Welcome! We focus on Predictability and Applied Research for the Earth-system with Training and Optimization (PARETO). As such, we use machine learning (e.g., neural networks) and numerical modeling systems (e.g., CESM) to answer pressing questions and address challenges in modeling the Earth system. Examples of problems that we are tackling include:
Our research also strives to incorporate open-source software and data, accessible communication, and multi-discipline collaboration (particularly with computer science).
Our group name, PARETO, is inspired by the Pareto frontier, a fundamental concept in optimization theory. The concept was named after the Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto (1848-1923) and delineates trade-offs between competing objectives.
Fall 2025 group photo. Pictured from left to right: Assistant Professor Maria J. Molina, Sunny Sharma, Jon Starfeldt, Dean Calhoun, Kyle Hall, Jhayron S. Perez-Carrasquilla, Yamin Guo, and Emily Wisinski. Visiting Postdoctoral Fellow Manuel Titos not pictured. Learn more about our group [here].
If you are interested in joining our group as a graduate researcher, please note that all interested applicants must apply online to be considered.
Recent News
☁ [April] Sunny Sharma earned the DOD National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate (NDSEG) Fellowship! We are so incredibly proud of you, Sunny!
☁ [March] Jhayron S. Perez-Carrasquilla was awarded the AMS Committee on Climate Variability and Change Best Student Presentation Award at the AMS Annual Meeting 2026 in Houston, TX. Congratulations, Jhayron!
☁ [January] Our group will be attending the AMS Annual Meeting in Houston, TX. Our schedules have been announced:
- Maria and Jhayron will be co-chairing, “Session 9B: Artificial Intelligence for Actionable Insights and Applications in Climate Science”, on Wednesday, 28 January at 08:30 - 10:00 AM.
- Maria will be co-chairing, “Session 13B: Weather Regimes: Predictability, Prediction, and Applications I,” and "Session 15B: Weather Regimes: Predictability, Prediction, and Applications II," on Thursday, 29 January at 08:30 - 10:00 AM and 01:45 - 3:00 PM.
- Jhayron’s talk, “Predictability and Long-Term Changes of the Pacific Trough Regime and Associated Extreme Heat Impacts,” is on Thursday, 29 January at 09:45 - 10:00 AM.
More news available [here].
Recent Publications
☁ *Wichrowski, L., *J. S. Pérez-Carrasquilla, and M. J. Molina (2026). Weather Regime Diversity, Transitions, and Trends using Hexagonal Self-Organizing Maps. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres. [Link]
☁ Anderson, W., M. C. Arcodia, D. Amaya, E. Becker, J. A. Callahan, J. C. Furtado, B. Kirtman, S. Kumar, M. L. L’Heureux, S. M. Larson, D. Li, M. J. Molina, M. Newman, K. Pegion, A. Robertson, E. Towler, and B. Xiang (2026). The Critical Need for Hindcast Infrastructure in Climate Science and Sectoral Applications. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society. [Link]
☁ *Pérez-Carrasquilla, J. S., M. J. Molina, K. J. Mayer, K. Dagon, J. Fasullo, and I. R. Simpson (2025). Observed and modeled amplification of the frequency, duration, and extreme heat impacts of the Pacific trough regime. Earth's Future. [Link]
More publications available [here].
Any opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the views of the University of Maryland.
