Dr. Charles L. Wax is an Emeritus Professor of Meteorology in the Department of Geosciences at Mississippi State University. His research interests include climatology, meteorology, hydrology, and natural resources. He served as a State Climatologist for Mississippi and chaired the U.S.D.A.'s Southern Region Research Committee for Climatology in Agricultural Production. He has been presented the Outstanding Faculty Award by the University Honors Council at Mississippi State University, and a Research Award by the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station. He also served as Head of the Department of Geosciences from 1989 to 2001. His hobbies include exercising, gardening, woodworking, and restoring and maintaining antiques.

Education

• Ph.D.(physical geography: climatology), Louisiana State University, 1977
• M.S.(physical geography: geomorphology), Louisiana State University, 1974
• B.A.(political science), Delta State University, 1969
• A.A., Miss. Delta Jr. College, 1967

Experience

• Professor, Mississippi State University, 1987-2011
• Head of the Department of Geosciences, Mississippi State University, 1989-2001
• State Climatologist for Mississippi, 1983-2011
• Part-time Professor of Geography, Mississippi University for Women, 1985-1987
• Research Climatologist, Miss. Ag. and Forestry Experiment Station, Dept. of Ag. and Bio.Engineering, Mississippi State University, part-time 1984-1990
• Associate Professor of Geography, Mississippi State University, 1983-1987
• Assistant Professor of Geography, Mississippi State University, 1978-1983
• Associate Scientist, Coastal Environments, Inc., Baton Rouge, LA, 1977
• Graduate Research Assistant, Center for Wetland Resources, LSU, 1975-1977
• Research Associate, Coastal Studies Institute, LSU, summer 1973
• Instructor, Department of Geography and Anthropology, LSU, 1973-1975
• U.S. Marine Corps, 1969-1972

Honors/Professional Activities

• He served on and chaired the U.S.D.A.'s Southern Region Research Committee for Climatology in Agricultural Production, and has served as President of the American Association of State Climatologists.
• He has been presented the Outstanding Faculty Award by the University Honors Council at Mississippi State University.

• 2008.  Cooke, W.H., K. Grala and C.L. Wax.  “A Method for Estimating Pan Evaporation for Inland and Coastal Regions of the Southeastern U.S.”   Southeastern Geographer, 48(2) pp 149-171.
• 2008.  C.L. Wax.  “Late Freeze Impacts in Mississippi.”  In, The Easter Freeze of April 2007:  A Climatological Perspective and Assessment of Impacts and Services. NOAA/USDA Technical Report 2008-01.  
• 2008.  C.L. Wax, J.W. Pote and M.E. Brown.  “Integrating the Natural Climate Regime Into Management Plans for Swine Wastewater Lagoons.”  Journal of Service Climatology, Vol. 2, No. 4, pp 1-10.
• 2007.  T.P. Cathcart, C.L. Wax, J.W. Pote and Sugeng Triyono.  “A Climatological Basis for Conserving Groundwater and Reducing Overflow in Aquaculture Ponds in the Southeast United States.”  Aquacultural Engineering, 36(2007)225-232.
• 2007.  Brown, M.E. and C.L. Wax.  “Temperature as an Indicator of the Influence of Landforms on Atmospheric Processes.”  Physical Geography, 28(2), pp 148-157.
• 2006.  C.L. Wax. “Climate of Mississippi.”  Climatography of The United States No. 60, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Climatic Data Center, Asheville, NC.