Maj Michelle Kanipe is an instructor of meteorology in the Department of Physics and Meteorology at the US Air Force Academy. Maj Kanipe was commissioned through the Air Force Officer Training School in 2012. She has an undergraduate meteorology degree from the Pennsylvania State University, and graduate degrees in atmospheric science from the Air Force Institute of Technology and Colorado State University.

In her first assignment at the 17th Operational Weather Squadron, she provided weather forecasts for the USINDOPACOM AOR. She led a team of 20 airmen and sailors producing local aerodrome forecasts, real-time weather alerts, flight weather briefs and hazard charts, as well as exercise and humanitarian support for all DoD service branches across bases in Alaska, the Pacific Ocean, Korea, Japan, Southeast Asia, the Indian Ocean, Australia, and Antarctica. At her next assignment in Montana, Maj Kanipe led the base weather flight providing weather data for both ground and helicopter operations supporting the operation and maintenance of the geographically largest intercontinental ballistic missile field within the DoD nuclear triad. During this assignment, she also completed a six-month tour as the weather flight commander in Kandahar, Afghanistan, producing weather briefs for MQ-9 and transient aircraft operations in support of Operations ENDURING FREEDOM and INHERENT RESOLVE.

Maj Kanipe completed her master’s degree through the Air Force Institute of Technology with a thesis titled “Middle Atmosphere Response to Two Surface Teleconnections Using the Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model – Extended”. This project analyzed changes in temperature and global circulation in the stratosphere and mesosphere as a result of the El Nino Southern Oscillation and Pacific Decadal Oscillation, providing valuable atmospheric data for hypersonic vehicle development and testing. Following this, Maj Kanipe led weather integration into planning and operations at the Air Operations Center in the Republic of Korea, providing critical environmental exploitation insights in defense of the Korean peninsula. Finally, before coming to the Air Force Academy as a professor, she completed her PhD at Colorado State University with her dissertation, “Physical Processes Controlling the Organization of Shallow Cumulus as Assessed Using Simple Cloud Models”, which analyzed the underlying dynamics of self-organization of cumulus clouds over the tropical oceans using a novel modeling approach.

Doctor of Philosophy, Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colo. (2025)

Master of Science, Atmospheric Science, Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Dayton, Ohio (2020), Distinguished Graduate

Bachelor of Science, Meteorology, Pennsylvania State University, State College, Pa. (2012)

Instructor of Meteorology, United States Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo. (2025-)

PhD Student, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colo. (2022-2025)

Chief, Weather Specialty Team, 607th Air Operations Center, Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea (2020-2022)

Master’s Student, Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio (2018-2020)

Weather Flight Commander, 451st Expeditionary Operations Support Squadron, Kandahar AF, Afghanistan (2016-2017)

Weather Flight Commander, 341st Operations Support Squadron, Malmstrom AFB, Mont. (2015-2018)

Weather Officer, 17th Operational Weather Squadron, Hickam AFB, Hawaii (2012-2015)

Meritorious Service Medal

Air and Space Commendation Medal with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster

Air and Space Achievement Medal

Cloud microphysics and modeling

Atmospheric dynamics

Operational applications of meteorology