Applied Climate for Environment & Society (ACES) Laboratory
Applying to join the lab
IMPORTANT: Due to my administrative duties as Chief Academic Officer for the Arizona Board of Regents, I am NOT able to take on new graduate students or postdocs at this time. The information below is for legacy purposes only.
Prospective graduate students and postdocs interested in working with me and joining the lab should study the pages on this site carefully, especially the research page. Pay close attention to the broad research themes and the selected projects. Following that, should you have specific questions please feel free to contact me. I am unlikely to respond to emails that do not show due diligence to the above. Please note, therefore, that I do not take on students focusing primarily on GIS, remote sensing and geospatial techniques; while we use them occasionally, our lab does not concentrate on those topics.
Students and postdocs working with me will develop their own research topic and specialty focus, as the research examples illustrate. The core research question almost always focuses on understanding the specific links between the atmosphere and a natural or social phenomenon. Typically, lab projects include quantitative analysis of climate and environmental data, often integrated into a social, interdisciplinary or policy context. This reflects the strong emphasis of our program on working across the discipline and between disciplines, something we enjoy making as pervasive as we can.
Because admission and funding decisions are made at the program level, I am not able to say whether or not you will be accepted into a graduate program, or if there will be funding support. For that, you will need to apply, following the application procedures for the program.
Research Group Alumni and Advisees
(Approximately reverse chronology, including job placement and/or current affiliation)
- Padmendra Shrestha (Doctoral student, University of Arizona; co-advised with C. Scott)
PhD: (Geography, 2024 expected) Climate and sustainable hydropower governance in Nepal - Mona Arora (Asst. Research Professor, University of Arizona)
PhD: (Geography, 2019) Addressing climate change in public health practice and education - Mindy Butterworth (Assoc. Prof., Willamette University)
PhD: (Geography, 2015) Climate and disease, dengue fever, health & environment - Sonia Sen (Health Tech Masters, Cornell Tech; now in IT)
BS: (Honors Program: Computer Science, Geography, Spanish, 2015) Climate-health, mosquito modeling - Cory Morin (Clinical Asst. Prof., University of Washington)
UA Research Associate/Postdoc (2014): Complex simulation modeling of vector-borne disease systems
PhD: (Geography, 2012) CLIMAS Dynamic climate-mosquito population modeling
MA: (Geography, 2008) CLIMAS Climate and mosquito-borne disease modeling - Stephen Delgado (Clinical Operations Geospatial Research Lead, Bill & Melinda Gates Medical Research Institute)
PhD: (Geography, 2013) Human-ecosystem health, Latin America, Chagas disease - Casey Thornbrugh (Northeast Climate Adaptation Science Center – UMass Amherst)
PhD: (Geography, 2013) Western and Native American climate science and education
MA: (Geography, 2007) CLIMAS Drought impacts on Navajo/Hopi communities & lands - Heidi Brown (Assoc. Prof., Public Health, University of Arizona)
UA Postdoc/Research Associate: (2013) West Nile virus, bluetongue, plague and climate
Postdoc: Oxford & CDC
PhD: (Yale, 2007) - Stephen Bieda (National Science Operations Officer, National Weather Service, Silver Spring, MD)
PhD: (Arid Lands, 2012): North American monsoon, thunderstorms and flooding - James Tamerius (Managing Data Scientist, Center for Sustainable Energy)
Postdoc: Columbia University
PhD: (Geography, 2011) Influenza seasonality, climate and health, valley fever
MA: (Geography, 2007) CLIMAS Sub-regional climate variability - Beth Karasz Johnson (K-12 Teacher, Colorado Springs)
MS: (Natural Science, 2011): Science teaching, mosquito development and climate factors - Mary Glueck (Science Education, BASIS Tucson, Twin Peak K-8 School – Marana USD)
Research Associate/postdoc: WestMap climate mapping, valley fever, climate variability
PhD (Alaska-Fairbanks), Postdoc (Univ. of Arizona) - Erika Wise (Professor, Univ. of North Carolina)
PhD: (Geography, 2009) Western climate variability, streamflow & tree-rings
MA: (Geography, 2004) CLIMAS Climate & air quality trends - Jenna McPhee Meyers (National Weather Service/NOAA, Climate Services Branch)
MA: (Geography, 2007) CLIMAS Climate, drought, downscaling of seasonal climate forecasts - Rick Brandt (Senior Technical Editor, American Meteorological Society)
PhD: (Geography, 2006) North American monsoon climate and wildfire - Chris Uejio (Assoc. Prof., Florida State University)
Postdoc: NCAR
PhD: University of Wisconsin
MA: (Geography, 2006) CLIMAS Climate & mosquitoes, West Nile virus - Joe Abraham (Utility Analyst at Public Utility Commission, Oregon, previously at UA, EPA, & Willamette U.)
PhD: (Geography, 2006) NASA Space Grant Fellow, drought policy, vulnerability and spatial analysis
MA: (Geography, 2001) EPA Real-time air quality mapping - Claire Kleese (Senior Graphic Designer, Evolv/Oberalp)
BA: (Geography) Urban heat islands - Cindy Sorrensen (Salpointe HS, previously Troy University & Texas Tech U.)
Postdoc/Asst. Research Social Scientist: HERO & human dimensions of global change
PhD (Ohio State) - Paula Decker (UA Geog PhD, UA Lecturer)
MA: (Geography, 2005) HERO Social vulnerability to climate change and variability - Brenda Bonanno (Data Scientist/GIS analyst)
MA: (Geography, 2005) Valley fever, health and environment - Mike Crimmins (Professor & Climate Extension Specialist, University of Arizona)
PhD: (Geography, 2004) NASA Space Grant Fellow, wildfire climatology & WALTER - David Brown (Exec. Director, Udall Foundation; previously USDA, NOAA, LSU & UNH)
PhD: (Geography, 2004) Western US climate variability and impacts
MA: (Geography, 2001) CLIMAS Fine-scale climate mapping - Korine Kolivras (Professor, Virginia Tech)
PhD: (Geography, 2004) NASA Space Grant Fellow, climate & dengue fever
MA: (Geography, 2000) CLIMAS Valley Fever and Climate - Jeannette Dooley
BA: NASA Space Grant intern, climate and health - Tamara Wilson (Research Geographer, USGS; co-advised with J. Betancourt)
MA: (Geography) Baja California climate, CLIMAS, USGS Desert Lab - Lucas Murray (commercial GIS)
BA: (Geography) HERO REU in GIS, air quality & climate, and NASA Space Grant intern - Sean Helfrich (NOAA Satellite Oceanography & Climate Division)
PhD student: (Geography) Snow climatology - Roxanne Linsley (Research/Mapping Specialist)
BA: Lab intern, valley fever and climate - Zbigniew Ustrnul (Visiting Fulbright Scholar 2001-02)
Assoc. Prof., Polish Institute of Meteorology and Water Mgmt.
Synoptic climatology & climate variability - Susan Kliman (Chair/Professor, North Dakota State U & Principal: Klimatic Architectural Design)
PhD: (Arid Lands, 2001) Urban microclimate/architecture and vegetation - Jonathan Cox (UA Vet Med)
BA: (Geography) NASA Space Grant intern - Andreas Kuebler
Visiting graduate scholar: (Geography) Synoptic climatology, ozone & asthma - Tereza Cavazos (Level II Researcher, Physical Oceanography, CICESE)
Postdoc/Lecturer: CLIMAS Southwest climate variability
PhD (Penn State), Postdoc (Univ. of Cape Town) - Lucas Watanabe
BA: NASA Space Grant intern - Jeremy Diem (Professor, Georgia State U)
Postdoc: HERO
PhD: (Geography, 2000) SMOGMAP air quality mapping
MA: (Geography, 1997) Carbon monoxide forecasting - Seumas Rogan (Psychometrician at DLIFLC; deceased 2022)
MA: (Geography, 1999) Medical geography, heavy metals - Maria Elena Rodriguez (Sr. Grants Specialist, The Nature Conservancy)
BA: (Geography) NASA Space Grant intern - Kurt Angersbach (Westernlabs)
MA: (Geography, 2000) CLIMAS urban water and climate - Gregory Packin (NGA)
MA: (Geography, 2000) Southwest climate - Brian Decker
BA: NASA Space Grant intern - David Guiliano (EPA Region 9)
MA: (Geography, 1996?) Western USA climate, air quality - David Adams (Professor, UNAM; previously Scripps and UEA Manaus, Brazil)
MA: (Geography, 1995) Monsoon climatology - Rex Hansen (ESRI)
MA: (Geography, 1995) Geostatistics and pollen dispersal - Tracey Gutheim (Pima County AZ, previously PAG and GIS consulting)
MA: (Geography, 1995) Air quality trend modeling