Meteorology Personal Statement

I discovered my passion for meteorology in eighth grade, when a love for clouds drove a desire to learn more. While my curiosity in the subject never faltered, my interest and career goals evolved as I was exposed to a research university and experts in the field. I was intrigued by the different challenges in research, as well as the prospect of being able to teach new generations of scientists. It is with this intrigue that I find myself continuing my education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, pursuing a Ph.D. in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences (AOS) as an aspiring researcher and professor.

My research experience began at Pennsylvania State University’s NSF funded Climate Science Research Experience for Undergraduates after my junior year. My project, advised by Dr. Sukyoung Lee, focused on the lead-lag relationship of the poleward shift of Southern Hemisphere jet stream and the

Michael Morgan. The research goal was to develop a self-adaptive ensemble Kalman Filter, determining whether it could provide improved forecast information compared to traditional methods. To conduct this research, I used the Weather Research and Forecasting model and developed a 14-member ensemble using different physics packages to run the model. Through this research, I gained a deep understanding of different forms of linear regression and the Kalman Filter technique from an extensive literature review and by developing my own applications. As part of this project wrote a successful proposal for the Trewartha Honors Senior Thesis Grant. The research resulted in a presentation at UW-Madison’s Honors Thesis Symposium and the AOS Department’s Capstone Seminar. These opportunities solidified my interest in research, as it presented a chance to help develop a research topic from an initial concept into a testable hypothesis, including adjusting objectives as obstacles