Picture of Kelly Nunez Ocasio
  • Assistant Professor

Research Interests

Research Interests

My research interests reside in tropical meteorology, focusing on tropical variability in the African-Atlantic region, using numerical weather prediction models and observations employing a multiscale approach. My work has specifically focused on African easterly waves, mesoscale convective systems, and tropical cyclone genesis. I am currently working on understanding how these tropical systems will be modulated with the changing climate.

Educational Background

  • Ph.D., Meteorology and Atmospheric Science, Penn State University, 2021
  • B.S., Physics, University of Puerto Rico-Mayagüez, 2016

Selected Publications

  • Feng, Z., Prein, A. F., Kukulies, J., Fiolleau T., Jones, W. K., Maybee, B., Moon, Z. L., Núñez Ocasio, K. M., et al. (2025). Mesoscale convective systems tracking method intercomparison (MCSMIP): Application to DYAMOND global km-scale simulations. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 130, e2024JD042204. [Link] 

    Jenney, A. M., R. A. Houze, M. LeMone, E. J. Thompson, K. M. Núñez Ocasio, C. Zhang, and T. R. Nathan, 2025: Celebrating 50 years since GATE. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 106, E576–E595. [Link] 

    Núñez Ocasio, K. M., and Dougherty, E. M. (2024). The Effect of Pseudo-Global Warming on the Weather-Climate System of Africa in a Convection-Permitting Model. Geophysical Research Letters, 51, e2024GL112341. [Link] 

    Nowottnick, E. P., Rowe, A. K., Nehrir, A. R., Zawislak, J. A., Piña, A. J., McCarty, W., Barton-Grimley, R. A., Bedka, K. M., Bennett, J. R., Brammer, A., Buzanowicz, M. E., Chen, G., Chen, S., Chen, S. S., Colarco, P. R., Cooney, J. W., Crosbie, E., Doyle, J., Fehr, T., Ferrare, R. A., Harrah, S. D., Hristova-Veleva, S. M., Lambrigtsen, B. H., Lawton, Q. A., Lee, A., Marinou, E., Martin, E. R., Močnik, G., Mazza, E., Monje, R. R., Núñez Ocasio, K. M., et al. (2024). Dust, Convection, Winds and Waves: The 2022 NASA CPEX-CV Campaign. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society,105, E2097–E2125. [Link] 

    Núñez Ocasio, K. M. and Moon, Z. L. (2024). TAMS: a tracking, classifying, and variable-assigning algorithm for mesoscale convective systems in simulated and satellite-derived datasets. Geoscientific Model Development, 17, 6035-6049. [Link]

    Núñez Ocasio, K. M., Davis, C., Moon, Z. L., and Lawton, Q. (2024). Moisture Dependence of an African Easterly Wave within the West African Monsoon System. Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems, 16, e2023MS004070. [Link] 

    Prein, A. F., Feng, Z., Fiolleau, T., Moon, Z. L., Núñez Ocasio, K. M., Kukulies, J., et al. (2024). Km-scale simulations of mesoscale convective systems over South America—A feature tracker intercomparison. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 129, e2023JD040254. [Link] 

    Dominguez, F., Rasmussen, R., Liu, C., Ikeda, K., Prein, A., Varble, A., Arias, P. A., Bacmeister, J., Bettolli, M. L., Callaghan, P., Carvalho, L. M. V., Castro, C. L., Chen, F., Chug, D., Chun, K. P. (., Dai, A., Danaila, L., da Rocha, R. P., Nascimento, E. d. L., Dougherty, E., Dudhia, J., Eidhammer, T., Feng, Z., Fita, L., Fu, R., Giles, J., Gilmour, H., Halladay, K., Huang, Y., Iza Wong, A. M., Lagos-Zúñiga, M. Á., Jones, C., Llamocca, J., Llopart, M., Martinez, J. A., Martinez, J. C., Minder, J. R., Morrison, M., Moon, Z. L., Mu, Y., Neale, R. B., Núñez Ocasio, K. M., , et al. (2024). Advancing South American Water and Climate Science through Multidecadal Convection-Permitting Modeling. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 105(1), E32-E44. [Link]

    Núñez Ocasio, K. M., and Rios-Berrios, R. (2023). African easterly wave evolution and tropical cyclogenesis in a pre-Helene (2006) hindcast using the Model for Prediction Across Scales-Atmosphere (MPAS-A). Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems, 15, e2022MS003181. [Link] 

    Rajasree, V., Cao, X., Ramsay, H., Núñez Ocasio, K. M., Kilroy, G., Alvey, G. R., Chang, M., Nam, C. C., Fudeyasu, H., Teng, H.-F., and Yu, H. (2023). Tropical cyclogenesis: Controlling factors and physical mechanisms. Tropical Cyclone Research and Review, 12, 165–181. [Link]

    Morales, A., Molina, M. J., Trujillo-Falcón, J. E., Núñez Ocasio, K. M., Lang, A. L., Murillo, E., Bieri, C., Barrett, B. S., Avilés, L. B., & Camargo, S. J. (2023). Commitment to Active Allyship Is Required to Address the Lack of Hispanic and Latinx Representation in the Earth and Atmospheric Sciences. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 104(7), E1290-E1313. [Link] 

    Núñez Ocasio, K. M., Brammer, A., Evans, J. L., Young, G. S., & Moon, Z. L. (2021). Favorable monsoon environment over Eastern Africa for subsequent tropical cyclogenesis of African easterly waves. Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, 78(9), 2911–2925. [Link] 

    Núñez Ocasio, K. M., Evans, J. L., & Young, G. S. (2020). A wave‐relative framework analysis of AEW–MCS interactions leading to tropical cyclogenesis. Monthly Weather Review, 148(11), 4657–4671. [Link] 

    Núñez Ocasio, K. M., Evans, J. L., & Young, G. S. (2020). Tracking mesoscale convective systems that are potential candidates for tropical cyclogenesis. Monthly Weather Review, 148(2), 655–669. [Link] 

    Hamilton, H. L., Núñez Ocasio, K. M., Evans, J. L., Young, G. S., & Fuentes, J. D. (2020). Topographic influence on the African easterly Jet and African easterly wave energetics. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 125(8), e2019JD032138. [Link] 

    Hamilton, H. L., Young, G. S., Evans, J. L., Fuentes, J. D., & Núñez Ocasio, K. M. (2017). The relationship between the Guinea Highlands and the West African offshore rainfall maximum. Geophysical Research Letters, 44(2), 1158–1166. [Link]

    Aberson, S. D., Zhang, J. A., & Núñez Ocasio, K. M. (2017). An Extreme Event in the Eyewall of Hurricane Felix on 2 September 2007. Monthly Weather Review, 145(6), 2083-2092. [Link]