Linking meteorological education to reality: A prototype undergraduate research study of public response to Hurricane Rita forecasts

In response to the students' interest, we developed a collaborative student research study at Texas A&M University associated with an undergraduate course in the spring semester of 2006. The study included both a meteorological and an interdisciplinary component, in which students performed an in-person survey of Texas Gulf Coast residents.

Students were involved in multiple phases of the research, from the design to implementation to dissemination of results. This collaborative research model engaged and motivated the students, providing substantial educational benefits. The study and class linked the students' classroom knowledge to reality while generating new knowledge about the societal aspects of Hurricane Rita and other hurricanes.