Toby Ault

Toby Ault is an Associate Professor and Director of Graduate Studies in Atmospheric Sciences at Cornell University's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS). His research focuses on climate risks, including prolonged drought under climate change, seasonal dynamics (especially spring onset), and tropical Pacific variability's influence on global climate. He holds a PhD from the University of Arizona (2011) and conducted postdoctoral work at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR, 2011–2013). Ault's interdisciplinary approach integrates observational data, numerical modeling, and statistical analysis, collaborating with climatologists, geographers, and ecologists.

Key research areas include megadrought risk in the American Southwest, energy-climate interactions, and the impact of anthropogenic change on hydroclimate. His work has been featured in journals like Science Advances and Physics Today, with notable publications addressing drought attribution, spring phenology forecasting, and model biases. Ault leads the Emerging Climate Risk Lab (ECRL) and has secured grants including an NSF CAREER Award (2018). He teaches courses on climate dynamics, energy-climate systems, and internship experiences. Awards include the 2019 Faculty Fellow in Community Engaged Learning.

Recent projects include partnerships with industry to assess drought risk and collaborations on offshore wind energy modeling. His research underscores the urgency of understanding climate extremes and informing policy through predictive frameworks.