Luthiene Franca
Plants, Soils, and Climate
Lecturer, Climate Science
Educational Background
Licensures & Certifications
Biography
Dr. Luthiene Dalanhese Franca is a climate scientist and lecturer in Utah State University’s Department of Plants, Soils, and Climate. Originally from Brazil, she has spent more than a decade teaching, conducting research, mentoring students, and communicating science in Brazil and the United States. At USU, she teaches courses on weather and the atmosphere, climate change and its impacts, and applied climate analysis.
Dr. Franca earned her doctorate in Earth and Ocean Dynamics from Fluminense Federal University in Brazil, where she studied hydrography and the connections between the ocean and atmosphere. Her background also includes biosystems engineering, environmental science, and biology. She enjoys helping students understand complex scientific ideas and see how climate science relates to the environmental and social issues affecting their lives. In 2025, she received the North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture Teaching Award of Merit in recognition of her dedication to teaching.
Teaching Interests
Dr. Franca’s teaching interests include atmospheric science, weather and climate, climate variability, climate change, and the environmental and societal impacts of climate. She is particularly interested in hands-on, applied learning that helps students connect scientific concepts to real-world problems. Her teaching emphasizes climate data interpretation, scientific reasoning, effective communication, and the development of accessible, engaging learning experiences for students from diverse academic backgrounds.
Research Interests
Dr. Franca’s research interests include climate variability, extreme weather, atmospheric and oceanic dynamics, and ocean-atmosphere interactions. Her research has examined extratropical cyclogenesis in South America, sea-surface temperature anomalies, precipitation, extreme wave events, storm surges, and large-scale climate patterns such as the El Niño–Southern Oscillation. She is also interested in climate data analysis, reanalysis products, climate impacts on environmental and agricultural systems, and the application of climate science to improve understanding of hazards and societal risks.
Awards
Teaching Award of Merit, 2025
NACTA | North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture