People

Gabriel Isaacman-VanWertz CV
Associate Professor

e-mail: ivw (vt.edu)
Office: 419 Durham Hall
Phone: 540.231.0011


Christos Stamatis CV
Postdoctoral researcher
e-mail: christoss (vt.edu)

Research Interests: Wet deposition of gasses and particles, biomass burning emissions, mass spectrometry and data analytics. I am particularly interested in developing parametrizations for wet scavenging of gasses and particles in order to enhance our understanding of those processes.      

Engineering Interests: Writing software that automates instrument monitoring (crash logging, user notifications) and streamlines the data handling process after logging (pushing to cloud storage, raw data handling)

General interests: When I am not working I really enjoy cooking, playing with my guitars and improving my homelab (NAS + mini-cluster)

GitHub


Vikas Goel
Postdoctoral researcher
e-mail: vikasgoel (vt.edu)

Research interests: Instrument development, source apportionment, and secondary aerosol formation. I am particularly interested in secondary aerosol formation from biomass burning. My current work involves aerosol generation and instrument testing. In my free time, I enjoy cooking and hiking.

Website: https://sites.google.com/view/dr-vikas-goel/home


James Hurley
Postdoctoral researcher
e-mail: jamesfh (vt.edu)

Research Interests: Instrument development, characterization of emissions from biota and fragrance mixtures. More generally, I am interested in organic and physical chemistry, spectroscopy and kinetics. Recreation-wise, I enjoy reading, archery, hiking/climbing in the mountains and trying to learn Mandarin


Purushottam Kumar
Ph.D. student
e-mail: purushottamk (vt.edu)

Research Interests: Developing novel techniques and instruments for studying Atmospheric chemistry (both gas and particle phases) and doing the source apportionment analysis of atmospheric aerosols. I would like to study the atmosphere of other celestial bodies (e.g. Mars) sometime in future too. I am also interested in studying archaeology especially past climate and evolution of different species over time and the science & technology of the ancient civilizations. In my free time, I like to sit alone listening to old Hindi songs or go hiking.


Talha Jubair
Ph.D. student
e-mail: jubairtalha175(vt.edu)

I am interested in studying atmospheric chemistry through innovative techniques like mass spectrometry, gas chromatography, detectors for volatile organic compounds and developing novel techniques and instruments. Currently I am making a prototype instrument that integrates sensor arrays, gas chromatography, and sample enrichment to enhance hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) detection, with significant applications in environmental justice and community air monitoring. Additionally, I study air pollution dynamics, including the sources, transport, and health impacts of particulate matter (PM2.5), while exploring indoor-outdoor air quality relationships influenced by socioeconomic factors and activities. Alongside my work on environmental challenges, I am deeply inspired by the vastness of space, which fuels my curiosity and passion for exploration and discovery.

Outside of research, I enjoy painting, listening to music, capturing moments through photography, and staying active by going to the gym, which helps me maintain a well-rounded and balanced lifestyle.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/talha-jubair-0a7950256/

ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Talha-Jubair-2

ORCID:  https://orcid.org/0009-0007-8645-4773

Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=He2Q5osAAAAJ&hl=en


Sina Tayebbi Nia
Ph.D. student
e-mail: sinat (vt.edu)

Atmospheric chemistry and the fate of air pollutants in the atmosphere; with the goal of developing innovative tools and models for analyzing air pollution in mind. I am also interested in combining environmental engineering with machine learning to enhance prediction and mitigation strategies in the future. In my free time, I enjoy reading and watching movies, which offer inspiration and a refreshing break from research.


Shallon Jozi
M.S. student
e-mail: shallonmj (vt.edu)

I am interested in the study in the study of SVOCs in the atmosphere and have been analyzing samples of data using the GC-MS to identify the VOCs in them. I have also been constructing and operating portable air samplers that can be used to collect various air samples passively. I also enjoy reading and learning about water resources policies and business management. During my spare time I enjoy reading a good book, cooking and running.


Alexandra DiBernardi
M.S. student
e-mail: adibernardi14 (vt.edu)

My research focuses on operating a system to generate aerosols of a contaminant in a controlled environment and using infrared spectroscopy (DRIFTS) to study contaminant stability and fate. This is tested in a confined atmosphere by dispersing particles across an environmentally relevant sample, such as soil. I helped build an apparatus that consists of a confined chamber, an aerosol generator, and particle measuring equipment to analyze the mass balance and settling time, along with a vacuum system to increase particle settling rate for subsequent DRIFTS measurement. In my free time, I enjoy reading, exercising, and playing piano!


Amira Hansch
Undergraduate researcher
e-mail: amirakh (vt.edu)

I am an undergraduate student interested in sustainability, renewable energy, and air and water resources. I have been working on analyzing GC-MS data using IGOR to identify the abundance of different VOCs in the samples. Additionally, I have been working to construct and operate portable air samplers that can be used for various projects. In my free time, I like doing gymnastics, outdoor activities, and traveling.


Clara McMullin
Undergraduate researcher
e-mail: claram03 (vt.edu)

I’m a junior undergraduate student majoring in physics with an interest in environmental and atmospheric research. I’m currently working with GC-MS to analyze and identify compounds in air samples. In my free time, I enjoy cooking, running, and listening to music.


Alumni

Postdoc

  • Chenyang Bi, 2018-2023. Current position: Aerodyne Research, Inc.

PhD

  • Sungwoo Kim, PhD, 2024. Dissertation: A Statistical Methods-Based Novel Approach for Fully Automated Analysis of Chromatographic Data
  • Namrata Panji, PhD, 2024. Dissertation: Atmospheric Impact of Biogenic Volatile Organic Compounds: Improving Measurement and Modeling Capabilities
  • Graham Frazier, PhD, 2023. Dissertation: Time Dependent Uptake of Volatile Organic Compounds on Silica and the Observation and Quantification of Ambient Sesquiterpenes in Virginia
  • Deb McGlynn, PhD, 2022. Dissertation: Understanding the chemical impacts of biogenic volatile organic compounds and the physical drivers of their observed seasonality
  • James Hurley, PhD, 2022. Dissertation: New Methods for Measuring Spatial, Temporal and Chemical Distributions of Volatile Organic Compounds

Master’s

  • Muskan Amin, MS 2024 (MAOP 2022), Project: Detailed Chemical Characterization of Vehicle Emissions Using a New Data Analysis Technique
  • Raina Lenear, MS 2023, Project: Quantifying Biomass Burning in Blacksburg
  • Asmita Deshmukh, MS 2019, Project: Concentration and Spatial Distribution of Squalene on Human Clothing
  • Xin Lu, MS, 2018, Project: Variability in the Composition of Soil Gas at the Site of Residential Heating Oil Spills in Virginia

Undergraduates and summer researchers

  • Alejandra Caceres, BS, 2023 (MAOP 2021), Project: Distributed, portable gas sampling
  • Mary Tovillo, BS, 2019 (MAOP 2018), Project: Development and validation of mobile gas samples
  • Anum Khan, MAOP 2024, Project: New tools to measure hidden volatile organic compounds in the air
  • Allahna Grant, MAOP, 2018, Project: Determining a method for automated, time-resolved particle sampling
  • Monica Gurung, MAOP, 2018, Project: Measuring the spatial distribution of a subsurface heating oil spill