June 2025 – Washington, D.C. — Graduate students and researchers from NCAS-M recently participated in the 2025 CADRE Data Assimilation Workshop, an intensive training designed to build foundational and advanced skills in data assimilation methods used in weather and climate research.
NCAS-M and Howard University graduate students, postdocs, and research scientists at the Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere (CIRA) for the CADRE Data Assimilation Workshop.
Data assimilation, or DA, combines real-world observations with numerical models to give scientists the most accurate possible picture of what’s happening in the Earth system. It’s how forecasts begin. It also helps improve long-term climate outlooks, refine atmospheric models, and even inform disaster response.
Hosted by the Center for Advanced Data Assimilation Research and Education (CADRE), the workshop brought together students and experts to break down the basics of data assimilation. It began with approachable lectures from leaders in the field and built up through hands-on exercises, starting with simple toy models and ending with using the advanced UFS-JEDI system.
For many NCAS-M participants, the experience helped connect the dots between theory and practice.
“The first day was exciting — I learned a lot,” Myah Rather, NCAS-M Ph.D. student at Howard University and workshop participant, said. “I liked that the workshop gave data assimilation a more conceptual, weather-based approach. Dr. Greybush did a great job of tying it back to meteorology. It was exciting to do the exercises and really get our hands dirty.”
Rather asking a question about the DA lecture material.
The workshop emphasized both conceptual and mathematical learning and professional connection. Attendees not only worked through fundamental DA exercises but also had the opportunity to interact closely with leading scientists from NOAA and academia.
“It was very exciting to see experts from the field come together,” Ayoola Abe, NCAS-M Ph.D. student at Howard University and workshop participant, said. “At first, I didn’t expect to be doing exercises, but we were able to learn alongside them. It’s a great opportunity and privilege to meet and interact with people working at the cutting edge of this field.”
Abe and NCAS-M master’s student Michael Benneh speaking to DA expert during workshop exercise.
For others, the workshop served as a review and fostered a sense of community.
“It refreshed what I learned in my previous DA course at the University of Maryland,” Feng Hsiao, NCAS-M Assistant Research Scientist at Howard University and workshop participant, said. “I feel like the experience was really new for me. I really liked seeing a lot of new faces and hearing what everyone is working on. One student even mentioned doing DA for disease forecasting. That will be very interesting.”
As weather and climate systems grow more complex, so does the need for scientists who can make sense of the data behind them. Training programs like CADRE play a vital role in preparing the next generation of researchers to tackle these challenges with skill, creativity, and collaboration.
For NCAS-M students and postdocs, the workshop wasn’t just about learning new techniques — it was about seeing how their work fits into a much larger picture: one where better forecasts mean stronger communities, more resilient infrastructure, and lives saved during extreme weather.
