SSAI In The News

Patrick Selmer is our August SSAI Spotlight. Patrick has a love of music, having played many different instruments throughout his life, and was even part of a meteorology-themed band. He has wide-ranging interests and demonstrates a deep curiosity and love of learning. If you want to strike up a conversation with Patrick, try bringing up his favorite subject, the weather!  
 
Where did you grow up? 
Reading, Pennsylvania 
 
What did you want to be when you were a kid?  
A Weather Man. 
 
Where did you go to school? 
Millersville University of Pennsylvania for undergrad, Plymouth State University, in NH for grad school 
 
Were you involved with any extracurriculars during school? 
Band, marching band, and campus weather service 
 
Did you have a summer job while in high school or college?  
I worked at the Reading Phillies minor league ballpark through high school and part of college. 
 
What is your current role at work? 
I develop algorithms to process atmospheric lidar data and support instruments during field campaigns. 

What excites you most about your work? 
The challenge of solving problems. It’s exciting to me when problems don’t have an easy answer. 
 
What excites you about supporting our customers? 
Working on interesting and innovative projects. 
 
If you weren’t working in the field you are right now, what other job would you be interested in trying? 
Psychologist. 
 
What is your favorite hobby? 
Music. I play, or have played, guitar, drums, clarinet, saxophone, and piano. I started with clarinet in fourth grade. 
 
Tell us a little about your family. 
Wife, Kaitlyn; son, Evan (2 years old), and a cat named Asha, who we adopted about 8 years ago. 

What got you on the path to where you are now?  
An interest in meteorology as a kid. The blizzard of 1996 made an impression on me. 
 
What is your life philosophy? 
It seems to keep changing, but maybe something along the lines of “learning is a life-long process.” 
 
What is your favorite book or movie, and why did it speak to you so much? 
The Lord of the Rings trilogy books and movies. I like the epic adventure and the simple but powerful themes of good, evil, power, and sacrifice. 
 
Share something that not many of your colleagues might know about you. 
I played in an all-meteorology student rock band in grad school called “The Falling Barometers” 
 
Would you rather live somewhere remote or urban, and what is it that attracts you most to that environment? 
Remote for sure. I love nature and quiet. 
 
Who or what inspires you? 
Advances in knowledge and technology across all fields inspire me. 
 
What makes you smile when you’re having a bad day? 
My son. 
 
If you could time travel, what time would be the first you’d want to visit? 
100 years into the future because it’s completely unknown. 
 
What do you do in your spare time? 
Play guitar and piano. Play with my son! 
 
What is something you feel is underrated? 
Spending time being idle without any agenda. 

What fictional place would you most like to go? 
Kokomo. 
 
What’s the luckiest thing that has ever happened to you? 
I met my wife. 
 
Do you have a strategy for the apocalypse, if so, can you tell us what it is? 
Not yet, but I’m starting to think about one. 
 
What is the most interesting fact you know? 
Dark matter makes up about 85% of the total matter in the universe.