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NSF Essay Previous Research Experience Kelly Boyd

As a public affairs student during my undergraduate career, I had limited scientificresearch experience in the physical sciences, yet I capitalized on opportunities to leverage the

scientific method where possible to ensure a calculated approach to measure impact.Myscientific research history is not expansive because my undergraduate institution did not have

either active research in atmospheric science or any science-related discipline that interested me

aside from core laboratory classes in chemistry and physics. Additionally, working part-timewhile attending collegeto sustain my living situation somewhat limited my availability forextracurricular scientific research. On those notes, Iwill describemy participation in academic

research as well as my participation at National Weather Service (NWS) symposiums thatfostered interactions with local scientists.All of the experiences,accompaniedby my public policy

degreeand support from the National Science Foundation (NSF), will ensure I have tools toimpactsocietyand to build a larger body of knowledge in urban climatology.

Policy Research ExperienceMy first experience in research came in a public policy class in the fall of 2008 where I

collaborated with an interdisciplinary team to find uses for amixed-use spacein a struggling areaof the city that was recently vacated by a non-for-profit tenant. Unlike scientific research that

uses a prescribed method and hypothesis testing, this type of research demanded solutions thatwere unorthodox and involved an exploration of options, but like the scientific method,the team

had to identify the problem, gather information, conduct research, form a solution, collect data,analyze our findingsand then publish our results. As our leader, I drove the team to resolve the

problem of helping find a tenant for space to meet the needs and specifications provided. Tobegin we gathered information by conductingliterature reviews on the subject.Our group then

formed a hybrid solution of making the space a community center. We then conductedinterviews of the public and of building administrators and analyzed the economic aspects of the

situation. Next, our group interpreted our findings by publishing them in a thirty-page documentalong with a presentationintended for the space owner, a non-for-profit, and city-government

leaders.Our solution was to establish a community center for citizens of the neighborhood thatfunctioned as a daycare, a co-working area and as a neighborhood figurehead for economic

development. Under my leadership, the impact of this research to the community waseventualfundingby local and state agencies stemming from the presentations conducted by

theresearch group. Today, the center is funded and making an impact on the local community.

Scientific Research,Poster Presentation Experience&NWS Conferences

A second research opportunity came during the spring and summer of 2009. Thisopportunity became possible while in a weather and climate geography course with Dr. Dan

Johnson. Dr. Johnson is one of the leading geographers in urban climatology, a research field Iam interested. Dr. Johnson became aware of my interest in his ROSES NASA grantproject, of

establishing an urban heat warning system for the city of Indianapolis.I told him I was interestedHe then told me he would investigate the details of his grant to determine if I was eligible to

participate in his research. After several weeks, he discovered that his research grant was onlylimited to geography graduate students, and undergraduate students could not participate.

Eventually,under one of Dr. Johnson classes, I was able to conduct my own scientific researchMy third area of research experience came in the spring of 2010 when I enrolled into a Dr.

Johnsons graduate geography class in remote sensing that was open to select undergraduates. Inthe class, the graduates were assigned a poster project in which they had to present their findings

in a symposium. I elected this pathway to obtain feedback on my own research and to getacademic experience in poster development and presentation.I presented my hypothesis, findings

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NSF Essay Previous Research Experience Kelly Boyd

and conclusion after my remote sensing analysis. The name of my presentation was UrbanThunderstorm Development Over Mid-Western Cities. My hypothesis for the development of

these storms was that anthropogenic sourcesreleased heat into the atmospherethat addedsubstantial convective available potential energyto the atmosphere to cause development of

thunderstorms.Anthropogenic sources were defined as steam and coal power plantswhich

produced over ~4000MW of electricity, airports with massive air traffic (aircraft arrival anddeparture rates greater than twenty aircrafts per hour) and an assembly of centralcommercial/business/industrial districts with five or more buildings taller than ten stories

releasing heat from rooftop air-conditioning units. In my analysis, I integrated NWS NEXRADradar data over temporal Landsat satellite images and surface weather stations data, upper level

wind charts and current weather maps to test whether the presence of theseanthropogenic sourcesof heat were associated with thunderstorm initiation and convection. I found that under the right

conditions thunderstorms developed slightly downwind (3 km or less) from these sources of heatreleasing activities. I concluded that further mathematical analysis and computer modeling

wouldenable a stronger conclusion than a remote sensing analysisof my data.After my research, during my time at the NWSconferences, I learned the latest trends

andcurrent advancements in atmospheric research. Some research topics discussed at thesymposiums included the development of mesoscale convective complexes and the formation of

mesovortices in thunderstorm squall lines. I found these topics to be influential in my desire toconstruct research proposal to the NSF in my own research interests. I alsodiscovered numerous

programs such as: the COMET program, the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research,the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) and online Jetstream programs provided

by NOAA would aid in my science education. These opportunitiesto learn about these programsled to my desire to eventually enroll and to be involved in the NCAR graduate student visitor

programupon admission at Purdue University.My travel voucher from my NSF fellowship willbe used to collaborate with others,to obtain insight and to tap into expertise I do not have.

Around the same period of time of attending the NWS symposiums, I dove intoindependent study of atmospheric science and purchased two textbooks: Atmospheric Science,

An Introduction Survey by John Wallace and Peter Hobbs and An Introduction to DynamicMeteorology by James Holton. I studied these authorities for two reasons:(i) to understand the

fundamental theories, mathematics and practices used to study the atmosphere and (ii) to helpprepare my research and masters thesis for graduate school. Both texts have given me great

insight into atmospheric science modeling, mesoscale dynamics and microscale meteorology. Ifeel confident that I have an intermediate understanding of these areas from my independent

studies, and I am prepared to advance science and to impact society with a degree from Purduewith support from the NSF.

In concluding, a study of atmospheric science at the graduate level, along with funding bythe NSF, will allow myself to shape public policy considerations by advancing scientific

discovery. My aim is to research atmospheric processes byobtaining a master degree inatmospheric science and to apply this knowledge to the public sector through policy work to

further innovation, commerce and public safety.Further, my broad educationinphysics, chemistryand remote sensing coupled with a thorough understanding of mathematics,compounded by a

fellowship from the NSF, will provide the catalyst to help make mean impact on society.I amcertain that my knowledge of these past researchexposure along with my graduate research will

ultimately influence leaders to make more informed decisions in the future regarding globalclimate change policy.