Faculty

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Christiane Jablonowski
Professor
Email: cjablono@umich.edu
Phone: (734) 763-6238
Fax: (734) 936-0503
Office: CSRB 1541B
ResearcherID: I-9068-2012
Webpage | Curriculum Vitae | Google Scholar Profile | ORCID profile
Research Interests
- Machine learning techniques for atmospheric models
- Great Lakes research: Lake-land-stmosphere interactions and lake-effect snowstorms
- Rossby wave dynamics and its connection to potential vorticity
- Variable-resolution and Adaptive Mesh Refinement (AMR) techniques for atmospheric GCMs
- Development of simpler model hierarchies and test cases for dynamical cores of GCMs, model intercomparisons
- Modern numerical methods and computational grids for dynamical cores of GCMs
- Extending dynamical cores to deep-atmosphere configurations
- Assessments of the Quasi-Biennial Oscillation (QBO) and Sudden Stratospheric Warmings (SSWs) via a GCM model hierarchy, stratospheric dynamics
- Dynamics of tropical cyclones, tropical cyclones and climate change
- Subgrid-scale processes and diffusion in GCMs
- Parallel and high-performance computing
Close Collaborator

Ayumi Fujisaki-Manome
Assistant Research Scientist (UM Climate and Space & CIGLR)
Research Interests
- Polar physical oceanography
- Numerical modeling of sea ice and ocean/lake hydrodynamics
- Lake ice and lake effect snow in the Laurentian Great Lakes region
Contact
Email: ayumif@umich.edu | CIGLR Webpage | CLASP Webpage
Current Group Members (Students and Postdocs)

Garrett Limon
Ph.D. Student, Climate and Space
Research Interests
- Data science and machine learning
- Machine learning emulators for physical parameterizations
- Simplified modeling frameworks in NCAR’s Community Atmosphere Model (CAM)
Contact
Email: glimon@umich.edu | Webpage

Joseph (Joe) Hollowed
Ph.D. Student, Physics
Research Interests
- Computational fluid dynamics and physics
- Idealized volcanic eruptions
- DoE’s E3SM model: Impact of Mt. Pinatubo on the atmospheric circulation (CLDERA project)
Contact
Email: hollowed@umich.edu | Webpage

Lisa Nguyen
Ph.D. Student, Applied Physics
Research Interests
- Precipitation processes
- Stratospheric circulation in the DoE climate model E3SM / CMIP6 analyses
Contact
Email: lisaminh@umich.edu

Alexander (Alex) Lojko
Ph.D. Student, Climate and Space
Research Interests
- Mesoscale Convective Systems (MCSs)
- Impact of North-American MCSs on large weather prediction errors (forecast busts) over Europe
- Ensemble simulations
Contact
Email: alojko@umich.edu | Webpage

Anthony Chen
Ph.D. Student, Applied and Interdisciplinary Mathematics
Research Interests
- Applied Mathematics
- Numerical methods for geophysical flows
Contact
Email: cygnari@umich.edu | Webpage

Owen Hughes
Ph.D. Student, Climate and Space
B.S. in Mathematics, Minor in Climate and Space: class of 2022
Research Interests
- Idealized test cases for General Circulation Models (GCMs) with orography
- Model intercomparisons
- Dynamical Cores of atmospheric GCMs
- Deep-atmosphere equation sets and dynamical cores
Contact
Email: owhughes@umich.edu | Webpage
Group Alumni

David Wright
Postdoctoral Research Fellow (since 9/2022 NOAA GLERL Scientist)
Cooperative Institute for Great Lakes Research (CIGLR) Postdoctoral Fellowship (2019)
Research Interests
- Lake-effect snow storms in the Great Lakes region
- Land-lake-atmosphere interactions
- Coupling of NOAA’s limited-area forecast system UFS-Short-Range Weather (SRW) Application to the lake model FVCOM
Contact
Email: dmwright@umich.edu | Webpage

Lydia Gilbert
Ph.D. Student, Atmospheric Science, University of Colorado, Boulder (since 8/2022)
B.S.E in Earth System Science (Meteorology), University of Michigan 4/2022
Undergraduate Researcher (Sep. 2021 – Aug. 2022)
Research Interests
- Lake-effect snow storms in the Great Lakes region, weather prediction models
Contact
Email: glydia@umich.edu

Ashley Payne
Atmospheric Scientist, tomorrow.io (since 11/2021)
Assistant Professor, UM Climate and Space (since 9/2018-10/2021)
University of Michigan President’s Postdoctoral Research Fellow (9/2016-8/2018)
Research Interests
- Large-scale atmospheric dynamics of landfalling atmospheric rivers
- Dynamical interactions behind extreme precipitation and weather events
- Representation of Mesoscale Convective Systems (MCSs) in variable-resolution climate mode
Contact
Email: aepayne@umich.edu

Jared Ferguson
Legislative Aide, California State Government, Sacramento, CA (since 11/2019)
California Council on Science and Technology (CCST) Science Fellow (11/2018 – 10/2019)
Ph.D. (2018), Applied Physics Program and CLASP, University of Michigan
Research Interests
- Adaptive Mesh Refinement (AMR) techniques, AMR library Chombo
- Dry and ‘moist’ test cases for shallow water models
- Tropical cyclones
Contact
Email: joferg@umich.edu | former UM Webpage

Gregory Tierney
Postdoctoral Fellow, North Carolina State University (since Sep. 2017)
Ph.D. (2017), University of Michigan
Research Interests
- Extratropical cyclones
- Sensitivity of idealized extratropical cyclones to changes in the background conditions (using the WRF model)
- Effects of latent heat release on extratropical cyclones
Contact
Email: getierne@ncsu.edu | former UM Webpage

Malgorzata Winska
Assistant Professor and Researcher, Warsaw University of Technology (WUT), Poland (since 2013)
Visiting Assistant Research Scientist (Oct. 2015 – Sep. 2016) at the University of Michigan
Research Interests
- Geophysical models (atmosphere, ocean, land hydrology) and intercomparisons
- Irregularities of the Earth’s rotation
- Low degree gravity changes as determind via NASA’s GRACE mission (intercomparison and determination of geophysical excitations)
- Excitations of polar motions
Contact
Email: m.winska@il.pw.edu.pl

Allison Hogikyan
Ph.D. student, Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, Princeton University (Fall 2018 onwards)
Undergraduate Researcher (Sep. 2014 – Dec. 2015)
Research Interests
- Simplified physical parameterizations: Kessler warm-rain scheme
- Moist idealized tests of GCM dynamical cores: Moist baroclinic waves
- Atmospheric Blocking
Contact
Email: hogikyan@princeton.edu

Diana Thatcher
Computer Scientist, The MITRE Corporation, Ann Arbor, MI (since Feb. 2016)
M.S. degree (2015), University of Michigan
Research Interests
- Model intercomparisons
- Idealized test cases for GCM dynamical cores: Moist Held-Suarez test
- Variable-resolution modeling with GCMs (CAM Spectral Element model): Extratropical transition of tropical cyclones
Contact
Email: diana.r.thatcher@gmail.com | former UM Webpage

James Kent
Scientist, U.K. Met Office, U. K. (since July 2020)
Faculty of Computing, Engineering and Science, Lecturer (Mathematics), University of South Wales, U. K. (Jan. 2015 – June 2020)
Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Michigan (May 2010 – Dec. 2014)
Research Interests
- Subgrid-scale diffusion properties of GCM dynamical cores
- Advection test cases for dynamical cores
- Energy and enstrophy transports, energy backscatter models
- Implicit Large Eddy Simulation for Two-Dimensional Flow
Contact
Email: james.kent@metoffice.gov.uk

Weiye Yao
Data Scientist, Google (since Spring 2019)
Data Scientist, Bloomberg, New York City (May 2017 – Spring 2019)
Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL), Princeton, NJ (Jan. 2015 – April 2017)
Ph.D. (2014), University of Michigan
Research Interests
- Atmospheric dynamics
- Numerical modelling, GCMs
- Quasi-Biennial Oscillation (QBO) in the stratosphere
- Sudden Stratospheric Warmings
- Wave-mean flow interactions in the stratosphere
- Impact of gravity wave drag parameterizations on QBO simulations
Contact
Email: weiyeyao@umich.edu

Erik Kostrzewa
Meteorologist/Reporter for FOX17 West Michigan
BSE in Earth System Science and Engineering, University of Michigan
Undergraduate Researcher, University of Michigan (June – Dec. 2014)
Research Interests
- Moist baroclinic waves with simplified physics and re-evaporation
Contact
Email: erik.kostrzewa@fox17online.com | FOX17 Webpage

Colin Zarzycki
Assistant Professor, Penn State, Department of Meteorology and Atmospheric Science (since Jan. 2019)
NCAR Project Scientist (CGD & MMM divisions, Sep. 2016 – Dec. 2018 )
NCAR Advanced Study Program (ASP) Postdoctoral Fellow (Sep. 2014 – Aug. 2016)
Ph.D. (2014), University of Michigan
Research Interests
- Tropical cyclones
- Atmospheric General Circulation Models
- Multi-scale modeling with NCAR’s Spectral-Element model: variable-resolution computational grids
- Scale dependencies of physical parameterizations in variable-resolution GCMs
Contact
Email: czarzycki@psu.edu | Penn State Webpage

Peter Bosler
Staff Scientist at Sandia National Laboratories (since spring 2016)
John von Neumann Postdoctoral Fellow at Sandia National Laboratories (Aug. 2014 – spring 2016)
Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Michigan (Jun. 2013 – July 2014)
Ph.D. (May 2013), University of Michigan
Research Interests
- Geophysical fluid dynamics
- Lagrangian particle/panel methods to solve the equations of fluid motion
- Vortex methods for the shallow water equations on the sphere and 3D incompressible flows
- Algorithms for unstructured mesh generation and remapping.
- Scientific computation
Contact
Email: pabosle@sandia.gov | Sandia Webpage

Paul Ullrich
Professor, Department of Land, Air and Water Resources
University of California, Davis, CA (since Sep. 2021)
Assistant & Associate Professor, Department of Land, Air and Water Resources, UC, Davis, CA (2012-2017, 2017-2021)
Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Michigan (June 2011 – Aug. 2012)
Ph.D. (May 2011), University of Michigan
Research Interests
- Climate model dynamical cores for atmospheric simulations
- Test cases for atmospheric models, model intercomparisons
- Numerical methods for hydrodynamic flow problems
- Adaptive mesh refinement (AMR)
- Conservative remapping between grids
Contact
Email: paullrich@ucdavis.edu | UC Davis Webpage

Kevin Reed
Associate Dean for Research (since 2021) and Associate Professor, School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences Stony Brook University, NY (since Jan. 2020)
Assistant Professor, School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, NY (2015 – 2019)
NCAR Advanced Study Program (ASP) Postdoctoral Fellow (Sep. 2013 – Dec. 2014)
AGU Congressional Science Fellow, Washington D.C. (Sep. 2012-2013)
Ph.D. (2012), University of Michigan
Research Interests
- Modeling of idealized tropical cyclones with atmospheric GCMSs
- Impact of GCM dynamical cores and physical parameterizations on tropical cyclone simulations
- Impact of climate change on tropical cylone statistics in high-resolution global models
- Policy impacts of climate change
- Science, technology, and public policy
Contact
Email:kevin.a.reed@stonybrook.edu | Stony Brook Webpage

Jared Whitehead
Ph.D. Applied and Interdisciplinary Mathematics (2011)
Email: whitehead@math.byu.edu
Research Group Member: Summer 2009 – Dec. 2011
Affiliation:
Professor, Department of Mathematics, Brigham Young University, Utah
Brigham Young University web page: Webpage

James Kessler
M.S. in Atmospheric Science (2015), BSE Earth System Science and Engineering (2014)
Email: james.kessler@noaa.gov
Research Group Member: May 2013 – December 2013
Affiliation: Physical Scientist, NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (GLERL), Ann Arbor, MI (since 2015)
Web page: NOAA GLERL page

Michael Glotter
BSE in Earth System Science and Engineering (2010)
Email: michaelglotter@gmail.com
Research Group Member: September 2009 – May 2010
Affiliations: since Jan. 2017: Project Leader & Consultant at the Boston Consulting Group (BCG), Chicago, IL
AGU Congressional Science Fellow, Washington, D.C., Sep. 2015 – Sep. 2016
Ph.D. (2015), Department of Geophysical Sciences, University of Chicago, IL

Kiran Bhaganagar
Email: kiran.bhaganagar@utsa.edu
Research Group Member: 2008 – 2009 (Assistant Research Scientist)
Affiliations: Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Texas San Antonio
Web page: Webpage

Catalina Oaida
M.S. in Atmospheric Science (2009), BSE in Earth System Science and Engineering (2008)
Email: catalina.oaida@jpl.nasa.gov
Research Group Member: September 2008 – August 2009
Affiliations: Applied Science Systems Engineer, Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), Pasadena, CA (since 2018)
Postdoctoral Scholar at the California Institute of Technology & JPL, Pasadena, CA (2015-2018)
Ph.D. (2014), Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), CA

Ilissa Ocko
BSE in Earth System Science & Engineering (2008)
Email: iocko@edf.org
Research Group Member: September 2007 – April 2008
Affiliations: Senior Climate Scientist at the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF)
New York City (since 2013)
Ph.D. (2013), Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, Princeton University, NJ
Web page: EDF Homepage | Private Homepage

Gus Alaka
BSE in Earth System Science & Engineering (2008)
Email: ghassan.alaka@noaa.gov
Research Group Member: January 2008 – April 2008
Affiliations: IT Specialist at the NOAA Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory / Hurricane Research Division, Miami, FL (since 12/2018)
Assistant Scientist & Postdoctoral Associate at the University of Miami, Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies (CIMAS) Miami, FL (2014-2018)
Ph.D. (2014), Department of Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO.
Updated on January/15/2023