Ankur Desai

Ankur Desai is a Professor and Department Chair at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences. His Ecometeorology Lab investigates interactions between terrestrial/aquatic ecosystems and the atmosphere, focusing on carbon, energy, and water exchanges across scales.

Research interests include:

• Climate-ecosystem feedbacks
• Land-atmosphere interactions
• Biogeochemical cycles
• Micrometeorological observations
• Machine learning applications
• Policy-relevant climate science

Recent publications highlight climate change impacts on carbon fluxes, machine learning integration for flux estimation, and global-scale ecosystem-atmosphere studies. The lab utilizes eddy covariance flux towers, remote sensing, and process-based models to advance understanding of scaling challenges in climate science.

Scientific honors:

• Vilas Distinguished Achievement Professor
• Joanne Simpson Medal

Outreach initiatives include middle school mentoring, tribal education programs, and public engagement with the Wisconsin Idea. The lab's research directly informs decision-making for land, air, and water resource management.