Mike Grogan

Lead Systems Architect

Kentucky Mesonet

Western Kentucky University

About Mike

Mike Grogan is a mission critical computing systems manager who specializes in meteorological data systems.  Grogan – a degreed meteorologist – has experience in multiple meteorological industry sectors including private enterprise, broadcasting, aviation, consulting, and education.  He also has computing systems experience in other industries.

 

Grogan joined Western Kentucky University in October, 2006 and is the Lead Systems Architect for the Kentucky Mesonet project.  In this role, he serves as the project’s lead information technology practitioner and is responsible for technical realization of project vision and goals as well as operational continuity of the project's mission critical computing and communications infrastructure.  He serves as the chief information systems and technology advisor to the State Climatologist who is the Director of the Kentucky Mesonet.

 

Prior to joining Western, Grogan was a contractor at National Weather Service headquarters near Washington, DC, where he worked with the service’s cornerstone computing system known as the Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System, or AWIPS.  Grogan was assigned to the Meteorological Development Laboratory, where he managed technical operation of multiple AWIPS development platforms.  He was also part of the team responsible for reviewing and analyzing Linux operating system configurations and issues for current and future AWIPS releases.

 

Mike’s key private sector experience was with Baron Services, WxWorx, and XMWX Weather, where he served as Data Services Manager.  There, he managed the computing infrastructure – and affiliated support staff – responsible for delivering a wealth of lifesaving weather information to broadcast news outlets, emergency management offices, marine interests, and in-flight aircraft.  In addition, he managed the companies’ internal information technology efforts and was constantly involved with research and development of new meteorological data sources.

 

Before Baron, Grogan performed forecasting duties for WeatherBank, a meteorological consulting firm.  He produced weather forecast graphics for corporate websites and consulting clients and also produced custom historical weather reports from the company’s extensive observation database.

 

Mike’s computing experience extends outside the meteorology industry.  He has served as a consulting computing project engineer in the broadcast industry, where he purchased and maintained the systems responsible for delivering on-air content.  He also has installed and maintained retail point of sale and inventory tracking systems.  Mike has also enjoyed a rewarding career in broadcasting, including broadcast news and management.

 

Mike was the top graduate from the University of Oklahoma’s meteorology program, where he graduated with Special Distinction after earning a 4.0 major GPA.  His awards there included the American Meteorological Society’s Ethan and Allan Murphy Memorial Scholarship in operational meteorology.  Mike was a member of the College of Geoscience’s Educational Technology committee, where he helped steer the computing infrastructure that facilitated student engagement.  He also holds a degree in communications, business management, and Spanish from Middle Tennessee State University.

 

Grogan’s professional development activities include his membership in the American Meteorological Society, attendance at AMS meetings, and in-residence computing systems training at the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research.