As a government meteorologist and an active member of the AMS since 2005, with transdisciplinary research experience in political science and futures studies, I bring a unique perspective to the field of atmospheric sciences. The mission of the AMS is to “advance the atmospheric and related sciences, technologies, applications, and services for the benefit of society.” To me, accomplishing this mission requires attention to two primary challenges: 1) cultivating opportunities for professional growth in students and early career professionals, and 2) fostering a culture of transdisciplinary research and operations that builds effective networks between meteorologists and social scientists. The greatest asset of any professional society is its people, and its long-term success hinges on the cultivation of opportunities for the next generation. Although the AMS is known across the scientific enterprise for its Student Conference, which I cochaired for two years, more can be done to increase membership retention of students beyond graduation. Our Society must develop programs that better connect students with internship and entry-level job opportunities across sectors and enhance its professional mentorship programs for early career professionals. Today, as a training officer in a U.S. military command, I practice professional mentorship on a daily basis, and I am eager to apply this perspective to my work on the AMS Council. To provide scientific “services for the benefit of society,” we must foster a culture of transdisciplinary research that is defined by a mutual respect and a desire for collaboration among our physical and social scientists. The most pressing issues of warning communication, risk management, and impacts forecasting fall at the interface between technology and humanity, and the AMS has a crucial role to play as a bridge that connects researchers and practitioners, scientists, and policymakers. As the AMS seeks to integrate the social and behavioral sciences into the field of meteorology, my combined experience as a government meteorologist doing operational weather forecasting and as an academic researcher in the political science and international relations fields will enable me to build bridges that facilitate the creation of these transdisciplinary teams. If given the honor to serve on the AMS Council, I will bring my unique academic and professional background to bear in addressing these two primary challenges.

Mr. Owen Shieh

Mr. Owen Shieh is is the Training Department head at the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) in Pearl Harbor, where he is responsible for the 24/7 operational watch training of all U.S. Navy and Air Force personnel at the command. He maintains a current repository of knowledge across the field of tropical meteorology and applies it to JTWC operations to accomplish its mission of providing accurate and timely tropical cyclone reconnaissance and forecasting and tsunami decision support to U.S. government assets across the U.S. Pacific Command’s area of responsibility and beyond, encompassing over 100 million square miles of the Pacific and Indian Oceans. Mr. Shieh also serves as the Command Readiness Team Leader, tasked with maintaining and evaluating JTWC’s mission readiness by developing and executing unit exercise plans in support of the Navy Warfare Training System. Previously, Mr. Shieh served as the Weather & Climate Program manager at the National Disaster Preparedness Training Center, where he led a national team of subject matter experts and instructors who developed and delivered hazardous weather and climate FEMA-certified training courses for state and local emergency managers and responders across the United States and its territories. With over a decade of experience as a meteorologist in academia, government, and private sectors, he is skilled in scientific research, operational forecasting, and effective communication for decision support. Holding an M.S. in meteorology and having been educated at Cornell University, the University of Oklahoma, and the University of Hawai‘i, his research specialties are in tropical and mesoscale meteorology, with expertise in the dynamics of tropical cyclones and severe convective storms. His more recent research interests fall at the intersection of weather and security, including emergency management, interagency decision support, and resource protection in the face of forecast uncertainty. To this end, he is currently pursuing his Ph.D. in political science. Mr. Shieh received the 2017 Navy Meritorious Civilian Service Award (Oceanographer of the Year/Matthew Henson Award), NSF Graduate Research Fellowship (2009–12), AMS/Industry Graduate Fellowship (2007–08), AMS Father James B. Macelwane Award (2007), NOAA Ernest F. Hollings Scholarship (2005–07), The Weather Channel John R. Hope Scholarship (2006–07), AMS/Industry Minority Scholarship (2003–04), NWA David Sankey Minority Scholarship in Meteorology (2004), and the Naval Weather Service Association Scholarship (2003).