Alfredo Ruiz-Barradas
Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Science
University of Maryland

Curriculum Vitae
          Doctor of Philosophy (Meteorology).
          University of Maryland.
          Dissertation: Interannual-to-decadal air-sea interactions in the tropical Atlantic region.
          Awarded: 05/2001.

          Master of Science (Meteorology).
          University of Maryland.
          Scholarly Paper: On the variability of heat content in the tropical Atlantic.
          Awarded: 05/1998.

          Master of Science (Geophysics).
          Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, UNAM, (National University of Mexico).
          Thesis: Aplicacion del Modelo Termodinamico del Clima para la prediccion de anomalias de temperatura y precipitacion en
          la Republica Mexicana (Application of the Thermodynamic Climate Model to predict temperature and precipitation anomalies over Mexico).
          Awarded: 08/1991.

          Bachelor of Atmospheric Sciences.
          Universidad Veracruzana (University of Veracruz).
          Thesis: Un modelo barotropico de ecuaciones primitivas (A primitive barotropic model).
          Awarded: 07/1987.
 

            Climate modeling.
            Seasonal to decadal climate variability.
            Coupled modes of variability in the tropical Atlantic.
            Atmosphere-sea and land-sea-atmosphere interactions.
            Seasonal to interannual variability of precipitation in Mexico and its prediction.
            Ocean's influence on variability of summer precipitation over North America.
            Understanding and prediction of multi-year droughts.
              Assistant Research Scientist with Dr. Sumant Nigam on 1) structure and mechanisms of North American warm-season
            hydroclimate variability; 2) Pacific decadal variability; 3) structure and mechanisms of tropical Atlantic climate variability.
            Institution: University of Maryland.
            Deepartment: Meteorology
            Period: 07/2004 to present.

            Research Associate working with Dr. Sumant Nigam on 1) structure and mechanisms of North American warm-season
            hydroclimate variability; 2) Pacific decadal variability; 3) structure and mechanisms of tropical Atlantic climate variability.
            Institution: University of Maryland.
            Department: Meteorology.
            Period: 06/2001 to 06/2004.

            Research Assistant in Adem's Thermodynamic Climate Model group: conducing numerical experiments to assess
            and improve the model's skill at predicting monthly and seasonal precipitation over Mexico.
            Institution: Centro de Ciencias de la Atmosfera, UNAM (Center for Atmosphere Sciences at the National University of Mexico).
            Department: Teoria del Clima y Prediccion (Theory of Climate and Forecasting).
            Period: 09/1991 to 08/1995.
 

            Course (20 hours): Introduction to numerical models of climate and meteorological forecasting.
            Specialty of Climatology at the University of Veracruz.
            07/1993.

            Course (40 hours): Introduction to the thermodynamic theory of climate.
            Senior students majoring in Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Veracruz.
            07/1992.
 

            Award from NOAA, Climate Prediction Program for the Americas:
            PI.
            Warm Season Predictability of Great Plains Hydroclimate.
            Period: 01/2006 to 12/2009.

            Award from the NSF, ATM-Climate and Large Scale Dynamics Program:
            PI.
            DRICOMP Project: SST North American Drought Links in 20th Century Simulations and 21st Century Climate Projections.
            Period: 09/2007 to 08/2008.

            Award from the NSF, ATM-Climate and Large Scale Dynamics Program:
            PI.
            Project: Diagnosis of North American hydroclimate variability in coupled model simulations.
            Period: 09/2004 to 08/2005.

            General Research Assistant in the Department of Meteorology at the
            University of Maryland.
            Period: 09/2000 to 04/2001.

            Scholarship from the National University of Mexico.
            Period: 09/1995 to 08/2000.

            Scholarship from the National University of Mexico.
            Period: 05/1990 to 04/1991.

            Scholarship from the National Council of Science and Technology of
            Mexico (CONACyT).
            Period: 11/1989 to 04/1990.
 

            Nigam, S., B. Guan, and A. Ruiz-Barradas, 2009: Reconstruction of North American droughts reveals key role for Atlantic
                       basin temperatures (pdf). PNAS, submitted on 9/28/2009.

            Ruiz-Barradas. A., S. Nigam, 2009: AMIP simulations of 20th century North American precipitation variability by the
                       Drought Working Group models(pdf).
                       J. Climate, submitted on 3/31/2009.

            Ruiz-Barradas. A., S. Nigam, 2009: Great Plains precipitation and its SST links in 20th century climate simulations,
                       and 21st and 22nd century climate projections(pdf).
                       J. Climate, submitted on 3/31/2009.

            Schubert, S., et al. (including S. Nigam and A. Ruiz-Barradas), 2009: A USCIVAR project to assess and compare the responses
                       of global climate models to drought-related SSTforcingpatterns: Overview and results. (pdf).
                       J. Climate, 22, 5251-5272.

            Weaver, S. J.,A. Ruiz-Barradas, and S. Nigam, 2009: Pentad Evolution of the 1988 Drought and 1993 Flood over the Great
                       Plains: A NARR Perspective on the Atmospheric and Terrestrial Water Balance. (pdf).
                       J. Climate, 22, 5366-5384.

            Karnauskas, K. B., A. Ruiz-Barradas, S. Nigam, and A. J. Busalacchi, 2008: North American Droughts in ERA-40 global and
                       NCEP North American Regional Reanalysys; A Palmer Drought Severity Index Perspective (pdf).
                       J. Climate, 21, 2102-2123.

            Muņoz, E., A. J. Busalacchi, S. Nigam, and A. Ruiz-Baradas, 2008: Winter and Summer Structure of the Caribbean Low-Level Jet (pdf).
                       J. Climate, 21, 1260-1276.

            Ruiz-Barradas, A. S. Nigam, 2006: IPCC's 20th century climate simulations: varied representations of North American
                       hydroclimate variability (pdf).
                       J. Climate, 19, 4041-4058.

            Ruiz-Barradas, A., S. Nigam, 2006: Great Plains hydroclimate variability: the view from North American Regional Reanalysis (pdf).
                       J. Climate, 19, 3004-3010.

            Nigam, S., and A. Ruiz-Barradas, 2006: Seasonal hydroclimate variability over North America in global and regional reanalyses
                       and AMIP Simulations: a mixed assessment (pdf).
                        J. Climate, 19, 815-837.

            Ruiz-Barradas, A., S. Nigam, 2005: Warm-season rainfall variability over the US Great Plains in observations, NCEP and ERA-40
                       reanalyses, and NCAR and NASA atmospheric model simulations (pdf).
                       J. Climate, 18, 1808-1829.

           Ruiz-Barradas, A., J. A. Carton, S. Nigam, 2003: Role of the atmosphere in climate
                      variability of the tropical Atlantic (pdf).
                      J. Climate,  16, 2052-2065.

            Ruiz-Barradas, A., J. A. Carton, S. Nigam, 2000: Structure of
                      interannual-to-decadal climate variability in the tropical Atlantic sector (pdf).
                      J. Climate, 13, 3285-3297.

            Adem, J., V. M. Mendoza, A. Ruiz, E. E. Villanueva and R. Garduño, 2000:
                      Recent numerical experiments on three-months extended and seasonal weather prediction
                      with a thermodynamic model (pdf).
                      Atmósfera, 2, 53-84.

            Adem, J., A. Ruiz, V.M. Mendoza, R. Garduño and V. Barradas, 1995:
                      Recent experiments on monthly weather prediction with the
                      Adem Thermodynamic Climate Model, with especial emphasis in Mexico (pdf).
                      Atmósfera, 8, 23-34.
 
 

            Ruiz-Barradas, A., 2009:
                       Variabilidad y Cambio de la Precipitación en el Este de México....que nos dicen los Modelos? (Precipitation Variability and Change in Eastern Mexico...What do Climate Modells tell us?)
                       Universidad Veracruzana. (ppt, in Spanish)
                       April 30. Xalapa, Veracruz, MEXICO.

            Ruiz-Barradas, A., 2009:
                       Variabilidad de la Lluvia en Veracruz (Rainfall Variability in Veracruz, Mexico).
                       Métodos Estadísticos para el Estudio del Cambio Climático en el Segundo Encuentro Iberoamericano de Biometría (Statistical Methods for Climate Change Study
                       in the Second Iberoamerican Meeting on Biometry). (ppt, in Spanish)
                       July 31. Boca del Río, Veracruz, MEXICO.

            Ruiz-Barradas, A., and S. Nigam, 2008:
                       SST North American Drought Links in 20th Century Simulations and 21st Century Projections.
                       NOAA's 33rd Annual Climate Diagnostics and Prediction Workshop and CLIVAR Drought Workshop. (ppt)
                       October 20-24, 2008. Lincoln, NE.

            Ruiz-Barradas, A., and S. Nigam, 2008:
                       Seasonal Hydroclimate variability over North America: Global and Regional Reanalyses Faulty Evapotranspiration.
                       CPPA PIs' Metting. (ppt)
                       September 29-October 1. Silver Spring, MD.

            Ruiz-Barradas, A., and S. Nigam, 2008:
                       CLIVAR Drought Modeling Experiments with CAM3.5: Interim Report.
                       13th Annual CCSM Workshop. (ppt)
                       June 17-19. Breckenridge, CO.

            Ruiz-Barradas, A., and S. Nigam, 2007:
                       El Hidroclima del Siglo XX en Norte América según los Modelos del IPCC.
                       Universidad Veracruzana. (ppt, in Spanish)
                       July 20. Xalapa, Veracruz, MEXICO.

            Ruiz-Barradas, A., and S. Nigam, 2007:
                       Drought Modeling Experiments.
                       12th Annual CCSM Workshop. (ppt)
                       June 19-21. Breckenridge, CO.

            Ruiz-Barradas, A., and S. Nigam, 2007:
                       Diagnosis of North American Hydroclimate Variability in IPCC's Climate Simulations.
                       12th Annual CCSM Workshop. (ppt)
                       June 19-21. Breckenridge, CO.

            Ruiz-Barradas, A., and S. Nigam, 2006:
                       North American hydroclimate variability in IPCC's 20th century climate simulations.
                       AGU's Joint Assembly Meeting. (ppt)
                       May 23-26. Baltimore, MD.

            Ruiz-Barradas, A., and S. Nigam, 2005:
                       Interannual variability of Great Plains summer rainfall in reanalyses and NCAR and NASA AMIP-like simulations.
                       5th International Scientific Conference on the Global Energy and Water Cycle. (ppt)
                       June 20-24. Costa Mesa, CA.

            Ruiz-Barradas, A., and S. Nigam, 2005:
                       The structure and nature of warm-season interannual variability of the Great Plains hydroclimate .
                       Workshop on Predicting Drought on Seasonal to Decadal Time Scales (ppt).
                       May 17-19. Adelphi, MD

           Ruiz-Barradas, A., and S. Nigam, 2005:
                       Diagnosis of summer hydroclimate over North America in 20th century climate simulations.
                       Workshop on Analyses of Climate Model Simulations for the IPCC AR4 (ppt).
                       March 1-4. Honolulu, HI.

            Ruiz-Barradas, A., and S. Nigam, 2004:
                      Interannual variability of warm-season rainfall over the US Great Plains in NCAR/CAM and NASA/NSIPP simulations:
                      Intercomparisons for NAME.
                      1st International CLIVAR Science Conference (ppt).
                      June 21-25, Baltimore, MD.

                      9th Annual CCSM Workshop.
                      July 7-9, Santa Fe, NM.

            Ruiz-Barradas, A., and S. Nigam, 2003:
                      Interannual variability of warm-season rainfall over the US Great Plains in NASA/NSIPP and NCAR/CAM2.0 AMIP
                      simulations (ppt).
                      University of Maryland. Department of Meteorology.
                      December 11, 2003.

            Ruiz-Barradas, A., and S. Nigam, 2003:
                       Interannual variability of North America Summer Precipitation in NASA/NSIPP and CAM2.0 AMIP simulations.
                       NSIPP 2003 Science Team Meeting (ppt).
                       September 3-4. Adelphi, MD

            Ruiz-Barradas, A., and S. Nigam, 2003:
                       Interannual variability in summer hydroclimate over North America in CAM2.0 and NSIPP AMIP
                       simulations.
                       8th Annual CCSM Workshop.
                       June 24-26.Breckenridge, CO

            Ruiz-Barradas, A., 2003:
                      Climate variability in the tropical Atlantic region and its Hydroclimate Impact over the the North
                      American Monsoon Region (in Spanish).
                      University of Veracruz
                      January 7. Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico.

            Ruiz-Barradas, A., J. A. Carton, and S. Nigam, 2002:
                      Interannual-to-decadal climate variability in the tropical Atlantic region.
                      NASA/NSIPP Seminar at GSFC.
                      October 30. Greenbelt, MD.

            Ruiz-Barradas, A., S. Nigam, and E. DeWeaver, 2002:
                      Summer precipitation and moisture fluxes over the US in the NSIPP AMIP simulation.
                      NSIPP 2002 Science Team Meeting.
                      September 16-17. Greenbelt, MD.

            Ruiz-Barradas, A., J. A. Carton, and S. Nigam, 2002:
                        Response of the atmosphere to climate variability in the tropical Atlantic.
                       AGU Spring Meeting.
                       May 28-31. Washington, DC.

            Ruiz-Barradas, A., and S. Nigam, 2002:
                     Seasonal moisture flux variability over North America in AMIP simulation and atmosphere reanalyses.
                      Mississippi River Climate and Hydrology Conference.
                      May 13-17. New Orleans, LA.

            Wang, J., A., Ruiz-Barradas, and J. A. Carton, 2001:
                      Modeled and observed air/sea fluxes in coupled modes in the tropical Atlantic.
                      WCRP/SCOR Workshop on "Intercomparison and Validation of Ocean-Atmosphere Flux Fields".
                      May 21-24, Potomac, Maryland.

            Ruiz-Barradas, A., J. A. Carton, and S. Nigam, 2000:
                      Interannual-to-decadal air-sea interactions in the tropical Atlantic sector. NCAR/ASP Colloquium: "Dynamics of Decadal to
                      Centennial Climate Variability". July 17-28. Boulder, Colorado.

            Ruiz-Barradas, A., J. A. Carton, and S. Nigam, 2000:
                      Non seasonal air-sea interactions in the tropical Atlantic sector.
                      AGU Spring Meeting.
                      May 30 - June 3. Washington, D.C.
 

  •   Reviewing activities for:
        Journals:
                          Atmósfera
                          Deep-Sea Research, Part I
                          International Journal of Climatology
                          Journal of Climate
                          Journal of Geophysical Research-Atmospheres
                          Journal of Hydrometeorology
                          Journal of Hydrology

        Proposals: National Science Foundation

        Plan Veracruzano Preliminar de Adaptación al Cambio Climático (Veracruz's Preliminary Plan on Adaptation to Climate Change):
                          Sponsor: British Embassy's Global Opportunities Fund: Climate Change and Energy Programme
                          Coordinators: Instituto Nacional de Ecología (Mexico's National Institue of Ecology)
                          Universidad Veracruzana: Grupo de Climatología Aplicada (University of Veracruz: Group of Applied Climatology)

        Ph.D. Committees:
                          Bin Guan's Defense (10/31/2008). AOSC Department, University of Maryland
                          Megan Linkin's Defense (05/16/2008). AOSC Department, University of Maryland
                          Ernesto Muñoz' Defense (11/15/2007). AOSC Department, University of Maryland
                          Scott Weaver's Defense (04/18/2007). AOSC Department, University of Maryland
                          Seung-Jae Lee's Prospectus Defense (12/12/2008). AOSC Department, University of Maryland
                          Massimo Bolasina's Prospectus Defense (05/29/2008). AOSC Department, University of Maryland

        Conferences:
                          Convener of the session "Role of Circulation in Regional Hydroclimate"
                          AGU's 2006 Joint Assembly Session. May 23-26. Baltimore, MD
 

  •  Teaching, Mentoring, and Advising:

             Course Development:
             Co-developer of the graduate course "North American Hydroclimate: Seasonal to Interannual Variability"
             AOSC, University of Maryland. Fall 2005.

             Co-Instructor:
             HONR238P: "The Water Cycle and Water Wars of the American West"
             University of Maryland. Fall 2007

             Curriculum Development:
             Participant in the Early Career Scientists Assembly Junior Faculty Forum on Future Scientific Directions
                 At NCAR's Mesa Laboratory. Boulder Colorado, 27-29 July, 2005.
             Course (20 hours): Introduction to Numerical Models of Climate and Meteorological forecasting
                 At the Specialty of Climatology at the University of Veracruz. 07/1993
             Course (40 hours): Introduction to the Thermodynamic Theory of Climate
                 Senior students majoring in Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Veracruz. 07/1992

             Advising (Other than Research Direction):
             Semester-long research projects of five students in the course "North American Hydroclimate: Seasonal to Interannual Variability"
             AOSC, University of Maryland. Fall 2005

             Advising: Research Direction
             B.S. (Physics). Norman E. Rivera Pazos, 1995: Una Parametrización de la Advección de la Energía Termica en la Atmósfera
                 Media Debido al Viento Medio en el Modelo Termodinámico del Clima de Adem (A Parameterization of Thermal Advection
                 in the Mean Atmosphere due to Mean Wind in Adem's Thermodynamic Climate Model)
                 School of Physics. University of Veracruz
  •   Computer Skills:
             Languages: Fortran.
             Software: GrADS, LaTex, Word Perfect, Power Point, Excel.
 
  •   Additional Skills:
             Bilingual: Spanish, English.
 
  •   Memberships:
            Current member of the:
            American Meteorological Society, and
            American Geophysical Union.

            Member of the Sistema Nacional de Investigadores (National System of Researchers of Mexico) as research assistant.
            06/1993 - 08/1995.
 


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