Paul Stuart Wichansky

Dept. of Environmental Sciences, Rutgers Univ.
14 College Farm Road, Room 243
New Brunswick, New Jersey 08901-8551

Home   (732) 431-1573
Campus   (732) 448-1452
Download my two-page resumé:
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Objective
Seeking a corporate or government position that would enable me to use my experience in meteorology, Internet web site design, and computer programming. My professional objective is to gain additional "real world" experience where creative ideas are encouraged.

Motivational Speaker, New Jersey schools
I have been passionate about educating young students on the perspectives and realities of growing up with a physical challenge (cerebral palsy), thus allowing them to have a better understanding of, and perhaps an appreciation for, people with disabilities. I enjoy taking the "dis" out of "disability" and, by example, demonstrating to the young students that they can accomplish anything with the right attitude and desire!

Education

Ph.D candidate, Environmental Science, Option in Meteorology.
Rutgers University Graduate School, New Brunswick, New Jersey.
  • Accepted into program:  October 14, 1999
  • Expected date of graduation:  May 2005.

    Master of Science, Meteorology.
    Awarded May 1999, Rutgers University Graduate School, New Brunswick, New Jersey.

  • Manuscript revision submitted for publication, November 1999.
  • Grade Point Average:  3.75/4.00

    Bachelor of Science, Meteorology.
    Awarded October 1993, Rutgers University, Cook College, New Brunswick, New Jersey.

  • Cumulative Grade Point Average:  3.58/4.00
  • Class Rank:  43rd of 532. Graduated with Honors.

    • Web Design Experience

    Cook College Community Police Unit
    Gross & Associates Consultants
    New Jersey's Monmouth County
    Monmouth County One Ease E-Link
    Doug Stryker's Olympic Windsurfing Campaign
    United Way Human Services Directory  (for showcase purposes only)
    Monmouth County Department of Human Services
    Department of Economic Development & Tourism
    Alpha Zeta Honors Fraternity, Cook Chapter
    Cook College Leadership Council
    The Student Cooperative Store, Rutgers University

    Honors

    Kappa Theta Epsilon, Cook College chapter: 1996, 1997, 1998
  • An honors society for students demonstrating leadership, character, and personal
       excellence from their cooperative education placements
    New Jersey Cooperative Education Association's "Student of the Year:" 1995,
  • Representing all four-year colleges in the state of New Jersey
    Cooperative Education Association's "Student of the Year" Finalist: 1995,
  • Selected as one of ten finalists for the national award
    USA Weekend's Make-A-Difference Day Appreciation: 1995,
  • For sixteen years of community service in central New Jersey schools
    NOAA's Equal Employment Opportunities Advisory Council certif. of recognition: 1994
    Dean's List: 1989, 1990, 1992, 1996, 1997
    Recipient of Prestigious Rutgers University Graduate Recognition: 1993
  • The one student selected by the undergraduate dean of Rutgers to represent Cook College
       at the 1993 Masters/Ph.D graduation ceremony
    Wehr Scholarship (for community service): 1992
    Golden Key National Honor Society: 1991
    "Freshman of the Year," Alpha Zeta: 1990
    "Three Top Freshmen at Rutgers," Sigma Phi Epsilon: 1990

    		•

    Published Papers

    Wichansky, P.S., and R.P. Harnack, 1999: A diagnosis of tropospheric effects upon
       surface precipitation amount for a sample of East Coast snowstorms.
       Wea. and Forecasting, submitted.

    Wichansky, P.S. What It Takes to Succeed: A Dream, Motivation, and a
       Winning Attitude. Professional Presence Network. June 1998.
       http://www.ppn.org/net98/jun/jun6.html (5 Jun 1998).
    Wichansky, P.S., 1996: The correlation of upper tropospheric humidity (UTH)
       with 6.7µm GOES-8 brightness temperatures. Proc., Fifteenth AMS Conf. On
       Weather Analysis and Forecasting,     Norfolk, VA, Amer. Meteor. Soc., 44-47.

    Employment

    Information Services of Monmouth County.   Freehold, New Jersey.
    Web Design and Multimedia Coordinator. Part-time position. (Summer 1998 to August 1999).

    Designed the following web sites:

  • A Vision in Motion, Motivational Speakers Bureau
  • Disability Awareness & Character Development in the Classroom
  • United Way Human Services Directory 
  • Dept. of Economic Developent & Tourism
  • Department of Human Services
  • Monmouth County One Ease E-Link

    • The Student Cooperative Store, serving the Rutgers University community.
    Webmaster. Part-time position. (March 1997 to present)

  • HTML code, CGI scripts, screen frames, images
  • Created an online textbook reservation system
  • Future online catalog of popular bookstore items

    • National Environmental Satellite, Data, & Information Service  (NESDIS)
    Satellite Applications Laboratory.  Camp Springs, Maryland.
    Physical Science Branch  /  N.O.A.A.
    Aviation Cooperative Meteorologist. (Summer 1994, February 1995 - June 1996)

  • Developed and refined McIDAS-based software to evaluate the applications of
       GOES-8 water-vapor imagery in estimating upper tropospheric humidity
  • Assisted with the processing of daily Special Sensor Microwave Imager
       (SSM/I) data from satellites to establish a global soil wetness climatology
  • Verified an experimental precipitable water product that combines SSM/I data,
       GOES-8 soundings, and ETA model guidance to enhance flash flood forecasting
  • Participated in explaining features of satellite imagery and model output to
       students involved in a science awareness program sponsored by N.O.A.A.

    • National Weather Service
    Philadelphia Forecast Office.   Mount Holly, New Jersey.
    Summer Volunteer.  (May to June 1994)

  • Broadcasted forecasts and hourly reports on the regional weather radio
  • Performed data analysis of model output

    • Monmouth County Department of Transportation.    Freehold, New Jersey.
    Summer Intern. (Summers, 1991, 1993)

  • Developed Lotus-based spreadsheet programs for various divisions including
       finance, scheduling, and record-keeping
  • Solved computer-related difficulties

    • Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory.   N.O.A.A.   Princeton, New Jersey.
    Cooperative Education Meteorological Trainee. (Summer 1992)

  • Updated the operations manual to reflect the latest climate modeling programs
  • Developed a series of programs to perform mathematical computations and
       conversion of climate history data

    • Monmouth County Office on Aging.   Freehold, New Jersey.
    Summer Intern. (Summers, 1988 to 1990)

  • Extensive computer data entry on IBM network system
  • Assumed some front-desk responsibilities and general office work

    • United Cerebral Palsy of Long Branch.  Long Branch, New Jersey.
    Teacher's Aide. (Summer, 1987)

  • Worked with physically-challenged children
  • Instructed children about basic computer operations

    		•

    Activities

    Juvenile Diabetes Foundation: 1999, 2000
  • Elected to the Board of Directors, Mid-New Jersey Chapter
  • Responsible for development of chapter web site
  • Volunteer position

    Cook College Leadership Council, Member: 1996 to present

  • Webmaster, Leadership web site
  • Member, Housing committee

    Kappa Theta Epsilon, Cooperative Education Honors Society: 1996 to 1998

  • Vice-President, 1997-98

    Fraternity of Alpha Zeta, Cook Chapter, Member: since 1992

    Freehold Township TV-33, Assistant Copy Editor: 1996

    Volunteer meteorological consultant/broadcaster for WAWZ (99.1 FM): 1994

    Meteorology Club, Cook College Chapter: 1989, 1990, 1993

    Circle K International, a community service club, Rutgers Chapter: 1993

  • Remembering a special friendship with Anthony Nicholas Betances

    		•

    Computer Skills

    Applications and Operating systems
  • Windows 3.1 for Workgroups and DOS 6.22 (Set-up and Installation)
  • Windows '95 (Set-up and Installation of Programs in Windows '95)
  • Novell WordPerfect 6.1 for Windows, version 6.0 for DOS
  • Novell Quattro Pro 6.01
  • MicroSoft Word 7.0
  • MicroSoft PowerPoint 7.0
  • MicroSoft Excel 7.0
  • Lotus 1-2-3, Freelance Graphics
  • Multimate, MultiMate Advantage, ClarisWorks
  • Adobe Photoshop 4.0, Adobe Pagemaker 3.0
  • Harvard Graphics, HiJack Pro, PsiPlot
  • Netscape Navigator 4.0 and other versions
  • Microsoft Office 97, FrontPage 98
  • E-mail and other electronic communication packages
  • UNIX operating system and commands
  • Hyper-Text Markup Language (HTML), HTML+
  • CGI scripts, Javascript, Perl
  • File Transfer Process (FTP)

    Computer Languages and Meteorological Skills

  • Programmer in BASIC, FORTRAN, Pascal
  • Man-computer Interactive Data Access System (McIDAS) user
  • McIDAS-X for Windows 3.1
  • Presently studying the Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (RAMS)
  • Very knowledgeable with satellite imagery interpretation
  • Led numerous satellite imagery discussions
  • Studied numerical model output and relative biases between various models

    Communication skills
    Despite my ataxic cerebral palsy and an associated bilateral hearing impairment, I enjoy using myself as an example of a physically-challenged person when visiting local New Jersey schools to give presentations. These presentations are themed towards building self-confidence and self-esteem among each of my audience members, while eliminating the negative stereotypes so often applied to people with disabilities. Once my audience understands the nature of my disability, I use myself as an example to demonstrate that a positive attitude and motivation are two key factors essential for reaching any personal or academic goal.

    Motivational speaker,   A Vision in Motion, Motivational Speakers Bureau

    • References

    Available upon request.
    motivational speaker disability awareness Fortran american computers HTML web site design leader leadership Cook College Rutgers University environmental science meteorological meteorology meteorologist weather storms sunshine El Nino Mercury Porsche 911 RTNDA radio cars automobiles hobbies detailing awards television NESDIS NOAA cooperative education co-op New Jersey, N.J. Freehold Township High School Dr. James Hayden Laura Donovan School Clifton Barkalow Lafayette Mills Elementary School Holy Cross School Newbury Allenwood Green Grove Forrestdale John Witherspoon School Princeton Sickles Fair Haven West Freehold School P.T.A. Board of Education school districts Keyport Rumson Howell Manalapan Marlboro Lincroft Tinton Falls Spring Lake Spring Lake Heights
    Neptune Southard Aldrich Monmouth County Board of Freeholders National Weather Association journal AMS publication American Meteorological Society Museum of Natural History Radio-Television News Directors Association RTNDA Alpha Zeta Kappa Theta Epsilon Golden Key