I am a Research Scientist at Colorado State University, working with Prof. Michael Bell and Prof. Peter Jan van Leeuwen. My research interests are all about tropical cyclones. Currently I’m working on the observation module of a hurricane data assimilation system (Parallel Data Assimilation Framework [PDAF] and Weather and Research Forecasting Model [WRF]).

Education

2010-2015          Ph.D. Meteorology,            Pennsylvania State University

2006-2010        B.S. Atmospheric Sciences,           Peking University

Experience

• 2018 August - present: Research Scientist I, Colorado State University, Fort Collins
• 2015 May - 2018 July: ADAPT center assistant, Pennsylvania State University, University Park
• 2015 May - 2018 July: Post-doctoral Scholar, Pennsylvania State University, University Park
• 2017 Jan-May: Co-lecturer for Dynamic Meteorology, Department of Meteorology, PSU
• 2016 May: coordinator of the 7th EnKF Data Assimilation workshop
• 2016 May: coordinator of Symposium on Advanced Assimilation and Uncertainty Quantification in BigData Research for Weather, Climate and Earth System Monitoring and Prediction
• 2016 May: coordinator of 2016 SPARC Gravity Wave Symposium

Journal Publications

1. Liu, S., D. Tao, K. Zhao, M. Minamide, and F. Zhang, 2018: Dynamics and Predictability of Rapid Intensification of Super Typhoon Usagi (2013). Journal of Geophysical Research - Atmosphere, 123, 7462-7481.
2. Cohen Y., N. Harnik, E. Heifetz, D. S. Nolan, D. Tao, and F. Zhang, 2017: On the Violation of Gradient Wind Balance at the top of Tropical Cyclones. Geophysical Research Letters, 44, 8017-8026.
3. Zhang, F., D. Tao, Y. Q. Sun, and J. D. Kepert, 2017: Dynamics and predictability of secondary eyewall formation in sheared tropical cyclones. Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems (JAMES), 9, 89-112.
4. Tao, D., and F. Zhang, 2015: Effects of Vertical Wind Shear on the Predictability of Tropical Cyclones: Practical versus Intrinsic Limit. Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems (JAMES), 7, 1534-1553.
5. Tao, D., and F. Zhang, 2014: Effect of environmental shear, sea-surface temperature and ambient moisture on the formation and predictability of tropical cyclones: an ensemble-mean perspective. Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems (JAMES), 6, 384-404.
6. Zhang, F., and D. Tao, 2013: Impacts of vertical wind shear on the predictability of tropical cyclones. Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, 70, 975-983.

Book Chapters

• Zhang, F., C. Melhauser, D. Tao, Y. Q. Sun, E. B. Munsell, Y. Weng and J. A. Sippel, 2015: Predictability of Severe Weather and Tropical Cyclones at the Mesoscales. Dynamics and Predictability of Large-scale, High-impact Weather and Climate Events (eds, J. Li, R. Swinbank, H. Volkert and R. Grotjahn). Cambridge University Press, 141-152.