Kenzie Krocak selected as next I’M Meteorology representative

Kenzie Krocak is our latest I’M Meteorology (Inclusivity in Meteorology) representative. Originally from the Twin Cities, MN, Kenzie grew up experiencing nearly every type of hazardous weather. She developed an early interest in figure skating and meteorology and went on to receive her bachelor’s degree in meteorology from Iowa State University. She then moved to Norman to complete her master’s degree from OU. Her work loosely focuses on forecasting severe weather on different temporal and spatial scales. She has spent the last two years participating in the Hazardous Weather Testbed in Norman, where she tests different forecasting products and receives feedback from both forecasters and emergency managers. She is also very interested in the communication of these events, working with national survey data to ensure residents receive, comprehend, and respond to severe weather products appropriately. Kenzie is now working to complete her Ph.D. in Meteorology at OU under the supervision of Dr. Harold Brooks. In her free time, Kenzie enjoys running and coaching competitive figure skaters. Seeing how important her role models were in helping her shape her career, Kenzie also strives to be a mentor and role model for other women in STEM fields, serving in roles such as the co-chair for the Student Conference at the annual American Meteorological Society meeting. At this year’s meeting, she also won a first-place presentation award for her presentation “Developing and Testing Forecast Products in the FACETs Paradigm”.

I’M OU Meteorology (Inclusivity in Meteorology) is the School of Meteorology’s campaign to help celebrate the accomplishments and diversity of our community. The School recognizes that the contributions of scientists from diverse backgrounds enrich and improve the overall mission of the School, helping us to reach our educational and scientific goals. Indeed, we hope that these images are the start of a campaign that will help us reach our critical goal of providing a more inclusive environment for all of our students, staff, faculty members, and affiliates. We want to make sure that everyone has an excellent and productive environment for their work, education, and research, regardless of race, creed, ethnicity, sexual orientation, nationality, gender identity, economic background, or differing ability.