STORM Club crowdfunds to send students to career-changing conference
UNC Charlotte’s Student Organization of Meteorology Club (STORM) is crowdfunding to send 20 to 25 of its members to the American Meteorological Society Annual Meeting, Jan. 10-14, 2027, in Denver. This annual event is the largest gathering of meteorologists in the world, and it has the ability to reshape the lives of students at Charlotte.
“AMS is where I met the director for the internship I had over the summer,” Ian Shank, senior meteorology major, said. “STORM has been monumental in developing my career.”
STORM Club has attended AMS for the past 18 years. The event allows Charlotte meteorology students to network with industry professionals and students from across the nation, highlights various career opportunities within the field and connects students with graduate programs. The conference also features weekend poster sessions devoted to student research.
Shank was connected with his summer internship — the National Weather Service in Norman and University of Oklahoma — at the AMS 2025 in New Orleans. At AMS 2026 in Houston, Shank presented research he completed over the summer.
Emily Bennett also attended AMS in New Orleans and Houston. She walked away from the conferences with clarity on graduate school and connections.
“A highlight for me is being able to meet students my age and share our career paths at the conference and at dinners after,” Bennett said. “It’s so interesting to see how career paths unfold around the country, and it’s really important to build those connections.”
Crowdfunding is crucial to cover hotel and travel costs to make this incredible networking opportunity accessible to the greatest number of meteorology students.
A club on the rise
Terry Shirley, associate chair of the Department of Earth, Environmental and Geographical Sciences and meteorology undergraduate program director, has advised the club since it began in 2008. The club began two years after the meteorology major was established and had about a dozen members — three to five of whom attended AMS.
Today, the club has more than 70 members and blends professional development with social programming. Under the leadership of Shank and Bennett, STORM has increased its social events, creating an even tighter-knit meteorology community at Charlotte.
“STORM connects you with like-minded people and develops camaraderie and friendships beyond the networking,” Shirley said. “I think that’s really impactful for a lot of students, especially early on. When they get to the University, it’s big and intimidating. STORM gives them a sense of belonging.”
The meteorology program recently purchased state-of-the-art weather computers and broadcast meteorology equipment and had additional equipment donated by WSOC-TV. Former chief meteorologist Steve Udelson also teaches a broadcast meteorology course at UNC Charlotte. This gives STORM a competitive edge in preparing for broadcast careers; crowdfunding contributions will go toward the equipment’s subscription service.
Illuminating a path for students
Meteorology is more than what you see on the news — STORM highlights career paths students may not have been aware of previously.
STORM students visit news stations and network with local meteorologists, tour National Weather Service offices and hear from a variety of guest speakers. They also participate in community outreach, teaching about weather in elementary and middle schools.
“I came in thinking broadcast and the National Weather Service were my only two options,” Shank said. “STORM helped me realize I can do way more.”
To support STORM, visit crowdfund.charlotte.edu.