Mayra Oyola-Merced

Mayra Oyola-Merced is an Assistant Professor at the University of Wisconsin–Madison in the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences. She leads the SOARS (Satellite Remote Sensing for Aviation, Radiation, and Severe Weather) research group, focusing on improving understanding of severe weather and aviation hazards through satellite remote sensing, radiative transfer, and modeling.

Education:

• PhD, Howard University

Her research spans two core areas: detection and prediction of aviation weather hazards, particularly atmospheric turbulence, using satellite and reanalysis data; and investigation of aerosol impacts on storm environments, emphasizing aerosol–cloud interactions and thermodynamics. Her work aims to enhance forecasting, reduce climate prediction uncertainties, and improve satellite-based vertical aerosol distribution retrievals.

Scientific Awards:

• Ned P. Smith Distinguished Chair of Meteorology

Mayra mentors a diverse team of graduate and undergraduate students, including Idamis Rodriguez-Nazario, Katie Wilson, Stefanie Kluge, and others, fostering collaborative research in atmospheric sciences. She actively contributes to inclusive excellence initiatives at UW-Madison and national organizations like the American Meteorological Society (AMS) and UCAR.

Labs and Teams: The SOARS research group, led by Mayra, collaborates globally on satellite data applications for severe weather and aviation safety. Her work involves partnerships with institutions such as NASA, NOAA, and the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, alongside extensive field research and technical development in satellite data assimilation.