Future directions and needs for academic education in agricultural meteorology

Agricultural meteorology, because it deals with various aspects of agricultural sustainability, approaches to managing natural resources and areas of concern in global change and environmental quality, is a very relevant science for addressing some of the most important issues facing society today and in the future. Agricultural meteorologists must be actively involved in developing educational programs to introduce students and teachers in the primary and high school grades to the exciting contributions that agricultural meteorologists can make to these issues. A revised and expanded curriculum in agricultural meteorology is needed to prepare undergraduate and graduate students to deal effectively with solving current and future agricultural and environmental problems. Because of financial constraints and the relatively small number of agricultural meteorologists, innovative approaches to sharing information, expertise and educational materials should be explored and adopted where appropriate. These approaches would include use of satellite delivery of courses to many institutions, offering short courses and workshops for credit, and the opportunity for students to spend one or more semesters at a visiting institution to take relevant courses not available at their home institution.