Columbia Weather Systems

Dr. Michelle Hawkins I t is International Day of Women and Girls in Science, a day that celebrates all women and girls who participate in research and innovation in the STEM sciences. Today our spotlight is on Dr. Michelle Hawkins, Chief of Severe, Fire, Public, and Winter Weather Services branch at the National Weather Service (NWS). Dr. Hawkins has had a fascination with science from a young age, often mesmerized by the severe winter storms she witnessed while growing up in Chicago, IL. Participating in any science-related activity she could while in grade school, she went on to major in Chemistry in college and earned a PhD in atmospheric sciences from her alma mater, Howard University.   In her current position at the NWS, Dr. Hawkins oversees her branch and partners with federal public safety services, including Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and wildland fire support to help minimize health impacts of severe weather-related events. In addition, she regularly...

Maria Telkes was a pioneer in solar energy technology. As Women’s History Month draws to a close, we have the spotlight on Hungarian-American biophysicist, scientist, and inventor Maria Telkes.  Nicknamed the “Sun Queen,” Maria had an early interest in solar energy. She completed her PhD in physical chemistry at the University of Budapest in 1924 and went on to serve 14 years on MIT’s Solar Energy Conversion Project, the beginning of a career spanning 50 years in innovative solar energy technology.  Notable inventions include: The Dover Sun House project, an experimental residence heated entirely with solar power. The solar oven, developed for third-world countries A solar still system that converted seawater into drinking water for use on military life boats during WWII Over the course of her career, Maria earned 20 patents and published more than 100 articles. She received numerous prestigious awards, and became the first recipient of the Society ...

Happy to share this inspiring Woman of the Week blog post featuring NASA astronaut Karen Nyberg. (Especially since NASA is a CWS customer.) Click Here for the article.