Zeljka Fuchs

Zeljka Fuchs, PhD, is a Research Associate Professor and director of the Climate and Water Consortium at New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology. She leads NSF-funded projects like OTREC (Organization of Tropical East Pacific Convection) and previously EMBRACE in Europe. Her research bridges tropical meteorology with interdisciplinary work, including collaborations with ECMWF and NASA field campaigns.

• Academic Affiliation: New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
• Academic Role: Associate Professor
• Leadership: Director of Climate and Water Consortium

Dr. Fuchs is deeply involved in teaching physics at both introductory and advanced levels. She emphasizes interactive learning, critical thinking, and real-world applications through courses like Phys 121, Phys 122, and Phys 505. Her teaching philosophy includes hands-on experiments and connecting classroom basics to cutting-edge research.

Her research focuses on tropical convection, Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO), and convection parameterization. Recent work explores the interplay between atmospheric moisture, stability, and large-scale disturbances, including Kelvin waves and gravity waves. She integrates field campaign data (e.g., NASA CPEX, NSF OTREC) into educational materials, such as mini weather stations for New Mexico schools.

• Main Research Areas
  • Tropical Meteorology
  • Climate Dynamics
  • Convection Parameterization
  • Numerical Modeling

The Climate and Water Consortium, under her leadership, develops tools like portable mini weather stations and educational resources for teachers. She advocates for science communication, including a TEDxZagreb talk on storm research and public engagement.

• Notable Projects
  • NSF OTREC (Eastern Pacific Convection)
  • European EMBRACE Project
  • NASA CPEX Field Campaign