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Rei Ueyama

Research Scientist

Contents

Affiliation: NASA Ames Research Center

Division: Earth Science Division (SG)

Branch: Atmospheric Science (SGG)

Email: rei.ueyama@nasa.gov

Phone: (650) 604-3903

Professional Biography

Dr. Rei Ueyama is a Research Physical Scientist and a Forecasting and Flight Planning Lead in the Earth Science Division.  Her scientific expertise is on stratospheric dynamics and transport with a focus on stratosphere – troposphere exchange processes that influence the composition of the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere.  She analyzes a variety of observational datasets including measurements from remote sensing and airborne platforms and combines them with numerical models to elucidate the processes in the middle atmosphere and their impact on Earth’s climate.

Dr. Ueyama has participated in numerous NASA airborne missions, serving leadership roles in Mission Science, Meteorological Forecasting, and Flight Planning.  She leads the NASA Ames Airborne Science Meteorological Support team (https://bocachica.arc.nasa.gov/), providing forecasting support for NASA’s aircraft campaigns.  She is also the Science PI of the Meteorological Measurement System (MMS), an airborne instrument that measures science-quality in situ state parameters such as pressure, temperature, and three-dimensional wind vectors (https://airbornescience.nasa.gov/mms).

Prior to her arrival at NASA Ames Research Center as a NASA Postdoctoral Research Fellow in 2012, Dr. Ueyama held a postdoctoral research associate position at University of Washington and NorthWest Research Associates.  She graduated from Cornell University with a B.S. in Science of Earth Systems (and a minor in Atmospheric Science) in 2003 and M.S. in Oceanography in 2004.  She obtained her Ph.D. in Atmospheric Sciences from University of Washington in 2010. 

Education

Ph.D., Atmospheric Sciences, University of Washington, 2010

M.S., Oceanography, Cornell University, 2004

B.S., Science of Earth Systems, Cornell University, 2003

Professional Experience

2018 – present: Research Physical Scientist, NASA Ames Research Center

2015 – 2018: Research Scientist, Bay Area Environmental Research Institute, NASA Ames Research Center

2012 – 2015: NASA Postdoctoral Research Fellow, NASA Ames Research Center

2011 – 2012: Postdoctoral Research Associate, University of Washington & NorthWest Research Associates (NWRA)

NASA Airborne Mission Experience

  • PACE-PAX, Meteorological Forecasting Lead, 2024
  • ARCSIX, Meteorological Forecasting Co-lead, 2024
  • SABRE, Meteorological Forecaster and Flight Planner, 2023 – present
  • ACCLIP, Meteorological Forecasting Lead and WB-57 Flight Planner, 2022
  • DCOTSS, Forecasting and Flight Planning Lead, 2021 – 2026
  • ORACLES, Meteorological Forecasting Co-lead, 2017 – 2018
  • POSIDON, Meteorological Forecasting Lead and Flight Planner, 2016
  • ATTREX-CAST, Meteorological Forecasting Lead, 2015
  • SEAC4RS, Meteorological Forecaster, 2013
  • ATTREX, Meteorological Forecaster, 2013 – 2014

Awards & Other

  • NASA Exceptional Achievement Medal (2023)
  • NASA Earth Science Division Superior Accomplishment Award (2019, 2021, 2022)
  • NASA Ames Contractor Council Certificate of Excellence for NASA ORACLES (2017)
  • NASA Group Achievement Award for NASA ORACLES (2019), POSIDON (2017), ATTREX (2016), SEAC4RS (2015)
  • NASA Ames Safety Award (2021)
  • NASA Postdoctoral Fellowship (2012 – 2015)
  • NSF Graduate Research Fellowship (2004 – 2007)
  • University of Washington Program on Climate Change Fellowship (2006)
  • AAAS Mass Media Science & Engineering Fellowship (2004)

Public Service

  • Member, American Meteorological Society Board on Best Practices (2024 – present)
  • Emeritus Chair, American Meteorological Society Committee on Middle Atmosphere (2024 – present)
  • Chair, American Meteorological Society Committee on Middle Atmosphere (2021 – 2023)
  • Member and Vice Chair, American Meteorological Society Committee on Middle Atmosphere (2019 – 2020)

Selected Publications

Science Communication

NASA Earth Expeditions blog, “Storm (outflow) chasing high up in the stratosphere”