Engagement¶
Steve Nesbitt's engagement work spans education and outreach embedded in international field campaigns, co-design with Chicago community groups around the CROCUS urban climate initiative, and public-facing science communication. This page collects those activities and provides a contact path for engagement requests.
RELAMPAGO-CACTI¶
RELAMPAGO-CACTI (2018–2019) was the largest international field campaign ever conducted in subtropical South America, deploying more than 100 scientists across seven agencies in the lee of the Andes in Argentina. Education and outreach were core campaign objectives from day one.
During the campaign we held an open house and school events that drew thousands of students and families in Córdoba and Mendoza Provinces, bringing storm chasers, mobile radars, and weather balloons directly into Argentine communities.
The campaign's education program and inclusion efforts are described in detail in:
- Nesbitt, S. W., P. V. Salio, and others, 2021: A storm safari in Argentina, Proyecto RELAMPAGO. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society. doi:10.1175/BAMS-D-20-0029.1
- Rasmussen, K. R., M. A. Burt, A. Rowe, and others, 2021: Enlightenment strikes! Broadening graduate school training through field campaign participation. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society. doi:10.1175/BAMS-D-20-0062.1
- Fisher, E. V., B. Bloodhart, K. Rasmussen, and others, 2021: Leveraging field-campaign networks to identify sexual harassment in atmospheric science — a study informing safe and inclusive field campaigns. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society. doi:10.1175/BAMS-D-19-0341.1
In the news (RELAMPAGO-CACTI)¶
- The New York Times Magazine (July 22, 2020) — What's Going on Inside the Fearsome Thunderstorms of Córdoba Province? by Noah Gallagher Shannon (winner of the 2021 AAAS Kavli Science Journalism Award)
- The Verge (September 5, 2019) — Storm chasers are searching the clouds for the key to climate change
- Nature (November 2018) — Argentina's mega-storms attract army of meteorologists
- NCAR & UCAR News — Field campaign to study extreme storms in Argentina
- DOE ARM — Chasing Down the Science of Thunderstorms
- DOE ARM — Storm Chasers, Knowledge Makers
CROCUS¶
CROCUS — the Community Research on Climate and Urban Science Urban Integrated Field Laboratory — was co-designed with Chicago community groups from its inception. Community partners help set research priorities, identify measurement sites, and shape how findings are communicated back to the neighborhoods where the work takes place.
Spring 2025 Urban Flooding campaign¶
In partnership with The Puerto Rican Agenda of Chicago (Humboldt Park) and the Greater Chatham Initiative (South Side), we:
- Established new CoCoRaHS precipitation-monitoring sites on Chicago's South Side
- Held community flood-awareness events with residents most affected by urban flooding
- Co-developed messaging around flood preparedness with neighborhood leaders
2024 Urban Canyons campaign¶
In partnership with the Gary Comer Youth Center (Greater Grand Crossing) and Blacks in Green, we:
- Established urban-canyon measurement sites on Chicago's South Side
- Hosted community engagement events bringing CROCUS instrumentation and scientists into the neighborhood
- Mentored youth participants on weather and climate measurement
In the news (CROCUS)¶
Project launch (2022)
- Illinois LAS News — U. of I. to play key role in $25 million project to advance urban climate science
Urban Canyons (2024)
- NBC Chicago — Research team seeks to determine how skyscrapers affect heat
- FOX 32 Chicago — Can Chicago's skyline predict the weather? Argonne scientists investigate urban canyons
- ABC7 — New CROCUS project with Argonne National Lab studies how the Chicago skyline contributes to city heat islands
- Argonne National Laboratory — Snapshots of urban climate science
- UIC Today — UIC research empowers communities in the face of climate change
Urban Flooding (2025)
- WTTW — As Climate Change Impacts Weather, Project Aims to Reduce Flooding in Chatham Neighborhood
- CBS Chicago — Argonne National Laboratory team to study causes of flooding in Chicago's Chatham neighborhood
- Block Club Chicago — 'Water On My Block' App Will Help Neighbors Combat Chatham's Flooding Crisis
- University of Chicago News — UChicago students build app to tackle South Side flooding crises
- WBEZ Chicago — Flooding in Chicago is getting worse. Here's why.
- Argonne National Laboratory — Chicago State University to serve as 'scientific supersite' to study climate change impact
- WTTW — Argonne Scientists Partner with Chicago Community Organizations to Track Climate Change Impacts
Informal Education and Outreach in Schools¶
Classroom visits, weather demonstrations, and career-day talks at:
- Polaris Charter Academy, Chicago
- Champaign, Urbana, and Mahomet, Illinois public schools
Field work inclusion efforts with non research-intensive campuses¶
Working with faculty and students from institutions historically under-represented in atmospheric sciences field work, including:
- Fort Lewis College, Durango, Colorado — a Native American-Serving Non-Tribal Institution
- Chicago State University
- University of Illinois Chicago
- Northeastern Illinois University
Public Outreach¶
Weather Realness (WILL)¶
Co-host of Weather Realness on WILL (Illinois Public Media) — a weekly radio show and podcast (debuted August 1, 2025; airs Saturdays at 11:00 a.m. and Sundays at 8:00 p.m. on WILL-AM 580, and is also available via streaming) that brings Illinois weather and climate scientists to the public. See also the launch coverage from The 21st Show and the CliMAS announcement.
Media interviews¶
A complete list of print, broadcast, and online interviews — including coverage from national and international outlets — is maintained in the Full CV.
Contact for Engagement Requests¶
For school visits, community events, media inquiries, and other engagement requests:
| snesbitt@illinois.edu | |
| Phone | (217) 244-3740 |
| Office | 3074 Natural History Building, 1301 W Green St, Urbana, IL 61801 |