Valentina Aquila
Assistant Professor, Department of Environmental Science
Valentina Aquila is an assistant professor in the Department of Environmental Science at American University and an atmospheric scientist. Her research focuses on the role of particulate matter in the atmosphere on the climate and health. In particular, Prof. Aquila studies the role of large atmospheric injections of particulate from volcanic eruptions and forest fires on the global climate and ozone layer, as well as the impact of air pollution on urban communities in Washington, DC.
Prior to joining American University, Prof. Aquila was an associate research scientist at Johns Hopkins University and a postdoctoral fellow at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. She holds a PhD in Meteorology from Ludwig-Maximilian University, Munich, Germany and a MS in Physics from the University of Genoa, Italy.
Current Projects
• Tracking volcanic gases from magma reservoir to the atmosphere: identifying precursors, and optimizing models and satellite observations for future major eruptions
• Estimating the impacts of volcanic aerosols and pyroCb smoke on data assimilation and model forecasts with GEOS
• Measuring PM2.5 concentrations in Brentwood, Washington DC
Valentina Aquila's Posts
