Warner Internship for Scientific Enrichment (WISE)
About
WISE Graduate Student Internship: Science in Service to Society
In memory of Professor Tom Warner, the Research Applications Laboratory and Advanced Study Program of NCAR have created a new graduate student visitor opportunity. Combining research and service to society, in the spirit of the Professor's approach to science, the Warner Internship for Scientific Enrichment (WISE) offers graduate students opportunities to engage in direct exposure to a broad range of atmospheric research applications and impacts enhancing the student's appreciation for the role of science in service to society.
WISE honors Dr. Warner's personal commitment to the education and mentoring of students and professionals in the atmospheric sciences by providing support to graduate student education and outreach. WISE internships are funded through donations and the first WISE internships were awarded in 2012.
The NCAR Graduate Student Visitor Program (GVP) brings graduate students to the various labs within NCAR for 3-12 month collaborative visits and provides students with travel support and a monthly living per diem. Applicants to the GVP develop a research plan with the assistance of their advisors and NCAR hosts that will contribute to and enhance the student's Ph.D. Thesis.
Who is eligible?
Any GVP student visitor (visiting any of NCAR’s labs).
What does this internship provide?
Selected WISE candidates receive a stipend of $2500 to support their visit and/or achieve their defined plan. This financial support is in addition to the financial support provided by the GVP.
How to apply?
WISE candidates are selected on the applicant's ability to define a two-week plan that promotes service mindfulness through education and outreach, diversity and inclusion, and/or technology transfer activities. This plan is in addition to any of the GVP application requirements.
Visit the ASP Graduate Student Visitor Program webpage to complete an application and the additional information needed for the WISE internship.
What are selected WISE candidates expected to do?
WISE candidates will be expected to:
- Visit with leaders in RAL to learn about research applications in atmospheric science
- Perform activities from the proposed two-week plan
- At the end of the internship, give an informal presentation to RAL leaders summarizing completed activities
Dr. Thomas T. Warner
Internship Honors Tom Warner through Service to Others
Dr. Thomas T. Warner, August 3, 1943 - May 30, 2011
Tom Warner held a Ph.D. from Pennsylvania State University in meteorology and began working at NCAR in 1995. He specialized in numerical modeling of mesoscale atmospheric phenomena, regional climate modeling, mesoscale dynamics, data assimilation, marine meteorology, and desert meteorology. He served as science manager for RAL’s National Security Applications Program and was the author of two textbooks used by universities around the world: Numerical Weather and Climate Prediction and Desert Meteorology. He was also a professor in CU-Boulder’s Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the selection criteria for the WISE candidate?
WISE candidates will be selected based on the applicant's strength to clearly define a two-week plan that promotes service mindfulness through education and outreach, diversity and inclusion, and/or technology transfer activities. Examples of these activities are:
- Guest lectures at HBCU, Hispanic, or Native American schools
- Volunteer work with local high schools with high percentages of underrepresented populations
- Mentor a minority status undergraduate student through the application process into a graduate school program
- Participate in or lead an outreach activity in the local community, at a university, or at a conference
- Shadow a RAL scientist working on an applied science project with technology transfer and develop a technology transfer plan for their graduate research
What are the expectations of the selected WISE candidate?
WISE candidates will be expected to:
- Visit with leaders in RAL to learn about research applications in atmospheric science
- Perform activities from the proposed two-week plan
- At the end of the internship, give an informal presentation to RAL leaders summarizing completed activities
How many WISE visitors are selected each year?
At least one qualified applicant per year will be selected for the WISE internship.
What does the $2,500 include and how are we allowed to spend it?
The WISE internship funds are your budget to be used to support your visit and achieve your goals. For example, these funds could be used to support your attendance at a relevant conference, build an exhibit for an outreach event, and/or supplement your temporary living per diem to support your visit.
Is the WISE internship considered the Graduate student's project for the GVP?
No. The WISE internship is in addition to the requirements of the Graduate Student Visitor Program for WISE candidates that apply through the GVP at NCAR.
Is the WISE internship restricted to RAL Graduate student visitors only?
No. The WISE internship is open to all Graduate Student Visitor Program applicants.
How do I apply?
Visit the ASP Graduate Student Visitor Program webpage to complete an application and the additional information needed for the WISE internship.
Do the two weeks of planned activities have to take place at NCAR?
The two weeks of activities should partly take place at NCAR, especially if the internship funding is to be spent to extend the visit at NCAR, but some of the activities can take place off site (i.e. at a relevant conference, at your home institution, at a local school in the Boulder area or in your home institution's local area, etc). If the internship funding is going to support travel to a conference, then some of the activities could take place at the conference.
Either way, using time while at NCAR to develop (materials for) activities and/or to utilize expertise at NCAR to guide the activities would be good and then some culmination of the activities can take place off site.
When should the two weeks of activities take place?
Timing for the two-week plan is flexible. Some applicants propose the two weeks all at once appended to the GVP visit, but the two weeks of activities can also be spread out across the full duration of the visit too (for 10 total days). Propose what makes the most sense for the proposed activities and the duration of the visit.
Current and Past Interns
Current Intern
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Shima Bahramvash ShamsWashington State UniversityMay 1, 2019 – April 30, 2020 Host: Jim Hannigan – ACOM https://www.linkedin.com/in/shima-shams/ WISE project topic: Improving Climate Change Communication, social science study of a sensitive topic. |
Past Interns
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Arianna ValmassoiUniversity College DublinMay 4, 2018 – November 11, 2018 WISE project topic: Exploring education, outreach, advocacy, and applications for climate science |
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Elena TomasiUniversity of Trento - ItalyMarch 3, 2017 – September 1, 2017 WISE project topic: Science workshops for K-12 girls |
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Dimitris Herrera HernandezCornell UniversityJune 1, 2017 – August 9, 2017 WISE project topic: Making drought information available |
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Laura Clemente-HardingPennsylvania State UniversityFebruary 21, 2017 - July 27, 2017 WISE project topic: Educational material on the |
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Annareli MoralesUniversity of MichiganMay 8, 2016 – August 21, 2016 |
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Jennifer HendersonVirginia TechOctober 1, 2014 – August 1, 2015 |
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Christopher NunaleeNorth Carolina State UniversitySeptember 2 – December 20, 2013 |
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Samantha TushausUniversity of MichiganJune 2 – August 31, 2013 |
