FAMES® | Finance, Arts, and STEM: Understanding and predicting the weather is a subject on everyone’s 
mind these days. To help students gain knowledge of the latest technologies and methods related to weather monitoring and prediction FAMESTM invited Mr. Reggie Lawrence to speak to students attending the STEM After School Program at the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Washington. Drawing from his 35+ years of experience at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA), Mr. Lawrence began with a video of the recent launch of the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites Series R (GOES-R) spacecraft. This highly advanced geostationary weather satellite provides continuous images of U.S. weather patterns and severe storms. These images can be used to aid 
in weather forecasts, severe weather outlooks, watches and warnings, lightning conditions, and maritime and aviation forecasts. Mr. Lawrence made weather monitoring a topic of regional importance to the students.In recent years, the Washington, DC metropolitan area experienced several powerful storms such as Hurricane Sandy and two severe wind storms called derechos. He explained how NOAA used satellite imagery to predict their arrival and evaluate their impact by using Doppler radar that can reveal the internal structure of storms, The resulting 3-D models can be used to predict storm intensity, direction, and evoluation helping to provide the advance warnings that save lives and reduce risks of property damage.
Impact on the students: This was an invaluable experience for the students inspiring them to learn more and consider the role they might play in the future of weather monitoring as scientists and engineers.
STEM role model speaker: Mr. Reginald B. Lawrence recently retired from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) after 35+ years of distinguished career. He served in a number of key technical, supervisory management, physical scientist, program/project planning positions during his tenure. These positions ranged from Program Manager of advanced ground systems Information Technology (IT) development projects; Director of a 24hr x7day operational weather data processing center; and Project/Program Manager of a tri-agency NOAA, NASA and Department of Defense (DoD) satellite ground systems IT development project.
Mr. Lawrence received his bachelor of science degree in Mathematics in 1977 from Alabama State University, Montgomery, Alabama, and masters of science degree in Computer Science from The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, in 1984. In addition, Mr. Lawrence completed graduate studies in Oceanography at The Johns Hopkins University as well as in Electrical Engineering at The George Washington University, Washington, DC. He received additional advanced masters certificates in Information Security (Villanova University); Project Management (Villanova University); Software Testing (Villanova University); and in Government Contract Management (The George Washington University and ESI). He also received a certificate of accomplishment in Enterprise Architecture from the USDA Graduate School and was recently certified as a Federal Enterprise Architect (Federal Enterprise Architecture Institute (FEAI) and California State University at East Bay).
Mr. Lawrence has been active, passionate and career -focused in the areas of education and training in a part-time capacity during most of his 35 years of career service with the federal government. Mr. Lawrence has served in several educational capacities–as adjunct and associate professor at a number of colleges and universities in the Washington metropolitan area including University of the District of Columbia, Montgomery College, Prince Georges Community College, and United States Department of Agriculture Graduate School – and as a professional trainer and consultant in Washington DC Public Schools community education.
FAMES® (www.famesusa.org) is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization dedicated to mentoring and educating underserved youth in Grades 4-12 in finance, arts, and STEM subjects, mainly during after school and summer. FAMES inspires curiosity and engagement through programs that use hands-on, technology-driven learning models and expert speakers from related fields. By offering relevant and engaging programs FAMES increases opportunities for youth, bolsters their self-confidence, and helps them develop a path for future professional success. This presentation is part of FAMES® STEM After School Program at BGCGW.