Tuesday marks the start of the National Tropical Weather Conference on South Padre Island, an event which UTRGV student Julissa Rivas will attend to represent the university as the only student from Texas.
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Rivas, a math senior with a concentration in science and engineering, learned about the conference after contacting KRGV-TV Chief Meteorologist Tim Smith to discuss opportunities within the field.
“I’ve always wanted to meet him,” she said. “So I emailed him, Smith, and he told me … about this conference competition. … They only select three people across the [United States] and, sometimes, they don’t even choose people from Texas, nor the Valley.”
Smith, who serves as coordinator for the conference, said the event is a “great learning opportunity” for broadcast meteorologists and students.
He said this is the 12th year the conference is held and that it started as a way to help meteorologists prepare people for hurricane season.
“I think it’s a wonderful opportunity to represent the community and to let the … larger tropical weather community know that there are students here in South Texas that are passionate, that really want to learn,” Smith said.
Rivas said she was doubtful at first that she would be selected and she bought a ticket for admission to the conference. However, she received an email announcing she had been chosen to represent her university and she called to confirm and accept.
Despite the absence of a meteorology program at UTRGV, the senior is following her interest in tropical weather and pursuing a career in the field.
Rivas first discovered her interest in meteorology at 6 years old after Hurricane Dolly swept through her neighborhood and took down her family’s fence.
“I was like, you know what, like, that’s what I want to study,” she told The Rider. “I was able to, like, continue that journey into wanting to become a meteorologist.”
Rivas said the science and math courses she has taken so far at UTRGV have prepared her to further her education and that she plans to apply to several meteorology programs after graduation. She also volunteers at the National Weather Service office in Brownsville, where she is responsible for launching weather balloons that collect data from the atmosphere.
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Michael Buchanan, the meteorologist in charge at the National Weather Service office in Brownsville, said Rivas started volunteering there in 2022. Initially, she assisted with evening weather balloon launches, Buchanan said.
“It’s evolved into where she’s doing most of the balloon launches,” he said. “She’s very studious and very quiet, but she’s very eager to learn.”
Buchanan said the conference is a “great” event where experts in the tropical weather field meet.
The Rider asked Buchanan what advice he has for students interested in meteorology.
“Consider getting at least your bachelor’s of science degree in meteorology or atmospheric science from an accredited institution,” he replied. “There’s several in the state here. There’s Texas A&M Corpus Christi just two hours to the north. They actually have a young program, but it’s an accredited meteorology program.”
Smith encourages aspiring meteorologists in the community to study hard and get their basics done at UTRGV.
“Go for it,” he said. “The sky is the limit. … Get a great basic education here first, and then you can go from there.”
Student registration for the conference is $50 and includes one-on-one interactions with field experts, entry to seminars, discussions and lunch. For more information about the conference, visit its website.
