Jennifer Collins

Dr. Jennifer Collins is an Associate Professor at the University of South Florida. Her research focuses on weather and climate. As a hurricane researcher, Dr. Collins is interested in the interaction between large scale climatic patterns such as the El Niño – Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the Madden – Julian Oscillation and seasonal and intra-seasonal patterns of tropical cyclone activity in multiple oceanic basins. She is currently studying the environmental factors influencing the interannual variation of hurricane activity in the Northeast Pacific and she is examining relationships between hurricane activity in the Atlantic versus those in part of the Northeast Pacific ocean basin. Furthermore, she focuses on tropical cyclogenesis and the influence of topography. She is also investigating sea surface temperatures in the Pacific using a new sea surface temperature change parameter and relating this to Atlantic hurricane activity. This work is being extended to other ocean basins. An emphasis area of her research includes examining the cause of the anomalous sea surface temperature increases in warm current. As well as her work in the physical sciences she also works in the social sciences as she begins work on behavior relating to hurricane evacuation. Dr. Collins works closely on projects with the National Weather Service. In addition, she collaborates with international researchers and works in the area of climate change. Dr. Collins is President of the West Central Florida Chapter of the American Meteorological Society, Vice_President of the Climate Specialty Group of the Association of American Geographers and serves on the National Weather Association’s Specialized Operations Committee on Tropical Cyclones.