Author: cw3e-web

CW3E Welcomes Kristiana Chan

May 19, 2025

Kristiana (Kris-shana or Krissy) joined CW3E in April 2025 as a FIRO Research Project Coordinator, specializing in engagement, scheduling and meeting coordination for the Center’s FIRO Steering Committees. She holds a B.S. in Biology from the University at Albany, SUNY and an M.A.S. in Climate Science and Policy from Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Her capstone project focused on integrating Indigenous stewardship and Traditional Ecological Knowledge into California’s state policy toward wildfire mitigation.

Professionally, she mentored students and coordinated the summer program for her graduate program’s incoming class. Following this role she worked as a Policy Advisor for Councilmember Joe LaCava, District 1 of the City of San Diego. Here she worked on air quality initiatives, Tribal collaboration and farm animal rights. Notably, in collaboration with City Department Heads, she designed the Free4ME Implementation Plan that was adopted by City Council in 2023 to provide free menstrual products at city facilities. She also collaborated with UCSD’s Dr. James Nieh, on the successful decree of the City of San Diego as a Bee City, thereby committing the city to pollinator protections and reduced pesticide usage at City Parks. From this role, she moved into the private sector as an Environmental Justice and Engagement Specialist, consulting for CityWorks People + Places. Here she led several projects as a consultant with the City and County of San Diego, as well as other jurisdictional partners to ensure community members were well informed and collaborated with for new and upcoming projects. In this role, she used her training in equity and lived experience to advocate for improved community engagement with particular focus on historically marginalized communities.

Krissy is thrilled to join the CW3E team and looks forward to working with this highly collaborative, adaptive and growing team, bringing with her skills in relationship and team building, project management and community building.

In her free time, she can be found climbing, surfing, practicing yoga, reading, writing or partaking in light homesteading activities.

CW3E Welcomes Sawyer Smith

March 4, 2025

Sawyer Smith joined CW3E in February 2025 as a numerical weather prediction scientist and research data analyst on the CW3E modeling team. He holds a B.S. in Meteorology from Metropolitan State University of Denver (MSU Denver) and received an M.S. in Atmospheric Science from North Carolina State University in December 2024.

During undergrad, Sawyer took advantage of the wealth of opportunities for atmospheric scientists along the Front Range of Colorado, where he served as an Upper Air Observer for the National Weather Service in Boulder, CO and a Winter Weather Aviation Student Assistant at the National Center for Atmospheric Research.

His thesis work, which was funded by CW3E, focused on the sensitivity of orographic precipitation forecasts to the choice of microphysics parameterization along the Sierra Nevada using the West-WRF model. Ironically, cloud microphysics was neither his favorite nor his strongest subject in undergrad—in fact, it was the only meteorology class he did not ace. However, while taking a numerical weather prediction course taught by his graduate advisor, Dr. Gary Lackmann, Sawyer became intrigued by some of the new microphysical parameterization schemes in WRF-ARW and their potential to improve orographic precipitation forecasts.

Thus, as fate would have it, he found himself revisiting his meteorological “Achilles’ heel”—microphysics. Since then, Sawyer has developed a deep enthusiasm for cloud microphysics and is eager to apply his expertise toward CW3E’s mission of advancing the science and prediction of extreme hydrological events.

CW3E Welcomes Dr. Abdul Moiz

January 10, 2025

Dr. Abdul Moiz joined the Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes (CW3E) in January 2025 as a Research & Development Engineer within the Water Resources Engineering team.

Dr. Moiz earned his Master’s (2017) and Ph.D. (2020) degrees in Civil Engineering from The University of Tokyo, Japan, as a Japanese government scholar. He received his Bachelor’s degree (2015) in Civil Engineering from the University of Engineering & Technology, Taxila, Pakistan. Following his Ph.D., Dr. Moiz served as a Project Researcher at The University of Tokyo's Department of Civil Engineering and the Institute for Future Initiatives. He subsequently held a position as a Postdoctoral Research Scholar at Arizona State University’s Center for Hydrologic Innovations.

At The University of Tokyo, Dr. Moiz focused on advancing physics-based distributed hydrological models for snowfed mountainous regions, developing real-time hydrometeorological forecasting systems, and exploring their value in decision support for dam reservoir operations in Japan. His work emphasized the integration of radar precipitation observations with reanalysis vertical air temperature profiles to enhance hydrological simulations and precipitation phase partitioning using parameter optimization schemes.

During his time at Arizona State University, Dr. Moiz conducted a comprehensive multi-scale evaluation of the NOAA’s National Water Model to assess its applicability across Arizona. This work supported the Arizona Tri-University Recharge and Water Reliability Project and the Advanced Water Observatory and Decision Support System Project, identifying sites for groundwater recharge.

At CW3E, Dr. Moiz will contribute to the Water Resources Engineering team by advancing research and development efforts, particularly focusing on the application of Forecast-Informed Reservoir Operations (FIRO) initiatives across the Western U.S. He is eager to leverage his skills and experiences from Japan and Arizona to support CW3E’s mission.

CW3E Welcomes John Deane

December 23, 2024

John Deane joined CW3E as an R&D Engineer in December 2024. As part of the field team, he specializes in hydrology and surface water measurements.

This past summer, John worked with the Upper Colorado River Recovery Program in Utah, where he monitored native fish populations while navigating rafts and motorboats on the Green and Colorado Rivers. Prior to that, John served with the Park Service in Yosemite National Park, where he operated stream gages and hydrometeorological stations in the Merced and Tuolumne headwaters. He also gained valuable experience as a hydrologic technician with the USGS in Nevada. John is passionate about maintaining tidy instrumentation and ensuring data transparency. He is excited to apply his hydrology expertise at CW3E, developing field solutions that support researchers and resource managers.

Outside of work, John enjoys biking, skiing, reading, cooking, and spending time in the water.

CW3E Welcomes Tyler Bath

December 5, 2024

Tyler Bath joined CW3E as a Systems Integration Engineer in December 2024. He earned his B.S. in Computer Science from UCSD in 2014.

Tyler’s prior work spans a wide range of technologies and topics, particularly in health and genomics. His experience ranges from exploring and building on Electronic Health Records to creating automated grading processes for blockchain competitions. Throughout his career, his focus has been on creating tools that improve the usability of health data for both patients and researchers, with an emphasis on protecting patient privacy and enabling reproducibility in research. He has approached this via the automation of pipelines and workflows through intuitive web interfaces, often across systems requiring distributed analytics.

Outside of work, Tyler enjoys spending time outdoors hiking with his dog, tending to his garden, and engaging in DIY hobbies. From woodworking to 3D printing, Tyler enjoys combining his technical skills with his passion for hands-on projects.

At CW3E, Tyler is looking forward to helping create tools and methods for creating more stable, understandable, and generalizable code. He is excited to be working in such a positive environment filled with passionate people, where he can learn new subjects, and apply his skills to a variety of new multidisciplinary challenges.

CW3E Welcomes Kevin Pease

November 25, 2024

Kevin Pease joined CW3E as a Systems Integration Engineer in November 2024. He brings over 20 years of experience in Information Technology, with expertise spanning multiple industries, including startups and the life sciences. He is excited to apply his knowledge of regulated workflows and clinically focused computing to enhance CW3E’s operations.

He serves as a valuable resource for operational and technical challenges, contributing to the center’s mission with a keen interest in learning about meteorology and forecast modeling. Since his career has been focused on technology, Kevin welcomes any opportunities to deepen his understanding of CW3E’s mission and work.

Originally from Oregon and Seattle, Kevin now resides in San Diego full time. In his personal time he enjoys a variety of outdoor activities and values a work environment that enhances his connection to nature. He is most looking forward to his work at the center increasing the predictability of delivering results in a timely manner to all stakeholders. His efforts focus on increasing system monitoring, optimizing code deployment practices, implementing detailed unit testing, and enhancing access to resources. If there is a technology or process related need feel free to include him in the discussion!

CW3E Welcomes Dr. Yanbo Nie

November 22, 2024

Yanbo Nie joined CW3E as a postdoctoral scholar on November 18, 2024.

Yanbo earned his B.S. degree in atmospheric science from Lanzhou University in 2019, and his Ph.D. degree in meteorology from the Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2024. His previous research focused on the mechanisms and prediction of extreme precipitation. He investigated the intraseasonal atmospheric processes associated with extreme precipitation events over Southwest China and the oceanic drivers of their interannual to decadal variability using various statistical tools, diagnostic methods, and numerical experiments. He also developed machine learning- based models to improve subseasonal and seasonal prediction of extreme precipitation in this region.

At CW3E, Yanbo will work with the machine learning team. He will lead the development of machine learning models to assess the impact of inundation on protected species habitats. Additionally, he will contribute to ongoing developments in the AI data-driven ensemble prediction of weather extremes.

CW3E Welcomes Andy Richards

October 15, 2024

Andy Richards joined CW3E as a Fiscal Analyst in October 2024. With nearly 20 years of experience in finance and operations, he brings a wealth of knowledge and a proven track record of driving efficiency and strategic growth across diverse industries, including technology, food and beverage, and manufacturing. A native San Diegan, Andy earned a professional certification in Brewing Science and Technology from UC San Diego, an MBA from the University of Phoenix, and a B.S. in Psychology from UC San Diego.

Before joining CW3E, Andy served as the Director of Finance & Operations at Second Chance Beer Co., where he optimized financial management and operational workflows across manufacturing, four sales channels, and two taprooms. He enjoys building dynamic financial models and dashboards, preparing financial reports, and implementing internal controls to enhance compliance and productivity.

Throughout his career, Andy has consistently focused on creative problem-solving and leveraging technology to deliver valuable insights and solutions. His expertise includes accounting, financial forecasting, and process improvement, complemented by proficiency in tools such as Excel, VBA, Power Query, and DAX.

At CW3E, Andy is excited to apply his analytical skills and operational experience to support financial decision-making and drive the organization’s growth initiatives.