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Jason "Jay" Shafer is the newest member of the LSC Meteorology Dept. He is very excited to teach students how to visualize, interpret, and ultimately forecast the weather! His teaching approach tends to differ from the traditional lecture-based approach. "I like to actively challenge my students with thought-provoking questions during class and force them to connect what they see when they step outside to the bigger picture. I think we need to make these connections since modern meteorology increasingly relies on future numerical model data and not enough on understanding the past and present state of the atmosphere."
Jay's research interests include synoptic and mesoscale meteorology with a focus on mountain meteorology since "most of the local weather/climate variations are produced by the local terrain". His dissertation focused on strong cold fronts over the Intermountain West (Nevada, Utah) and how the dry low-level environment and complex terrain affect where they occur and how they develop.
Jay believes it's important for students to be involved in extracurricular activities and the community. He has been actively involved with student chapters of the American Meteorological Society having founded a chapter at the University of Utah. He continues this involvement with local AMS chapters by serving on the AMS Local Chapter Affairs Committee.
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