Ria Nutan Persad, also known as Ria Carlo, initiated her scientific career as a twelve-year-old research assistant at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Born in 1974 in Trinidad and Tobago, she transitioned to the United States as a child, eventually balancing an extensive mathematical career in predictive analytics with a dedicated commitment to classical piano performance.
Early Scientific Development
By age thirteen, Persad served as a research assistant at the High-temperature Superconductivity Lab at Boston University. She won the first award at the M.I.T. State Science Fair for two consecutive years due to her calculus research. In 1991, she graduated as valedictorian of her class at Boston Latin School before attending Harvard University for mathematics coursework. Her early academic path included a research assistantship under John N. Bahcall at the Institute for Advanced Study, focusing on Hubble Space Telescope data analysis. She also held a Commonwealth Scholarship to study mathematics and physics at the University of Cambridge.
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Persad transitioned from academia to industry, working as a Martian Meteoroid Analyst for the Mars Pathfinder Mission at NASA's Johnson Space Center after entering a Ph.D. program at Rice University. Later, she applied her background in climatology while working at Enron and Duke Energy. She developed weather prediction systems for various ranges, which underwent peer review by U.S. Department of Defense scientists. In 2009, she founded StatWeather, a company utilizing Bayesian neural networks and artificial intelligence for automated forecasting, which received the 2013 Newcomer of the Year Award from Platts and Energy Risk.
Musical Pursuits and Public Roles
While Persad considered a career as a concert pianist at age eleven, she initially chose mathematics for its stability. After a twenty-year hiatus, she resumed piano study in 2008 in the Tampa Bay area. She earned recognition as a prizewinner in the 2010 Bradshaw and Buono International Piano Competition and debuted at Carnegie Hall in 2011. Her musical output includes the 2011 CD Solace. Beyond music and mathematics, she is a model signed with Wings Model Management and was the 2017 Ms. Tennessee titleholder.
Institutional Leadership
Since 2019, Persad has served as president of the European Chamber of Digital Commerce, where she hosts the Digital Future Boardroom and edits the Digital Future Magazine. Her public service includes founding the Freedom Scholars of America, which has provided over 100 university scholarships. Additionally, she established the StatWeather Institute in 2017 to address global climate and disaster risk, and she serves as an advisor to the technology startup JHS-Tek.
Fast facts
- Born: 1974, Trinidad and Tobago
- Citizenship: United States; Trinidad and Tobago
- Education: Harvard University, Princeton University, University of Cambridge, Rice University
- 2010 Bradshaw and Buono International Piano Competition winner
- Founded StatWeather in 2009
- 2017 Ms. Tennessee titleholder
Questions readers ask
What is the focus of Ria Carlo's company, StatWeather?
The company specializes in artificial intelligence and Bayesian neural networks to create automated, high-accuracy weather and climate forecasting systems.
Did Ria Carlo continue her concert piano career?
After a two-decade break, she returned to classical piano in 2008, winning local competitions and performing at Carnegie Hall in 2011.
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