Dr. Cook’s passion for the weather dates back to childhood, when a tornado struck his home in Little Rock, Arkansas. This encounter resulted in a productive meteorology career, successful storm chases, and the development of novel technologies for enhancing weather forecast capability. Dr. Cook published numerous scientific papers as well as earning several awards and distinctions, which included becoming the first African-American male to graduate with a Ph.D. from the School of Meteorology at the University of Oklahoma. Dr. Cook’s primary research focus through graduate school has been the connections between oceanic temperatures (specifically El Niño) and its impact on tornado outbreaks in the United States. Dr. Cook then utilized his software programming expertise to develop new types of forecast modeling to extend the predictability of severe and extreme weather events months in advance, ultimately resulting in the founding of WeatherDeep.