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Karen McKinnon studies large-scale climate variability and change, with a particular focus on the connections between high-impact weather events. Her recent work involves modeling and understanding internal variability of surface temperature and precipitation, as well as the predictability of extreme events and the joint behavior of temperature and humidity in a changing climate. She is interested in developing novel statistical and computational methods to optimally gain insights from historical observations, climate model simulations, and paleo proxy records, linking climate science insights to actionable changes. Karen joined UCLA in November 2018 after serving as an Applied Scientist at Descartes Labs and a post-doctoral fellow in the Advanced Study Program at the National Center for Atmospheric Research. She received her PhD in 2015 from Harvard University, where she worked with Peter Huybers. Her work on the predictability of heat waves has been covered by major news outlets such as The New York Times, Fox News, and The Washington Post.
Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, UCLA • Los Angeles, CA
Teaching and researching climate variability and change, focusing on developing novel statistical and computational methods.
Department of Economics admits primarily for the PhD program.