Laura Delgado López Moderates AAS-AMS Women in Weather Hangout

Thursday, March 26, 2015

On March 25, 2015, SWF Project Manager Laura Delgado López moderated the Women in Weather Google+ Hangout, co-organized by the American Astronautical Society (AAS) and the American Meteorological Society (AMS) and presented by Northrop Grumman. The event was a follow-on activity to the successful Overcoming Extreme Weather hangout held last September. Ms. Delgado López serves on the AAS Board of Directors and on the Special Events Committee that co-organized both events.

As part of a celebration of National Women's History Month, the hangout was designed to raise awareness of the unique career opportunities available in the world of weather, particularly for women, who currently represent a minority in the industry. 

The panel of top weather professionals featured: 

• Courtney Draggon, Director, International Activities Office, National Weather Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
• Maria LaRosa, Meteorologist, The Weather Channel
• Robyn Heffernan, Incident Meteorologist, National Weather Service, NOAA
• Ginger Zee, Chief Meteorologist, ABC News
• Rebecca Miller, Operations Meteorologist, Southwest Airlines
• Jenny Hibbert, Operations Meteorologist, Fugro GEOS

During the hourlong discussion, panelists highlighted the value of observations from satellites and other platforms to inform decision making in their different industries, particularly to help protect lives an property. This included the safety of firefighters during wildfires, of passengers and crew flying through a storm, of workers in an offshore oil rig, and more. They also highlighted the sense of responsiblity metereoligsts have when it comes to communicating weather information to the public. Panelists also discussed their own experiences getting into the field of metereology, how it has evolved and the role of technology in this evolution, as well as valuable advice they have gained throughout their careers. 

The hangout was viewed live by people all over the world, including participants in Chile, India, and the United Kingdom. An estimated 62 percent of viewers were women. 

An archived version of the hangout can be viewed below.