Meet Rose Miller. She is a graduate student here in the Department of Atmospheric Sciences.
Where were you before you joined the graduate program at Illinois?
I grew up in Santa Fe, New Mexico, which has diverse landscapes, cultures, and distinctive seasonal variability, including wildland fire. At the age of 8, I was recruited by my father to be a citizen scientist with the COCORAHS (Community Collaborative Rain, Hail & Snow) network based out of Colorado State University. In high school, I volunteered as a county firefighter/EMT and also fought on several wildland fires in the state. I studied Chemistry and Mathematics at the University of New Mexico, receiving my B.S. in 2016. As an undergraduate, I worked summers with FIDO, an Atmospheric Science Field Instrument Deployment Operation at the Los Alamos National Laboratory. This research work led to my arrival at the University of Illinois, where I started working under Dr. Greg McFarquhar, Dr. Bob Rauber, and Dr. Larry Di Girolamo.
Tell us about your research:
I studied supermicron sized biomass burning aerosols off the southwest coast of Africa for my M.S. degree. For my PhD I have continued focusing on aerosol cloud interactions specifically aerosol chemical composition and their impacts on cloud microphysical parameters over Southeast Asia.
Tell us about your favorite experience so far at the University, and within the Department:
I have had the wonderful opportunity through the University of Illinois and the Department of Atmospheric Science to be able to participate in field work across the globe. I have been able to collect data for my M.S. research in Sao Tome and Principe off the coast of central Africa and spent time conducting research in the Philippines for my Ph.D. I have also been able to participate in the AGU, EGU and AMS conferences, where I’ve been able to engage with atmospheric scientists from across North American and globally.
What activities and hobbies do you have outside of school?
I love being outside and traveling with friends. Every winter, I organize a ski trip in the Colorado Rockies or British Columbia with friends. I have also explored the Midwest by planning hiking, kayaking, and camping adventures with my fellow graduate students.
What are your career goals?
Currently, I would like to work for a climate focused non-profit or a private environmental consulting company either in Europe or somewhere in the western region of the United States. I would also like to continue to advance research the field of aerosol and cloud interactions and help companies make more environmentally friendly changes to their business practices.