Lourdes Aviles

Lourdes B. Aviles

Associate Provost
Phone: (603) 535-3500
Office: Office of Academic Affairs, Speare Admin Building Rm 304D, MSC 03, Plymouth, NH 03264

Education

Lourdes B. Avilés, Ph.D., became Plymouth State University’s associate provost in July 2023 after nearly 20 years as a professor of meteorology. In her prior role, she led the Computational, Applied, Mathematical, and Physical Sciences (CAMPS) Academic Unit, and for several years served as program coordinator for meteorology, climate studies, and physics. She came to PSU in 2004, immediately after obtaining her PhD in atmospheric sciences at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She also holds BS and MS degrees in physics from the University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez. Her scholarly interests have ranged from tropical meteorology, atmospheric physics and dynamics, and air quality, to the interdisciplinary connections of atmospheric phenomena. Her most recent work involves the science and history of atmospheric optical effects. During her time at PSU, she has taught many undergraduate and graduate courses in physics and meteorology, mentored countless students in a wide variety of research projects, and served in numerous leadership and service roles, including chair of the Faculty Steering Committee and faculty speaker.

She is currently the vice chair of the board of trustees of the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR), as well as a trustee of the Mount Washington Observatory. She is an academic ambassador of the Committee for Hispanic and Latinx Advancement (CHALA). Over the years she has served in several other UCAR and AMS boards and committees. She has also received a variety of recognitions.

At PSU, Associate Provost Avilés has been honored with the Theo Kalikow Award (2024), the Faculty Award for Excellence in Service (2020), and the Alumni Association Faculty/Staff Service Award (2019). She was chosen as the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Department of Atmospheric Science Distinguished Alum for 2023–2024. Additionally, her book Taken By Storm, 1938: A Social and Meteorological History of the Great New England Hurricane received the International Atmospheric Science Librarians History Choice Award for 2014. Dr. Avilés is also the first Puerto Rican woman to earn a PhD in atmospheric and related sciences. In 2024, she became a fellow of the American Meteorological Society (AMS).