For Journalists

Experts

Kev Abazajian

Professor of Physics & Astronomy

Physics & Astronomy

kevork@uci.edu

More Information

Can speak to:

Dark Matter, Black holes

Shane Ardo

Professor of Chemistry

Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering & Materials Science

Chemistry

ardo@uci.edu

(949) 824-3796

More Information

Researches using solar energy to generate clean fuels, and solar-powered desalination of ocean water.

Can speak to:

Clean energy

Christopher P J Barty

Professor of Physics & Astronomy

Professor - School of Medicine, Department of Surgery, Member - Beckman Laser Institute and Medical Clinic

Physics & Astronomy

cbarty@uci.edu

(949) 544-1069

More Information

Wants to use Blu-ray disc lasers to kill viruses.

Can speak to:

Lasers

Elizabeth N Bess

Assistant Professor of Chemistry

Chemistry

elizabeth.bess@uci.edu

(949) 824-1473

More Information

Scientists don't fully know why some foods are healthy and others aren't — Bess wants to find out.

Can speak to:

Microbiome

Donald R Blake

Professor of Chemistry

Professor of Earth System Science

Chemistry

drblake@uci.edu

(949) 824-4195

More Information

Researching the impacts of the pandemic on air quality.

Can speak to:

Air quality

James S Bullock

Dean, School of Physical Sciences

Professor of Physics & Astronomy

Phys Sci Deans Office

bullock@uci.edu

(949) 824-6022

More Information

Studies our home galaxy — the Milky Way — to better understand how galaxies in general form and evolve. “Here’s a question I’ve been thinking a lot about: Why are most big galaxies in the universe shaped like disks?” Bullock said.

Can speak to:

Dark Matter, Black holes

David William Casper

Associate Professor of Physics & Astronomy

Physics & Astronomy

dcasper@uci.edu

(949) 312-1864

More Information

Designed a new particle detector called FASER that may life the veil on one of the Universe's most elusive mysteries: dark matter. “We’re gambling on something where, if we do win, it’ll be a big, big win," Casper said.

Can speak to:

FASER, Dark Matter

Franklin Dollar

Professor of Physics & Astronomy

Physics & Astronomy

fdollar@uci.edu

(949) 414-7110

More Information

Dollar's an expert on laser optics and plasma physics and fusion.

Can speak to:

Lasers

Jonathan Lee Feng

Professor of Physics & Astronomy

Physics & Astronomy

jlf@uci.edu

(949) 824-9821

More Information

Feng's helping lead the UCI FASER particle detector project at CERN. It's a new project, and, if it's successful, it could subvert the standard model of physics.

Can speak to:

FASER, Dark Matter

Barbara J Finlayson-Pitts

Professor Emeritus of Chemistry

Director of AirUCI Institute

Chemistry

bjfinlay@uci.edu

(949) 824-7670

More Information

Studies particles in the atmosphere, an how they relate to air quality and climate change.

Can speak to:

Air quality

Kathleen Rose Johnson

Professor of Earth System Science

Earth System Science

kathleen.johnson@uci.edu

(949) 824-6174, 1060

More Information

Researches climate change in the deep past, looking at ancient chemicals preserved in caves in places like Laos in order to reconstruct past climates.

Can speak to:

Climate, Minorities in STEM

Katherine Mackey

Associate Professor of Earth System Science

Earth System Science

kmackey@uci.edu

Mackey studies the boundary between the living and the nonliving worlds. She wants to know how those two worlds define one other, as things like aquatic microorganisms can alter the chemistry of the water they live in, and vice versa.

Can speak to:

Oceans

Rachel Martin

Professor of Chemistry

Chemistry

rachel.martin@uci.edu

(949) 824-7959

More Information

Martin's lab is developing anti-viral treatments by tracking, among other things, genetic mutations in coronavirus.

Can speak to:

Coronavirus/COVID-19

Roberto Pelayo

Associate Teaching Professor of Mathematics

Mathematics

rcpelayo@uci.edu

Pelayo leads Latinx education outreach at Physical Sciences. "I have partnered with the Latinx resource center to create this thing, it’s entirely in Spanish, called 'Mermeladas de Estudio.' It’s Spanish for “study jams,” he said.

Can speak to:

Minorities in STEM

Reginald M Penner

Professor Emeritus of Chemistry

Chancellor's Professor of Chemistry, Professor of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science

Chemistry

rmpenner@uci.edu

More Information

Can speak to:

Batteries

Eric Potma

Professor of Chemistry

Chemistry

epotma@uci.edu

(949) 824-9942

More Information

Potma studies optics and imaging, and some of his research research involved developing a camera that can "see" cancer when aimed at a patient.

Can speak to:

Optics

James T Randerson

Professor of Earth System Science

Chancellor's Professor of Earth System Science

Earth System Science

jranders@uci.edu

(949) 824-9030

More Information

Randerson studies climate change, and also wildfires. “I am currently working on a proposal for NASA to build a constellation of cubesats to detect wildfires and measure their rate of spread,” said Randerson. The work could help save lives, he explained.

Can speak to:

Wildfires

Eric Rignot

Professor of Earth System Science

Chair of Department of Earth System Science, Sr. Research Scientist, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Radar Science and Engineering

Earth System Science

erignot@uci.edu

More Information

Rignot's a glaciologist who studies ice in the Arctic and Antarctic, and how much ice in those places is melting as the planet warms.

Can speak to:

Glaciers, Climate

Aomawa L Shields

Associate Professor of Physics & Astronomy

Physics & Astronomy

shields@uci.edu

More Information

Shields is on the hunt for exoplanets that might be harboring extraterrestrial life.

Can speak to:

Astrobiology

Albert Siryaporn

Associate Professor of Physics & Astronomy

Assistant Professor of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry

Physics & Astronomy

asirya@uci.edu

(949) 444-2201

More Information

Siryaporn's developing a treatment for COVID-19 patients that uses "decoy" cells to lure virus particles away from a patient's actual cells.

Can speak to:

Coronavirus/COVID-19

James N Smith

Professor of Chemistry

Chemistry

jimsmith@uci.edu

(949) 824-9518

More Information

Smith studies nano aerosols, and is leading the UCI Face Mask Project to determine what kinds of masks are best at deflecting virus particles.

Can speak to:

Air quality, Coronavirus/COVID-19

Timothy M Tait

Professor of Physics & Astronomy

Physics & Astronomy

ttait@uci.edu

More Information

Tait studies particle physics and cosmology, with an eye on the possible existence of a so-called "fifth force," which, if found, could turn the whole field of physics on its head.

Can speak to:

FASER, Dark Matter

Huolin Xin

Professor of Physics & Astronomy

Physics & Astronomy

huolin.xin@uci.edu

More Information

Xin envisions a future where planes no longer emit greenhouse gases, and astronauts on mars can make their own fuel to get back home.

Can speak to:

Clean energy, Martian rocket fuel

Jenny Y Yang

Professor of Chemistry

Chemistry

j.yang@uci.edu

More Information

Yang researches the chemistry behind the capture and removal of carbon dioxide from the air and from flue gases emitted by fossil fuel plants.

Can speak to:

Clean energy

As seen in

Stories

The Arctic’s greening, but it won’t save us

The Arctic is getting greener as the climate warms — but it’s not greening fast enough to absorb very much carbon dioxide, Boston University and UC Irvine scientists find.

Apr 29, 2021

Can something the size of a few washing machines find the biggest thing in the universe?

UCI physicists have designed and built a new particle detector called FASER that could lift the veil on one of the universe’s most enduring mysteries.

Dec 7, 2020