Growing up between Missouri and Mississippi, Robbie E. Hood witnessed firsthand the devastating effects of the Neosho tornado and Hurricane Camille. Fascinated by these phenomena, Robbie embarked upon a life studying weather and storms with satellite and aircraft technology, and currently directs the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Unmanned Aircraft Systems Program.
In her previous work as a NASA atmospheric scientist, Robbie spent over two decades researching rain, thunderstorms, and hurricanes using medium and high altitude aircrafts, with the interest of developing new technology to improve the measurement capabilities of remote observation methods. She led a group of scientists and engineers in NASA’s Storm Intensity Monitoring Group to develop and deploy aircraft sensors for precipitation and ocean winds – she participated in field programmes studying the intensity of weather events across Australia, Brazil, Alaska and North and South America, leading her team to publish on the benefits of simultaneously observing rain and lightning with microwaves when monitoring thunderstorms from aircraft platforms.
What’s more, Robbie served as a lead mission scientist for NASA’s Convection and Moisture Experiment, where across three missions she brought together governmental agencies, universities, engineers and pilots from across the country to study the development and intensity changes of large-scale hurricanes using two NASA aircrafts. Now Robbie holds the position of first permanent Program Director of NOAA’s Unmanned Aircraft Systems Program, where since 2008 she has led research to understand and predict changes in the environment to conserve and manage the Earth’s coastal and marine resources.
As a direct descendant of John Ross, the first elected chief of the Cherokee Nation who led the Cherokees on the tragic Trail of Tears, Robbie credits her heritage for her appreciation of the benefits that diversity brings to the community. A strong believer in the importance of scientific communication for the advancement of society, she frequently speaks to students and tribal communities about environmental research, and has mentored a number of high school and undergraduates students who wish to enter the field. She remains an active member of the American Meteorological Society.
The Valentina Project 