News and Notes...

Information Regarding the 2015 Jim Johnson Scholarship Will Be Announced In February!

The High Plains Chapter of the AMS and NWA annually awards a $500 scholarship to a high school senior who will be pursuing a career in one of the physical sciences (e.g. Chemistry, Physics, Astronomy, Earth Science including geology, hydrology, meteorology, oceanography, and soil science). The scholarship is also open to those going into the teaching profession in the physical sciences. The student must be attending a school in the County Forecast and Warning Area of one of the following National Weather Service Offices: Dodge City and Goodland, Kansas as well as North Platte and Hastings, Nebraska...click here to see if your school is located in one of the aforementioned County Forecast and Warning Areas. If your school qualifies and you are interested in applying for the 2015 Jim Johnson Scholarship...then be sure to check back here often as scholarship announcement and application information will be posted during the month of February!

The High Plains Chapter Annual Conference Returns!

Participants of the 2014 High Plains Chapter Conference gather for a group photo

Due to financial concerns, the High Plains Chapter Conference was cancelled in 2012 and 2013. This came as a great disappointment to our chapter members and followers, but it only helped to increase the excitement and enthusiasm for this year's conference! The 16th Annual High Plains Conference was held August 5-7 on the campus of Hastings College in Hastings, Nebraska. The multi-day event featured over 30 presentations with topics ranging from severe convection, to software upgrades in the NWS, to cattle heat stress and the use of social media in NWS operations. Our next chapter conference is expected to take place in northwest Kansas during the summer of 2015. Whether you are a meteorologist, or just have a general interest in weather, we hope to see you at the conference next year! Conference-Related Links Conference Presentations Conference Program

2014 Jim Johnson Scholarship

The High Plains Chapter of the AMS/NWA is pleased to announce that the 2014 Jim Johnson Scholarship has been awarded to Rachel Phinney. Rachel will graduate from Grand Island Northwest High School and will attend the University of Nebraska at Lincoln (U.N.L.) beginning this fall. She will major in meteorology and hopes to gain employment as an operational forecaster upon graduation from U.N.L. The Jim Johnson Scholarship Selection Committee received several strong candidates again this year, but the committee found Rachel’s essay to be well-written and most inspiring. Congratulations Rachel!