Paul Connolly

Paul Connolly is a Professor of Atmospheric Physics and Reader in the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences at The University of Manchester. He serves as the Department's Senior Academic Advisor since 2018. His roles include academic leadership, research, and teaching in atmospheric sciences. Connolly holds a BSc (Hons) in Pure and Applied Physics from UMIST (2001) and a PhD in Atmospheric Science from Manchester (2006). His research focuses on cloud physics, ice nucleation, and numerical modeling, including developing the University’s large cloud chamber facility in the Latham Laboratories.

Research Interests:

• Ice nucleation mechanisms and secondary ice production
• Cloud-aerosol interactions and numerical modeling
• Unsupervised deep-learning applications in image classification

Key Projects:

• Climate and Weather Impacts on Society (2022–present)
• RAI Centre for Robotics and Artificial Intelligence (co-investigator)

Teaching: Courses include Environmental Modelling (EART22001) and Measuring and Predicting-2 (EART60071). He has over a decade of experience teaching mathematics, statistics, and atmospheric physics to undergraduate and postgraduate students.

Impacts: His work contributed to UK responses during the 2010 volcanic ash crisis. Research collaborations span cloud dynamics, microphysics, and fieldwork in Australia, Switzerland, Germany, and New Mexico.