Neil Donahue

Neil Donahue is the Thomas Lord University Professor of Chemistry and holds appointments in Chemical Engineering and Engineering and Public Policy at Carnegie Mellon University. He directs both the Steinbrenner Institute for Environmental Education and Research and the Center for Atmospheric Particle Studies (2005–2013). A Fellow of the American Geophysical Union and American Association for Aerosol Research, he serves on editorial boards for several journals.

• Education: Ph.D. in Meteorology (MIT, 1991), B.S. in Physics (Brown, 1985)
• Research Focus: Atmospheric oxidation of organic compounds, organic aerosol dynamics, Criegee intermediates, and climate-health impacts of particulate matter.

His work reveals how organic particles from trees and human activity influence climate by scattering light and forming clouds, while causing ~50,000 U.S. annual deaths from cardiovascular disease. Recent studies examine iodine oxoacids in nucleation, volatility basis sets for aerosol modeling, and terpene ozonolysis mechanisms. Media engagements highlight EPA data transparency in the East Palestine train derailment and climate haven critiques.

• Key Awards: ACS Creative Advances Award (2023), AGU Fellow (2011), MIT Jule Charney Award
• Infrastructure: Led NSF-funded CLOUD experiment at CERN, acquired Vocus Mass Spectrometer (2024)