Dr. Daniel T. Dawson II is an Associate Professor of Atmospheric Science at Purdue University's Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences (EAPS). He leads the STorMLab (Storm and Tornado Modeling Laboratory), focusing on severe convective storm dynamics, tornado physics, and improving numerical prediction of severe weather. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Oklahoma (2009) and B.S. from Purdue University (2002). His research integrates observational data from field campaigns like VORTEX2 and VORTEX-SE with advanced numerical modeling, particularly using EnKF radar data assimilation techniques. Education: Ph.D., University of Oklahoma, School of Meteorology (2009) M.S., University of Oklahoma, School of Meteorology (2004) B.S., Purdue University, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (2002) His research interests include storm-scale microphysics, radar observations, and the role of surface drag in tornadogenesis. He collaborates with the Weather Radar Research Laboratory led by his spouse, Dr. Robin Tanamachi, and co-teaches the EAPS 59100 Severe Storms Field Work course, emphasizing hands-on storm chasing and forecasting. Dawson has extensive experience with the National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL), the Cooperative Institute for Mesoscale Meteorological Studies (CIMMS), and the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). His work addresses challenges in Warn-on-Forecast systems and has contributed to understanding the geographic controls of severe storm environments. He leads Purdue's mobile disdrometer operations in field campaigns like PERiLS and VORTEX-SE, emphasizing real-time data collection for improving storm prediction models. Labs/Teams: STorMLab (Purdue), Weather Radar Research Laboratory (collaboration), and the Purdue TriPIPS and XTRRA radar initiatives.












