UAH researcher receives AMS award for advances in hurricane science and forecasting

(L – R) Dr. Xiaomin Chen and his student Zeb Leffler in front of UAH’s Mobile Alabama X-Band Radar (MAX).

Courtesy Paola Pinto

Dr. Xiaomin Chen, an assistant professor in the Department of Atmospheric and Earth Science and principal investigator in the Earth System Science Center at The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), a part of The University of Alabama System, has been recognized with the Banner I. Miller Award from the American Meteorological Society, one of the highest honors in hurricane science. Chen’s study, published in the journal of the American Meteorological Society, led to more realistic forecasts of storm structure and significant improvements in predicting rapid intensification when a hurricane strengthens dramatically over a short time.

The award, shared with colleagues at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Hurricane Research Division (HRD), highlights their research on how to better represent the turbulent boundary layer – the lowest part of the atmosphere – in NOAA’s next-generation hurricane forecast model, the Hurricane Analysis and Forecast System (HAFS). Chen and his NOAA HRD colleagues will officially receive the honor at the AMS Annual Meeting in Houston, Texas in January 2026.

Chen is driven by a clear mission: to make hurricane forecasts more accurate and more useful for the people who depend on them. The researcher explains that rapid intensification is one of the most dangerous hurricane behaviors, especially for storms nearing landfall. “In just a day, a storm can go from a tropical storm to a Category 5 hurricane. Our research gives forecasters a better tool to anticipate that kind of change, and we’ve already seen it help in recent cases,” Chen says.

“It’s not just about the science of the storm. It’s also about how effectively we can communicate risk to people on the ground, sometimes in Spanish or other languages, so they know what actions to take,” Chen notes. His team is collaborating with the National Weather Service, including the Lake Charles, ​​La., office, and with social scientists at the National Center for Atmospheric Research to design communication strategies tailored to vulnerable populations.

Chen believes that every improvement in forecasting means more time for communities to prepare, more lives protected and more resilience in the face of powerful storms. He also emphasizes the importance of mentorship at UAH. His students are deeply involved in data collection and analysis, including the use of radar and observational tools during the hurricane season.

For Chen, the recognition is both a career milestone and a reminder of the responsibility that comes with the work. “That’s why I’m proud to do this work at UAH, because what we do here truly matters.”