The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) promotes understanding of climate science and climate-related events through videos, stories, images, and data visualizations. They also provide tools and resources that help people make informed decisions about climate risks.
Forecasters with the NOAA Climate Prediction Center, a division of the National Weather Service, stay ahead of developing hurricanes and tropical storms and provide the forecasts and warnings we depend on to stay safe. Kandis Boyd, Ph.D., a deputy director in the Office of Weather and Air Quality at NOAA, is one of those experts.
"For the past 25 years, I’ve had amazing experiences communicating the importance of weather to youth, academia, and federal executives in the United States and globally," Boyd said at a Career Communications Group awards event.
Throughout Dr. Boyd's 25-year federal career at NOAA, her expertise has helped hydrology, satellite and space systems, remote sensing, and operational forecasting to prioritize research that saves lives, reduces property damage, and enhances the national economy.
The first African-American female to receive an undergraduate degree in meteorology from Iowa State University, Boyd leads a $44 million scientific program management office that’s part of the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research.
Her key focus is supporting the infusion of social science into the technical and engineering sciences by communicating critical information to the scientific community in the face of the uncertainties that weather presents.
"Twenty-five years ago I started my federal career as a meteorology intern in Des Moines, Iowa," Boyd said. "I wanted to be an on-air meteorologist but did not fit the demographic, so I decided to accept an internship with NOAA's National Weather Service. What I thought was a devastating blow to my career aspirations turned into the best decision for my career.
Register: #NOAALive4Kids #webinar tomorrow, April 12 at 4 pm PT/7 pm ET! You'll hear from NOAA experts about science and projects that relate to the #climate impacts in the NOAA “Picture Climate Change Photo Contest.”https://t.co/2CcM3ZEeoh #EarthMonthNOAA #CitizenScienceMonth https://t.co/JYWXMf0FqG
— NOAA Education (@NOAAeducation) April 11, 2022
Cindy P. Woods was one of more than 10 scientists, technologists, and engineers nominated for a Special Recognition Award at the 2020 Women of Color STEM Conference. The award recognizes innovation and technical contributions that improve access to jobs in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) and demonstrate excellence in the workplace and community.
“Ms. Woods has demonstrated sustained commitment and dedication to supporting NOAA’s mission of providing weather information and guidance to the public, our partners, and leadership to save lives and property across our nation over the past three decades, and she is eminently deserving of this award,” said Benjamin Friedman, deputy undersecretary for operations at NOAA.
Cindy Woods currently serves as the operations division chief at the National Weather Service (NWS), where she oversees the National Operations Center.
In this role, she is responsible for coordinating high-level leadership and support to 122 weather forecast offices, 21 center weather service units, 19 river forecast offices, and six regional operations centers across the country.
She has served in roles from forecaster to the division chief, and when called upon, served in dual roles by managing two divisions within the NWS headquarters office.
She also dedicates time to the development of her direct reports and next-generation scientists. Recently, she served as the technical monitor in the NOAA Office of Education National Center for Atmospheric Sciences to develop and advance collaboration with minority-serving institutions.
