Extensive studio updates improve weather broadcasting experience for students

The first time Ray Ban delivered a television weather forecast was in 1971. Then a meteorology student at Penn State, he hand drew paper maps and made the trek across the University Park campus for a segment on “The State of the Weather, The Shape of the World,” a weather feature broadcast that later morphed into the WPSU-featured show “Weather World.”

Since then, a lot’s changed in weather broadcasting on campus, and that’s in part due to his help.

Ban, who knows a thing or two about being on the cutting edge, cut his teeth at AccuWeather after graduating from Penn State in 1973 with a degree in meteorology, and in 1982 he helped launch one of cable television’s first channels, “The Weather Channel.” He retired there as executive vice president of programming and operations in 2009.

This summer, the newly named Ban Family Studios – a control room and two studios – on the fifth floor of the Walker Building in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences at University Park were gutted to make way for a completely redesigned space with ceiling-mounted cameras, rearranged monitors, new flooring, new technology and new soundproofing. The space was renovated with help from the Bans, Penn State and WPSU.

Ray Ban and his wife, Nancy Ban, who earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in elementary education from Penn State, said they supported the studio upgrades because of the competitive advantage it gives the meteorology and atmospheric science program.

“No other meteorology program provides the daily opportunity to have a show appear near live on air that day,” Ray Ban said. “When prospective students see these facilities, it could play a significant role in their decision to enroll at Penn State. The faculty and the facilities set Penn State apart.”

Matthew Carlson, a senior majoring in meteorology and atmospheric science, is a heavy user at the new studio. He’s a host, graphics producer and director of “Weather World.” He’s also president of the Penn State student branch of the American Meteorological Society.

Carlson wants to attend graduate school to pursue a career on the research and teaching side of the field, but he’s enjoying the invaluable experiences he’s gaining in weather and climate communications.

“No matter your industry, career or background, communication skills are vital to success,” Carlson said. “Having a professional studio allows me to simulate high-pressure communication situations because a modern educational environment prepares me for what I’ll experience in the modern workforce. It’s a ‘practice how you play’ mentality.”

Among the many studio updates, Carlson most appreciates the ceiling-mounted cameras, which open the floor, creating a modern look. His time with the show, he said, is giving him valuable experience that will help him stand out in the job search.

“It’s not everywhere that you get to step into a PBS station weather show at age 19 and get experience in front of and behind the camera,” he said.

As president of Campus Weather Service (CWS), Julia Angerman says the club is using the new studios to film forecasting segments for YouTube, C-Net and the Centre County Report, a news service offered in the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications. Clubs like CWS, she says, get students in front of the camera soon after enrolling at Penn State.

Angerman, a senior majoring in meteorology and atmospheric science, envisions her career as a forecaster behind the scenes, but she’s still vastly improving her communications skills thanks to the new studio.

“I have found a dramatic improvement in my public speaking abilities, confidence and quick thinking as a result of doing these forecast videos,” Angerman said. “Our field is increasingly moving towards communication science, where it is vital for the public to understand how to interpret the knowledge and forecasts we are providing.”

Rob Lydick, “Weather World” executive producer and assistant teaching professor at Penn State, says investments made to the studio space will improve the student experience for years to come.

“My career began in this very space. So, to have a hand in planning out the upgrades to the infrastructure and technology of these studios was a full circle moment for me,” Lydick said. “It not only ensures that future generations of meteorology students will have the same opportunities that I had, but, thanks to the Ban family, it also highlights the continued importance of weather and climate communications.”

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