CSU Department of Atmospheric Science

09/01/2026

CSU Climate Hub Director Veera Mitzner talks with Dr. Jim Hurrell, Scott Presidential Chair of Environmental Science and Engineering at Colorado State University and former director of the National Center for Atmospheric Research, about the changing attitudes of the atmospheric science community towards climate intervention, also known as geoengineering. They also discuss why research on these technologies is increasingly important, what some of the most critical challenges are, and why we shouldn't consider implementation before making more progress on reducing our greenhouse gas emissions.

https://csuclimatehub.colostate.edu/climate-hub-initiatives/green-bold-podcast/

09/01/2026

Associate Professor Maria Rugenstein was named our 2026 Outstanding Professor of the Year. The winner of this annual award, selected by the graduate students, is honored for exceptional instruction. Graduate representative Killian McSweeney presented the award. Congratulations Maria, and thanks to the department Grad Reps for administering the selection process.

08/31/2026

To catch student Daniela Guevara's research description in English, check out the other video we posted from the field campaign.

Doctoral student Daniela Guevara is working on the Salt Lake City Summer Ozone Study (SLC SOS) field campaign with Professor Emily Fischer and a team of researchers from multiple institutions. Guevara works with the Aerodyne dual channel Cavity Attenuated Phase Shift (CAPS) Nitrogen Oxides monitor in the research airplane.

08/31/2026

Doctoral student Daniela Guevara is working on the Salt Lake City Summer Ozone Study (SLC SOS) field campaign with Professor Emily Fischer and a team of researchers from multiple institutions. Guevara works with the Aerodyne dual channel Cavity Attenuated Phase Shift (CAPS) Nitrogen Oxides monitor in the research airplane.

08/27/2026

Incoming graduate student Aiden Ridgway joins Professor Sue van den Heever's group with a bachelor's degree at the Ohio State University in Atmospheric Science with a minor in Geographic Information Science. Ridgway got to participate in a summer class taught by Associate Professor Jana Houser at the Ohio State University titled Field Studies of Convective Storms, and spend a week forecasting, tracking and studying the evolution of convective storms. The class saw ten tornadoes during their trip, which Ridgway reports was quite exciting.

📷 1: A group photo from the Field Studies of Convective Storms class with a supercell in the background.

📷 2: Ridgway at the beach this summer

📷 3: Ridgway as a kid parading to convince people to vote for a school levy and holding a sign that says future scientist that shows that being a scientist has always been a dream.

📷 4: Presenting REU research at the University at Albany, where Ridgway studied elevation-dependent warming using high-resolution convection-permitting climate model output.

08/25/2026

The American Meteorological Society honored several CSU Department of Atmospheric Science faculty members with some of the Society’s most prestigious awards.

“It is my absolute pleasure to announce that our department was highly honored,” said Eric Maloney, department head. “We look forward to celebrating with all the awardees at the AMS Annual Meeting in Denver in January 2027, where we will also celebrate the Dave Randall Symposium.”

AMS symposium: https://source.colostate.edu/american-meteorological-society-honors-csu-atmospheric-science-faculty/

Professor Chris Kummerow, former director of the Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere, was honored with the Verner E. Suomi Technology Medal, granted to individuals in recognition of highly significant technological achievement in the atmospheric or related oceanic and hydrologic sciences. Kummerow’s work has led to advances in satellite microwave remote sensing of precipitation, transforming global water cycle observations. His work has applications for weather, hydrology, and climate science.

Professor Jeffrey Pierce was selected as the American Meteorological Society’s Walter Orr Roberts Lecturer. The Walter Orr Roberts Lecturer is selected in recognition of significant contributions to the understanding of atmospheric processes through the effective interchange of knowledge between atmospheric science disciplines or between atmospheric scientists and scientists of other disciplines. Pierce was recognized for his highly impactful, policy-relevant interdisciplinary research on the influence of atmospheric particulate matter on air quality, climate and human health.

Professor Dave Thompson received the Jule G. Charney Medal. This medal is granted to individuals in recognition of highly significant research or development achievement in the atmospheric or hydrologic sciences. Thompson works to improve understanding of modes of climate variability, the role of the stratosphere – the second lowest layer of the atmosphere – in global change and the accuracy of observed temperature records.

Also honored were Research Scientist Simon Pfreundschuh with the Editor’s Award from the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, and alumni Aaron Piña for the Award for the Early-Career Professional Achievement and Veljko Petković for the Journal of Hydrometeorology Editor’s Award.

University Distinguished Professor Randall was selected for an American Meteorological Society symposium.

08/24/2026

Postdoctoral scholar Matthew Davis is working on the Salt Lake City Summer Ozone Study (SLC SOS) field campaign with Professor Emily Fischer and a team of researchers from multiple institutions. Davis works with the Aerodyne dual channel Cavity Attenuated Phase Shift (CAPS) Nitrogen Oxides monitor.

08/20/2026

Lauren Zitlow was a Colorado Climate Center research intern this summer. The Colorado Climate Center, located within the CSU Department of Atmospheric Science, provides services and expertise related to Colorado's complex climate.

08/15/2026

Incoming graduate student Cody Converse has participated in multiple storm chase missions with the Doppler on Wheels (DOW) trucks through the Flexible Array of Radars and Mesonets (FARM) facility. Converse also marched 4 years of indoor competitive drumline with Winter Guard International and one season of drum corps with Drum Corps International. Converse will be conducting research with Associate Professor Rasmussen and Professor Schumacher and has an Associate of Science from Grand Rapids Community College, a Bachelor of Science in Meteorology from Central Michigan University, and a Master of Science in Geography from Northern Illinois University.

08/12/2026

Millions of airline passengers could experience fewer jarring flights thanks to a new federal forecasting tool.