Center for Environmental Research and Technology

CE-CERT attends 41st AAAR Annual Conference:

Dr. Sarah Petters Wins Prize

On October 2-6, 2023, several CE-CERT faculty and students attended the 41st American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR) Annual Conference held at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland. This conference, known for showcasing the latest advancements in aerosol science and technology, provided an enriching experience for our students and researchers to immerse themselves in the latest developments in their field. The conference offered a diverse range of activities, including plenary lectures, special symposia, poster sessions, and oral platform sessions, allowing attendees to engage with experts, present their work, and exchange ideas.

Amidst the whirlwind of activities, the spotlight shone on Dr. Sarah Petters, CE-CERT Researcher, whose exceptional work in sub-10-nm particles earned her the Juan de la Mora Prize. The award, a high-resolution aerosol-size selector for contactless in-situ manipulation of nanoparticles (a nanoscale Dynamic Mechanical Analysis), is given annually. "Receiving the award of the nano instrument is like a dream come true,” Dr. Petters remarked, “This instrumentation will support my group in building a nano tandem DMA for detection of nanoparticle phase, morphology, hygroscopicity, and volatility." 

Dr. Petters’ journey to this award began in 2022 when she was awarded the “Runner Up Prize.” At the AAAR award ceremony, Sarah expressed her gratitude to the instrumentation working group and Yale University professor Juan Fernandez de la Mora, the namesake of the prize. In her inspiring speech, she encouraged fellow scientists, especially the younger generation, to believe in themselves and their abilities, “Now is a good time to start believing in yourself. So finish your projects! I believe in you,” she proclaimed. 

Overall, the success of Dr. Sarah Petters and the participation of our students at the AAAR conference exemplifies the importance of collaboration and determination in scientific endeavors, inspiring them to reach new heights. As they returned home, they brought back newfound knowledge, fresh ideas, and motivation to push boundaries further in their field. 

Looking ahead, the CE-CERT team eagerly anticipates the opportunities and challenges that the next conference will bring. Conferences like these are a great opportunity for academic and professional growth, keeping CE-CERT at the forefront of the scientific community.

Read the abstracts from the poster and technical sessions presented by our CE-CERT students and researchers:

Measurement of Secondary Aerosol Formation in Ambient Urban Air Using Dual Portable Outdoor Chambers. XUANLIN DU, Alexander B. MacDonald, Ningjin Xu, Ying Zhou, Roya Bahreini, Don Collins, University of California, Riverside

The Sensitivity of Modeled Secondary Organic Aerosol (SOA) Formation to Differences in Speciation Profiles of Biomass Burning Derived Non-Methane Organic Gases (NMOGs). SAMIHA BINTE SHAHID, William P. L. Carter, Robert J. Yokelson, Kelley Barsanti, University of California, Riverside

Seasonal Comparison of Particulate Matter Chemical Composition in Riverside, California. ALEXANDER B. MACDONALD, Xuanlin Du, Ningjin Xu, Ying Zhou, Cesunica E. Ivey, Don Collins, Roya Bahreini, University of California, Riverside

Mechanistic Insights into NO3 Oxidation of Furfural from Chamber Study. RAPHAEL MAYORGA, Kunpeng Chen, Nilofar Raeofy, Michael Lum, Bradley Ries, Roya Bahreini, Ying-Hsuan Lin, Haofei Zhang, University of California, Riverside

Retrospective Analysis of Two Decades of Particle Wall-loss Correction from the UCR Dual-90 m3 Collapsible Chamber – A New Dynamic Size-independent Coagulation-corrected Method. Chen Le, YANYU ZHANG, David R. Cocker III, University of California, Riverside

Secondary Organic Aerosol Formation from Gasoline Vehicle Exhaust Investigated in a Dual Outdoor Chamber System. XUANLIN DU, Jinsheng Zhang, Linhui Tian, Ying-Hsuan Lin, Don Collins, University of California, Riverside

Use of an Oxidation Flow Reactor in the Field to Study Ambient Secondary Aerosol Formation from Gas- and Aqueous-Phase Chemistry. YING ZHOU, Alexander B. MacDonald, Ningjin Xu, Xuanlin Du, Roya Bahreini, Don Collins, University of California, Riverside

Aerosol Concentration, Size Distribution, and Cloud Condensation Nuclei Activity at 5 Sites in Houston during the TRACER-MAP Campaign. ZIHAN ZHU, Don Collins, Chun-Ying Chao, Robert Griffin, Kimberly Sauceda, Sascha Usenko, Rebecca J. Sheesley, Subin Yoon, James Flynn, University of California, Riverside

Route of Pulmonary Administration of Aerosols and the Size of Aerosols Significantly Affects Particle Deposition and Cellular Recruitment. RYAN W. DROVER, Keziyah Yisrael, Malia L. Shapiro, Martha Anguiano, Nala Kachour, Qi Li, Emily Tran, David R. Cocker III, David D. Lo, University of California, Riverside

Elemental Content of Brake and Tire Wear PM2.5 and PM10 at Near-Road Environments. BRENDA LOPEZ, Xiaoliang Wang, L.-W. Antony Chen, Tianyi Ma, David Mendez-Jimenez, Ling Cobb, Chas Frederickson, Ting Fang, Brian Hwang, Manabu Shiraiwa, Minhan Park, Kihong Park, Qi Yao, Seungju Yoon, Heejung Jung, University of California, Riverside

Exploring the Hygroscopic Growth, Phase and Chemistry of Light-Absorbing Aerosol using Single Particle Levitation. JAMES F. DAVIES, Roya Bahreini, Malsha Amugoda, Prakriti Singh, Stephanie Salas, Erin Bowey, University of California, Riverside

Photooxidative Fate of Atmospheric Methylated Selenium Compounds. ERIN BOWEY, Yumeng Cui, Roya Bahreini, Kunpeng Chen, Linhui Tian, Michael Lum, Ying-Hsuan Lin, Don Collins, University of California, Riverside

Oxidative Potential and ROS Speciation in Organoselenium Derived Secondary Organic Aerosols. MICHAEL LUM, Erin Bowey, Linhui Tian, Kunpeng Chen, Ningjin Xu, Ying Zhou, Alexa Canchola, Wonsik Woo, Don Collins, Roya Bahreini, Ying-Hsuan Lin, University of California, Riverside

Predictions of Secondary Organic Aerosol Formation from Consumer Products. HUAWEI LI, Qi Li, David R. Cocker III, University of California, Riverside

Investigating the Effect of Temperature Cycles on Gas-Particle Phase Transitioning in Dark Ozonolysis Systems. DANIEL GONZALEZ, Chen Le, Ryan W. Drover, Huawei Li, Yanyu Zhang, Thomas Eckel, David R. Cocker III, University of California, Riverside

Investigation of Secondary Aerosol Formation Potential of Air off the Coast of Southern California. MINGHAO HAN, Bradley Ries, Alexander B. MacDonald, Roya Bahreini, Don Collins, University of California Riverside

Source Apportionment of Near-Road Atmospheric Aerosols in Ontario, California. BRADLEY RIES, Yifan Ding, Mohammad Sowlat, Payam Pakbin, Akula Venkatram, Roya Bahreini, University of California, Riverside

Applying Real-Time On-Board Emissions Measurements and GIS Data to Evaluate the Applicability of AIS-based Emissions Inventory Estimates of Ocean-Going Vessels. RYAN W. DROVER, Thomas Eckel, J. Wayne Miller, David R. Cocker III, University of California, Riverside