Prior to starting his DPhil, Alex completed an undergraduate degree in geography at Keble College (2013-2016) and went on to attend the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, spending four years serving as an officer in the Yorkshire Regiment. He returned to academia in 2022, conducting a master’s degree in applied meteorology at the University of Reading, before starting his DPhil in 2023. He is also a Stipendiary Lecturer in Physical Geography, teaching a range of undergraduate geography modules.
His undergraduate research used measurements from aircraft flying at low-level across the Central-Western Sahara during the FENNEC campaign to understand how low-level jet wind systems generate dust storms. His master’s research compared this same dataset to weather model simulations that used experimental dust emission and transport schemes, focusing on whether models match the observed size distribution of dust particles. These findings are important for determining if models capture the warming/cooling effect of dust particles in the atmosphere. Alex has been awarded a range of academic prizes for his research, including the Alfred Steers Royal Geographical Society Prize, the H.O. Beckit Prize, the Met Office Academic Partnership at both master’s and undergraduate level, the J.C.A. Meldrum Fieldwork Prize, and the University of Reading Centenary scholarship.
Current Research
Alex’s current research builds upon his undergraduate and masters research. He is using reanalysis and observational data to understand the spatiotemporal variability of Saharan winds and how they influence mineral dust aerosols and Saharan boundary layer dynamics.
