Jimmy Butler

I am a fifth year PhD candidate in statistics, advised by Fernando Pérez and Jon McAuliffe, and I research statistical methods for extreme weather and climate events. I’ve always been interested in atmospheric phenomena, viewing them as a manifestation of the power of nature and the dynamic system in which we live our lives. I followed this interest during my undergraduate studies, completing a major in physics at the University of Chicago. However, after taking a few statistics courses, I was amazed at the potential for statistical tools to extract insights from such chaotic and seemingly random systems. Motivated by the need to develop tools to accurately assess the changing risks and severity of extreme weather due to climate change, I also completed a major in statistics and decided to pursue a PhD. With colleagues at LBNL’s CASCADE group, NCAR, and the British Antarctic Survey, I work on problems ranging from risk estimation for extreme compound weather events to assessing characteristics and impacts of extreme precipitation events in Antarctica.

I am originally from Laurel, MD, a suburb of both Baltimore and Washington, D.C., and have been living in California since I began my PhD in 2021. In my free time, I like to tend to my houseplants and bake desserts.