NRC Postdoctoral Fellows At NSSL

Who are they? Where are they now?

Sean Crowell · 2012–present · University of Oklahoma, 2011
Sean is working on data assimilation of boundary layer thermodynamic profilers for better diagnosing the mesoscale storm environment using NWP models.
Nathan Hitchens · 2010–present · Purdue University, 2010
For his dissertation Nathan used a feature-based approach to characterize extreme subdiurnal precipitation in the Midwestern United States and the convective systems that produced it. While at NSSL he is using a feature-based approach to examine the characteristics of precipitation produced by supercell thunderstorms, with an emphasis on heavy and extreme precipitation.
Corey Potvin · 2010–present · University of Oklahoma, 2010
Corey developed a multiple-Doppler vortex detection/characterization algorithm for his dissertation research. His work at NSSL will focus on dual-Doppler analysis and data assimilation of supercell thunderstorms.
Lesya Borowska — 2010–2012 — Institute for Nuclear Research of NAS of Ukraine, 2005
Institute for Nuclear Research of NAS of Ukraine, 2005 Lesya has been working on development of a methodology for deriving the rain rate relations RWS(ZH) and RWS (KDP) for a bright band (BB) region (where KDP is the specific differential phase and was obtained from a least square fit of the radial slope of differential phase ΦDP ).
Adam Clark · 2009–2011 · Iowa State University, 2009
Currently a research scientist at CIMMS, Adam works with NSSL's Collaborative Research and Forecasting Team (CRAFT) developing model diagnostics, verification, and visualization strategies for high resolution ensemble forecasts, as well as exploring model physics sensitivities and predictability at convective scales.
Dan Dawson · 2009–2011 · University of Oklahoma, 2009
Since finishing his NRC tenure in August 2011, he has taken a brief position as a CIMMS Research Scientist (September-December 2011) and is currently an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellow at NSSL/CIMMS. He is currently researching numerical simulations of VORTEX 2 cases with a focus on comparing with microphysical and thermodynamic observations.
Michele Galletti · 2009–2011 · Technische Universitaet Chemnitz, 2009
Before joining NSSL, Michele lived in Munich, Germany and worked for the DLR, the German Aerospace Agency. While at NSSL, he worked on dual-polarization phased array antennas. Michele is currently a research associate at Brookhaven National Laboratory.
Heather Reeves · 2007–2009 · NCSU, 2007
Heather has joined CIMMS as a research associate and specializes in winter weather and mountain meteorology.
Dustan Wheatley · 2007–2009 · Purdue, 2007
Dusty now works at CIMMS. He specializes in ensemble-based data assimilation and participates in a number of different collaborations.
Mike Coniglio · 2004–2006 · University of Oklahoma, 2004
Currently a federal research scientist at NSSL, Mike works closely with the Storm Prediction Center and has developed tools and techniques that aid in the forecasting of severe local storms. He has also helped develop a storm-scale radar data assimilation system using the Ensemble Kalman filter method. Mike is a 2008 recipient of the 2008 Presidential Early Career Award.
Victor Homar · 2002–2004 · University of Balearic Islands, 2002
Victor is currently a permanent full-time researcher at the University of Balearic Islands.
Edward “Ted” Mansell · 2000–2001 · University of Oklahoma, 2000
A specialist in thunderstorm electrification, Ted now works as a federal researcher at NSSL.
Romualdo Romero March · 1999–2001 · University of Balearic Islands, 1998
Romu is currently “professor titular” (lecturer + research) at the University of Balearic Islands (UIB, Spain). Before accepting this position, he was a NATO fellow with CIMMS in Oklahoma. Romu is also the 2004 recipient of the Plinius Medal by the European Geosciences Union.
David Schultz · 1996–1998 · SUNY Albany, 1996
Dave has had a very productive career that includes co-leading a major field program (IPEX), acting as an NWS forecaster during the 2002 Winter Olympic Games, co-founding and acting as associate editor for the Electronic Journal of Severe Storms Meteorology. He is also an associate editor for Atmospheric Science Letters, is on the Editorial Board of Geophysica, and is the current Chief Editor of Monthly Weather Review. In 2001, he was the recipient of the AMS Editor's award for Monthly Weather Review. Dave was post-doc advisor for NRC fellow, H. Reeves, and has recently accepted a professorship at the Univ. of Helsinki and the Finnish Meteorological Institute.
Jeff Trapp · 1994–1995 · University of Oklahoma, 1994
After finishing his NRC fellowship, Jeff moved to Boulder, Colorado and worked as a long-term visitor for NCAR's MMM division. He is now full professor and associated head of the dept. of Earth and Atmos. Sciences at Purdue University. Jeff is also the former Ph.D. advisor for NRC fellows Dustan Wheatley and Nathan Hitchens.
Jeanne Schneider · 1991–1993 · University of Oklahoma, 1991
Jeanne Schneider is presently a meteorologist at the United States Department of Agriculture Grazinglands Research Laboratory in El Reno, Oklahoma.
Harold Brooks · 1990–1992 · University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1990
A world-renowned expert on tornado incidences and safety, Harold is a frequent interviewee of many top news programs including 20/20 and Dateline. Harold is a 3-time awardee of the Environmental Research Laboratories Outstanding Paper Award, the 2002 recipient of the Dept. of Commerce Silver Medal, and a former associate editor of Monthly Weather Review and Weather and Forecasting, and is the current Joint Chief Editor of Weather and Forecasting. He is currently a federal research scientist at NSSL and is the head of the Mesoscale Applications Group.
N. Balakrishnan · 1987–1989
Balki is currently the Associate Director at The Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India. He worked with Dusan Zrnic as an NRC research associate. His research career later on was well-shaped because of his stay at NSSL. He is a fellow of all major science and engineering academies in India, Fellow of TWAS, and the recipient of one of the highest civilian Honors Padma Shree from the President of India.
Hartmut Kapitza · 1987–1989 · GKSS Research Centre, 1987
Since leaving NSSL, Hartmut has developed an interest in modeling of the flow of coastal waters and works at the GKSS Research Centre in the Institute for Coastal Research.
Ilana Steinhorn · 1985–1987 · Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel, 1982
After her NRC fellowship concluded, Ilana took a position working with the FAA as a contractor for the Weather System Processor at the Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center.
Pravas Mahapatra · 1980–1982 · Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India, 1977
Pravas is currently a professor at the Indian Institute of Science in India. He counts among his professional achievements being the co-recipient of the 1993 Donald G. Fink Prize of IEEE and being awarded a Senior Research Fellowship (1989-1990) at NOAA/NSSL through the NRC program. He has authored a book on Aviation Weather Surveillance Systems, with contributions from colleagues at NSSL, published by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) and the Institution of Electrical Engineers in the UK.
Don MacGorman · 1978–1980.
Don is a senior scientist at the NOAA/National Severe Storms Laboratory in Norman, Oklahoma, where he investigates lightning and other electrical properties of thunderstorms. With Dave Rust, he co-authored a graduate textbook, The Electrical Nature of Storms, published by Oxford University Press in 1988.
Dusan Zrnic · 1973–1974
Dusan's distinguished career started with a professorship at California State University. He later accepted an NRC fellowship at NSSL while on sabbatical from CSU. Dusan is a fellow of the AMS, the IEEE, a member of the National Academy of Engineering, the co-recipient of the IEEE 1988 Harry Diamond Memorial Award, the 1993 IEEE Donald G. Fink Prize, the WMO1996 Vaisala Award, the 2004 Presidential Rank Award, and has twice been awarded the Best Research Paper by the Environmental Research Laboratories. Dusan is co-author of the textbook, Doppler Radar and Weather Observations. He is currently working as a federal research scientist at NSSL and has advised 4 NRC fellows (Balakrishnan, Mahapatra, Sachidananda, and Galletti) so far.