Sustainability Leadership Fellow Cohort: 2022-2023

Ph.D. Student, Department of Atmospheric Science

Research Summary: I’m researching how aerosol particles influence the clouds near Antarctica. I study rare aerosols called Ice Nucleating Particles (INPs), which cause water droplets to freeze in clouds. Cloud phase – whether a cloud is composed of liquid water, ice crystals, or both – determines how much sunlight a cloud reflects, how long it lives, and how much it precipitates. Antarctic clouds play a crucial role in global climate, influencing weather patterns, ocean currents, sea ice cover, and even rainfall in the tropics, so understanding how INPs influence these clouds is essential for predicting future climate.

Advisor: Sonia Kreidenweis and Paul DeMott