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 lea ...

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 years ...

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 higher le ...

, graduating in 2003 with a Ph.D. in Earth and

Planetary Sciences Planetary science (or more rarely, planetology) is the scientific study of planets (including Earth), celestial bodies (such as moons, asteroids, comets) and planetary systems (in particular those of the Solar System) and the processes of their ...

. 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 types ...

with global

chemistry Chemistry is the science, scientific study of the properties and behavior of matter. It is a natural science that covers the Chemical element, elements that make up matter to the chemical compound, compounds made of atoms, molecules and ions ...

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 meteorologic ...

: 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 university, private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial Colleges, fourth-oldest ins ...

, 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 Foundatio ...

. In 2011, Fiore started as a

professor Professor (commonly abbreviated as Prof.) is an Academy, academic rank at university, universities and other post-secondary education and research institutions in most countries. Literally, ''professor'' derives from Latin as a "person who pr ...

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, meteoro ...

, Insights into Climate and

Carbon Carbon () is a chemical element with the symbol C and atomic number 6. It is nonmetallic and tetravalent In chemistry, the valence (US spelling) or valency (British spelling) of an element is the measure of its combining capacity with o ...

Cycling from Simple Models, Dust in the Earth System, and Atmosphere Tutorial:

Chemistry Chemistry is the science, scientific study of the properties and behavior of matter. It is a natural science that covers the Chemical element, elements that make up matter to the chemical compound, compounds made of atoms, molecules and ions ...

. In 2021 Fiore moved to

Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern technology and science, and is one of the ...

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 E ...

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, meteoro ...

. 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. A s ...

, 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, succeeding t ...

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 sciences, atmospheric, Oceanography, oceanic, and Hydrology, hydr ...

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 area, urban landmass, at , and one of the list of most populous metropolitan areas, most populous urban agg ...

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 act ...

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 of ...

, 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 be ...

to study U.S.

and climate warming.

Selected publications

Fiore has co-authored nearly 100 peer-reviewed publications, but the most highly cited are: * * * * *

Public engagement

In 2002, Arlene Fiore cofounded Earth Science Women's Network (ESWN). Members of this organization lead workshops about career development and equality in the workplace for female students and professionals.

References

External links

* {{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