Dr. Sean P.F. Casey (he/him) is a UCAR Cooperative Programs for the Advancement of Earth System Science (CPAESS) Project Scientist who has worked with QOSAP since 2016, primarily on projects involving global-model analysis/forecast impacts of new and existing satellites. He is particularly interested in the structure of Observing System Simulation Experiments (OSSEs), and how the strengths/limitations of a nature run, observation simulator, data assimilation software, forecast model, and verification package can impact the reported impacts of a given new instrument. 

Education:

Ph.D. Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 2009 (Atmospheric Sciences)
M.S. Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 2007 (Atmospheric Sciences)
B.S. University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 2005 (Atmospheric Sciences)

Dr. Jakir Hossen is a Project Scientist at the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research/Cooperative Programs for the Advancement of Earth System Science (UCAR/CPAESS). His research within QOSAP focuses on the evaluation of the impact of proposed and existing observation systems on analyses and forecasts of the ocean by assimilating in situ and remote sensing observations. Besides his experience working with data assimilation methods, he is interested in combining machine learning algorithms with data assimilation methods to improve weather forecasting. 

Education:

Ph.D. Australian National University, Canberra, Australia, 2015 (Earth Sciences)

M.S. Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, 2008 (Computational Science)

M.Sc. University of Dhaka, Bangladesh, 2001 (Applied Mathematics)

B.Sc., University of Dhaka, Bangladesh, 1999 (Mathematics)

Dr. Benjamin R. Johnston is a Project Scientist I within the Cooperative Programs for the Advancement of Earth System Science (CPAESS) at UCAR and has worked within QOSAP since 2022. His current work focuses on optimizing the assimilation of GNSS-RO observations within NOAA’s next-generation hurricane model, the Hurricane and Analysis Forecast System (HAFS), to maximize the impact of various RO data sources on operational hurricane forecasts. His primary research interests include GNSS-RO data evaluation, remote sensing, tropical cyclones, convective processes and dynamics, and climate studies including ENSO and tropopause variability.

He received his B.S. in Meteorology from California University of Pennsylvania in 2009, his M.S. in atmospheric science from the University of Maryland in 2012, and his Ph.D. in Coastal and Marine Systems Science from Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi in 2019. He completed a postdoctoral research fellowship within the COSMIC program at UCAR in 2022.

Dr. Zhenglong Li is a research scientist at the Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies, Space Science and Engineering Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison (CIMSS/SSEC/UW-Madison). He earned his B.S. and M.S. degrees in atmospheric sciences from Peking University in 2000 and 2003, respectively, and his Ph.D. in atmospheric sciences from UW-Madison in 2009. Since then, he has served as a research scientist at CIMSS/SSEC/UW-Madison. With over 20 years of experience, his expertise lies in meteorological satellite remote sensing, focusing on both traditional and advanced hyperspectral infrared sounders from polar orbiting and geostationary satellites. His research spans satellite data assimilation, observing system simulation studies for future advanced satellites, retrieval algorithm development for atmospheric profiles and land surface emissivity, product validation and evaluation, and application to weather forecasting and nowcasting.

Agnes Lim is a researcher at the Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies located in Madison, Wisconsin. Originally from Singapore, she received her Ph.D. in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her primary research interest is in satellite data assimilation. She has extensive experience working with hyperspectral infrared radiance data and atmospheric motion vectors. Her work includes development of assimilation techniques for optimal use of satellite data, data impact assessment on weather forecasts at global and regional scales and observing simulation system experiments

Dr. Michael J. Mueller is a Project Scientist at the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research/Cooperative Programs for the Advancement of Earth System Science (UCAR/CPAESS) who specializes in assessing the impact of observations on numerical weather model forecasts. Since joining NOAA’s Quantitative Observing System Assessment Program (QOSAP) group in 2017, he has contributed to many data impact assessment studies using NCEP’s Global Forecast System. His accomplishments with QOSAP include leading investigations into the impact of simulated COSMIC-2 radio occultation observations, CYGNSS ocean surface winds, simulated and real satellite-based Doppler Wind Lidar profiles, and long-duration balloon profiles.

Education

Ph.D., Saint Louis University, Meteorology, 2013

M.S., Saint Louis University, Meteorology, 2010

B.S., Saint Louis University, Meteorology, 2007

Dr. T. Connor Nelson is a Project Scientist in the Cooperative Programs for the Advancement of Earth System Science (CPAESS) at UCAR and is part of the NOAA Quantitative Observing System Assessment Program (QOSAP). In this capacity, he is leading the development of a next generation observing system simulation experiment (OSSE) capability for the Hurricane Analysis and Forecast System (HAFS) model. The goal of his research is to use OSSEs to examine the impact of various observational data and platforms on operational hurricane forecasts. While his primary research interest is tropical cyclones and atmospheric modeling, his other research interests include: mesoscale meteorology, deep convection processes (including convection initiation), observational techniques and analyses, statistical analyses, and satellite meteorology. 

He received his B.S. in Meteorology–Geography in 2013 from Ohio University, his M.S. in Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences in 2015 from the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, and his Ph.D. in Atmospheric Science from the University at Albany, State University of New York in 2019. He completed his postdoctoral appointment at the University of Colorado–Boulder in 2021. Prior to joining QOSAP, he was a research scientist at Colorado State University–CIRA, where he served as the Satellite Liaison between the National Weather Service (NWS) and the GOES program at the NWS Operations Proving Ground until 2023. 

Dr. Christopher Riedel is a Project Scientist I within the Cooperative Programs for the Advancement of Earth System Science (CPAESS) at UCAR. He has worked within the Quantitative Observing System Assessment Program (QOSAP) since February 2023. His current work focuses on optimizing the assimilation of GNSS-RO observations within NOAA’s Gridpoint Statistical Interpolation (GSI) system, which produces analyses for NOAA’s Global Forecast System (GFS) model. This work includes optimizing GNSS-RO observation errors, quality control, and forward operators. His research interests include developing and applying data assimilation methods to different Earth system components ranging from weather to climate scales.

Education:

Ph.D., Meteorology, University of Oklahoma, 2020

M.S., Meteorology, University of Oklahoma, 2015

B.S., Meteorology, University of Oklahoma, 2013

B.A., Mathematics, Ottawa University, 2010

Dr. David Santek has been associated with many satellite data and remote sensing projects during his 45-year career at the University of Wisconsin-Madison/ SSEC/CIMSS, including visualization, product development, and numerical model impacts. Also, he has led the development of several innovative techniques for extracting tropospheric wind information from satellite and model data. His main role in QOSAP is generating Atmospheric Motion Vectors (AMVs) from model reanalysis or nature run grids, to simulate the 3D distribution of winds that can be expected from future satellite missions: For example, from a constellation of low-earth orbiting satellites equipped with hyperspectral IR sounders. These AMVs are then used in OSSE studies. 

Education:

Ph.D., Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2007

M.S., Meteorology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1978

B.S., Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, University of Michigan, 1975

Dr. Andres Vidal is a UCAR Cooperative Programs for the Advancement of Earth System Science (CPAESS) Software Engineer III. He leads the Consolidated Observing Systems Simulator (COSS) for the QOSAP program. He works closely with the scientists of the group by implementing the physical models they develop, test and validate, so the COSS package is always up-to-date with the developments of the group.  His research interests are supercomputing, parallel/multicore/multithreaded programming, code optimization and numerical computing.

Education:

2015, Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL

1999, M.S., Computer Science, Universidad Simón Bolívar, Miranda State, Venezuela

1993, M.S., Mechanical Engineering, Universidad Simón Bolívar, Miranda State, Venezuela

1989, B.S., Mechanical Engineering, Universidad Simón Bolívar, Miranda State, Venezuela