海角社区

BATON ROUGE - During the first week of fall semester, there are a lot of firsts happening around 海角社区鈥檚 campus.

One particularly notable example: this is the first week students and faculty in the Department of Oceanography & Coastal Sciences鈥�, or DOCS, new Bachelor of Science program, Coastal Meteorology.

The program is designed to help address an urgent workforce shortage 鈥� the need for local meteorologists who understand the unique challenges faced by coastal communities in the face of extreme weather. For this first semester, said Robert Rohli, the program鈥檚 director and a DOCS professor, 鈥淥ur goal鈥�is to be sure our students, both new and those continuing 海角社区 students who switch into our degree program, feel comfortable in the new program and familiar with the resources in place to help them in their path to success.鈥�

This August, courses are being rolled out and students are learning about the major. Twenty students are expected to enroll in the program, which is offering classes such as Atmospheric Science for the Coast, OCS 1013.

Instructor and WAFB Chief Meteorologist Steve Caparotta will be handling this one. 鈥淥CS 1013 is our version of an 鈥業ntro to Weather鈥� course 鈥� but with a coastal twist. Designed for everyone from future coastal meteorologists to weather enthusiasts, the class explores how the atmosphere works, from solar energy and global circulation patterns to the role of moisture in our climate. We鈥檒l also take a closer look at coastal weather hazards like thunderstorms, flooding, and hurricanes 鈥� giving students the knowledge to better understand the skies above and the forces that shape life along the coast.鈥�

Another offering: Hurricanes and Typhoons, a Communication Across the Curriculum, or CXC, course. "This course is designed with the idea that students will be able to fully understand all aspects of tropical cyclones, including meteorology, history, climatology, and ecological/societal impacts. In particular, students will have been provided with knowledge that will help them understand global, regional, and local hurricane trends and impacts, while giving them the ability to better tackle hurricane activity when it may affect them personally," said Nicholas Culligan, a DOCS alumnus and adjunct professor who will be teaching the course.

Students in the program can also expect take advantage of opportunities like internships with partners like the Louisiana Office of State Climatology and the National Weather Service, and the many research opportunities available throughout the College of the Coast & Environment.

For now, however, it鈥檚 all about getting things set up for the semester. In Caparotta鈥檚 class, over the course of the first few weeks, student will assigned a location on the coast so they can track its weather throughout the semester. They will also plot surface weather observations on a map 鈥� the same way meteorologists would see them.

Students in Hurricanes and Typhoons can also expect to build skills in one of the most crucial areas for a meteorologist: communications. 鈥淭his course鈥�provides a unique opportunity for students to practice reading, writing, and speaking about scientific material at a technical level as well as the chance to 鈥榯ranslate鈥� complicated topics for the general public to consume. Reports, presentations, and regular discussions will be had concerning current topics, scientific articles, and documentaries, and students will be expected to read, write, and speak in both technical and everyday language."