Vinay Kumar, Ph.D

Assistant Professor of Meteorology

Vinay Kumar headshot

As an Assistant Professor of Meteorology at the University of the Incarnate Word, Dr. Vinay Kumar instructs courses focused on weather-climate and conducts research on diverse Atmospheric Science topics. His academic journey includes earning a Ph.D. in Atmospheric Science from Pune University, India, with a specialization in climate modeling and monsoonal droughts. Dr. Kumar's research contributions have been featured in reputable journals such as AMS, AGU, Springer, and Wiley.

In addition to his teaching and research, Dr. Kumar enjoys all kinds of sports (e.g. tennis, pool), and gardening, spending quality time with his family. He possesses a profound dedication to community service, convinced of its ability to create a positive influence on the world. Enthusiastic about partnering with like-minded students and colleagues, he is committed to addressing significant global challenges and making a meaningful impact on people's lives through the power of teamwork and collaboration.

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Contact Information

  • Office:  Bonilla Science Hall, Room 210  
  • Phone Number:  (210) 283-5047 
  • Email: vkumar@uiwtx.edu  
  • Ph.D. in Meteorology (Awarded in Physics), Pune University, India, 2008 
  • M.Tech. in Atmospheric Physics, Pune University, India, 2000 
  • M.S. in Physics, Indian Institute of Technology, India, 1997 
  • B.S. in Physics-Chemistry-Mathematics, Rohilkhand University, India, 1995
  • Since Aug 2023, Assistant Professor, University of the Incarnate Word, San Antonio, TX 
  • Jan 2022 – May 2023, Adjunct Professor of Physics, Texas A&M University, Kingsville, TX 
  • Mar 2019 – Oct 2021, Research Scientist, Texas A&M University, Kingsville, TX 
  • Oct 2016 – Oct 2018, Assistant Research Scientist, Texas A&M University, Corpus Christi, TX 
  • Jul 2008 – Sep 2008, Post Doctoral Fellow, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Fl 
  • Meteorology
  • Meteorological Instrumentation
  • Stars and Galaxies
  • Solar system
  • Introduction to Ocean
  • Astronomy & Atmosphere
  • Nature of Earth and Universe
  • Earth Science
  • Physical Geography and Meteorology
  •  Acoustical Foundations of Music. 
  • Extreme Events and mitigation 
  • Prediction of weather 
  • Droughts and dry spells 
  • Monsoon and Rain bearing Systems 
  • Hurricanes and Tropical Cyclones 
  • Kulkarni, S., V. Kumar, V.  Bhanage, S. Gedam, 2023: Exploring the Association between Changing Crop Types and Water Scarcity: A Case over West-Central India. Climate, 2023, 11 (5), 93. https://doi.org/10.3390/cli11050093 
  • Kumar, V., R. Patil, R.L. Bhawar, P.R.C. Rahul and S. Yelisetti, 2022: Increasing Wind Speeds Fuel the Wider Spreading of Pollution Caused by Fires over the IGP Region during the Indian Post-Monsoon Season. Atmosphere, 13, 1525, https://doi.org/10.3390/. 
  • Kulkarni, J. R., N. R. Deshpande, S. B. Morwal, D. R., Kothawale, and V. Kumar, 2022: Heavy rainfall on the Immediate lee side of the Western Ghats. Int. J. Clim. 42 (15), 7483-7496. 
  • Kulkarni, J. R., et al., 2022: “Satarak”, Landslide prediction system over Western Ghats of India. Land, 11 (5), 1-23. 
  • Muktavat, K., Agarwal, P., Sharma, R., and V. Kumar, 2022: Efficacy of Statistical Rank Correlation Tests in Depicting Impact of Climatic Factors over the Spread of COVID-19. IPEC J. of Sci. & Tech., 01, 40-46.  
  • Gunturu, U.B., V. Kumar, 2021: Weakened Baroclinic Activity Causes an Abrupt Rise in Fog in the Indo-Gangetic Plain. Geophy. Res. Lett., 1-10, https://doi.org/10.1029/2021GL096114. 
  • Muktavat, K., V. Kumar, 2021: Testing Link of Climatic Factors and Air Pollution with COVID-19 amid the Second Wave in India. J. of Environmental Protection, 12, 1069-1085. 
  • Bhawar, R., S. Fadnavis, V. Kumar, P.R.C. Rahul, T. Sinha, and S. Lolli, 2021: Radiative impacts of aerosols during COVID-19 lockdown period over the Indian region. Front. Env. Sci., 9, 1-11, https://doi: 10.3389/fenvs.2021.746090 
  • Pradhan, P. K., V. Kumar, S.K. Khadagrai, T. Sinha, V. BhaskarRao, V. Kumari, S. Pattanaik, 2021: Demonstration of the Temporal Evolution of Tropical Cyclone “Phailin” Using Gray-Zone Simulations and Decadal Variability of Cyclones over the Bay of Bengal in a Warming Climate. Ocean, 2, 648-674, https://doi.org/10.3390/oceans2030037 
  • Kumar, V., D. K. Sahu, A. Simon, A. Thomas, T. Sinha, J. Bielli, and T. N. Krishnamurti, 2021: Buoyancy Streams and Cloud Flare-Ups Along Rainbands in the Eye Wall of Rapidly Intensifying Storms. Pure Appl. Geophys., 178, 223–243. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00024-020-02628-4 
  • Kumar, V., Sunilkumar, K., Sinha, T., 2021: Proportional Trends of Continuous Rainfall in Indian Summer Monsoon. Remote Sens. 13, 398. https://doi: 10.3390/rs13030398 
  • Bhardwaj, A., V. Kumar, V., A. Sharma, T. Sinha, S. P. Singh, 2021: Application of Multimodel Superensemble Technique on the TIGGE Suite of Operational Models. Geomatics, 1, 81-91. https://doi: 10.3390/geomatics1010007 
  • Kumar, V.; P. K. Pradhan, T. Sinha, S.V.B. Rao, H.-P. Chang, 2020: Interaction of a Low-Pressure System, an Offshore Trough, and Mid-Tropospheric Dry Air Intrusion: The Kerala Flood of August 2018. Atmosphere, 11, 740. https://doi: 10.3390/atmos11070740 
  • Kumar, V., 2020: Development of Precise Indices for Assessing the Potential Impacts of Climate Change. Atmosphere, 11, 1231, https://doi: 10.3390/atmos11111231. 
  • Sahu, D., T. N. Krishnamurti, V Kumar, 2020: Elucidating intra-seasonal characteristics of Indian summer monsoon. Part-I: Viewed from remote sensing observations, reanalysis and model datasets. J. Earth Syst. Sci., 129 (29), https://doi.org/10.1007/s12040-019-1276-5. 
  • Pradhan, P. K., M. L. R. Liberato, V. Kumar, J. Ferreira, S. V. B. Rao, and T. Sinha, 2019: Simulation of Mid-Latitude Winter Storms over North Atlantic Ocean: Impact of Boundary Layer Parameterization Schemes. Climate Dynamics, 53 (11), 6785-6814, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00382-019-04962-3.