I have recently moved from Colorado to Finland to join the Finnish Meteorological Institute as Tenure Track Research Professor of Aerosol and Cloud Processes and the Institute for Atmospheric and Earth System Research at the University of Helsinki as a University Researcher. I am excited about the independence and opportunity to lead that this position can provide, and to become part of the excellent aerosol community in Helsinki, and more broadly in the Nordic region.
The past 6, nearly 7, years as a research scientist at NOAA Chemical Sciences Laboratory with CIRES, CU Boulder have been wonderful, both scientifically and personally. I came directly from getting my PhD to work on the NASA Atmospheric Tomography Mission, which took my research from the lab and ground stations up in the free troposphere, and took me personally around the word 4 times! I discovered so much about the complex interplay between chemistry and dynamics in the atmosphere, and gained perspective on what determines the importance of different aerosols phenomena and populations for global climate. I learned to work on aircraft, to design instruments for these challenging conditions, and became part of a whole new community of colleagues in airborne research. More recently I studied aerosols in the stratosphere with the SABRE mission working with the incredible stratonauts of the NASA WB57, and researched aerosols in the upper troposphere transported by the Asian Summer Monsoon on ACCLIP.
My colleagues at CSL, CIRES and in the broader airborne research community have made this time exceptional. Some of my favourite times have been lively meetings bringing together expertise from all aspects of atmospheric science, and excited discussions on board research aircraft as atmospheric phenomena reveal themselves to us in real time. Many of them have become firm friends as well as colleagues. In particular, the support I received from my advisor, Chuck Brock, and my group leader, Dan Murphy, enabled me to flourish as a scientist, and I will always be grateful.
Personally, Colorado deepened my love for and enjoyment of mountains and wild places. Never before had I been to a place with so much wild space to explore. I’ve learned to back-country ski and have a deep appreciation for avalanche safety. I’ve spent wonderful nights camping wild in the mountains of Colorado and Wyoming and the deserts of Utah, tried my hand at canyoneering, and seen more shooting stars than in the entirety of my life before. I’ve made wonderful friendships that I have brought so much joy and comfort to my life and made me a better person. I know these friendships will survive, albeit in a different form.
And so to pastures, challenges and adventures new! I’m happy to call Helsinki and the inspiring institutes of the Finnish Meteorological Institute and the University of Helsinki my new home.