Forecast for a Bright Future

Michele Balcom ’99 and Frank Fischer ’97 found the perfect atmosphere for success at Stony Brook — now they’re giving back to help future students thrive.

By Christine McGrath

Michele and Frank Fischer in Bermuda.

Growing up just outside of Buffalo, New York, Michele Balcom ’99 was always fascinated by the weather, especially lake-effect snow. “I’m one of those people who always knew what I wanted to do — and that was study meteorology,” she said. At the time, Stony Brook University was one of only two state schools that offered an atmospheric sciences degree, and she instantly fell in love with the campus when she took a tour. “I loved how big it was,” she said. “And I loved being able to take not just atmospheric science classes, but also marine science.” In addition to loving her classes, Michele joined the rugby club the second semester of her freshman year. “All of my best friends that I keep in touch with from Stony Brook were from rugby.”

Michele graduated from the Marine Sciences Research Center — the predecessor of the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences (SoMAS) — with a degree in atmospheric sciences. Michele recalled working under former faculty member Duane Waliser. “He got me involved in a project on the Madden-Julian Oscillation, which is a disturbance of clouds or rain that moves eastward across the tropics,” she said. “This was very beneficial to me later in my career in researching hurricanes and other storm systems.”

Frank Fischer ’97 spent his early years in Poughkeepsie, New York. Growing up with three siblings, the family mantra was they were going to a state school. He chose Stony Brook University over other state schools not only because his older brothers attended, but also because of its engineering programs. “I come from a family of engineers,” said Frank. “And when I got to Stony Brook, I immersed myself in the engineering world.” This included joining different clubs to find the right fit for him. From solving problems to building software, Frank felt the engineering school allowed him to push himself into different areas of study.

Michele and Frank with children Jack, Sydney and Shannon.

And while he majored in mechanical engineering, Frank said he enjoyed the business side of engineering. He credits SUNY Distinguished Professor Fu-Pen Chiang with piquing that interest. “He spoke to us like a businessperson — teaching us how to get grants, how to draft a résumé and the importance of internships,” said Frank. “Professor Chiang was instrumental in helping me think about my life and career after Stony Brook. He was a great mentor.”

Michele and Frank’s love of Stony Brook goes deeper though, as it is where the pair first met, in the common room of their residence hall. They bonded over being from upstate New York and by Christmas break that year, they were inseparable. They married in 2001.

The Path to Bermuda
The real-world experience Frank gained during his internships at Stony Brook helped him land his first job right out of college. “I spent a summer at Northrop Grumman and a semester at Stony Brook’s cogeneration plant,” he said. “It was during those internships where I saw all of the things I learned in my classes put into practical use.” 

By the time he started applying for jobs during his senior year, Frank said he felt prepared when he found a job working for an insurance company that worked with power plants, the Hartford Steam Boiler Inspection and Insurance Company. “They hired engineers to go into power plants to tell them how to operate efficiently,” Frank said. “The impetus was, if we helped them operate better, the insurance company would lower their claims.” He said his experience at the cogeneration plant allowed him to dive right into the work. 

Michele’s graduation, 1999.

Michele also had internships while at Stony Brook. During her junior year, she interned in the weather department at a television station in Hartford, Connecticut. “I would work behind the scenes on getting weather information to pass on to their on-air talent,” she said. However, it was during her work with Professor Waliser that she knew she wanted to stay on the research side of meteorology. Following her graduation from Stony Brook, Michele earned her master’s degree in meteorology at Penn State, and worked for AIR Worldwide in Boston, which created software for estimating risk from natural disasters. “I worked in their meteorology department,” Michele said. “And later Frank joined me, and we were there for about four or five years together.”

About 18 years ago, the couple moved to Bermuda when Frank got the opportunity to work for a startup investment firm, Aeolus Capital Management. “We were only supposed to be in Bermuda for two years,” said Frank. “But 18 years later, we’re still here.” Frank is now a managing partner and chief analytics officer at the firm, and Michele splits her time between New York and Bermuda with their three children. However, she said she didn’t leave meteorology behind completely. “I started posting hurricane updates on my Facebook page,” she said. “And people in our community started following me and looking to me for the forecasts when storms were coming.”

Making a Bigger Impact
Since graduating from Stony Brook, Frank and Michele have contributed through annual giving to different scholarships and funds directed toward atmospheric sciences and engineering programs. “It was always something we wanted to do — help give back to an institution we’re proud to call our alma mater,” said Frank.

It was during COVID-19 when they started thinking about giving more. “We read about how Stony Brook was pivotal in helping people during that time,” he said. “And we wanted to be a part of that.” The New York State endowment match program and the Simons Infinity Investment Match Challenge inspired them to create a bigger impact for students. In 2024, the Fischers established the Frank and Michele Fischer Endowed Scholarship to benefit students within CEAS and SoMAS. “We remember how hard it was having a job on campus while in school,” said Frank. “And we’re hoping that this scholarship will help take a little bit of pressure off of students as they navigate their studies.” Work to award the first scholarship is now underway.

William Fischer (Frank’s dad), Frank, Ellen Fischer (Frank’s mom), Professor Fu-Pen Chiang and Michele at Frank’s graduation in 1997.

But Michele and Frank aren’t the only Fischer alumni giving back. Both of Frank’s brothers, William Fischer ’92 and Patrick Fischer ’94, graduated with undergraduate degrees in mechanical engineering from Stony Brook. William went on to have a career in mechanical engineering and is currently an energy efficiency engineer at Leidos, a large technology and engineering services company. Patrick, who worked as both a calculus and computer science teaching assistant while at Stony Brook, has a successful software engineering career.

As Frank and Michele discussed the creation of their newly established endowed scholarship with friends and family, the brothers were inspired to join them in a new endeavor. This time, Frank wanted to honor his mother, who passed away a few years ago from cancer. Together, William, Patrick, Frank and Michele have contributed to the Cancer Research Endowed Fund. “My brothers and I were impressed by the research that the Cancer Center was doing,” said Frank. “It seemed like a natural extension to take advantage of the match opportunities and stay connected to Stony Brook in a different way.” Patrick agreed. “Stony Brook is a fantastic institution both in terms of an education and medical center,” he said. “My hope is that our contribution will help fund research that will improve life in the future.”

Christine McGrath is a writer in the Office of Advancement.

———–

Funding for the Frank and Michele Fischer Endowed Scholarship as well as the Cancer Research Endowed Fund is eligible for both the New York State endowment match program and the Simons Infinity Investment Match Challenge, which will triple the impact this endowment gift will have on Stony Brook. For more information, visit stonybrook.edu/endowments. If you have interest in or questions about endowments or the match opportunities, contact Scott Barrett, interim vice president of Advancement, at (631) 632-9128 or scott.barrett@stonybrook.edu.