William Brune, distinguished professor of meteorology and atmospheric science, is a physicist whose research career has been spent understanding atmospheric chemistry, particularly how atmospheric pollutants are created and can be mitigated.
But the former head of the Department of Meteorology and Atmospheric Sciences has always been interested in bolstering education, communication and research efforts within the department.
That’s what sparked him and his wife, Mary Jane, to create the Brune Fund for Weather and Climate Risk Forecasting and Communication in 2013. Additionally, the Brunes established the William and Mary Jane Brune Endowment in Meteorology in 2001.
“Communication of weather and climate information and risks is a critical and often underappreciated connection between weather and climate science and actual application of this science for the good of society,” Brune said. “When I became department head in 1999, I was an advocate for the department’s excellent longstanding weather communications programs and for developing new programs in weather and climate risk. I feel that we have made great strides at being a leading department in weather and climate risk forecasting and communication, but there’s much more we can do to improve.”
The communications fund is dedicated to strengthening weather and climate forecasting, communications and risk management programs in the department. It supports efforts such as support for graduate and undergraduate students, travel expenses for students and faculty, media production, guest speakers and outreach efforts.
Brune said science communication is as important as science itself, so he hopes the fund continues to help others who share that same mantra—and inspires other current faculty members to support efforts they’re passionate about.
“Mary Jane and I established this fund to meet small program needs but also to encourage others to contribute more, so that the fund can help those involved in these programs achieve their full potential for science, for applications to societal needs, and for training students to become leaders in weather and climate risk and communication,” Brune said.
Contributions to the Brune Fund for Weather and Climate Risk Forecasting and Communication will advance "A Greater Penn State for 21st Century Excellence," a focused campaign that seeks to elevate Penn State’s position as a leading public university in a world defined by rapid change and global connections. With the support of alumni and friends, “A Greater Penn State” seeks to fulfill the three key imperatives of a 21st-century public university: keeping the doors to higher education open to hardworking students regardless of financial well-being; creating transformative experiences that go beyond the classroom; and impacting the world by serving communities and fueling discovery, innovation and entrepreneurship. To learn more about “A Greater Penn State for 21st-Century Excellence,” visit greaterpennstate.psu.edu.