an opportunity to help advance the science behind severe weather prediction and forecasting.

Adam Clark.

Clark will be honored by Iowa State University with the Iowa State College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Young Alumnus Award in an awards ceremony this fall. One of the highest awards bestowed by the College, it recognizes an alumnus under 40 years of age who has excelled in his profession and provided a service to his community.

Past awardees graduated with degrees in advertising, political science, English, journalism, Spanish and zoology. Clark received a doctorate in meteorology from Iowa State University in 2009 and started working at NSSL that year.

“Not only did I get a rock solid education in meteorology, but while I was still working towards my Ph.D., my advisor, Dr. Bill Gallus helped connect me with researchers in Norman, Oklahoma, who provided me with some of the datasets I used for my dissertation,” Clark said. “That connection helped me land a post-doc at the National Severe Storms Laboratory after I finished in 2009.”

Although Clark’s research has national benefits to public safety, he also tries to focus on impacts he can make right at home and in his scientific community by mentoring college students and serving as an editor for scientific journals.

In 2014, Clark received the prestigious Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, PECASE, joining five other winners from NSSL.

“I plan to continue growing in this position and hope to continue my research that involves helping to rapidly advance severe weather forecasting capabilities for NOAA,” Clark said. “I owe a huge debt of gratitude to all my professors at Iowa State – especially Bill Gallus for his guidance and contagious love of science that helped get me to where I am today.”

More information about the award: https://alumni.las.iastate.edu/awards/.

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