In announcing the awards, Dean Paul M. Goldbart recognized Nenes for his “far-reaching work on the conversion of aerosols into cloud drops. Aerosols, which are suspended atmospheric particles, have a major impact on climate and weather through their scattering and absorbing of sunlight and by providing ‘seeds’ to form cloud drops and ice crystals. [Nenes] is now initiating an exploration of the emerging field of cloud particle nucleation by bioaerosols (e.g., suspended bacteria and virus particles), whose role in the atmosphere as environmental toxins and cloud and ice nuclei is not well understood.”

The Cullen-Peck Fellows awards are made possible by alumni Frank Cullen and Libby Peck. The other 2014 recipients were Sung Ha Kang, an associate professor in the School of Mathematics; Raquel Lieberman, an associate professor in the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry; and Shina Tan, an assistant professor in the School of Physics.