ECR IGAC iCACGP

Reaching, engaging and supporting ECRs in the atmospheric chemistry community

Category: News

  • Reflections on my time with IGAC

    by Emily Matthews – outgoing co-chair of the IGAC-iCACGP ECR SSC Like many other early-career researchers (ECRs) in atmospheric chemistry, I was drawn to this path by a love of science—and by the desire to work on real-world problems that matter. What I hadn’t fully appreciated as an undergraduate is that addressing global challenges requires global collaboration:…

  • A new generation of Early Career Researchers in atmospheric chemistry: Navigating a globalised scientific landscape

    by Martin Ramacher – ECR Steering Committee Member We are proud to present our perspective paper, “A new generation of Early Career Researchers in atmospheric chemistry: Navigating a globalised scientific landscape”, published in Elementa: Science of the Anthropocene. This paper – which is authored by members of the iCACGP-IGAC ECR Steering Committee – marks a milestone…

  • A Man-Made Volcano

    by Hannah Bryant – ECR Steering Committee Member Credit: BBC News UK Our lives have been shaped by volcanoes. They sculpt our land and govern our safety. Our influence on them, however, has been limited. Farming practices on the slopes to benefit from the rich soil beneath and tourist hiking paths from base to crater are…

  • IGAC’s 2025 Review & Planning Meeting

    by Tamryn Hamilton – ECR Steering Committee Member IGAC SSC members at the 2025 annual review in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire The IGAC Scientific Steering Committee (SC) recently held their annual review in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire; on the heels of the 21st Global Emissions Initiative (GEIA) conference. Annual review meetings usually fall into the administration category, often seen…

  • From Models to Motherhood in Southeast Asia’s Air Quality

    by Nor Diana Abdul Halim – ECR Steering Committee Member, Early Career Researcher and Lecturer, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Sarawak, Malaysia. Heavy haze blankets Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in the recent July 2025 haze event (Source: TVS 2025) As a mother and an early career researcher (ECR) studying air quality in Southeast Asia, I often find myself moving…

  • Reflections on the 6th ACAM Training School and Workshop 2025 in Bali, Indonesia

    by Shahid Uz Zaman, Lecturer at BUET, Bangladesh and IGAC-iCACGP ECR SSC committee member In June 2025, I had the opportunity to participate in the 6th Atmospheric Composition and the Asian Monsoon (ACAM) Training School and Workshop, held in the stunning setting of Bali, Indonesia. This biennial event, organized by Institut Teknologi Bandung, brought together early career…

  • Thoughts on Air Quality in Ecuador

    by Julieta Juncosa Calahorrano, an IGAC-iCACGP ECR SSC committee member Over the past few weeks, I’ve been a frequent visitor to Worldview from NASA, Purple Air, and Air Now to track the trajectory of the wildfire smoke that has been impacting air quality in various regions of the U.S. It is remarkable that such tools are so readily available for public…

  • EGU x IGAC Poster Walk

    by Martin Otto Paul Ramacher, Karn Vohra and Flossie Brown – ECR Steering Committee Members The IGAC-iCACGP Early Career Researcher Poster Walk and Dinner held on the opening day of the EGU 2025 conference in Vienna brought together an international group of 40–50 early career scientists working in atmospheric sciences. Organized by the IGAC-iCACGP ECR…

  • Interdisciplinary Collaboration to Understand Air Pollution from Wildfires

    by Arielle Milkman – ECR Steering Committee Member, Postdoctoral Fellow, Colorado State University, USA As a social scientist who works with atmospheric scientists, engineers and toxicologists studying wildfire smoke, I sometimes feel like the odd voice out in the room. My research is mainly qualitative, not quantitative. I ask questions about how people perceive air…

  • IGAC-iCACGP ECR 2025 online conference

    Connect, Learn, and Advance The Online Conference for Early Career Atmospheric Scientists. Thursday, 25 September 2025 | 03:00 – 22:00 UTC Days Hours Minutes Seconds Live Conference Stats … Registrations … Abstract Submissions Key Dates Apr 10 Conference Announced Raffle Deadline Jul 1 Aug 10 Abstracts Close Aug 24 Extended Abstracts Close Registration Closes Sep…

  • ECR Spotlight: Jenniffer Pedraza

    Jenniffer is from Bogotá, Colombia where she also completed her PhD in Chemical Engineering at the Universidad Nacional de Colombia. She is currently a Research Associate at the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI), University of York. Jenniffer was a co-chair on this year’s organising committee for the Early Career Short Course. What was your favorite moment…

  • IGAC Early Career Short Course Program 2024

    by Dr. Nor Diana Abdul Halim – researcher and lecturer at Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Malaysia, she shares her experience of being part of the committee for this year’s IGAC Early Career Short Course (ECSC) Program. Held from September 6-8, 2024, in Putrajaya, Malaysia, this three-day event was a highlight of the conference, bringing together…

  • Navigating International Mobility as an Early Career Atmospheric Chemist: A Personal Perspective

    Max Desservettaz is a postdoctoral research fellow in Australia, studying bushfire smoke composition, and the co-chair of the IGAC-iCACGP ECR SSC. Originally from France, he has relocated 6 times to study and work and presents his perspective on international mobility for ECRs. My international career in atmospheric chemistry has taken me from France to Japan,…

  • ECR Spotlight: Iara da Silva

    Iara da Silva is a PhD researcher at Institute of Astronomy, Geophysics and Atmospheric Sciences, University of São Paulo (IAG-USP). Her research focuses on the impact of emission sources on air quality and the health effects of air pollution. What advice would you give to other ECRs?My advice is to stay open to partnership opportunities…

  • ECR Spotlight: Elisa Majamäki

    Elisa Majamäki is a PhD candidate at Aalto University, Finland. She recently won an award at the International Technical Meeting On Air Pollution Modeling And Its Application (ITM conference) for her presentation on shipping emissions and their impact on air quality. What do you think makes the ITM conference special? ITM conference is one of…

  • The Future Earth Assembly 2024

    by Martin Ramacher – post-doctoral researcher from the Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon The Future Earth Assembly is held once a year and this year, it took place online and in Helsinki, Finland, from June 12-13, 2024, alongside the SRI (Sustainability, Research, Innovation) Congress 2024. In my role as a representative of the IGAC ECR SSC, I had…

  • ECR Spotlight: Dr Gemma Purser

    Dr Gemma Purser is currently a post-doc at The University of Arizona. Originally from England, Gemma earned her PhD at The University of Edinburgh. She is currently the chair of the iLEAPS ECSN plus the Early career representative on the scientific steering committee for iLEAPS. What are you currently working on? I am currently working…

  • Harnessing Digital Innovation for Global Collaboration and Research Equity

    by Rupal Ambulkar – Ph.D. student at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) Pune and iLEAPS Early Career Researcher In the rapidly evolving field of atmospheric chemistry, the integration of digital innovation into research practices offers a transformative opportunity for the iCACGP-IGAC community. As an ECR in this dynamic field, I see the potential…

  • ECR Spotlight: Saurabh Sonwani

    Dr. Sonwani has been awarded the “Young Scientist Award” for outstanding contribution to Environment and Sustainable Development by the Society for Science of Climate Change & Sustainable Environment (SSCE) at the WNO NEEM Summit 2024. He earned his PhD from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India and is currently an Assistant Professor at Zakir Husain…

  • Conference tips: EGU2024

    by Hannah Bryant – Ph.D. candidate at University of Edinburgh, UK The European Geophysical Union conference, by definition, is varied, interdisciplinary and trying to cover a lot. For this reason, I don’t think there is much which can prepare you for the sheer volume of science on the first day (unless you might have attended…

  • Early career scientists in fire science

    From September 17th – 22nd 2023, two members of the ECR SSC got the opportunity to go to the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Science to attend the Fire Learning AcRoss the Earth System (FLARE) meeting. FLARE brought together scientists from different parts of the world, and different disciplines, to discuss a big question: what challenges…

  • ECR Spotlight: Priscilla Adong

    Priscilla is an Associate Research Fellow with AirQo and doctoral researcher at the University College Dublin in Ireland. What advice would you give to other early career researchers? Find good mentors who can provide guidance, support, and advice based on their own experiences. Embrace Failure; setbacks and failures are a natural part of the scientific…

  • IGAC Early Career Short Course

    Applications Open for the Early Career Short Course Kuala Lumpur – 6-8 Sept 2024Information here – Deadline April 30 (incl. abstract submission)Attendees will receive need-based travel grants to attend the short course and, if needed, the main conference.