NSSL Laboratory Review 2021

November 16–19, 2021, Norman, OK

Laboratory science reviews are conducted every five years to evaluate the quality, relevance, and performance of research conducted in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR) laboratories. This review is for both internal OAR/NOAA use for planning, programming, and budgeting, and external interests. It helps the Laboratory in its strategic planning of its future science. These reviews are also intended to ensure that OAR laboratory research is linked to the NOAA Strategic Plan, is relevant to NOAA Research mission and priorities, is of high quality as judged by preeminence criteria, and is carried out with a high level of performance.

The three thematic areas for this review are:

Observations and Understanding
Numerical Modeling and Forecast/Warning Applications
Engagement of Customers, Stakeholders, and Users

NOAA National Severe Storms Laboratory Response to Panel Review Recommendations, 2024 Update (PDF, 29 Oct 2024)

NOAA National Severe Storms Laboratory Response to Panel Review Recommendations (PDF, 7 Aug 2023)

Summary Report of the Science Review of the NOAA National Severe Storm Laboratory, November 2021 (PDF, 6 Jun 2023)

Charge to reviewers (PDF)

Review Panel

Marc L. Levitan (Panel Chair)

Lead Research Wind Engineer, National Windstorm Impact Reduction Program
National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, Maryland

Frédéric Fabry

Associate Professor, Department of Atmospheric and Atmospheric Oceanic Sciences
Director, Bieler School of Environment, McGill University, Montreal, Canada

Pete Manousos

Consultant and Senior Meteorologist, FirstEnergy Corporation, Akron, Ohio

Gretchen Mullendore

Director, Mesoscale & Microscale Meteorology Laboratory, National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colorado

Steve Nesbitt

Professor and Associate Department Head, Department of Atmospheric Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Illinois

J. Marshall Shepherd

Georgia Athletic Association Distinguished Professor of Geography and Atmospheric Sciences
Director, Atmospheric Sciences Program, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia

Olga Wilhelmi

Head, Geographic Information Science Program
Project Scientist IV in the Research Applications Lab at the National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colorado

Sepi Yalda

Professor of Meteorology, Millersville University Department of Earth Sciences
Director, Millersville University Center for Disaster Research and Education, Millersville, Pennsylvania

Agenda

All times Central Standard

Day 1: November 16, 2021

9:00–9:15 am	Welcome and Introductions
9:15–10:00	OAR and Portfolio Overview
10:00–10:10	Break
10:10–11:10	NSSL Overview and Discussion
11:10–11:30	Break
11:30–12:40 pm	Lunch with Young Scientists (closed) 40 min on-camera discussion, 30 min off
12:40–12:45	Introduction: Observations and Understanding
12:45–1:15	Deployable instrumentation used to collect observations
1:15–2:15	Fieldwork and Analysis Part 1
2:15–2:30	Break
2:30–3:30	Fieldwork and Analysis Part 2
3:30–3:45	Break
3:45–4:15	Review Panel Discussion (closed)
4:15 pm	Closeout of Day 1

Day 2: November 17, 2021

9:00–9:10 am	Welcome and Refresh/Reset
9:10–10:05	Phased Array Radar
10:05–10:15	Break
10:15–10:20	Introduction: Engagement of Customers, Stakeholders, and Users
10:20–11:15	User-Centered Framework, Social and Behavioral Science
11:15–11:30	Break
11:30–12:30 pm	Collaborative Research Environments
12:30–1:00	Lunch with Young Scientists (closed)
1:00–1:15	Break
1:15–1:20	Introduction: Numerical Modeling and Forecast/Warning Applications
1:20–2:15	WSR-88D Science
2:15–2:30	Break
2:30–3:30	Multi-Radar Multi-Sensor Science (MRMS)
3:30–4:00	Stakeholder meeting for Engagement of Customers, Stakeholders, and Users theme (closed except for panel and stakeholders)
4:00–4:30	Review Panel Discussion (closed)
4:30 pm	Closeout of Day 2

Day 3: November 18, 2021

9:00–9:10 am	Welcome and refresh, continue with Numerical Modeling and Forecast/Warning Applications
9:10–10:15	Observation-based severe convective tools
10:15–10:30	Break
10:30–11:30	Warn-on-Forecast
11:30–12:30 pm	Multi-Themed R2O Success Stories
12:30–1:30	Lunch break (closed)
1:30–2:15	Stakeholder meeting for Numerical Modeling and Forecast/Warning Applications theme (closed except for panel and stakeholders)
1:30–2:15	NSSL and OAR leadership with LO reps (closed)
2:15–3:00	Break and Review Panel Discussion (closed)
3:00 pm	Closeout of Day 3

Day 4: November 19, 2021

9:00–10:30 am	Panel Discussion (closed)
10:30–10:45	Break
10:45–11:45	Panel report-out and recommendations to OAR/NSSL management (closed)
11:45–12:00 pm	Closeout and thank-yous

Presentations and Introductions

These presentations are intended to be viewed in advance of the Review. Review panel members will have the opportunity to discuss the content of these presentations with the subject matter experts during the Review.

Acronyms List (PDF) · NSSL Organizational Chart (PDF)