Volunteer research in Peru

Since 2011 I have been involved in volunteer research with the American Climber Science Program. ACSP is a non profit organization which organizes research expeditions and conducts research in regions which are generally considered to be difficult to access. As a co-founder and a former member of the board of directors, I still maintain contact with the ACSP community and I continue to collaborate with Peruvian researchers.

Since its inception of ACSP, I have been leading the project on the measurement of light absorbing particles on glaciers and snow. See the “Black Carbon” tab for more details on this research project. I don’t merely go into the region and collect data. My efforts have focused more on enlisting students and professors in local institutions to expand the measurement network. This has led to the very satisfying result that my Peruvian students are now publishing their research in peer reviewed journals.

Going forward, I am working with several Peruvian students on new projects focusing on air pollution. Air pollution research naturally bridges between my glacier research (studying the impact of air pollution particles on glaciers) to my atmospheric science background.