eve gruntfest, julie demuth & sheldon drobot july 2007 welcome to summer camp for smart kids...
TRANSCRIPT
Eve Gruntfest, Julie Demuth & Sheldon Drobot July 2007
Welcome to Summer Camp for Smart
Kids2007 Summer WAS*IS
Tonight’s presentation 1. Eve, Julie & Sheldon’s career journeys from grad
student to WAS*ISWAS*IS crusader 2. Justification for WAS*IS3. Barriers we will overcome4. Groundrules5. WAS*IS measures of success
Eve Gruntfest’s background applied geographer
• Social scientist in world of engineers & physical scientists
• Career based on Big Thompson Flood
• Focus: Flash floods & warning systems
Eve’s background: The Big Thompson Flood in Colorado July 31, 1976
• 140 lives lost - 35 miles northwest of Boulder
• Studied the behaviors that night – Who lived?– Who died?– Led to detection &
response systems
Julie Demuth’s background
• M.S. in atmospheric science from Colorado State U.– Remote sensing of tropical cyclones
• Science policy at National Research Council, Washington, DC, US– Program officer with Board on
Atmospheric Sciences & Climate running congressionally mandated & agency-requested studies
Interest in societal impacts WAS*IS!Interest in societal impacts WAS*IS!
Julie in action -- moving from WAS to IS• Work I’m doing or in the
pipeline– Communication of weather
forecast uncertainty info … more on Wednesday
– Transportation sector sensitivity to weather and use of weather info
– Source, interpretation, and use of warning information in extreme weather events
• Other interests– Risk perception and communication– Factors influencing people’s
decision-making
Sheldon Drobot’s background• Formally trained as a
geographer and an atmospheric scientist
• Science policy at the National Research Council (Board on Atmospheric Sciences & Climate; Polar Research Board)
• Research scientist at the University of Colorado
Sheldon in action -- moving from WAS to IS
• Work I’m doing – Seasonal sea-ice forecasts– Influence of weather and non-
meteorological information on decision-making in hazardous driving situations
• Other interests– Preferences for in-car
weather and roadway information
After 30 years of being
• Frustrated at being a social science ADD ON
with no enduring impacts
• Left out of major scientific initiatives
Being encouraged but kept separate & unequal
To change the weather enterprise by comprehensively and sustainably
integrating social science into meteorological research and practice.
• Human impact on the environment• Risks/hazards for humans• Relationships of env. Issues to political, economic, cultural processes
1) Role of S&T in production of knowledge about nature2) Human/animal relationships
Why WAS *IS
Integrate (not add on) social science into
meteorology
Grow a community of
people passionate
about & dedicated to
this
Recognize that (meteorology + social science) > sum of its
parts!
Avoiding another Hurricane Katrina is NOT just about improving the
forecasts
Address societal impacts in real & sustained ways
What is WAS*IS?
1. Building an interdisciplinary community of practitioners, researchers, and stakeholders -- from the grassroots up --who are dedicated to the integration of meteorology and social science
Capacity building –- creating a Capacity building –- creating a community for lifelong community for lifelong
collaboration and support!collaboration and support!
Emphasis on capacity building
• All the things we’re doing this week– 5-minute introductions– 30-minute breaks– Sessions to meet past
WAS*ISers and friends– Group dinners
• Will brainstorm later this week about what else we can do to keep you connected!
What is WAS*IS?
2. Providing opportunity to learn and examine ideas, methods, and examples related to integrated weather-society work
• Tools – GIS, surveys, qualitative methods
• Concepts – initiating and building relationships, many publics, end-to-end-to-end
• Topics – risk communication, communicating uncertainty, vulnerability
The WAS*IS adventure • Began as one workshop• Grew into 4 workshops (so far) & evolved
– Original 2-part workshop in Boulder (November 2005 & March 2006)
– Condensed 3-day workshop in Norman, Oklahoma (April 2006)
– Summer WAS*IS (July 2006)– Australia WAS*IS (end of January 2007)– NOW -- 146 WAS*ISers!
Tangible accomplishments
• New collaborations• Manuscripts submitted to Bulletin of the
American Meteorological Society, Environmental Hazards
• Development of forecast confidence scale on weather blog (www.capitalweather.com/)
• New jobs, invited presentations• Visibility –
– 18 presentations at American Meteorological Society Meeting 2007; sign up now for 2008!
– sessions at Association of American Geographers meeting, Chicago 2006, San Francisco 2007, Boston 2008
– Rocking the Weather Enterprise
“Intangible” accomplishments• The growing WAS*IS network!
– Empowering, lifelong connections• Idea development & sharing
• Peer mentoring
• Community of WAS*ISers who continue to and interact with each other!
Some additional funding obtained• WAS*IS virtual textbook (Demuth, Drobot,
Gruntfest)– Highlight the methods, results, &
cooperative efforts of successful integrated weather & social science projects
Use as (1) part of undergraduate graduate-level
courses &(2) a reference for scientists & practitioners
to apply in their own work
Possibilities under the WAS*IS Umbrella• Advanced WAS*ISes
• Moving from WAS to IS beyond weather to hydrology, emergency management, climate, and other fields
• Capstone courses in physical science programs
• Annual WAS * IS workshops
• WAS*IS for introducing meteorology to social scientists – for stronger partnerships
What do you have in mind?
Barriers WAS*ISers confront & overcome
1. POWERlessness: I want to do it but I don’t know how
2. Social science methods are a mystery Surveys are not encouraged
3. Disciplinary blinders -“I’m not a meteorologist, I’m an emergency manager”
4. I can’t do it right so I won’t do it at all – Need for “Satisficing”! And learn from our experiences!
5. It’s not in my job description----------------------------------------
Barriers WAS*ISers confront & overcome
Perceive yourself as a charismatic policy entrepreneur
Brief tribute to Eve’s mentor Gilbert White who died in Oct. 2006 - the original WAS * ISer
So many lessons – read his bio!
•The important fact is that work is being used by others•Stakeholders are more than data
WAS*IS groundrules …
• NEW boundaries & vocabularies • ACTIVE & RESPECTFUL listening &
talking• No acronyms• All ideas are welcome• Attend all sessions
AGENDA open to allow WAS*IS identities to emerge & develop for sustainable activities after our week together ends
BE BRAVE
We have idealistic positive outlooks We are not defensive
We pay attention to substance & style
WAS * IS means changing from WAS to IS
WAS physical scientistgoes to WAS * IS workshop
Becomes WAS social scientist!
Moving from WAS to IS……is not an instant transition! Moving from WAS to IS……is not an instant transition! MOVE MOVE REQUIRESREQUIRES CONNECTIONS WITH STAKEHOLDERS CONNECTIONS WITH STAKEHOLDERS
Important things to keep in mind
• We’re only scratching the surface this week
• We have many goals and paths• We have great ideas, passion, and
energy … but we don’t necessarily have the answers!
• This work can be very hard and takes time to do well – we are addressing very hard questions!
• WAS*ISers are in it for the long haulWe must understand and appreciate the complexities!
Summer WAS*IS particularities
• More climate scientists & more private sector meteorologists
• We’re re-inventing & improving the move from WAS to IS
• We’re building on earlier workshop lessons- MORE OPEN TIME FOR DISCUSSIONS and USING WAS*ISers
• Wise, creative, and convincing justification for the WAS*IS movement
• Friends of WAS*IS reception
• Others to be determined
• Take advantage of meals, breaks to interact with everyone
Some SUMMER WAS*IS measures of success -- Toward culture change
1. A new community of scholars & practitioners – use each other’s materials! - ideas for presentations, publications, proposals
2. Examples of new alliances/removed barriers
3. Practical new & tried methods
Summer WAS*IS launch – R E C A P
• Nearly one-week workshop
• Commitment to Change!
• The ELITE, BEST & the BRIGHTEST
MODEST GOAL –
CHANGING the culture from WASWAS to IS
Remember Margaret Mead’s words:
Never doubt that a small, group of thoughtful, committed people* can
change the world.
Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.
(* of WAS*ISers)
National Weather Service
Private forecasters/Urban Drainage Districts
Local Residents
WAS*IS succeeds when stovepipes are not the model - Bring social science into existing programs & research efforts in sustainable ways – NOW
Atmospheric Scientists
Universities
Research Centers