| Faculty Advisor |
Liang Chen
|
|---|---|
| Contact Email | liangchen@unl.edu |
| Website | |
| Advisor College: |
Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources
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| Potential Student Tasks |
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| Student Qualifications |
An interest in climate change, environmental science, or data analysis, and a willingness to learn scientific programming and research methods. The ideal student is curious, self-motivated, and enthusiastic about developing new skills while contributing to a collaborative research environment. |
| Training, Mentoring, and Workplace Community |
The student will gain hands-on experience in scientific programming, statistical analysis, and climate data visualization. The student will be mentored by both me and a Ph.D. student. We will meet weekly to set goals, discuss progress, and troubleshoot challenges. Our lab also holds weekly group meetings where undergraduate and graduate students present their work, exchange ideas, and learn from one another. This collaborative environment provides students with opportunities to build scientific communication skills and develop a sense of belonging within a research community. I maintain a flexible mentoring approach. Remote work is possible when appropriate, and schedules can be adjusted to accommodate student needs. As students gain confidence and experience, I encourage them to develop their own research questions and pursue independent ideas. Whenever possible, I support students in extending their projects beyond the FYRE program through continued research involvement, conference presentations, and future research opportunities. |
| Available Positions |
1
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Over the past decade, flash droughts have drawn increasing attention due to their substantial agricultural and economic consequences, particularly in the US Great Plains area (e.g., the 2012 Central US event and the 2017 Northern Plains event). Unlike conventional droughts which evolve slowly, flash droughts are characterized by the sudden onset and rapid intensification of drought conditions. Although certain large-scale atmospheric and oceanic patterns are necessary for drought development, land-atmosphere interactions can play an important role in the rapid intensification of drought conditions. Our research will build a robust understanding of the characteristics of flash droughts over CONUS in the past several decades, and investigate the atmospheric and land-surface processes that drive flash droughts, and identify their relative contributions to flash drought onset and intensification. The FYRE student will contribute to atmospheric and land-surface data collection, quality control, assist the graduate student for data analysis, and develop an independent research project for future research.