Dr. Lorraine Remer, Research Professor in UMBC’s Joint Center for Earth Systems Technology (JCET) and Affiliate Professor in the Departments of Physics and Geography and Environmental Systems, has been selected as the 2019 recipient of the UMBC Research Faculty Excellence Award. The award recognizes overall excellence in research, and where appropriate, significant contributions to teaching and service/leadership while at UMBC.
Dr. Remer joined UMBC in 2012, after a successful career in the private sector and – prior to joining UMBC – at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. She is an active researcher, participating as PI or Co-Investigator in at least fourteen successful funding proposals submitted to federal agencies. Including her role as Co-Investigator on the HyperAngle Rainbow Polarimeter (HARP), UMBC’s first satellite mission, scheduled to launch later this year.
As a UMBC Research Professor, Dr. Remer is conducting her research in the Department of Physics Laboratory for Aerosols, Clouds and Optics with faculty, postdocs and students, in addition to teaching courses and serving on graduate committees.
Among Dr. Remer’s many important and interesting research results is the quantification of the amount of nutrient-rich Saharan dust that is transported across the Atlantic, fertilizing the Amazon basin, reinforcing the notion that we are all part of one interconnected global climate system.
In 2015, Dr. Remer was named a Fellow of the American Geophysical Union (AGU), an international scientific society of geophysicists; a prestigious honor, since only 0.1% of members are elected as AGU Fellows.
In 2014, Dr. Remer was named among the world’s top scientists, according to the Thomson Reuters Highly Cited Researchers list, "The Most Influential Scientific Minds 2014." According to Thomson Reuters, Highly Cited Researchers is a compilation of influential names in science that spotlights some of the “standout researchers of the last decade,” ranking her among the top 1% most cited for their subject field and year of publication between 2002 and 2012.
Since 2012 Dr. Remer has been serving as editor of the Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences. She also served as an Invited Panelist for the National Academy of Sciences Workshop on National Assets in June 2015.
Together with another UMBC faculty colleague, Dr. Remer serves as CEO and minority owner of Airphoton LLC, a faculty start-up company founded in 2012 at the bwtech@UMBC business incubator.
Upon notification of the award, Dr. Remer stated: “I feel fortunate to be a member of the UMBC community and am very grateful for all the support I've received from the university since starting here. JCET is a wonderful organization that makes it easy to succeed. I feel strongly that the JCET leadership and staff share in this award with me, as well as the many collaborators who have enriched my research endeavors and continue to challenge me to explore new avenues of science, technology, teaching and business.”
Dr. Belay Demoz, JCET Director and Professor of Physics, states: “We are absolutely delighted about this highly deserved acknowledgement of Dr. Remer’s contributions to UMBC. Her recent recognition as a highly cited researcher puts her in exclusive company among her peers and we are proud to count her as one or our own.”
Karl V. Steiner, Vice President for Research, adds: “Dr. Remer is an outstanding representative of our UMBC research community. UMBC is the academic home to over 180 Research Faculty who contribute their expertise and personal commitment to making UMBC a destination of choice for cutting-edge research while providing our students with remarkable insights and opportunities. Dr. Remer is clearly a leader in her field and her energy and expertise have been a major factor in UMBC being recognized as a significant contributor to atmospheric sciences.”
