Jhordanne Jones plans to take tropical meteorology knowledge back to Caribbean
Residents of the Caribbean are no foreigners to severe weather, with an average of one hurricane hitting the region each year, and most occurrences developing into a major hurricane. Jhordanne Jones, a Jamaica native, understands the impact of tropical cyclones all too well.
“In the Caribbean, storms are just a part of our livelihood. We experience them every summer, they cause damage over many years, and we don’t have that much research on them in the Caribbean, so I hope to be able to fill that gap,” she said.
Coming to CSU this fall, Jones will pursue her Ph.D. in the Department of Atmospheric Science under advisor and tropical cyclone researcher Michael Bell. With expertise in climatology, or the study of weather conditions over a period of time, Jones hopes to complement her education with Bell’s expertise in meteorology, which focuses on more short-term variations of weather dynamics. Some of Bell’s research requires data collection via aircraft, which Jones would jump at the chance to participate in.
“If I ever could get a flight on an aircraft reconnaissance mission, I’d be so grateful to go. I hope to have the opportunity to get that hands-on experience,” she said.
Jones comes to CSU as a Fulbright fellow and recipient of the Walter Scott, Jr. Fellowship. The award is one of 26 fellowships made possible by a $53.3 million gift from business icon and CSU alumnus Walter Scott, Jr.
“This award means a whole lot. It gives me the opportunity to be in Fort Collins and be as comfortable as possible so I can actually enjoy my study experience. It’s a huge help,” she said.
After completing her degree at CSU, Jones hopes to secure a postdoctoral position with the goal of bringing knowledge about tropical meteorology back to the Caribbean.
“I’d love to be an expert in tropical cyclones,” she said. “The Caribbean region has a lack of that expertise, and I’d love to be a resource others can come to for insight.”