Hi there! I am a PhD candidate in the Department of Atmospheric Science at Colorado State University advised by Prof. Michael Bell. I completed my MS in Atmospheric Science in 2023 within the same group and my BS in Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences from Scripps Institution of Oceanography and the University of California San Diego in 2020. I expect to complete my PhD by Fall 2026.

My PhD research investigates mechanisms for initiation and organization of deep convection in tropical disturbances using a combination of idealized modeling and satellite observations of convection and lightnin. In Part 1, we employ a coupled boundary layer–shallow-water model to examine the contribution of boundary layer pumping (BLP) to deep convection in idealized easterly wave disturbances. We find that BLP is inefficient at generating deep convection in weak disturbances but becomes progressively more important as disturbances approach genesis. In Part 2, we examine Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM) observations across a climatology of tropical disturbances to characterize convective morphology prior to genesis. We find that developing disturbances exhibit decreasing trends in lightning area and energy before and after genesis, suggesting a shift toward a deep convective mode, whereas non-developing disturbances exhibit increases in lightning area and energy, suggesting a shift toward a more stratiform-dominated convective mode. Developing disturbances also exhibit repeated diurnal lightning pulses that are absent in non-developing disturbances, suggesting that diurnal pulses may serve as an indicator of genesis. Additionally, lightning tends to organize downshear in developing disturbances, suggesting that environmental vertical wind shear (VWS) may play an important role in organizing convection during the disturbance stage. In Part 3, we investigate the contributions of three mechanisms to convective initiation and organization throughout the lifecycle of Hurricane Ian (2022), from pre-genesis through landfall as a Category 4 hurricane. We find that VWS, storm motion, and symmetric BLP collectively explain a large fraction of variance in deep convection during the post-genesis phase but less than 25% during the pre-genesis phase. Collectively, these findings highlight a fundamental gap in our understanding of the processes governing convective initiation and organization before tropical cyclogenesis and underscore the need for further research into these processes.

I’m passionate about teaching, mentoring, and science communication. I served as a graduate teaching assistant for Atmospheric Dynamics and Introduction to Hurricanes, where I held office hours, developed study guide materials, and led practice exam sections to help students strengthen their understanding of fundamental concepts. I particularly enjoyed finding ways to make complex atmospheric processes more accessible and engaging for students. Furthermore, I served on the committee for the CIRA-Atmospheric Science Mentoring Program (CAMP) here at CSU, helping first-year students build relationships with members of the broader ATS community beyond their own research groups. I also served on the board of CSU’s AMS Student Chapter (FORTCAST), which serves as a bridge between CSU and the broader Fort Collins community. In general, I hope to inspire, in others, the same enthusiasm I have for the atmosphere. Thanks for visiting my page!