Each year UCAR receives applications from graduate students across the world who are interested in furthering their research in one of three tracks:
Earth System Science, Diversity and Inclusion, and Public Policy.
Each year, three graduate students are selected each year to participate in a two year fellowship, creating a rolling cohort of six students. Scroll down to meet our program alumni.
Abdulamid Fakoya is from Ogun State, Nigeria. He is guided by the African proverb, “If you want to go fast, go alone, but if you want to go far, go together.” For him, this adage underscores the importance of collective action and collaboration in achieving lasting impact, particularly in the realms of science and academia.
Fakoya is on track to earn a PhD in meteorology from the University of Oklahoma. His research focuses on the interaction between atmospheric aerosols and climate. Leveraging in situ and remote sensing observations, he seeks to understand the evolution of biomass burning and wildfire smoke and the influence on regional climate.
Fakoya's interest in atmospheric science was piqued after attending a symposium in high school, which opened his eyes to the harmful environmental and health effects of emissions, especially in densely populated areas like Lagos, where his family resided. Growing up in a small village, Fakoya faced firsthand the financial challenges that often deter academic advancement for those without socio-economic privilege. However, he was determined to prove that his circumstances would not define his potential and sought every opportunity to expand his knowledge and skills. He earned a bachelor’s and master’s in physics from University of Ilorin, Nigeria, as well as a master’s in meteorology from University of Oklahoma. Upon finishing his PhD, Fakoya will join the small percentage of individuals of Black or African descent who hold doctoral degrees in the field of Earth system science.
Fakoya is a devoted volunteer who is deeply committed to giving back to his community. He emphasizes that true inclusivity requires a holistic understanding of diversity that includes not only race or gender disparities, but also takes into consideration socioeconomic factors, disabilities, and other dimensions of identity. As a fellow, Fakoya aims to acquire knowledge about professional diversity, equity, and inclusion practices within workplace environments and enhance his cross-cultural communication skills. “The UCAR fellowship will offer me valuable training to become an effective mentor, particularly for individuals with similar marginalized identities who are pursuing careers in STEM,” he said.
Growing up in the hurricane-prone state of Louisiana, Corinne Arrington Salter has witnessed firsthand the impacts of extreme weather on vulnerable communities. This experience is the driving force that has inspired them to study environmental justice in the hopes of finding solutions and helping build community resilience.
Salter’s family history traces back to the Marshall Islands, a chain of islands in the central Pacific Ocean which are particularly vulnerable to sea level rise related to climate change. Salter’s passion for promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in scientific fields and environmental decision-making is due to their connections to these multiple communities that exist on the front lines of climate change impacts.
“I hope to bring awareness and attention to marginalized issues and foster an inclusive space for diverse voices to be heard and represented,” said Salter.
While pursuing a doctorate in environmental sciences, Salter has also co-founded a school group focused on climate and social activism called the Climate Pelicans. They also earned bachelor’s degrees in criminal justice and Spanish from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.
Salter credits the supportive upbringing from their two adoptive moms for their achievements thus far, and Salter also hopes to use this momentum to pave the way for other underrepresented identities in science. During their fellowship, Salter will use their combined experience as a nonbinary scientist and DEI professional to support the organization's ongoing efforts to improve hiring practices and make connections to diverse job candidates. Ultimately this goal aligns with UCAR’s own strategic initiatives to ensure an effective and inclusive workforce that is prepared to meet global challenges with diverse research.
“I want to listen to diverse experiences from these communities and uplift their voices and provide a platform for them to further offer their experiences to the sciences, while not talking over those with experiences different from my own,” said Salter.
Cunningham is a doctoral student in physics at the University of Toronto with a specialization in environmental studies. Along with their research and studies, Cunningham has co-founded a student organization focused on bringing visibility and awareness to the challenges of underrepresented groups within the physics field. Cunningham points to their lived experience as a queer and nonbinary scientist as their reason for working to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in science.
“I am hoping that part of my role will be as a visible queer, trans, and disabled scientist that others who share similar identities can look to as an example of someone like themselves being open in science,” said Cunningham. During their time as a fellow, Cunningham will work closely with UCAR’s Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion to enact workplace policies and projects that will help make the Earth system science field a welcoming place for people in underrepresented groups.
Cunningham views the UCAR fellowship as an opportunity to gain practical experience applying initiatives within a professional workplace setting. “I would like to work on improving, growing, or developing outreach projects run by UCAR for underrepresented communities,” said Cunningham. Cunningham holds a bachelor's degree in physics from Loyola University Chicago where they also earned the Father Gerst Memorial Award for their high academic performance in the physics department.
While she is pursuing a doctoral degree in Earth system science, Alwan also centers social justice and equity into her work in the geoscience community. Alwan defines her role in geoscience as a “space-maker” who ensures everyone has a seat at the table. Combining geosciences with the theoretical framework of Critical Race Theory, developed in the social sciences, Alwan’s dissertation focuses on the pathways Black geoscientists take in their research fields and what factors influence their professional development and careers. While the primary focus of her research is on the experience of Black geoscientists, she also plans to look at the intersection of race, gender identity, and sexual orientation.
Alwan sees the Diversity and Inclusion Fellowship as an opportunity to gain first-hand experience in diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives in the Earth system science community, particularly in pioneering her own projects to support these goals. She plans to start an Earth system science lecture series and accompanying podcast to highlight the paths that lead scientists to their fields of research. These projects will feature early career and rising scientists, particularly those who hold minoritized identities in STEM, to improve their visibility in the field. “My ultimate vision for this fellowship is to help young students who hold minoritized identities see themselves in science in a way that they never previously have. It may be learning about a meteorologist who looks like them, or a first-generation physicist doing work they did not even know was possible. These projects will help make diversity and innovation a reality, because they bring underserved scientists to the forefront,” said Alwan.
Tachera is a kanaka ʻōiwi (Native Hawaiian) student who is pursuing a doctoral degree in hydrogeology at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa (UH Mānoa). Her research focuses on precipitation and groundwater connectivity between Hawaiian aquifers, and her scientific goals focus on the intersection of indigenous knowledge and the scientific process to create sustainable water resource management within the State of Hawaiʻi.
Tachera earned her bachelor’s degree in geology and geophysics, also at UH Mānoa. Since she was an undergraduate student, she has participated in the Maile Mentoring Program, a campaign to support native Hawaiian students pursuing STEM degrees through mentorship. Tachera is also on the newly formed School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council at UH Mānoa. “As a kanaka Earth scientist, I think the intersection of indigenous knowledge and Western science could play a key role in water resource management,” says Tachera. “I see myself as a science-community mediator in the future in a position that allows me to continue to work in a science field but placing importance on meeting and understanding community issues and goals.
Blanchard is an Absentee Shawnee doctoral student at the University of Kansas in the Department of Geography and Atmospheric Science. As a geographer, she is passionate about fostering more opportunities for Native scientists and about bridging the gap between Native and Western sciences.
Blanchard earned her bachelor's in Indigenous and American Indian studies at Haskell Indian Nations University before being recruited into a master's program at the University of Oklahoma in Geography. While at Oklahoma, Blanchard worked with dozens of tribes and Native and non-native scientists on climate change issues. She has also been an active participant in the NSF NCAR-hosted Rising Voices: Collaborative Sciences with Indigenous Knowledge for Climate Solutions since its inception in 2013.
First-year doctoral student Aara’L Yarber is in the meteorology program at Pennsylvania State University. She is studying atmospheric and climate dynamics and their societal impacts, with particular interest in Africa and the Caribbean. Yarber is planning research using WRF, the Weather Research and Forecasting model, along with its dust module, with the goals of developing an observation network in West Africa and of improving understanding of dust transport and its linkage to respiratory disease. She will continue focusing on her dual interests in environmental science and environmental justice during her 2018 and 2019 summer internships in Boulder with the UCAR Office of Diversity and Inclusion.
Yarber began her undergraduate studies at Howard University* with a focus on physics and astronomy. With several undergraduate courses in weather and climate under her belt, she then participated in an atmospheric field campaign in Sal, Cape Verde. It was the summer before her senior year, and during the campaign she "became fascinated with weather, climate, and air quality, and the effects of these phenomena on underrepresented groups." In pursuit of atmospheric science, she hopes "to contribute not only to scientific advancement but also positively influence social and environmental change." Her career goals include advocating for diversity in atmospheric science "not only for the sole purpose of scientific advancement but to provide voices for communities that have long faced environmental inequity."
As a black female and first-generation scholar, Esther Oyedele knows the importance of challenging assumptions and the value of diverse perspectives. Through the UCAR fellowship, she aspires to become a leading researcher and advocate for diversity and inclusion in the science community.
Oyedele grew up in Nigeria, where she saw the impacts of extreme weather events on issues like human wellbeing and food security. She became curious about the Earth system science behind these events, which led her to pursue a career in geosciences. Oyedele is working on a PhD in geosciences at Virginia Tech. She also has a master’s degree in geology from Bowling Green State University and a bachelor’s degree in geophysics from the Federal University of Technology Owerri in Nigeria. Her PhD research focuses on the impacts of drought in the Southwest region of the United States. She hopes that, when she is done with her research, she can look at how it can be applied to other regions of the world, including her home country.
Oyedele believes in the power of collaboration. She looks forward to working with, and learning from, NSF NCAR researchers. She is confident that working with these scientists will be instrumental in advancing her research skills and professional network. “I am grateful for the opportunity and am confident that this fellowship will empower me to make a meaningful and lasting impact in the field of Earth system science and address complex challenges we face for the benefit of society and the environment,” she said.
Miguel Ricardo Hilario’s passion for atmospheric science shines in the way he talks about atmospheric science, particularly when he describes his goals and the broader impact of his research. “From my undergraduate days, I was always drawn towards data-driven research with social relevance,” said Hilario. “Atmospheric science checks both boxes. With opportunities like this fellowship, I feel part of a bigger community of atmospheric scientists and that my research contributes to advancing that bigger picture.”
Hilario earned two bachelor’s degrees from Ateneo de Manila University, one in applied physics and material science and also in engineering, plus a minor in data science. Before earning his master’s in atmospheric science, Hilario worked as a research assistant at the Manila Observatory. He also worked on NASA’s CAMP2Ex (the Cloud, Aerosol, and Monsoon Processes Philippines Experiment) as a member of the weather forecasting team. Now Hilario’s doctoral research at the University of Arizona focuses on analyzing the long-range transportation of polluted air in the tropical West Pacific region.
“Much of my work to date has been based on observational data, but to achieve more impact on a societal level, there must be a greater connection between field and lab data with models,” said Hilario. During his fellowship, Hilario will work with NSF NCAR scientist Mary Barth in the atmospheric chemistry laboratory to learn new methods to analyze data collected during field campaigns with the goal of improving how chemistry models simulate pollution moving in the atmosphere.
Hilario is a first-generation doctoral student in his family, and he already dreams of mentoring other rising scientists in his home country, the Philippines. “My long-term goal is to mentor young Filipinos and foster a greater appreciation for science back home,” he said. “I want to shift that cultural perception by becoming a world-class atmospheric scientist and a valuable first step towards that vision is professional development at renowned institutions like NSF NCAR.”
In her home of Quito, Ecuador, Juncosa Calahorrano was inspired to study environmental engineering as a solution to pollution of the local water and atmosphere. Her goal has been to better understand the processes that lead to pollution of natural systems and the ways informed policies can improve ecosystem and societal well-being. In particular, she was drawn to study air quality and atmospheric science. Juncosa Calahorrano earned her bachelor’s degree in environmental engineering from Universidad San Francisco de Quito, and a master’s degree in atmospheric science from Colorado State University (CSU). Now Juncosa Calahorrano is working toward her doctorate at CSU, where her research focuses on investigating the impacts and effects of reactive nitrogen in the atmosphere from wildfire smoke plumes and concentrated animal feeding operations. Her career goals are to be a professor and mentor the next generation of rising scientists while also making the atmospheric chemistry research in Latin America more globally visible.
During her fellowship, Juncosa Calahorrano will be utilizing the expertise and resources available at NSF NCAR’s atmospheric chemistry laboratory for instrumentation testing and modeling capabilities.
“This fellowship will allow me to learn from a group of world-class scientists specializing in both atmospheric chemistry instrumentation and regional modeling,” said Juncosa Calahorrano. “Our goal is to develop a new technique that will better measure oxidized nitrogen, as well as incorporate measurements from a recent field campaign into an atmospheric chemistry model. This will ultimately help improve our knowledge of the impacts of reactive nitrogen.”
Minallah is a doctoral candidate in climate and space sciences and engineering at the University of Michigan, where she studies high-altitude hydroclimates and glaciology in the Himalaya-Karakoram-Hindukush (HKH) mountains. As a rising scientist, Minallah is interested in studying anomalies within the Earth system, particularly hydroclimate extremes that impact humans, and how human activities influence global processes in return.
Minallah is a first-generation scholar from Pakistan and she plans to use this fellowship to work with climate scientists at NSF NCAR to help adapt climate models to better study the HKH region. “Support from NSF NCAR scientists will be indispensable,” said Minallah. “The HKH region holds the largest glacial and perennial snow-mass outside the poles, and my research aims to address the question, ‘How will future changes in temperature and precipitation influence the fate of the region’s glaciers and glacial lakes?’”
Jauregui is pursuing a doctoral degree in atmospheric sciences at the University of Washington where she is researching the impact of the Madden-Julian oscillation (MJO) on the western Pacific warm pool and its implications to the onset of El Niño events. While at NSF NCAR, she will be using the Community Earth System Model (CESM) to analyze the MJO-El Niño relationship with particular focus on the air-sea interaction at the eastern edge of the warm pool.
Jauregui has an undergraduate degree in meteorology from the Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina in Lima, Peru. An international student, Jauregui intends to take her scientific knowledge home to her native Peru, where she will work to improve weather and climate prediction for farmers and resource managers there. “Growing up in a family of farmers, I had first-hand experience that El Niño and La Niña impact people's livelihoods. Improving seasonal to interannual predictability will have significant impacts not only on people's lives but also on my country's economy,” said Jauregui.
Jones is a doctoral student at the South Dakota School of Mines in the Department of Geology and Geology Engineering. Her areas of study include the use of machine learning and deep learning tools to address fundamental issues in hydrologic modeling.
Jones earned her bachelor's in environmental science from Oglala Lakota College. She was the first woman from a tribal college to be awarded a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship. She is also a Ford Scholar.
At Carnegie Mellon University, Tania Lopez is studying civil and environmental engineering as a first-year Ph.D. student. Her examination of engineering design standards and of changes in observed extreme precipitation are the first phases in her research on the impact of climate change on precipitation patterns for stormwater infrastructure design decisions, performance, and resilience. Lopez is interested in developing more expertise in computational and statistical tools for analyzing precipitation data and understanding changes in current and projected future patterns. These interests will bring her to Boulder to strengthen collaboration with NSF NCAR scientists during her summer internships in 2018 and 2019.
Lopez received a B.S. in engineering physics from Mexico's Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education (ITESM). She credits her family’s encouragement for her persistence pursuing and achieving her goals. "Despite the difficulties I came across pursuing higher education, I was not discouraged," she said. "My desire grew stronger and I could envision a clearer goal." That included a master’s in civil and environmental engineering at Carnegie Mellon, which she earned on the way to her current doctoral studies. "I have always felt passionate about my field, my decisions, and speaking up for minority inclusion," she said. Lopez sums up her career ambitions this way: "to serve as an effective intermediary between climate science and decision making concerned with engineered systems, where human needs and climate interact."
Kate DeMarsh comes from a long line of people who prioritized giving back to their communities. Her mother was a social worker and her grandfather ran a neighborhood center. Even though she chose an entirely different career path in science, she feels that her policy work has brought her back to that same space.
DeMarsh is pursuing a PhD at the University of California, Merced in environmental systems, and she has a bachelor’s degree in biophysics from Scripps College. She has worked on numerous community projects, including her work with The San Joaquin Valley Center for Air Injustice Reduction (SJV-CAIR). Through this organization, DeMarsh worked on a project that installed 130 air monitors across the San Joaquin Valley, an area with some of the worst air quality in the world. The monitors provide empowering data on how pollution affects marginalized communities. DeMarsh is using the collected information to help guide policy through a bipartisan working group addressing economic prosperity in a changing climate.
DeMarsh is passionate about diverse representation in the scientific community. “Representation just really does matter,” said DeMarsh. “There are so many lived experiences that come into how we approach or find solutions. If we don’t work with local community members, we can’t get projects done and change doesn’t happen.”
As a gay woman in STEM, DeMarsh has faced her own obstacles. However, she hopes to actively use the privileges she has to advocate for, and work with, local communities to uplift voices that have historically been ignored in science and policy. The UCAR fellowship gives DeMarsh the avenue to explore the space between policy and science and find ways to use science to propel actionable change.
Gabriela Negrete-García represents many firsts for her family. She is a first-generation Mexican-American, and the first to attend college and grad school. She credits her parents, teachers, and mentors for the support and encouragement that helped Negrete-García develop her passion for research and biological oceanography, which is the field in which she is pursuing a doctorate. Negrete-García’s research focuses on the impacts of climate change on phytoplankton communities in the Arctic ocean. She has developed a model feature that represents biodiverse plankton communities that can be embedded in a global circulation model. This work will ultimately help scientists understand how these seemingly small organisms play such a significant role in the food webs and biochemical cycles of the Arctic.
As a public policy fellow, Negrete-García is hoping to use her research experience in ocean ecosystems “to protect communities, livelihoods, and ecosystems that will be most affected by climate change,” she said. She sees the policy-crafting process as an opportunity to learn more about putting her science into action. It is also an opportunity to be a voice and representation for under-served communities who have not historically had an opportunity to shape climate policy.
“Incorporating the opinions and expertise of a diverse community of scientists and policymakers will provide a seat on the table for populations that are traditionally dismissed and unaccounted for,” she said. “To become a better scientist, communicator, and advocate for environmental change, I need to learn transdisciplinary skills through public policy.”
During her fellowship, Negrete-García will gain experience working with UCAR staff to translate scientific research into resources useful for crafting policy in Washington, D.C. Negrete-García earned her bachelor’s degree in chemistry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and her master’s in biological oceanography from Scripps Institution of Oceanography.
Nguyen was working as an air quality consultant based in her hometown of Houston, Texas, when Hurricane Harvey made landfall and destroyed her childhood home. As an air quality expert, Nguyen had already witnessed firsthand how public policies impact human health and welfare, but she points to Harvey as being a turning point in her career. After that event, Nguyen was inspired to return to school and study how implementing technical solutions can help protect the future of the planet against climate change impacts. “Hurricane Harvey catalyzed my interest in the ocean, and I looked for ways to explore marine affairs in my job,” said Nguyen.
Now Nguyen is pursuing a master’s degree in marine affairs at the University of Washington and hopes to use her professional and personal experiences to design policies that will help coastal communities build resilience against extreme weather events. “My past experiences have helped me gain a better understanding of environmental regulations and the impacts of human activities on our planet,” said Nguyen. “The Next Generation Fellowship will provide first-hand experience on how scientific policy and advocacy work in the real world.”
Nguyen’s public policy fellowship will bring her to work with UCAR staff in Washington, D.C., where she will learn how to help translate scientific research and knowledge into applicable policies. Nguyen holds a bachelor’s degree in chemical and biomolecular engineering from Rice University and received a regional award for her participation in the Society of Women Engineers in 2014.
Khmara is pursuing a doctorate in environmental science and policy at the University of Miami, where she interrogates the narrative of the trade-offs between human well-being and environmental protection. Specifically, she studies the socioeconomic impacts of protected areas and what influence governance structures and mechanisms have on protected areas themselves.
“Broadly, my research is asking the following question: How can governance be developed in order for protected area policy to be effective in environmental protection, and what is the nature of the socioeconomic impacts of these policies?” said Khmara. “I am looking forward to exploring ways to develop policies that integrate scientific knowledge with socioeconomic development to benefit both human communities and the Earth. Working in the epicenter of policy action and formation during this fellowship will equip me with the skills required to create synergistic and salient policies for society and the environment.”
Khmara will use this fellowship to further develop her understanding of how policies are crafted and adopted. First-hand knowledge of the policy process will support her ongoing research and equip her with the skills and experience required to one day be a policy analyst.
Moses is a doctoral student in soil and water sciences at the University of Arizona, where he focuses on testing water for contaminants that could be detrimental to public health. He also works with a citizen science program called Project Harvest to test harvested rainwater for microbes that could be a source of contamination for vulnerable communities in Arizona.
Moses is a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps and earned his undergraduate degree in geography from the University of Maryland-College Park. While serving in the military, he was formally recognized with Certificates of Commendation for his service. “Through this fellowship, I will be able to form research questions that can not only help American communities but also improve our scientific capacity as a country by answering the scientific questions of interest to our government,” said Moses.
Quispe is a doctoral student at Rutgers University in ecology and evolution who is planning to pursue a career as a science policy professional. He is especially interested, as a multilingual Latino, in working with disadvantaged coastal communities and inspiring other minorities to pursue a career in the sciences.
Quispe also earned a bachelor's from Rutgers, from the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences. In 2017, he was the recipient of a Coastal Climate Risk and Resilience Fellowship, the Eagleton Institute of Politics Fellowship, as well as the Rising TIDES (Toward and Inclusive, Diverse, and Enriched Society) Award.
Linh Anh Cát is in the fourth year of the doctoral program in ecology at the University of California, Irvine. In addition to her dissertation work on patterns of fungal disease dispersal and climate change, she has written a science policy review linking that research to her public policy focus. The review examines valley fever, a fungal disease prevalent in the U.S. Southwest, and calls for binational cooperation with Mexico to study the negative impact of climate change on exposure. She will explore her policy interests during her summer 2018 and 2019 internships with UCAR’s Washington, D.C., office.
For her undergraduate work at the University of Central Florida, Cát earned dual bachelor of science degrees in environmental studies (policy track) and in biology. She has contributed to an array of activities during her academic career that reflect her interest in working at the intersections of diversity, equity, inclusion, and science policy. In addition to her studies, these activities have ranged from organizing local science outreach events to serving on the American Association of University Women’s National Student Advisory Council to tackle women and minority representation in STEM. "My goal is to be a leader in science policy," Cát said. "I want to work on enacting innovative policies at the intersection between climate change, air quality, human health, and the disproportionate impact on women and minorities."