Professional Prospectus
KC King
M.S. Graduate Student
Desert Research Institute
University of Nevada, Reno
Outline
 Introduction
 Personal
History
 Professional History
 Research Projects at DRI
 Future Aspirations
Introduction

2nd year graduate student in Atmospheric
Sciences


Work for Michael Kaplan
DRI GSA President
 Interests: the outdoors, reading, politics, travel
 Born
in Palos
Verdes, California
 Grew up in a small
community called
Portuguese Bend
 Lived here for 18
years
 Favorite activities:




Horseback riding
Basketball
Softball
Biking
Landslide Area!
Fostered my interest in the
outdoors and science
Family

Mother is a geography/
earth science professor at
CSUDH
 Father is an electrical
engineer/ patent attorney
(now retired)
 One full brother, Kellan
 Half-siblings




Kevin
Chris
Stephanie
Jeff
School Background

Attended Palos Verdes High School
Freshman – Junior Year
 Graduated from Palos Verdes
Peninsula High School in 1992
College Information

Attended U.C. Davis



Attended Graduate
School at University of
Wisconsin, Madison



1992-1996
Started in Physics, moved
to atmospheric science in
junior year
1996 – 1997
Research in Stratospheric
Dynamics
Attended Law School at
U.C. Davis King Hall
School of Law

2001 - 2004
Places that I’ve Lived

Davis, California
 Madison, Wisconsin
 Vancouver, Washington
 Lebanon, Oregon
 Eugene, Oregon
 Reno, Nevada
Intermission
A Few Fun Facts
 I’m
a 4th Generation Californian
 My father is Stephen King
 I fell for a fantastic April Fool today
 I’m crewing for the NorCal AIDS Challenge
in May (300+ mile bike ride)
 My goal is to bowl a perfect game before I
finish graduate school
 I have taken the PSAT, SAT, GRE, LSAT,
CA Bar Exam and CBEST
Professional History

Technical Jobs

Technical Support
• University of Wisconsin
• Labtec

Network Consultant
• US Bank network
conversion

Manufacturing
Technician
• Hyundai, Inc.
• RAM manufacturing
• Photolithography
Legal Work

Patent Attorney



Beck Law Group



Worked for my father
Computer hardware related patents
Trusts, Wills, Estates
Drafted wills, property transfers, trusts
Legal Services of Northern California


Public Benefits
Disability Rights Advocacy
• Assisted people with disabilities going back to work
Atmospheric Science Related
Employment

Stratospheric Modeling

quasi-biennial oscillation

Forecasted for UC Davis
Aggie
 Climate Research


Long term temperature
trends in the CA Central
Valley
Graduate Research in
Stratospheric Dynamics
 Ship Track Radiation
study
Volunteer Activities

Special Olympics Coach



Legal Clinic at the
Sacramento Gay and
Lesbian Center




Vancouver, WA
Track and field, volleyball,
basketball
Founded clinic with friend
and coworker Amy Williams
Free clinic
Taught “Street Law” class
at La Entrada Continuation
High School
TA for College Courses at
San Quentin Prison

Astronomy, Math
Graduate School at UNR/DRI

Moved to Reno, NV in
2007
 Master’s student in
Atmospheric Science
 Attend UNR and work
for Michael Kaplan
 Chose to come to DRI
because of applied
nature of research


Interests in climate,
mesoscale dynamics
Wind Energy Project
Advisor: Michael Kaplan


Associate Research
Professor at DRI
Research Interests



Numerical Simulations
Former Lives

Synoptic and dynamic
meteorology
Fire Weather
Extreme Events
• Flooding
• Severe Turbulence
• Tornados



Research Associate
Professor at North Carolina
State University
President and Founder of
MESO, Inc.
• Research, forecasting,
atmospheric modeling


US Air Force Research
Scientist
Educational Background


BS and MS from Rutgers
University
Ph.D. from SUNY Albany
Research Projects

Spillover Precipitation and
Flooding Events in Reno, NV

Funding through:
•
•
•
•


DOD visualization grant
DRI IPA grant
UCAR COMET
NSF CIP grant
Prepared a climatological
history of large and medium
flooding events in Reno
Assisted with figures for
publication
• Climatological paper
• Synoptic and mesoscale paper

Mid-level “atmospheric river”
Research Projects

COMET Project



Funded by UCAR
COMET
Modeling a rain/snow
event in the Reno/
Tahoe area
Narrow cold frontal
rain band case
Research Projects

North American
Monsoon Project



Funded by NSF
Climate
Joint grant with San
Jose State
Modeling of the
Monsoon



Mid-latitude/tropical
connections
OMEGA Model
Dynamic Adaptivity
Research Projects
(or future hopes and dreams)

Wind Energy Modeling
Project
 Funded by National
Renewable Energy
Laboratories (DOE)
 Modeling for placement of
wind turbines in Southern
Nevada
 Will use and build on
research by Dr. Koracin’s
group


Wind Assessment for NV
Used MM5 and WRF
models



Potential Master’s Project
based on the NREL grant
Meso/ Microscale
Modeling
Sensitivity studies in
complex terrain

Use OMEGA model
• Static adaptivity and
triangular mesh grid
elements for complex
terrain

Test sensitivity to:
• Initial and boundary
conditions
• Grid cell size
Future Aspirations
 Wind
energy modeling
 Meteorology consulting
 Policy work

Bridge law and science background
 Ph.D.
in Atmospheric Sciences
 Vet school?
Questions?