Staff Directory

Yuwei joined the Department of Earth and Environmental Science PhD program in 2022. Her research interests are greenhouse gases and their impacts on air quality in urban areas. Yuwei received her B.S. degree in Environmental Engineering from Colorado State University and B.Eng. in Environmental Engineering from The University of Jinan. Yuwei likes hiking, cooking, and live music.

My research focuses on the surface - atmospheric exchange that affects atmospheric composition.

Raghav is a masters student in the department of Earth and Environmental Engineering. They began their program in Fall 2024 and previously had a background in software engineering, receiving their bachelors degree in Computer Science from UCLA in 2021. They’re looking to apply their experience to earth science problems as they learn and explore this new field.  They’re currently interested in looking into identifying and quantifying sources of N2O in cities. Outside of their research interests, Raghav likes to spend their time cooking and going to live shows.

Prof. Tzortziou's research focuses on assessing impacts of anthropogenic pressures and environmental hazards on inland, coastal, and open ocean biogeochemical cycles, ecological processes, and ecosystem services across temporal and spatial scales.

Originally from Wisconsin, Luke completed his PhD in Environmental Chemistry at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2017. At MIT, he focused on understanding various interactions between air quality and agriculture using satellite, ground, and aircraft measurements along with atmospheric chemistry and crop production models. Luke brings his numerical analysis and modeling expertise to the Commane group, working on various projects including improving our understanding and representation of the carbon system in arctic and boreal ecosystems. Luke enjoys traveling, visiting breweries, skiing, and cheering on his teams (Go Badgers!).

Prof Murray explores the nexus of atmospheric composition and climate. He develops and uses state-of-the-science global air quality and climate models, employing both forward and inverse methods to interpret and assimilate various surface, aircraft and satellite observations to further understanding of atmospheric processes and humanity's role in the Earth system.

Trace gas isotopic composition for the reconstruction of atmospheric chemistry in the paleo atmosphere, trace gas emissions from the biosphere, development of instrumentation platforms for research aircraft.

Prof Leibensperger is broadly interested in the dynamics of environmental systems, particularly the atmosphere, the broader climate system, and, more recently, lakes. Current projects include (1) monitoring of methane in New York State to better understand sources and impacts on air quality (supported by NYSERDA and New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets in collaboration with colleagues at the University of Rochester, the University at Albany, Columbia Universtiy, and Cornell University); and (2) studying the impact of weather and climate on Lake Champlain water quality (supported by Lake Champlain SeaGrant and in collaboration with colleagues from SUNY Plattsburgh and Middlebury College). Funding support for previous research projects has come from the Environmental Protection Agency, the State University of New York, and the National Science Foundation. 

Dandan has a B.S. in Meteorology, a M.S. in Ecology, and a Ph.D. in Atmospheric Chemistry. Her research is broadly focused on quantifying sources and sinks of biogenic VOCs, including emissions, gas-phase chemistry, vertical transport, and secondary organic aerosol formation. She uses a variety of approaches including modeling and observational analysis. Dandan brings her expertise in numerical modeling and atmospheric chemistry to the Commane group, studying the impacts of biogenic VOC fluxes on the atmospheric composition of the New York City Metro Area. Dandan likes swimming, traveling, and watching soccer (a proud Arsenal fan!).

I am an ecologist and biogeochemist who focuses on plant ecophysiology and the terrestrial carbon cycle. I am particularly interested in understanding the effects of environmental change (e.g., climate change, urbanization, and land cover change) on the drivers and plant-mediated controls of terrestrial carbon cycling, and nitrogen dynamics as a limiting nutrient, across a continuum of human-disturbed ecosystems. My research draws from multiple disciplines and combines field observations, ecosystem experiments, and laboratory analyses with GIS, remote sensing, and modeling. I currently have projects in forested and human dominated landscapes throughout the mid-Atlantic and Northeastern U.S.

Andrew is a Graduate Student with the Commane Atmospheric Composition Group at Columbia University. Andrew hails from Bethesda, MD and attended Williams College, where he received a B.A. in Chemistry. While at Williams, he studied the effects of specific functional groups on Secondary Organic Aerosol formation in C₁₀ species. He then worked with the Commane Group for two years as a Research Assistant before starting as a graduate student in the Fall of 2023. Andrew is interested in environmental policy, particularly in regards to climate change, and is working on the methane emissions project. Outside the lab, Andrew is a baseball fan and enjoys playing volleyball and ultimate frisbee.