Iowa State’s student chapter of the American Meteorological Society was named the Outstanding Student Chapter of the Year.

The award, which recognizes AMS involvement, community service and outreach and professional development and pursuits, will be awarded to the group at the AMS national conference held in January in Seattle.

“[This award] really puts our name on the map,” said Jobeth Minniear, senior in meteorology and president of ISU AMS. “It also shows ISU has a great meteorology department.”

AMS promotes the development and education of atmospheric, oceanic and hydrologic sciences through scientific journals, conferences and public education programs across the nation.

“When choosing the recipient for the AMS Student Chapter of the Year Award, the review committee looks for both great programs that serve students in the department and great outreach to the community at large,” said Keith Seitter, AMS executive director, in a news release. “The Iowa State Student Chapter exhibited both of those. The committee was especially impressed with the student-faculty dinner, as well as other programs that enhance the student experience in the department.”

Minniear said AMS was impressed by the annual student-faculty dinner put on by ISU AMS in order to obtain a closer relationship between the students and faculty of meteorology at Iowa State.

“The group is very energetic,” said Bill Gallus, professor of geological and atmospheric sciences and chapter adviser. “I’m very happy and they deserve the award.”

The group also does community service with the Ames community. The group holds a science night at elementary schools in Ames to show off their tornado machine and explain to students how they are caused and also show them things such as the warm and cold water theory.

During Veishea the group will also team up with local disaster response groups and National Weather Service meteorologists to provide weather awareness information and activities in a tent on central campus.

Gallus explained how the group won the award in the 2005-2006 school year. He said he was a little worried they would be overlooked this year since they won it already.

In January a group of nine students and two faculty advisers will travel to Seattle in order to receive the award.

ISU AMS has nearly 70 students participating and there are 61 student chapters in the nation.