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Sep 10, 2026

This El Niño Fueled Phenomenon Could Soon Bring Major Flood Risks to the West

Washington Post
Tracking the wave’s impacts Dillon Amaya, an assistant professor of marine science at North Carolina State University, said the combination of higher sea levels and the potential for stormier-than-usual weather this fall and winter could increase the risk of coastal flooding and beach erosion.

Sep 10, 2026

NC State Receives $4.2 Million Grant to Study PFAS Health Effects in Cape Fear River Basin

WWAY
Researchers at North Carolina State University have received a four-year, $4.2 million grant to continue studying the potential long-term health effects of exposure to PFAS and perfluoroalkyl ether acids, including GenX.

Sep 9, 2026

El Niño Is About to Raise California’s Sea Levels By a Foot. That’s Going to Be Bad News When Winter Storms Roll In

CNN
According to Dillon Amaya, an oceanographer at North Carolina State University, the wave is a clear signal that El Niño has arrived in California. “Typically, we think of El Niño and its impact on precipitation, but some of the first indications that El Niño is really occurring are the arrival of these coastally trapped waves,” he said.
3 sst models

Sep 8, 2026

New Method Estimates Sea Surface Temps Quickly and Accurately

A new method for extrapolating sea surface temperatures from sparse data is significantly more accurate than other commonly used computational methods.
water drips from faucet

Sep 8, 2026

GenX Exposure Study Receives Funding to Look at Effects of PFAS on Metabolic, Long-Term Health

The GenX Exposure study has received funding to continue studying the health effects of long-term exposure to PFAS and PFEAs.

Sep 8, 2026

Conditions Are Right for Algal Blooms Harmful to Humans and Pets, State Says

News & Observer
Though most algal blooms aren’t dangerous, if you spot key signs of a harmful bloom — bright, discolored water, or lots of scum on the water’s surface — it’s important to stay away, said Astrid Schnetzer, a professor of marine, earth and atmospheric sciences at N.C. State University.

Sep 8, 2026

EPA Flagged Potentially Deadly Effects From New Chipmaking Chemicals, Then Approved Them

WRAL
Dr. Sue Fenton, a toxicologist at North Carolina State University who has studied the health effects of PFAS for two decades, said the phrase “acute lethality” describes a potentially deadly effect over a relatively short exposure period.

Sep 3, 2026

The Rise of Marine Heat Waves

Weather Geeks (Weather Channel podcast)
Today on Weather Geeks, we’re joined by Dillon Amaya, whose research focuses on the complex relationship between the ocean and the atmosphere. We’ll explore the growing scientific interest in Pacific marine heat waves, what we’ve learned from some of the most notable events in recent years, and how these episodes can ripple through both weather and climate systems.

Sep 3, 2026

California Is About to See a Sudden Foot of Sea Level Rise From El Niño. Here’s When It Hits.

San Francisco Chronicle
“It’s not a wave you can surf,” said Dillon Amaya, an assistant professor of marine science at North Carolina State University. “You’re not gonna be able to see it from your boat, but our instruments will see it as it passes by, like tide gages.”
Exterior shot of SAS Hall at NC State.

Aug 28, 2026

Department of Statistics #1 Nationally in Ph.D. Graduates

The Department of Statistics at NC State remains the nation’s top producer of Ph.D. graduates, according to recently released data from the American Statistical Association (ASA).