The Changing Trends of Aircraft Turbulence
May 12, 2026
Photo courtesy of Mayra Oyola
“With a research specialty in severe weather and aviation hazards, it might surprise you to know that I didn’t step onto my first airplane until I was 20 years old. Growing up in rural Puerto Rico, airplanes represented movement and possibility, but they belonged to a world that seemed far removed from my own. Becoming a pilot or a scientist felt distant — even unrealistic. That distance is not so different from what many young people in rural Wisconsin experience. In communities rooted in land and resilience, opportunity can feel just out of reach, and education becomes the bridge between circumstance and possibility. It was for me. Today my research investigates the changing trends in aircraft turbulence with the aim of making flights safer. Plus, I’m in training to become a pilot myself.”
Read the full Fueling Discovery article, featuring and written by AOS Assistant Professor Mayra Oyola, May 9, 2026