Name: Joshua Mallay
Major / University: Meteorology, Pennsylvania State University
Research Title / Project: “Evolution of Aerosol Optical Depth and Microphysical Properties of the Atmosphere over the Eastern United States”
Research Mentor: Thomas Eck (618/UMBC) and Pawan Gupta (618/GSFC)
Advisor: Dr. Jose Fuentes, PSU
What attracted you to this research opportunity? I was one of the GESTAR II Visiting Fellows in 2025, and I applied again to expand on what I did then and connect it to the research I am currently conducting in my master’s thesis. Last summer, I conducted research on the diurnal patterns of aerosol optical depth stations and the Ångström exponent worldwide under the direction of Dr. Pawan Gupta and Mr. Thomas Eck. This summer, I plan to continue working under their direction to expand that analysis, now including volumetric size distributions and focusing on the Eastern United States, particularly the Mid-Atlantic United States. Conducting this research would allow me to observe not only seasonal changes in these aerosol properties, but also temporal shifts. Returning to this work feels like a natural continuation — last summer laid the foundation, and this summer I want to push it toward something publishable and directly applicable to my thesis on aerosol composition shifts and their impacts on Cloud Condensation Nuclei Activation, and thus on precipitation formation.
Name: Emma Pellerin
Major / University: Analytical Chemistry, Colorado State Univ.
Research Title / Project: “Investigation into Seasonal Transport and Vertical Gradients of Background Aerosols”
Research Mentor: Viral Shah (610.1/MSU)
Advisor: Dr. Delphine Farmer, CSU
What attracted you to this research opportunity? This fellowship is not only a great opportunity to progress my research in new ways but also opens new avenues for collaboration. Dr. Farmer (CSU) introduced me to this fellowship and connected me with knowledgeable researchers. The potential to learn new skills and techniques that I can carry into my current research project attracted me to this experience.