Rhonda Plofkin

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Panelists

Nick Bostedt

University of Wisconsin-Madison

Nick Bostedt is a senior undergraduate at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, majoring in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences with minors in Science Communication and Geospatial Data Science. He has taken more of an atypical path, as he is expected to graduate a year early and has to work to compress four years of a degree into three. Nick’s journey started during his freshman year of high school, working with multiple large social media groups to gain background in meteorology. He also participated in the CIMSS Weather Camp during the summer of 2023, and started taking meteorology courses during his senior year of high school through UW-Milwaukee. Currently, Nick is heavily involved with AMS, serving as vice president of the UW-Madison chapter while also sitting on the Student Conference Planning Committee (SCPC) under the Board of Student Affairs (BOSA) and acting as a session chair at this year’s student conference. He is also working with Dr. Angela Rowe on the ProbSevere product, co-developed between UW and NOAA. Nick was also the recipient of the 2026 Leadership Award within the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences relating to his efforts both inside and outside of the classroom.

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Mostofa Kamal

University of Saskatchewan

Mostofa Kamal is a Ph.D. student in the School of Environment and Sustainability at the University of Saskatchewan (USASK), Canada. He founded Abohawa.com, the first non-governmental operational weather forecasting website, and co-founded Abohawabid, an Android app providing forecasts and early warnings to Bangla-speaking communities in Bangladesh and India, with a mission to build a weather-ready nation by turning forecasts into decision intelligence.

Mostofa holds B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees in Physics from Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Bangladesh; a postgraduate diploma in Earth System Physics from ICTP, Italy; and an M.Sc. in Earth and Environmental Sciences from the University of Waterloo, Canada. His science communication includes blogs, op-eds, talks, and TV interviews across Canada, the USA, and Bangladesh. He received AGU’s 2024–2025 Voices for Science Fellowship Award and AMS’s 2025 Early Career Leadership Academy Fellowship.

An AMS volunteer, Mostofa co-chairs BoSA’s SPDC, is a BOGM member, and organized the AMS student conferences in 2025, 2026, and 2027. He was USASK’s GSA President and VP Academic and Student Affairs. He also served on Bangladesh’s ruling party’s Environmental Advisory Committee and currently advises the Bangladesh Government on implementing the 250 million Tree Plantation Program and Weather and Climate-Smart Agriculture Project.

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Ivy Jeffries

Texas Tech University

Ivy Jeffries began her academic career at the University of Oklahoma as a meteorology major during August 2020. She began conducting research as a student research assistant for a project studying the intersection between severe weather and emergency management, sparking her interest in the social science perspective of meteorology. However, this unique academic experience complicated her journey pursuing graduate school. Although she knew she was still interested in meteorology, she found herself uncertain if she wanted a secondary degree in the field. Furthermore, she was unsure of what other potential degree programs would explore the physical and social science perspectives of weather in ways that aligned with her interests.

Ivy decided to attend Texas Tech University to pursue her Master’s degree in Geography and the Environment. In this program, she was able to learn more about what she loved about meteorology through a different perspective. Now that she is a recent graduate, Ivy is looking for work aimed towards enhancing weather safety and disaster resilience among communities. She is interested in helping communities leverage the resources they have to promote their own disaster resilience practices and educating community leaders on the best practices based on the characteristics making them unique. 
 

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Rachel Grant

Ohio University

Rachel Grant is a senior at Ohio University studying Broadcast Meteorology. As the only Broadcast Meteorology major in the Class of 2027, she’ll be the first four-year graduate of the university's dual-major program. She helped develop the academic pathway for the degree, creating a framework for her and future students can follow. Rachel expanded experiential learning opportunities by becoming the first Weather Forecaster for The Athens County Independent, a digital news organization. She also produces daily forecast videos on social media that quickly gained traction in the Athens community. She applies her communication and digital media skills as Webmaster for the Scalia Laboratory for Atmospheric Analysis.

Rachel has been involved with AMS since her freshman year. She has been a reliant member of her university’s student chapter, and was a mentee for the Board of Public Sector Meteorologists’ Summer Mentorship program in 2024. She then served as Treasurer for her student chapter during her sophomore year. Through the mentorship of professor Dillon Blount, she became involved with AMS at the national level and currently serves on the Board of Student Affairs' Student Engagement and Outreach Committee. Her leadership, service, and commitment to advancing opportunities for meteorology students continue to shape her university and community.
 

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Liam Thompson

University of Utah

Liam Thompson is a first-year graduate student at the University of Utah, working on the development of an operational ozone forecast model for the Salt Lake Valley in Utah. Liam entered this field in August 2022 as an undergraduate meteorology major and notes the field, and the world, have changed tremendously, especially in the age of artificial intelligence. In his mind, this has necessitated a need to have critical conversations about where we go from here as individuals and as a community.

Liam has also had to navigate a challenging federal landscape that has touched all aspects of academia. As such, Liam worked with the American Geophysical Union as a Voices for Science Fellow where he advocated on Capitol Hill for full fiscal year funding of critical agencies such as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), regional science centers such as the South Central Climate Adaptation Science Center (SC CASC), and the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). 

Undeterred, Liam has won several competitive scholarships, recognizing his commitment to agencies such as NOAA and impact-based research. These have included the NOAA Ernest F. Hollings Scholarship, the Barry Goldwater Scholarship, and the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship. 

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Lizzie Aurit

University of Nebraska - Lincoln 

Lizzie Aurit is a sophomore at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln (UNL), double-majoring in Meteorology-Climatology and Geography, with a minor in Mathematics. Her passion for atmospheric science began after her freshman year of high school at UNL’s National Weather Camp—a program she later returned to, serving as both an Assistant and Lead Instructor and designing and teaching weather lessons for high school students. Her early leadership and academic achievements earned her UNL's prestigious Presidential Scholarship.

A former member of the Cornhusker Marching Band, Lizzie has navigated unexpected academic changes after the elimination of UNL’s Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences and remains committed to completing her degree at Nebraska. Today, she interns with the Nebraska State Climate Office, serves as a Learning Assistant for introductory meteorology labs, and conducts undergraduate paleoclimatology research.

Following the dissolution of UNL’s local student AMS chapter, Lizzie expanded her engagement to the national level with the AMS Board of Student Affairs. She currently serves on the Student Conference Planning Committee as a session chair and poster subcommittee member.

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Kate Stapleton

University of Oklahoma

Kate Stapleton is a second-year master’s student at the University of Oklahoma in the School of Meteorology. While still early in her educational journey, Kate has dealt with adversity, having attended four schools over six years. She began her freshman year as a meteorology major at the University of Miami, however, due to financial constraints, she transferred to Texas A&M University. During her three years at Texas A&M, Kate was awarded the Ernest F. Hollings Scholarship, the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP), and a B.S. in Meteorology. She went on to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) to pursue a master’s in Atmospheric Science. Unfortunately, UNL eliminated their Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences four months after her arrival. During this time Kate received overwhelming support from the meteorology community, which brought her to Oklahoma to finish her master’s. This transition would not have been possible without the support she received from her AMS and university networks. 

Currently, she serves as a c0-chair in training for the Student Conference Planning Committee (SCPC) under the Board on Student Affairs (BoSA). She has been a member of the SCPC for the last three years, serving as a session chair and on the poster subcommittee. During her undergraduate degree, she was active in the Texas A&M Student Chapter of the AMS (TAMSCAMS), eventually serving as President and Vice President. During her tenure as an officer, TAMSCAMS was awarded the Local Student Chapter of the Year award.
 

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Marissa Krautbauer

University of Oklahoma

Marissa Krautbauer is a senior meteorology major at the University of Oklahoma with a minor in communication. Growing up in Oklahoma sparked her interest in severe weather, but overtime she grew passionate about how people understand and react to weather risk. That intersection of meteorology and communication shapes her research and professional goals.

Her college journey has included its share of bumps. Starting in a lower-level math track meant taking Calculus II, Physics I, and Physics Lab over the summer to stay on pace, setting the tone for a demanding schedule. She has taken summer courses every year and has never had a semester below 14 credit hours. Along the way she also navigated anxiety that affected her academic confidence. These experiences strengthened her resilience and shaped the way she approaches her work.  

Marissa has been active in both research and leadership. She currently serves on AMS BoSA’s Student Conference Planning Committee and Student Outreach and Engagement Committee, and she is President of OU's AMS chapter. Across all roles she is driven by a commitment to improving how weather information is communicated to the public. 

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Jessica Muniz

Universtiy of Georgia

Jessica Muniz is a third-year undergraduate student at the University of Georgia pursuing  atmospheric science and geography, while simultaneously completing a master’s in Disaster Management. Though she has always held a wide range of interests and hobbies, her decision to study atmospheric science was solidified after watching the 2024 Twisters movie and reflecting on her past experiences in Georgia 4-H and the 2011 Super Outbreak. 

The journey did not come without obstacles. Navigating a highly competitive internship and job market is daunting, as was the self-doubt that came from comparing herself to peers who effortlessly understood classwork, especially deriving the QG Omega Equation. While the pressure to keep pace was intense, Jessica reframed those doubts into drive.

She has earned high marks in her coursework, alongside securing federal internships. This past summer, Jessica interned in the Road Weather Management Program at the Federal Highway Administration, and this summer, she will intern with NOAA as a 2026 Hollings Scholar. While her journey is far from finished, Jessica’s greatest lesson has been the power of community. She firmly believes that it takes a village to not only learn atmospheric science, but to build a meaningful, joyful life within and beyond the discipline.  

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Diandre Richie

University of Florida

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Session Chair

Dr. Kandis Boyd

Dr. Kandis Boyd, PMP, is a distinguished leader in Weather, Water, and Climate whose career reflects both scientific expertise and a deep commitment to service. She was named a Fellow of the American Meteorological Society (AMS) and received the Society’s 2021 Charles E. Anderson Award in recognition of her career-long efforts to advance diversity and inclusion within the profession. Building on this record of service, she was elected to the AMS Council in 2022, and her peers subsequently selected her to join the AMS Executive Committee in 2023 — a testament to the trust and respect she has earned within the scientific community. Beyond her AMS contributions, Dr. Boyd is an internationally renowned speaker who has addressed audiences at conferences and meetings around the world, and she has authored more than 100 articles, sharing her expertise across numerous podcasts and television presentations. Her blend of scientific leadership, mentorship, and public engagement continues to shape the future of the weather, water, and climate community.