Alumni Friends
“Friends of Lyndon Atmospheric Sciences
(ATM)” are people and organizations who
have gained a special place in our thoughts through
friendships, activities, or donations over many
years.
- Col. Merle and Elaine Woodall – Merle
was the founder of the Meteorology Department
at Lyndon State College. He was a wise and student-centered
man who created a popular and respected curriculum.
It was science-based and operations-oriented,
and became respected by employers and popular
with students. Elaine was an adjunct in the LSC
Mathematics Department with a passion for puppets
and the metric system. They created an annual
scholarship endowment available to all talented
LSC students.
- Gil and Avis Ford – They were
community-centered, long time residents of East
Burke, VT, well-known for their friendliness,
helpfulness, and integrity. After the great flood
of 1927 washed away the hydro-electric dam in
their town, Gil began taking daily river observations
to provide warning for “the
next time.” Within a year he added taking
weather observations to his routine and along
with Avis never missed an observation during
the next 68 years. They provided their data to
the department and enjoyed meeting ATM students.
Our annual “outstanding graduate” award
is named after Gil and together he and Avis
established an endowed scholarship given annually
to an outstanding continuing ATM student.
- Jim Roemer, an ATM alumnus
and investment advisor, is a long-standing
Lyndon, ATM, and Vermont Institute for Applied
Meteorology (VIAM) supporter through donations,
volunteer service, employment of ATM students,
helpful professional advice, and friendly conversations.
- Declan Cannon, an ATM alumnus and founder of
Planetary Data Incorporated, was instrumental
in providing the department with the opportunity
to purchase, at a reduced price, PDI’s
satellite receiving system for NOAAPort weather
data.
- Vincent Romeo is a retired NYC fire department
member who for many years has provided ATM
with weather-related magazines, data, and textbooks.
The textbooks are passed on to students as
popular prizes in our weather forecasting courses.
- Norm
Sebastian, ATM alumnus, was a popular The Weather
Channel and Albany NY area TV weather broadcaster.
After his early death, his family and faithful
viewers established an endowment in his name
for an annual scholarship to a worthy ATM freshman.
- Marc
Mailhot, a Lyndon alumnus, is retired after
many years as a successful import/export businessman
in Maine and as an avid participant in the
Maine emergency preparedness system, especially
as Nor’easters and hurricane remnants
approached the Maine coast. His donation of
an extensive collection of National Weather
Service items (technical material, forecasts,
damage reports, etc.) related to hurricanes
in the Atlantic basin during the past 50 years
is appreciated.
- Jim Cantore,
an ATM alumnus and notable weathercaster and
series host on The Weather Channel, has been “giving
back” to Lyndon by sharing his experience
and expertise with ATM students through teaching
an advanced broadcasting course on campus each
year and by establishing a renewable scholarship
for a successful student concentrating in that
career area.
- Bill Hartramft, an avid weather enthusiast,
tireless supporter of the program, and font
of ATM promotional ideas for nearly a decade,
has also made regular financial donations to
the department and VIAM throughout that time.
- WCAX – TV, CBS, Burlington,
VT, a long-standing friend of Lyndon and ATM,
recently donated several pieces of WSI equipment
to update and expand the ability of ATM students
to create quality, professional-grade, television
weather-graphics.
- Weather Services International,
manufacturer of fine television-compatible
imaging systems, made it possible through their “Equipment
and Support Program” for ATM students to
learn and practice electronic graphics production
techniques before graduation, and thereby enter
the job market “one step above.”
|
