Dan Urban

Lobell laboratory

Dan's research uses statistical models to capture the effects of changes in temperature and precipitation averages and extremes on U.S. corn and soybean yields, with an emphasis on the interacting roles of soil moisture, carbon dioxide, and high water demand.

Dan earned his B.S. and M.S. in mechanical and aerospace engineering at Stanford, and worked as a consultant in these fields before deciding to turn his penchant for modeling physical systems toward the earth sciences. Returning to Stanford to work with Prof. David Lobell, he has focused on statistical modeling of climate impacts on crop yields in the U.S. Corn Belt, with an emphasis on extreme temperature and precipitation events and their interactions. Current research interests include quantifying the magnitude of carbon dioxide's benefit to water use efficiency, and global trends in crop water demand. His papers have appeared Climatic Change and Environmental Research Letters.