Peter Webster is not your typical meteorologist. While your local TV weatherman is doing the green-screen dance and hedging bets against this afternoon’s cloudburst, Webster, a professor in the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, is using Big Data and advanced algorithms he personally developed to predict monsoons in Bangladesh and heat waves in India—almost two weeks ahead of time.

Webster’s foresight is more than a matter of mere convenience to those affected by his forecasts. With advance notice, farmers and residents in these severe-weather-prone areas can get themselves and their possessions to safety. Indeed, Webster and his team are using Big Data to save lives—and livelihoods—on a large scale.

Read the full interview in the Georgia Tech Alumni Association article.