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Nurun Nahar Lata
Chemist

Nurun Nahar Lata is a chemist researching atmospheric aerosol processes with the Biogeochemical Transformations Integrated Platform.

Lata’s research focuses on understanding aerosol-climate interactions through the lens of aerosol physicochemical properties and meteorological variables. She has expertise in several aerosol characterization techniques, including controlled scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, scanning transmission X-ray microscopy, near edge x-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and ice nucleation.

Research Interests

  • Atmospheric-aerosol processing 
  • Aerosol chemistry and physics 
  • Heterogeneous ice nucleation 

Education

  • PhD in atmospheric sciences, Michigan Technological University 
  • MS in applied chemistry and chemical engineering, University of Dhaka 
  • BS in applied chemistry and chemical engineering, University of Dhaka  

Awards and Recognition

  • Dean’s Award for Outstanding Scholarship, Michigan Technological University, 2021 
  • Henes Center Fellowship, Department of Physics, Michigan Technological University, 2021 
  • Miles Fellowship, Department of Physics, Michigan Technological University, 2021 
  • Best Poster Award, Department of Physics, Michigan Technological University, 2018 
  • National Science and Technology Fellowship, Ministry of Science and Technology, Bangladesh, 2014 

Affiliations and Professional Service

  • American Geophysical Union (2020-2022)
  • European Geoscience Union (2019-2022)

Publications

2023 

  • Royer, H. M., Pöhlker, M. L., Krüger, O., Blades, E., Sealy, P., Lata, N. N., ... & Gaston, C. J. (2023). African smoke particles act as cloud condensation nuclei in the wintertime tropical North Atlantic boundary layer over Barbados. Atmospheric chemistry and physics, 23(2), 981-998. 
  • Lata, N. N., Cheng, Z., Dexheimer, D., Zhang, D., Mei, F., & China, S. (2023). Vertical Gradient of Size-Resolved Aerosol Compositions over the Arctic Reveals Cloud Processed Aerosol in-Cloud and above Cloud. Environmental science & technology, 57(14), 5821-5830. 
  • Vandergrift, G. W., Lata, N. N., Mathai, S., Ijaz, A., Cheng, Z., Shrivastava, M., ... & China, S. (2023). Case study evaluation of size-resolved molecular composition and phase state of carbonaceous particles in wildfire influenced smoke from the Pacific Northwest. Environmental Science: Atmospheres, 3(9), 1251-1261. 
  • Cheng, Z., Morgenstern, M., Henning, S., Zhang, B., Roberts, G. C., Fraund, M., Lata, N. N., ... & China, S. (2023). Cloud condensation nuclei activity of internally mixed particle populations at a remote marine free troposphere site in the North Atlantic Ocean. Science of The Total Environment, 904, 166865. 
  • Knopf, D. A., Wang, P., Wong, B., Tomlin, J. M., Veghte, D. P., Lata, N. N., ... & Wang, J. (2023). Physicochemical characterization of free troposphere and marine boundary layer ice-nucleating particles collected by aircraft in the eastern North Atlantic. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 23(15), 8659-8681. 
  • Ijaz, A., Kew, W., Cheng, Z., Mathai, S., Lata, N. N., Kovarik, L., ... & Mazzoleni, L. R. (2023). Molecular and physical composition of tar balls in wildfire smoke: an investigation with complementary ionisation methods and 15-Tesla FT-ICR mass spectrometry. Environmental Science: Atmospheres, 3(10), 1552-1562. 

2022 

  • Cheng, Z., Morgenstern, M., Zhang, B., Fraund, M., Lata, N. N., Brimberry, R., ... & Mazzoleni, C. Particles’ phase state variability in the North Atlantic free troposphere during summertime determined by different atmospheric transport patterns and sources. 
  • Chen, Q., Mirrielees, J.A., Thanekar, S., Loeb, N.A., Kirpes, R.M., Upchurch, L.M., Barget, A.J., Lata, N.N., Raso, A.R., McNamara, S.M. and China, S., 2022. Atmospheric particle abundance and sea salt aerosol observations in the springtime Arctic: a focus on blowing snow and leads. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 22(23), pp.15263-15285. 
  • Cheng, Z., Liyu, A., Dexheimer, D., Lata, N. N., Kulkarni, G., Longbottom, C. M., ... & China, S. (2022). An automated size and time-resolved aerosol collector platform integrated with environmental sensors to study the vertical profile of aerosols. Environmental Science: Atmospheres, 2(6), 1263-1276. 

2021 

  • Knopf, D.A., Barry, K.R., Brubaker, T.A., Jahl, L.G., Jankowski, K.A., Li, J., Lu, Y., Monroe, L.W., Moore, K.A., Rivera-Adorno, F.A., Lata, N.N., and Sauceda, K.A., 2021. Aerosol–ice formation closure: A Southern Great Plains field campaign. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 102(10), pp.E1952-E1971. 
  • Lata, N. N., Zhang, B., Schum, S., Mazzoleni, L., Brimberry, R., Marcus, M. A., ... & China, S. (2021). Aerosol composition, mixing state, and phase state of free tropospheric particles and their role in ice cloud formation. ACS Earth and Space Chemistry, 5(12), 3499-3510. 
  • Glen, A., Dexheimer, D., Sanchez, A. L., Ho, C. K., China, S., Mei, F., & Lata, N. N. (2021, June). Near-Field and Far-Field Sampling of Aerosol Plumes to Evaluate Particulate Emission Rates From a Falling Particle Receiver During On-Sun Testing. In Energy Sustainability (Vol. 84881, p. V001T02A011). American Society of Mechanical Engineers. 
  • Rahman, M. M., Lata, N. N., Rimu, S. H., & Chisty, A. H. (2021). Simultaneous determination of heavy metals and cationic dyes from industrial effluent by prawn shell derived chitosan-g-poly (acrylic acid) biocomposite. Desalination Water Treat, 216, 252-262. 

2020 

  • Lata, N. N., Zhou, J., Hamilton, P., Larsen, M., Sarupria, S., & Cantrell, W. (2020). Multivalent surface cations enhance heterogeneous freezing of water on muscovite mica. The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters, 11(20), 8682-8689.