Opportunities and Careers in Earth System Science

Dr. Cameron Homeyer is a Professor in and the Director of the School of Meteorology (SoM) at the University of Oklahoma, which he joined in 2014. He completed all three of his degrees (B.S. in Meteorology, M.S. and Ph.D. in Atmospheric Sciences) from 2004–2012 at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas prior to receiving a postdoctoral fellowship in the Advanced Study Program at the NSF National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) from 2012–2014. Dr. Homeyer’s teaching and research spans topics in atmospheric dynamics, physics, and chemistry. Relatedly, his research falls within two broad areas of the atmospheric sciences: 1) upper troposphere and lower stratosphere studies, and 2) radar and satellite meteorology. Thunderstorms are a primary phenomenological focus of his work. More detail can be found on his group website and his scholarly profile is summarized on Google Scholar.

I am currently a senior undergraduate student at the University of Oklahoma studying meteorology. I interned with the NSF SOARS program at NCAR this past summer in Boulder and studied the biases of a hydroclimate dataset during a significant derecho. While most of my technical research is in meteorology, I also have a deep passion for education and have held several positions in mentoring and teaching throughout my undergrad. After undergrad, my goal is to get my master's and doctoral degree(s) in meteorology that will eventually lead to my career goal of a professor and leader in academia. Please connect with me on my Linkedin.

Christopher Riedel is a Physical Research Scientist at NOAA’s National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL), where he develops AI/ML methods for atmospheric applications. Before joining NSSL, he gained experience across the weather enterprise: in academia during his Ph.D. at the University of Oklahoma, at federally funded labs within NCAR and NOAA, and in the private sector at a weather technology startup. His background is in data assimilation and numerical weather prediction. Along the way, his research has ranged from improving understanding and modeling of the polar atmosphere and sea ice to integrating new observing systems and advancing AI forecast models. He holds a B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. in Meteorology from the University of Oklahoma.

Robby is a first year PhD student in the School of Meteorology from Prague, OK and Plano, TX. He received both his Bachelor’s degree in Meteorology and Master’s degree in Atmospheric Science from the University of Oklahoma and works with the ARRC and CIWRO to study tornado formation with radar, lidar, and numerical models for his dissertation.

Peyton Galyean is currently a senior meteorology student at OU and has grown a digital following of over 200,000. Peyton uses her platform to educate and inform on the latest severe weather chances, tropical cyclone formations, fun weather facts, or any interesting weather event. Peyton has worked as a broadcast meteorologist in both the OKC and Houston markets and plans to continue working in the broadcast industry upon graduation in May. You can follow her on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube at @wxwithpeyton

Kayla Wheeler is a Ph.D. candidate in the School of Meteorology at the University of Oklahoma, where she studies how the process of extratropical transition influences hazards, precipitation, and convection within tropical cyclones. After acquiring a B.S. at SUNY University at Albany, she earned her M.S. in Meteorology from OU, where her research examined the impacts of extratropical transition on tropical cyclone tornadoes. In summer 2026, she participated in the National Center for Atmospheric Research’s Advanced Study Program Graduate Visitor Program in Boulder, Colorado. Her research interests span tropical cyclones, synoptic and mesoscale meteorology, and the processes that shape high-impact weather. She is also interested in science communication and the diverse career paths available within atmospheric science.