Susan C. van den Heever – University Distinguished Professor

Phone: (970) 215-6511
Email: sue.vandenheever@colostate.edu
Sue van den Heever website
Research and teaching website
Publications

Education

• Ph.D. in Atmospheric Science – 2001 – Colorado State University
• M.S. in Geography – 1994 – University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg
• B.S. Hons – 1990 – University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg
• H. Dip. Education – 1989 – University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg
• B.S. in Mathematics – 1988 – University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg

Career Overview

• University Distinguished Professor, Department of Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University, 2022-current
• Visiting Professor in Physics, Oxford University, 2020-current
• Associate Department Head, Department of Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University, 2017-2019
• Professor, Dept. of Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University, 2017-current
• Associate Professor, Dept. of Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University, 2013-2017
• Assistant Professor, Dept. of Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University, 2008-2013
• Research Scientist, Dept. of Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University, 2004-2008
• Post-Doctoral Fellow, Dept. of Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University, 2002-2004
• High School Math Teacher, Wendywood High School, Johannesburg, 1991-1992

Teaching Interests

• Cloud physics
• Cloud dynamics
• Mesoscale modeling
• Mesoscale meteorology

Research Interests

• Cloud physics
• Cloud dynamics
• Aerosol-cloud-precipitation interactions
• Deep convective storm processes
• Numerical modeling

Research Sponsors

• National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
• National Science Foundation (NSF)
• U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)
• U.S. Office of Naval Research (ONR)
• U.S. Department of Defense (DoD)

Awards, Honors, and Positions

• Outstanding Professor of the Year Award, Department of Atmospheric Science, CSU, 2025
• George T. Abell Award for Outstanding Research Faculty, Walter Scott, Jr. College of Engineering, 2022
• University Distinguished Professor, Colorado State University, 2022
• Principal Investigator of the NASA INCUS Mission, 2021-current
• Fellow of the American Meteorological Society, 2021
• NASA Group Achievement Award to CAMP²Ex Science Team, 2021
• MIT Houghton Lectureship, 2020-2021
• Science Advisory Board of the DFG “Waves to Weather” Transregional Collaborative Research Center, 2019-2021
• AGU Atmospheric Sciences Executive Committee: Secretary, 2019-2020
• Co-Chair of the Science Community Committee (SCC) of NASA’s 2017 Decadal Survey A-CCP (Aerosols – Clouds, Convection and Precipitation) Pre-formulation Study, 2018-2022
• American Meteorological Society Edward N. Lorenz Teaching Excellence Award, AMS, 2018
• Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences – Editor, 2017-2022
• Guest Editor of Special Collection at Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, EGU, 2017-2021
• American Geophysical Union ASCENT award, 2016
• Editor’s Citation for Excellence in Refereeing in Nature in 2015, Nature Publications, 2016
• Co-Chair of the AMS 16^th Conference on Mesoscale Processes, 2015
• Monfort Professor, Colorado State University, 2015-2017
• Outstanding Professor of the Year Award, Department of Atmospheric Science, CSU, 2015
• Graduate Student Council Award for Graduate Advising and Mentorship, CSU, 2015
• Outstanding Professor of the Year Award, Department of Atmospheric Science, CSU, 2013
• George T. Abell Outstanding Early-Career Faculty Award, College of Engineering, CSU, 2012
• Outstanding Professor of the Year Award, Department of Atmospheric Science, CSU, 2009
• Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Review Award for 2008, Royal Meteorological Society, 2009
• NASA’s Group Achievement Award to CRYSTAL-FACE Science Team, NASA, 2002
• Elected to the Sigma Xi (1999) and Phi Kappa Phi (2003) honors societies