Robert Trapp

Robert Trapp is a Professor of Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) and Director of the School of Earth, Society & Environment. He holds additional affiliations as a Professor at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA) and leads the Trapp Severe Weather Research Group. His career includes roles at Purdue University (2003–2014) and the National Severe Storms Laboratory (1996–2003), with visiting appointments at NCAR.

Education: PhD in Meteorology (University of Oklahoma, 1994), MS in Meteorology (Texas A&M, 1989), BS in Agriculture/Atmospheric Science (University of Missouri, 1985).

Research focuses on mesoscale convective systems, severe thunderstorms, tornado dynamics, and climate change impacts. Key areas include tornado climatology, QLCS (quasi-linear convective systems) behavior, and the effects of global warming on convective weather. His work employs observational data, numerical modeling, and satellite observations. Recent projects include the PERiLS study of southeastern U.S. tornadoes and evaluations of CMIP6 climate models for severe storm representation.

Publications emphasize tornado prediction, climate model validation, and extreme weather attribution. He collaborates with NSF, NASA, and industry partners, advancing tools like radar-based tornado forecasting and machine learning for wind load design.

Labs/Teams: Trapp Severe Weather Research Group, PERiLS Project leadership, and involvement with the Flexible Array of Radars and Mesonets (FARM).