GABRIEL WILLIAMS
An Interview with Gabriel
Where are you from? and what do you miss most about your hometown?
I was born in Brooklyn, NY, but I was raised in Atlanta, GA. Being raised in a Black community, living in Fort Collins was an initial culture shock for me. I would say that I miss my family and the convenience of public transportation more than anything.
What drew you to Meteorology and Atmospheric Science?
As an undergraduate, I was a Mathematics and Physics major. I became more interested in atmospheric science when I took an independent study course in geophysical fluid dynamics as a senior. Upon taking this course, I realized that fluid dynamics was a great medium between mathematical rigor and physical application. While taking the course, I became interested in hurricane modeling since it was a great application of thermodynamics, differential equations, and numerical modeling. My interest in meteorology grew as I began to read textbooks and articles on geophysical fluid dynamics.
Why did you decide to move to Colorado? What made you choose CSU?
I chose to come to CSU for three main reasons: research interests, cost of living, and different lifestyle. After finishing my masters in physics, I looked at various atmospheric science departments who had research specialties in tropical cyclones, geophysical fluid dynamics, and tropical meteorology. CSU were one of the schools on the list. In narrowing down my options, I looked at the cost of living. Compared to the other schools that were on my list, Fort Collins had the lowest cost of living and CSU also had the best graduate stipend. Finally, I desired a different lifestyle. I lived in a major city for the vast majority of my life and it was my preference to live in a less urban environment. Even though Fort Collins in some ways has the feel of an urban environment, it is quite different than living in a big city.
What is your all-time favorite thing to do?
As a Christian, my favorite activity involves fellowshipping with fellow believers in the faith. As I've moved from New York to Atlanta to Texas and now in Colorado, I've been blessed with the opportunity to meet many men and women that have helped me to grow spiritually. I have treasured the time that we’ve shared together, whether in good times or difficult times. Currently, most of the free time that I do have is spent enjoying fellowship with a group of believers that I have met in Loveland, Colorado, as well as enjoying my time with my fiancee.
What is one thing you've done in your life that you are surprised by?
One thing that still surprises me today is the fact that I lived in Brownsville, Texas for two years. After graduating from undergraduate, I moved to a place where I knew no one in the area, nor did I speak the common language of the city (Brownsville is a border town where most of the population only spoke Spanish). Despite these things, my time in Brownsville was one of the most enriching times in my life, as I developed professional as a scientist and grew spiritually as well.
What is one place you would love to travel to? and why
One place that I would like to visit would be Grenada. Grenada is the birthplace of my father, yet I have never been there personally. It would be great to see my father's side of the family and to enjoy the Caribbean culture.
What do you love about being a graduate student?
I love being a graduate student for mainly two reasons. First, being a graduate student means that you have a highly demanding, yet flexible schedule. I enjoy the fact that I do not a regular 9-5 job, but I can work when it is convenient for me. There are some weeks that I may work 80-90 hours and then there are other weeks where I may work only 30-40 hours. This flexibility enables me to take breaks when necessary, take various trips, and to spend time with many of my friends. Secondly, I enjoy the fact that as a graduate student I do not have a boring and monotonous job. Because we are researchers, we have the opportunity to ask and answer questions that we are interested in, instead of having all of our work dictated to us.
In 10 years where do you see yourself?
In ten years, I expect to be in the middle of a tenure-track position at a research institution. Hopefully, by this point, I would have established my niche in my field and published 5-10 papers in a professional journal.
What is your long-term career goal?
My long-term goal would be a department chair at a small teaching institution or to be a general science chair at a community college. Even though I enjoy research, my career passion is in teaching. My career objective would be to be to increase the academic reputation and rigor of teaching institutions.
Do you have any advice for an incoming graduate student?
Time management is of the upmost importance. As a graduate student, you have to find out how to balance the high demands of graduate work and research while still having a personal life. The challenge of graduate school is not necessarily in completing the work, but the challenge is to remain a balanced person while still undergoing the rigors of graduate school.
