Information for Prospective Students – Fall 2025

FALL 2025 GRADUATE STUDENT OPPORTUNITIES

I am seeking enthusiastic and motivated students for projects related to the following:

  • Meteorological drivers of precipitation variability – focus on the U.S primarily but other areas may be considered
  • Seasonal to sub-seasonal predictability of precipitation variability or future climate projections
  • Sea breeze thunderstorms and relationships to synoptic scale
  • Other topics relevant to regional and global-scale climatology.

At this time, I do not have funding secured for this work. However, the UF Department of Geography is able to offer a certain number of Graduate Teaching Assistants to strong PhD candidates, and applicants to the program would automatically be considered. TA’s involve teaching and grading our classes in the department, and come with a stipend of $21,000 per 9 months, with up to $9,000 earnings for additional summer work available each year. TAs are only available to PhD applicants. I have no funding to support master’s students at this time. Note that the department of Geography requires students to have a masters degree before applying for PhD.

Prospective applicants – please provide a CV and indicate your research interest in the above topic areas or in an area you propose. Note that my discipline is primarily meteorology and synoptic climatology, and so I seek prospective students with background in these areas. Unfortunately, I am unable to respond to every applicant, but I try to respond to those who demonstrate backgrounds and experience that are most closely aligned with meteorology and climatology. I particularly welcome applications from women and underrepresented groups. Please provide a statement as to how pursuing a degree would assist you in your career trajectory.

How will your request be evaluated?

  • I will compile all relevant solicitations and evaluate them based on match to my research program, qualifications, and additional skillsets.
  • If you are shortlisted, you will receive an email from me. I expect to do this sometime in mid October for first evaluation. I’ll then request a short interview where we can discuss the program and the university.
  • Your application if you chose then to place one would need to be complete and received by the University by Dec 1 for funding consideration.
  • If you are NOT contacted by me, I would not recommend that you apply to the program.
  • Not being contacted/selected to interview is not usually a reflection of your overall skills and abilities, but has more to do with potential fit to our program and my research group specifically.

International students

  • Please look at the guidance for international applicants at UF’s international center 
  • Admission to UF is not a guarantee of a successful visa application. Note that international students typically come in on 2.5 or 5-year F1 student visas. These are non immigrant visas. You must demonstrate financial solvency, connections to your home country, and that you intend to return to your home country upon completion of your degree.
  • If English is not your first language, you will need to demonstrate competency in the English language through testing. See the above link for assistance. Good grasp of English is especially critical for Teaching assistantship funding. 
  • Our department no longer requires the GRE exam!
  • Citizens of Iran, China, Russia, Cuba, North Korea, Syria and Venezuela are unable to be funded for study in the state of Florida.

Conversation Article Feature: What is a Bomb Cyclone?

A ‘polar low’ approaching Ireland. Image from Pixabay.

I recently write a short article in the Conversation regarding the upcoming intense winter storm due to impact the Northeastern US. The precise impacts of this event are still uncertain. If it tracks east, then the greatest impacts in terms of winds and precipitation remain offshore or restricted to the very edges of the coastlines. However, a westward shift brings the potential for heavier snow and strong winds inland. While mid-latitude storms tend to get less attention than tropical cyclones, the impacts of an intense mid-latitude storm such as this can be extreme – particularly in terms of snowfall, winds, and coastal erosion/flooding. See the article for more on how intense ‘bomb’ cyclones develop: https://theconversation.com/what-is-a-bomb-cyclone-an-atmospheric-scientist-explains-175825

Currently, Hongsheng Wang and I are conducting research into how extratropical cyclones are influenced by natural variability of the climate. We are examining changes in the frequency, spatial locations, and characteristics (winds, precipitation, moisture) over the Pacific-North American-Atlantic region. Hongsheng recently presented her work at the 2022 Annual meeting of the American Meteorological Society. https://ams.confex.com/ams/102ANNUAL/meetingapp.cgi/Paper/394491