Biography
I joined the Department of Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Illinois in Fall 2016. Prior to this I attended the University of Louisiana-Monroe for my bachelor’s degree in atmospheric science while minoring in history. During this time, I participated in the Gulf Coast Region Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) hosted at Texas A&M University and was an intern at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center’s Mesoscale Atmospheric Processes Laboratory.
My current PhD. work investigates how hail processes and characteristics will change in the future due to anthropogenic climate change. To this end we are using the pseudo-global-warming (PGW) methodology to allow for a better physical understanding of the underlying processes driving these changes.
Prior to this, my research focused on improving the representation and understanding of convective cold pools. My Master’s thesis investigated the connection between hydrometeor properties and microphysical processes on cold pool development, strength, and sustenance using high-resolution CM1 model runs. In Fall 2018 I took part in the 6-week intensive operations period for the RELAMPAGO field campaign in Córdoba, Argentina. Following this I analyzed data from the campaign to investigate how cold pools and the other convective components are influenced by complex terrain. Results from this work were presented at the 2020 AMS Annual Meeting as a part of the Weather Analysis and Forecasting Conference for which I received an Outstanding Student Presentation Award.
In addition to research, I am also passionate about diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in the geosciences and graduate education. In this regard, I serve on a number of committees both at the University of Illinois and the American Meteorological Society.
Please feel free to reach out if you are interested in learning more or collaborating!