MONDAY MEMO
This is the first week of the fall 2014 semester.
ALERTS:
 You can still drop and add online this week.
 Check out the College’s new and improved web site at www.ou.edu/ags. This is a new
web address, so please bookmark it and visit often. We would love to hear your
comments about how to keep the College website relevant, useful, and easy to
navigate. Take a look and let us know; you can send your suggestions to Melissa Bird at
mbird@ou.edu.
 If you are trying to add a class that is currently closed, see the attached information on
“How to Work the Waitlist.”
 The student request for flat-rate appeal form has been updated for the upcoming
academic year and is available
here: http://www.ou.edu/content/dam/bursar/documents/Bursar%20Request%20fo
r%20Exemption%20for%202014-15%20.pdf This form is also posted on the Bursar’s
website. You will also need to include a form from the College of A&GS, which you can
obtain from Asst. Dean Hempe in the A&GS Dean’s Office (NWC 3630).
 Go here: http://www.ou.edu/content/admissions/academic_calendar/fall-2014.html
to bookmark the fall 2014 academic calendar, which lists important academic dates and
deadlines, such as drop & add, auditing a course, final exams, and vacations & holidays.
Welcome New Staff Members!
Please join us in welcoming two new staff members to the A&GS/National Weather Center
team:
Christine Lippucci is our new NWC Librarian. Christine joins us from The Ohio State
University where she worked as a Special Collections Cataloger. A Cleveland native,
Christine has over 12 years of library experience in both academic and public libraries. She
received her Bachelor’s degree in History from Cleveland State University and a Master’s in
Library and Information Science from Kent State University.
For those who were not aware, the National Weather Center Library is located on the
fourth floor, room 4300, and is available to all A&GS students as well as employees
working at the NWC. The NWC Library offers access to many useful materials including:
journals (both print and electronic), textbooks, maps and technical
memorandum. Christine and her staff can assist with locating information, ordering books,
scanning journal articles and much more (including help students with research papers).
If you have any questions, or want to contact the library directly for assistance, please
email library@nwc.ou.edu.
Pat Hyland is the new Coordinator of External Relations for the National Weather Center
and the College of Atmospheric and Geographic Sciences. In this capacity, Pat is responsible
for scheduling and coordinating all of the tours for the National Weather Center. Pat is also
responsible for managing and developing content for all of the digital displays throughout
the building, including the Weather Wall and the Science on a Sphere. Pat coordinates all
external outreach events on behalf of the National Weather Center as well.
Pat is no stranger to tours of the National Weather Center; he has been an NWC tour guide
since the building opened in September 2006. Pat earned a Bachelor of Science in
Meteorology with Special Distinction from OU in 2008 and a Master of Science in
Meteorology, also from OU, in 2010. As a graduate research assistant and research fellow,
Pat worked with the International Center for Lightning Research and Testing (ICLRT) and
Langmuir Laboratory to investigate rocket-triggered lightning strikes using various mobile
dual-polarization radar platforms.
Watch “Monday Memo” next week for introductions to our four new A&GS faculty
members!
First AGGS meeting TODAY
Geography graduate students take note: the first meeting of the fall semester for the
Association of Geography Graduate Students (AGGS) takes place TODAY at 5:30 PM in
Sarkeys Energy Center, Room 442.
SoM Welcome Back Celebration and Picnic on Friday
The School of Meteorology cordially invites all SoM undergraduate students, graduate
students, post-docs, staff, regular, adjunct and emeritus faculty to attend its annual
WELCOME BACK CELEBRATION this Friday, August 22 at 3:00 PM in the National Weather
Center, Room 1350. Dr. David Parsons, School of Meteorology Director, will preside over
the program, which will include:
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Reflections on the past year
Research priorities within NSF, NOAA and the international community and
implications for the graduate program
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Thoughts on the job market for meteorologists and implications for the
undergraduate curriculum
Introduction of new IT staff and their specialties
Tentative plans for a new student space in the NWC and what it means for students
from the help desk/tutoring to broadcast majors to OWL and students interested
in
broadcasting
Introduction of new faculty members
Introduction of new graduate students and their advice to undergrads as to how to
succeed in this major
Please come and welcome the new members of the SoM as we begin another academic year
– and then join the merriment with the School’s WELCOME BACK PICNIC, which follows at
4:30 PM in the NWC Atrium, patio, and grounds. All meteorology faculty, staff, students
and their families are invited to this fun-filled event, which includes free barbeque and
door prizes. Tickets are required but free in the SoM office (NWC 5900), so pick yours up
today!
DGES Welcome Back Picnic
Mark your calendars! The Department of Geography and Environmental Sustainability
(DGES) will welcome back undergraduates, graduate students, faculty and staff on
Saturday, September 13 with their annual picnic, held this year at Indian Hills Point at Lake
Thunderbird. The merriment begins at 4:30 PM and there will be a van available for those
needing transportation. More details will follow in a future “Monday Memo,” so stay tuned!
Upper Division Electives this Fall
AGSC 3011, “Career Planning & Development for A&GS Majors.” This course is taught
by the College’s PR Specialist, Melissa Bird, who provides students with instruction in the
career planning process directly related to their major and, ultimately, the world of
work. The class meets once a week, on Tuesdays, from 4-4:50 PM in the NWC, Room
5930. Please contact Asst. Dean Hempe at mahempe@ou.edu for permission to enroll.
UCOL 3001, “Transitions.” This course is designed to smooth your transition to OU as an
incoming transfer student and to inform you of the many wonderful resources offered by
the University to help you succeed. There are two sections offered this fall; the first (sec.
100) meets from August 18-October 10; the second (sec. 200) meets from October 13 –
December 5. Both sections meet from 9:00 – 9:50 AM on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The
Center for Student Advisement will provide permission to enroll; please contact them at
325-2574.
UNIV 3000, “Lost in Translation: Translating Severe Weather Threats.” This 2-credit
hour Upper Division Free Elective meets on Thursdays from 1:30- 3:10 PM in Carson
Engineering Center, Room 121. There are no prerequisites. See the attached syllabus for
more details.
ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR MM?
If you have any announcement you would like posted in Monday Memo (e.g., meetings,
seminars, jobs, internships or just some great news) please send it to Asst. Dean Hempe
(mahempe@ou.edu) by Friday at noon to appear in the next week’s edition.
STUDENT RESOURCE CENTER
With the fall semester here, it’s important to make a note of the many academic resources
available to you, including:
The NWC LIBRARY (located on the fourth floor of the NWC) offers textbooks for meteorology and
geography classes, new weather books and historical weather data, geography and meteorology
resources, internet access, a printer, copier, and scanner, and a beautiful, quiet place to study. The
NWC Library is open:
Monday-Thursday
Friday
Sunday
8:30 AM – 8:00 PM
8:30 AM – 5:00 PM
2:00 PM – 6:00 PM
OU’s STUDENT LEARNING CENTER, a department of University College, offers free, walk-in
seminars to help students hone college success skills. Seminars will begin the second week of class;
you can download the fall 2014 schedule
here: http://www.ou.edu/content/studentsuccess/workshops.html
Don’t forget OU’s excellent TUTORING RESOURCES. The Writing Center, OU Action Tutoring, the
Math Help Center, and Physics & Astronomy Tutoring and many other services are here to help you
succeed. For more information, go
here: http://www.ou.edu/graduatesooner/home/resources/tutoring.html
The METEOROLOGY HELP DESK is available to assist meteorology undergraduate students; fall
2014 hours of operation will be announced soon.
The A&GS DEAN’S OFFICE is here to assist you with all your academic needs. We are located in the
National Weather Center, Room 3630. We have open walk-in hours Monday-Friday, from 1:30-2:30
PM, and you can always call (405) 325-3095 to schedule an appointment.
The NWC MULTIMEDIA LAB is open from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday. The
Multimedia Lab is located in the NWC, Room 3650 – right down the hall from the A&GS Dean’s
Office. The College uses student technology fees to provide cutting-edge computer hardware,
software, peripherals, media & customer support to encourage academic growth, innovation and
collaboration.
All A&GS students are strongly encouraged to register with OU’s OFFICE OF CAREER
SERVICES http://www.ou.edu/career/; this office offers a host of services to assist you with
preparing for and finding a job after graduation. Sophomores, juniors and seniors are all
encouraged to register.
On this Day in History:
In 1227, Genghis Khan died in China. In 2003, an international group of geneticists
studying Y-chromosome data found that the fearsome Mongol warrior has an estimated 16
million descendants.
In 1587, Virginia Dare became the first child to be born to English settlers on American
soil, on the island of Roanoke, off the coast of Virginia. Virginia’s grandfather returned to
England soon after for supplies and to announce her birth, but when he came back to
Roanoke three years later, he discovered that little Virginia, her parents and 105 other
settlers were gone, never to be seen or heard from again.
In 1769, lightning struck the tower of the Church of San Nazaro in Brescia, Italy, where
200,000 pounds of explosives were stored in the vaults. The subsequent explosion killed
3000 people and destroyed a large part of the city.
In 1891, the U.S. Government paid for the first rainmaking experiments. They were
conducted near Midland, Texas. Patent attorney Gen. Robert Dyrenforth set off explosive
balloons and artillery to try to make rainclouds develop, but unfortunately for a droughtstricken Texas, the experiments were unsuccessful.
In 1894, the Bureau of Immigration was established by the U.S. Congress. It became the
Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization Service in 1933 and stayed that way until 2003,
when it split off into three separate agencies.
In 1920, women in the United States were finally given the right to vote when the 19th
Amendment to the Constitution was ratified by Tennessee, giving it the two-thirds majority
of state ratification necessary to make it the law of the land.
In 1925, a severe hailstorm struck southeastern Iowa completely destroying crops along a
path six to ten miles wide and 75 miles long. The hail also injured and killed poultry and
livestock and caused a total of $2.5 million dollars damage.
In 1977, funeral services for Elvis Presley were held at Graceland, where he is also
buried. The King died two days earlier, on August 16, at the age of 42.
In 1983, Samantha Druce, who was 12 years and 118 days old, became the youngest
female to swim the English Channel. It took Samantha 15 hours and 27 minutes to swim
across the 21-mile wide Channel.
In 1991, the price of gold hit an all-time high of $1826 per ounce; the price as of last Friday
was $1304.50 an ounce.
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