Active Research Projects
Air quality and climate change in Africa
With support from the National Science Foundation and the US State Department, we have started an air quality monitoring network in Kinshasa, DR Congo, a megacity with population over 11 million which suffers from poor air quality yet has no monitoring infrastructure. Other projects include air quality knowledge capacity building in Accra, Ghana (partner with Ghana EPA), sensor deployments in Nairobi, Kenya, Kampala, Uganda, and Lomé, Togo, and using models and remote sensing techniques in India, China, and sub-Saharan Africa.
Regional climate response to changes in regional aerosol emissions
We are key members of the Regional Aerosol Model Intercomparison Project, or RAMIP as well as the Heterogeneous Climate Forcing project or HETCLIF. Some topics we have worked on in the past include: 1) The impact of changes in emissions in specific regions on local and remote climate, 2) Aerosol impacts on clouds and precipitation and 3) The effect of absorbing aerosols on tropical monsoon systems.
News
Two group members win GSAS awards!
Prof Westervelt and Garima Raheja were honored with Graduate School of Arts and Sciences 2024-2025 awards. Raheja received the 2024 Devon T Wade mentorship, service, and advocacy award, for her outstanding efforts in these areas. More details on Garima's award are available here: https://www.gsas.columbia.edu/news/2024-devon-t-wade-mentorship-service-and-advocacy-award-winner-garima-raheja
Master's research Salomé Dormoy presents poster at Earth Showcase!
Salomé Dormoy, a master's student in the climate school working with the Westervelt group as a research intern, presented her project today at the Climate School's annual research showcase. Her work this year is titled " Quantification of Disproportionate Burdens of Ambient PM2.5 exposure due to historial redlining in New York City." Salomé was co-advised by senior PhD student Garima Raheja.
Congrats Salomé!
Joe Amooli passes PhD qualifying exam!
Congratulations to Joe Adabouk Amooli who passed his PhD qualifying exam this Wednesday! His paper is titled "An uncertain future for the climate and health impacts of anthropogenic aerosols in Africa" is also in review in ACP: https://egusphere.copernicus.org/preprints/2025/egusphere-2025-948/
Joe faced some tough questions from the committee but handled it very well! Great work!