William Riebsame Travis

William Riebsame Travis is an Associate Professor in the Department of Geography at the University of Colorado, where he also serves as Director of the North Central Climate Adaptation Science Center (CIRES/USGS). He holds a Ph.D. from Clark University (1981) and leads research initiatives through Earth Lab's Adaptation Science program and Western Water Assessment.

Research Focus: His work explores three interconnected themes:

• Extremes, Risk and Disasters: Investigating disaster theory, warning system failures, and societal responses to low-probability/high-consequence events
• Forecast-Informed Decision Making: Developing quantitative models integrating probabilistic weather/climate forecasts for sectors like ranching and infrastructure management
• Climate Adaptation Science: Creating frameworks for climate-sensitive resource management through risk analysis and decision modeling

His publications demonstrate consistent focus on climate extremes, risk analysis methodologies, and human-environment interactions. Recent work emphasizes accelerating environmental risks (wildfires, droughts) and adaptation decision-making under uncertainty.

Advising & Leadership: Directs graduate research (including current advisee Luca Anna Palasti) and secures funding from NOAA, NSF, USGS, and CU's Earth Lab. Leads collaborative projects through the North Central Climate Adaptation Science Center and maintains the scholarly archive of geographer Robert W. Kates.