Published: May 16, 2008 02:36 pm         

FSU geography professor taking students on storm-chasing adventure through Tornado Alley U.S.A.

FROSTBURG - Dave Arnold, assistant professor of geography at Frostburg State University, is taking seven FSU students on a tour of "Tornado Alley U.S.A." to chase storms as part of a special summer course May 19 through June 19.

During the four-week program, students will study the character and behavior of severe thunderstorms and tornadoes and how they affect local communities and environments in Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota and North Dakota. The group expects to travel between 12,000 to 15,000 miles.

Arnold, a longtime storm chaser who created the class while teaching at Indiana's Ball State University, joined FSU in 2006; this is the second year he has offered the class to Frostburg students.

"Chasing storms is a good deal of fun and can be a tremendously exciting, almost magical experience," Arnold said. "When students look back on these trips, they always do so with a great sense of satisfaction. Some have even told me that this was easily one of the greatest experiences of their lives-even more than 10 years following completion of this course."

For more information on this unique summer learning experience, contact Arnold at dlarnold@frostburg.edu.