Why Gavin Is Very Passionate About Extreme Weather
Gavin Fry is studying Earth Sciences at Dartmouth College
Gavin Fry is a Goldwater Scholar studying Earth Sciences with Physics and minoring in Public Policy at Dartmouth College.
1.An Early Passion
Gavin Fry grew up in rural Southeast Missouri.
As a toddler he was interested in the physical aspects of weather.
During his high school years, whenever any notable weather events were on the horizon in his area,
His classmates and teachers would say, “Go to Gavin he's the weather guy. He knows what's going on”.
2.Volunteering with the National Weather Service
Before his senior year in High School, Gavin got in touch with the local office of the National Weather Service.
He was able to talk the leadership at the National Weather Service into letting him getting involved as a volunteer;
He was a volunteer storm spotter and had a close encounter with a tornado;
Over time, he began to understand the barriers that the National Weather Service needed to overcome, to message and communicate the risks of severe weather to the affected people.
3.Why the Passion?
While at the National Weather Service, Gavin realized that he was passionate about meteorology and weather, because it affects people on a daily basis!
Severe weather happens in Oklahoma, Kansas, in the “Tornado Alley”region of the United States, and another large area of severe weather happens in the south, in Arkansas, and Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee,
And these places are very densely populated!
Folks in mobile homes, a lot of trailer park homes, people who are of lower income status, are much more likely to die from a severe weather event, rather than someone who is in a more permanent home structure.
And, low income individuals are much more vulnerable to severe weather.
So, no matter where you are, who you are, how rich or poor, you are, weather is going to affect you.
That's when Gavin started to fully comprehend, that he was interested in Weather & Meteorology, because of these societal impacts.
4.The Weather Research Followed
Interest in undergraduate research stemming his passion for Extreme Weather and Meteorology seemed natural.
So, the summer before he went went to Dartmouth, he did some research on the faculty research profiles at Dartmouth, specifically in Earth Science,
To see who he might pair up with, at Dartmouth, to do this kind of research.
He came across his current research advisor, and reached out to him to do climate research and weather research.
On with the Podcast
Gavin joins our Podcast to share his undergraduate college journey at Dartmouth, Being a Storm Spotter, Volunteering at National Weather Service, UG Research, Winning the Goldwater Scholarship, Majoring in Earth Sciences, and Advice for High Schoolers.
Listen to the Podcast with Gavin Fry of Dartmouth College.(75-Minute Listen).
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Thanks.
Finally, my heartfelt Thanks to all my Podcast guests who have been generous with their time and counsel on my Podcast.
Have a wonderful week!
Venkat