Evan Forde facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Evan B. Forde
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| Born |
Miami, Florida
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| Education | Bachelor's degree in Geology Master's degree in Marine Geology and Geophysics |
| Alma mater | Columbia University |
| Occupation | Oceanographer |
| Employer | NOAA |
| Awards | Congressional Commendation, 2008 South Florida Federal Employee of the Year, 2009 Administrator's and Technology Transfer Award, 2011 |
Evan B. Forde is an American oceanographer who works at the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). He works at their Atlantic Oceanographic & Meteorological Laboratory (AOML). Evan Forde made history as the first African-American scientist to do research inside a special underwater vehicle called a submersible. He is known for his knowledge about how submarine canyons form. Recently, he has been using satellites to study weather conditions that help hurricanes form.
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Evan Forde's Education Journey
Evan Forde was born in Miami, Florida. He went to public schools in Miami-Dade County. In 1974, he earned his first degree in Geology, focusing on oceanography. Later, he received his master's degree in marine geology and geophysics from Columbia University. Even before finishing college, in the summer of 1973, Forde started working as a researcher at NOAA's AOML lab.
Exploring the Ocean: Evan Forde's Research
After getting his master's degree, Evan Forde continued working at NOAA AOML in Miami. He helped create maps of the Atlantic Ocean floor. In 1979, he became the first African-American oceanographer to go on a research trip inside a submersible. He explored the ocean depths in a craft called the Nekton Gamma. He later made more dives in other submersibles, like the Alvin in 1980 and the Johnson Sea Link in 1981.
One of his important discoveries was a huge underwater landslide off the coast of New Jersey. This slide was so big that it caused offshore drilling for oil in New Jersey to stop in 1980.
Soon after, Forde began studying how to track hurricanes using satellites. This research helps improve how we predict where hurricanes will go and how strong they will become. This is still a big part of his work today. He also studies how dust storms from Africa might affect the formation of hurricanes in the Atlantic Ocean.
Evan Forde is also an expert on how submarine canyons form and change along the U.S. East Coast. He has also studied how large amounts of sediment move on the ocean's slopes.
Inspiring Others: Leadership and Outreach
Evan Forde has spent a lot of time helping with science education. He wrote science experiments for children's magazines, like "Science Corner" in Ebony Jr! for many years. He also created a "Severe Weather Poster" for NOAA. This poster was given to 50,000 teachers across the country by the National Science Teachers Association.
He has given presentations to more than 40,000 school children. In these talks, he shares stories about his career as an oceanographer and his journey through school. For seven years, Forde also taught a special course about tropical meteorology for graduate students at the University of Miami. He also created and teaches an oceanography course for middle school students called OCEANS.
Evan Forde's work has been featured in three museum exhibits. He has also appeared in many articles, textbooks, and other publications about important African American scientists.
Besides his scientific work, Evan Forde has helped his community in many ways. He has been a PTA President, a church trustee, a Scoutmaster, and a youth basketball coach. He has also led programs to help with food shortages and supports equal opportunity at NOAA.
Awards and Special Recognitions
Evan Forde has received many awards for his amazing work. In 2001, he was named NOAA Research Employee of the Year. In 2008, he was recognized as South Florida's Federal Employee of the Year for his service to the community. He also received a special commendation from Congress that year.
The City of North Miami celebrated "Evan B. Forde" Day on February 10, 2009. Miami-Dade County also celebrated "Evan B. Forde" Day on April 21, 2009. In 2011, he received the NOAA Administrator's Award. This award recognized his excellent work in sharing NOAA's science with others. He has also received many other awards for his career and community service.
