ATOC Graduate Application Mentorship Program

Clairy is a 5th year PhD student in Dr. Andrew Winters' synoptic meteorology group studying polar-subtropical jet stream superpositions and freezing rain events. Before ATOC, Clairy was working on her undergraduate degree in atmospheric science at the University of Maryland - College Park. She enjoys hiking, music, and trying interesting food.

Ash is a 4th year PhD student working with Dr. Jen Kay. They study the controls on the observed Arctic warming trend and variability. Before coming to ATOC, Ash completed a BSE in Climate & Meteorology with minors in Computer Science & Latin at the University of Michigan. Outside of school, they enjoy running, hiking, drawing, cooking, and reading (sci-fi, fantasy, etc).

Brianna is a 6th year PhD student who is studying coastal ocean sediment transport modeling in the Arctic with Dr. Julia Moriarty. Before coming to CU, Brianna received a BS in physics and a BFA in dance from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Aside from loving the arts and sciences, Brianna enjoys hiking, reading, dancing, and traveling. 

Will is a 6th year PhD student who is studying marine heat waves and extreme sea level events in the Indian Ocean with Dr. Weiqing Han. Will earned BS degrees in Wildlife Ecology and Chemistry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He then spent several years as a fisheries research technician before coming back to graduate school at CU. He enjoys climbing, hiking, cross-country skiing, and cooking.

I’m a post-doc in the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences. For my undergraduate degree, I went to Vassar College and was a physics major and computer science minor. My research focuses on using aircraft observations to understand tropical cyclone structure and evolution. In my free time, I enjoy skiing, hiking, and going to concerts.

I'm a first year PhD student working with Dr. Irina Petropavlovskikh (CIRES; NOAA-GML) and Dr. Peter Pilewskie (LASP; ATOC). I am also working at CIRES where my position is embedded within the NOAA Global Monitoring Laboratory (GML). My research is on the long-term trends and changes in atmospheric ozone (both Stratospheric and Tropospheric) and on the retreival algorithms used to measure trace gasses in the atmosphere (using radiative transfer methods). I have recieved a B.S. in Meteorology from Iowa State University in 2012. I am enjoying living in Colorado where I can do all the outdoor things (skiing, hiking, camping, etc.).

Zach is a 4th year Ph.D. working with Dr. Andrew Winters. He is researching cold frontal passages along the Colorado Front Range and their attendant sensible weather impacts and his broader research interests lie in synoptic dynamic meteorology.  Before joining ATOC Zach received a B.S. in both atmospheric science and applied math from the University of Miami (Florida). Zach’s hobbies include swimming, martial arts, tennis, exploring new places, and discovering cool shows.

Cari is a 2nd year PhD student working in the coastal oceanography modeling group under Dr. Julia Moriarty. She studies the modeling and prediction of estuarine water quality under different river discharge and wind conditions. Before coming to ATOC, she completed a BS in Earth System Science and a BA in Environmental Science and Policy at the University of California, Irvine. Outside of research, Cari loves to run, play volleyball, and eat good food.

Dora is a second year PhD student in Sara Sanchez’s topical climate variability and paleoceanography group. She researches salinity and the water cycle in the tropical Pacific and Indian Oceans using models, satellite data, and coral data. She received a B.S. in Mathematics from Case Western Reserve University, with minors in Physics and Environmental Studies, then briefly worked in geothermal energy at the National Renewable Energy Lab. In her free time, Dora loves to hike, sail, practice kung fu, and travel.

I'm a second year PhD student working with Dr. Ben Li in the Stable Isotope Lab. I study nitrogen, carbon and hydrogen isotopes to better understand the carbon cycle and the chemistry/composition of the current and past atmosphere. Before arriving to Boulder, I received a B.S. in Chemistry and B.S. in Environmental Science from the University of Rochester. Outside school, I enjoy hiking, live music, skiing, traveling and board games/trivia! 

Vikas is a 4th year Ph.D. student in Prof. Sebastian Schmidt’s Atmospheric Imaging, Radiation, and Remote Sensing (AIRS) group. He uses machine learning on top of satellite and airborne data to improve our understanding the Arctic surface. Before ATOC, Vikas completed a Master’s in Electrical and Computer Engineering at CU Boulder and worked/works at the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP). He enjoys hiking Colorado trails, going to trivia nights, and learning the piano.

Jairo is a third-year PhD student working with Dr. Katja Friedrich. His research focuses on radar microphysics, particularly snow production at the top of clouds. Jairo completed his undergraduate studies in Environmental Engineering in Peru. In his free time, he enjoys playing guitar, chess, Dota 2, hiking, and attending concerts.

Aiden is a first year PhD student interested in climate dynamics and climate modeling. During his undergrad, he studied computer science and math at Middlebury College and graduated in 2025. For fun, Aiden enjoys board games, live music, and rock climbing.

Ona is a 1st year Ph.D. student in the ATOC department. She received a B.S. in Atmospheric Science and a B.A. in Mathematics from the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa. Outside of school she enjoys reading, hiking, camping, and anything to do with the ocean!