About

I am the Section Head of the Research Aviation Facility at the National Center for Atmospheric Research, where I lead the science and instrumentation team supporting one of the premier airborne research programs in the geosciences. RAF is a national resource — and I intend to make it the best scientific aviation facility in the world. That means building a team and a facility that researchers trust to handle any mission we are handed, no matter how complex.

I grew up in Ohio, a long-suffering Cleveland sports fan, and studied chemistry at The Ohio State University. Through the guidance of my undergraduate research advisor Dr. Heather Allen, I made my way to the University of Colorado where I earned my Ph.D. in Chemistry while conducting research with Dr. Joost de Gouw and Dr. James Roberts at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Chemical Sciences Laboratory (NOAA CSL). A two year postdoctoral position in Dr. Jonathan Williams group at the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry in Mainz, Germany sharpened my thinking before I returned to Boulder as a scientist at NOAA CSL, where I spent a decade designing, building, and flying CIMS instruments across dozens of field campaigns.

In 2023, I joined the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) Earth Observing Laboratory (EOL) as the science group lead at the Research Aviation Facility. In the years since I have leaned fully into organizational leadership as the next chapter of my career. The transition from individual researcher to section head is one I have made with intention. The scientific depth I have built over two decades now serves a different purpose: it shapes how I lead, how I hire, how I advocate for the facility, and how I partner with the research community to design campaigns that push the boundaries of what airborne science can do.

I remain connected to the science, particularly in chemical ionization mass spectrometry and atmospheric chemistry, and continue to contribute where I can. But my primary work is now building RAF into an operationally excellent, scientifically ambitious, and genuinely indispensable research facility for the atmospheric research community.

When I step away from my work, I spend as much time outdoors as I can. Fly fishing a cold Colorado river in midsummer is my reset — the place where I feel most connected to the planet I’ve spent my career studying. Running, morning coffee, golf, and Colorado’s music scene take care of the rest. If you want to compare fishing spots, talk science, or explore what a partnership with RAF might look like, don’t hesitate to reach out.

Professional Appointments

NCAR EOL RAF
RAF Section Head
2026-present

Group Lead, Scientist VI
2023-present

NOAA CSL
Research Chemist
2018-2023

CIRES/NOAA CSL
Research Scientist
2013-2018

Max Planck Institute for Chemistry
Postdoctoral Researcher
2011-2013

Education

University of Colorado, Boulder
Ph.D. Chemistry
2005-2011

The Ohio State University
B.S. Chemistry
2001-2005