My research in origins has two focuses. The first is in studying how aerosol forms in planetary atmospheres and the potential impact that has on the climate. I'm most interested in the molecular origin of aerosol. How are important seed molecules formed? What processes drive their reactions? And what conditions provide the unique setting for their formation? Specifically, I study how sulfur containing compounds undergo chemical reactions in the atmosphere that lead to the formation of aerosol and how sunlight drives these reactions.
The second focus in my research is in chemical education. I study belonging in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) students. I'm interested in social belonging (the sense that one fits well within the social setting of STEM) and ability uncertainty (the sense that one has the skills or can obtain the skills necessary to succeed in STEM). I am currently surveying introductory chemistry students in an attempt to see what effect identity plays a role in the origin of these to components of belonging. Specifically, I am studying the effects of gender and sexuality on belonging in the introductory chemistry community.