Printer Friendly Version

The Hurricane Research Division (HRD) is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2006. Fifty years ago the National Hurricane Research Project was organized at Morrison AFB in West Palm Beach, FL and from there flew its first hurricane research missions. Since that time NHRP has gone by several names, but has always been in the forefront of meteorological research into tropical cyclones.

To celebrate this milestone, we will have several activities throughout the year. Below is a schedule of our current plans, which we will update as necessary.

50th Anniversary Schedule
Thursday, May 18th 9 AM
to
3 PM		 Open House AOML will be open to the public for guided tours. We will showcase the latest in oceanographic and meteorological research with posters, demonstrations, and talks by scientists.
Monday, May 22nd 3 PM
to
5 PM		 Dedication Ceremony In front of AOML there will be a ceremony to dedicate a plaque honoring the 50 years of accomplishments, accompanied by speeches and an aircraft flyover.
6 PM Banquet A banquet for current and former employees, families, and friends of NHRP and its offshoots will be held at an area restaurant.
Tuesday, May 23rd 9 AM
to
Noon		 Airplane tours A NOAA P-3 and USAF C-130 Hurricane Hunter aircraft will be available for public tours at a local area airport.
1 PM
to
5 PM		 Hurricane Research
Symposium		 Hurricane researchers will give a number of talks on the last 50 years of tropical cyclone science and the contributions of NHRP and its offshoots.

Photo gallery
Symposium schedule
1:00 PMDr. David AtlasDistinguished Visiting Scientist, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Introductory remarks
1:10 PMProf. William Gray Senior Research Scientist/Scholar, Department of Atmospheric Sciences, Colorado State University, Ft. Collins, CO "National Hurricane Research Project: The Early Days of Hurricane Research"
1:35 PMProf. Hugh E. Willoughby Distinguished Research Professor of Meteorology, Department of Earth Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, FL "How the National Hurricane and Experimental Meteorological Laboratory became the Hurricane Research Division we know today"
2:00 PMProf. Sharan Majumdar Research Assistant Professor, Divison of Meteorology and Physical Oceanography, Rosensteil School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Miami, Miami, FL "Observations to Improve Forecasts: Past, Present, and Future"
2:25 PMProf. Lynn K. (Nick) Shay Professor, Division of Meteorology and Physical Oceanography, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, Miami, FL "Measuring the Upper Ocean During Tropical Cyclone Passage: Decadal Progress"
2:50 PMcoffee break
3:00 PMDr. Richard Anthes President, University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colorado "A Half Century of Hurricane Modeling"
3:25 PMDr. Greg Holland Director, Mesoscale and Microscale Meteorology Division, National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO "A 50-year Evolution in our Understanding of Hurricane Structure"
3:50 PMDr. Vincent Cardone President, Oceanweather, Inc., Cos Cob, CT "A Half Century of Hurricane Surface Wind and Wave Impacts on the U.S. Offshore Industry"
4:15 PMDr. Christopher Landsea Science Operations Officer, NOAA/OAR, Miami, FL "Hurricane Climate Research at HRD: From Seasonal Forecasting to Global Warming"
4:40 PMProf. Michael T. Montgomery Department of Meteorology, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, CA "Hurricane Dynamics and Thermodynamics: A Look Into the Future"
5:05 PMAdjourn

Last updated July 21, 2006
Stay Connected