Associate Professor Celia Faiola has been named a recipient of the 2025 Kenneth T. Whitby Award, the highest honor given to early-career scientists by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR), at the AAAR Annual Conference on October 15, 2025. The award recognizes outstanding technical contributions to aerosol science and technology and is presented annually to individuals who demonstrate significant impact in the field.
The Whitby Award memorializes Kenneth T. Whitby, a pioneering researcher known for advancing the study of atmospheric aerosols and for founding the University of Minnesota’s Particle Technology Laboratory. The honor is reserved for scientists typically at the associate professor level and aims to encourage continued contributions to aerosol science.
Professor Faiola’s work exemplifies the spirit of the award by creatively studying plant-atmosphere interactions mediated by atmospheric aerosols from a highly multidisciplinary perspective. Her research broadly explores the chemical diversity of plant volatile emissions — the largest global source of reactive volatile organic compounds to the atmosphere — that lead to production of atmospheric particles called secondary organic aerosol (SOA). Processes influencing SOA production, and their role in cloud formation processes, remain a large source of uncertainty in climate and earth system models. For example, Professor Faiola’s research has demonstrated that plant volatiles emitted after stress exposure alter SOA production, composition and climate-relevant particle properties. Her publications have also highlighted sources of SOA precursor emissions that may have been overlooked, such as soil and leaf litter decomposition. She studies these plant-aerosol interactions in multiple environmental contexts, including urban environments where her results have highlighted the importance of choosing low-emitting plant species for urban greening programs to avoid exacerbating air quality issues. This research has direct applications for improving public health. Her interdisciplinary work spans ecology, chemistry and atmospheric science and reflects a commitment to addressing critical environmental challenges.
Please join us in congratulating Professor Faiola on this significant and well-earned recognition.