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ECU Honors College alumnus Thomas Vaughn (Class of 2015) stands in front of the National Weather Service Station in Tallahassee, Fla. Vaughn will start his career with the NWS this September at the Wichita, Ka. office.

ECU Honors College alumnus Thomas Vaughan ’15 stands in front of the National Weather Service Station in Tallahassee, Fla. Vaughan will start his career with the NWS this September at the Wichita, Kan. office. (Contributed photos courtesy Thomas Vaughan)

ECU Honors College Alumnus Lands Job with National Weather Service

This September, East Carolina University Honors College alumnus Thomas Vaughan ’15 will join the National Weather Service in Wichita, Kan. as one of 31 new hires by the federal agency that is responsible for providing weather forecasts, warnings of hazardous weather, and other weather-related products across the country.

Vaughan, who is nearly complete with his Masters in Meteorology from Florida State University, said he had his choice of going to the National Weather Service offices in Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado and Michigan. Vaughan ultimately chose Wichita to be close to the action.

Vaughn presents information at the National Weather Service headquarters in Silver Spring, Md.

Vaughan presents information at the National Weather Service headquarters in Silver Spring, Md.

“I picked Wichita because I knew I would get a lot of severe weather experience there,” Vaughan said. “I knew Wichita would be more beneficial in the long run to my career because they have severe weather all the time, and I’ll get to experience all four seasons.”

The National Weather Service announces job vacancies in rounds, and the round Vaughan was hired in had 31 job vacancies across the country. For those 31 vacancies, Vaughan said the NWS received more than 850 applications. After not being referred to the final pool of applicants the first time he applied, Vaughan said he was relieved to have his choice of four stations this time.

“It Is pretty competitive to get into and I knew I would have better chance to get in with a masters, so that is why I went to Florida State [University],” he said. “This is something I have been wanting to do for a long time.”

While the official title for Vaughan’s position is Meteorologist Intern, it is the entry level staff position for the NWS. In his first couple years, Vaughan said he will be learning how to complete the NWS forecasts, train on the NWS computer systems and radar, launch weather balloons, and help manage his office’s social media accounts.

After his time as a Meteorologist Intern, Vaughan hopes to move up to through the ranks of the NWS and eventually make it back to the NWS station in Honolulu, Hawaii where he completed a summer internship while at ECU. Other “dream” stations for Vaughan include Guam, or one of the stations in Florida.

Vaughn gives a weather briefing at the Florida Division of Emergency Management in Tallahassee, Fla.

Vaughan gives a weather briefing at the Florida Division of Emergency Management in Tallahassee, Fla.

“I’d say my dream job would be to be the Meteorologist in Charge at one of those stations, but that is a long time away,” he said, laughing.

For now, Vaughan is focusing on defending his master’s thesis on historical rainfall variability in the Sahel and Guinea coasts of Africa, and moving to Kansas in September to begin working for the NWS.

Vaughn after graduation from ECU in May 2015.

Vaughan after graduation from ECU in May 2015.

By Cole Dittmer

ECU News Services