Michael Notaro, Director, Scientist III, Center for Climatic Research

Michael Notaro is Director and Scientist III at the Center for Climatic Research within the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies. An expert in climate change and its ecological impacts, Notaro’s work focuses on regional and global climate modeling, land–atmosphere interactions, and Great Lakes climate dynamics, including lake-effect snow and lake–atmosphere feedbacks.

Notaro leads the generation and analysis of high-resolution climate projections for Wisconsin, the Midwest, and the Great Lakes region, incorporating complex lake processes and vegetation–climate interactions. His research also examines mechanisms of climate variability linked to oceanic and land forcings, as well as weather extremes and dust storms. In addition to his research leadership, Notaro is committed to climate education, advancing K–12 outreach, youth citizen science initiatives, and inclusive STEM programming, including a summer STEM camp for autistic middle and high school students.

He earned his Ph.D., M.S., and B.S. in Atmospheric Science from the State University of New York at Albany and has served in multiple research and academic leadership roles at UW–Madison since 2002.