Meteorology and Storm Chasing
The COD Meteorology Department is one of the more unique programs in the country. It was the first college to offer storm chasing for college credit. Starting in 1989 as a weekend adventure before becoming a 50 day a year full scale college course today. The meteorology department offers classes such as Severe Weather Lab, Mesoscale Meteorology, and Severe and Unusual Weather to help train students to both chase and forecast severe weather events. Meteorology majors from COD have moved on to many universities and beyond to staff such places as the National Weather Service, TV stations, the National Center for Atmospheric Research, National Severe Storms Laboratory, to name a few.
It is also well known for a very comprehensive weather website used by many in both the severe storms fields as well as other disciplines of meteorology. The website was often seen being used by those on the Discovery Channel's Storm Chaser reality show. NEXLAB is short for "Next Generation Weather Lab", a take off on the Next Generation Weather Radar, or NEXRAD, used by the National Weather Service for its Doppler technology.
The COD Meteorology Dept. is also heavily involved in the community skywarn programs helping to host one of the larger spotter training seminars each March in DuPage County. The training is known as the Advanced Spotter Training for the Multi-County Skywarn of the Chicago Metro area. 12 counties participate through the Dupage Office of Emergency Mgmt, the Chicago National Weather Service, and the College of Dupage Meteorology dept (NEXLAB).
Read more about this topic: College Of DuPage
Famous quotes containing the words storm and/or chasing:
“The poorest man may in his cottage bid defiance to all the forces of the Crown. It may be frail—its roof may shake—the wind may blow through it—the storm may enter—the rain may enter—but the King of England cannot enter!—all his forces dare not cross the threshold of the ruined tenement!”
—William Pitt, The Elder, Lord Chatham (1708–1778)
“We like the chase better than the quarry.... And those who philosophize on the matter, and who think men unreasonable for spending a whole day in chasing a hare which they would not have bought, scarce know our nature. The hare in itself would not screen us from the sight of death and calamities; but the chase, which turns away our attention from these, does screen us.”
—Blaise Pascal (1623–1662)