What We Do
Our Mission Statement
The Office of the Mississippi State Climatologist is here to provide accurate and relevant climate data, information, and expertise to the citizens of Mississippi. This is accomplished through applied research, monitoring of past, present, and future climate trends, and outreach activities. In particular, we strive to educate the public on how climate affects their lives and how they can best address the challenges and opportunities that come with a variable and changing climate here in Mississippi.
Who We Are
Dr. Mike Brown, State Climatologist
Mike Brown is the Mississippi State Climatologist, as well as a professor of Meteorology and Climatology at Mississippi State University. Mike's primary interest is in land-surface-atmosphere interactions. He has looked at the impact of heterogeneous surfaces upon formation regions of convection in Illinois and Mississippi. Mike has also studied severe local storms in the Mid-Atlantic region in an attempt to identify processes generated at the Earth's surface that augment the mesoscale atmosphere, creating an environment of enhanced instability and shear. Outside of work Mike enjoys storm-chasing, playing with his dogs, and spending time with his family.
Dr. Chris Fuhrmann, Assistant State Climatologist
Chris Fuhrmann is the Assistant State Climatologist and an Assistant Professor of Climatology in the Department of Geosciences at Mississippi State University. His research interests are in the fields of applied and synoptic climatology, where he studies the effects of weather and climate on society (particularly agriculture and public health) and the role of large-scale circulation features on the distribution and intensity of surface weather events. He is also interested in the nature of these relationships in the context of climate variability and change. Dr. Fuhrmann was a contributing author on the Southeast region technical report that was used in the 2014 U.S. National Climate Assessment and has given numerous presentations on climate variability and change to various groups across the Southeast. As Assistant State Climatologist, Dr. Fuhrmann coordinates applied research projects and participates in education and outreach activities to help decision-makers and the general public in Mississippi better understand and address their climate-related needs and vulnerabilities.
Caroline MacDonald, Graduate Assistant
Caroline MacDonald is a current graduate student pursing a Master of Science in Geosciences with a concentration in Professional Meteorology/Climatology. She received her undergraduate degree from Mississippi State in Geosciences with a concentration in professional meteorology and a minor in Psychology in May of 2018. Her main research interests include public interpretation of hazardous weather information and hopes to help bridge the communication gap between meteorologists and the public on such information. She is a member of the East MS NWA/AMS and a former vice president of the organization. She is also a national member of NWA, AMS, and SEDAAG organizations. Over the summer months, she has volunteered for the National Weather Service Office in Nashville, TN and has been a Pathways Meteorologist for that office since the summer of 2018. In her free time, she enjoys travelling across the southeast, catching up on her favorite TV shows and working out.
