Author: cw3e-web

CW3E Welcomes Dr. Joseph Clark

October 24, 2025

Joseph P. Clark joined CW3E in September 2025 as a Postdoctoral Research Associate. He earned his Ph.D. in Meteorology and Atmospheric Science from The Pennsylvania State University in June 2021, where his research spanned topics such as Arctic amplification and the thermodynamic and radiative processes underlying large-scale teleconnections.

Following his doctorate, Joseph completed two postdoctoral appointments at Princeton University. His first position examined the sensitivity of the Intertropical Convergence Zone to changes in climate model configuration, while his second focused on the seasonal predictability of atmospheric rivers and precipitation across North America. During his time at Princeton and NOAA/GFDL, he also participated in community engagement initiatives and mentored undergraduate interns.

At CW3E, Joseph’s research will extend to exploring the seasonal predictability of precipitation and atmospheric rivers over the Mediterranean region. Outside of work, he enjoys running, hiking, swimming, and music.

CW3E Welcomes Dr. Cody Poulsen

October 22, 2025

Cody Poulsen joined CW3E as a postdoctoral scholar in October 2025. He earned a B.S. in Environmental Systems with a focus in Environmental Chemistry (2018) and a M.S. (2019) and PhD (2025) in Earth Sciences from University of California San Diego. Cody began his tenure at CW3E as an undergraduate researcher in the summer of 2016. In 2018, he transitioned into a PhD, advised by Dr. Marty Ralph. Cody’s PhD research explored the temporal variability and mechanisms of seasonal precipitation in western North America. He used paleoclimate proxies, climate models, and observational records to investigate hydroclimate variability at time scales from hours to centuries. Applying novel research to enable improved water management decisions was the guiding principle throughout his PhD.

Cody’s postdoctoral research will focus on the applications of tree-ring reconstructions of precipitation in Southern California, to study multi-century changes in atmospheric rivers and extreme precipitation. In addition, he will explore the conditional predictability of western North America spring precipitation anomalies based on winter precipitation and the state of the Pacific Ocean. Cody will also contribute to the FIRO program and looks forward to applying his research to help inform water management practices.

CW3E Welcomes Alex Tardy

October 21, 2025

Alex has 32 years federal experience since 1993 at 6 locations across the US. He grew up in Vermont and graduated from State University of New York at Albany. Alex has extensive experience public speaking, forecasting, briefing and educating on atmospheric science and climate. He has been involved in a dozen individual, co-authored university and non-profit climate and atmospheric published science literature and public outreach educational material.

Alex was recognized as a climate leader by the San Diego Region Climate Education Partners and received a 2020 American Red Cross Hero Award for public outreach and weather risk education and preparedness. He held management positions in the National Weather Service as both a Science and Operations Officer and Warning Coordination Meteorologist.

CW3E Welcomes Denali Pinto

October 20, 2025

Denali Pinto joined CW3E in November 2024 as a research data analyst. She earned a Master of Quantitative Finance (MQF) from the UC San Diego Rady School of Management in March 2024 and a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the Colorado School of Mines in May 2022.

While completing her MQF degree, Denali was team captain of the UC San Diego Women’s Basketball Team. She was recognized with numerous academic and athletic honors, including the Big West Commissioner’s Honor Roll (Highest Honors), UCSDTritons.com Athlete of the Week, All-Big West Honorable Mention, CSC Academic All-District Team, and Big West Winter All-Academic Team.

Denali completed her master’s thesis under the supervision of Dr. Thomas Corringham (CW3E/SIO) and Dr. Michael Melvin (Rady School of Management), focusing on quantifying current and future flood risk and evaluating the insurance landscape in Imperial Beach, CA, and assessing innovative insurance solutions for vulnerable coastal communities.

At CW3E, Denali’s work focuses on examining the impacts of extreme weather events on communities and understanding risk management strategies to enhance community resilience to severe weather.

CW3E Welcomes Dr. Wen-Shu Lin

September 26, 2025

Wen-Shu Lin joined CW3E in October 2025 as a postdoctoral scholar. She earned a B.S. in Atmospheric Science at National Taiwan University (2019) and a Ph.D. in Oceanography at University of California San Diego (2025). She joined CW3E as a Ph.D. student in 2019, co-advised by Dr. Joel Norris and Dr. Marty Ralph. Her Ph.D. research focused on the characteristics, precipitation, and subseasonal predictability of the atmospheric rivers (ARs) over the western North America, with a particular emphasis on the flavors of ARs. She investigated the physical mechanisms leading to the extreme weather events, as well as the regional climate on subseasonal timescale.

Wen-Shu’s postdoctoral research will focus on the interaction between shortwave troughs and atmospheric rivers, as well as their impacts on the forecasts of landfalling atmospheric rivers along the U.S. West Coast.

CW3E Welcomes Jackson Ludtke

September 26, 2025

Jackson Ludtke joined CW3E in September 2025 as a research data analyst. He graduated from UC San Diego in June 2025 with a B.A. in Urban Studies and Planning, as well as minors in Geosciences and Climate Change Studies. He has worked with CW3E as a student since 2022, doing flight planning for AR Recon. He also completed two independent research courses and an internship as part of his senior capstone project with CW3E, which looked at the relationship between flooding impacts and disadvantaged communities in San Diego.

In the summer of 2023, Jackson did an internship with NOAA’s Aircraft Operations Center, helping to streamline flight operations. In 2024, he completed a research project on aircraft engine emissions for the FAA’s Office of Environment and Energy. He also worked for UC San Diego’s Athletic Department in the Travel Office. He is excited to continue his work experience with operations and logistics with CW3E.

At CW3E, he will be working with the AR Recon team and is looking forward to contributing to the broad scope of research and operations the center oversees. In his free time, he can be found playing baseball and tennis, surfing, exploring maps, traveling, and flying.

CW3E Welcomes Dr. Alex Chen

September 25, 2025

Alex Chen joined CW3E in September 2025 as a Research to Operations Hydrologist.

Prior to joining CW3E, Alex was a Postdoctoral Scholar in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of California, Davis, where he led research projects leveraging the hydrologic ensemble forecasts and adaptive reservoir operations methods to support ongoing Forecast-Informed Reservoir Operations (FIRO) efforts and assess FIRO’s broader applicability.

Alex also brings operational forecasting experience from his time as a Hydrologist at the NOAA/NWS California-Nevada River Forecast Center, where he supported day-to-day hydrologic operations, including short-range river and flood forecasts and long-range water supply forecasts. He provided impact-based decision support services for local, state, and federal partner agencies and contributed to research efforts aimed at enhancing the capabilities of operational hydrologic modeling systems for snowmelt runoff and seasonal water supply forecasting.

In his new role on the CW3E Hydrology Team, Alex will work on advancing hydrologic and water management modeling capabilities and collaborates closely with operational forecasters and water managers to support the transition of hydrologic research into practical applications. He earned his PhD in Civil Engineering from University of Virginia.

CW3E Welcomes Dr. Michael Warner

September 22, 2025

CW3E is excited to welcome Dr. Michael Warner as Watershed Sciences Integration Manager. Mike joins CW3E after eight years with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Seattle District, where he served as a meteorologist with Water Management and technical lead for Forecast-Informed Reservoir Operations (FIRO) at Howard A. Hanson Dam. Most recently, he provided national leadership as a subject matter expert with USACE Headquarters’ Infrastructure and Installation Resilience Community of Practice, helping to shape climate adaptation and resilience policies across the nation.

Mike holds a Ph.D. in Atmospheric Sciences from the University of Washington, where his research examined West Coast atmospheric rivers and climate change. His background includes extreme precipitation analysis, seasonal hydrologic prediction, and climate-change-driven vulnerability assessments. He is passionate about bridging atmospheric science and water management by translating cutting-edge research into actionable strategies for reservoir operations, flood risk management, and water supply planning.

Mike looks forward to building on this foundation at CW3E by advancing FIRO nationwide, supporting AR Reconnaissance activities, and strengthening collaboration between scientists, water managers, and decision-makers to enhance community resilience. Mike welcomes opportunities to connect with colleagues and partners—please feel free to reach out to collaborate on advancing weather, water, and climate solutions.

CW3E Welcomes Dr. Shuang Yu

September 5, 2025

Dr. Shuang Yu joined CW3E in September 2025 as a Machine Learning Scientist. She earned her Ph.D. in Atmospheric Science from the Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. After completing her doctorate, she worked at IPSL/CNRS in France, focusing on wind energy projections and climate–renewable energy interactions. Most recently, she was a postdoctoral researcher at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, where she developed deep learning methods to improve climate model prediction and groundwater applications, leveraging advanced high-performance computing.

Her research lies at the intersection of atmospheric science and artificial intelligence. She has expertise in bias correction and downscaling of climate models, post-processing tools for weather forecasts, explainable AI, and uncertainty quantification. She also investigates climate extremes such as precipitation extremes, heatwaves, and wildfires, emphasizing their predictability, underlying mechanisms, and impacts on human and ecological systems. In addition, she applies AI techniques to integrated modeling of climate, groundwater, and energy systems, including wind energy forecasting and hydrology-driven water security prediction.

In her new role, Shuang will work with CW3E teams to advance AI-driven weather forecasting models and post-processing systems. Her efforts aim to enhance the accuracy and usability of forecasts for high-impact weather and climate events, supporting water and energy security across the western United States.