Ernie Ostuno - NOAA/NWS, Weather Forecast Office. Grand Rapids, Michigan  I have a B.A. in meteorology from Western Connecticut State University, 1993. My work experience includes being an Intern/General Forecaster with the National Weather Service Forecast Office in State College, Pennsylvania, from 1994-1999. Since 1999, I have been a Senior Forecaster with the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Grand Rapids, Michigan . My research projects and professional interests include (a) communication issues, including assessing the effectiveness of wording used in NWS public products, particularly severe weather warnings; (b) creating public weather safety programs, specifically targeted to outdoor enthusiasts such as campers, hikers, and swimmers; and (c) investigating local historical weather events, especially details of how the events changed public awareness, and finding a strategy for overcoming the tendency for complacency towards very rare, extreme events.  I feel that effectively integrating scientific research into the societal impacts of weather is the most effective way to accomplish the primary mission of the National Weather Service.                            

Paths of Destruction, a book about the tornadoes in Michigan on April 3, 1956, was introduced earlier this month in Grand Rapids. For the 50th anniversary of the event in 2006. Ernie Ostuno, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, worked closely with Hudsonville residents and local historians to produce a display and video of personal accounts. Now in book form, the information has been published by the Grand Rapids Historical Society. 

In an effort to increase severe weather verification I have created training on storm damage surveying for spotters. It can be viewed here: 

http://www.crh.noaa.gov/grr/education/slideshows/
INVEST2006.pdf

Location: Ashvile, N.C. 

Occupation: General Electric
Interests: Hiking, Photography 

James Parton and a 29.4" X 119.8 foot pitch pine, Kellogg Conference Center, Hendersonville, NC. 

Dr. Neil Pederson,Assistant Research Professor at Lamont-Dougherty Earth Observatory - Tree Ring Lab, at Columbia University.

Research Interests: My research interests are centered on trees, ecosystems and old-growth forests at the intersection of climate change, ecology, conservation biology, natural history, forest management and charismatic megaflora. I conduct basic and applied research to gain information that can help ecologically-based, long-term management plans. Education: Ph.D. - Columbia University, Dept. of Earth & Environmental Science
CV http://www.ldeo.columbia.edu/~adk/CV.pdf

Select Projects:
Fire, Climate and Forest Ecology in Mongolia funded by the National Science Foundation
http://www.ldeo.columbia.edu/~adk/mongoliaFire/

Drought History of Three Ponds and Blanton Forest Preserves: Investigation of an East-West Drought Gradient Across Kentucky funded by the Kentucky State Nature Preserves Commission
http://www.ldeo.columbia.edu/~adk/research/KYdrought/

Dr. Pederson created and maintains the Eastern Old-List - a listing of the oldest trees in eastern North America.
http://www.ldeo.columbia.edu/~adk/oldlisteast/

Selected Publications:

McEwan, R. W., J.M. Dyer and N. Pederson. 2011. Multiple interacting ecosystem drivers: toward an encompassing hypothesis of oak forest dynamics across eastern North America. Ecography 34: 244-256 doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0587.2010.06390.x :

N. Pederson. 2010. External Characteristics of Old Trees in the Eastern Deciduous Forest. Natural Areas Journal 4: 396-407. pdf

Cook, E.R. and N. Pederson. 2010. Uncertainty, emergence, and statistics in dendrochronology. Dendroclimatology: Progress and Prospects, Developments in Paleoecological Research, Springer-Verlag.Pederson, N., A.W. D'Amato and D.A. Orwig. 2007.

Central hardwood natural history from dendrochronology: maximum ages of rarely studied species. Proceedings of the 15th Central Hardwood Conference. University of Tennessee. Knoxville, TN. February 27–March 1, 2006. USDA Forest Service Southern Research Station. e-General Technical Report SRS-101. pdf

Hopton, H.M. and N. Pederson. 2005. Climate sensitivity of Atlantic white-cedar at its northern range limit. Atlantic White Cedar: Ecology, Restoration and Management, Proceedings of the Arlington Echo Symposium. June 2-4 2003. Millersville, MD. USDA For. Ser. Gen. Tech. Rep. pdf

Ben Prater

Wild South
Conservation Director
16 Eagle St Suite 200
Asheville, NC 28801
http://www.wildsouth.org

Raised in Pacolet, S.C., just south of Spartanburg, he now lives in the Shiloh area of Asheville.  Bachelor's degree in environmental science from Catawba College in Salisbury; master's degree in environmental management from Duke University's Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth Sciences.

"Our program work focuses on public lands, advocacy and protection work through scientific and citizen involvement," he said. "I also head up our wildlife conservation program where I work with agencies, other organizations and the public at large to protect habitat for native species."

Prater also performs educational outreach activities from time to time, and oversees Wild South's intern and volunteers.
programs.