Dr. Mark A. Askelson is actively involved in research efforts involving data assimilation and its use within mesoscale weather prediction. His expertise with Doppler weather radar and the objective analysis of randomly distributed data sources provide the Institute nationally recognized expertise. His recent research has focused on objective analysis, mesoscale modeling, data assimilation, and storm dynamics. Dr. Askelson received his Ph.D. from the Department of Meteorology at the University of Oklahoma in the fall of 2002, his M.S. from the same department in the fall of 1996, and two B.S. degrees (meteorology and mathematics) from the University of North Dakota in the spring of 1993. He is an assistant professor in the Department of Atmospheric Sciences at the University of North Dakota, having served as both a research and teaching assistant while at the University of Oklahoma.