Agenda
Summer WAS*IS #2
July 14 - 21, 2006

View the Draft Agenda as PDF -
as of 07/13/06

Workshop objectives:

• Learn new social science concepts and tools
• Discuss integration of these concepts and tools into meteorology
• Look to the future of WAS*IS and continue moving towards IS

	Thursday, July 13, 2006
	6:00 p.m.	Start of reception at NCAR, Center Green, Building 1 ( 3080 Center Green Drive) Get some salad, pizza, dessert, and drinks
	6:15 p.m.	Welcome to WAS*IS Hellos and introductions from all the WAS*IS gang and some WAS*IS veterans ¾ Eve Gruntfest, Julie Demuth, Linda Mearns, Sheldon Drobot, Tanja Fransen, Rebecca Morss
	6:30 p.m.	Participants' 1-minute introductions Brief description of relevant research/work experience What intrigued you about applying to WAS*IS What you hope WAS*IS will mean to you
	7:00 p.m.	Why we're all here: Sharing stories about the importance of integrating social science and talking to your friends, family members, and/or congressperson about the importance of social science Why WAS*IS now? (Eve) WAS*IS up to now: how it's evolving and future prospects Mission , objectives, expected outcomes, measurements of success What distinguishes WAS*IS from other efforts Course ground rules Report from Hayman Fire flooding this week: Integration of life and work (Tanja) Experiences and perspectives from others Being proactive (in a positive way) about your WAS*IS enlightenment!
	8:30 p.m.	Adjourn
	Friday, July 14, 2006
	8:20 a.m.	Quick discussion of logistics and day's activities (Jean Renz, Eve, & Julie)
	Daily theme: Laying the Foundation for WAS*IS Succes
	8:30 a.m.	A WAS*IS success story: The joys of collaboration (Sheldon & Eve) How WAS*IS fostered collaborations and improved the research of a National Science Foundation study of short-fuse weather warning perceptions in Denver, CO, and Austin, TX 8:45 a.m. Culture change underway: Tales and news from WAS*IS veterans (Sheldon Drobot, Gina Eosco, Tanja Fransen, Rebecca Morss, & Olga Wilhelmi) Why WAS*IS is important in the bigger picture and implications WAS*IS has had for them New projects and other news (e.g., Tanja's work on development of a cold weather index for livestock in MT, WAS*IS session at annual American Meteorological Society, annual American Geophysical Union meeting session on connecting science and societal needs)
	9:45 a.m.	Break
	10:15 a.m.	The importance of problem definition (Rebecca) Reading : Morss, 2005 - Problem definition in atmospheric science public policy Group discussion about the article Break into small groups to discuss “problems” we pose and then report back
	11:45 a.m.	The Weather and Society Road Map (WSRM) (Gina) Reading : Weather and Society Road Map (available online) Brief background on why and how the WSRM was developed Discussion about the nodes, links, and the bigger weather and society picture!
	12:30 a.m.	Lunch from NCAR Cafeteria (grab extras!)
	1:30 p.m.	Speaking the same language: Challenges of interdisciplinary work (Julie, Sheldon, and Sarah) Readings : Bialik, 2005 - In hurricane forecasting, science is far from exact The dangers of making assumptions about what and how people (both within and outside your disciplines!) think How jargon is exclusionary and impedes collaboration Common verbiage but different/inaccurate interpretations and unfamiliar terminology
	2:45 p.m.	Open Discussion - The Summer WAS*IS Impacts Recorders: Julie and Sheldon WAS*ISers to pose questions and topics they want to discuss and/or want feedback on throughout the week Where do we want to be on Friday afternoon … short- and long-term outcomes of Summer WAS*IS ?
	3:30 p.m.	Break
	4:00 p.m.	Panel Discussion - The value of WAS*IS movement and how to keep WAS*IS on the funding radar screens of Washington (SIP Advisory Board Members - Bill Hooke, American Meteorological Society & Rodney Weiher, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) Moderator: Eve
	5:00 p.m.	Adjourn
	7:00 p.m.	Group dinner at Casa Alvarez ( 3161 Walnut Street )
	Saturday, July 15, 2006
	8:20 a.m.	Follow-up from first day and logistics for the day
	Daily theme: Communication
	8:30 a.m.	Case study - Different “languages” in Northeast Brazil (Karen Pennesi) Moderator: Eve Problems when groups have different objectives or communicate knowledge in different ways What is/isn't salient among groups Tools and strategies for identifying communication problems and ways to create shared understandings among diverse groups
	9:00 a.m.	Panel discussion - Communicating to national lay-publics: Perspectives from the private and public sectors (Melissa Tuttle Carr, Kevin Barjenbruch, Ernie Ostuno, Michael Stavish, Britt Westergard, & Ray Wolf) Moderator: Julie What key challenges do you face trying to effectively communicate weather information to a broad, diverse audience? What lessons have you personally learned (e.g., about communicating better, about what your audience wants or understands)? What do you see as the main opportunities or needs for change (especially if there's something WAS*ISers can do!)?
	10:45 a.m.	Break
	11:15 a.m.	Panel discussion -  Communicating to targeted publics Moderator: Sheldon Communicating weather information in ways that empower the public to make their own decisions (Neil Lareau) Communicating emergency services information (Christina Peters) Communicating hurricane forecast information and uncertainty to local officials and working with county officials to develop disaster mitigation plans (Pam Shrauger) A non-weather example of assessing and communicating users' environmental justice needs (Emily Laidlaw)
	12:15 a.m.	Ordering in lunch from Deli Zone
	1:15 a.m.	Brainstorming session: New and non-traditional ways to communicate information and educate the publics Breakout groups to brainstorm and then report back
	2:00 p.m.	Group discussion Recorders: Julie and Sheldon What can we take out of all these discussions on communication? What other pressing questions do we have? Where might there be opportunities for research and collaboration?
	3:15 p.m.	Break
	Late-afternoon theme: Forecasting 101
	3:45 p.m.	Panel discussion - The process of issuing forecasts, watches, and warnings (Kevin, Ernie, Joe, Michael, Britt, & Ray) Moderator: Julie How do data, models, local knowledge, and more all play into creating a forecast? What decisions go into whether or not to issue watches and warnings? What are the considerations and objectives when disseminating forecasts, watches, and warnings? What are among the biggest challenges and frustrations of forecasting? What are the differences in the roles of the Meteorologist-in-Charge, Science and Operations Officer, Warning Coordination Meteorologist, Service Hydrologist, and the forecasters? What do we want to get out of the trip to the NWS office?
	5:00 p.m.	Adjourn
	7:00 p.m.	Group dinner at The Taj ( 2630 Baseline Rd )
	Sunday, July 16, 2006
	8:20 a.m.	Morning and early afternoon off for WAS*ISers to sleep in, hike around Boulder, shop around Boulder, and/or RELAX!
	3:30 p.m.	Leave Residence Inn for NWS
	4:00 p.m.	Arrive at National Weather Service Denver/Boulder Forecast Office Hear from Larry Mooney, Meteorologist in Charge Have some of the NWS WAS*ISers use consoles to walk us through the forecasting process
		NO organized group dinner
	Monday, July 17, 2006
	8:20 a.m.	Follow-up from previous day
	Daily theme: More Communication, Perception, & Decision Making
	8:30 a.m.	Thinking about the end-to-end-to-end process (Rebecca and Eve) Reading : Morss et al., 2005 - Flood risk, uncertainty, and scientific information for decision making: Lessons from an interdisciplinary project Group discussion about the article
	9:15 a.m.	Communicating uncertainty and using probabilistic information Readings : (1) AMS, 2002 - Enhancing weather information with probability forecasts (text available online); (2) NRC, 2006 (the Executive Summary will be emailed if/when the report is released in early July); (3) Capital Weather blog forecast confidence Group discussion and breakout groups?
	10:15 a.m.	Break
	10:45 a.m.	Risk communication, public perception, mental models, and public response Perception, warning, and response as a function of culture types (Ashley Coles) Group discussion
	11:45 a.m.	U.S. Geological Survey and National Weather Service inter-agency development of a debris-flow warning system (Sue Cannon, U.S. Geological Survey)
	12:30 p.m.	Lunch from NCAR cafeteria (grab extras!)
	1:30 p.m.	Case study - A flash flood risk assessment of the Colorado Front Range using GIS (Olga Wilhelmi) Overview of GIS and its applicability for societal impacts work Breakout groups to do conceptual exercise on GIS layers
	2:45 p.m.	Vulnerability Readings : (1) Cutter, 2005 - The geography of social vulnerability: Race, class, and catastrophe; (2) Seager, 2005 - Natural disasters expose gender divides; (3) Montz and Tobin, 2005 - Snowbirds and senior living developments: An analysis of vulnerability associated with Hurricane Charley; Also suggested but not required Peek and Fothergill, 2006 - Reconstructing childhood: An exploratory study of children in Hurricane Katrina (available online) Lessons from Hurricane Charley (Burrell Montz) Group discussion
	3:45 p.m.	Break
	4:00 p.m.	Developing decision-support systems in NCAR's Research Applications Laboratory (Bill Mahoney, NCAR Research Applications Laboratory) What is a decision support system and how is it developed in RAL to meet stakeholders' needs? How are relationships with users initiated and built?
	4:45 p.m.	Integrating decision-support applications into NWS operations (Greg Stumpf) [mov]
	5:30 p.m.	Adjourn
	7:00 p.m.	Group dinner at Dushanbe Teahouse ( 1770 13th Street )
	Tuesday, July 18, 2006
	Daily theme: Real-Life Examples of Colorado Floods
	7:00 a.m.	Leave from NCAR for Fort Collins (everyone to ride on bus) Discuss the chronology, synoptic conditions, and experiences of the Fort Collins flood the night of July 28, 1997 (Matt Kelsch, UCAR/Cooperative Program for Operational Meteorology, Education, and Training)
	8:00 a.m	Arrive at site of Fort Collins flood Discuss what happened before, during, and after the flood, including meteorology, hydrology, land use regulations, and emergency response (Matt)
	9:30 a.m.	Arrive at Fort Collins Storm Water Utility ( 700 Wood St .) The 1997 Fort Collins Flood: Putting the Stormwater System to the Test (Marsha Hilmes-Robinson, Fort Collins Storm Water Utility) Discuss the actions of the City of Fort Collins during and after the flood City of Fort Collins : Regulatory changes after a natural disaster (Susan Hayes, Fort Collins Storm Water Utility) Discuss the local floodplain regulations before, immediate ly following, and nine years after the flood
	10:45 a.m.	Bathroom breaks and then leave for site of Big Thompson flood of July 31, 1976
	11:30 a.m.	Arrive at Viestenz-Smith park just above the narrows in the canyon Hear from a Big Thompson survivor and author of the book “Reflections on the River” (Shar Wamsley) Have Silver Mine subs for lunch!
	12:30 a.m.	Reminders of the past and the current state Matt will lead the class on a walking tour to look at tree scars from the flood and observe engineering of the river Take the self-guided tour around the ruins of the power plant that was destroyed by the Big Thompson flood
	1:15 p.m.	Continue up the canyon Point out evidence of the flood Talk about Olympus dam upon arriving in Estes Park
	2:00 p.m.	Arrive at Rocky Mountain National Park to visit scar of Lawn Lake flood of July 15, 1982 Look at the topographic replica of the park at the visitor's center and M att will explain where Lawn Lake is
	2:30 p.m.	Arrive at the Lawn Lake Alluvial Fan Matt explains the timeline of the 1982 flood Explore the rocks and waterfalls, and take photos!
	3:30 p.m.	Depart for Boulder
	7:00 p.m.	Dinner at Boulder Beer Brewery – bring cash (2880 Wilderness Place)
	Wednesday, July 19, 2006
	8:20 a.m.	Follow-up from previous day
	Morning theme: Warnings and Verification
	8:30 a.m.	Research findings and myths about warnings and false alarms (Eve & Lindsey Barnes) Readings : (1) Sorensen, 2000 - Hazard warning systems: Review of 20 years of progress; (2) Barnes, 2004 - Conceptual model of false alarms and close calls Group discussion and breakout groups
	9:45 a.m.	Case study - Public response and reaction to an historic F5 tornado in Western Michigan ( Ernie Ostuno)
	10:15 a.m.	Break
	10:45 a.m.	Forecast verification challenges and opportunities User-focused verification (Barb Brown) The NWS performance and verification databases (Brent MacAloney)
	12:15 p.m.	Follow-up discussion
	12:30 p.m.	Ordering in lunch from Chipotle
	Afternoon theme: More Research and Analysis Tools
	1:30 p.m.	Economics (Jeff Lazo) Importance of economics to weather Some examples of SIP research (OUSSSA, Storm)
	2:30 p.m.	More economics (Steve Stewart) More on non-market valuation and other economic tools Some examples of current and past research
	3:00 p.m.	Case study - The “cost” of time spent during tornado warnings (Somer Erickson)
	3:30 p.m.	Break
	4:00 p.m.	Continue brainstorming new questions, approaches, methods, etc. WAS*ISers' questions and priorities Also SIP summer survey; second phase of Warning Project; SIP information coordination and educational outreach; WAS*IS future Possibly continue discussions over dinner
	5:30 p.m.	Adjourn
		NO organized group dinner
	Thursday, July 20, 2006
	8:20 a.m.	Follow-up from previous day
	Morning theme: More Research and Analysis Tools
	8:30 a.m.	Qualitative research methods (Mary Hayden)
	9:15 a.m.	Survey research methods (Jeff)
	10:00 a.m.	Short break
	10:15 a.m.	Qualitative research on weather and society: Two example projects (Rebecca)
	11:00 a.m.	Integrating quantitative and qualitative research methods (Mary Hayden, University of Colorado-Colorado Springs & Roger Pulwarty, NOAA Climate Diagnostics Center) Noon Long lunch with Climate and Health folks from NCAR cafeteria (grab extras!)
	1:30 p.m.	Societal risks and responses: Putting health, weather, and climate change into a risk assessment framework (Jonathan Patz, University of Wisconsin-Madison)
	2:45 p.m.	Short break
	3:00 p.m.	Continued brainstorming – Summer WAS*IS legacies
	5:30 p.m.	Adjourn for dinner
	7:00 p.m.	Final group celebratory dinner at Carelli's ( 645 30 th Street )
	Friday, July 21, 2006
	8:20 a.m.	Follow-up from previous day
	Morning theme: Making WAS*IS Live On
	8:30 a.m.	Looking forward: Next steps to getting to IS Reading : Mervis, 2006 - Senate panel chair asks why NSF funds social sciences; (2) Lane, 2006 - Alarm Bells Should Help Us Refocus Revisit discussion from reception about the importance of integrating social science and talking with friends and colleagues Feedback on project discussions Future of WAS*IS
	10:45 a.m.	After the WAS*IS ecstasy, the laundry (Julie & Sheldon)
	11:30 a.m.	Ciao, ciao and wrap-up from Eve, Julie, and Jeff Noon WAS*IS celebration and lunch and reflecting on what WAS*IS meant to everyone
	1:00 p.m.	Adjourn