When severe weather moves along the Gulf Coast this hurricane season, meteorology students will examine the conditions using mobile radar technology while a Texas A&M University researcher examines how experiences like these help prepare the next generation of weather scientists and STEM professionals.

Dr. Dae Seok Chai of our Department of Educational Administration and Human Resource Development says his role is to design the learning experience around this fieldwork and evaluate takeaways from students. The deployment is the first activity supported by a collaborative National Science Foundation award for atmospheric science observations and STEM education research.

Dr. Dae Seok Chai, Department of Educational Administration & Human Resource Development.

“The goal is to understand how effective field learning is, who benefits from it and which parts of the experience make the biggest impact,” Chai said.

This September, undergraduate and graduate students from Florida State University will spend two weeks at their Coastal and Marine Laboratory. Florida State Assistant Professor Dr. Chelsea Nam will lead the field campaign using the University of Oklahoma’s Rapid Scan X-band Polarimetric Radar, also known as RaXPol, while Chai leads the educational design and evaluation.

Students will begin each day with a forecast briefing before making decisions about what to observe and how to gather data. “Since storms are unpredictable, students will practice problem-solving while taking on different roles and collaborating as a team,” Chai explained. “They’re building technical skills while discovering what professional practice actually looks like.”

RaXPol can quickly deploy to different locations and complete a full scan of the atmosphere. Its rapid scans capture detailed observations of storm structures, wind patterns and precipitation as weather systems evolve. Positioned along the coast, it can track systems closer to the Gulf.

“The Gulf Coast is one of the most active weather regions in the United States,” Nam said. “This makes it an ideal natural laboratory for teaching radar meteorology.” Warm sea temperatures and interactions between the land, ocean and atmosphere can produce sea-breeze thunderstorms, heavy rainfall, squall lines and tropical systems.

Dr. Chelsea Nam, Florida State University Assistant Professor.

“Students will become part of a real field campaign,” Nam explained. “They will help forecast weather, participate in deployment decisions, operate a state-of-the-art research radar under supervision and interpret and communicate their scientific findings.”

Although the field campaign will take place in Florida, the same types of storms frequently affect Texas communities, making the work particularly relevant for aspiring forecasters and emergency management professionals. “When students know that the storm system they are analyzing is the same kind that floods roads and affects communities, they see how their work connects to real-world challenges,” Chai explained.

The project also shapes how students see themselves as future scientists. “When students perform a scan, explain their decisions and present findings to a working forecaster, it boosts their confidence in what they can do as professionals,” Chai noted.

Throughout the semester, Chai and the research team will check in with students at four different stages, examining applied skills and scientific identity while considering how students’ backgrounds and motivation may influence their outcomes. The team will compare students’ perspectives with performance-based measures, including concept assessments, data analysis tasks and team projects. “Understanding what students feel they gained and what they can demonstrate gives us a clearer picture of their growth,” Chai shared.

This work builds on Chai and Nam’s research during the Korea Precipitation Observation Program (KPOP) field campaigns in South Korea in 2023 and 2026. Their found improvements in meteorological skills, motivation and career perspectives. Benefits were more concentrated for undergraduate students than graduate students. The new award allows the team to build on that research with a larger group of students, a longitudinal approach and dedicated support for STEM education research.

The current project will explore why students may respond to fieldwork differently and what contributes most to their development. One area Chai is particularly interested in is structured reflection. At the end of the Florida deployment, he will guide students through a session connecting their time in the field with classroom concepts and their developing professional identities. They will later use the data they collected to create case studies and final presentations.

“Reflection allows students to connect what they experienced to the concepts behind it and think about what it means for their future,” Chai continued. “We want to understand whether that reflection strengthens what students get from fieldwork.”

The skills students develop can support careers in National Weather Service offices, emergency management agencies, private weather services and other industries that depend on professionals who can understand and communicate weather risks. “My hope is that the field experience will inspire the next generation of atmospheric scientists,” Nam said.

By identifying which elements of field-based learning support student growth, Chai aims to strengthen the design of hands-on STEM education. “As we advance students’ skills with emerging technologies through fieldwork, we can shape how future STEM professionals prepare for the workforce,” Chai said.

For media inquiries, contact Ruben Hidalgo.