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User:Runningonbrains

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I never get sad when people abandon Wikipedia. It probably means they got a girlfriend.

My policies, beliefs, and principles

This user is an administrator on the English Wikipedia. (verify)

This week in weather history...

November 17

2013: An outbreak of 72 tornadoes killed 8 people and caused more than $1 billion in damage in the Midwestern United States.

November 18

2014: A major cold snap through much of the US reached its peak, with some temperatures reaching 45 degrees below normal.

November 19

1977: A severe tropical cyclone struck the Andhra Pradesh state of India with a devastating storm surge, killing more than 10,000 people.

November 20

1996: Hurricane Marco, the longest-lived tropical cyclone ever recorded in the Atlantic Ocean in November, reached its peak intensity while meandering over the Caribbean Sea.

November 21

1992: A three-day tornado outbreak began in the Southern United States, eventually producing six F4 tornadoes, two tornadoes with paths of more than 100 miles (161 km), and 26 deaths.

November 22

1970: Typhoon Patsy struck the coast of Vietnam, causing major damage and killing more than 200 people.

November 23

1960: The TIROS-2 weather satellite was launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida.




No situation needs the drama that humans bring to it.

I'm actually a really nice person. If you disagree with something I have done, I will be willing to discuss and reconsider my actions. I do not tolerate assuming bad faith or being overly harsh to new editors. But I am also slow to block and quick to forgive honest mistakes.


Essays

      — See all my essays

My academic background

To-do: (completed tasks)

I received my Bachelor of Science degree in Physics at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in the spring of 2008. I completed my Major Qualifying Project around the same time: a search for sand dune movement on Mars. I hope to turn it into an article at some point (see User:Runningonbrains/Aeolian processes on Mars if you'd like to help).

My main interest, however, is in meteorology, and I do a lot of research on the topic. At Texas A&M University I received my Master of Science in atmospheric science in August of 2011. My research involved baroclinic waves the Martian atmosphere, and my results were published in the Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences.

I currently work as an Associate Scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), working in the Research Applications Laboratory. I work on a bunch of different projects, including work on the operational NWP models, HRRR and GFS-FV3.

As far as my time on Wikipedia, my contributions will mainly be towards meteorology articles (especially tornadoes and other meso- to microscale phenomena), Mars, computer modeling and related subjects. I am the primary maintainer of Portal:Weather, however, I am currently fairly inactive due to my continuing adult responsibilities and recreations. I may become more active one of these days, but I'm probably kidding myself: there's too many things to do in this world that don't involve sitting behind a computer.

Here's what I've done:

What I do/Who I am:
Trout this userWere this admin to act in a foolish, trollish, or dickish way, he is open to being slapped with a large trout.
This user has a sense of humor.
This user actively participates in WikiProject Severe weather.
This user is a member of WikiProject Meteorology.
This user participates in
WikiProject Tropical cyclones.
This user is a newpage and recent changes patroller.
This editor is a Veteran Editor IV and is entitled to display this Gold Editor Star.
21,000 This user has made more than 21,000 edits.
WPIThis user attends or attended Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
This user is a SKYWARN spotter.
vn-4This user page has been vandalized 4 times.
rvb This user is a Red vs. Blue fanatic.
This user has written or expanded 11 articles featured in the Did You Know section on the Main Page.
This user has helped promote 4 good articles on Wikipedia.
This user has written or significantly contributed to 2 Featured articles on Wikipedia.


This user has written or significantly contributed to featured list on Wikipedia.
FPCs needing feedback


Orion's atmospheric entry


My first two major projects

Tornado articles

During and after my project to improve Tornado, I created a long list of tornado-related articles.

Working on these

Tornado lists

Later on, I began a very ambitious effort to make a series of nation-wide lists of tornadoes by state (currently, I've only done two + DC)

Working on these

Big surprise, more weather-related articles!

Articles re-written


WikiProjects

Was highly active in restarting WikiProject Meteorology, and created a new sub-project WikiProject Severe Weather.

Portals

Overhauled the Weather Portal, eventually improving it into a Featured Portal. I am currently actively maintaining this portal.

Milestones

Other Contributions

Gallery of my images

Recognition for accomplishments

All contributions...

Works in progress

Me

I have witnessed a few major storms, including one of the most intense tornadoes ever observed near El Reno, Oklahoma on May 24, 2011.

So, about me, huh?

As I said, I have a BS in Physics from Worcester Polytechnic Institute. After graduating, I attended Western Connecticut State University part-time for a year, taking atmospheric/oceanic science courses, before transferring to Texas A&M University's atmospheric science program. I graduated with a MS in atmospheric science in 2011, and in 2012 got a job at the National Center for Atmospheric Research. I've been obsessed with nature, especially meteorology, since I was very young. My first storm experience was in utero, when my mom was in the eye of Hurricane Gloria. At 10 a tornado skipped over my house, downing several trees in my back yard. Among my craziest childhood experiences were sitting outside with a -40ºF wind chill to watch blowing snow, climbing a mountain during a Nor'easter with 60 mph winds at the top, and getting caught in a hailstorm which formed right on top of me. As an adult, I now am lucky enough to live right next to tornado alley, and have been on dozens of storm chases that have yielded so many tornadoes I have lost count.

I also enjoy skiing, hiking, camping, and rock climbing.

Hopefully, someday, I'll get to sit through a good hurricane.

My randonimity*

*No, randonimity is not a word, but it sounds cool