Anna Kus

Incoming Atmospheric Sciences M.S. student at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa | Illinois Alumni | 2025 NOAA William M. Lapenta Intern

Greater Chicago Area

About

I recently completed my bachelor’s degree and graduated from the Department of Climate, Meteorology, and Atmospheric Sciences with Highest Distinction. This fall, I will begin my master’s degree at the University of Hawai‘i. During summer 2025, I was an intern at NWS Weather Prediction Center through the NOAA William M. Lapenta program and analyzed the WPC Excessive Rainfall Outlook product and assisted with the FFaIR Hydrometeorology Testbed. My ongoing senior thesis capstone project is a continuation of my summer research on Excessive Rainfall Outlooks. From January 2024 to May 2025, I worked with Bob Rauber, investigating ice particle microphysics using data from the NASA-funded Investigation of Microphysics and Precipitation for Atlantic Coast-Threatening Snowstorms (IMPACTS) field campaign. Outside of research, I have also enjoyed being a teaching assistant for ATMS120: Severe and Hazardous Weather during Fall 2024, Winter 2024-25, Spring 2025, Fall 2025, and Winter 2025-26! For my final semester, I was a teaching assistant for ATMS207: Weather and Climate Data Science.

Experience

  • University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (3 yrs 4 mos)
    • ATMS207 Teaching Assistant
      Jan 2026 - Present · 6 mos

    • WPC Undergraduate Researcher
      Aug 2025 - Present · 11 mos

      My primary advisor is Dr. Ashton Robinson Cook, NOAA, NWS, WPC. - Compare and contrast trends within various forecast products from the Weather Prediction Center, including the Day 3-7 Hazards Outlook, Extended Forecast Discussion, and Excessive Rainfall Discussion with their respective Excessive Rainfall Outlook forecast - Analyze trends in results to improve medium-range forecaster understanding of how their forecast may change, with the goal of providing insights to medium range trends and reduce error in the medium range forecast - Develop a dataset with Excessive Rainfall forecast trends of significant hurricane and atmospheric river events in the past ten years

    • Ice Arena Facility Assistant
      Mar 2023 - May 2026 · 3 yrs 3 mos

      - Monitor patrons and instruct beginner skaters on ice during public skating sessions - Collaborate with coworkers and local law enforcement to provide security during Illini hockey games

  • William M. Lapenta Intern at NOAA: National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration
    Jun 2025 - Aug 2025 · 3 mos

    This past summer, I explored the forecast progression and verification of the Weather Prediction Center's Excessive Rainfall Outlook (ERO) product issued with a Moderate (level 3/4) risk at Day 4 and Day 5 lead time. To do so, I developed a dataset including several different metrics to quantify the progression of each forecast, and analyzed this dataset using statistical methods. Additionally, the verification of both the Day 4 and the Day 1 forecasts were done using CoCoRaHS QPE data and NWS Flood and Flash Flood warnings issued during the respective valid time period. As a complement to my ERO research, I also participated in a 4-week testbed, the Flash Flood and Intense Rainfall Experiment (FFaIR). During this year's FFaIR, we produced our own ERO forecasts for days 1, 2, and 3 in real-time as a means of testing a large suite of experimental and operational models. FFaIR also involved daily subjective verification of these models as well as our own forecasts.

  • Sportsplex Building and Front Desk Staff at Darien Park District
    May 2023 - Aug 2024 · 1 yr 4 mos

    - Managed cash at the front desk, answered the phone, and assisted instructors, coaches, and patrons - Maintained the facility and improved ice and locker conditions for hockey players and figure skaters