Kevin H. Goebbert
Education
Ph.D. – University of Oklahoma (2009)
M.S. – University of Oklahoma (2006)
B.S. – Valparaiso University (2003)
About Professor Goebbert
Professor Goebbert joined the Valpo faculty in Fall 2009. He has taught a wide range of courses for undergraduates primarily focusing on large-scale weather phenomenon and technology-driven courses, including synoptic meteorology and forecasting, numerical weather prediction, and meteorological computer applications. His research interests vary across the meteorological scales of motion, from turbulence to synoptic frontal systems to global climate change, as well as the scholarship of teaching and learning. Dr. Goebbert currently serves on the Unidata Users’ Committee, the AMS Board on Higher Education, as a Member Representative for UCAR, and as a Faculty Senate Chair. Other than things meteorological, he enjoys reading, traveling, and singing (he has been in a choir since the age of three).
Teaching Philosophy
Meteorology is a discipline that demands being a lifelong learner, as each and every day there is a new atmospheric setup with an unknown solution. This is both invigorating and frustrating, especially for the aspiring meteorologist. For the novice, it may appear that meteorologists simply flip a coin to determine a forecast, but forecasters and researchers alike are trying to diagnose the past, current, and future state of the atmosphere using imperfect observations and forecast tools. Every meteorologist is constantly challenging their assumptions and understanding of atmospheric processes to solve the forecasting problem. As a result, Professor Goebbert challenges students to develop creative problem-solving skills through in-class activities, thoughtful assignments, and interesting semester projects that utilize their entire academic tool set.
Courses Taught
- MET 103 Introduction to Meteorology
- MET 130 Weather Technology
- MET 216 Introduction to Meteorological Observations and Analysis
- MET 290 Topic: History of Meteorology
- MET 330 Meteorological Computer Applications
- MET 335 Meteorological Instruments
- MET 373 Atmospheric Dynamics II
- MET 430 Numerical Weather Prediction
- MET 480 Synoptic Scale Analysis and Forecasting
- MET 490 Topic: Scientific Writing in Meteorology, Research in Meteorology
Contributions
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“Statistical Deterministic and Ensemble Seasonal prediction of Tropical Cyclones in the Northwest Australian region.” in Weather Forecasting, 2017, vol. 32, 2117-2132, by Kevin H. Goebbert, https://doi.org/10.1175/WAF-D-17-0042.1
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“Data Driven Scientific Workflows: A Summary of New Technologies and Datasets Explored at the Unidata 2018 Workshop.” Bull. Amer. Met. Soc., vol. 100, ES97–ES99, by Kevin H. Goebbert, J. T. Allen, V. A. Gensini, and M. Ramamurthy, https://doi.org/10.1175/BAMS-D-18-0265.1
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“Weather, Climate and Worldviews: The sources and consequences of public perceptions of changes in local weather patterns,” in Weather, Climate, and Society, April 2012, Kevin H. Goebbert, Hank Jenkins-Smith, Kim E. Klockow, M. and C. Silva.
- “Interannual Variability of Northwest Australian Tropical Cyclones,” in Journal of Climate, September 2010, Kevin H. Goebbert and Lance M. Leslie.
Memberships
- American Meteorological Society
- National Association of Geoscience Teachers
- Valparaiso University Chapter of AAUP
- National Weather Association