While chasing after his degree, geology graduate student Dan Bocklund also chases storms.

Bocklund is a member of the National Chasing4Life StormChase Team, based out of Nebraska.

Bocklund is currently seeking a master’s in environmental science. He uses the data and information gathered during storm chases to help teach his classes.

“Storm chasing is very, very much unlike what the movies or what you see on the Discovery Channel,” Bocklund said. “I’m not a thrill seeker. For me it’s more about [being] an environmental scientist and the meteorological effect.”

When it comes to classes or tornadoes, he chooses the classes before the twisters.

“I usually end up staying in class when something is moving in,” Bocklund said.

Bocklund started chasing storms when he was 17 years old and estimates that he has chased close to 1,000 tornadoes.

“I always liked storms, ever since I was a little kid,” Bocklund said.

His closest call with a tornado came just last fall.

“I was running the southern edge of a tornado on Route 72 and came within one-eighth of a mile of the tornado,” Bocklund said, “The storm-front shifted and I had to get out of there.”

He became involved in Chasing4Life through the organization’s founder and his friend of 15 years, Dr. Eddy Weiss. Chasing4Life was not founded on the basis of adrenaline junkies or thrill seekers, but for science.

“A good friend of mine [Weiss] about 10 years ago founded a disaster response unit that was nonprofit,” Bocklund said, “Most of the value of Chasing4Life was in education.”

Bocklund runs support for the rest of the chase team. Other crew members, like drivers, allow Bocklund the chance to get on either side of the storm for readings.

“I run interceptor or support for the chase team,” Bocklund said. “I stay back from the storm itself by a half-mile to two miles.”

In the truck, Bocklund uses minimal equipment. He uses a computer and a wireless network to check satellite signals and a weather radio for reports. To communicate with the team, he simply uses a cell phone or a CB radio. He also uses the equipment to measure wind speed, rainfall and barometric pressure.

Chasing4Life has 11 chasers located in various states. Bocklund has traveled to southern Illinois, Iowa, Mississippi, Arkansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Indiana and Ohio to chase storms.