New Faculty at AOS
August 9, 2024
After a rigorous recruitment exercise last spring, the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences (AOS) is thrilled to introduce two new faculty to our team.
Associate Professor Andrea Lopez Lang
Lopez Lang joins us from the University at Albany, SUNY where she was an associate professor leading a research group interested in understanding the scale interactions in our atmosphere and their impacts on extratropical weather extremes. Her group approaches this research from both basic and applied research perspectives, where they examine extratropical weather extremes by considering the dynamics and predictability in the troposphere and stratosphere on timescales of days to weeks.
Her expertise led to roles as a co-lead for the NOAA Climate Program Office Subseasonal-to-Seasonal Prediction Task Force, the chair of the American Meteorological Society’s Board on Enterprise Economic Development, and a member of the National Academies Board of Atmospheric Science and Climate. Andrea is returning to Madison after receiving her PhD from UW-Madison in 2011. While at the UW-Madison as an undergrad, she was captain of the UW Women’s Track and Field Team and is looking forward to fully reconnecting with Badger sports!
“As an alum of AOS, the evolution and exciting growth in the department since I graduated a decade and a half ago were wonderful to watch from afar,” says Lopez Lang. “As I transition to rejoining AOS, this time as faculty, I’m truly invigorated by the changes. I’m enthusiastic about joining a world-class program and collaborating with the lively community of AOS.”
Assistant Professor Dave Henderson
Henderson grew up near Cleveland, Ohio, experiencing a variety of weather ranging from thunderstorms to lake-effect snow storms and blizzards, which sparked his interest in pursuing a career in atmospheric sciences. He obtained his PhD from Colorado State University in 2017 and then served as a Research Scientist at the Space Sciences and Engineering Center (SSEC) at the University of Wisconsin–Madison for six years. Along with enjoying the seasonal weather in Wisconsin, he plays a wide variety of music as a drummer, and is an avid cook, constantly experimenting with new recipes. He also loves traveling and exploring around the lakes of Wisconsin with his family.
Henderson’s research focuses on integrating data from satellite remote sensing platforms and numerical weather prediction to investigate the impacts of changes in clouds and precipitation on weather patterns. Throughout his career, he has led the development and application of satellite retrievals to enhance understanding of clouds and precipitation on the Earth’s energy and water balance. He is also integrating modeling and satellite data for local field campaigns in the United States, with the goal of advancing our understanding of thunderstorm development.
Henderson says he’s “thrilled to join this outstanding department to continue pushing the boundaries of satellite data research in collaboration with AOS, SSEC, and CIMSS. I look forward to continuing working with and mentoring students as they grow in their careers and professional development. The AOSS building is full of fantastic people and scientists, and I can’t wait to contribute to the exceptional research and teaching conducted here.”
Ready for Fall
The additions of Lopez Lang and Henderson continue AOS’ legacy of world-class faculty, and there is a palpable buzz in the department as the fall semester nears.
Says Department Chair Ankur Desai, “Andrea and Dave are top-notch scientists advancing many aspects of understanding weather and climate extremes, and applications of radiation and satellite remote sensing. We are absolutely ecstatic that they have accepted offers to join our faculty and can’t wait to see all the great work, leadership, and student mentoring they each bring to our team.”
Join us in giving them a warm Wisconsin welcome!