The Historically Black Colleges and Universities Research Infrastructure for Science and Engineering (HBCU-RISE) activity within the Centers of Research Excellence in Science and Technology (CREST) program supports the development of research capability at HBCUs that offer doctoral degrees in science and engineering disciplines. HBCU-RISE projects have a direct connection to the long-term plans of the host department(s) and the institutional mission and plans for expanding institutional research capacity as well as increasing the production of doctoral students in science and engineering. With support from the National Science Foundation, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (NCA&T) will create an Extreme Weather Center (EWC) to study extreme weather events such as wind-driven wildfires in complex terrain and intense hurricanes, which cause severe injuries, fatalities, and damage costing billions of dollars of economic loss each year with significant impacts on the general population, economy, and society. The EWC will provide education and training to undergraduate and graduate students at NCA&T. Students and researchers will work to improve the prediction accuracy of extreme weather events.
The proposed research at NCA&T will expand research and graduate training to improve the understanding of the dynamics and mechanisms of orographic effects on wildfires and hurricane precipitation with the aim of enhancing the predictability of these extreme events. The EWC will study orographic effects of wildfire formation and evolution; orographic effects of precipitation associated with landfalling hurricanes; and the impact of changing climate on the extreme events of wildfires and hurricane precipitation over mountainous area. Students and researchers will use data synthesis of in-situ and remotely sensed observations as well as reanalysis of real-case and idealized numerical simulations with state-of-the-art models. Students will be trained in data assimilation and ensemble forecasting for improving extreme weather prediction and statistical analysis of reanalysis data. The research will be used to develop course materials that will be delivered via an online portal. Research advancements resulting in improved understanding and forecasting of orographic effects on extreme weather will benefit the broader public.
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
