Kelvin Droegemeier facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kelvin Droegemeier
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Official portrait, 2019
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| 10th Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy | |
| In office January 11, 2019 – January 20, 2021 |
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| President | Donald Trump |
| Preceded by | Ted Wackler (acting) |
| Succeeded by | Kei Koizumi (acting) |
| Acting Director of the National Science Foundation | |
| In office March 31, 2020 – June 22, 2020 |
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| President | Donald Trump |
| Preceded by | France A. Córdova |
| Succeeded by | Sethuraman Panchanathan |
| Oklahoma Secretary of Science and Technology | |
| In office March 13, 2017 – January 11, 2019 |
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| Governor | Mary Fallin |
| Preceded by | Stephen McKeever |
| Succeeded by | Kayse Shrum |
| Personal details | |
| Born | September 23, 1958 Ellsworth, Kansas, U.S. |
| Education | University of Oklahoma (BS) University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign (MS, PhD) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Meteorology |
| Institutions | University of Oklahoma National Science Board University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign |
| Thesis | The Numerical Simulation of Thunderstorm Outflow Dynamics (Gust Front, Kelvin-Helmholtz Instability, Wind Shear, Microbursts) (1985) |
| Doctoral advisor | Robert Wilhelmson |
Kelvin Kay Droegemeier (born September 23, 1958) is an American scientist who studies weather. He is a meteorologist. He used to be the director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. This office helps the President make decisions about science and technology.
Dr. Droegemeier is famous for his work on predicting extreme weather events. These are things like strong thunderstorms. He also served as the Oklahoma Secretary of Science and Technology. This role helped guide science and technology efforts in Oklahoma. He was also a vice president at the University of Oklahoma. Today, he is a professor and special advisor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Early Life and Education
Kelvin Droegemeier was born on September 23, 1958, in Ellsworth, Kansas. He went to the University of Oklahoma. There, he earned a bachelor's degree in meteorology in 1980.
He then continued his studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. He earned a master's degree in 1982. He completed his Ph.D. in 1985. After finishing his studies, he joined the faculty at the University of Oklahoma in 1985.
Research and Academic Work
Dr. Droegemeier's main research has been about extreme weather events. He wanted to understand how they form and how to predict them. In the 1990s, he became well-known for his work. He used computer simulations to study how thunderstorms develop. This work used new advancements in radar and computer technology.
He helped start two important centers for the National Science Foundation. The first was the Center for Analysis and Prediction of Storms in 1989. This center helps predict storms. The second was the Engineering Research Center for Collaborative Adaptive Sensing of the Atmosphere in 2003. This center works on new ways to sense weather. He also started a weather technology company in 2000.
From 2009 to 2018, Dr. Droegemeier was the Vice President for Research at the University of Oklahoma. In this role, he helped guide research projects at the university. After his time in the White House, he returned to the University of Oklahoma. He is now a Regents Professor of Meteorology there.
Government Roles
Dr. Droegemeier served on the National Science Board for 12 years. This board advises the U.S. government on science and engineering. He was also the vice chairman of the board from 2012 to 2016. In March 2017, he was appointed Oklahoma Secretary of Science and Technology.
In August 2018, he was chosen to be the director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). This is a very important job in the White House. The OSTP director advises the President on science and technology issues. Many scientists were happy about his nomination. They saw him as a strong supporter of science research.
The Senate approved his nomination on January 2, 2019. He officially started his role on January 11, 2019. On March 1, 2020, he joined the White House Coronavirus Task Force. This group worked to address the COVID-19 pandemic. He also served as the Acting Director of the National Science Foundation for a few months in 2020.
When President Trump's term ended in January 2021, Dr. Droegemeier returned to his teaching and research roles at the University of Oklahoma.
