Esther D. Mullens, PhD
Assistant Professor
Department of Geography
TUR 3138
emullens@ufl.edu
ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Esther_Mullens
Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=wGZilNUAAAAJ&hl=en
EDUCATION
PhD Meteorology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, 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
RESEARCH APPOINTMENTS
2014-18 Postdoctoral Research Associate, South Central Climate Adaptation Science Center, Norman, OK
Research Themes: Applied climate science, winter weather, extreme precipitation, transportation-relevant climate projections, multi-model analysis, undergraduate mentoring, climate science translation.
Mentor: Dr. Renee A McPherson
2008-14 Graduate Research Assistant, Cooperative Institute for Mesoscale Meteorological Studies, Norman, OK
Research themes: Winter weather, Ice storms, climatology, weather modeling (WRF)
Mentors: Drs Pete J Lamb & Lance M Leslie (Chairs), Drs Michael Richman, David Stensrud, May Yuan (Committee)
OTHER RESEARCH
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
Instructor
Spring 2020: Instructor of Record for IDH2930 – “Uncommon Reads: Success versus the Imposter syndrome” (1 credit hour seminar/discussion).
Spring 2019, 2020, 2021: Instructor of Record for “Managing for a Changing Climate” (GEO3334, Formerly Special Topics)
Course information can be found here
Fall 2018 and 2019: Instructor of record for “Extreme Weather” (GEO2242)
Spring 2018: Instructor “in training” for GEOG4513/5513 “Applied Climatology” (University of Oklahoma)
Guest Lecturer (Various 2015-18)
GEOG1114: “Introduction to Physical geography” (University of Oklahoma)
GEOG/METR3523: “Managing for a Changing Climate” (University of Oklahoma)
GEOG4513/5513: “Applied Climatology” (University of Oklahoma)
Adjunct Faculty (Fall 2014)
Rose State College, Midwest City, Oklahoma: “Introduction to Meteorology II” – A sophomore level meteorology class including topics such as synoptic, dynamics, mesoscale phenomena, global circulation, extreme weather, and climate change.
Graduate Teaching Assistant (Summer 2009)
METR1014: “Introduction to Weather and Climate” Lab instructor (University of Oklahoma)
MENTORING
Graduate Student Advisor (2019-)
- Hongsheng Wang (PhD student) – extreme precipitation, atmospheric dynamics, weather systems, climatology
- Meirah Williamson (Masters student) – heavy precipitation and flooding verification, socioeconomic impacts
Student committees
- I currently serve/have served on the committees of 6 students (4 masters, 2 PhD, one graduated 2020).
REU Advisor (2015-16)
Co-Mentor for three Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) summer students.
- Our 2015 student (Ryann Wakefield, Rutgers Uni.) analyzed possible co-variability and relationships between antecedent soil moisture anomalies and tornado frequency in various sub-domains east of the Rocky Mountains. Co-supervisors Dr. Harold Brooks (NSSL), Derek Rosendahl (South Central CSC). This student went on to win a student presentation award at the 2016 American Meteorological Soc. Annual meeting, and was accepted to her first choice institution for graduate school in 2016.
- Our 2016 students Kristina Mazur (Rutgers Uni.) interviewed emergency managers from three Tribal Nations, and examined climate projections for extreme precipitation tailored to these regions (co-mentor April Taylor, Derek Rosendahl). Dana Gillson (Mt Holyoke College) examined temperature and precipitation extremes from the CLIMDEX suite, for over 30 CMIP5 climate models, and four atmospheric reanalyses products for the South Central U.S, and evaluated how the model variability compared with reanalysis (Co-Mentor, Derek Rosendahl).
Senior Capstone Project Advisor (2014-15)
- Primary Mentor for three capstone students through their senior project, investigating the ability of the North American Regional Reanalysis dataset to replicate observed spatial and temporal distributions of severe and weak freezing precipitation events. Co-supervised by Dr. Renee McPherson.
PROFESSIONAL AND SERVICE ACTIVITIES
Member, AMS Board of Higher Education (BHE), 2020-present.
Assistant Planner, 2018 Early Career Researcher Training, Baton Rouge LA, Aug. 5-10 2018. Assisted with planning the workshop, including the topics and themes, and assisting with the event itself. Event solicitation and information here.
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.
Facilitator, Climate Projections Training, National Adaptation Forum, 2017: Formal training workshop at NAF in St. Paul hosted by the Climate Adaptation Science Centers on understanding uncertainty in climate projections, held Thursday May 11 3.30-5pm, entitled “Incorporating Future Climate Projections in Adaptation Planning: A layman’s guide”. Training developed by D. Rosendahl, A. Wootten, J. Blackband, R. McPherson and E. Mullens at the South Central Climate Adaptation Science Center, A. Bryan (NE CASC) and J. Littell (Alaska CASC). Program available here
Co-Developer, Climate and Transportation Seminar Series (2016-18), University of Oklahoma. Seminar series to promote cross-discipline communication of research between engineering/transportation, and the weather and climate community focused on high-impact weather hazards, and climate variability.
Participant, Climate and Severe Weather Working Group (2015-18), University of Oklahoma. This group, facilitated by the South Central Climate Adaptation Science Center, involved researchers from the School of Meteorology, Storm Prediction Center, and National Severe Storms Lab. It included a short seminar series, before transitioning to developing a multi-year research proposal to investigate physical drivers of extreme precipitation. The group received a large grant award in 2017 (5-year, ~$1.8 million) from NSF ‘PRE-EVENTS’. PI. Elinor Martin, Co-PIs and Senior Staff. Jason Furtado, Cameron Homeyer, Jeff Basara, Harold Brooks (NSSL), Michael Richman, Heather Lazarus (NCAR), Renee McPherson, Ashton Robinson-Cook (SPC). My role was to assist in scheduling and facilitating the discussion, and in the proposal writing, as part of the broader impacts team.
Participant, Early Career Researcher Training, Lubbock, Texas, 2016. Week long series of seminars, activities and engagements with local stakeholders on the topic of climate variability/change, and the agricultural sector of West Texas. Travel funding received from the South Central Climate Adaptation Science Center.
Facilitator, Journal Club, 2015-17, University of Oklahoma. Organized and scheduled speakers and topics for a discussion group for students and early career researchers.
Fellow, AMS Summer Policy Colloquium, Washington DC, June 2013. Ten-day immersive workshop to develop knowledge in science policy and the legislative process. Received funding to attend (through competitive application process) by the National Science Foundation.
Senator, Graduate Student Senate, University of Oklahoma, 2009-11, 2012. Chair of the External Affairs committee during 2009-10, Secretary and member of the executive committee 2010-2011. Acting Chair during Fall of 2010.
Member, OU Graduate Council, University of Oklahoma, 2010-11. Appointed by the Graduate College as one of four Student representatives. Evaluated interdisciplinary degree requests and other issues relevant to Graduate Students and the Graduate College.
Technology Fees Budgetary Committee, Atmospheric and Geographic Sciences, University of Oklahoma, 2010-11. Responsible for attending meetings and communicating pertinent information to Graduate Students.
Member, Atmospheric and Geographic Sciences Environmental Stewardship Committee, University of Oklahoma 2010-11. Committee’s mission was to establish methods to improve environmental stewardship of the department in areas including recycling, transportation, and outreach.
Forecaster, Oklahoma Weather Lab, University of Oklahoma, 2006-7.
Participant, Oklahoma Scholarship Enrichment Program, 2007. A week long immersive course in climate variability and change.
GRANT AWARDS
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 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
AWARDS
American Meteorological Society Outstanding Student Poster Presentation: For poster entitled ‘Trends in Heavy Precipitation in the Southern United States’ (AMS 6thAnnual Symposium on Policy and Socio-economic Research, 2011).
University of Reading Departmental Scholarship for Academic achievement, 2004.
PUBLICATIONS
Journals/Articles
Rosendahl, D. H., R. A. McPherson, A. Wootten, E. Mullens, J. Blackband, and A. Bryan (2019), Making sense of local climate projections, Eos, 100, https://doi.org/10.1029/2019EO136493. Published on 14 November 2019
Mullens, E.D., & McPherson, R.A. 2019. Quantitative Scenarios for Future Hydrologic Extremes in the U.S. Southern Great Plains. International Journal of Climatology. https://doi.org/10.1002/joc.5979. Impact factor 3.609
Mullens, E.D., and McPherson R.A, 2017: A Multi-algorithm reanalysis-based freezing precipitation dataset for climate studies in the South-Central U.S. J. Appl. Meteor. Clim, 56, doi: 10.1175/JAMC-D-16-0180.1. Impact factor 2.463
Mullens, E. D., L. M. Leslie, and P. J. Lamb, 2016: A synoptic climatology of ice and snowstorms in the Southern Great Plains 1993-2011. Weather and Forecasting, 31, 1109-1136, doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1175/WAF-D-15-0172.1.Impact Factor 1.972
Mullens, E. D., L. M. Leslie, and P. J. Lamb, 2016. Impact of Gulf of Mexico SST anomalies on Southern Plains freezing precipitation: WRF-ARW sensitivity study of the January 28-30 2010 winter storm. Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology, doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1175/JAMC-D-14-0289.1. Impact Factor 2.463
Chen S., J. Zhang,E. Mullens, Y. Hong, A. Behrangi, Y. Tian, X-M. Hu, J. Hu, Z. Zhang, and X. Zhang, 2015: Mapping the precipitation type distribution over the contiguous United States using NOAA/NSSL National multi-sensor mosaic QPE. IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing, 53, 4434-4443.Impact Factor 3.36
Chen, S., H. Liu, Y. You, E. Mullens, J. Hu, Ye. Yuan, M. Huang, L. He, Y. Luo, Zeng, G. Tang, and Y.Hong, 2014: Evaluation of high-resolution precipitation estimates from satellites during July 2012 Beijing flood event using dense rain gauge observations. Plos One, doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.008. Impact Factor 3.234
Mullens, E.D., 2014: Moisture and thermal characteristics of Southern Plains ice storms: insights from a regional synoptic climatology and high-resolution WRF-ARW sensitivity study. PhD Dissertation, Dept. Meteorology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK.
Mullens, E, D, M. Shafer, and J. Hocker, 2013. Trends in Heavy Precipitation in the Southern United States. Weather, 68, 311-316. Impact Factor 1.262
Publications forthcoming (in revision, or planned submission):
Mullens, E.D., 2020: Meteorological Cause and Characteristics of Widespread Heavy Precipitation days in the Texas-Gulf Watershed 2003-18. In revision. International J. Climatology. Accepted.
Mullens, E. D., and R. A. McPherson, 2020: Multi-model projections of future climate hazards affecting transportation in central Oklahoma. (Prep.)
VanBuskirk et al. “Listening to Stakeholders: Initiating Research on Sub-seasonal to Seasonal Heavy Precipitation Events by First Understanding What Users Need”. Submitted to Bulletin of the American Met. Soc. 2021.
Book Chapter
Farnsworth, A, E.D. White, C.J.R. Williams, E. Black and D. R. Kniveton, 2011. Understanding the Large-scale driving mechanisms of rainfall variability over Central Africa. African Climate and Climate Change, C.J.R Williams and D.R. Kniveton (Eds), Advances in Global Change Research, 43, pp. 101-122.
Reports/Articles
Kloesel, K., B. Bartush, J. Banner, D. Brown, J. Lemory, X. Lin, G. McManus, E. Mullens, J. Nielsen-Gammon, M. Shafer, C. Sorenson, S. Sperry, D. Wildcat, and J. Ziolkowska, 2018: Southern Great Plains. In Impacts, Risks, and Adaptation in the United States: Fourth National Climate Assessment, Volume II [Reidmiller, D.R., C.W. Avery, D.R. Easterling, K.E. Kunkel, K.L.M. Lewis, T.K. Maycock, and B.C. Stewart (eds.)]. U.S. Global Change Research Program, Washington, DC, USA, pp. 987–1035. doi: 10.7930/NCA4.2018.CH23. Available at: https://nca2018.globalchange.gov/chapter/23/
Mullens, E. D., and McPherson, R.A, 2017: A weather and climate trends roadmap [five individual climate summary reports for Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, New Mexico, Louisiana], South Central Climate Science Center, Norman, OK. https://climateprojections.wixsite.com/transportation
McPherson, R.A, and Mullens, E. D., 2017: Trends in cold extremes and winter weather for the SPTC Region: Historical context and future projections in transportation-relevant weather and climate extremes. Southern Plains Transportation Center Final Report, SPTC14.1-50. 130pp. Available by contacting sptc@ou.edu
Mullens, E.D., 2016: Seasonal Predictability of Freezing Rain? Southern Climate Monitor, 6(11), November 2016.p 2-6. Available at: http://www.southernclimate.org/documents/SCIPP_Monitor_Novemeber_2016.pdf
Mullens, E. D., R. A. McPherson and D. Rosendahl, 2015: Trends in weather extremes, new datasets for transportation safety and infrastructure research. SPTC Newsletter, Fall 2015, [http://www.sptc.org/publications/]
PRESENTATIONS & CONFERENCE PAPERS
Mullens, E.D., E. Martin, R. McPherson, J. Furtado, G. Jennrich, M. Schroers, P. Cwik, 2020: Causes and Predictability of Extreme Precipitation in the U.S. – Current and Future work. Oral presentation to the NE Florida and SE Georgia Integrated Warning Team Meeting (IWT). Straughn IFAS Center, Gainesville, FL, Feb 27 2020
Mullens, E.D., 2019: Meteorological Cause and Characteristics of Widespread Heavy Daily Precipitation events in the Texas-Gulf Water Resource Area. Poster (#581). Conference on Hydrology, American. Met. Soc. Annual Meeting, Boston, MA Jan 12-16 2020.
Rosendahl, D.H*., A. Wootton, R.A. McPherson, E. Kuster, Mullens, A. Bryan, 2020: Encouraging Planners and Decision-Makers to Embrace Uncertainty in Climate Model projections for Adaptation Planning. Oral presentation (7B.4), 33rd Conference on Climate Variability and Change, American Met. Soc. Annual Meeting, Boston, MA, Jan 12-16 2020.
Cwik, P., E. Martin, R. McPherson, H. Lazrus, J.C. Furtado, Mullens, C.M. Kuster, and M.J. Wagner, 2020: User’s perspectives and decision-making process based on S2S extreme precipitation forecast products – what we learned during the PRES2iP workshop. Oral presentation (3.5), 25th Conference on Applied Climatology, American Met. Soc. Annual Meeting, Boston, MA, Jan 12-16 2020.
Mullens, E.D., & R.A. McPherson, 2019: Will the Extreme Rain Fall Mainly on the Plains? Precipitation Scenarios under Climate Change for Oklahoma and Texas. Southeastern Division of the AAG, Poster, Monday Nov 25 2019, Wilmington NC.
McPherson, R., P. Cwik, H. Lazrus, E. Martin, E. Mullens, C. Kuster & M. Wagner, 2019: Users perspectives on S2S forecast products for extreme precipitation events. Presentation 10B.1, Climate Variability and Change, American Meteorological Soc. Annual Meeting.
P. Cwik, H. Lazrus, E. Martin, R. McPherson, E. Mullens, C. Kuster, M. Wagner, 2018: Improving the sub-seasonal to seasonal prediction of extreme precipitattion events via co-production of knowledge. Poster, AGU Fall Meeting 2018. NH31C-0998
Rosendahl, D., Cwik, P, Martin, E. R., Basara, J. B, Brooks, H. E., Furtado, J, Homeyer, C., Lazrus, H., McPherson, R., Mullens, E., Richman, M., and Robinson-Cook, A. 2017: Developing a framework for seamless prediction of sub-seasonal to seasonal extreme precipitation events in the United States. Poster, AGU Annual Meeting 2017, http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2017AGUFM.H53D1480R
Mazur, K., E. Mullens, D. Rosendahl and A. Taylor, 2017: Extreme precipitation and flooding in Oklahoma’s Tribal Nations. Poster, American Meteorological Soc. Annual Meeting, 2017
Mullens, E. D., and R. A. McPherson, 2016: Come rain of shine: Multi-model projections of climate hazards affecting transportation in the South Central United States. American Geophysical Union, Poster PA31A-2198, Climate Change Impacts on the Transportation Sector, San Francisco, CA, December 14, 2016.
Gillson, D., D. Rosehdahl, and E. Mullens, 2016: Assessing future projections of Climate Extremes over the South Central USA. American Geophysical Union, Poster, Climate Variability and Change, San Francisco, CA, December 14, 2016.
Mullens, E. D., and R. A. McPherson, 2016: Current trends and future projections of transportation-relevant temperature and precipitation extremes in the South Central U.S. Invited Keynote presentation. South Central Climate Science Center, and Southern Plains Transportation Center Climate Transportation Summit, Norman, OK, November 14, 2016.
Mullens, E. D., and R. A. McPherson, 2016: Supporting end-user needs in the South Central U.S: Sector-specific climate change projections. SCENARIO NERC DTP Conference, University of Reading, United Kingdom. June 11, 2016,
Mullens, E. D., and R. A. McPherson, 2016: A high-resolution freezing precipitation dataset for the South-Central U.S (Oral Presentation). AMS 32ndConference on Environmental Information Processing Technologies, New Orleans LA, January 14, 2016.
Mullens, E. D., and R. A. McPherson, 2016: A multi-algorithm Reanalysis-based freezing precipitation dataset for climate studies in the South Central U.S. (Oral Presentation), AMS 22ndConference on Applied Climatology, New Orleans, LA, January 14, 2016.
Wakefield, R., E. Mullens, D. Rosendahl, and H. Brooks, 2016 (Oral Presentation). The effects of antecedent soil moisture anomalies on tornado activity in the United States, AMS 22ndConference on Applied Climatology, New Orleans, LA, January 14, 2016.
Mullens, E. D., and R. A. McPherson, 2015: Climate trends and data resources for freezing precipitation and surface freeze-thaw cycles in DOT Region 6 (Poster), SPTC Transportation Research day, Oklahoma City, OK, October 20, 2015.
Mullens, E. D., R. A. McPherson, D. Rosendahl, and Gaitán Ospina, C, 2015: Developing transportation-relevant climatologies and projections for the south central U.S (Oral Presentation). TRB First International Conference on surface transportation resilience to climate change and extreme weather impacts. Washington D.C, September 16-18, 2015.
Mullens, E. D., and R. A. McPherson, 2015: Developing a high-resolution freezing precipitation dataset for climatological research (Poster). OU-NJU Symposium on weather and climate research, Norman, OK, May 11 2015.
Mullens, E. D., and R. A. McPherson, 2014: Weather and Climate Impacts on Transportation for SPTC Region 6 (Oral Presentation).Southern PlainsTransportation Center Research Day, October 21, Oklahoma City, OK.
White, E.D, L. M. Leslie, and P. J. Lamb, 2013: A synoptic climatology of winter storms in the Southern Plains 1993-2011 (Poster). 25thSymposium on Climate Variability and Change, AMS 93th Annual Meeting, Austin, TX, January 7, 2013.
White, E. D., M. Shafer, and J. Hocker, 2011: Trends in heavy precipitation in the southern United States (Poster). 6thSymposium on Policy and Socio-economic research, AMS 91stAnnual Meeting, Seattle, WA, January 24, 2011.
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS
American Association for the Advancement of Science (2019-)
American Association of Geographers/Southeastern Division of the American Association of Geographers (2019-)
American Association of State Climatologists (2016-)
American Geophysical Union (2016-)
American Meteorological Society (2008-)
OUTREACH