Faculty Achievement

Jennifer Kay
E&E News: Warm clouds are cooling Earth, confounding climate models
An academic paper from a group of climate scientists published last week found that the formation of warmer clouds appears to have a cooling effect that has been underestimated by widely used climate models. Jennifer Kay, an associate professor of atmospheric and oceanic sciences and an author on the study, said the research shows that the increase in climate sensitivity from the last generation of climate models should be taken with a huge grain of salt. 

Stephen Billings, Emily Gallagher
New York Times: As Warming Fuels Disasters, Relief Often Favors White People
A 2019 paper by Stephen Billings and Emily Gallagher in the Leeds School of Business found that homeowners who lived on blocks with a greater share of nonwhite residents, as well as lower incomes and credit scores, had a lower chance of getting approved for FEMA grants after Hurricane Harvey.  Gallagher said it should be the other way around, noting that more vulnerable populations have an even greater need for federal disaster assistance.

Xinzhao Chu
FOX31: Layers of metal discovered in Colorado skies reveal how earth interacts with space
A research group headed by Xinzhao Chu, a professor of aerospace engineering, discovered high-altitude metal layers above McMurdo, Antarctica for the first time nearly a decade ago, and recently found the same phenomenon occurring regularly 90-miles above Boulder. She said the metals not harmful to humans and can theoretically help support life on the surface. 

Suzette Malveaux
9NEWS: Continuing to fight for justice for survivors of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre
Nearly 20 years ago, Suzette Malveaux, a law professor at CU Boulder, represented more than 100 survivors of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre pro bono in a federal lawsuit against the State of Oklahoma. She discussed her experience working the case and why it was ultimately dismissed. 

Meredith MacGregor
New York Times: Will the Next Space-Weather Season Be Stormy or Fair?
CU Boulder scientists spotted the largest flare ever recorded from the sun’s nearest neighbor, the star Proxima Centauri. Meredith MacGregor, an astronomy professor who led the worldwide observing effort, said the flare was far more intense than serious sunburn territory. 

Phoebe Young
Colorado Public Radio: History of camping
Phoebe Young, an associate professor of history, joined Colorado Matters to discuss her new book “Camping Grounds: Public Nature in American Life from the Civil War to the Occupy Movement.” She spoke about the history of camping and its implications on inclusion, homelessness and protest culture.