Dr. Benjamin Brown-Steiner has recently joined Clarkson’s Institute for a Sustainable Environment with a courtesy appointment as a Research Assistant Professor. He is also currently a rotating Program Director at the National Science Foundation (NSF) in the Atmospheric Chemistry Program.
He received his bachelor’s degree in environmental engineering from Clarkson and his master’s degree and Ph.D. from Cornell University in atmospheric chemistry and climate science.
His research interests include atmospheric chemistry, emissions, and climate science with a focus on uncertainty quantification, model complexity, and the impact of natural and internal variability.
At Cornell University he studied the influence of Asian emissions on air quality within the U.S. and worked with an interdisciplinary team of scientists and economists to develop a black carbon emissions inventory for trucks and trains. As a Postdoctoral Associate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, he studied the variability of surface ozone and the uncertainties associated with identifying signals and also compared chemical mechanisms of different complexities in climate models. While working as a staff scientist at the Atmospheric and Environmental Research (AER), he worked on emissions inventory development and supported a variety of projects, including testing and updating chemical mechanisms, testing out statistical and machine learning tools, and studying the impact of biomass burning on U.S. air quality.
Dr. Brown-Steiner is passionate about science communication and outreach and teaches classes on climate, emissions, and birdwatching in his local community. As he has never really done laboratory chemistry, he treats his kitchen as a laboratory for various chemical (baking) and biological (fermenting) experiments.
Dr. Brown-Steiner looks forward to collaborating with Clarkson faculty, staff and students on research and outreach projects.
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