William P. Roeder
Chief Staff Meteorologist
45th Weather Squadron, USAF
Exploiting The Weather To Ensure Safe Access
To Air And Space
Lightning Safety Activities:
Mr. Roeder has a passionate concern for lightning safety.
He is a founding member of the Lightning Safety Group, which
published new lightning safety recommendations in 1998. The
NCAA adopted the Lightning Safety Group guidelines, as have
several school districts. Mr. Roeder conducts an extensive
public education effort and instructs thousands of people
each year. His website on lightning safety receives rave reviews.
He has published many articles and has appeared on ‘Discovery
Channel', ‘PBS-TV', and the ‘BBC'. Recent awards for lightning
safety include the National Weather Association 1999 Public
Education Award, the 1999 Air Force Chief of Safety Special
Achievement Award, and the Air Force Space Command 1999 and
2000 Safety Awards. Mr. Roeder was invited speaker on lightning
safety to the 10th Steamboat Weather Summit for broadcast
meteorologists in 1999.
Chief Staff Meteorologist:
William P. Roeder is the ‘Chief Staff Meteorologist' for
the 45th Weather Squadron (45 WS). He has 21 years of operational
weather experience with the U.S. Air Force, both as an officer
and now as a civil servant. The 45 WS provides weather support
to America's space program at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
and Kennedy Space Center, which includes the world's most
dense and diverse suite of lightning sensors in operational
meteorology. Some of the Chief Staff Meteorologist duties
include pursuing forecast improvements, providing advanced
meteorological consultation to the space program, and liaison
with outside technical agencies. Mr. Roeder serves on the
Presidential commissioned Inter-agency Nuclear Safety Review
Panel, the National Weather Association Weather Analysis And
Forecasting Committee, and the American Meteorological Society
Applied Climatology Committee. Mr. Roeder has published over
50 articles. Some of his other awards include the Air Force
Zimmerman Awards in 2000 and 1998 for climatology, the Air
Force Space Command 1999 Weather Civilian of the Year, the
45th Space Wing 1998 Civilian of the Year, and the 1995 Air
Force Merewether Award for best technical application. Mr.
Roeder is a microburst expert and was invited instructor to
two national workshops sponsored by the tri-agency NEXRAD
Operational Support Facility in 1998 and he has appeared on
‘Discovery Channel'. He is currently organizing a workshop
on downburst prediction for the 26th National Weather Association
annual meeting.
Background:
Mr. Roeder has a M.S. in Atmospheric Sciences from University
of Arizona, a B.S. in Meteorology from Penn State University,
and a B.S. in Physics from University of Pittsburgh. His research
interests include applied meteorology, applied statistics,
and artificial intelligence in meteorology. He most recently
worked in lightning forecasting, microburst forecasting, lightning
Launch Commit Criteria, and lightning safety.
Contact Information:
William P. Roeder william.roeder@patrick.af.mil
(321) 853-8410 (primary office)
(321) 494-7023 (secondary office) www.patrick.af.mil/45og/45ws/LightningSafety/index.htm
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