Gregory S. Okin

Gregory S. Okin is a Professor of Geography and Chair of the Department of Geography at UCLA, affiliated with the Institute of the Environment and Sustainability. He holds a PhD in Geochemistry from Caltech (2001) and has been at UCLA since 2006. His research focuses on dryland geomorphology, aeolian processes, and mineral aerosol dynamics, with emphasis on dust emission impacts on climate, ecosystems, and human health. Okin employs remote sensing, field studies, and modeling to analyze soil-vegetation-atmosphere interactions in arid regions, particularly wind erosion's role in grassland-to-shrubland transitions. He co-leads NASA's Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation (EMIT), creating global mineral maps using imaging spectroscopy. Recent work addresses dust-climate links, wildfire health impacts, and rangeland monitoring via satellite-cloud computing integration.

Education Background:

• Ph.D., Geochemistry, California Institute of Technology (2001)
• M.S., Geology, California Institute of Technology (1997)
• B.A., Chemistry & Philosophy (Double Major), Middlebury College (1995)
• Postdoctoral Research, Geography, UC Santa Barbara (2001–2002)

Research Interests:
Dr. Okin's work integrates aeolian geomorphology, remote sensing, and Earth system modeling to explore:
- Dust emission mechanisms and climate feedbacks
- Dryland ecosystem resilience under climate change
- Vegetation-soil connectivity in arid landscapes
- Applications of imaging spectroscopy (e.g., EMIT mission)
His projects often involve interdisciplinary collaborations, combining field measurements with computational modeling.

Scientific Contributions:
Key innovations include developing dust emission models (e.g., MAPTALE) and advancing spectral unmixing techniques for mineral mapping. His findings on pet food environmental impacts (e.g., carbon pawprints) have gained media attention.