Katerina Gonzales

Postdoctoral Associate
she/her
[email protected]
Katerina's website
Katerina's Google Scholar profile
Education
  • PhD, Stanford University, 2021
  • BS, Colorado School of Mines, 2015

Areas of Interest

Climate Change, Climate Impacts, Climate Adaptation, Climate Change Communication, Extreme Precipitation, Atmospheric Rivers

Biography

Katerina Gonzales is a climate scientist who studies extreme weather and climate events in order to help communities adapt to climate change. She earned her PhD in climate dynamics at Stanford University, and previously, studied Geophysics at Colorado School of Mines.

Born and raised in Colorado, she remembers growing up with wildfires erupting across the region in the summer and warmer winters leading to more pine beetle tree deaths. Her career is dedicated to making our natural and social environments more habitable, equitable, and liberative for all.

Research

Kat’s dissertation researched characteristics and impacts of atmospheric rivers making landfall along the U.S. West Coast. She is interested in identifying relevant storm characteristics to inform adaptation to changes in floods and water availability associated with atmospheric river impacts.

Now at the U of M, Kat is a postdoctoral fellow with Heidi Roop, working to bridge climate research to application.

Select Publications

  • Gonzales, Katerina R., Daniel L. Swain, Elizabeth A. Barnes, and Noah S. Diffenbaugh. "Moisture‐versus wind‐dominated flavors of atmospheric rivers." Geophysical Research Letters 47, no. 23 (2020): e2020GL090042.
  • Gonzales, Katerina R., Daniel L. Swain, Kyle M. Nardi, Elizabeth A. Barnes, and Noah S. Diffenbaugh. "Recent warming of landfalling atmospheric rivers along the west coast of the United States." Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres 124, no. 13 (2019): 6810-6826.

Honors and Awards

  • 2021 UMN President's Postdoctoral Fellow