Craig Ramseyer

Craig Ramseyer is an Associate Professor in the Department of Geography at Virginia Tech, within the College of Natural Resources and Environment. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Georgia (2016) and previously taught at Salisbury University (2016–2019). His research focuses on tropical rainfall dynamics, climate change impacts on drought and flooding, and AI/ML applications in atmospheric sciences. He leads the Ramseyer Climate Lab, emphasizing student-driven research in hydroclimatology and environmental resilience.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Geography, University of Georgia (2016)
• M.S. in Geography, University of Georgia (2011)
• B.S. in Geographic Science, James Madison University (2009)

Research Interests: Climate modeling, tropical climatology, and hydroclimatic extremes. His work investigates atmospheric rivers, Caribbean drought mechanisms, and climate change effects on ecosystems and agriculture. Recent projects include NOAA-funded studies on Caribbean drought early warning systems and NSF-funded analyses of Puerto Rico’s precipitation variability.

Grants and Funding:

• $1.79M NSF grant (2024–2029): Examines socio-environmental resilience of Caribbean fisheries.
• $507K NOAA grant (2020–2023): Focuses on Caribbean drought early warning systems.
• $5,000 NSF Luquillo LTER grant (2017–2018): Studied El Yunque National Forest precipitation variability.

Advising: Supervised M.S. students including Julia Finkhauser (2024), Tyler Gingrich (2022), Parker Henry (2022), and Tyler Stanfield (2022). Current students include Sophie Luraschi (Meteorology) and lab members focused on mountain wave dynamics and tropical climate analysis.

Labs/Teams: Directs the Ramseyer Climate Lab, a student-centered group funded by NOAA, NSF, and UCAR. Research spans drought mechanisms, atmospheric river dynamics, and climate adaptation strategies in the tropics and mid-latitudes.