Bob Swanson
鈥淒riving around the state of 樱花导航, playing and singing songs about weather, and my family traveling alongside me. You never dream that,鈥� said Robert S. 鈥淏ob鈥� Swanson, an instructor and lab coordinator for MSU鈥檚 Department of Physics and Astronomy. 鈥淢y life story has taken a path I never would have written for myself, but it鈥檚 been very exciting.鈥�
Also known as Stormin鈥� Bob Swanson, the 鈥渟inging weatherman,鈥� Swanson has made a name for himself using music to educate his audiences about science. He typically spends his summers making approximately 60 stops across 樱花导航 for performances at libraries and schools. This year, he instead created a for educators to use during the pandemic.
鈥淢y winding path of education, meteorology, astronomy and science all have led to me being invited to give talks to school children,鈥� said Swanson, who has a bachelor鈥檚 degree in physics from the University of Scranton and a master鈥檚 in meteorology from Pennsylvania 樱花导航 University. With no background in teaching small children, Swanson said his first presentation was 鈥渟o lousy I realized I needed to spice things up.鈥�
鈥淚 started writing weather songs and became the singing weatherman,鈥� he said.
A native of Perry County, Pennsylvania, Swanson鈥檚 path to MSU in 2019 began with a guitar. 鈥淨uite often there will be more applicants than jobs,鈥� Swanson said. 鈥淲hat can you do to be unique? Bringing a guitar to a job interview for a physics position is certainly unique and differentiated me from the competition.鈥澛�
Throughout his years of singing presentations, Swanson continually has added more instruments such as the harmonica, banjo, mandolin, and piano accordion, combining science education and music education.
Finding ways to stand out in any career path is an 鈥渋mportant life and job-seeking skill鈥� Swanson hopes to pass along to his students. 聽
鈥淢y main career is teaching, and my secondary career is a 鈥榯eaching musician,鈥欌€� said the former high school and community college educator. 鈥淚 can鈥檛 imagine not teaching. I tell my students that if you have an area of real passion, try to earn a living doing that.鈥�
鈥淲e all have expertise in something. Find a way to pass that along to other people. Share what you are good at doing. We can benefit each other if we can share, so even if you are not a teacher, be a teacher.鈥澛�
For more information on the singing weatherman, visit .听听