Charlotte Lunday

Back to Spotlights

Student Spotlight

Featured: 10/2011

I'm currently a junior meteorology major with varied interests. I hadn't gone to college planning to study meteorology, but I was drawn to the subject because I felt like I could actually contribute something to the science. The atmosphere around the School of Meteorology is one of invention and collaboration, so I felt quite at home there. I am currently working on a research project comparing regional climate model output with county-level historical observations in Oklahoma to find out how well the climate models capture precipitation trends across our state. Another research project I am working seeks to gauge public perception of winter storm management in the south and how perceptions differ in rural, suburban, and urban areas. That project should commence this winter.

When I am not working on schoolwork, I like to read, write, and watch political debates. Although I am not entirely sure what my future holds, I can envision myself working in policy, helping cultivate better adapted, more resilient communities.

I've been honored to receive scholarships from both the University of Oklahoma's School of Meteorology and the Honor's College. I have been awarded the Sooner Heritage Scholarship two years, and I was a Carl Albert Center for Congressional Research Undergraduate Fellow for two years. Last year I was awarded NOAA's Ernest F. Holling's Scholarship. I am the Vice President of the Oklahoma Weather Lab, which is a student-run forecasting group, and I am happily employed by the Southern Climate Impacts Planning Program.