When Treven Knight was growing up, he was always interested in the extremes. He wanted to know the world’s tallest building, biggest truck and anything that pushed the limits of what was possible. That interest eventually led him to learn more about extremes in weather like the largest tornadoes, and ultimately, how computer models can predict these weather events.

The Corinth native is currently a computational scientist at Mississippi State’s High Performance Computing Collaboratory, where he helps students and faculty members use high-powered computing to advance their research. A two-time MSU geosciences graduate, Knight is also pursuing a doctorate in earth and atmospheric sciences.

“Coming from my academic programs, I always had an interest in weather modeling, but I had limited experience in the computational aspect of how models are built,” Knight said. “It’s a lot of fun when the models start running correctly. In undergrad, we were looking at weather model output all the time and learning how to use that data to make informed decisions. But being able to produce those models and then see how it turns out on a map is one of the coolest things.”

Knight’s path to MSU went through Scooba, where he was a baseball pitcher for East Mississippi Community College. Knowing he wanted to study meteorology, the decision to continue his education was an easy choice. After completing his bachelor’s degree in professional meteorology, he earned a master’s in the same field.

As he was completing his master’s degree, one of Knight’s mentors suggested applying for the computational scientist position he currently holds. This camaraderie and encouragement has been a central theme in the Department of Geosciences, Knight said.

“It’s such a tight-knit department, and everyone I’ve worked with has been willing to guide you in the right direction and help you find opportunities,” he said. “I always tell students that people are going to support you along the way because they want to see you succeed.”

Another constant source of support for Knight has been his mother. Whether it was taking the opportunity to play for a travel baseball team in Colorado during college or taking an internship at the Midwest Regional Climate Center in Indiana, Knight said his mom has always encouraged him to take on a new challenge.

“That woman believes her son can do anything,” he said. “I was hesitant about spending a summer in Indiana, but she told me that I’m never going to get this opportunity again. That has shaped my perspective on just about anything. Sometimes an opportunity will come up that sounds far-fetched or that I’m not too comfortable with, but if it benefits me, my mom will probably tell me to just do it.”