Kelsey Ennis
Graduate Research Assistant
Email:
Date of Birth:
October 26th 2000
About Me
Welcome to my site! My name is Kelsey Ennis and I am currently a Masters student at Colorado State University pursuing a degree in Atmospheric Science. I am advised by Dr. Libby Barnes and Co-advised by Dr. Eric Maloney.
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Originally I am from a small town in New Jersey just outside of Princeton. I had lived in NJ my whole life until moved to Florida for college in 2019. I went to Embry Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach where I pursued a degree in meteorology and a minor in applied mathematics.
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I fell in love with the chaotic nature of the atmosphere when I was just three years old. My family and I rode out category three Hurricane Jeanne in 2004 in a small barrier island town, Cocoa Beach, located on the 'Space Coast' in Florida. This is my earliest memory from my childhood and while the experience could be considered quite traumatic, it sparked my burning passion for Atmospheric Science.
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Since this childhood moment, I have dedicated my life to earning a degree in meteorology. With Colorado State being my new journey, the learning continues, and I continue to grow as a scientist.
EXPERIENCE
June 2023-Present
Graduate Research Assistant
Colorado State University
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Working on an Masters in Atmospheric Science in the Barnes research group.
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My research focuses on improving subseasonal to seasonal (S2S) temperature prediction skill over North America using NCEP's Unified Forecasting System (UFS).
April 2022-May 2023
Embry Riddle Aeronautical University
Undergraduate Research Assistant
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Worked on a funded NOAA Climate Program Office project on Southeast U.S. heat stress trends.
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Created heat stress climatologies and trend analyses using R and Python coding programs.
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Investigated the physical mechanisms responsible for Southeast U.S. heat stress trends and their impacts on human health.
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Presented my results at the 2023 American Meteorological Annual Meeting.
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Prepared manuscript for Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology (Summer 2023).
June 2022-August 2022
Munich Reinsurance
Internship
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Statistical modeling of stochastic events to estimate losses due to catastrophes (perils).
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Responsibilities included using computer applications such as R Studio and SQL Server Management to produce accurate loss budgets for MRSI specialty insurance branches.
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Mapped & tracked real time perils (i.e., SCS, wildfire, etc.) as they occurred using ArcGIS to estimate losses & amount of claims.
EDUCATION
2023-2025
Master's Degree
COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY
Masters of Science in Atmospheric Science
Graduate Research Assistant in the Barnes Research Group
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Start: June 2023​
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Projected Finish: July-August 2025
2019-2023
EMBRY RIDDLE AERONAUTICAL UNIVERSITY
Bachelor of Science in Meteorology Minor: Applied Mathematics
GPA: 3.71; Major GPA: 3.82
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Awarded the Presidential Scholarship and Women of Excellence Award
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Graduated Magna Cum laude
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Awarded sorority and fraternity life President of the year for outstanding leadership and initiative.
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Awarded Outstanding Meteorology Student of the Year awarded to one graduating meteorology senior a year.
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Awarded the prestigious John C. Adams Community Service at my Spring 2023 graduation, it is awarded to one graduating senior a year at Spring graduation.
Bachelor's Degree
2015-2019
High School Diploma
HIGHTSTOWN HIGH SCHOOL
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Yearbook Committee Lead
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English Tutor
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Peer Advisor/Mentor
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Drama Club member
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Lifeguard Instructor assistant
PUBLICATIONS
Man, it's a hot one: Trends and Extremes in Florida Autumn Heat Stress
Publication date: 04 March 2024
Doi: https://doi.org/10.1002/joc.8415
Authors: Kelsey. E. Ennis & Shawn M. Milrad
This study uses WBGT to examine heat stress trends and extremes during climatological autumn from the 1950s to 2022 at eight Florida cities. Results show that average autumn heat stress has increased significantly throughout much of Florida. Daytime heat stress increases were larger than their night-time counterparts in northern Florida, while the opposite was true in central and southern Florida. Extreme autumn heat stress events also increased in intensity and frequency. Results show that heat stress in Florida is no longer just a summer hazard and poses a particular threat to coastal areas in early autumn when ocean heat content is still near its climatological peak.
Heat Stress Metrics, Trends, and Extremes in the Southeastern United States
Publication date: 29 July 2024
Doi: https://doi.org/10.1175/JAMC-D-24-0009.1
Authors: Kyle R. Wodzicki, Kelsey E. Ennis, Desiree A. Knight, Shawn M. Milrad, Kathie D.
Dello, Corey Davis,a Sean Heuser, Blaine Thomas, and Lily Raye
This study evaluates several WBGT estimation formulas for the southeastern United States using North Carolina ECONet and U.S. Military measurement campaign data as verification. The estimation algorithm with the smallest mean absolute error was subsequently chosen to evaluate summer WBGT trends and extremes at 39 ASOS stations with long continuous (1950–2023) data records. Trend results showed that summer WBGT has increased throughout much of the southeastern U.S., with larger increases at night than during the day. Although there were some surprisingly large WBGT trends at higher elevation locations far from coastlines. Increases in the intensity and frequency of extreme WBGT's were particularly stark in large coastal urban centers. Some locations have experienced more than two additional extreme heat stress days and nights per decade since 1950, with an exponential escalation in the number of extreme summer nights during the most recent decade.
SKILLS
High Performance Computing (HPC)
Data Analysis
Power Point - Advanced
Python Programming Language
Risk Communication Methods/Techniques
Machine Learning Techniques (ML)