Biosketch (abbreviated CV)
Esther D. Mullens, PhD
Assistant Professor
Department of Geography
Affiliate Faculty: UF Water Institute, SE & SC Climate Adaptation Science Centers, Department of Sustainability, Natural Resources and the Environment (SNRE), University of Florida.
Publications and select conference presentations:
ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Esther_Mullens
Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=wGZilNUAAAAJ&hl=en
Funded Research
Pre-UF
2017-18 $61,783 Regional graduate student, postdoc, and early-career researcher training III. Held Aug 5-11, 2018, in Baton Rouge, LA. PI D. Rosendahl, Co-PIs: E. Mullens, R. McPherson, K. DeLong, V.H. Rivera-Monroy. U.S. Geological Survey/Dept. Interior Grant award.
2014-16 $132,240 Trends in cold temperature extremes and winter weather for SPTC Region 6. PI McPherson, Co-PI E. Mullens, Co-PIs D. Rosendahl, M. Shafer, M. Richman. Southern Plains Transportation Center. Mullens was the primary author for the scientific content of this proposal.
2013 $10,000 Received travel award from the NSF to attend the AMS Summer Policy Colloquium in Washington DC
At UF
2021-24 $292,448. PI Mullens, E.D. Thermodynamic Modification of Winter Storms in a Warmer Climate, Submitted to NSF AGS, Physical and Dynamic Meteorology. Fund a PhD student and two undergraduates + Precollegiate summer program through CPET.
Education:
PhD Meteorology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, 2014
Dissertation: Moisture and thermal characteristics of Southern Plains ice storms: insights from a regional synoptic climatology and high-resolution WRF-ARW sensitivity study
BSc (Hons) Meteorology, University of Reading, Reading, United Kingdom, 2007
Senior Thesis: Greenhouse Gas Radiative Forcing
Prior Employment:
2014-18 Postdoctoral Research Associate, South Central Climate Adaptation Science Center, Norman, Oklahoma
Research Themes: Applied climate science, winter weather, extreme precipitation, transportation-relevant climate projections, multi-model analysis, geospatial analysis, undergraduate mentoring, climate science translation. Mentor: Dr. Renee A McPherson
2014 Adjunct Instructor, Rose State College, Midwest City, Oklahoma.
2008-14 Graduate Research Assistant, Cooperative Institute for Mesoscale Meteorological Studies (now the Cooperative Institute for Severe and High Impact Weather), Norman, Oklahoma
Research themes: Winter weather, Ice storms, spatial climatology, regional weather modeling (WRF). Mentors: Drs Pete J Lamb & Lance M Leslie (Chairs), Drs Michael Richman, David Stensrud, May Yuan (Committee)
2010 Southern Climate Impacts Planning Program and Oklahoma Climatological Survey, Norman, OK
Research themes: Heavy precipitation trends in the Southern United States. Mentors: Dr Mark Shafer & Mr James Hocker
2007-8 University of Reading, Reading, United Kingdom
Research themes: Precipitation variability in central Africa. Mentors: Drs. Charles Williams and Emily Black
2005 UK Meteorological Office, Exeter, Devon
Research themes: Data digitization and quality control for HadSLP2. Mentors: Drs Rob Allan and Tara Ansell
Teaching and course development
Existing courses:
GEO2242 Extreme Weather.
MET1010 Introduction to Weather and Climate.
New Courses to UF:
GEO3334 & GEO6335 Managing for a Changing Climate.
MET4500C Synoptic Meteorology with Lab
MET4450 Atmospheric Physics
GEO2336 People and Places in a Changing Climate
IDH2930 Uncommon Reads (spring 2020 only)
Program Development
I am one of the lead faculty program developers of a Bachelor of Science in Meteorology, with three specializations – “General Meteorology”, “Applied Meteorology and Global Change” and “Broadcast meteorology”. Program development incorporates three members of UF Faculty as primary team responsible for this work. The program is approved and is available as of Fall 2024, through the Department of Geography.
Mentoring
Chair: 6 graduate students (4 graduated)
Committee member: 22 students (14 graduated)
Research experience: 1 graduate student, 16 undergraduates including 3 honor’s theses, 2 exchange students from the United Kingdom, 2 paid interns, 3 CLAS scholars awardees, and one summer REU.
Precollege research experience: 2 rising senior high school students, in collaboration with the Center for Pre-collegiate Education and Training, and sponsored by the National Science Foundation.
Service and Outreach
Invited talks (select)
Scientist in every Florida schools presentations to classes in Miami Dade county, Nov 7 2025, May 14 2026.
Conversation on Meteorology. Whittier Middle School, Oklahoma (virtual), Feb 11 2025.
Panelist –session on climate change, UNF Jacksonville, March 30 2023, 6.30-8pm.
Scientist in every Florida schools presentations to classes in Lee county and Bay county, Fall 2022
What do Scientists know about climate change, and how do they know it? E. Mullens Lecture, Institute for Learning in Retirement (UF/Oak Hammock), Jan 20 2022.
Eastside High School lecture series – 5 periods in total (4 on climate data and modeling, and one on my career pathway), E. Mullens, Sep 10 2021.
The Earth Doctors (how, and why I study extreme weather in a changing world). Lecture given to summer program run by the Center for Precollegiate Training (CPET) at UF. July 13 2021.
‘Science in Every Florida School’- “Weather Clues” Presentation to Elementary School, St. Johns co. School district. March 12 2021.
‘Science in Every Florida School’ – Presentation to Belle Terre Elementary School, Palm Coast, FL, on basic climatology, Oct 28 2020. https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/earth-systems/scientist-in-every-florida-school/
Professional service
Session creator and co-chair – “Winter Weather in a Warming World”, AMS Annual Meeting, 2023-5. Two sessions of 90 minutes each, and poster session.
Chair, Lorenz Teaching Award in the Atmospheric sciences. 2024, 2025. Ad hoc committee of the American Meteorological Soc. for reviewing applicants and determining the award allocation.
AAG Early Career Workshop June 1-5 2021 (virtual): Teaching and research development; 3-minute peer-reviewed lectures; networking.
Academics Committee – Second Climate Action Plan for the University of Florida (2020-2022). Creating and evaluating goals and activities toward fulfilling an update to UFs climate action plan https://sustainable.ufl.edu/campus-initiatives
Member, American Association of Geographers Committee on the Status of Women in Geography (invited, 2020-2023)
Committee Member, American Meteorological Soc. Board of Higher Education (2020-). Chair-elect. Term begins 2027. Assist with activities to meet the vision of better equipping students and faculty for career success by helping meteorology (and related) programs become better attuned to the changing career field.
- Member of dynamics survey and educational development team sub-committee
- Member of 2-year college engagement in atmospheric sciences education sub-committee
Reviewer: Battan K-12 and Adult book awards – Summer 2023.
Committee Member for review and selection of AMS Lorenz Award. American Meteorological Society Board of Higher Education (BHE), May 2020.
Co-Author, Chapter 23 of the Fourth National Climate Assessment (NCA4, Vol 2): 2016-18. Lead the infrastructure Key Message team. Participated in conference calls, listening sessions, and other USGCRP related activities.
Ad-hoc reviewer for the following Journals: Springer (Climate Dynamics, Theoretical and Applied Climate), AMS (Weather and Forecasting, Journal of Climate, Bulletin of the American Met Soc., Journal of Applied Met. and Climate), Wiley (International J. of Climatology), MDPI (Atmosphere, Climate, Hydrology), among others.
Panel reviewer for NOAA Climate Program Office (CPO) grants – February 2023.