Dr. Maria J. Molina

Assistant Professor

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I am an Assistant Professor within the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Science at the University of Maryland and an Affiliate Faculty with the University of Maryland Institute for Advanced Computer Studies (UMIACS). I am also affiliated with the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder, Colorado and am an Adjunct Assistant Professor within the Department of Marine, Earth, and Atmospheric Sciences at North Carolina State University. I am Vice-Chair of the AMS STAC Committee on Artificial Intelligence Applications to Environmental Science, serve on the WCRP Scientific Steering Group for the Earth System Modelling and Observations (ESMO) Core Project, and am a member of the AMS Board on Representation, Accessibility, Inclusion, and Diversity (BRAID).

Dr. Manuel Titos

Visiting Postdoctoral Researcher

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I am a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Signal Processing, Telematics, and Communications at the University of Granada. My current work focuses on characterizing, quantifying, and assessing source parameters of wildfires and explosive volcanic eruptions for operational simulations of contaminant dispersion. Additionally, I am developing quantitative Probabilistic Volcanic Hazard Assessment (PVHA) methods to evaluate the impact of ash-forming eruptions on air traffic and advancing Artificial Intelligence (AI) and signal processing (SP) techniques to describe and characterize volcano-seismic signals. My main research interests include AI techniques and computational intelligence for remote sensing signals, particularly in short- and long-term geoextreme hazard assessments and air quality conditions.

Jhayron Steven Perez Carrasquilla

AOSC PhD Student

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I'm pursuing a Ph.D. in Atmospheric and Oceanic Science at the University of Maryland, where I study atmospheric predictability and climate dynamics using machine learning. I hold a bachelor's degree in engineering and a master's degree in water resources from the Universidad Nacional de Colombia. My research interests include large-scale atmospheric dynamics, variability, predictability, moist convection, and extreme weather events. In my work, I have applied machine learning, data analysis, and numerical modeling to better understand climatology, meteorology, hydrology, and air quality problems. Currently, I'm a visiting scholar at NCAR in Boulder through the Graduate Visitor Program, focusing on long-term changes in mid-latitude circulation, and I'm also a member of the Fresh Eyes on CMIP Working Group. In my free time, I enjoy sports, movies, reading, and exploring new interests.

Emily Faith Wisinski

AOSC PhD Student, NSF GRFP

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I am a first year Graduate Research Assistant in the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Science at The University of Maryland. I received a Bachelor of Science in Atmospheric Science and Meteorology with a Mathematics minor at the University of Alabama in Huntsville in May 2023. At UAH, I was a Student Specialist at the UAH Earth System Science Center where I collaborated with the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Applied Sciences Disasters Program. I worked on creating a 20-year hail and wind damage swath event database that spanned across the Great Plains and Midwest for impact analysis and future applications. For my PhD, I am hoping to explore ENSO dynamics, teleconnections and impacts. There will be an emphasis on investigating how machine learning techniques can aid in answering questions surrounding ENSO. In my free time I enjoy drinking coffee, thrifting, and hiking!

Dean Calhoun

AOSC PhD Student

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I am a first year PhD student and Graduate Research Assistant in the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences. I received my Bachelor of Science from Purdue University in May 2024, with a major in Applied Mathematics and a minor in Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences. My research interests include extreme weather events, large-scale dynamics and variability of the atmosphere, and social impacts of climate change. I am also interested in making science as equitable, open, and accessible as possible. In my free time, I enjoy biking, photography, and writing poetry.

Kyle J. C. Hall

AOSC PhD Student

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I am a first-year PhD student in the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Science at UMD. Previously, I worked as an associate scientist with the NOAA Physical Sciences Laboratory developing NOAA's Unified Forecast System Mid-range Weather and S2S applications. Prior to that, I served as a Data Engineer and Software Developer for Columbia University's International Research Institute for Climate & Society. I received my MA in Climate & Society from Columbia University in 2021, and my BS in Computer Science, Math and Economics from The College of William & Mary in 2018. I am the primary maintainer of XCast, an open-source climate forecasting library. At UMD, I hope to apply AI/ML methods to explore interannual-to-interdecadal coupled earth system dynamics like ENSO, NAO, and PDO and their impacts on global hydroclimate predictability. In my spare time I hike, camp, read and drink coffee!

Jonathan David Starfeldt

AOSC PhD Student

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I am starting the PhD track at the University of Maryland's Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Science in the fall of 2024. I received my Bachelor of Science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the spring of 2024 with a double major in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences and Data Science with a certificate in Computer Science. My undergraduate thesis, with Greg Tripoli, was on connections between Indian Monsoonal outflow and intensifying African Easterly Waves. During my PhD, I hope to build machine learning tools that give us information about how weather extremes, like urban heat and hurricanes, are being altered in our changing climate. I also want to focus on how we can better communicate this information to communities who need it most. Some of my hobbies are board games, hiking, and playing Spikeball.

Erin Elise Evans

AOSC MS Student (Co-advisor: Dale Allen)

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I am a second year Master’s student in the Atmospheric and Oceanic Science department at the University of Maryland, College Park. I currently serve as both a research assistant as well as a teaching assistant within the department. I received a BS in Geography-Meteorology from Ohio University, and have prior research experience from my time as a SOARS protégé working at NCAR on projects involving extreme precipitation predictability. My current research focuses on NOx production in relation to lightning activity. Outside of academics, I enjoy music, hiking, and spending time with my cats.

Luke Wichrowski

AOSC and CS Undergraduate (Co-advisor: Jhayron S. Perez Carrasquilla)

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I am a senior studying Computer Science and Atmospheric and Oceanic Science at the University of Maryland, College Park. I am interested in the application of Machine Learning techniques to study weather and climate patterns to further our understandings of our climate and how it is changing. I am hoping to get experience in the intersections of these fields during the coming year as I work on my senior capstone. Outside of the classroom I enjoy hiking, climbing, and playing the piano and guitar.

Alexander J. Kerr

CS Undergraduate

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I'm a rising senior at the University of Maryland, College Park, pursuing my BS in Computer Science. My interest lies in climate and environmental applications of Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence. I'm looking to gain experience in this field through research in the coming years. In my free time I enjoy playing Ultimate Frisbee, working out, watching movies, and spending time with my girlfriend's cat Levi.

Siddharth Cherukupalli

CS Undergraduate

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I am a second-year Computer Science major at the University of Maryland, College Park. I have previous research experience and also lead a STIC course in the CS department. I am interested in the application of Computer Science, specifically Machine Learning/NLP, to solve real-world issues related to climate. I think this is an intersection that has not been explored in-depth yet, so there is a lot of potential in terms of utilizing the most pivotal invention of our generation to solve a pressing issue. Outside of research, I like to spend a lot of my time keeping up with the stock market and watching basketball.

Bhuvan Jammalamadaka

CS Undergraduate

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I am a second-year Computer Science student at the University of Maryland, College Park. I have gained valuable experience as an undergraduate research assistant and course instructor in the UMD STIC program. I am particularly interested in the intersection of Computer Science and Climate because of the critical role that technology can play in mitigating the effects of climate change and reducing our carbon footprint. By utilizing the advancements in computer science and technology, we have the potential to create more sustainable systems and solutions to address this global issue. In addition to my research pursuits, I enjoy staying informed about financial markets and engaging in chess as a leisure activity.

Varun Vishnubhotla

CS Undergraduate

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I'm an undergraduate student studying Computer Science with a minor in Statistics at the University of Maryland, College Park. My research interests lie in using Machine Learning (ML) to analyze the implications of climate misinformation. My current research involves using Natural Language Processing to conduct social media sentiment analysis and analyze prediction capabilities of specific climate patterns. I hope to continue researching in various ML subsets and use this experience for professional enrichment, while also providing exposure to graduate level practicums. Outside of the classroom, I enjoy drawing, keeping up with football and basketball, and listening to music.