Professor Judith Chow
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Professor Judith Chow
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National Academy of Sciences appoints DRI Scientist Judith
Chow
to Environmental Studies Board
The National Academy of Sciences
has appointed Desert Research Institute scientist Dr. Judith Chow, one of the
world’s leading air quality researchers, to a three-year term on the academy’s
prestigious Board on Environmental Studies and Toxicology (BEST). BEST’s
mission is to provide independent expert assistance to the federal government
and advice to the nation on science and technology affecting public policy on
environmental and ecological problems.
DRI President Stephen G. Wells said Chow's research projects have been among the most significant air quality studies in the U.S. and the world, and her research results have been influential in national and international decisions to implement prevention and mitigation strategies.
A member of DRI’s Division of Atmospheric Sciences since 1985, Chow has directed a worldwide program of research at DRI focusing on the detection and analysis of extremely small airborne particulates which affect human respiratory health and impair scenic visibility. Chow has been the leading scientist on more than 45 large air quality studies and many smaller projects with a total contract value exceeding $30 million.
Last June Chow received the Frank A. Chambers Award, the top honor from the Air & Waste Management Association (AWMA), which is the world’s largest air quality research association. She was named 2001 Regents Researcher as the top scientist in the University and Community College System of Nevada.
National sponsors of her work include the U.S. Department of Energy, the National Park Service, the Electric Power Research Institute, and the Environmental Protection Agency. Local, regional and international sponsoring agencies include the California Air Resources Board, Western Regions Air Partnership, Clark County, Nevada, Air Quality Agency, and the Hong Kong Environmental Protection Division.
Shortly after joining DRI, Chow founded the Institute's internationally regarded Environmental Analysis Facility where she supervises a team of scientists and technicians in designing and implementing analytical methods for detecting and describing air pollutants in samples from projects conducted across the United States and in many foreign countries.
Chow has developed and applied methods to determine organic and light-absorbing carbon (from vegetation and combustion sources) in U.S. national parks to support improved visibility in these scenic areas. She was recently awarded a five-year, $3.3 million contract from the National Park Service's IMPROVE program to continue work on this project, which began in 1988. Wells said the awarding of this contract is explicit recognition of Dr. Chow's innovations in developing technology for air quality research.
Chow received her doctorate in Environmental Science from Harvard University and has published more than 100 peer-reviewed journal articles and 50 book chapters in the areas of aerosol measurement, chemical composition, and the determination of pollutant sources through laboratory and field analyses. Her more than 200 scientific presentations and training courses have influenced scientists, regulators, and industry throughout the world.
Wells noted that Chow is also a member of the National Academy of Sciences/National Research Council's Committee on Research Priorities for Airborne Particulate Matter that was formed at the request of Congress. The committee is charged with identifying the most important research priorities in setting particulate matter standards, developing a conceptual plan for particulate matter research, and monitoring research progress on the relationship between particulate matter and public health.
A nonprofit, statewide division of the University and Community College System of Nevada, DRI pursues a full-time program of basic and applied environmental research on a local, national, and international scale. Nearly 500 full- and part-time scientists, technicians, and support staff conduct some 150 research projects at DRI annually. More than 85 percent of DRI's annual $33 million operating budget consists of research grants and contracts obtained by its scientists. The balance is received from the state of Nevada for administrative costs.