Christopher D. Thorncroft

My research is mainly focused on improving our understanding of the West African monsoon and how it impacts Atlantic tropical cyclone variability. The research spans a wide range of timescales from diurnal to multidecadal. At the weather scale, my research is focused on understanding the physical processed that impact the nature and variability of African easterly waves (AEWs). This includes a special emphasis on how AEWs interact with the ubiquitous mesoscale convective systems and ultimately how this affects the probability that AEWs will help spawn tropical cyclones. Recent work at the weather scale has also emphasized the role of convectively coupled equatorial waves on the West African monsoon and Atlantic tropical cyclogenesis frequency. At the climate scale, I am interested in better understanding the annual cycle of the West African monsoon as well as the processes that impact interannual to decadal variability and predictability of Sahel rainfall.

Jeff Freedman

As part of the Boundary Layer Meteorology and Renewable Energy Groups at ASRC, my main research focus is on renewable energy and atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) processes. This includes work on improving wind and solar power production forecasting, outage prediction modeling applications, developing instrumentation and improving modeling approaches for offshore wind energy, and using ASRC modeling and observational assets to better understand weather and climate influences on our renewable energy resource. A principal tool for my observational work is a Leosphere Windcube 100S scanning LiDAR. Of great value for my research is continuing collaboration with colleagues at ASRC, the New York State Mesonet, the Center of Excellence for Weather and Climate Analytics, and working with a very talented group of graduate students.

My previous work in the private sector (with Atmospheric Information Services and Envirolaw, companies I founded, and AWS Truepower, as Lead Research Scientist) included serving as a lead Principal Investigator for the first Wind Forecasting Improvement Project (WFIP), a three-year Department of Energy (DOE)/National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) study to demonstrate the value of additional atmospheric observations and model enhancements on wind energy production forecasts, the development of the Solar Wind Integrated Forecast Tool (SWIFT), a state-of-the-art forecasting service for Hawaii´s electric utilities, and a LiDAR-based study of the 3D wind field over Cranberry Lake in New York’s Adirondack Mountains, and developing an early roadmap for the legal and regulatory review of offshore wind energy projects in US coastal waters.

Elena Garuc

Elena Garuc is the Executive Director of FuzeHub, New York State’s premier organization championing the manufacturing and innovation ecosystem. For two decades, Elena has led the implementation of technology-led economic development initiatives resulting in private sector job growth and competitiveness gains. Elena leads FuzeHub’s operations and works closely with its Board of Directors to realize strategic goals. As a FuzeHub founder, she guided the organization from inception while growing its team to fourteen staff members and securing federal and state grants, including designation as the statewide New York Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) center. Before becoming Executive Director, Elena shaped FuzeHub’s marketing and brand strategy, and its nationally-recognized web-based portal and marketing programs.

Prior to her role at FuzeHub, Elena spent a decade as Director of Marketing at the Center for Economic Growth in Albany, and had the privilege of leading or supporting programs such as an upstate venture capital forum, a biotechnology network, and a technology roadmap portal.