Team
Principal Investigator
Dr. Quinton Lawton
Assistant Professor
Department of Earth, Atmosphere and Environment
Northern Illinois University
Dr. Lawton is an atmospheric scientist specializing in tropical waves, African easterly waves, and tropical cyclone formation. His research focuses on understanding the multi-scale interactions between tropical atmospheric waves and how these interactions drive extreme weather. He applies this research to tropical weather prediction through the development of diagnostics and numerical modeling experiments using the MPAS-A system. Dr. Lawton also created and maintains QTrack, an open-source Python-based African easterly wave tracker used in both research and operational settings.
Dr. Lawton was born in Houston, TX, where he became interested in tropical weather after the devestating landfall of Hurricane Ike in 2008. He went on to get a B.S. in Meteorology from Texas A&M University in 2019 and a Ph.D. from the University of Miami in 2024. Before starting at NIU, Dr. Lawton spent two years as a postdoctoral researcher at the NSF National Center for Atmospheric Research as part of the Advanced Study Program program. Ouside of research and teaching, he enjoys hiking, traveling, and spending time with his wife Beth and two cats (Luna and Nova).
| CV | Google Scholar | ORCID | GitHub |
Graduate Students
Our research group will be accepting two funded graduate students beginning as early as Spring semester 2027!
Prospective students interested in tropical meteorology, atmospheric dynamics, or numerical weather prediction are encouraged to reach out to discuss opportunities. These positions will be funded, with waived university tuition and a stipend. Additional funding opportunities to work in our group may be available through teaching assistantships.
Undergraduate Researchers
Undergraduate researchers interested in tropical weather and atmospheric science are welcome to inquire about research opportunities starting Fall 2026.
Alumni & Former Mentees
Brooke Weiser — Undergraduate Research Advisee, University of Miami (2022–2024)
Undergraduate Honors Thesis: “Environmental Influences on the Variability of African Easterly Wave Activity Across Seasons”
Shanna Chamhitt — SOARS Summer Research Mentee, NSF NCAR (Summer 2025)
Project: “Investigating Non-Propagating Gravity Waves in the Outflow Layer of Tropical Cyclones”