SCIPP’s Rachel Riley Organizes and Moderates Insurcon Panel on Hazard Resilient Buildings
On April 8th, SCIPP’s Rachel Riley moderated a panel at Insurcon, an annual insurance industry conference hosted by the Independent Insurance Agents of Oklahoma (BIGiOK). The panel session was titled “Strengthening Oklahoma’s Buildings to Withstand Hazardous Weather: The Problem. The Solution. The How.”, and featured representatives from the National Weather Service, Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety […]
Dr. Derek Thompson wins AASC New Scientist Award
Congratulations to SCIPP’s Dr. Derek Thompson, who recently won the American Association of State Climatologists (AASC) New Scientist Award! His research on a gridded wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGT) climatology for the southeastern United States used athlete and worker safety thresholds to identify where WBGT is hazardous for individuals most at risk for heat-related health impacts. […]
SCIPP’s Rachel Riley and Caylah Cruickshank Receive Academic Excellence Awards
On November 21, 2025, SCIPP’s Caylah Cruickshank and Rachel Riley received awards for their academic excellence in the College of Atmospheric and Geographic Sciences at the University of Oklahoma (OU). The ceremony took place at the National Weather Center in Norman, OK. Awards were given across five categories: Outstanding Research, Excellent Research, Superior Research, Outstanding […]
SCIPP Participates in Recent University of Oklahoma Outreach Events
SCIPP had the opportunity to participate in two incredible outreach events in early November! The National Weather Festival took place on November 1st at the National Weather Center. This event welcomed the public into the building to learn about a variety of weather-related organizations— from research groups to severe weather broadcasters. Attendees of all ages […]
Rachel Riley Presents On National Hazard Mitigation Association Webinar
As part of an ongoing research project, SCIPP is collaborating with the National Hazard Mitigation Association (NHMA) and FEMA Region VI to address the resource and capacity needs of hazard mitigation planners in the interior South Central United States. This focus group-based study, titled “Building Capacity for Hazard Mitigation Planning in Low-Capacity Communities”, involved 31 […]
SCIPP Hosts Shreveport Disaster Resilience Community Network Workshop
On Friday, August 29th, 2025, SCIPP’s Dr. Cassandra Jean and Celine Rendon hosted the Shreveport Disaster Resilience Community Network Workshop in Shreveport, Louisiana. This workshop is part of SCIPP’s larger effort to engage with the city of Shreveport, LA, and identify weather-and-climate-related challenges. Community members, organizational leaders, and neighborhood representatives gathered to share lessons from […]
SCIPP Hosts Hazard Resilient Buildings Workshop
On October 1, 2025, the Southern Climate Impacts Planning Program (SCIPP) hosted the Hazard Resilient Buildings Workshop with 31 representatives and speakers from the home building, insurance, and real estate communities in central Oklahoma. These sectors play a pivotal role in shaping the built environment and managing risk, making them key partners in advancing community […]
SCIPP Concludes Its Inaugural Summer Internship Program
The inaugural ten-week SCIPP Summer Internship Program concluded in August. The goals of the program were to: Each intern was paired with a host organization for the duration of the internship. A total of seven interns completed the program across the four-state region (see Figure 1 below). Student Interns: Seven interns from the University of […]
New Publication: 2024-2025 Annual Report
SCIPP’s 2024-2025 Annual Report is now available! This report details some of SCIPP’s research, partnerships, and state and local engagement efforts from June 1, 2024 to May 31, 2025. Highlights include a portfolio of tropical cyclone work, SCIPP’s new County-Level Minimum Temperature Explorer Tool, which was released this past fall, and a narrative case study […]
SCIPP Deputy Director Dr. Mark Shafer receives a 2025 Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education Award
Dr. Mark Shafer received a 2025 Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education Award for Superior Professional and University Service and Public Outreach The nomination committee summarized his contributions as the following: Dr. Shafer has worked to catalyze sustainable human-natural systems through climate services. He has outlined key areas of climate services, as related to policy […]
Hazard Resilient Buildings Workshop
The Southern Climate Impacts Planning Program is hosting the Hazard Resilient Buildings Workshop with representatives and speakers from the home building, insurance, and real estate industries in central Oklahoma. These sectors play a pivotal role in shaping the built environment and managing risk, making them key partners in advancing community resilience. The goal of this […]
Need Access to the National Climate Assessment?
National Climate Assessments synthesize scientific information and evaluate the state of the science on climate change to inform a broad audience of decision-makers across the country. The NCA is mandated by the Global Change Research Act of 1990 and is produced approximately every four years. The 5th National Climate Assessment (NCA5) was released in November 2023 […]