Kunfeng Gao is a researcher at ETH Zürich's Staff of Experimental Atmospheric Physics , affiliated with EPFL's School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering (ENAC) . His work focuses on aerosol-cloud interactions, ice nucleation mechanisms, and atmospheric aging of particles. Key research areas: Ice Nucleation, Biological Aerosols, Soot Particles, Dust Particles, Cirrus Cloud Thinning, Climate Modeling. Contributed to major studies on diurnal variability of ice nucleating particles in the Eastern Mediterranean. Developed novel methods for characterizing particle morphology and ice nucleation efficiency. Scientific Awards : Highlight article in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (2024). Two awarded Chinese patents related to particle classification and graphene-based filtration. His research has garnered significant media attention, including features in ScienceNews , Le FIGARO , and Radio Télévision Suisse , highlighting biological particles' role in extreme weather events.
Prof. Juan Alonso is the Vance D. and Arlene C. Coffman Professor and James & Anna Marie Spilker Chair in the Department of Aeronautics & Astronautics at Stanford University. He directs the Aerospace Design Laboratory (ADL), focusing on high-fidelity computational methods for aerospace system design. His expertise spans transonic/supersonic/hypersonic aircraft, rotorcraft, and launch vehicles. Alumni include record-holding teams for human-powered watercraft and lightweight unmanned aerial vehicles. Education: PhD (1997) from Princeton University in Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering; M.A. (1993) Princeton; B.S. (1991) MIT Aeronautics/Astronautics. Research emphasizes multi-disciplinary optimization, numerical methods, and parallel computing applied to advanced aircraft design, sustainable aviation, and UAS systems. Notable contributions include computational design frameworks like SU2 and SUAVE, and initiatives in curriculum development for engineering education. Recent work focuses on: GPU-accelerated CFD solvers, multi-fidelity surrogate models (e.g., VortexNet), contrail simulation frameworks, and battery degradation modeling for electric aircraft. Active in urban air mobility and high-fidelity trajectory optimization for hypersonic systems. Labs/Teams: Aerospace Design Laboratory (ADL) leading open-source computational tools development. Involved in NASA-funded projects and industry partnerships for advanced propulsion systems.
Dr. Philipp Reutter is an academic staff member and researcher at the Institute for Atmospheric Physics at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz. He focuses on theoretical cloud physics, specifically cirrus clouds and ice supersaturation, and manages the university's weather station. His teaching includes courses on atmospheric thermodynamics and partial differential equation modeling. Research: Cirrus cloud dynamics, ice supersaturated regions (ISSRs), tropopause inversion layers, and climate system interactions. Teaching: Instructs Atmosphärische Thermodynamik and Modellierung mit partiellen Differentialgleichungen courses. Publications: 15+ peer-reviewed articles on cloud physics, atmospheric transport, and climate modeling (2009-2025).
Alison M. Ferris is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Princeton University conducting experimental research at the intersection of chemical kinetics, optical diagnostics, and sustainable fuel development using shock wave methodologies. Her educational background includes: Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University (2021) M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison (2014) B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Columbia University (2012) Dr. Ferris's research focuses on high-temperature reaction chemistry for sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs), combining shock tube experiments with laser-based diagnostics to measure key reaction rates and develop predictive models. Current projects investigate the link between aviation particulates and contrail formation, low-carbon fuel kinetics, and data-driven approaches for accelerating SAF development through machine learning and optical sensing techniques. Analysis of her 15 most recent publications (2019-2024) reveals dominant themes in sustainable aviation fuels, ammonia combustion for zero-carbon propulsion, and advanced diagnostic development. Her work consistently employs shock tube platforms for high-temperature flame speed measurements while increasingly integrating machine learning for fuel property prediction, demonstrating evolution from fundamental kinetics toward applied sustainable fuel solutions. Scientific awards: No awards were documented in the provided information. Dr. Ferris leads the Ferris Lab where she advises graduate researchers in combustion science, though specific student names and grant details were not provided in the source material. The Ferris Lab (D324 Engineering Quadrangle) maintains three core research thrusts: Sustainable Fuels development using machine learning, Chemical Kinetics investigations of reaction pathways, and Flame Dynamics studies of alternative fuels at extreme conditions through shock wave methodologies.
Henri Bal is a Full Professor in the Department of Computer Science at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam's Faculty of Sciences, leading a research group of over 20 members in High Performance Distributed Computing since 2005. His career at the university spans from Research Assistant (1982) to current Professor, with prior appointments including Associate Professor (1994) and split Full Professor roles across Computer Science and Physics (1998). Education: PhD in Computer Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (1989) MSc in Mathematics, Delft University of Technology (1982) Professor Bal's research integrates fundamental distributed systems with real-world applications, specializing in programming environments for clusters, grids, clouds, and mobile systems. His work spans semantic web reasoning, distributed model checking, and scientific applications in astronomy (LOFAR), high-energy physics (NIKHEF), and climate modeling (Utrecht University), evidenced by systems like Orca, MagPIe, Manta, and Ibis/JavaGAT. Scientific Awards: NWO PIONIER award (1993-1997), comparable to an ERC starting grant Work on Awari recognized in 'The Math Book' as a historic mathematics achievement Multiple first prizes in IEEE International Scalable Computing Challenges (2008, 2010) Two EuroSys Roger Needham PhD awards for his students (2010, 2013) He established foundational Dutch research infrastructure through the NWO DAS project, creating distributed testbeds used by ~100 PhD candidates. As adjunct director of the €40M Virtual Lab for e-Science (2004-2009), he catalyzed the Netherlands eScience Center's formation and participated in EU projects (Gridlab, XtreemOS, Contrail). Currently, he chairs the Department of Computer Science Science committee and explores GPU and smartphone-based distributed systems. His research group actively collaborates with NIKHEF, LOFAR, and Utrecht University on domain-specific applications while advancing hybrid distributed computing frameworks.
Dr. Evelyn Otero Sola is an Associate Professor in Aeronautical Engineering at KTH Royal Institute of Technology, serving as Vice-Director of the Centre for Sustainable Aviation (CSA) and a member of the Executive Board of the Environmentally Compatible Air Transport System (ECATS) International Association. Her research focuses on sustainable aviation, particularly optimizing air traffic management (ATM) to reduce emissions (CO2 and non-CO2) and noise, with projects involving sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), hydrogen, AI, and drones. She leads the doctoral course FSD3831 Future Sustainable Aviation and the master’s course SD2830 Aircraft Performance and Air Traffic Management , emphasizing interdisciplinary approaches to sustainability. Key collaborations include the Swedish Aerospace Research Center (SARC) and initiatives like TREVOL, TRACE, CIDER, and KLIMAFLY. Her work bridges research, education, and industry to drive sustainable aviation solutions globally. Education details are not explicitly provided, but her academic contributions include over 15 publications since 2009, spanning CFD optimization, climate modeling, and aviation environmental impact. She advises 11 doctoral students in the first iteration of her course and plans to expand access internationally. Her initiatives aim to create a skilled workforce for sustainable aviation through holistic education and cross-sector networks.
Lance Sherry is a Professor in the Department of Systems Engineering and Operations Research at George Mason University’s College of Engineering and Computing. He serves as Director of the Center for Air Transportation Systems Research (CATSR), where he leads cutting-edge research in air transportation systems, data analytics, and autonomous systems. Education: PhD, Industrial and Systems Engineering, Arizona State University MS, Industrial and Systems Engineering, Arizona State University BS, Electrical Engineering, Brown University His research focuses on the modeling and simulation of complex adaptive systems in aviation, including air traffic control, airport operations, and unmanned aerial vehicles. He has pioneered work in human-computer interaction, operator training, and big data applications in aviation safety. His recent publications reflect strong trends in predictive analytics, environmental sustainability in aviation, and decision support systems for complex operational challenges. Scientific Awards and Recognitions: U.S. Patent and Provisional Patent for probabilistic alerting of aircraft unstable approaches using big data Multiple 1st and 2nd place awards in IEEE SIEDS, PITCH-IT, and Capstone competitions Best paper award at ICRAT Conference (2016) Senior design teams consistently recognized for innovation in systems engineering Lance Sherry has advised numerous PhD students, many of whom have gone on to prominent roles in aviation, government, and tech. He has secured research funding from organizations such as the Decision Science Research Institute, Crown Consulting Inc., and LMI. His leadership extends to professional service, including chairing the IEEE ICNS Conference and serving on NSF merit panels and AIAA technical committees. He is also actively involved in promoting drone technology education and urban air mobility research. Laboratories and Teams: He leads the Center for Air Transportation Systems Research (CATSR), which conducts interdisciplinary research in aviation systems, big data analytics, and human factors. The center supports undergraduate and graduate student teams in national design competitions and collaborates with FAA, NASA, and industry partners.
Dr. Emma Klingaman is a Researcher at the University of Reading, specializing in the intersection of climate science and aviation. Her work focuses on quantifying the environmental impact of aviation emissions, particularly in relation to contrail formation, climate-optimized flight paths, and atmospheric chemistry. She has contributed to developing algorithms for predicting climate impacts of en-route emissions and assessing multi-criteria environmental performance of aircraft trajectories. Her research also addresses volcanic ash risk assessment for aviation safety and the implications of climate change on trans-Atlantic flight dynamics. Collaborations span international institutions, reflecting her role in advancing sustainable aviation practices through interdisciplinary approaches. Key contributions include the ACCF 1.0 submodel for climate impact prediction, frameworks for trade-offs between CO₂ emissions and contrails, and studies on North Atlantic weather patterns influencing flight routing. Despite her prolific publication record, no formal scientific awards or student advisement roles are listed in the provided materials. Her work bridges meteorological data analysis with policy-relevant climate mitigation strategies, emphasizing practical applications for air traffic management and environmental policy.
Wiebke Frey is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Meteorology, focusing on atmospheric science with expertise in aerosol-cloud interactions, climate dynamics, and experimental methodologies. Her research integrates meteorological phenomena such as convection, stratosphere-troposphere exchange, and volcanic aerosol behavior. Research Interests: Investigating aerosol properties and their role in cloud formation and climate processes. Studying atmospheric turbulence and its impact on precipitation mechanisms. Analyzing volcanic plumes and their environmental implications. Key Research Contributions: Her work spans experimental hygrometry in wind tunnels, ice-nucleating particle efficiency, and the dynamics of deep convection in tropical regions. Recent studies address the interplay between aerosols and cloud microphysics, contributing to climate modeling advancements. Advising & Projects: Co-promotor for "From drop to rain: turbulence matters" (2024–present), exploring droplet growth and turbulence effects in precipitation. Co-promotor for "Towards a better understanding of upper level downdrafts in deep convection above the Amazonian rain forest" (2023–present), examining convective life cycles and global climate impacts. Labs/Teams: Collaborates with interdisciplinary groups on atmospheric chemistry and meteorological instrumentation, leveraging experimental setups like the LACIS-T facility.
Peter Spichtinger is a Professor for Theoretical Cloud Physics at the Institute for Atmospheric Physics (IPA) , Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz , Germany. Since 2010, he has led research on cloud dynamics, multiscale modeling, and atmospheric pattern formation. His work bridges mathematical modeling with climate science , focusing on ice supersaturation , gravity wave-cloud interactions , and machine learning applications in atmospheric physics. Key Affiliations : Institute for Atmospheric Physics (Mainz), Mainz Institute of Multiscale Modeling (M3O), Waves to Weather (W2W) SFB, TPChange CRC Research Themes : Cloud-scale microphysics, ice nucleation pathways, tropopause dynamics, stochastic Galerkin methods, fractal properties of atmospheric systems His 15 most recent publications emphasize ice microphysics in climate models, GPU-accelerated weather front detection , asymptotic cloud modeling , and machine learning for atmospheric datasets . Current projects include BINARY (Big Data in Atmospheric Physics) and leadership of the SCALES Conference 2025 . He serves as Deputy Institute Director (2020-2022) and Spokesperson for M3O (since 2022) . Scientific awards include the Marie Curie Fellowship (2007-2009) . He supervises theses in interdisciplinary contexts and co-organizes seminars on cloud dynamics and machine learning for atmospheric systems.
Dr. Ling Lim is a Research Fellow at Manchester Metropolitan University's Faculty of Science and Engineering. Their research focuses on computational techniques in environmental science, particularly addressing climate impacts of aviation and shipping, contrail-cirrus formation, and climate metrics. Teaching responsibilities include applied mathematics and climate change policy related to aviation. Key research projects include CATE, REACT4C, QUANTIFY, ATTICA, TEAM_Play, and FORUM-AE. They have been recognized with the 2014 Public Engagement Champion award and actively participate in initiatives like the Social Mobility Foundation Mentoring program and Women in Science, Technology and Engineering (WISE) campaign. Dr. Lim is affiliated with the Research Software Engineer community and teaches topics such as simple climate modeling and aviation policy. Their office is located in E436 John Dalton Building.
Manuel Fernando Soler Arnedo is a Full Professor in the Aerospace Engineering Department at Carlos III University of Madrid's College of Engineering. His research focuses on Aerospace Engineering with specialization in Optimal Control Theory , Climate Impact Mitigation , and Artificial Intelligence applications for air traffic systems. He leads the Aerospace Engineering Research Group and has contributed extensively to Flight Trajectory Optimization , Weather-Induced Uncertainty , and Network-scale Conflict Resolution . Principal Researcher on EU-funded projects like F4EClim (2024-2027) and KAIROS (2023-2026) Key international collaborations with NEXTOR (UC Berkeley) and ETH Zurich Developed tools like CLIMaCCF V1.0 and ROOST V1.0 for climate-aware flight planning His work integrates Artificial Intelligence with Climate Modeling to address 4D Trajectory Planning , Thunderstorm Avoidance , and Non-CO2 Emission Reduction in aviation. Recent publications emphasize Robust Optimization under meteorological uncertainty and Deep Learning for traffic flow management. He has supervised theses on Data Science for Weather Mitigation and Multi-objective Space Mission Design , with grants from European Commission , Boeing , and Spanish government agencies .
Edward Gryspeerdt is a Lecturer in Atmospheric Physics at Imperial College London's Department of Physics (Faculty of Natural Sciences). His research focuses on cloud physics, aerosol impacts, and climate modeling. He leads studies on aerosol effects from shipping/aviation, using global climate models, satellite data, and ground observations. Key affiliations include the Earth Observation Network, Grantham Institute, Space Lab, and the Space and Atmospheric Physics Group. Research interests emphasize aerosol-cloud interactions, contrail formation, and anthropogenic impacts on climate systems. His work bridges satellite remote sensing with climate models to quantify radiative forcing and cloud feedback mechanisms. Current projects address challenges in detecting aerosol effects using satellite data and evaluating climate engineering proposals like marine cloud brightening. Recent publications analyze contrail detection limitations, ship track observations, and aviation climate impacts. He collaborates on global climate model intercomparisons and observational constraint methodologies. No scientific awards are explicitly listed, though his work contributes to major climate science initiatives.
Volker Grewe is a Full Professor at the School of Aerospace Engineering, Delft University of Technology (TU Delft), specializing in Operations & Environment. He also holds a researcher position at Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR). His work bridges aerospace engineering and climate science, focusing on aviation's environmental impact, particularly contrail formation, non-CO2 emissions, and sustainable flight technologies. Institutional Affiliation: TU Delft and DLR Grewe's research explores the climate effects of aviation , emphasizing non-CO2 emissions such as NOx and contrails. He employs advanced modeling (e.g., EMAC, machine learning) and multi-model assessments to analyze how aircraft design, flight altitude, and atmospheric conditions influence climate warming. His recent studies (2025) highlight temperature and humidity dependencies in contrail regions and the potential of alternative metrics like Global Warming Potential alternatives to address aviation's climate impact. His scientific awards include the SESAR JU Sustainability Award (2021) for contributions to sustainable aviation. Grewe actively engages in editorial work (e.g., Geoscientific Model Development Journal , 2020–2021), conference participation (e.g., 3rd ECATS conference), and public media outreach, discussing topics like aviation's role in climate goals and the impact of the COVID-19 crisis.
Dr. Zamin A. Kanji is a Lecturer at the Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zurich. His research focuses on aerosol physico-chemical properties and their role in cloud formation, particularly ice nucleation mechanisms. He leads studies on laboratory and field investigations of aerosol behavior in warm and cold clouds. Research Interests: Ice nucleation pathways, aerosol aging effects, spatiotemporal variability of ice-nucleating particles (INPs), and aerosol-cloud interactions. His work employs custom-built cloud chambers and advanced analytical techniques. Membership & Roles: 2024: Member of Aviation non-CO2 expert network (EU) 2023: Elected to Committee on Nucleation and Atmospheric Aerosols (CNAA) 2020: Editorial Board Member (Associate Editor) of Atmospheric Measurement Techniques Labs & Projects: CLOUDLAB project (UAV-based cloud seeding studies), HyICE-2018 campaign (ice-nucleating particles in boreal forests).
