Dr. Neil Donahue

Biography

Neil Donahue is a Thomas Lord Professor of Chemistry at Carnegie Mellon University, where he directs the Steinbrenner Institute for Environmental Education Research. His work focuses on understanding the Earth's atmosphere and how human activities impact it. He is dedicated to helping students from Carnegie Mellon comprehend the climate crisis and develop problem-solving skills to address this substantial challenge. A member of several professional societies and a Fellow of the American Geophysical Union, Donahue has served as an editor for academic journals. His research encompasses the behavior of organic compounds in the atmosphere and their origins and transformations, particularly small organic particles that play a critical role in climate change and human health. Particles scattering light and influencing clouds result in significant health issues, claiming approximately 50,000 lives annually due to heart attacks. He received his B.S. in Physics from Brown University and his Ph.D. in Meteorology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. After spending nine years as a research scientist at Harvard University, he returned to Pittsburgh in 2000. In his personal life, he enjoys cycling and resides in Squirrel Hill with his wife and daughters.

Research Interests

Experience