curriculum vitae


Research Interests

  • climate sensitivity
  • cloud feedback
  • radiative forcing

Education

  • Ph.D., Atmospheric Sciences, University of Washington, December 2010
    • Dissertation: Towards an Improved Understanding of Cloud Feedbacks and Changes in Poleward Energy Transport Associated with Global Warming
    • Advisor: Dennis L. Hartmann
  • M.S., Atmospheric Sciences, University of Washington, December 2007
    • Thesis: Evolution of Clouds and Humidity in Association with Tropical Deep Convection
    • Advisor: Dennis L. Hartmann
  • B.S., Meteorology, Pennsylvania State University, May 2004
    • Minors: Earth Systems & Climatology
    • Honors: Department Marshall, Highest Distinction Graduate, 4.0 Major GPA

Professional Experience

  • Research scientist, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, April 2013 – present
  • Post-doctoral research scholar, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, January 2011 – March 2013
  • Graduate research assistant, Department of Atmospheric Sciences, University of Washington, September 2004 – December 2010

Click Here for Publications

Book Chapters

  • McCoy, D. T., M. E. Frazer, J. Muelmenstaedt, I. Tan, C. R. Terai, and M. D. Zelinka, 2024: Extratropical Cloud Feedbacks, in Clouds and their Climatic Impacts: Radiation, Circulation, and Precipitation, S. C. Sullivan (Ed) and C. Hoose (Ed), American Geophysical Union.

  • Contributing author to Forster et al. 2021: The Earth’s Energy Budget, Climate Feedbacks, and Climate Sensitivity, in Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Masson-Delmotte et al. (eds.). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA, pp. 923-1054, doi:10.1017/9781009157896.009.

  • McCoy, D.T., D. L. Hartmann, and M. D. Zelinka, 2017: Mixed-Phase Cloud Feedbacks, in Mixed-phase Clouds: Observations and Modeling, Andronache, C. (Ed.), Elsevier.

  • Tan, I., T. Storelvmo, and M. D. Zelinka, 2017: The climatic impact of thermodynamic phase partitioning in mixed-phase clouds, in Mixed-phase Clouds: Observations and Modeling, Andronache, C. (Ed.), Elsevier.

  • Dessler, A.E. and M. D. Zelinka, 2015: Climate Feedbacks, in Encyclopedia of Atmospheric Sciences, 2nd edition, Vol 2, pp. 18-25, G. R. North (editor-in-chief), J. Pyle and F. Zhang (editors).

Honors & Awards

  • Richard P. and Linda S. Turco Lectureship, Department of Climate, Meteorology, & Atmospheric Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign, 2024-2025
  • LLNL Physical and Life Sciences Directorate Award for Excellence in Publication for Lee et al. (2024)
  • Zelinka et al. (2020) named “Editor’s Choice Paper” by Editor-in-Chief of Geophysical Research Letters
  • American Meteorological Society Henry G. Houghton Award, 2022
  • Eos Research Spotlight for Zelinka et al. (2022)
  • Editors’ Citation for Excellence in Refereeing - Geophysical Research Letters, 2021
  • 2021 LLNL Deputy Director’s S&T Excellence in Publication Award for Zelinka et al. (2020)
  • 2021 LLNL Deputy Director’s S&T Excellence in Publication Award for Sherwood et al. (2020)
  • Sherwood et al. (2020) named runner-up for Science Magazine’s 2020 Breakthrough of the Year
  • Nature Climate Change Research Highlight for Dong et al. (2020)
  • LLNL Physical and Life Sciences Directorate Award for Excellence in Publication for Sherwood et al. (2020)
  • US CLIVAR Research Highlight for Zelinka et al. (2020)
  • Eos Research Spotlight for Zelinka et al. (2020)
  • LLNL Outstanding Mentor Award, 2018
  • LLNL Early and Mid-Career Recognition Program Award, 2018
  • Eos Research Spotlight for Zhou et al. (2017)
  • Diablo Magazine 40 Under 40, 2017
  • LLNL Physical and Life Sciences Directorate Spot Award for Excellence in Publications, 2017
  • LLNL Physical and Life Sciences Directorate Award for Excellence in Publication for Zhou et al. (2016)
  • LLNL Physical and Life Sciences Directorate Award for Excellence in Publication for Norris et al. (2016)
  • Nature Climate Change Research Highlight for Zhou et al. (2016)
  • Eos Research Spotlight for Zelinka et al. (2016)
  • 2016 LLNL Deputy Director for Science and Technology Excellence in Publication Award for Santer et al. (2015)
  • Eos Research Spotlight for McCoy et al. (2016)
  • LLNL Spot Award for “Outstanding Contributions to Climate Science”, 2015
  • Award recipient, NASA New Investigator Program in Earth Science, 2013
  • Editors’ Citation for Excellence in Refereeing for Journal of Geophysical Research, 2012
  • Stephen Henry Schneider Symposium Student Scholarship, 2011
  • AGU Journal Highlight for Zelinka and Hartmann (2010)
  • NASA Earth and Space Science Fellowship, 2006-2008
  • NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Honorable Mention, 2006
  • University of Washington Top Scholar Award, 2004
  • University of Washington Program on Climate Change First Year Fellowship, 2004
  • Jerome N. Behrmann Scholarship in Meteorology, 2004
  • Om and Saraswati Behethi (AMS) Scholarship, 2003
  • Charles L. and Anna R. Hosler Scholarship in Meteorology, 2003
  • Penn State Space Grant Consortium Sylvia Stein Memorial Scholarship, 2003
  • Kruhoeffer Annual Meteorology Scholarship, 2002
  • John and Elizabeth Holmes Teas Scholarship, 2001
  • Earth and Mineral Science Scholarship, 2000

Professional Activities, Service, & Leadership Roles

  • Editor, Journal of Climate, Dec 2024 - present
  • Steering Group, CMIP7 Data Request (Atmosphere Theme), Jul 2024 - present
  • External Peer Reviewer, NASA Langley Research Center Science Directorate, Nov 2023
  • Programme Advisory Group, Uncertainty in Climate Sensitivity due to Clouds (CloudSense) Research Programme, Sep 2023 – present
  • CFMIP Scientific Steering Committee, Jul 2023 - present
  • Discussion Leader, 2023 Gordon Research Conference on Radiation and Climate
  • AGU Global Environmental Change Fellows Committee, Jan 2022 - present
  • Contributing Author, IPCC 6th Assessment Report, 2019 - 2021
  • Convener, Extratropical Cloud Feedbacks Session, 2020 CFMIP Meeting
  • Discussion Leader, 2019 Gordon Research Conference on Radiation and Climate
  • Program Committee Member, American Physical Society Topical Group on the Physics of Climate, Jun 2018 - present
  • LLNL Physical and Life Sciences Postdoc Committee, Sep 2017 - Jan 2020
  • PCMDI Leader Search Committee, Feb 2017 - June 2018
  • Section Editor, Current Climate Change Reports Topical Collection on Climate Feedbacks, 2014 - 2017
  • Contributor, Climate Feedback, a worldwide network of scientists who collectively assess the credibility of influential climate change media coverage
  • Participant, DOE Biological and Environmental Research Advisory Committee Grand Challenges II Workshop, 2017
  • Co-convener, Climate Sensitivity and Feedbacks: Advances and New Paradigms Session, 2013 - 2016 AGU Fall Meetings
  • Discussion Leader, 2013 Gordon Research Seminar on Radiation and Climate
  • Co-convener, Atmospheric Feedbacks and Climate Change: Observations, Theory, and Modeling Session, 2012 AGU Fall Meeting
  • Chair, 2011 Gordon Research Seminar on Radiation and Climate
  • Organizer, University of Washington Graduate Climate Conferences, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010
  • Senator, University of Washington Graduate and Professional Student Senate, Sep 2006 – Jun 2009
  • Member, American Meteorological Society, 2003 – Present
  • Member, American Geophysical Union, 2005 – Present
  • Proposal reviewer for DOE, European Research Council, NASA, and NSF
  • Editor,Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
  • Reviewer for:
    • Atmosphere
    • Atmosphere-Ocean
    • Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
    • Atmospheric Measurement Techniques
    • Atmospheric Science Letters
    • Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society
    • Climate Dynamics
    • Climatic Change
    • Earth’s Future
    • Earth System Dynamics
    • Earth System Science Data
    • Environmental Research Letters
    • Geophysical Research Letters
    • Geoscientific Model Development
    • Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems
    • Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology
    • Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology
    • Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences
    • Journal of Climate
    • Journal of Geophysical Research – Atmospheres
    • Journal of the Meteorological Society of Japan
    • Nature
    • Nature Climate Change
    • Nature Communications
    • Nature Geoscience
    • npj Climate and Atmospheric Science
    • Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
    • Scientific Reports
    • Surveys in Geophysics

Advisees

  • Post-Docs
    • Li-Wei Chao
    • Yi Qin (Post-doc, PNNL)
    • Timothy Myers (Research Scientist, NOAA/CIRES)
    • Chen Zhou (Associate Professor, Nanjing University)
  • Graduate Students
    • Zac Espinosa (University of Washington)
  • Undergraduate Students
    • Russell Hunter (Duke Univesity / Second Lieutenant, US Space Force)
    • Thea Moellerstedt (UC Berkeley)
    • Scott Feldman (Meteorologist, Verisk Weather Solutions)

Talks & Presentations

  • Univ. of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Dept. of Climate, Meteorology, & Atmospheric Sciences, 22 Oct 2024
  • CERES Science Team Meeting, 2 Oct 2024
  • LLNL Senior Staff Meeting, 1 Jul 2024 (oral, invited)
  • NASA Ames Research Center, Earth Science Division, 20 Jun 2024 (oral, invited)
  • Yale University, School of the Environment, 25 Apr 2024 (oral, invited)
  • AGU Fall Meeting: The Flows of Energy Through the Climate System Session, 12 Dec 2023 (oral, invited)
  • AGU Fall Meeting: Climate Sensitivity and Feedbacks Session, 11 Dec 2023 (oral, invited)
  • University of Cambridge Centre for Atmospheric Science, Department of Chemistry, 24 October 2023 (oral, invited)
  • Joint CFMIP-GASS Meeting on Cloud, Precipitation, Circulation, & Climate Sensitivity, 9 Jul 2023 (oral)
  • Yale University, School of the Environment, 27 Apr 2023 (oral, invited)
  • American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting: Atmospheric Physics, Radiation, Clouds, and Aerosols Session, 15 Dec 2022 (oral, invited)
  • American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting: Atmospheric Dynamics & Climate Session, 15 Dec 2022 (oral)
  • “Moving the field forward” Panel, Pattern Effect Workshop, 12 May 2022 (panelist, invited)
  • Yale University, School of the Environment, 21 Apr 2022 (oral, invited)
  • American Meteorological Society Annual Meeting, 27 Jan 2022 (oral)
  • American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting: Process-Oriented Diagnostics for Weather and Climate Models Session, 16 Dec 2021 (poster)
  • American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting: Process-Oriented Analysis of Cloud and Precipitation Physics Session, 15 Dec 2021 (poster)
  • Aerosol and Cloud, Convection and Precipitation Webinar Series, 19 Apr 2021 (oral, invited)
  • University of Maryland Baltimore County Department of Physics Colloquium, 24 Feb 2021 (oral, invited)
  • University of Toronto Physics Colloquium, 28 Jan 2021 (oral, invited)
  • 10 New Insights in Climate Science 2020 Launch Event, 27 Jan 2021 (panelist, invited)
  • American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting: CMIP6 Climate Model Evaluation Session, 8 Dec 2020 (oral, invited)
  • The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Workshop “Data in Motion: New Approaches to Advancing Scientific, Engineering and Medical Progress”, 14-15 October 2020 (panelist, invited)
  • 2020 Princeton AOS Summer Workshop, 17-21 Aug 2020 (plenary talk and lectures, invited)
  • 2020 CESM Workshop, 15 June 2020 (plenary talk, invited)
  • ECS & Cloud Feedback Symposia, online webinar, 28 May 2020 (oral, invited)
  • Imperial College London, Atmospheric Physics Group Webinar, 12 May 2020 (oral, invited)
  • University of Washington, ATMS 571, 28 April 2020 (oral, invited)
  • Global Model Cloud-Aerosol Research Webinar Series, 2 April 2020 (oral, invited)
  • UC Davis Department of Land, Air and Water Resources, 16 October 2019 (oral, invited)
  • CFMIP Meeting on Clouds, Precipitation, Circulation, and Climate Sensitivity, 1 October 2019 (oral)
  • Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory, 23 May 2019 (oral, invited)
  • George Mason University Center for Ocean-Land-Atmosphere Studies, 9 May 2019 (oral, invited)
  • CFMIP Meeting on Clouds, Precipitation, Circulation, and Climate Sensitivity, 17 October 2018 (oral)
  • University of Washington Program on Climate Change Summer Institute, 13 Sep 2018 (oral, invited)
  • CERES Science Team Meeting, 16 May 2018 (oral, invited)
  • University of Washington Program on Climate Change Mini-Symposium on “Using past observations to constrain future climate variability and change”, 8 Feb 2018 (oral, invited)
  • Texas A&M University Dept. of Atmospheric Sciences Seminar, 25 Oct 2017 (oral, invited)
  • CFMIP Meeting on Clouds, Precipitation, Circulation, and Climate Sensitivity, 25 Sep 2017 (oral)
  • Gordon Research Conference on Radiation and Climate, 17-18 Jul 2017 (poster)
  • Clouds, Their Properties, and Their Climate Feedbacks (Bill Rossow Retirement Symposium), 6 June 2017 (oral)
  • American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting: Coupling of Cloud Processes with the Large-Scale Atmospheric Circulation Session, 12 Dec 2016 (poster)
  • Dept. of Energy Regional and Global Climate Modeling PI Meeting, 29 Nov 2016 (poster)
  • Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Department of Climate Sciences Seminar, 31 October 2016 (oral, invited)
  • CFMIP/WCRP/ICTP Conference on Cloud Processes, Circulation and Climate Sensitivity, 7 July 2016 (oral)
  • Joint US-Japan Workshop on Climate Change and Variability, 22 March 2016 (oral, invited)
  • UC Berkeley Atmospheric Science Center Seminar, 2 March 2016 (oral, invited)
  • American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting: Climate Sensitivity and Feedbacks: Advances and New Paradigms Session, 18 Dec 2015 (poster)
  • Gordon Research Conference on Radiation and Climate, 28 July 2015 (oral, invited)
  • CFMIP Meeting on Cloud Processes and Cloud Feedbacks, 10 June 2015 (oral)
  • WCRP Grand Challenge Workshop: Earth’s Climate Sensitivities, 26 Mar 2015 (oral, invited)
  • American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting: Toward Reducing Systematic Errors in Weather and Climate Models: Evaluation, Understanding, and Improvement Session, 18 Dec 2014 (oral)
  • The Climate Symposium 2014, Clouds, Circulation and Climate Sensitivity Session, 14 October 2014 (oral, invited)
  • Dept. of Energy Climate Modeling PI Meeting, 13 May 2014 (poster)
  • University of California Los Angeles Dept. of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences Seminar, 7 May 2014 (oral, invited)
  • American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting: Constraining Aerosol Indirect Forcing in Climate Models With Observations Session, 12 Dec 2013 (poster)
  • Gordon Research Conference on Radiation and Climate, 10 Jul 2013 (poster)
  • CFMIP/EUCLIPSE Meeting on Cloud Processes and Climate Feedbacks, 10 Jun 2013 (oral)
  • Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Department of Climate Sciences Seminar, 20 May 2013 (oral, invited)
  • ISCCP at 30 Conference, 24 Apr 2013 (oral)
  • Dartmouth College Department of Geography Seminar, 28 Feb 2013 (oral, invited)
  • Oregon State University College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences Seminar, 19 Feb 2013 (oral, invited)
  • American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting: Atmospheric Feedbacks and Climate: Observations, Theory, and Modeling Session, 4 Dec 2012 (poster)
  • NASA Sounder Science Team Meeting: 14 Nov 2012 (oral, invited)
  • Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Post-Doc Seminar Series: 16 Oct 2012 (oral)
  • Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Science & Technology Day: 12 Oct 2012 (poster)
  • 1st Pan-GASS Conference: Cloud Radiative Processes in Observations and Models Project Session, 12 Sep 2012 (oral, invited)
  • Workshop on the Physics of Weather and Climate Models: 20-23 Mar 2012 (poster)
  • McGill University Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences Seminar, 15 Mar 2012 (oral, invited)
  • WCRP Workshop on Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 Model Analysis, 7 Mar 2012 (poster)
  • Colorado State University Dept. of Atmospheric Science Colloquium, 20 Feb 2012 (oral, invited)
  • Pennsylvania State University Dept. of Meteorology Colloquium, 15 Feb 2012 (oral, invited)
  • University of California Los Angeles Dept. of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences Seminar, 25 Jan 2012 (oral, invited)
  • American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting: Atmospheric Feedbacks and Climate: Observations, Theory, and Modeling Session, 8 Dec 2011 (oral, invited)
  • American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting: Climate Modeling: Innovative Application of Observations for Diagnosing CMIP5 and IPCC Simulations: Quantifying Model Processes and Uncertainties Session, 8 Dec 2011 (poster)
  • Santa Fe Conference on Global and Regional Climate Change, 2 Nov 2011 (oral, invited)
  • National Center for Atmospheric Research Climate and Global Dynamics Division Seminar, 31 Oct 2011 (oral, invited)
  • WCRP Open Science Conference, 27 Oct 2011 (oral)
  • CERES Science Team Meeting, 6 Oct 2011 (oral)
  • Department of Energy Climate and Earth System Modeling PI Meeting, 20 Sep 2011 (oral)
  • Gordon Research Conference on Radiation and Climate, 11 Jul 2011 (poster)
  • CFMIP/GCSS/EUCLIPSE Meeting on Cloud Processes and Climate Feedbacks, 7 Jun 2011 (oral)
  • University of Washington Dept. of Atmospheric Sciences Colloquium, 19 Nov 2010 (Ph.D. defense)
  • University of Washington Graduate Climate Conference: Climate Feedbacks Session, 16 Oct 2010 (session chair)
  • University of Washington Program on Climate Change Summer Institute, 15-17 Sep 2010 (poster)
  • Texas A&M University Dept. of Atmospheric Sciences Seminar, 16 Jun 2010 (oral, invited)
  • Program for Climate Model Diagnosis and Intercomparison Seminar, Lawrence Livermore National Lab, 11 May 2010 (oral, invited)
  • University of Chicago Dept. of the Geophysical Sciences Colloquium, 19 Feb 2010 (oral, invited)
  • University ofWashington Dept. of Atmospheric Sciences Atmospheric Physics and Chemistry Seminar, 1 Feb 2010 (oral, invited)
  • American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting: Atmospheric Feedbacks and Climate Change: Necessary Observations and Modeling Improvements Session, 16 Dec 2009 (oral)
  • NASA Sounder Science Team Meeting, 14 Oct 2009 (oral, invited)
  • Summer School on Water Vapor in the Climate System, 14-26 Sep 2009 (poster)
  • Gordon Research Conference on Radiation and Climate, 5-10 Jul 2009 (poster)
  • University of Washington Graduate Climate Conference: Tropics Session, 17-19 Apr 2009 (oral)
  • American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting: Multiplatform and Multisensor Satellite Observations of Cloud-Precipitation Structures and Microphysics Session, 15-19 Dec 2008 (poster)
  • Chapman Conference on Atmospheric Water Vapor and its Role in Climate, 20-24 Oct 2008 (poster)
  • American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting: Physics and Chemistry of the Upper Troposphere / Lower Stratosphere Session, 12 Dec 2007 (oral)
  • University of Washington Graduate Climate Conference: Aerosols, Clouds, and Water Vapor Session, 20 Oct 2007 (session chair)
  • Gordon Research Conference on Radiation and Climate, 29 Jul – 3 Aug 2007 (poster)
  • University of Washington Dept. of Atmospheric Sciences Clouds and Precipitation Seminar, May 2007 (oral)
  • University of Washington Graduate Climate Conference, Apr 2006 (poster)

Teaching Experience

  • Lead Teaching Assistant for Department of Atmospheric Sciences, Sep 2009 – Aug 2010
  • Teaching Assistant: ATMS 211: Climate and Climate Change, Feb – Jun 2009
  • Teaching Assistant: ATMS 101: Weather, Mar – Jun 2006
  • ATMS 321: Science of Climate, Spring quarter 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009
  • Teaching Assistant: EM SC 100S: First-Year Seminar, Jan – May 2004

Communication Skills Development

  • Climate Communication Training, AGU Climate Science Rapid Response Team, Dec 2011
  • Graduate Certificate in Climate Science, University of Washington, Mar – Jun 2010
    • Capstone Project: Perception and Reality of Environmental Risk Among the Ha Tinh Population of Vietnam

Outreach Activities

  • LLNL Technical Lightning Talk: Community Cohorts program for new hires, 24 Aug 2023.
  • LLNL - Las Positas College Science and Engineering Seminar Series, 20 Apr 2023.
  • Science on Saturday, The Future in Focus: Predicting Climate Change through Observations, Modeling, and Artificial Intelligence, 4 Mar 2023.
  • Castro Valley Rotary Club, 13 Sep 2022.
  • Science on Saturday, The Future in Focus: Predicting Climate Change through Observations, Modeling, and Artificial Intelligence, 26 Feb 2022.
  • San Joaquin County Office of Education Climate Change Summit, 26 Sep 2020
  • Wild and Scenic Film Festival, Bankhead Theater, Livermore, CA, Jan 2020
  • Department of Atmospheric Sciences and Program on Climate Change Outreach Teams, Sep 2004 – Dec 2010
    • Gave talks at libraries, churches, and schools about climate change
    • Gave demonstrations about physical processes relevant to weather and climate at elementary and middle school classrooms and science fairs
    • Served as panel discussant proceeding screening of An Inconvenient Truth at Lincoln Theater in Mount Vernon, Washington, Summer 2006