Lauren Burns

Education:

M.S. (2023) Earth Sciences, The University of North Carolina at Charlotte

B.S. (2021) Meteorology, The University of North Carolina at Charlotte

I am a recent graduate from UNC Charlotte where my research focused on spatial thinking skills in undergraduate meteorology majors. I am currently teaching Introduction to Meteorology while completing my PhD in Geography. In the past I have also taught Physical Geography and was the teaching assistant from Introduction to Meteorology throughout my master’s degree. I am honored to have won the university’s Outstanding Graduate Instructor of Record award for the 2024-25 academic school year, the National Association of Geoscience Teachers (NAGT) TA Award as well as a finalist in the UNC Charlotte Outstanding Graduate TA Award for the 2022-23 school year.

My current research is a deeper dive into how and when undergraduate meteorology majors develop spatial thinking skills. My master’s thesis was published in 2025 in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society and featured in BAMS Volume 106, Number 6 in June 2025 (https://doi.org/10.1175/BAMS-D-23-0324.1). 

If you have any questions about the department, I would love to chat with you! My door is always open so please do not hesitate to stop by.

Research Interests:

Meteorology / Geoscience Education Research / Atmospheric Science Education Research (ASER) / Spatial Thinking

Advisor: Dr. Casey Davenport