Resume CBM #813 EXPERIENCE CNN Atlanta, GA November 2023 - February 2025 Meteorologist, Weather Anchor & Correspondent On-air meteorologist for CNN on all platforms domestic and international, covering extreme weather both in the studio and in the field including Hurricanes Helene and Milton Pitch, brainstorm, write, edit, and coordinate daily weather and climate editorial with both weather and news management and producers Pitch, produce, coordinate, and write on-air science, climate, and environment stories for all platforms Stories include: “Leap of Faith: Diverse religious come together to take the lead on climate action,” “Sea Turtles: The face of climate change and conservation on our coast,” “Finding hurricane recovery in holiday cheer: How buying a real Christmas tree could help western North Carolina” WJZY-TV Charlotte, NC October 2020-October 2023 Weekend Morning Meteorologist On-air meteorologist for Queen City News weekend and midday newscasts, anchor and produce climate segments for primetime newscasts Prepare and produce each newscast with off-air responsibilities including: analyze data and prepare forecast, brainstorm and build graphics using WSI Max software, produce and record radio hits, produce and edit social media posts, manage and coordinate both current and breaking weather stories with newsroom management, live reporters, and newscast producers Pitch, produce, write, and edit on-air science, climate, and environment segments and stories for primetime newscasts Stories include: “Powering Progress: A previously redlined Charlotte community makes green waves towards a cleaner, more equitable future,” “Carnivores & Our Coast: Longest running shark tagging program tracks ocean changes for the last 50 years,” “Beyond Organic: South Carolina farm has climate resilience embedded in its veggies”
 KOLR-TV/ KOZL-TV Springfield, MO June 2017 - September 2020 Weekday Morning Meteorologist On-air meteorologist for Daybreak, KOLR10's two-hour flagship weekday morning and midday newscasts Pitch, produce, write, and edit on-air science feature stories on weather and climate impacts to local businesses and communities KCAU-TV Sioux City, IA June 2015 - June 2017 Weekend Meteorologist/ Weekday Reporter On-air meteorologist for weekend newscasts, fill-in meteorologist for morning and primetime newscasts as needed Weather and news reporter for weekday nightly newscasts; shoot, write, edit, and report all stories, including live shots in inclement weather PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE Discovery Place Science Charlotte, NC August 2021 - Present Weather, Climate, & Environment Specialist Write, plan, and perform lessons and camps in weather, climate, ocean, and environment sciences as a content development specialist for the museum's use on the floor and on social media Pitch, manage, and create a hands-on museum lab display titled “Our Footprint Under the Sea: Impacts of Climate Change and Pollution on our Ocean;” develop activities that aimed to teach children and their families about sea-level rise, plastic pollution, ocean acidification, and the environmental implications of record rates of manatee mortality Teach and interact with museum guests by facilitating hands-on science experiments and design challenges Discovery Center Springfield Springfield, MO February 2020 - October 2020 STEM Instructor Write, plan, and perform lessons in all science disciplines for grades K-8 in seated classrooms and on Facebook Live Provide engaging childcare every Saturday for health care workers amid pandemic with interactive hands-on science experiments Climate Central January 2020 - Present Climate Matters Meteorologist Advise and collaborate with Climate Central leaders, a non-profit, non-partisan research and communications organization that aids broadcast meteorologists and journalists in communicating climate science and its impacts with easy-to-use TV friendly graphics, story ideas, scientific resources, and access to expert interviews Advise and provide feedback before official public release on Climate Central’s flagship climate connection tools: Climate Shift Index and Climate Shift Index: Ocean, both interactive map interfaces that connect daily air and ocean temperatures to climate change Cornell University Earth and Atmospheric Science Department January 2025 – Present Advisory Board Member Advise, provide feedback, and collaborate with other Cornell University alumni and current faculty to update and enhance student curriculum, connect students to opportunities in the workforce, and mentor students to prepare them for workforce challenges and successes after graduation American Meteorological Society January 2025 – Present Board on Broadcast Meteorology Review, critique, and grade submissions from meteorologists across the country hoping to earn the Certified Broadcast Meteorologist distinction from the American Meteorological Society Help coordinate and plan presentations for annual national conference American Meteorological Society January 2024 – Present Board of Digital Meteorologists Review, critique, and grade submissions from meteorologists across the country hoping to earn the Certified Digital Meteorologist distinction from the American Meteorological Society American Meteorological Society January 2018 – January 2025 Station Scientist Committee Member Collaborate with other broadcast meteorologists from across the nation to provide fellow broadcasters with easy access to research on weather and climate science, provide best practices for science storytelling, and empower and inspire them to educate their viewers Help organize panel for Station Scientist session at American Meteorological Society Broadcast and Digital Conference American Meteorological Society 50th Conference on Broadcast Meteorology, Phoenix, AZ June 2023 Presenter Presenter, “Eyewitness Science: Framing Climate Change Crisis Coverage in Local News” on the Station Scientist Committee panel alongside Dr. Brian Calfano, University of Cincinnati journalism professor Discussed experience that led to a co-authored peer-reviewed and published paper on framing climate change coverage in local TV news; the paper used an on-air story script using local characters and faces to survey participants on their understanding and concern for climate change Shared personal experience with viewer reaction to climate change coverage in politically diverse states and best practices for other broadcast meteorologists American Meteorological Society 46th Conference on Broadcast Meteorology, Austin, TX January 2018 Presenter Presenter on panel titled "Broadcast Meteorologists Leading as Climate Change Communicators" alongside Bernadette Woods Placky, Climate Central; Dr. Ed Maibach, George Mason University; and John Morales, NBC6 Miami Discussed experience writing and editing a story on how climate change impacted a local brewery in Springfield, MO Showed challenges and examples of public reaction to climate change stories, offered advice and best practices to fellow broadcast meteorologists Climate Matters in the Newsroom, Society of Environmental Journalists 28th Annual Meeting, Flint, MI October 2018 Awarded Fellow Awarded a fellowship to Society of Environmental Journalists 28th Annual Meeting Invited to participate in an exclusive SEJ and Climate Central partnered workshop, Climate Matters in the Newsroom, where established journalists, broadcast meteorologists, and scientists addressed topics and challenges in climate research, impacts and solutions, audience interest, and storytelling best practices SELECTED RECOGNITION Recipient, Award for Excellence in Science Reporting by a Broadcast Meteorologist January 2026 American Meteorological Society, “For unique and relatable storytelling over the last decade that captures climate change impacts on a broad range of subjects affecting multiple audiences” Emmy-Nominated, NATAS 46th Annual News and Documentary Emmy Awards June 2025 CNN Worldwide: Outstanding Breaking News Coverage – Hurricane Milton Emmy-Nominated, NATAS Mid-America Emmy Awards October 2020
Two Nominations: Newcast Morning - Severe Weather Hits the Ozarks & News Special, Duck Boat Tragedy: Taken by Storm Award for Excellence in Science Reporting by a Broadcast Meteorologist January 2020 Nomination, American Meteorological Society Research article in peer review, Co-Author, Dr. Brian Calfano, University of Cincinnati 2020
Calfano, B., Raffa, E. (2020) Frame changer: The effects of local TV weather stories on public climate change attitudes (in review) Bloomberg November 8, 2024 These Scientists Shifted How the Local News Talks About Climate Change https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-11-08/tv-meteorologists-use-climate-attribution-science-to-engage-the-public?srnd=undefined Newsweek August 30, 2023 Nonpartisan group Climate Central localizes climate change data for TV news https://www.newsweek.com/nonpartisan-group-climate-central-localizes-climate-change-data-tv-news-1818106 Climate Central May 2022 Beyond the Weather: Climate Matters and Elisa Raffa https://www.climatecentral.org/climate-matters https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TaLsnnFMFZY The Guardian September 18, 2019 How TV weathercasters became the unsung heroes of the climate crisis https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/sep/18/tv-weathercasters-shift-public-opinion-climate-crisis Washington Post January 22, 2019 TV meteorologists can make more people take climate change seriously
https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2019/01/22/tv-meteorologists-are-uniquely-positioned-lead-climate-change-conversation-lets-get-it/ Mashable Fearless TV weather forecasters air the planet's soaring carbon levels http s://mashable.com/article/weather-forecasters-tv-climate-change/ Climate Central Stories We Love: Local Climate Change Reporting
https://www.climatecentral.org/out reach/alert-archive/2019/2019ClimateWeek/index.html Ensia Why TV meteorologists are talking about beer, chocolate, peaches, and poison ivy http s://ensia.com/features/meteorologists EDUCATION Cornell University, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Ithaca, NY Bachelor of Science in Atmospheric Science with Minors in Spanish and Communications, May 2015
Elisa Raffa