Interview with Margaret Mooney

Partial Transcript: Troy Reeves (Interviewer): Ok, today is March 27, 2019. This is
an interview with Margaret Mooney. We are doing this interview at the Academic
Staff Institute as part of our Academic Staff Award Winners Oral History
Project.

Partial Transcript: TR: Margaret, thank you for giving me some of your time today. I
gave you a list of questions in advance, and we'll just start with the top
question, which is, what brought you to UW-Madison?

Segment Synopsis: What brought you to UW-Madison? Margret Mooney (MM) came to Madison to work for National Weather Service. MM acquired office space in Atmosphere, Oceanic, and Space Sciences Building. When MM's position with Weather Service ended, Space Science and Engineering center offered her a part time position. Follow-up: Why did you puruse a Masters in Public Policy Masters at the LaFollette Institute? Answer: MM notices many of the jobs she was interested in and admired needed a Masters degree.

Keywords: LaFollette Institute; National Weather Service; UW-Madison; University of Wisconsin-Madison; meteorology; public policy

Partial Transcript: TR: So, backing up a bit, I guess it's really the next question,
sort of a follow-up: what factors led to your interest in meteorology and
eventually trying to pursue that as a profession? MM: I think it's more of an
interest in science.

Segment Synopsis: What inspiried your interest in meterology? MM interested in science. Started out pre-med at the University of Michigan but changed to Geology. After graduating, MM starts out with the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration Core. Works out on east coast until receiving job offer in Madison with the Weather Service.

Keywords: NOAA Corps; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; geology; meteorology

Partial Transcript: TR: Alright, so, when asked, I assume you're asked, what you do,
how do you describe currently what you do? MM: My day starts with a day/night
band. This is how you know I'm a science geek.

Segment Synopsis: How do you describe what you do to people? MM starts every day checking satalite images to see if Aurora Borealis was caputred on the day/night band. MM's work involves lots of writing, either for grants or how projects have been successful. MM notes she is either planning or putting on an event. Gives example of CIMSS High school student workshop for STEM students.

Keywords: Aurora Borealis; CIMSS; CIMSS high school student workshop; Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies; NOAA; day/night band; meteorology; science camp

Partial Transcript: TR: So, to back up again just a little bit, this job, your
current job, you're about seven years now? So how did your current job come
about? How did you end up where you are now? MM: So, being the director of
Education Outreach at CIMSS? I am the first director.

Segment Synopsis: How did your current job come about? MM is the first Director of Education at CIMSS (Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies ). Connects the goal of her position, promoting satellite research, with the resources and history of UW research. Follow-up: How has technology changed your work? Answer: MM recalls old storage discs for storing data. MM contrasts how many more satellite images are accessible today. More technology translates to more for MM to share.

Keywords: CIMSS; meteorology; research translation; satellite technology; satellite meteorology; weather satellites

Partial Transcript: TR: The blurb online about you that highlights the fact that you
won the Heideman Award talked about the fact that you were able to see these
satellites, or at least some of these satellites, get launched? MM: Yeah, we did
get to go to the launches.

Segment Synopsis: What's it like to be present for a satalite lauch? MM describes as this as "amazing". MM wrote the proposal so educators could be present. MM details the Kennedy Space center, feelings of national pride, and what being in the audience for a launch was like.

Keywords: Kennedy Space Center; NOAA; satellite launches; satellites

Partial Transcript: TR: I think you described what tasks comprise a typical day when
you talked about, when you described what you do, but is there anything else
about it that you do during a typical day that you feel- MM: That I should keep
in it? Well, frequently, but not every week or every day...

Segment Synopsis: What tasks comprise a typical day? MM frequently meets with students and hosts school visists and tours. MM descirbees some usual features of the tours.

Subjects: CIMSS; Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies

Partial Transcript: TR: So, the first question on that is, were you, or have you
ever been, involved in academic staff governance or committees? MM: I served as
the alternate rep for CASI for several years...

Segment Synopsis: Have you ever been invovled with academic staff governance? MM recounts how she joined an ad-hoc campus climate committee. MM had hoped the UW would divest from fossil fuels but still very involved. MM meets Bruce Barrett, Dept. of Family Medicine, who MM now works with on new projects. MM details two projects: Climate Quest and Mindful Climate Action.

Keywords: Climate Quest; Mindful Climate Action; academic staff; committee on academic staff issues; committees

Partial Transcript: MM: And since you bring up Kathy Middlecamp, I've known her
through some NSF... I just think maybe she was at NSF meetings and we both
realized we were from UW-Madison. But a while ago, Steve Ackerman and I did an
online MOOC, Massive Open Online Course...

Segment Synopsis: No question. MM mentions teaching a MOOC (massive open online course) on changing weather of the Great Lakes reigion. MM notes involvement of Kathy Middlecamp. Follow-up: How did you learn about MOOCs? Answer: MM describes the origins of her MOOC workign with Seth Ackerman and her experiences teaching.

Keywords: Kathy Middlecamp; MOOC; Steve Ackerman; climate change education; massive open online course; online education

Partial Transcript: TR: And I know your personal statement in the two-page resume
that you gave me talks about this, but I wonder if you would talk about why this
topic is of such importance to you? MM: The topic being how could we slow or
reverse climate change? It's important to me...

Segment Synopsis: Why are you interested in the topics that you are? MM explains her feares about climate change and what drives her commitement to climate issues.

Keywords: climate crisis; climate activism; climate change; climate change research

Partial Transcript: TR: Just to get back to, again, a couple more questions about
academic staff. The next is, do you ever think about the relationship between
academic faculty and staff?

Segment Synopsis: What are your thoughts about the relationship between faculty and staff? MM explains the relative lack of faculty within her program. MM explains what she likes about working with the faculty she knows.

Keywords: CIMSS; academic faculty; academic staff

Partial Transcript: TR: Would you mind talking about the story behind getting the
Heideman award? MM: I'd love to.

Segment Synopsis: Can you tell the story behind getting the Heideman Award? MM describes the work her colleagues did to nominate her for the award and her gratitude. MM notes her partner, Meg Gaines won Heideman award 20 years ago. Follow-up: What did you think of the reception? MM describes her experience, sharing an anecdote she included in her speech about the UW as the birth place of satellite meteorology.

Keywords: Heideman Award; Meg Gaines; STEM awards; UW-Madison; satellite meteorology

Partial Transcript: TR: Margaret, before we get into, and I think you've talked a
little about that last question, the legacy question, but before we get into
that, are there other things you either have on your notes, or other things
about your job or jobs here that you want to touch on?

Segment Synopsis: Is there anything else else you want to mention? MM recounts a story of sharing day/night band image on social media that turns into a collaborative citizen science project, Viirs Aurora Sat-cam Project.

Keywords: Northern Lights photography; VIIRS Aurora SatCam Citizen Science Project; VIIRS Aurora SatCam Project; citizen science; night sky photography; satellite photography

Partial Transcript: TR: So, Margaret, and I think you've touched on this, as I said,
but the last questions are questions of legacy. I try to ask this in a way of
what you think you'll be remembered for, and is it what you want to be
remembered for?

Segment Synopsis: What do you think you'll be remebered for and how do you want to be remembered? MM shares a story of being recognized on Halloween by a studuent who remebered visiting her building and that she'll be remembered by some of these students. MM thinks and hopes her colleagues will remember her as someone who tried to bring different groups within the AOS building together. Overall, MM wants to be remebered as someone who fought climate change.

Keywords: STEM education; climate activism; climate change; climate change science; climate change activism; climate education; climate science; community; weather education