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The Sky Is the Limit
Drew Polley, a senior in civil engineering, was one of a few students nationwide to participate in the He is one of four At the five-day event held last June, Polley stayed on the University of Colorado campus, where he visited NCAR and several associated research laboratories, listened to lectures on topics in atmospheric science, and met leaders in the field of atmospheric science and meteorology. At the workshop, Polley learned about some of the latest research on the hot topic of climate change. “There is a lot of new information about that,’’ he said. At every turn, researchers stressed the need for education and outreach on the important topic. He even came home with some experiments for elementary school students, which he shared with his parents, who are teachers. “It’s hard to confront climate change unless you get everyone involved – not just the scientists,’’ he said. Most of the students at the workshop were studying meteorology. Polley enjoyed learning about weather and found that the field of meteorology complements his study of atmospheric chemistry well. He enjoyed meeting the meteorology students, who, he reported, were more excited to track an approaching thunderstorm than to participate in the volleyball games that the storm was interrupting. “The big highlight was interacting with leading researchers in the field and with the other students,’’ said Polley. “It was great to meet them and ask questions. It was informative and motivational.’’ Polley, a native of Port Orchard, Washington, has always enjoyed math and science and planned on studying engineering from an early age. He is also a top cross-country runner and is captain of WSU’s cross-country team. He became interested in atmospheric research and environmental engineering when he took Brian Lamb’s introductory environmental engineering class. Lamb nominated Polley to participate in the NCAR workshop. “In environmental engineering, there is a lot of opportunity to make a positive contribution that will help the whole world,’’ says Polley. “It’s a field that needs a lot of attention right now.’’ Last summer, Polley began working for the Laboratory for Atmospheric Research. There, he did computer modeling of pollutant dispersion from sawmills and paper mills in the Lewiston/Clarkston area. The information is important to understand the location of the highest concentrations of pollutants in the region. The computer modeling can be used to predict how pollutants will move through the region and also to verify on-the-ground measurements. For Polley, the work allowed him to become more familiar with the world of real-life research. Polley plans on attending graduate school, where he would like to pursue a master’s degree in atmospheric science and engineering. |
