Catherine Smith

I am an M.S. student in the Department of Climate, Meteorology, and Atmospheric Sciences and am working with Dr. Jeff Frame.  I am originally from Virginia, but completed by B.S. in Climate Science at Utah State University in Spring 2026.  In Summer 2025, I was accepted into and completed a Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program at the University of New Hampshire, working with Dr. Elizabeth Burakowski on modeling east-coast atmospheric rivers with the VR-CESM climate model.  I submitted an abstract from that project to be presented at the American Meteorological Society's Student Conference in January 2026, where I was selected to receive an Outstanding Student Poster Award.  Following those experiences, I decided to pursue a master's degree in meteorology, bringing me here to the University of Illinois a few months later!

Outside of work, I love listening to music, practicing archery, playing various sports, taking pictures of clouds, sunsets, and cats, and getting out to explore!