My current research involves offshore wind energy off the New Jersey coast. Research efforts include coupling an atmospheric model (the Rutgers University version of the Weather Research and Forecasting model, RU-WRF) to an ocean model (Regional Ocean Modeling System, ROMS) at high resolutions over the study area. Wind resource perturbations, such as the diurnal sea breeze circulation and how it is connected to coastal upwelling, are closely studied. Observational systems, including the Coastal RADAR (CODAR) system, satellite detection, and meteorological towers, are also used to verify modeling efforts. Past research focused on three-dimensional detection of lightning, and forecasting of lightning using weather radar.

I’ve been a “weather weenie” for as long as I can remember, and received my Bachelor’s degree in meteorology from Penn State. I then moved on to Texas A&M for my Master’s in atmospheric science, where my passion for the ocean developed while on a cruise to the Gulf of Mexico oil spill site during the summer of 2010. The purpose of the trip was to launch upper air weather balloons and sample air in support of the National Weather Service forecasting operations. With this experience, a whole new area of science opened up for me, and I’m happy to continue my career exploring the interface of the air and sea—two vastly different, yet parallel worlds.

• 2008, BS (Honors), Meteorology, Pennsylvania State University
• 2011, MS, Atmospheric Science, Texas A&M University
• since 2011 - PhD Candidate, Graduate Program in Oceanography, Rutgers University

• Coastal Ocean Observation Lab (RUCOOL)
• Seroka, G.N., and R.E. Orville, 2011: Radar nowcasting of total lightning over the Kennedy Space Center. Presented at 5th Conference on the Meteorological Applications of Lightning Data, Seattle, WA, Amer. Meteor. Soc.
• Conlee, D., G. N. Seroka, D. M. Delao, and K. Prochazka, 2011: Rapid Deployment Upper Air Observations for Incident Meteorological Support. Presented at IMPACTS: Weather 2010, Seattle, WA , Amer. Meteor. Soc.
• Seroka, G.N., and R.E. Orville, 2010: Developing a reliable predictor of lightning initiation and cessation through radar analysis. Presented at 9th AMS Ann. Student Conf., Atlanta, GA.