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Lily Muller researched how to create accurate and effective warning communication products about pediatric vehicular heatstroke deaths
Hi everyone! My name is Lily Muller, and I am a 2021 Hollings Scholar, and Meteorology and Atmospheric Sciences student at Penn State University Park. Growing up in the D.C. area, I experienced all kinds of weather that sparked my interest in meteorology. With hazardous weather like winter storms, tropical systems, and thunderstorms came safety and property risks. I began to learn that messaging is really important in determining how people react to different weather hazards.
Lillian Muller, a 2021 Hollings Scholar, in front of the National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office in Louisville with one of her mentors, Ryan Sharp. (Image credit: Jessica Lee)
This is why I chose to work on a complex and sensitive messaging project at the National Weather Service Louisville Weather Forecast Office. I worked on improving the National Weather Service’s pediatric vehicular heatstroke death messaging. During my project I got to meet and work with pediatric vehicular heatstroke experts, social scientists, and messaging experts who all helped me to shape my new messaging to be both accurate and effective. I learned how important it is to be careful when choosing your main points, wording, and appearance of things like social media graphics because it can have a huge impact on how your audience perceives the topic.
During my project I got to meet and work with pediatric vehicular heatstroke experts, social scientists, and messaging experts who all helped me to shape my new messaging to be both accurate and effective.
Aside from my project, I got the opportunity to learn a lot about how a National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office operates. I was able to shadow forecasters, work severe weather events to issue local storm reports, visit the radar, go on a hydrology trip, tour Louisville’s Standiford Field air traffic control tower, and attend an impact decision support services meeting at Churchill Downs, the site of the Kentucky Derby. I also really loved exploring Kentucky, from the rich history and great food in Louisville to the beautiful national parks and hiking trails in eastern and central Kentucky.
Lily Muller is meteorology and atmospheric sciences major at Penn State University Park.
