Biology

Dr. Zachary Suriano, an Assistant Professor in the WKU Department of Earth, Environmental, and Atmospheric Sciences (EEAS), was awarded a five-year Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) grant for $443,791 from the National Science Foundation (NSF). The grant is entitled “Historical and Projected Atmospheric and Energetic Forcings of Eastern United States Snow Ablation.”

This is the first-ever NSF CAREER grant awarded to WKU since the program’s inception over 30 years ago, and it is one of only three NSF CAREER awards received by a non-R1 institution in Kentucky. 

According to the NSF, the CAREER program is its most prestigious award. It aims to grant support for faculty early in their career who exhibit “the potential to serve as academic role models in research and education and to lead advances in the mission of their department or organization.”

NSF CAREER awards are unique in that they facilitate the transformation of faculty into disciplinary leaders, supporting both research and education objectives.

“This award represents the nexus of my academic mission at WKU in conducting novel research on the causes of high-impact weather, implementing experiential learning into the classroom, creating and disseminating open educational resources, and providing climate services to the broader community,” Dr. Suriano said.

Hazards created by snow are often viewed as a challenge only for northern or mountainous states, but snowfall and snowmelt events do regularly occur in Kentucky with notable impacts on our communities and water resources. 

A major, unsolved problem in climatology is understanding why, how, and when snowmelt events produce exceptional runoff, including those events caused by rain falling on an existing snowpack. By conducting this research, Dr. Suriano and his team seek to better understand how snowmelt events have occurred in the recent past and what role atmospheric circulation has in influencing regional energy balances during events. The research will also provide projections of future snow and snowmelt conditions for the 21st century across eastern North America. 

“By partnering with relevant stakeholders, our research conclusions will better inform water resource and risk managers of potential future outcomes and allow for appropriate infrastructure and hazard mitigation plans to be determined for impactful snowmelt events.” Dr. Suriano said.

Research findings are translated by the project team into Open Educational Resources in coordination with WKU OER Librarian Todd Seguin and then incorporated into advanced undergraduate and graduate courses within EEAS. In partnership with the WKU Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning (CITL), the service-learning model implemented in those courses has students directly contributing to advancing societally relevant research as a part of their experiential learning. The grant will provide financial support and research opportunities for 20-25 WKU undergraduate and graduate students each year for the next five years.

“Service-learning is one of the most powerful tools we can use to teach our students,” Dr. Micah Logan, Director of CITL said. “Through service-learning, students are able to apply the information they are learning in class to a real-world problem that someone in their community is currently experiencing. They are immediately able to see both the relevance and the impact of what they are learning about, and often we see this resulting in a deeper understanding of the material. This project will benefit WKU students and our community in huge ways.”

​​Dr. Suriano’s ultimate goal for the project is to transform the capacity for research and education within EEAS. 

“I am thrilled by the opportunity and support to build synergies between my research, education, and outreach efforts, and am confident in the real-world impact our work will provide. Advancing scientific understanding of snowmelt processes and hazards is a critical need. At the same time, I aspire for this to be the first of many NSF CAREER awards for EEAS and WKU. I look forward to facilitating institutional growth in research through mentorship and collaboration as I build my career at WKU,” Dr. Suriano said.

As the project enhances ongoing efforts in the Applied Research & Technology Program research centers, Kentucky will move up on the leaderboard in climate and hazard resilience. 

“Dr. Suriano’s CAREER award represents a remarkable milestone for WKU and recognizes his promise as an early-career researcher,” Dr. Jenni Redifer, Interim Associate Provost for Research, said. “It will be exciting to watch the trajectory of Dr. Suriano’s research, as well as his impact on the careers of the students he mentors. The receipt of a CAREER award by a WKU faculty member illustrates the advances WKU continues to make as an applied research university, which is a testament to the caliber of our faculty.”

Dr. Suriano said he hopes this achievement inspires other WKU faculty to pursue major and prestigious funding grants like the CAREER award.

“WKU has a growing reputation for conducting innovative and impactful research,” Dr. Suriano said. As we continue working towards the goal of an R2 status, it will take focused and sustained efforts by faculty in pursuing external funding, but it will also require effective support and mentorship, such as what EEAS provides for its faculty.”

Dr. Suriano joined the WKU faculty in the Fall of 2022 with startup support from the Ogden College of Science & Engineering and the WKU Office of Research and Creative Activity. 

“This is a tremendous accomplishment for Dr. Suriano,” Dr. David Brown, Dean of the Ogden College of Science and Engineering, said. “It is a testament to Dr. Suriano's successes as a scientist. It's also a reflection of the positive environment created by his colleagues in the Department of Earth, Environmental, and Atmospheric Sciences. Ogden College takes pride in its many faculty members and their diverse contributions to the success of our student-centered missions. Dr. Suriano is a prime example of a faculty member who positively impacts our students, our community, and our disciplines through his scholarship.”

Dr. Leslie North, Department Chair for EEAS, also commented on the impact of Dr. Suriano and his research efforts within the department.

“Dr. Suriano’s research program continues to elevate the Meteorology Program and the Department of Earth, Environmental, & Atmospheric Sciences to new heights. It’s exciting to see how his work is not only shaping the future of our students but also strengthening WKU’s reputation as a leader in high-profile research. I’m proud of the contributions he’s making to our university and discipline, and we are honored to have him part of our team!”