Colin James Grudzien

Data Assimilation Scientist
Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes (CW3E)
Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego


Professional Website | Github Repositories | Orcid Profile | Google Scholar Profile


Professional Experience

Work

Jan. 2022 -
Present

Data Assimilation Scientist
Center for Wester Weather and Water Extremes (CW3E) – San Diego, CA, USA

Developing data assimilation methodology for the prediction of atmospheric rivers and other extreme precipitation events in the Western USA.

Jan. 2019 -
Dec. 2021

Assistant Professor of Statistics
University of Nevada, Reno – Reno, NV, USA

Studied Bayesian inference methods in stochastic, physics-based models, with a focus on weather and climate.

Aug. 2018 -
Dec. 2018

Visiting Researcher
Centre d’Enseignement et de Recherche en Environnement Atmosphérique (CEREA) – Champ-sur-Marne, France

Quantified statistical bias induced in ensemble-based forecasting with atmospheric models, due to numerical discretization errors.

Aug. 2016 -
Dec. 2018

Postdoctoral Researcher
Nansen Environmental and Remote Sensing Center (NERSC) – Bergen, Norway

Developed a novel framework for Bayesian data assimilation methods in chaotic dynamical systems characteristic of weather and climate.

Oct. 2012 -
May 2016

Graduate Research Assistant
Mathematics and Climate Research Network (MCRN) – UNC at Chapel Hill Node

Employed innovative technology platforms for collaboration in virtual research networks under the NSF Science Across Virtual Institutes program.

June 2015 -
Aug. 2015

Graduate Research Assistant
Center for Nonlinear Studies - Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) – Los Alamos, NM, USA

Worked in the Center for Nonlinear Studies (CNLS) on model reduction algorithms for power grid transmission models.

Education

Aug. 2011 -
May 2016

Doctor of Philosophy in Mathematics
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill – Chapel Hill, NC, USA

Thesis: The method of the geometric phase in the Hopf bundle as a reformulation of the Evans function for reaction diffusion equations

June 2008 -
May 2011
Bachelor of Science, Magna Cum Laude
University of Oregon – Eugene, OR, USA
Majors in Mathematics and History

April 2006 -
June 2008
Transfer credit
Lane Community College – Eugene, OR, USA

Publications

Languages

English Native
Spanish Intermediate proficiency
Julia, Python, Matlab, R, LaTeX, HTML & CSS Advanced proficiency
Bash, Slurm, Git & Vim Intermediate proficiency
C++, Fortran & Javascript Basic proficiency

Software and Educational Products

DataAssimilationBenchmarks.jl

I am the primary developer of the open-source Julia package DataAssimilationBenchmarks.jl. This framework is designed for testing and validation of ensemble-based filters and sequential smoothers in chaotic toy models.

DAPPER

I am a contributor to the Nansen Center Data Assimilation Package in Python for Experimental Research (DAPPER). DAPPER is a set of templates for benchmarking the performance of data assimilation (DA) methods.

ADA compliant teaching workflow

This workflow has been designed to meet as best as possible ADA web accessibility standards and to produce mathematical typesetting content that is fully accessible for teaching.

Teaching

PhD Students

Aug. 2020 -
June 2022
Beau Smith – University of Nevada, Reno Co-mentoring PhD in applied mathematics with Eric Olson.

Masters Students

Aug. 2019 -
Aug. 2021
Amani Jridi – University of Nevada, Reno


June -
Aug. 2017
Armand Vic – École Normale Supérieure de Rennes Supervised Erasmus Plus Research Training Internship in mathematics at the Nansen Center.

Undergraduate Students

June 2022 -
Present
Charlotte Merchant – Princeton University Undergraduate research assistant in the CW3E Internship Program

Jan. 2021 -
Jan. 2022
Sukhreen Sandu – University of Nevada, Reno Undergraduate research assistant studying reproducible scientific software development in the PREP program.

Research Schools

Oct. 18 -
29, 2021
Joint ICTP-IUGG Workshop on Data Assimilation and Inverse Problems in Geophysical Sciences
I was a lecturer in the International Centre for Theoretical Physics’ and The International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics’ workshop on Data Assimilation and Inverse Problems in Geophysical Sciences in Trieste, Italy.

Aug. 23 -
27, 2021
Data science and beyond: data assimilation with elements of machine learning
I was a lecturer in Utrecht University’s summer research school on Data science and beyond: data assimilation with elements of machine learning in Utrecht, Netherlands.

June 28 -
July 9, 2021
CIMPA School on Mathematics of Climate Science
I was a lecturer in the Centre International de Mathematiques Pures et Appliquées Research School on Mathematics of Climate Science, in Kigali, Rawanda.

July 8 -
12, 2019
LMS Research School on Mathematics of Climate
I was a co-Lecturer with Alberto Carrassi in the London Mathematical Society Research School on the Mathematics of Climate, in Reading, England.

May 21-
25, 2018
Crash Course on Data Assimilation - Theoretical foundations and advanced applications with focus on ensemble methods
I was a lecturer at the Data Assimilation Crash Course in Bergen, Norway.

Lecturer

University of Nevada, Reno

STAT 775
Data Assimilation and Estimation Theory (Fall 2021)
Studies modern data assimilation theory and applications with an emphasis on scalability of algorithm design for high-dimensional, nonlienear systems.

STAT 757
Applied Regression Analysis (Spring 2019 / Fall 2019 / Fall 2020)
Introduces fundamental techniques of applied regression within a frequentist perspective.

STAT 4/645
Introduction to statistical computing (Fall 2020 / Fall 2021)
Introduces computational statistical methods within a modern computing environment.

STAT 352
Probability and statistics (Spring 2021)
Introduces probability and statistics for engineering majors.

STAT 152
Introduction to Statistics (Spring 2020)
Introduces probability and statistics for non-STEM majors.

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

MATH 252
Calculus II (Fall 2012)
Calculus of the elementary transcendental functions, techniques of integration, indeterminate forms, Taylor’s formula, infinite series.

MATH 190
Topics in Mathematics: A Climate of Uncertainty (Fall 2013)
This seminar introduces mathematical concepts used in numerical weather prediction and modeling the global climate. Students run experiments in the educational global circulation model EdGCM.

Educator Training

2020
Going Online in Fall 2020 Program – University of Nevada, Reno, Teaching & Learning Technologies Center

2020
ACUE Effective Practice Framework – Association of College and University Educators

2013
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Future Faculty Fellowship Program

2011
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Math 925, Graduate TA Teaching Seminar

Service

Faculty Advisor
Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics at UNR
2019 - 2021
Referee
Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society
Nonlinear Processes in Geophysics
Chaos: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Nonlinear Science
SIAM Journal on Applied Dynamical Systems

Awards

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

2015 - 2016
Off Campus Dissertation Fellowship

University of Oregon

2010 - 2011
Phi Beta Kappa, Alpha of Oregon - Oregon Six Elect

2010 - 2011
Mathematics Department DeCou Prize

2010 - 2011
Donald DuShane IV, College of Arts and Science Scholarship

2009 - 2010
Mathematics Department Stevenson Prize

Selected Talks

May 2022
European Geosciences Union General Assembly – Vienna, Austria

May 2022
SIAM SoCal Applied Mathematics Symposium
Harvey Mudd College – Claremont, CA, USA

March 2022
Department of Mathematics, Applied Mathematics Colloquium
University of Kansas – Lawrence, KS, USA

June 2021
The International EnKF Workshop 2021
Held online due to COVID-19

May 2021
SIAM Conference on Applications of Dynamical Systems
Held online due to COVID-19

Nov. 2019
Big data, data assimilation, and uncertainty quantification
l’Institut Henri Poincaré – Paris France

May 2019
SIAM Conference on Applications of Dynamical Systems – Salt Lake City, UT, USA

Oct. 2018
Séminaire de Groupe Statistiques pour l’Analyse, la Modélisation et l’Assimilation de Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique
École Normale Supérieure – Paris, France

Sept. 2018
Statistical Inference for Stochastic Process Models in Weather and Climate Science
Lorentz Center – Leiden, Netherlands

May 2018
Thirteenth International Ensemble Kalman Filter Workshop
Nansen Environmental and Remote Sensing Center – Bergen, Norway

March 2018
SIAM Southeastern Atlantic Sectional Conference
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill – Chapel Hill, NC, USA

Feb. 2018
Department of Mathematics, Applied Mathematics Seminar
Oregon State University – Corvallis, OR, USA

Oct. 2017
Numerical Modeling, Predictability and Data Assimilation in Weather, Ocean and Climate - A Symposium Honoring the Legacy of Anna Trevisan,
L’Istituto di Scienze dell’Atmosfera e del Clima (CNR-ISAC) – Bologna, Italy

Sept. 2017
SIAM Conference on Mathematical and Computational Issues in the Geosciences
Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg – Erlangen, Germany

May 2017
Twelfth International Ensemble Kalman Filter Workshop – Bergen, Norway

April 2017
European Geosciences Union General Assembly – Vienna, Austria

Nov. 2015
Department of Meteorology Data Assimilation Research Centre Seminar
University of Reading – Reading, England

May 2015
SIAM Conference on Applications of Dynamical Systems – Salt Lake City, UT, USA

April 2015
SIAM Central States Section First Annual Meeting,
Missouri University of Science and Technology – Rolla, MO, USA

March 2014
IIMAS Coloquio de Matemáticas Aplicadas,
Universidad Nacional Autónomo de México – México City, México