Justin Finkel

Justin Finkel works on advancing the science of extreme weather and its relationship to climate, drawing on classic and new tools from applied mathematics to (1) sample extreme events more efficiently, (2) statistically analyze extreme weather ensembles to infer physical mechanisms and sources of predictability, and (3) inform model development as a result. Following an interest in math, physics and climate sparked during high school, he obtained a Bachelor’s degree in physics and mathematics at Washington University in St. Louis, followed by a PhD in Computational and Applied Mathematics (the first cohort) at the University of Chicago, but with a long extended visit to the Courant Institute at New York University. His PhD focused on highly idealized models of stratospheric variability, after which he moved “closer to earth” in a postdoctoral appointment at MIT, where he has worked on developing rare event sampling methods for extreme precipitation. In the process, he rediscovered the value of idealized modeling, and in returning to UChicago for a second postdoc, he plans to leverage the hard-earned insight from both realistic and idealized ends of the model spectrum. In his spare time, he enjoys contemplative runs along streets and water; minimalist cooking while pondering analogies between bread and the atmosphere; and unicycling along the lakefront, all while concocting elaborate puns and double entendres.