Eli Blackwelder (M.S.)
Hello! I was born and raised in Mooresville, North Carolina, where I grew up on a farm.
Growing up on a farm, weather has played an important role in my life since I was young. From afternoon thunderstorms to massive hurricanes coming inland, I was captivated by the power that the weather wielded. I didn’t quite know what I wanted to do after high school, and chose to go to community college. I am a proud graduate of Mitchell Community College, and I am a huge advocate for community colleges (ask me about it!). After working as a high school coach during that time, I decided that I wanted to be a teacher. My passion for weather was still there, and it followed me to NC State University.
I attended NC State, where I was a member of the cycling team for 3 years. I majored in Science Education with a minor in Marine Science, and took plenty of meteorology and oceanography courses. I taught at multiple Wake County High Schools, and mostly taught AP Earth Science. Being able to combine my passion for the weather with my passion for teaching and coaching was a great joy and I cherished my time working in the schools. I am now pursuing teaching at the next level, and am excited to be researching community college students and their transition to the university system!
In my free time I am an accomplished runner, currently training for the Boston Marathon. When I’m not running or teaching, I enjoy traveling to remote places in the world to get away for a while (Carcross, YT is my favorite!), and playing video games.