Jagger Alexander

About Me

I am completing my Ph.D. at the University of Texas at Austin, working at the intersection of climate change and public health. During my Ph.D., I also interned at NOAA Global Systems Laboratory, programming information on social vulnerability and disaster preparedness to be simultaneously visualized with the weather forecast in a novel online weather forecasting system, DESI.

Before my current studies, I completed my M.S. in Climate and Health at the University of Miami in 2021, while working as a research team leader for Project MEER, a geoengineering project out of the Rowland Institute at Harvard. I received my B.A. in Mathematics at Vanderbilt University in 2020.

I am always open to collaborations, research opportunities, and projects related to health, climate change, and environmental justice. Feel free to contact me via email: jaggeralexander@utexas.edu

Current Work! 🚀

Heat-Health Early Warning System: I am currently working on a project that combines machine learning-based sub-seasonal forecasting with health impact modeling to improve heat-wave warnings for vulnerable communities. Stay tuned for updates!

Interests and Activities

Beyond my academic pursuits, I am deeply involved in various activities related to healthcare and the environment.

Healthcare: I am a nationally and Texas state certified NREMT. I trained as an EMT during my free time while working towards my Ph.D. I completed clinical shadowing at multiple ERs in Austin and with American Medical Response. I have also volunteered with Longhorn EMS.
Mental Health Advocacy: I have volunteered with support groups in Austin through the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Central Texas.

I have many other hobbies as well...

Rock Climbing: I'm belay certified and enjoy bouldering and sport climbing.
Image: Near the crux of the "Gunsmoke" traverse in Joshua Tree National Park.

Scuba Diving: I'm an SSI certified Advanced Open Water Diver with >80 logged dives.
Image: Somewhere in the Blue Hole, Belize.

Traveling: I've traveled to all seven continents, and studied or researched on five of them.
Image: Whakaari volcanic island in New Zealand before its eruption in 2019.

Publications

(In preparation) An early warning heat-health impact model using sub-seasonal forecasting - 2025
(In preparation) An hybrid machine learning-dynamical model for extended heat wave forecast - 2025
(In review) Decoding sub-seasonal predictors of extreme heat with interpretable machine learning - 2025
Accelerated soil drying linked to increasing evaporative demand in wet regions - 2023
Using machine learning to understand microgeographic determinants of the Zika vector, Aedes aegypti - 2022
A bellweather for climate change and disability: educational needs of rehabilitation professionals regarding disasters and spinal cord injuries - 2019
Effects of climate on dental mesowear of extant koalas and two broadly distributed kangaroos throughout their geographic range - 2019
Assessing the ability of the Sacral Autonomic Standards to document bladder and bowel function based upon the Asia Impairment Scale - 2018

Teaching

GEO302C: Climate, Past, Present, and Future - I designed and led lab experiments and assignments for a climate change course, integrating computer simulations, classroom demonstrations, and lectures to engage and inform non-major undergraduates about topics in modern climate science and paleoclimate.
GEO110T: Math Tutorial - I designed and delivered curricula for three sections of a calculus tutorial, connecting mathematical concepts to geoscience topics like climate, hydrology, and geology. I independently managed all course duties, including syllabus creation, grading, and student support, while ensuring consistent classroom expectations.

CV

Download my CV to learn more.