Valparaiso University - Meteorology Program

06/09/2026

Congratulations to the newly minted Valparaiso University geoscientists! Whether you are off to the National Weather Service, a broadcasting job, working as a field scientist, graduate school, educating K-12 students, or still figuring it out, we are so proud of you! We can't wait to see where you go, and you will always have a place at Valpo 🤎💛

06/05/2026

Another MET 385 has come to a successful close! We made it back last Thursday in the evening. We traveled A LOT of miles; one of our minivans went 6,406 miles, and one of Bart's trips had 6,404 miles in 2015... So potentially a record tying if not breaking trip in terms of mileage!

We left early at 5:00 a.m. on the first day where we traveled all the way to Kansas to chase a moderate risk. Our travels took us to the Texas Mexico border in Del Rio and all the way up into southern South Dakota. We had many days of multicell storms and cell interactions, where we observed upscale growth and several landspouts and dust devils. Finally, on our last two chase days, we observed two photogenic supercells with classic features including wall clouds, striations, and the rear flank downdraft clear slot. We even stopped briefly at OU where alum Cameron Nixon showed us around the National Weather Center and graduate student Robby Frost gave us a tour of RaXPol (thank you both!).

We all came back happy and healthy! Lots of good memories were made, but I think we are all looking forward to not rushing around all of the time, ha!

Enjoy some photos and your summer :)

06/01/2026

05/22/2026

Check out this year's SORCE article, featuring quotes from meteorology majors Eli Conklin and Evan Gustafson who won first place for undergraduate posters!

05/12/2026

Congratulations to our senior geography, meteorology, and environmental science award winners! We are so proud of you! 🎉🌎🧭⛈️

Geography: Korbin Opfer
Meteorology: Hannah Kostka
Environmental Science: Emma Depa

05/01/2026

We had several meteorology and geography students present their undergraduate research projects at SORCE yesterday! We recognize all of the dedication, curiosity, and hard work these students put into their projects. A big congratulations to Eli Conklin and Evan Gustafson for receiving first prize for undergraduate posters for their work titled "Evaluating Impact-Based Warning Guidelines for Tornado Emergency Issuance" 🎉

You all make us so proud! 🤎💛

04/28/2026

One week ago we hosted our annual MET Field Day! Over 350 elementary school students came to campus to participate in activities to learn about climate, weather, and geography. We loved teaching the next generation of scientists! We are also so thankful to all of our volunteers for making this possible 🤎💛 until next year! ⛈️🌡️🌪️🌎⛰️

04/26/2026

04/22/2026

Happy Earth Day 🌎 the campus ozone garden is thanks to efforts by our very own, Dr. Barber! May we all do something every day for the protection of our planet, which in turn, protects us! 🤎💛

Today is Earth Day! At Valparaiso University, caring for our planet is part of how we learn, research, and serve — from environmental studies in the classroom to the stewardship of places like our campus ozone garden and the natural landscapes of Northwest Indiana.

From nearby protected areas to the shores of Lake Michigan and the national parks just to our north, the world around us reminds us why this work matters. Together, we can help protect and sustain the planet we all share.

04/21/2026