Assistant/Associate/Full Professor University of Florida 2005-present
Visiting Assistant Professor Ohio University 2004-2005
PhD Geography Pennsylvania State University 2005
MA Geography Arizona State University 2001
BS Environmental Geosciences (minor Sculpture) Clarion Univ. of Pennsylvania 1999
Excellence in Teaching Award: Southeastern Division of the American Association of Geographers 2019
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Teacher of the Year 2019
University of Florida Term Professor 2016 – 2019, 2019-2022
Colonel Allan R. and Margaret G. Crow Term Professor 2014-2015
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Teacher of the Year 2009
matyas@ufl.edu Phone: 352-294-7508, Office 3119 Turlington Hall
- Profile on the Geography Department website
- Personal website
- Current CV: Matyas_CV
- Profile on Publons
- Profile on Researchgate
Areas of Specialization
- Tropical Climatology
- Tropical Cyclones
- Rainfall
- Natural Hazards
- Remote Sensing with Ground-Based Weather Radar and Satellite-Derived Rainfall
Research Statement
Tropical cyclones are complex phenomenon. Many physical mechanisms affect rain production in these storms, such as topography, interaction with middle latitude weather systems, and atmospheric moisture. With funding from a National Science Foundation CAREER Award, I have two broad research goals: a) determine which environmental characteristics are key in the prediction of the spatial patterns of tropical cyclone rain fields, and b) measure tropical cyclone rain shield shapes during landfall utilizing high-resolution radar data and tools for spatial analysis. My primary research involves the GIS-based analysis of rainfall from tropical cyclones, but I am interested in other severe weather events as well as human-environment interactions. I seek to mentor students who would like to examine severe weather events, atmospheric teleconnections, rainfall, or human response to these events and who have GIS and/or remote sensing skills.