Ana Barros

Professor Ana Barros is a Professor of Earth & Climate Sciences at Duke University, where she has been since 2004. She holds a Ph.D. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of Washington (1993), with earlier degrees from the University of O’Porto and Oregon Institute of Technology. Her research focuses on hydrology, hydrometeorology, and environmental physics, emphasizing water-cycle processes in complex terrains and remote sensing of precipitation. She has pioneered studies on orographic precipitation dynamics, climate predictability, and land-atmosphere interactions in regions like the Himalayas and Southern Appalachians.

Her professional roles include serving on NASA, NOAA, and NSF committees, as well as editorial leadership at journals like Journal of Hydrometeorology. Awards include the NASA Goddard Award (2014) and Fellowships from AMS and AGU. Prof. Barros has secured grants totaling millions for projects such as the Integrated Precipitation and Hydrology Experiment (IPHEx) and studies on aerosol-cloud interactions. Her lab developed the Duke Coupled Hydrology Model (DCHM), a tool for integrated hydrologic prediction.

Notable research contributions include advancing satellite precipitation estimation in mountainous regions and analyzing the impact of tropical cyclones on regional water cycles. She actively mentors students, with many advancing to graduate studies in STEM fields.