Education
- BA, Physics, Truman State University
- MS, Atmospheric Science, University of Colorado
- Ph.D. , Atmospheric Science , University of Colorado
Research Summary
The overarching theme of Dr. Hallar's research is using high quality measurements of trace gases, aerosol physical and chemical properties, and cloud microphysics to understand connections between the biosphere, atmosphere, and climate, along with the impact of anthropogenic emissions on these connections. More specifically, currently her research uses high elevation sites, combined with airborne measurements, to study the formation processes of Cloud Condensation Nuclei and Ice Nuclei.
Biography
During college, Dr. Hallar also had an internship at the National Weather Service office near her childhood farm, and really only enjoyed fixing the broken equipment. These experiences led her to the University of Colorado, where she received her M.S. and Ph.D. in Atmospheric Sciences. During her graduate work, she took atmospheric measurements around the world, including a winter experience in Antarctica. After graduate school, Dr. Hallar accepted a postdoctoral research position as a National Research Council Fellow at NASA Ames in California. In this position, she traveled to a remote island in the Indian Ocean to study air pollution. She then joined the Desert Research Institute as Director of Storm Peak Laboratory, a high elevation atmospheric science laboratory in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Storm Peak Laboratory has undergone major changes under her leadership including new instrumentation, new research foci, new field courses, and a significant building expansion. Dr. Hallar is now a Professor of Atmospheric Science at the University of Utah, where she leads the Hallar Aerosol Research Team (HART).