Brief intro of each member
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
Professor Michael Bell is the principal investigator of the CSU Tropical Weather and Climate Research Group. He became interested in studying the atmosphere and tropical cyclones (TCs) growing up in coastal Florida and being impacted by hurricanes. After obtaining a B.A. degree from the University of Florida, he moved to Colorado to pursue math and meteorology, and worked at NCAR as a researcher and airborne radar support scientist. He completed his M.S. thesis at Colorado State University on TC intensity theory and Ph.D. dissertation at Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) in Monterey, California on air-sea interaction in TCs. Dr. Bell became an assistant professor at University of Hawaii in 2012, and returned to Colorado in 2016 to join the faculty at CSU where he currently teaches and researches atmospheric science. He is the recipient of the NSF CAREER, ONR Young Investigator, and White House PECASE Awards for his research in tropical meteorology, TCs, field experiments, radar observations, and numerical modeling. He enjoys hiking, canoeing, and music, and serves on the Board of Directors for the Fort Collins Area Swim Team.
RESEARCH SCIENTISTS
Jennifer is a Research Scientist II. In her research, Jennifer uses a combination of polarimetric radar observations and mesoscale models to understand the processes responsible for heavy tropical rainfall in a variety of weather systems. Prior to arriving at CSU, Jennifer received her Ph.D. from the University of Washington, where she worked with Prof. Robert Houze, Jr. to understand how external forcings affect the three-dimensional structure of tropical cyclones. Throughout her career, Jennifer has been fortunate to participate in several field campaigns, including VORTEX2, HS3, OLYMPEX, and the upcoming PRECIP campaign in 2021. In her free time, Jennifer enjoys traveling and eating delicious food.
Brenda is a Research Scientist III at Colorado State University. She received her Ph.D. in Atmospheric Science from CSU in 2009. Brenda's research focuses on precipitation and microphysical processes using polarimetric radar, satellites, and disdrometers. Brenda's research interests include radar analysis and algorithms, observational integration and validation of cloud-resolving models, precipitation processes, and cloud physics. She is an expert in polarimetric radar, having developed one of the first hydrometeor identification algorithms for short-wavelength radars (X- and C-band). Additionally, she has worked with a wide variety of radars from around the world including ground, ship, and satellite-based radars from Ka- to S-band. Brenda enjoys field work and has participated in over 10 field projects as a radar or mission scientist. She works at the interface of cloud resolving models and observations, using them synergistically to improve observational retrievals and better model representation of physical processes. In her spare time, Brenda can be found baking, skiing, hiking, camping, or taking flying adventures with her pilot husband and two kids.
Phil Klotzbach is a Research Scientist in the Department of Atmospheric Science at Colorado State University. He received his Ph.D. in Atmospheric Science from CSU in 2007. Klotzbach has been employed in the Department of Atmospheric Science for the past twenty years and was co-author on the Atlantic basin hurricane forecasts with Dr. William Gray through 2005. He became first author on the seasonal hurricane forecasts in 2006. Klotzbach developed the two-week forecasts currently being issued during the peak months of the hurricane season between August-October. He has authored over 50 articles in peer-reviewed journals such as Journal of Climate and Weather and Forecasting. Klotzbach graduated from Bridgewater State College with a BS degree in Geography in 1999. He then attended Colorado State University where he received his Masters degree in Atmospheric Science in 2002. After receiving his Masters degree, Klotzbach thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine (2100+ miles). He has also climbed all 54 14,000 foot peaks in Colorado, and has completed nine marathons and six ultra-marathons.
Levi Silvers is a Research Scientist in the Department of Atmospheric Science at Colorado State University. He received his Ph.D. in Atmospheric Science from CSU in 2011. Levi’s research is focused on the mechanisms by which clouds and atmospheric moisture influence the flow of energy through the Earth’s system. There are many fascinating phenomena in the Earth system that are influenced by the interacations between clouds and atmospheric moisture. These include tropical cyclones, overturning tropical circulations such as the Hadley and Walker circulations, and the response of cloud radiative effects to particular patterns of sea surface temperature. Levi’s research has made use of a variety of modeling tools that include global Earth-like climate models, idealized mock-Walker simulations, and simulations of radiative-convective equilibrium. After finishing his Ph.D. Levi moved to Germany for a post-doctoral position at the Max-Planck Institute for Meteorology. Levi also worked at the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory as the lead scientist for GFDL's participation in the Cloud Feedback Model Intercomparison Project during CMIP6 and as a Research Scientist at Stony Brook University in the School of Marine and Atmospheric Science. Levi derives great satisfaction from spending time with his family and by being outside, whether atop mountains or along the sea.
GRADUATE STUDENTS
Tyler Barbero is a Ph.D. candidate from Santa Clara, California. He earned his M.S. in the same research group, where his project looked at attributing hurricane track forecast errors to errors in the large-scale steering motion in high-resolution models. Tyler’s doctoral research leverages idealized modeling and theory to investigate how tropical convection develops and organizes within African Easterly Waves. Alongside his research, Tyler is passionate about teaching, mentoring, and community outreach. He has helped teach core classes in the department, co-mentored a summer undergraduate student, and served on the executive board of FORTCAST, CSU’s student AMS chapter, where he helps promote science regionally through community outreach events. For pastime activities, Tyler enjoys playing tennis competitively, listening to country music, and eating delicious food!
Lauren Beard is a first-year M.S. student from St. Louis, Missouri. She received her B.S. in Atmospheric Sciences from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Lauren has pursued undergraduate research in various fields of study, including tracing cloud seeding trajectories to visualize dry air intrusions, analyzing radar observations to understand the microphysical properties of the frontal structure of extratropical cyclones, and analyzing lidar data to quantify turbulent structures around shallow cumulus clouds. In addition to her research, Lauren was a varsity athlete on the swim team. Her first-year research will leverage new techniques for deriving size distributions from polarimetric radar and apply variational methods for 3D multi-Doppler wind retrievals. She will also investigate the links between dynamical and microphysical processes as a function of aerosol concentration, environmental conditions, and precipitation formation. In her free time, Lauren enjoys photography, hiking, thrifting and listening to music.
Delián Colón Burgos is an M.S. student from Cayey, Puerto Rico. She received her B.S. in Meteorology and Atmospheric Science and a minor in Geography from The Pennsylvania State University. During her undergraduate years she participated in the NSF Weather, Climate, and Society REU, was a SOARS protégé at NCAR, and interned at the National Hurricane Center as a NOAA Hollings Scholar; all experiences that reaffirmed her research interests in tropical meteorology. She received the 2023 NSF Graduate Research Fellowship, which will support her research on tropical cyclogenesis and rapid intensification processes, through analyzing observational data from the TCRI and CPEX-CV2 field campaigns. She enjoys giving back to her community by mentoring younger students and educating about weather hazards. Delián also enjoys the outdoors, dancing, and spending time with her family and friends.
Chandler “CJ” Jenkins is a first-year M.S. student born in Augusta, GA, and raised in Richland, WA. He earned his B.S. in Earth and Environmental Science from Washington State University Tri-Cities. His passion for studying atmospheric science and tropical cyclones blossomed after the historic 2005 hurricane season, leading him to pursue undergraduate research opportunities with the National Science Foundation Significant Opportunities in Atmospheric Research and Science (NSF SOARS) program years later. Chandler’s first-year research aims to use a novel 3-layer model to investigate rapid intensification in Tropical Cyclones. In his free time, Chandler loves playing and watching basketball, indulging in various video games, and reading oversized fantasy novels.
Nick Mesa is a first-year M.S. student originally from Miami, Florida. He comes to Colorado State after having graduated from the University of Florida with a B.S. in Civil Engineering and a Certificate in Meteorology and Climatology. His undergraduate research experiences included working with the NOAA Hurricane Research Division as a William M. Lapenta Scholar in 2021, along with multiple research projects associated with the National Science Foundation Natural Hazards Engineering Research Infrastructure network. As a recipient of the American Meteorological Society Graduate Fellowship and National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, Nick's research will focus on tropical cyclones facing moderate shear and their intensification processes. His first-year research will use the Geostationary Lightning Mapper to investigate the relationship between lightning and developing tropical cyclones. Outside of work, Nick enjoys getting outside and active (ranging from playing sports, hiking, or biking), in addition to reading literary classics and books on Latin American history. You can also catch Nick keeping up with his beloved South Florida sports teams while he also jumps on the Colorado sports bandwagon.
Angelie Nieves-Jiménez is a second year M.S. student born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Angelie graduated from the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez with a B.S. in Industrial Engineering. Her motivation to study Atmospheric Sciences during her undergraduate studies was complemented by her work as a National Science Foundation Significant Opportunities In Atmospheric Research and Science (NSF SOARS) Protégé for four years at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). As a 2023 National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowship Program (NSF GRFP) recipient, Angelie works on improving knowledge of tropical cyclone rapid intensification and associated extreme rainfall. She devotes her time to volunteering on AMS Committees such as the AMS STAC Committee on Tropical Cyclones and Tropical Meteorology and the AMS Board on Representation, Accessibility, Inclusion, and Diversity and is also a member of the AMS Early Career Leadership Academy 2024 (ECLA) cohort. One of her main goals is to inspire the future generation and give back to her island by increasing education in this discipline and guiding the community when natural hazards are imminent. In her spare time, Angelie enjoys spending time with her family, friends, and her dog Nova in Puerto Rico and eating Puerto Rican fried food.
Rung is a Ph.D. candidate co-advised by Michael Bell and Kristen Rasmussen. She's originally from Bangkok, Thailand and is receiving the Thai Government Scholarship. She is interested in extreme-rainfall producing storms in the Tropical East Asia Region. She received her Bachelors and Master of Science degrees from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where she studied climate sensitivity to CO2 and reversing rainfall trends over Southeast Asia. Currently, she is working with an ingredient framework to study extreme storms, using radar observations and reanalysis data to study the climatology of extreme storms in preparation for the PRECIP field campaign in 2021 in Taiwan and Japan. Outside of work, she’s interested in different cultures and foreign languages. She can speak Thai and English fluently, and can hold conversations in Japanese.
Isaac is a first year M.S. student originally from Sun Praire, Wisconsin. He recieved his B.S. in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences and Computer Science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He developed an interest in tropical cyclones through an undergraduate internship at the National Hurricane Center, where he worked on creating and analyzing and ensemble of statistical-dyanmical models. He plans to continue this project, and hopefully publish it in the near future! In his M.S., he will be working on developing software and investigating TC dyanmics using the Airborne Phased Array Radar (APAR) system. In his free time, he enjoys photography, running, hiking, and storm chasing (when Mother Nature sees fit).
Meghan Stell is a first year Masters Student originally from Golden, Colorado. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Arizona State University with a Bachelors of Science in Geography with a Climatology focus and certificate in GIS. Meghan conducted undergraduate research as a student assistant with NCAR EOL on the C130 and GV aircraft as part as the atmospheric chemistry carbon instrument team. Meghan also conducted two summers of research with the National Science Foundation Significant Opportunities in Atmospheric Research and Science (NSF SOARS) program researching the impacts of inland penetrating atmospheric rivers on orographic cloud microphysics and dynamics. In addition to her graduate program Meghan is also an Associate Scientist with NCAR’s Research Application Laboratory (RAL). Meghan aspires to be a research scientist and professor in order to inspire new generations of scientists and get them involved in undergraduate research which was so life changing for her. In her free time Meghan enjoys baking, cooking, climbing, skiing, and traveling to New Mexico for fine art cloud photography during the monsoon season.
Group Alumni/ Past Members