Tech doctoral student combines meteorology, NASA outreach to inspire future scientists
Tennessee Tech doctoral student Mark Baldwin presents a certificate to a participant
in the NASA space camp held this summer in Cumberland County.
A group of kids spent part of their summer in Cumberland County building model satellites,
launching rockets, creating tornadoes in jars and talking space science with meteorologists
and NASA volunteers – all thanks to Tennessee Tech University environmental sciences
doctoral student Mark Baldwin.
A native of Cumberland County, Baldwin is a professional meteorologist who wrapped
up his third year organizing free space camps and his first year organizing free severe
weather camps for Upper Cumberland youth. Kids came from as far away as Sparta, Livingston
and Wartburg to attend.
“We had about 45 kids total between the two camps. This was the first time some of
them were ever in a room with other kids who shared the same passion they have. That
alone can change the course of a life,” Baldwin said.
The camps – held in partnership with NASA and hosted at Roane State Community College’s
Cumberland County campus – are designed to ignite scientific curiosity in the participants,
who attend two-day sessions of each camp based on their age. One session is for children
aged 8 to 10, and the other is for kids 11 through 13.
The camps emphasize hands-on learning with age-appropriate projects like firestorm
simulations, playdough supercells and rocket construction and offer kids the rare
chance to meet professionals in meteorology, weather safety and aerospace fields.
“I tell people it’s the best idea I’ve ever had, but it wouldn’t be much of an idea
without the buy-in from volunteers, parents and participants,” he said.
After last year’s summer release of the movie "Twisters," the storm chaser camp was
especially popular.
“They got to learn from real meteorologists, including one who did a site survey for
a tornado in Kentucky – and that made a huge impact with them,” Baldwin said.
His own passion for weather started early and never let up. After earning a journalism
degree from Tech, he went on to study meteorology out of state. That training led
him to a varied career, which included teaching at Mississippi State University, working
for TEMA and coming back to his native Cumberland County to work for Weather Tap,
a company that provides professional and customizable weather data.
In his doctoral studies at Tech, his research involves the climatically relevant topic
of the rapid transition from drought to flood conditions in the Southern Appalachian
region.
“We see less of a gradual change from drought conditions to flooding; these days,
severe flash flooding can happen quickly, and it’s becoming more common. It’s not
the anomaly it used to be,” he said.
That kind of change in weather patterns is a perfect example of why climate research
and up-to-date meteorology are important, Baldwin said.
“I take every aspect of this job very seriously. Weather literacy can save lives,”
he said.
He also maintains the meteorologistmark.com website and app, which has grown to more than a half million visits a year, and serves
as the “eye on the sky” for the Crossville Fire Department. 
A participant in the storm chaser weather camp draws an individualized replica of
a tornado storm cell.
His sense of responsibility extends beyond the forecast. For the past 3.5 years, he
has worked for and currently serves as director for Creative Compassion, a local nonprofit
that builds affordable housing and offers home repair, utility assistance and veterans’
programs.
Although it was Baldwin’s first official foray into professional nonprofit work, he
said the position has taught him much about planning and organizing the not-for-profit,
no-charge camps he offers.
“When I moved back home to Cumberland County, it inspired me to give back to a community
that had given me so much. I’m fortunate that I’ve been able to do that in multiple
ways,” he said.
Baldwin brings a personal passion to it all.
“These camps are what I wished I’d had when I was a kid, and I never want a kid to
miss out because of money. When you see the kids completely engaged in something they’re
enjoying, it’s worth everything,” he said.
In fact, Baldwin said he paid for the first year of camp entirely by himself. The
second year, he created an online wish list, and donors purchased more than $700 of
items in a day and a half. By this year, the camps have their own separate budgets,
and he has found several sponsors to help with the costs.
Those sponsors included Weichert Realtors and The Webb Agency, Premier Generators,
USA Mortgage, Bramel Travel, Clearview Closet and Blind and Upper Cumberland Federal
Credit Union.
As for what his future holds, Baldwin is already thinking long-term. “I hope to someday
help Tech launch its own meteorology program,” he said.
No matter his goal, they’re all about making others more science literate, he said.
“You can’t go wrong by helping others, especially kids – and I’m not going to lie;
I love these camps as much as the kids do. It’s so much fun,” Baldwin said.