MET UofL MeteorologyApplied Geography · Meteorology Track

Department of Geographic and Environmental Sciences

The people behind the forecast

Meteorology courses in the track are taught and researched by working atmospheric scientists. Two of the core faculty — their labs, projects, and what a student might actually work on with them.

STATION 72422
NAYLOR, J.

Jason Naylor, Ph.D.

Atmospheric Scientist · Geographic & Environmental Sciences

Naylor studies how deep convective storms behave and interact with their surroundings — from why some storms produce tornadoes and others don't, to how large cities themselves alter nearby storm activity. His work combines cloud-resolving numerical simulation with observational case studies.

Severe storms & tornadoes Supercell dynamics Tropical cyclones Cloud modeling
ResearchTornadogenesis and tornado maintenance; supercell dynamics; storm–urban interaction; hurricane eyewall dynamics; cloud modeling.
Funded workUnderstanding the Consequences of Interactions between Deep Convective Storms and Large Cities (PI, National Science Foundation, $337,676; 2020–2023).
TeachesENVS 219, ENVS 220, ENVS 305, ENVS 366, ENVS 370, ENVS 465.
EducationPh.D. & M.S., Atmospheric Sciences, University of North Dakota; B.S., Earth Science (Operational Meteorology), California University of Pennsylvania.
Recent paperNaylor, J., Berry, M.E., & Gosney, E.G. (2024). Idealized Simulations of a Supercell Interacting with an Urban Area. Meteorology, 3(1), 97–113.
Selected publications

Full list (14 works) at the official UofL scholarly profile.

jason.naylor@louisville.edu Faculty profile →
STATION 72423
GUNTER, W.S.

W. Scott Gunter, Ph.D.

Atmospheric Scientist · Geographic & Environmental Sciences

Gunter's background is in field observation of severe storms and the atmospheric boundary layer — deploying radar, lidar, and in-situ instruments to measure the wind. At UofL he leads Kentucky-focused fieldwork on convective and non-convective wind events, mentoring undergraduates on instrumentation and data analysis.

Severe convective winds Boundary-layer wind Remote sensing (radar & lidar) Field instrumentation
ResearchRadar and in-situ observation of severe storms, the planetary boundary layer, and complex flow in wind farms; remote sensing of wind; mesonet-based climatology of severe convective winds.
Funded workCo-leads UofL's participation in CLIMBS Project 1, "Enhancing Understanding of Kentucky's Weather and Climate" (NSF EPSCoR Track-1), developing mobile meteorological instrumentation and running field campaigns to collect extreme-precipitation data with student researchers.
EducationPh.D., Atmospheric Science, Texas Tech University; B.S., Geosciences, Mississippi State University (2008).
Recent paperKeith, R., Willis, S., Christian, N., et al. (2026). Evaluating Microclimate Modification and Acute Cardiovascular Stress Responses to a Dense Urban Microforest: The Green Oasis (GRO) Protocol. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 23(3), 365.
Selected publications

Full list (11 works) at the official UofL scholarly profile.

william.gunter@louisville.edu Faculty profile →
Undergraduate research is normal here, not exceptional. Students have worked with Naylor on NSF-funded storm/city interaction research and presented through the Summer Research Opportunity Program; Gunter has supervised undergraduates coding Kentucky Mesonet wind-gust classifiers as part of CLIMBS Project 1. If you're choosing this track for the research access, ask about current openings when you visit.