Growing up outside Washington, D.C., Dan Ehlke GS relished the occasional snow days in his hometown and marveled at the powerful precipitation that could shut down an entire city. Now, at 29, Ehlke has turned his childhood fascination into a lifelong pursuit.
A seventh-year graduate student in political science, Ehlke's passion for weather forecasting has gained him notoriety as a teaching assistant and course administrator for POLS 0220: "City Politics."
By checking a number of Web sites several times a day, he draws conclusions from disparities between different readings of the weather, and presents them to his classes - "each and every section."
"I find that people generally respond positively to it," said Ehlke. "Many are surprised, and some find it random, since not it's directly connected to what I do. On the other hand, weather is such a universal experience. Everyone likes to have some working knowledge on what it's going to be like. It's part of how people connect themselves."
Though his passion for all things meteorological runs deep, Ehlke said it is mainly a hobby and serves as a break from his numerous teaching duties, both at Brown and at Stonehill College. He refers to it as "an oasis" and an escape from his day job - academia is very much his calling.
But occasionally his side interest and his academic pursuits intersect.
Ehlke cites the story of William Henry Harrison, the ninth president of the United States, who died of pneumonia shortly after giving the longest inaugural address in American history - on an extremely cold and wet day without wearing an overcoat. "History and politics are very contingent on conditions," he said.
In class, he is enthusiastic, often waving his hands and enunciating excitedly to emphasize points. His passionate reading of the day's weather carries through to an equally animated discussion of the course material.
"He definitely has enthusiasm, which is refreshing on a Friday morning when most people are usually pretty lackluster," said Herald Contributing Writer Sara Sunshine '11, a student in City Politics. "Normally when you go to section you don't expect to come away with a knowledge of what to wear that weekend."
"I was impressed by his knowledge. He really knows what he's talking about, but it's also a fun a way to open up section," said Sophie O'Connell '09, a student in Ehlke's section. "He just jumped up and started gesturing and talking about the cold front in a unique way."
Afterward, O'Connell said, he provided a synopsis of multiple movies currently playing in theaters.
"It was very entertaining," she said.
Following the weather has endowed Ehlke with a keen sense of geography, and he can draw intricately detailed maps on the blackboard to supplement both his forecast and his area of academic expertise. He collects maps and travels extensively throughout the United States for "weather tourism," something he very much enjoys.
Ehlke said weather was a contributing factor in his decision to come to Brown, where he is working on a dissertation on comparative health politics that he hopes to finish in time to graduate this May. After attending the College of William and Mary in his home state of Virginia, he wanted to experience the cool, snowy and rainy southern New England weather. If all goes as planned, the next few years will see him teaching political science at a smaller college or university.
"Teaching and weather forecasting are very similar. It's all about communicating and interacting," Ehlke said. "I find that there is a close relation there, and the more I hone presentational skills in teaching or with the weather, the sharper my general presentation skills are. The two are tied together rather intimately."
