Sanford Sillman

Education:

Ph.D., Applied Physics, Harvard University

M.S., Technology & Policy Program, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Research:

Tropospheric chemistry, models for global transport of chemically active species, urban and regional air quality, mathematical modeling for environmental processes

Specializations and Research Interests

• Methods for using atmospheric measurements to evaluate whether today's models are correctly identifying the source of excess ozone
• Development of methods to use measurements to determine whether these types of model predictions for pollution control are accurate

Honors, Awards and Accomplishments

• Developed innovative mathematical techniques for solving chemical production equations and loss that can be used in global-scale models
• Developed transport and chemistry models associated with continental-scale air pollution events and effectiveness of various control strategies
• Investigated special conditions leading to abnormally high ozone along the shore of Lake Michigan and similar coastal effects in New England
• Developed statistical models for acid deposition
• Developing model for transport of agricultural pesticides
• Supported by grants from the U.S. National Science Foundation and Environmental Protection Agency, and by the Southern Oxidant Study (a collaborative study of universities, State and Federal governments, and private industry)
• Developed one of the first ozone formation models in rural areas of the eastern US
• Developed identification method on which sources contribute most to ozone formation, hydrocarbons or nitrogen oxides, by interpreting series of atmospheric measurements
• Identified how and why ozone depends on temperature
• Developed methods for evaluating the "ozone production efficiency", the rate of ozone formation in relation to precursors
• Recipient, University of Michigan Research Scientist Achievement Award
• Awarded, Editor's Citation for Excellence in Refereeing, Journal of Geophysical Research
• Recipient, Award for Excellence in Research, Primary Research Staff, AOSS, University of Michigan
• Recipient, Rensselaer Medal for excellence in mathematics and science & Hartshorn Prize for mathematics

Professional Service

• Professional consultant, Environmental Defense Fund
• Conservation Law Foundation, Boston
• Clean Air Task Force, Brunswick, ME
• Ohio Environmental Council
• Michigan Environmental Council