Jesse Kisembe

Focus Areas:

• Earth System Science
• Sustainability and Global Environmental Change

Country of Origin: Uganda

Degree Program: PhD

Entered Program: Fall 2022

Expected Graduation: Spring 2026

Dissertation Topic: TBD

Research Statement: My research interests are broadly in tropical meteorology and climate, climate modeling, climate variability and change, extreme weather events, and the validation and application of satellite remote sensing precipitation products to realize socioeconomic benefits in areas of water, weather, and climate.

Adviser: Dr. Berry Wen

Educational Background

• M.S. in Disaster Risk Management, Makerere University, 2021
• B.S. in Meteorology, Makerere University, 2017

Recent Publications

Kisembe, J., Wen, Y., Wainwright, C. M., Funk, C., Odongo, R. I., & Qian, W. (2026). Contrasting Changes in Rainy Season Length, Rainfall Frequency, and Intensity across Eastern Africa. Journal of Hydrometeorology, 27(3), 325-342.

Ekwacu, S., Kisembe, J., Ogwang, B. A., Nyasulu, M., Misiani, H. O., & Opio, R. (2025). Long-term spatiotemporal variation in frequency of persistent hot spell events over Africa: S. Ekwacu et al. Theoretical and Applied Climatology, 156(5), 237.

Qian, W., Wen, Y., Gao, S., Li, Z., Kisembe, J., & Jing, H. (2025). Evaluation of near‐surface specific humidity and air temperature from Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) over oceans. Earth and Space Science, 12(4), e2024EA003856.

Kisembe, J., Li, J. L. F., Wen, Y., Lee, W. L., Qian, W., Li, Z., & Jiang, J. H. (2024). Assessing the impacts of falling ice radiative effects on the seasonal variation of land surface properties. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 129(15), e2024JD040991.