Damon Chaky

Damon Chaky is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mathematics and Science at Pratt Institute's School of Liberal Arts & Sciences. He specializes in environmental chemistry, focusing on chemical contaminants in urban environments and the Hudson Basin. His teaching includes the graduate course Science of Sustainability (required for Pratt's Sustainable Environmental Systems program) and the writing-intensive undergraduate course Science and Society, which fulfills General Education Core credit. He advises capstone and thesis research in the Graduate Center for Planning and the Environment, emphasizing interdisciplinary approaches to sustainability.

Chaky earned a B.S. in Environmental Engineering, M.S. in Geosciences, and Ph.D. in Geology (Geochemistry) from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He held postdoctoral research positions at Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute before joining Pratt.

His research explores the origin, transport, behavior, and fate of chemical contaminants in New York City and the Hudson Basin. Recent supervised student work includes themes like light pollution, air pollution, industrial chemical exposure, and environmental justice. As a recipient of Pratt’s Distinguished Teacher Award, he emphasizes scientific literacy and critical thinking in courses that bridge science with art, design, and policy.

• Scientific Awards:
  • Pratt’s Distinguished Teacher Award

Chaky contributes to curriculum development and interdisciplinary collaboration, particularly in sustainability studies, and his courses integrate peer-reviewed journals (Science, Nature) and policy frameworks to address 21st-century environmental challenges.