NOAA-CREST Fellow Wins Oral Presentation Award at AMS

Posted on April 4, 2017

New York, NY, March 24, 2017– Luis E. Ortiz, a Ph.D. Candidate in the Coastal Urban Environment Research Group at The City College of New York / CUNY, earned the Outstanding Oral Presentation Award at the American Meteorological Society (AMS) conference in Seattle, Washington, for his research addressing Urban Impacts on New York City Weather During a Heat Wave.

“It affects people’s pockets. Reducing consumption and mitigating the impact in advance of a heat wave are valuable strategies,” said Ortiz.

Ortiz authored the study with Robert Bornstein, Wei Wu, Jeffrey Tongue and Dr. Jorge González, the principal investigator for the Coastal Urban Environmental Research Group, which studies the human and environmental impacts of weather events on coastal cities. What makes the study significant? Dr. González explains:

“Heat waves are the single extreme weather event of most human casualties, and place the physical infrastructure at risk, particularly the electrical grid. Better understanding and predictability of heat waves has major scientific and social value.”

Ortiz’s research study looked energy consumption using weather models and impact studies with particular focus on heat wave conditions and how New York’s built environment, wind flow, and urban canopy impact how much heat the city holds (urban heat island), making it warmer than its surrounding suburbs – an important consideration as extreme heat events are projected to increase in magnitude and frequency throughout the century. Ortiz will complete his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering in May 2017.

“My studies have exposed me to a wide breath of environmental sciences,” said Ortiz.

“NOAA-CREST aims to educate and train a diverse group of students, early career scientists, and engineers to become competent professionals in NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) related STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) sciences.

For more information, visit http://www.noaacrest.org.”

If you would like more information about this topic, please contact Olga Joseph at (212) 650-8121 or email at ojoseph@ccny.cuny.edu.