Best Overall Presentation

This news is about a month old by now, but I figured I’d mention it on here anyway. About a month ago I was sitting in my office in the Water Tunnel Bldg, when Trina came in and gave me an envelope that had arrived in the mail for me. It was from the American Meteorological Society. I was immediately curious, because I don’t normally receive mail at ARL. Then I remembered that the only other time I ever got mail at ARL was a year ago, when AMS sent me my Third Place Student Oral Presentation award. That got me even more curious.
So I opened the envelope, and I was honestly blown away: it was an award for Best Overall Presentation at the 16th Conference on Air Pollution Meteorology at the 90th AMS Annual Meeting in Atlanta this past January!! And a check for $250!! After I gave my presentation in Atlanta I was really happy with it, and while I thought there was a chance I might be in the running for a student award, I didn’t really expect to win anything. And last year when I won the 3rd place award, AMS notified me in late March. So this year when April came and went I just assumed that I didn’t win anything.
I was really excited that I won, though! I told a few people about it right away, and then the Department of Meteorology wrote up a blurb about it for their website. The cash award will really come in handy (or maybe already has) for my traveling this summer (Wisconsin/Minnesota last week, Colorado next month, or Australia in August). When I told Alex that I might put it toward rent/lodging while I’m in Boulder in July, he told me, “Don’t you dare put it towards rent. Award money is supposed to go toward something FUN.” 🙂 Fair enough, although once it’s in my bank account it’s all the same to me, whether it’s for airfare, rent, fixing my car, a Brett Favre jersey, a Muse concert, or whatever, hehe. In any case, it’s a really nice award, and I’m honored to have won it!