RAMBLIN’ ROLL
CL ASS NOTES & ALUMNI UPDATES
N O R D J O I N S 11 A L I V E W E A T H E R T E A M AT FIVE YEARS OLD, Melissa Nord, EAS
During her time at Tech,
13, was terrified of thunderstorms. Now,
she says that being involved
she is an Emmy-winning certified broad-
with the Tech Cable Net-
cast meteorologist, having covered
work, where she started a
everything from winter storms to torna-
weekly weather forecast,
do outbreaks.
gaining experience from
This year, Nord joined 11Alive News
her internships, and being
in Atlanta as their weekend morning me-
pushed out of her comfort
teorologist. “It’s been a dream of mine
zone in her synoptic mete-
to come back home to Atlanta to fore-
orology class were some of
cast,” Nord says.
the things that helped her in
Growing up, Nord was intrigued by
her future career.
The Weather Channel coverage, to the
It was once she started
point where even as a child she would
working in her internships
sometimes stay at home and watch it in-
that Nord realized all that went into do-
explain the science behind the weath-
stead of going outside and playing. “I
ing forecasts for TV.
er to young students. “A lot of kids don’t
saw these meteorologists, these scien-
“Every single microclimate that you
tists talking about the different aspects
forecast in all the different areas of the
of each storm and they were standing
country, [they] all have different chal-
For example, Nord likes to show stu-
outside in the elements, not scared, but
lenges,” Nord says. “So you have to
dents an experiment involving a clear
[rather] informing people of what to ex-
re-learn how to forecast in those places.”
glass, shaving cream, and food coloring
pect,” Nord says. “My fear grew into
At 11Alive, Nord hopes to bring more
to explain precipitation. Students add
fascination…that’s why I got interested
“geekiness” to the forecast. “I’m a geek
shaving cream, which acts as a “cloud,”
in weather.”
and a teacher at heart,” she says. “If I
to the top of the glass. Then they add
Nord grew up in the Atlanta area and
can explain something and make that
food coloring until the drops break
attended Tech for her undergraduate
light bulb go off—whether that’s explain-
through the “cloud” similar to how rain
degree in earth and atmospheric scienc-
ing why snowflakes are six-sided or why
droplets fall to the ground. (Do you have
es.“I think what’s great about the EAS
we get hole-punch clouds—that’s what I
a young Yellow Jacket who is interest-
program at Georgia Tech is you have
want to add to what you see on week-
ed in the weather? Check out the video
so many options,” Nord says. “You real-
end mornings on 11Alive.”
Nord created at gtalumni.org/rain ex-
learn from a PowerPoint, they learn by doing things themselves,” she says.
ly [get] to find your niche and what you
Nord also hopes to collaborate with
[are] interested in and [are] not interest-
organizations in the community to pro-
Reflecting on her career so far, Nord
ed in, and I landed upon broadcasting.”
vide hands-on STEM activities to help
is thankful that she has been able to real-
plaining how this experiment works.)
ly come into her own. “I think that I’ve developed my own
WANT TO SHARE YOUR NEWS?
craft and style of doing things in the last
You can submit your personal news, birth, wedding announcements (with
few years and let my personality come
photos!), and out-and-about snapshots online at gtalumni.org/ramblinroll.
out,” Nord says.—MADHURA GANGAL, THE TECHNIQUE
GTALUMNI.ORG/MAGAZINE | SPRING 2021
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