Rest in Peace, Jeff Kimpel

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It is with great sadness that I learned this morning about the passing of Dr. Jeff Kimpel. Jeff had an extraordinary career in meteorology that began while serving in Vietnam for the Air Force. Jeff finished his PhD at the University of Wisconsin and moved to the University of Oklahoma.

I walked into stinky Felgar Hall at OU at the start of my junior year and there was Jeff sitting in the office previously occupied by my advisor. I learned that I had been assigned to Jeff for my junior and senior years. That began an amazing relationship that lasted until his retirement from Director of the National Severe Storms Laboratory.

Jeff was:
  • Head of the Department of Meteorology at OU.
  • OU's Provost
  • Oversaw the NWS Storm Prediction Center
  • Was the third Director of the National Severe Storms Laboratory
Rest in peace, Jeff!!

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