Jason C. Furtado, Ph.D. 
Dr. Furtado is a Professor in the School of Meteorology at the University of Oklahoma. He joined the School of Meteorology faculty in August 2015. He has a B.S. in Meteorology and a B.S. in Mathematics from Lyndon State College (2002), a M.S. in Atmospheric Sciences from Colorado State University (2004), and a Ph.D. in Earth and Atmospheric Sciences from the Georgia Institute of Technology. His Ph.D. worked focused on quantifying uncertainties in Pacific decadal climate variability and working toward a new paradigm of understanding Pacific climate using multiple modes of oceanic and atmospheric variability. Prior to working on the faculty at the University of Oklahoma, Dr. Furtado was a climate scientist and sub-seasonal weather forecaster for a private company in the Boston area. His research focuses on large-scale climate dynamics, including coupled systems (e.g., stratosphere-troposphere coupling, ocean-atmosphere coupling) on multiple timescales. His work features observations, model experiments, and working with coupled model output. He also has strong interests in applications of climate dynamics to improving sub-seasonal and seasonal forecasts. In addition, Dr. Furtado has also earned distinguished roles as the Carlisle and Lurline Mabrey Presidential Professorship and is the Chesapeake Energy Professor in Climate Systems Science at the University of Oklahoma.
Here is a short video about J. Furtado, including his background and his research interests.
View his CV.
Ollie Millin, Ph.D.
Post-Doctoral Scientist, Meteorology
Ollie Millin is a Post-Doctoral Scientist in the Applied Climate Dynamics Group. Prior to graduate school at the University of Oklahoma, Ollie received his undergraduate integrated Master’s degree in Meteorology and Climate from the University of Reading, UK in July 2020. During this four-year degree program, he spent his third year at the University of Oklahoma studying abroad. During his undergraduate studies, Ollie researched stratosphere-troposphere coupling and its impact on predictability during the winter months by using reanalysis and model hindcast data. Ollie’s Ph.D dissertation examined the subseasonal predictability of cold air outbreaks across the US Great Plains, including studying the primary mechanisms responsible for these extreme winter events. For his post-doctoral work, Ollie is working part-time with the Furtado Applied Climate Dynamics Group on building a cold air outbreak prediction tool for a major commodity trading firm. In his free time, he enjoys running, swimming, playing soccer, seeing friends and watching his soccer team Manchester United.
Henry Olayiwola
Ph.D. Student, Meteorology
Henry Olasunkanmi Olayiwola is a Graduate Research Assistant at the School of Meteorology, University of Oklahoma and a member of the S2S team in the Oklahoma EPSCOR project, funded by the National Science Foundation. Prior to coming to the USA for his Doctoral Studies, Henry received his Undergraduate and Master’s Degrees in Meteorology and Climate Science from the Prestigious Federal University of Technology, Akure, Nigeria in 2016 and 2021 respectively. During his undergraduate studies, he researched the effects of deforestation on total precipitation amount and decline in vegetation canopy in a Guinea savannah region of Nigeria using ground data, satellite data and GIS techniques. Moreso, his Master’s Degree work was centered around the investigation of Future projections of land use and land cover changes (LULCCs) and their effects on Future temperatures In Ibadan, Nigeria, using both ground and modelled temperature data, statistical data analyses as well as advanced GIS modelling techniques. Furthermore, Henry has extensive years of meteorological work, field and operations experience, thriving in several areas and departments whilst on the job before leaving for the United States. At the moment, he is studying compound and cascading events using S2S timescales with a significant focus on concurrent heatwaves and droughts in the contiguous United States. In his free time, he enjoys playing football (the real football), watching football (especially The Nigerian National Team and Manchester United), watching a wide variety of movies, spending time with his wife and daughter, hanging out with friends and working out at the gym.
Jacob Fields
Ph.D. Student, Atmospheric Science
Jacob Fields is a Graduate Research Assistant in the School of Meteorology at the University of Oklahoma. He received his B.S. in Atmospheric Sciences from the Ohio State University in May 2024. During his time as an undergraduate, he participated in the Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internships (SULI) program at Brookhaven National Laboratory, where he researched the relationship between soil moisture and local cloud development using data collected during the TRACER campaign. For his M.S. in Atmospheric Science in the OU Applied Climate Dynamics Group, Jacob created a novel algorithm for identifying blocking episodes across the Northern Hemisphere and their fundamental characteristics and statistics over the last 40 years. His current Ph.D. work looks to extend that work with connecting blocking episodes with their impacts on the subseasonal prediction skill of extreme weather events. In his free time, Jacob enjoys playing basketball, watching movies, cooking, and watching Ohio State (and OU) football.
Tieryn Hinton
M.S. Student, Atmospheric Science
Tieryn Hinton is a Graduate Research Assistant in the School of Meteorology at the University of Oklahoma. He received his B.S. in Meteorology from the University of Oklahoma in May 2026. During his undergraduate studies, Tieryn achieved a minor in mathematics as well as researched Tropical Cyclone Rapid Intensification using the HURDAT dataset. During his graduate studies, Tieryn is working on developing a subseasonal forecasting tool for predictions of low wind / high heat compound extreme events across multiple regions in the contiguous United States. In his free time, Tieryn enjoys the outdoors, football and basketball, drawing, and the gym.
Ian Shank
M.S. Student, Atmospheric Science
Ian Shank is a first-year Graduate Research Assistant in the Applied Climate Dynamics Group at the University of Oklahoma. He received his B.S.in Meteorology from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in May 2026, where he became interested in extreme weather prediction, climate extremes, and the communication of weather hazards. During his undergraduate studies, he participated in the Research Experience for Undergraduates at the National Weather Center during the summer of 2025, where he analyzed the utility of medium-range machine learning probabilistic severe weather prediction. His current graduate research builds off his interest in integrating machine learning techniques and meteorological concepts to improve the prediction of extreme temperature events and energy demand in the continental United States. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with friends, going to the movies, and exploring new places.
GROUP ALUMNI
 | Rebecca Butterfield Undergraduate Research Assistant, REU Program Summer 2025) REU Project Title: Assessing Climate Change and Whiplash Events in National Parks |
 | Megan Davies Undergraduate Research Assistant (Spring 2025) Topic: Power Demand Forecasting as a Function of North American Summer Weather Regimes |
 | Miles Leonard Undergraduate Research Assistant (2023-2024) Topic: Climate Change and Compound Extreme Events in Two South Central US National Parks |
 | Katie Giannakopolous M.S. Student (2022-2024) Thesis Title: Examining the Characteristics and Evolution of Temperature Whiplash Events in the US Southern Plains |
 | Jordan Christian Postdoctoral Scientist (2023-2024) |
 | Devin McAfee Undergraduate Research Assistant (2020-2023) Topic: Evaluation of S2S Hindcasts of U.S. Two-Week Extreme Precipitation Events |
 | Ty Dickinson Ph.D. Student (2018-2023) Dissertation Title: Developing a Framework for Seamless Prediction of Subseasonal to Seasonal Extreme Precipitation Events in the United States |
 | Erika Pruitt Undergraduate Research Assistant, REU Program (Summer 2022) REU Project Title: Synoptic Analysis of Two 14-Day Extreme Precipitation Events in the Northwestern United States |
 | Simon Lee Ph.D. Student (2018-2021) SCENARIO Project w/ University of Reading Dissertation Title: Stratosphere-Troposphere Coupling on Subseasonal Timescales |
 | Dan Groeneveld Honors Research Student (Spring 2021) Topic: Representation of the South Pacific Oscillation in Climate Models |
 | Bailey Jarrett Undergraduate Research Assistant (2018-2020) Topic: Characterizing Trends in the Shape and Intensity of the Arctic Stratospheric Polar Vortex |
 | Matthew Rogers M.S. Student (2018-2020) Thesis Title: The Pacific Decadal Precession and its Relationship to Tropical Pacific Decadal Variability in CMIP6 Models |
 | Jacob Ohnstad M.S. Student (2018-2020) Thesis Title: Subseasonal Winter Weather Predictability Associated with Single \\ \>vs. Multiple Wave Pulse Events and Their Impact on the Arctic Stratospheric Polar Vortex |
 | Gregory Jennrich M.S. Student (2017-2019) Thesis Title: Synoptic Characteristics and Precursors to Subseasonal to Seasonal Extreme Precipitation Events Across the United States |
 | Matthew Green M.S. Student (2016-2018) Thesis Title: Evaluation of the Madden-Julian Oscillation and the Stratospheric Polar Vortex and Their Joint Influence on the Northern Hemisphere Extratropical Circulation |
 | Yujia You M.S. Student (2016-2018) Thesis Title: South Pacific Atmospheric Internal Variability and its Role in the El Niño-Southern Oscillation |
 | Carly Narotsky Undergraduate Research Assistant, REU Program (Summer 2017) REU Project Title: Stratospheric Polar Vortex Trends of the Twentieth and Twenty-First Centuries and an Assessment of the CMIP5 Historical Ensemble |
 | Clarice Dyson Undergraduate Research Assistant (2016-2017) Topic: Quantifying Changes in Extreme Rainfall in Oklahoma Under Future Climate Change |
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