Caroline Ummenhofer

Caroline Ummenhofer is a Researcher in the Physical Oceanography Department at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), USA, since 2012. She holds a Joint Honours B.Sc. in Marine Biology and Physical Oceanography from the University of Wales, Bangor, UK, and a Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics specializing in climate modeling from the University of New South Wales (UNSW), Australia.

• Joint Honours B.Sc. in Marine Biology and Physical Oceanography, University of Wales, Bangor, UK
• Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics, University of New South Wales, Australia

Her research focuses on interannual to decadal climate variability, the hydrological cycle, monsoon dynamics, extreme events, droughts, hydroclimate paleo reconstructions, and the effects of climate on agriculture. She specializes in Indian Ocean dynamics and its role in regional rainfall variations and droughts across surrounding countries, aiming to bridge ocean-climate science with stakeholder-driven applications in water management and agriculture.

Caroline has received several honors, including the Uwe Radok Award for her Ph.D. thesis, the Vice-Chancellor Postdoctoral Fellowship at UNSW, and a CSIRO Visiting Fellow position. She mentors a diverse group of students and research assistants, including participants in the MIT-WHOI Joint Program, Summer Student Fellows, and RISE-sponsored guests, who work on interdisciplinary projects involving climate modeling, historical ship logbook analysis, and data visualization techniques.