Forecast for climatology graduate looks bright

Bright future ahead of USQ Science graduate Andrew Bufalino

Imagine working in a job you love so much that when you look decades into the future you hope to find yourself doing the exact same thing in the exact same place because you are so passionate about it.

This kind of career fulfilment is a pipedream for many of us, but for USQ Science graduate Andrew Bufalino it’s a dream come true.

After Mr Bufalino completed his Bachelor of Science (Climatology) at USQ in 2010 he gained entry into the Bureau of Meteorology’s graduate program.

He has since successfully completed an internal training program, and at 21 is one of Australia’s youngest graduate meteorologists.

Mr Bufalino said he decided to study climatology because of his interest in climate and weather. Climate can be best explained as ‘what you expect’, and weather as ‘what you get’.

'The Australian climate is prone to severe weather such as thunderstorms, floods and tropical cyclones in the country’s north,' said Mr Bufalino.

'I was one of those kids obsessed with the Bureau’s website and always glued to the radar and satellites. I would run around the house with excitement.

'This interest was pivotal when I decided I wanted to pursue a career as a weather forecaster in the future. If you love something that much, you want to be a part of it for the rest of your life,' he said.

Mr Bufalino completed his graduate training in Melbourne and is now employed in the Bureau’s Queensland Regional Office in Brisbane, which is also one of three Tropical Cyclone Warning Centres.

Here he is learning the ropes, and the daily cycle of issuing forecasts and warnings. A 24 hour a day, seven day a week operation, that can be very demanding when severe weather is closing in.

'I love every second of it. There’s nothing better than seeing your forecast pop up on the Bureau’s website. That’s when I realised I had reached the goal I set myself when I was nine years old,' he said.

Mr Bufalino said the highlight of his studies at USQ was a report on the El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO), which he completed under the supervision of Professor Joachim Ribbe.

'ENSO is one of the key climate drivers in Australia’s climate and weather, and determines if the outlook will be wetter or drier. This information is very important for emergency services planning, and for rural and agricultural sectors in planning what crops to plant and when.

'I hope to be one of those 70 year old forecasters who have been in the Bureau for half a century as I can’t see myself doing anything else I would enjoy more. One day I hope to be able to head up the Bureau’s severe weather section, a very challenging area of the Bureau’s work critical to ensuring public safety,' said Mr Bufalino.

Follow the link for more information on the Bachelor of Science .

Contact Details:
Jo-Ann Sparrow, USQ Media, +61 7 3470 4119 or 0438 309 096