Jake Reed is an Instructor in the Department of Geosciences at Mississippi State University (MSU). Jake earned his B.S. in Geosciences with a Concentration in Broadcast Meteorology from MSU in 2012, and he graduated from the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa with a M.S. in Geography in 2019.

Reed previously worked as a broadcast meteorologist in Texas, Mississippi, and Alabama before moving into the academic and private sectors of the weather enterprise. Reed's research interests lie at the intersection of meteorology and social science, particularly regarding how people understand, interpret, and interact with weather information and visualizations. In graduate school, Reed studied and published research on people’s perception and comprehension of the extended forecast graphic made popular by broadcast meteorology. He has also published research regarding the usefulness of weather icons as elements of weather messaging. Jake has also served as Co-Principal Investigator on two federally funded VORTEX-SE and VORTEX-USA grants.

Education

• M.S. Geography, Department of Geography, University of Alabama (2019)
  • Thesis: “Perception and Comprehension of the Extended Forecast Graphic: A Survey of Broadcast Meteorologists and the Public”
• B.S. Geosciences with a Concentration in Broadcast Meteorology, Department of Geosciences, Mississippi State University (2012)

Experience

• Instructor I - Department of Geosciences, Mississippi State University 2023 – present
• Senior Research Scientist - Weather Applications Group, CFD Research Corporation 2022 – 2023
• Instructor - Department of Geography, The University of Alabama 2019 – 2022
• Business Analyst - Center for Advanced Public Safety, The University of Alabama 2019 – 2021
• Graduate Teaching Assistant - Department of Geography, The University of Alabama 2017 – 2019
• Broadcast Meteorologist - WHNT News 19, Huntsville, Alabama 2014 – 2017
• Broadcast Meteorologist - KAUZ TV, Wichita Falls, Texas 2013 – 2014
• Broadcast Meteorologist - WLBT TV, Jackson, Mississippi 2012 – 2013

Research Interests

Reed's research interests include geophysical hazards and the public's interpretation of and response to them. He also studies how people interact with and understand weather forecasts, products, and graphics and has published research on popular weather graphics like the extended forecast graphic and on people's interpretation of common weather icons.

Teaching Areas

• Weather and Climate (GR 1133)
• Physical Geography (GR 1113)

Honors/Professional Activities

• Outstanding Research by a Master’s Student, awarded by the University of Alabama Graduate School (2019)
• Outstanding Research by a Master’s Student, awarded by the University of Alabama College of Arts and Sciences (2019)
• National Weather Association Television Seal of Approval, awarded by the National Weather Association (2015)

Funded Research:

Title: Developing the Drought Risk Overview Product (DROP): Improving Flash Drought Forecasts and Early Warning Using Machine Learning and Extreme Value Theory Techniques

• Role: PI
• Type: Past
• Source of Support: NOAA
•  Location of Project: CFD Research Corporation, Huntsville, Alabama
• Total Award Amount: $174,983

Title: Collaborative Research: Real-Time, In Situ Observation of Human Behavior and the Use of Probabilistically-Derived Guidance Among Publics in the U.S. Southeast

• Role: Co-PI
• Type: Past
• Source of Support: NOAA
• Location of Project: University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa
• Total Award Amount: $300,000

• Reed, J., 2024: “The effect of modifying the Storm Prediction Center Convective Outlook scale on perceived risk level.” Weather, https://doi.org/10.1002/wea.4599.
• Reed, J., S. Jasko, and J. Senkbeil, 2022: “Weather Forecast Semiotics: Public Interpretation of Common Weather Icons.” Wea. Climate Soc., 14 (1), 323-335, https://doi.org/10.1175/WCAS-D-21-0067.1.
• Reed, J. and J.C. Senkbeil, 2021: “Modifying the Extended Forecast Graphic to Improve Comprehension.” Wea. Climate Soc., 13 (1), 57-66, https://doi.org/10.1175/WCAS-D-20-0086.1.
• Senkbeil, J., L. Myers, S. Jasko, J. Reed, and R. Mueller, 2020: “Communication and Hazard Perception Lessons from Category Five Hurricane Michael”. Atmosphere, 11, 804, https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos11080804.
• Reed, J. and J. Senkbeil, 2020: “Perception and Comprehension of the Extended Forecast Graphic: A Survey of Broadcast Meteorologists and the Public.” Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc., 101, E221-E236, https://doi.org/10.1175/BAMS-D-19-0078.1
• Senkbeil, J., J. Reed, J. Collins, M. Saunders, W. Skeeter, E. Cerrito, S. Chakraborty, and A. Polen, 2019: “Perceptions of hurricane track forecasts in the USA.” Wea. Climate Soc., 12 (1), 15-29, https://doi.org/10.1175/WCAS-D-19-0031.1
• Senkbeil, J., J. Collins, and J. Reed, 2019: “Evacuee Perception of Geophysical Hazards for Hurricane Irma.” Wea. Climate Soc., 11, 217-227. https://doi.org/10.1175/WCAS-D-18-0019.1
• Senkbeil, J., K. Ellis, and J. Reed, 2019: “The influence of tornado activity, impact, memory, and sentiment on tornado perception accuracy among college students.” Atmosphere 10, 12, 732. https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos10120732
• Skeeter, W., J. Reed, J. Cissell, R. Islam, and D. Keellings, 2019: “What Can We Do? An Exploratory Study on Undergraduate Student Climate Change Perceptions.” Geographical Bulletin. 60-2, 149-161. http://gammathetaupsilon.org/the-geographical-bulletin/2010s/volume60-2/...