About me

I am guided in my career (and recreational pursuits) by a strong enthusiasm for the world around me. The beauty of this varied planet overlaps with fascinating physical processes to yield rich intellectual and physical terrain calling for exploration.

Climate and weather and their manifestations on Earth's surface are tied to broader-scale earth systems, which are changing. I am particularly interested in the interconnectedness of local-scale processes--ecological or physical--to broader-scale global system dynamics. For example, I have spent many years studying the impact of interannual climate variability in West Africa on seasonal malaria transmission, with a particular emphasis on Niger. Hydrology is a necessary intermediate between larger-scale climate processes such as the West African monsoon and the mosquito ecology that drives intense malaria transmission following rains. See the "research" tab for more information. Also, river flood risk is related to climate but not in a simple, linear manner. Watersheds respond differently to precipitation extremes, and the internal variables such as snowpack and soil moisture that modulate rainfall response are themselves climate-sensitive. I love the intriguing puzzle of disentangling these complex webs of causations from broad-scale global climate processes to various localized impacts felt on the ground. Many, such as malaria transmission and flood risk, have significant societal impact. My interests do not stop there, however.

In teaching, I try to show that the wonders of science are all around us by relating students' personal experiences (such as those from everyday life that they may take for granted) to principles in hydrology and other courses. And teaching and outreach are very blurred at the boundary, as I hope you can see in my blog posts and other outlets.