New George Mason professor connects weather, water, and the communities they affect

During her postdoctoral research in Oklahoma, new George Mason University College of Engineering and Computing Assistant Professor Taereem Kim was on the phone with her mother in South Korea. Her mother mentioned heavy rain they were experiencing there, while Kim was seeing similar conditions where she lived. This got her thinking about how weather patterns separated by enormous distances can be connected and, more importantly, how those large-scale atmospheric connections translate into local effects.

For Kim, who joined the Sid and Reva Dewberry Department of Civil, Environmental, and Infrastructure Engineering this semester, weather is more than a forecast. It's a connection between information and the people who need it and even between people living on opposite sides of the globe.

Kim's research involves hydroclimatology, the interdisciplinary study of the interactions between Earth's climate system and the hydrologic cycle, and water resources engineering. And her focus is to make it all accessible and useful. "My goal is translating complex weather and climate information into something communities can use to support their decision-making. We live in a world with tons of information, but I want people to understand and easily get the information they need," she said

She did not initially envision becoming a professor, but her mentors in the United States changed that. "Working with two particular advisors gave me the ambition to be a faculty member," she said. "They showed me how to be a good mentor, how to make a positive impact on a person's life, and how to build a fulfilling career while also prioritizing family." This semester she is teaching her first full-semester class, an experience she is greatly enjoying.

She credits her parents with helping to shape her career. They also work in water resources engineering, which made the field feel familiar to Kim from an early age and helped foster her interest in it. They have also been trusted advisors throughout her career. "They are not just my good friends, but also good colleagues I can talk with about both life and work," she said.

Kim hopes ultimately to connect atmospheric science, which seeks to understand phenomena such as tropical cyclones, with engineering, which asks what those phenomena will mean for people and communities. "We need to care about our communities, the hazards they face, and the impact on us, our families, and our friends," she said.

Kim is enjoying her new home in Northern Virginia, where she moved with her family. She said the diversity here, including its large Korean community, is making the transition easier. At home, Kim speaks Korean with her young daughter and hopes growing up surrounded by people from many backgrounds will help her daughter feel comfortable with her Korean and American identities.

Parenthood has transformed Kim's life outside academia as well. Before her daughter was born, she enjoyed traveling, yoga, and drawing. These days, her answer when asked about her hobbies is singularly focused: "Parenting."

As she "weathers" that challenge, she continues to help her neighbors prepare for what's next.