Faculty Members
Richard Collins
I serve as Director of the Graduate School and am a professor of atmospheric science in the Department of Atmospheric Sciences and the Geophysical Institute. My interests include weather and climate and how we understand (or occasionally misunderstand) our atmosphere with different measurement techniques. I work with students making measurements of the Arctic atmosphere at the Lidar Research Laboratory at Poker Flat Research Range in an effort to better understand our local and global environment. I consider myself lucky to be working in Alaska during a time of unprecedented interest in the Arctic environment. Please feel free to contact me at <rlcollins@alaska.edu>
Jintai Li
I am an assistant research professor of space in the Geophysical Institute . My interests include the lidar remote sensing and the interactions between meteorology and space weather . I am working with students to develop new lidar systems at the Lidar Research Laboratory at Poker Flat Research Range. I also work with models and observations to understand the role of waves in the regional and global circulation. Please feel free to contact me at <jl23@alaska.edu>.
Michael Roddewig
I am an assistant professor with appointments in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department and the Geophysical Institute (GI). I am affiliated with the Space Physics and Remote Sensing groups in the GI. I am also the Chief Technology Officer of 532 Engineering, Inc., a lidar startup company. My research interests are in optical oceanography and the development of new lidar and passive optical instruments to solve remote sensing problems. Current work is on the development of frequency-modulated coherent lidar, droneborne water lidar, and upper atmospheric iron lidar. Interested students and potential collaborators are encouraged to contact me at mrroddewig@alaska.edu.
Vishnu Kumar
I am an assistant research professor at the Geophysical Institute. My research interest includes lidar
instrumentation and remote sensing. Previously, I worked in the domain of lidar remote sensing of
atmospheric boundary-layer and aerosols. My experience includes instrumentation and operation of
scanning lidar, polarization lidar, multiwavelength lidar, and Raman lidar systems and analysis of their
datasets. Currently, I am taking part in the development of an Iron resonance lidar system for upper
atmospheric research studies. Interested students and potential collaborators are encouraged to contact me at vrkumar@alaska.edu.
Graduate Students
Satyaki Das
I am a PhD student working with Drs. Collins and Li in the Department of Atmospheric Sciences and the Geophysical Institute at UAF. My current research focuses on the meteorology and dynamics of the Arctic mesosphere and lower thermosphere with lidar and radar instruments. Please feel free to contact me at <sdas8@alaska.edu> if you have any questions about my research or about life in Fairbanks or India.
Rahsha Kerven
Hi, I am a Masters student working as a research assistant alongside Dr. Collins and Dr. Li at the Geophysical Institute (GI) and Poker Flat Research Range (PFRR). I am studying for an MS in Physics. My research interests are in the observation and study of the upper atmosphere; specifically the detection and analysis of polar mesospheric clouds (PMCs), as well as the the fields of Heliophysics and Space Plasmas. To contact me, please email me at <hkerven@alaska.edu>.
Undergraduate Students
Jack Kendall (Computer Engineering) and Kylie Lambries (Computer Science).