Arlene M. Fiore is an atmospheric chemist whose research focuses on issues surrounding air quality and climate change.
Education
In 1997 Arlene M. Fiore graduated
Harvard College
Harvard College is the undergraduate college of Harvard University, an Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636, Harvard College is the original school of Harvard University, the oldest institution of higher ...
magna cum laude
Latin honors are a system of Latin phrases used in some colleges and universities to indicate the level of distinction with which an academic degree has been earned. The system is primarily used in the United States. It is also used in some So ...
with an
A.B.
Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four ye ...
in Environmental Geoscience. She continued her education at
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of high ...
, graduating in 2003 with a Ph.D. in Earth and
Planetary Sciences.
Her thesis was titled "Linking regional
air pollution
Air pollution is the contamination of air due to the presence of substances in the atmosphere that are harmful to the health of humans and other living beings, or cause damage to the climate or to materials. There are many different type ...
with global
chemistry and
climate
Climate is the long-term weather pattern in an area, typically averaged over 30 years. More rigorously, it is the mean and variability of meteorological variables over a time spanning from months to millions of years. Some of the meteorologica ...
: The role of background
ozone
Ozone (), or trioxygen, is an inorganic molecule with the chemical formula . It is a pale blue gas with a distinctively pungent smell. It is an allotrope of oxygen that is much less stable than the diatomic allotrope , breaking down in the lo ...
."
In this dissertation, Fiore discusses the importance of background ozone in connecting local air quality with global climate and chemistry, concluding that pollution enhances background ozone and leads to greater climate warming.
Career and research
As an undergraduate at Harvard University, Fiore worked on ozone smog for her honors thesis. As a graduate student at Harvard, Fiore worked with the Harvard Atmospheric Chemistry Modeling Group. Before becoming a professor, Fiore continued her research at the Atmospheric and Ocean Sciences Program at
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the n ...
, the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory, and the
National Center for Atmospheric Research
The US National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR ) is a US federally funded research and development center (FFRDC) managed by the nonprofit University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) and funded by the National Science Founda ...
. In 2011, Fiore started as a
professor
Professor (commonly abbreviated as Prof.) is an academic rank at universities and other post-secondary education and research institutions in most countries. Literally, ''professor'' derives from Latin as a "person who professes". Professor ...
in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences and Lamont–Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University in Palisades, NY. She became a full professor in 2016. In her time at Columbia, she taught a variety of classes, including Introduction to
Atmospheric Chemistry
Atmospheric chemistry is a branch of atmospheric science in which the chemistry of the Earth's atmosphere and that of other planets is studied. It is a multidisciplinary approach of research and draws on environmental chemistry, physics, mete ...
, Insights into Climate and
Carbon
Carbon () is a chemical element with the symbol C and atomic number 6. It is nonmetallic and tetravalent—its atom making four electrons available to form covalent chemical bonds. It belongs to group 14 of the periodic table. Carbon makes ...
Cycling from Simple Models, Dust in the Earth System, and Atmosphere Tutorial:
Chemistry.
In 2021 Fiore moved to
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a Private university, private Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern t ...
when she was named the first Peter H. Stone and Paola Malanotte Stone Professor in Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences.
Her fields of interest are air quality,
climate change
In common usage, climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes to ...
and variability, and
atmospheric chemistry
Atmospheric chemistry is a branch of atmospheric science in which the chemistry of the Earth's atmosphere and that of other planets is studied. It is a multidisciplinary approach of research and draws on environmental chemistry, physics, mete ...
.
She studies connections between the
biosphere
The biosphere (from Greek βίος ''bíos'' "life" and σφαῖρα ''sphaira'' "sphere"), also known as the ecosphere (from Greek οἶκος ''oîkos'' "environment" and σφαῖρα), is the worldwide sum of all ecosystems. It can also be ...
and the
atmosphere
An atmosphere () is a layer of gas or layers of gases that envelop a planet, and is held in place by the gravity of the planetary body. A planet retains an atmosphere when the gravity is great and the temperature of the atmosphere is low. ...
, changes and patterns in atmospheric composition, and the relationship between climate and chemistry.
In addition to being a professor and researcher, Fiore participates in a numerous of professional activities. Since 2016 she has been the Principal Investigator with the
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research.
NASA was established in 1958, succeedi ...
Health and Air Quality Applied Sciences Team. She has also been a member of the Board on Atmospheric Sciences and Climate of the National Academy of Sciences, the
American Meteorological Society
The American Meteorological Society (AMS) is the premier scientific and professional organization in the United States promoting and disseminating information about the atmospheric, oceanic, and hydrologic sciences. Its mission is to advance t ...
Statement on Atmospheric Ozone, the Steering Committee for NYSERDA-sponsored NESCAUM Workshop on
New York City Metropolitan Area
The New York metropolitan area, also commonly referred to as the Tri-State area, is the largest metropolitan area in the world by urban landmass, at , and one of the most populous urban agglomerations in the world. The vast metropolitan area ...
Energy and Air Quality Data Gaps, and the Steering Committee's IGAC/SPARC Chemistry-Climate Modeling Initiative since 2014, 2017, 2017, and 2013 respectively.
Awards and honors
In December 2005, Fiore won the American Geophysical Union James R. Holton Junior Scientist Award
for the research she conducted in the two years after earning her Ph.D. In July 2006, she earned the
Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers
The Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) is the highest honor bestowed by the United States government on outstanding scientists and engineers in the early stages of their independent research careers. The White ...
(PECASE).
In December 2011, the
American Geophysical Union
The American Geophysical Union (AGU) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization of Earth, atmospheric, ocean, hydrologic, space, and planetary scientists and enthusiasts that according to their website includes 130,000 people (not members). AGU's ...
awarded Fiore with the
James B. Macelwane Medal
The James B. Macelwane Medal is awarded annually by the American Geophysical Union to three to five early career scientists (no more than 10 years beyond having received their Ph.D.). It is named after James B. Macelwane, a Jesuit priest and one o ...
, for her work in the geophysical sciences as an early career scientist. As specified by the Geophysical Union website, she met the criteria for the award with her high number of publications on atmospheric chemistry which aided to the scientific community's understanding of ozone pollution impacts.
Since 2012, Fiore has received two grants from the
United States Environmental Protection Agency
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is an independent executive agency of the United States federal government tasked with environmental protection matters. President Richard Nixon proposed the establishment of EPA on July 9, 1970; it ...
to study U.S.
air pollution
Air pollution is the contamination of air due to the presence of substances in the atmosphere that are harmful to the health of humans and other living beings, or cause damage to the climate or to materials. There are many different type ...
and climate warming.
Selected publications
Fiore has co-authored nearly 100 peer-reviewed publications,
but the most highly cited are:
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Public engagement
In 2002, Arlene Fiore cofounded
Earth Science Women's Network
Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to harbor life. While large volumes of water can be found throughout the Solar System, only Earth sustains liquid surface water. About 71% of Earth's surface ...
(ESWN).
Members of this organization lead workshops about career development and equality in the workplace for female students and professionals.
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Fiore, Arlene
Living people
1970s births
American women scientists
Atmospheric chemists
Harvard College alumni
Massachusetts Institute of Technology faculty
American women academics
21st-century American women