Rhys Parfitt

Rhys Parfitt is an Associate Professor in the Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Science at Florida State University. He holds additional appointments as an Adjunct Scientist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and as an Affiliate Faculty Member at the Center for Ocean-Atmospheric Prediction Studies. His research focuses on atmosphere-ocean interactions, large-scale climate variability, and the socio-economic impacts of extreme weather in a warming climate.

• Department: Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Science (EOAS)
• School: College of Arts and Sciences
• University: Florida State University
• Affiliations: Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (Adjunct Scientist), Center for Ocean-Atmospheric Prediction Studies (Affiliate Faculty)

His research group investigates the physical mechanisms governing atmosphere-ocean interactions, particularly in mid-latitudes, including the influence of the Gulf Stream on Nor’Easters. He is interested in climate variability across timescales, from present-day to past millennium and future climate scenarios, with projects on rainfall variability in Australia and New Zealand, Greenland melt events, and climate reconstruction using tree-ring data.

He employs high-resolution climate models and observational datasets to study fine-scale processes in the Earth system. His work emphasizes improving predictability of extreme weather and understanding climate change impacts.

Rhys Parfitt teaches courses such as "Introduction to the Atmosphere," "Marine Meteorology," "Modes of Climate Variability," and "Environmental Entrepreneurship" through a bridge initiative with the Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship. He has also taught at the MIT-WHOI Joint Program and served as an instructor at Imperial College London.

He previously taught topics including tropical meteorology, mid- to high-latitude meteorology, North Atlantic climate variability, and MATLAB applications in climate science. At Imperial College, he instructed in physics and applied mathematics, with specialized topics in wind turbulence, solar radiation, and hurricane dynamics.

No scientific awards were mentioned in the provided text.

Rhys Parfitt advises graduate students in the EOAS department and encourages prospective students to contact him regarding research opportunities. He is involved in interdisciplinary research and collaborates across institutions. He has contributed to graduate education through course development and mentoring.

His lab or research group focuses on analyzing observational data and model outputs to theorize about climate and weather mechanisms. He is engaged in projects related to climate modeling, ocean-weather interactions, and socio-economic impacts of climate extremes.