Dr. Raymond Najjar is the director of the REU research program. He coordinates the overall activities of the REU program and, working closely with faculty mentors, he places emphasis on recruiting students interested in climate sciences. He matches students’ interests with the existing research opportunities that individual faculty members have open. Throughout the REU program, Dr. Najjar organizes seminars and workshops to advance the professional development of REU research students.

Dr. Jon Nese is the co-director of the REU research program. He works closely with the REU research students on how to communicate research results to scientists and general audiences. He works with individual students on developing effective public speaking skills. For students willing to develop videos or webcasts to report research results, Nese provides guidance to craft scripts and graphics to include in the audiovisuals. He introduces REU research students to private companies and government laboratories involved in meteorological activities.