Professor Jennifer Murphy of Environmental Chemistry is one of six recipients of the 2023 Dean’s Research Excellence Awards, an award that recognizes faculty members whose research achievements have been cited as especially impactful.
In a January 8 article, Dean Melanie Woodin expressed pride in all the award recipients, telling UofT Arts & Science news that “The scholars we are honouring this year reflect the excellence, depth, and breadth of research in the Faculty of Arts & Science. They are just one measure of the contributions they are making — not only to the university, but the world.”
Murphy has been a faculty member in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Toronto since 2007, coming to Toronto after completing a BSc in Chemistry at McGill University and a PhD in Physical Chemistry at UC Berkeley. Her research group studies atmospheric pollutants, applying state-of-the-science analytical techniques to address issues including urban air quality, climate change, acid precipitation, and ecosystem function.
An article at Arts & Science News celebrating the award winners says:
Jennifer Murphy's outstanding research contributions in atmospheric chemistry have established her as one of the world’s leading experts in measurements of ammonia. Her broad research program combines analytical method development, field measurements, and laboratory studies to obtain novel observations in the environment, and to evaluate the chemical and physical factors governing pollutant fate. Her team studies the interactions between the chemistry of the atmosphere and the biosphere. For example, her team discovered an important source of surprisingly high levels of ammonia in the Arctic marine atmosphere: emissions from migratory seabird colonies. Murphy also focuses on emissions of air pollutants and climate-relevant gases in urban regions, with the goal of informing mitigation policies. Her research program addresses many issues that are relevant to the UN’s sustainable development goals.
To learn more or to read about the other 2023 recipients of the Dean's Excellence Research Awards, visit the Arts & Science News piece.