Congratulations to alum Wes Haines, a 2024 Emerging Leader Award recipient, for his distinctive and outstanding achievements professionally and through civic engagement.

The Ohio State University's College of Arts and Sciences will honor an exceptional cohort at the annual Alumni Awards ceremony next month, recognizing their outstanding contributions and achievements in their respective fields, communities, and the wider world, celebrating their remarkable accomplishments and the lasting impact of an Arts and Sciences education.

The 2024 ceremony will spotlight five distinguished individuals from over 215,000 living alums whose careers cover various disciplines, including climatology, entrepreneurship, biotechnology, satellite communications, congressional affairs, and law. 

Among them, Wes Haines turned his childhood fascination with meteorology and technology into a career, bridging the gap between climatology and digital innovation. He started weatherUSA in high school as a website to share information from his weather station and track hurricanes and winter storms, which eventually grew into a weather information services company, offering tailored weather notifications, interactive mapping, and data feeds.

His passion for STEM led him to his employment as a student assistant at the Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center (Byrd Center), supporting web development, IT systems, and many projects, including building servers and computer networks; designing sensor systems and databases; supporting weather models; building equipment for remote field locations; and assisting the Center in technical and event management roles. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Geography in 2008 and continued his education, advised by Dr. David Bromwich, earning a Master of Science in Atmospheric Sciences in 2013.  

In 2016, Haines co-founded HomeTown Ticketing, which has emerged as the national leader in digital event management and ticketing solutions for the K-12 market. His return to weatherUSA in 2022 marked a renewed focus on developing advanced weather decision support services, underscoring his continuous drive to innovate and contribute to his field.

Wes now lives in San Diego, California, with his wife, Jerry (Xun), an alumna of the same atmospheric sciences program. Still, he continues to work closely with the Byrd Center, collaborating with the Polar Meteorology Group, the Polar Rock Repository, and the State Climate Office of Ohio.

His career path, marked by leadership and service, perfectly illustrates the impact and value of an Arts and Sciences education from Ohio State.

Through their diverse contributions, the 2024 honorees continue to inspire current and future generations of Buckeyes, showcasing the endless possibilities that stem from a foundation in the arts and sciences.

Other honorees include Leo Qian, PhD, chemistry, 2014 (Emerging Leader Award); Matthew Desch, BS, computer and information science, 1980 & Stephanie Peters, BA, political science, 1986 (Distinguished Achievement Award); and Stephen Habash, BA, ancient history and classics, 1974; JD, 1978 (Distinguished Service Award.) 

Learn more about the 2024 Arts and Sciences Alumni Award honorees.