Brian V. Smoliak

University of Washington

Creighton University

Founder & Consultant

Scientific research and advisory services, from weather to climate and beyond.

Lead Scientist

R&D supporting tools to explore and validate albedo-based climate interventions.

Co-founder & Consultant

Consulting and research to make climate resilience actionable for clients.

Co-founder & President

R&D in service of personal weather intelligence delivered via a mobile app.

Data Scientist

Techno-economic analysis of distributed energy resource deployment in cities.

Senior Research Scientist

Science & Research Team

Supported product development and greenfield research for wind, solar, and battery energy analytics.

Atmospheric Scientist

Climatology Team

Helped farmers sustainably increase their production by building and supporting digital tools that utilize in situ and remotely-sensed environmental data. Engaged customers to understand their needs.

Postdoctoral Associate

Department of Soil, Water, and Climate

Collected, processed, and analyzed observational data from local field campaign sampling the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area Urban Heat Island effect; ran land surface model; reviewd and wrote journal articles.

Research Assistant

Department of Atmospheric Sciences

Analyze data, review and write journal articles, produce graphics and figures, develop and support webpages.

Evans School of Public Policy and Governance

Supported the work of the Agricultural Policy and Statistics Group at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation under the supervision of Evans School of Public Affairs faculty in the Policy Analysis and Research group. Analyzed weather and climate data relevant to agriculture in Sub-Saharan Africa, reviewed literature, and wrote white papers.

Instructor

ATMS101: Weather

Administered course, including daily lecture, office hours, course webpage, homework and exams.

Lead Teaching Assistant

Department of Atmospheric Sciences

Supervised, trained, and supported 20 graduate teaching assistants for 9 courses during academic year.

Teaching Assistant

ATMS211: Climate and Climate Change

Led weekly quiz sections and review sessions, created and graded homework sets, supported website.

Staff Reporter

News Department

Wrote weekly articles on current science, environment, technology, and health topics.

SCEP Meteorologist

Weather Forecast Offices MPX & OAX

Worked alongside NWS forecasters, learning their duties as a student trainee through rotating shifts.

Journal Articles

• Smoliak B V, Gelobter M, and Haley JT 2022 Mapping potential surface contributions to reflected solar radiation Environ. Res. Commun. 4 065003 doi: 10.1088/2515-7620/ac7a25
• Smoliak B V, Snyder P K, Twine T E, Mykleby P M, and Hertel W F 2015 Dense Network Observations of the Twin Cities Canopy-Layer Urban Heat Island J. Appl. Meteor. Clim. 54 1899-1917 doi: 10.1175/JAMC-D-14-0239.1
• Smoliak B V and Wallace J M 2015 On the Leading Patterns of Northern Hemisphere Sea-Level Pressure Variability J. Atmos. Sci. 72 3469-3486 doi: 10.1175/JAS-D-14-0371.1
• Smoliak B V, Wallace J M, Lin P, and Fu Q 2015 Dynamical Adjustment of the Northern Hemisphere Surface Air Temperature Field J. Climate 28 1613–1629 doi: 10.1175/JCLI-D-14-00111.1
• Deser C, Phillips A S, Alexander M A, and Smoliak B V 2014 Projecting North American Climate over the next 50 years: Uncertainty due to Internal Variability J. Climate 27 2271–2296 doi: 10.1175/JCLI-D-13-00451.1
• Wallace J M, Fu Q, Smoliak B V, Lin P, and Johanson C M 2012 Simulated Versus Observed Patterns of Warming over the Extratropical Northern Hemisphere Continents during the Cold Season Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 109 14337-14342 doi: 10.1073/pnas.1204875109
• Mishra V, Smoliak B V, Lettenmaier D P, and Wallace J M 2012 A prominent pattern of year-to-year variability in Indian Summer Monsoon Rainfall Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 109 7213-7217 doi: 10.1073/pnas.1119150109
• Wu Z, Huang N E, Wallace J M, Smoliak B V, and Chen X 2011 On the time-varying trend in global-mean surface temperature Clim. Dyn. 37 759-773 doi: 10.1007/s00382-011-1128-8
• Wood K R, Overland J E, Jónsson T, and Smoliak B V 2010 Air temperature variations on the Atlantic-Arctic boundary since 1802 Geophys. Res. Lett. 37 doi: 10.1029/2010GL044176
• Bendick R, Dahlin K M, Smoliak B V, Kumler L, Jones S J, Aktipis A, Fugate E, Hertog R, Moberg C, and Scott C 2010 Choosing carbon mitigation strategies using ethical deliberation Weather, Climate, and Society 2 140-147 doi: 10.1175/2010WCAS1036.1
• Smoliak B V, Wallace J M, Stoelinga M T, and Mitchell T P 2010 Application of partial least squares regression to the diagnosis of year-to-year variations in Pacific Northwest snowpack and Atlantic hurricanes Geophys. Res. Lett. 37 L03801 doi: 10.1029/2009GL041478

Book Chapters

• Wallace J M, Deser C, Smoliak B V, and Phillips A S 2016 Attribution of climate change in the presence of internal variability, in Climate Change: Multidecadal and Beyond Chang C P, Ghil M, Latif M, and Wallace J M, Eds., World Scientific Series on Asia-Pacific Weather and Climate, 6 doi: 10.1142/9789814579933_0001

Theses

• Smoliak B V 2013 Detection and Attribution of Surface Air Temperature Change in the Instrumental Record Ph.D. Thesis, University of Washington 190pp.
• Smoliak B V 2009 A Eurasian pattern of Northern Hemisphere wintertime sea-level pressure variability M.S. Thesis, University of Washington 116pp.

Patents

• Smoliak B V and Smoliak J A Determining personal outdoor comfort with individual and environmental parameters U.S. Patent 10,884,162 issued January 5, 2021.
• Smoliak B V Determining personal outdoor comfort with individual and environmental parameters U.S. Patent 10,068,439 issued September 4, 2018.

Journalism

• The cold in context • 01/28/14 • OpEd • MinnPost
• A pause is not a barrier to act • 04/10/13 • Letter to Editor • MN Daily
• Half a million dollars for UW geniuses • 10/27/08 • News • UW Daily
• Experts consider U.S. energy policy • 10/17/08 • News • UW Daily
• Will melting ice spur a "cold rush" for energy? • 05/30/08 • Column • UW Daily
• Global warming poses problems for tropical organisms • 05/15/08 • Column • UW Daily
• UW scientists offer sea level rise projections • 05/01/08 • Column • UW Daily
• UW scientists explain mid-April snow • 04/23/08 • News • UW Daily
• Spring is in the air • 04/03/08 • Column • UW Daily
• Snowball Earth • 03/06/08 • Feature • UW Daily
• UW scientists study effects of Asian dust • 01/10/08 • News • UW Daily
• Apropos of snow, wind, and rain • 12/06/07 • Column • UW Daily
• Argo takes the pulse of the ocean • 11/29/07 • News • UW Daily
• Stem cell advance catches UW scientists' attention • 11/27/07 • News • UW Daily
• Consider computing with chemistry • 11/16/07 • Column • UW Daily
• Accelerating science at the North Physics Laboratory • 11/08/07 • Feature • UW Daily
• Can we be certain of uncertainty? • 11/08/07 • Column • UW Daily
• Morphing memories into 3D • 11/05/07 • News • UW Daily
• What makes a good science grad student? • 11/01/07 • Column • UW Daily
• Lecture introduces new eyes on the ocean • 10/31/07 • News • UW Daily
• Speaking of Science Debut • 10/25/07 • Column • UW Daily
• Scientists find modern traits in ancient ancestors • 10/24/07 • News • UW Daily
• Engineered tree offers greener future • 10/18/07 • News • UW Daily
• Melting ice leaves polar bears without homes • 10/10/07 • News • UW Daily
• National tour questions 'science-speak' • 10/08/07 • News • UW Daily
• Burke exhibit illustrates science of sea monsters • 10/04/07 • News • UW Daily
• Stem cell research grant awarded • 10/03/07 • News • UW Daily
• Program investigates climate impact on humans • 09/27/07 • News • UW Daily

• Smoliak B V 2021 Reflectivity: the fastest lever to slow global warming Geo for Good Summit 2021; Virtual.
• Smoliak B V 2019 Agriculture as perpetrator, victim, and hero First Canadian Summit on Climate Action in Food Systems; Kelowna, BC, CAN.
Smoliak B V 2019 Adapting food systems to 21st Century climate: from systematic to transformational change UW Program on Climate Change Summer Institute; Friday Harbor, WA.
• Smoliak B V, Garvert M F, and Leeds W B 2016 Weather Impacts on the 2015 U.S. Agricultural Growing Season: Corn Planting and Harvesting 96th American Meteorological Society Annual Meeting; New Orleans, LA.
• Smoliak B V 2015 Empirical approaches to uncovering teleconnections in global climate data Fifth Workshop on Understanding Climate Change from Data; Minneapolis, MN.
• Smoliak B V, Deser C, and Phillips A S 2014 Dynamical Adjustment of Surface Air Temperature Fields from Large Initial-Condition Ensemble Simulations: Ensemble Spread and Multi-Decadal Trend Attribution American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting; San Francisco, CA.
• Snyder P K, Twine T E, Smoliak B V, Mykleby P, Hertel W F 2014 Characterizing the Urban Heat Island with a Dense Sensor Network American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting; San Francisco, CA.
• Smoliak B V, Hartmann D L, and Booth J F 2013 Attributing surface temperature trends in the presence of natural variability: progress regarding the warming hiatus and unresolved challenges American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting; San Francisco, CA.
• Smoliak B V, Lin P, Fu Q, and Wallace J M 2012 Reconciling spatial and seasonal variations in Northern Hemisphere Surface Air Temperature trends with a pointwise dynamical adjustment American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting; San Francisco, CA.
• Smoliak B V, Po-Chedley S, and Cullen A C 2012 Assessing the Agronomic Impact of Climate Variability and Change Using Regional Climate Models: A Matter of Scale Joint Statistical Meetings; San Diego, CA.
• Smoliak B V, Po-Chedley S, and Cullen A C 2011 Impact of large-scale climate variability and change on crop yields in Africa: An observational assessment American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting; San Francisco, CA.
• Smoliak B V, Po-Chedley S, and Cullen A C 2011 Rainfall and Crops in Subsaharan Africa: Past and Future UW Program on Climate Change Summer Institute; Friday Harbor, WA.
• Smoliak B V and Wallace J M 2011 A pan-Eurasian pattern of Northern Hemispheric wintertime sea-level pressure variability 91st American Meteorological Society Annual Meeting; Seattle, WA.
• Smoliak B V and Wallace J M 2010 Atlantic Multidecadal Variability & Global temperature trends: An observational assessment Climate Research Committee Spring Meeting, The National Academies; Washington, D.C.
• Wood K R, Overland J E, Jónsson T, and Smoliak B V 2010 Air temperature variations on the Atlantic - Arctic boundary since 1802: the low-frequency pattern and ocean teleconnections American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting; San Francisco, CA.
• Smoliak B V, Wallace J M, Stoelinga M T, and Mitchell T P 2009 Partial Least Squares Regression: Application to diagnoses of dynamically induced variability in local climate American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting; San Francisco, CA.
• Smoliak B V and Wallace J M 2009 Eurasia: The Third Party of Northern Hemisphere Wintertime Climate Variability 3rd Graduate Climate Conference; Eatonville, WA.
• Ueyama R, Wallace J M, and Smoliak B V 2007 On the Cause of the Annual Cycle in Tropical Tropopause Temperature 2nd Graduate Climate Conference; Eatonville, WA.
• Smoliak B V and Douglas A V 2006 Climate Variability and Cold Season Energy Budgeting 86th American Meteorological Society Annual Meeting; Atlanta, GA.

Weathervane Labs • Minneapolis, MN

• Volunteer with Windustry; Eco Experience at Minnesota State Fair • 8/24/19

WindLogics • St. Paul, MN

• Volunteer with Windustry; Eco Experience at Minnesota State Fair • 8/23/18, 8/24/18
• Volunteer with Windustry; Eco Experience at Minnesota State Fair • 8/26/17

The Climate Corporation • Seattle, WA

• "Managing Nitrogen During a Warm, Wet Winter" • Blog post • 03/17/16
• Staff in Climate Corporation exhibition tent at Farm Progress Show in Decatur, IL • 09/03/15
• Invited Presenter at Foster City Elementary School in Foster City, CA • Photo • 02/26/15

University of Minnesota • St. Paul, MN

• Interview with Minnesota Daily, Urban Heat Island effect • Article • 05/05/14
• Interview with WCCO-TV, "Seasons of Change" arboretum sensor network • Video • 04/02/14

University of Washington • Seattle, WA

Program on Climate Change Outreach Committee

• Invited Speaker to WSU Extension Sustainable Community Stewards program in Everett, WA • 02/05/13 
• Presented Ignite-style talk "Climatic Challenges to Sustainable Agriculture" • 04/10/12
• Invited Speaker to Interlake HS AP Environmental Sci. classes in Bellevue, WA • 04/03/12 
• Climate Expert for Educurious program at The Big Picture School, Bellevue, WA • 10/11–12/11 
• Invited Speaker for the Cool School Challenge Training in Shelton, WA • 11/02/11 
• Climate Expert for Educurious program at Monroe High School, Monroe, WA • 03/11–12/11 
• Invited Speaker for a Cool School Challenge Training in Everett, WA • 01/28/11 
• Invited Speaker for the WSU Extension Carbon Masters Program in Everett, WA • 10/20/10 
• Invited Speaker for the WSU Extension Carbon Masters Program in Bothell, WA • 02/24/10 
• Invited Speaker for a Cool School Challenge Training in Everett, WA • 01/30/10 
• Invited Speaker for a Cool School Challenge Training in Bremerton, WA • 08/19/09 
• Invited Speaker at the Bremerton Rotary Club • 04/13/09 
• Invited Speaker for a Seattle City Light Teacher Training at Lawton Elementary • 10/28/08 
• Participant at the Boeing Environmental, Safety, and Wellness Fair • 07/14/08 
• Invited Speaker to Counting Carbon workshop of the AIA-Cascadia Green Building Council, Seattle, WA • 05/08/08 
• Invited Speaker to Engineering Vision 2030, Seattle, WA • 03/26/08 
• Keynote Speaker at "Who Turned Up The Heat?", Bellevue HS, Bellevue, WA • 12/05/07 
• Invited Speaker to Step It Up 2, Bellevue, WA • 11/03/07

Department of Atmospheric Sciences Outreach Committee

• Cameo appearance in an educational short film "Convection/Conduction" • Video || 2011
• Host speaker for a home school group from Seattle, WA: Atmospheric Science • 06/23/10
• Actor in an educational short film "Can crushing with air pressure" • Video || 2010
• Weather merit badge counselor, Chief Seattle Council, Boy Scouts of America • 2010 
• Mentor for a 4-H Science Fair participant from Puyallup, WA • 05/01/10 
• Host speaker for a home school group from Seattle, WA: Climate and Climate Change • 02/26/10 
• Exhibitor at the 1st Annual Science Night, Hamilton International Middle School • 01/21/10 
• Invited Speaker to an International Day of Climate Action event sponsored by 350 Seattle • Video || 10/24/09 
• Invited Presenter at Ridgecrest Elementary Science Night • 01/20/09
• Invited Speaker at the UW Making Connections summer program • 07/30/08 
• Volunteer at Climate Day for Kids hosted by Olympic Sculpture Park • 04/19/08 
• Volunteer at Polar Science Weekend hosted by the Pacific Science Center • 03/09/08 
• Invited Speaker to Eastside Prep in Kirkland, WA • 01/23/08
• Volunteer at Polar Science Weekend hosted by the Pacific Science Center • 03/10/07

Chair

Governance Committee

Evaluate and support Board of Directors via oversight and recruiting.

President

Board of Directors

Coordinated Board of Directors and 6 internal committees comprised of 50 volunteers; ensured efficient communication within and between the US and Uganda, accurate reporting to state and federal authorities, and inspired progress toward strategic initiatives. $150k annual budget.

Treasurer

Board of Directors

Served as board director and managed finances for global health non-profit supporting a rural community in Uganda, including accounting, analysis, and reporting. $100k annual budget.

Member

Student Advisory Team

Analyzed data, reviewed and wrote journal articles, produced graphics and figures, created webpages.

Co-Chair

Steering Committee

Directed operations of all-volunteer organization providing outdoor experiences to underserved and underrepresented youth in Seattle. Coordinated 120 volunteers organized into 8 teams paired with Seattle schools, K-12. Managed gear acquisition and organization. $50k annual budget.

Graduate Student Representative

UW Program on Climate Change Board

Organizer

Organizing Committee

Planned and executed conference "for graduate students, by graduate students." 150 attendees. Served as operations chair for 3rd conference, A/V chair for 2nd conference.

Senator

UW Graduate and Professional Student Senate

Organizer

Organizing Committee

Oversaw planning of national teach-in on global warming at UW from idea to event in January 2008. Attended regional and national planning conferences, coordinated science demonstrations at expo.

President

CRA Board

National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration

$150,000; awarded 2022-23

P.I. – "Novel Personal Thermal Comfort Models for Weather-Ready Decision-Making"

National Science Foundation

$225,000; not funded

P.I. – "SBIR Phase I: Improving well-being with personal, actionable insights from a digital weather service"

$225,000; not funded

P.I. – "SBIR Phase I: A cloud-based platform for determining personal comfort outdoors at hyperlocal scale"

$172,000; withdrawn

P. I. – "Attribution of internally-generated coupled climate variability in the presence of externally-forced climate change"

$305,455; not funded

P. I. – "Agronomic impacts of large-scale climate variability and change: assessing challenges to sustainable agriculture"

University of Minnesota

$2,300; awarded 2013-2014

P.I. – “Seasons of change: Observing Local Environmental Change at the Landscape Arboretum”