March is Women’s History Month. In this post, we spotlight the exceptional career of one of our female community members: Erica Grow Cei.
Grow Cei is a Certified Broadcast Meteorologist and communication specialist. She has a bachelor of science degree in meteorology from Penn State University, and was named a 125th Anniversary Fellow of her alma mater’s College of Earth and Mineral Sciences in 2021. Her career as a broadcast meteorologist took her to WNBC in New York City, WUSA in Washington D.C., and WPVI in Philadelphia. She is currently working behind the scenes as the Public Affairs team lead for NOAA’s National Weather Service. Erica received the Certified Broadcast Meteorologist designation in 2012 and is very active with AMS, having served as Commissioner on Professional Affairs from 2024 to 2026 and AMS Councilor from 2019 to 2022. She currently serves on AMS’s Ethics Committee, Awards Nomination Committee, and Board on Enterprise Communication.
What are a few highlights from your career?
As a broadcaster, I always wanted to work in my home market, Philadelphia. And I did work at the station I grew up watching, WPVI (better known as 6ABC), and got to work alongside many of the people I’d seen on my TV for so many years. Later on, I had the honor of working with my friend and mentor Janice Huff at WNBC in New York. It was a true privilege.
What are you most proud of in your professional life?
I’m proud of myself for trusting my gut that broadcasting was no longer the career path I wanted to be on, and having the courage to leave a comfortable career for the unknown. It was tough at first to determine how my skills and experience would translate to a different job, but I’m so glad I did, because now I have a newly challenging and fulfilling career with the NWS!
Have things changed for female meteorologists or scientists over the years? What still needs to change?
Oh yes, it’s gotten much better, in part because more women are filling roles throughout the STEM fields, so there are more mentors and peer examples. However, more can be done to help achieve equity—for instance, if more women were in management roles, and for employers to consider policies that encourage gender parity, such as extending family leave benefits to all parents of newborns.
Are there other female meteorologists/atmospheric scientists who have particularly influenced or inspired you?
If I named every woman in my field who inspired me, we’d be here all day! But I am eternally grateful to Marisa Ferger and Yvette Richardson in Penn State’s Meteorology Department for never doubting me and always supporting me. Several years ago I was fortunate to have a terrific boss, Trish Mikita, who taught me so much about being a responsive and compassionate leader. And when I was first elected to AMS Council, the president at that time was Mary Glackin, who is a truly remarkable woman for many reasons. But one of those reasons is that she is so good at identifying other people’s strengths and shining a spotlight on them.
