| Affiliations: | College of Sciences |
| Team Leader: |
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| Faculty Mentor: |
Denisia Popolan-Vaida, PhD
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Team Size:
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3 |
| Open Spots: | 3 |
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Team Member Qualifications:
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Who Should Apply? We are seeking motivated and curious undergraduate students who are excited about scientific discovery and interested in tackling real-world environmental challenges. Minimum Requirements GPA of 3.0 or higher Sophomore standing or above Preferred Background Completion of Organic Chemistry Interest in chemistry, atmospheric science, environmental science, climate science, or related STEM disciplines No previous research experience is required. We welcome students who are eager to learn, dependable, and enthusiastic about hands-on laboratory work and data analysis. Comprehensive training in research methods and instrumentation will be provided. |
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Description:
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Wildfires are becoming more frequent and severe across the globe, producing vast amounts of smoke that can travel thousands of miles and impact both local and global air quality. Smoke particles, known as aerosols, play a critical role in Earth's atmosphere. They can scatter and absorb sunlight, influencing climate and visibility, and they can also act as cloud condensation nuclei (CCN), tiny particles that help water vapor condense into cloud droplets. Because clouds strongly affect weather patterns, precipitation, and climate, understanding how wildfire smoke behaves in the atmosphere is an important scientific challenge. This research project focuses on a group of organic compounds known as phenolic acids (including vanillic acid, syringic acid, and ferulic acid), which are commonly produced during biomass burning and are frequently used as tracers of wildfire emissions. While these compounds are widely detected in wildfire smoke, scientists still know surprisingly little about how they change after being released into the atmosphere and how those changes affect their ability to seed clouds. In this project, we recreate key atmospheric processes in the laboratory and investigate how wildfire-derived particles evolve over time. Aerosol particles are generated from phenolic acid solutions, size-selected using advanced instrumentation, and exposed to oxidizing conditions that mimic atmospheric aging. We then measure how efficiently these particles form cloud droplets before and after aging using state-of-the-art aerosol and cloud condensation nuclei instrumentation. Changes in chemical composition are characterized using Direct Analysis in Real Time Mass Spectrometry (DART-MS). Our preliminary findings reveal a fascinating phenomenon: freshly generated particles have a very low ability to attract water and form cloud droplets, but atmospheric oxidation significantly enhances their cloud-forming potential. These results suggest that chemical processing in the atmosphere can dramatically alter the environmental and climate impacts of wildfire smoke. This project offers students the opportunity to contribute to research at the intersection of atmospheric chemistry, environmental science, climate science, and analytical chemistry, while helping answer important questions about the effects of wildfires on our changing planet. Future Research Opportunities Students participating in this project may help explore several exciting research directions, including: Investigating the effects of hydroxyl (OH) radical oxidation, one of the most important chemical aging processes in the atmosphere. Studying how particle mixtures and surface coatings influence cloud formation. Expanding the research to additional organic compounds commonly found in wildfire smoke. Exploring the connections between aerosol chemistry, air quality, and climate impacts. What Students Involved in this Research Project Will Learn This project provides extensive hands-on research experience and training in modern atmospheric chemistry techniques. Students will have opportunities to: Generate and characterize aerosol particles. Operate advanced scientific instrumentation used in environmental and atmospheric research. Measure cloud condensation nuclei activity and particle hygroscopicity. Analyze experimental data and interpret scientific results. Learn principles of atmospheric chemistry, aerosol science, and climate-related research. Develop skills in scientific communication, problem-solving, and laboratory safety. Work closely with graduate students and faculty mentors in a collaborative research environment. Students who demonstrate strong interest and commitment may have opportunities to present their work at undergraduate research conferences and contribute to publications. |