Mesonet Receives Best Of Kentucky Technology Award
April 20, 2010
Bowling
Green, Ky. -
The Kentucky Mesonet has received a Best of Kentucky Technology Award for “Best Application Serving Public Agencies.”
The award was presented Tuesday in Frankfort during the Kentucky Digital Government Summit.
“We are very honored to be recognized as one of the best technological applications in state government,” said Mike Grogan, lead systems architect for the Kentucky Mesonet. “From the start of the Kentucky Mesonet program, our primary goal has always been to build something positive and beneficial for the entire Commonwealth. We feel this award confirms that our efforts for and dedication to the people of Kentucky is on-target.”
Since the Mesonet’s first station at the Western Kentucky University farm in Warren County became operational in May 2007, 49 stations have been installed toward a goal of 100 stations statewide.
The Mesonet stations collect real-time weather and climate data on temperature, precipitation, humidity, solar radiation, wind speed and direction. Data are packaged into observations and transmitted to the Kentucky Climate Center at WKU every five minutes, 24 hours per day, throughout the year and are available online at www.kymesonet.org.
The statewide automated environmental monitoring network supports a variety of needs across Kentucky in agriculture, education, emergency management, energy, engineering and construction, recreation, transportation, water supply management and weather forecasting.
“A primary goal of the Kentucky Mesonet is to build and operate something very beneficial for the citizens of the Commonwealth,” Grogan said. “While the public certainly has direct access via our website to the data we provide, one way in which we have a positive impact on Kentuckians is through our work with other government agencies at both the state and federal levels in their missions to protect life and property.
“We are very honored to be selected as ‘Best Application Serving Public Agencies,’ which recognizes our work with agencies like the Kentucky Division of Geographic Information, the National Weather Service and others to improve and enhance the timeliness and availability of critical meteorological data throughout Kentucky.”
The Kentucky Geography Network includes detailed weather information on its innovative weather mapping site, thanks to a partnership with the Mesonet and Kentucky Climate Center at WKU.
The National Weather Service forecast offices in Kentucky also utilize Mesonet data and have worked with Mesonet administrators to build the high quality network to serve communities throughout the state.
“The Kentucky Mesonet is an excellent example of a successful federal-state-local partnership,” said Dr. Stuart Foster, director of the Mesonet and the Kentucky Climate Center. “Credit for this award rightfully goes to our staff. We have been able to bring together a small but very talented and dedicated staff who demonstrate a strong commitment on behalf of the people of Kentucky.”
About the Mesonet: Initial funding for the project was secured by U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell through a $2.9 million federal appropriation for the Kentucky Climate Center, part of WKU’s Applied Research and Technology Program in the Ogden College of Science and Engineering.
Stations are located in Adair, Allen, Barren, Boone, Breathitt, Breckinridge Bullitt, Caldwell, Calloway, Campbell, Carroll, Casey, Christian, Clark, Clinton, Crittenden, Cumberland, Fayette, Franklin, Fulton, Graves, Grayson, Hardin, Harrison, Henderson, Hopkins, Jackson, Johnson, Knott, Knox, Lewis, Lincoln, Logan, Madison, Marshall, Mason, McLean, Mercer, Metcalfe, Morgan, Nicholas, Ohio, Owen, Owsley, Rowan, Taylor, Trigg, Union and Warren counties.
Site license agreements have been reached in Lawrence, McCreary, Marion, Muhlenberg and Pike counties. Mesonet officials are actively pursuing sites in about 20 other counties, including Bath, Bell, Carter, Clay, Harlan, Hart, Pendleton, Powell, Pulaski, Rockcastle and Todd.
State Climatologist Stuart Foster is director of the Kentucky Mesonet and the Kentucky Climate Center. Dr. Rezaul Mahmood, associate professor of Geography and Geology, is associate director of the Kentucky Mesonet and the Kentucky Climate Center. The Kentucky Mesonet staff includes meteorologists and staff with expertise in instrumentation, information technology, quality assurance, and education outreach. The Kentucky Mesonet also provides opportunities for WKU student employees and interns to work side-by-side with professional staff.
More WKU news is available at www.wku.edu and at http://wkunews.wordpress.com/. If you’d like to receive WKU news via e-mail, send a message to WKUNews@wku.edu.
Contact Mike Grogan at (270) 745-4569 or Stuart Foster at (270) 745-5983.
April 20, 2010
Bowling
Green, Ky. -
The Kentucky Mesonet has received a Best of Kentucky Technology Award for “Best Application Serving Public Agencies.”The award was presented Tuesday in Frankfort during the Kentucky Digital Government Summit.
“We are very honored to be recognized as one of the best technological applications in state government,” said Mike Grogan, lead systems architect for the Kentucky Mesonet. “From the start of the Kentucky Mesonet program, our primary goal has always been to build something positive and beneficial for the entire Commonwealth. We feel this award confirms that our efforts for and dedication to the people of Kentucky is on-target.”
Since the Mesonet’s first station at the Western Kentucky University farm in Warren County became operational in May 2007, 49 stations have been installed toward a goal of 100 stations statewide.
The Mesonet stations collect real-time weather and climate data on temperature, precipitation, humidity, solar radiation, wind speed and direction. Data are packaged into observations and transmitted to the Kentucky Climate Center at WKU every five minutes, 24 hours per day, throughout the year and are available online at www.kymesonet.org.
The statewide automated environmental monitoring network supports a variety of needs across Kentucky in agriculture, education, emergency management, energy, engineering and construction, recreation, transportation, water supply management and weather forecasting.
“A primary goal of the Kentucky Mesonet is to build and operate something very beneficial for the citizens of the Commonwealth,” Grogan said. “While the public certainly has direct access via our website to the data we provide, one way in which we have a positive impact on Kentuckians is through our work with other government agencies at both the state and federal levels in their missions to protect life and property.
“We are very honored to be selected as ‘Best Application Serving Public Agencies,’ which recognizes our work with agencies like the Kentucky Division of Geographic Information, the National Weather Service and others to improve and enhance the timeliness and availability of critical meteorological data throughout Kentucky.”
The Kentucky Geography Network includes detailed weather information on its innovative weather mapping site, thanks to a partnership with the Mesonet and Kentucky Climate Center at WKU.
The National Weather Service forecast offices in Kentucky also utilize Mesonet data and have worked with Mesonet administrators to build the high quality network to serve communities throughout the state.
“The Kentucky Mesonet is an excellent example of a successful federal-state-local partnership,” said Dr. Stuart Foster, director of the Mesonet and the Kentucky Climate Center. “Credit for this award rightfully goes to our staff. We have been able to bring together a small but very talented and dedicated staff who demonstrate a strong commitment on behalf of the people of Kentucky.”
About the Mesonet: Initial funding for the project was secured by U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell through a $2.9 million federal appropriation for the Kentucky Climate Center, part of WKU’s Applied Research and Technology Program in the Ogden College of Science and Engineering.
Stations are located in Adair, Allen, Barren, Boone, Breathitt, Breckinridge Bullitt, Caldwell, Calloway, Campbell, Carroll, Casey, Christian, Clark, Clinton, Crittenden, Cumberland, Fayette, Franklin, Fulton, Graves, Grayson, Hardin, Harrison, Henderson, Hopkins, Jackson, Johnson, Knott, Knox, Lewis, Lincoln, Logan, Madison, Marshall, Mason, McLean, Mercer, Metcalfe, Morgan, Nicholas, Ohio, Owen, Owsley, Rowan, Taylor, Trigg, Union and Warren counties.
Site license agreements have been reached in Lawrence, McCreary, Marion, Muhlenberg and Pike counties. Mesonet officials are actively pursuing sites in about 20 other counties, including Bath, Bell, Carter, Clay, Harlan, Hart, Pendleton, Powell, Pulaski, Rockcastle and Todd.
State Climatologist Stuart Foster is director of the Kentucky Mesonet and the Kentucky Climate Center. Dr. Rezaul Mahmood, associate professor of Geography and Geology, is associate director of the Kentucky Mesonet and the Kentucky Climate Center. The Kentucky Mesonet staff includes meteorologists and staff with expertise in instrumentation, information technology, quality assurance, and education outreach. The Kentucky Mesonet also provides opportunities for WKU student employees and interns to work side-by-side with professional staff.
More WKU news is available at www.wku.edu and at http://wkunews.wordpress.com/. If you’d like to receive WKU news via e-mail, send a message to WKUNews@wku.edu.
Contact Mike Grogan at (270) 745-4569 or Stuart Foster at (270) 745-5983.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |