Eric Webb, '20 M.S. in Earth Sciences, received the 2023 Master’s Thesis Award from the Conference of Southern Graduate Schools’ (CSGS) for his work, “Reanalysis of the Extended Multivariate ENSO Index.”
His award was in the Math, Physical Sciences and Engineering thesis category. Webb, along with Sylvia Marshall, History, and Alexandra Pando, Anthropology, were selected to receive Master’s Thesis honors from UNC Charlotte last fall.
“Faculty in our department who have worked with Eric know how passionate he is about the dynamics of our amazing atmosphere, and this enthusiasm was reflected in Eric's thesis,” said Brian Magi, Associate Professor of Atmospheric Sciences and Eric’s advisor. “Working closely with Eric during his master's research, I was personally very excited that Eric won the region-wide CSGS Thesis competition against other graduate students in Math, Physical Sciences, and Engineering, and from programs in the southern USA ranging from Texas to Maryland.”
Webb’s thesis developed a new method to calculate an index of the effects of the El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) effects on climate variability since 1865. His award includes a $1,000 cash prize, a commemorative plaque, and an expense-paid trip to the 2023 CSGS annual meeting March 2-5 in Tampa, Florida.
Today, Eric serves as a meteorologist at White Sands Test Center in New Mexico, a part of the U.S. Army Test & Evaluation Command. “Our Meteorology Branch issues watches, warnings, advisories, and special weather statements geared towards military-specific missions and private sector entities that come onto White Sands Missile Range,” he said. “It is an amazing job and New Mexico is a very beautiful place!”
The Outstanding Master’s Thesis Award is presented annually to recognize the high-quality work of UNC Charlotte graduate students. Faculty may nominate a student whose thesis has been accepted in partial fulfillment of master’s degree requirements during the past two academic and/or summer sessions.
Charlotte recipients of the Master’s Thesis Award receive $500 plus an engraved plaque and are entered in the regional CSGS Master’s Thesis Award competition.
“Eric's recognition also shows how faculty in UNC Charlotte's M.S. in Earth Sciences program continue to successfully recruit excellent students,” Magi added.
Magi said part of Webb’s research was published last year in the International Journal of Climatology and “we are currently working on preparing the rest of his master's research for a second publication.”
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