Meet Peter Daum
Peter Daum’s research has its ups and downs – like when flying at 300 feet on a hot summer day. On such flights, some scientists lose their lunch; Daum seems to have the stomach for it. “I’ve never gotten sick, just a little queasy,” he says.
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Peter Daum |
Flying is actually one of the easy parts of his job. As lead researcher on a variety of multiagency air-quality and climate studies, Daum helps to design the specialized equipment that collects complex data on everything from aerosol absorption to ozone concentrations and ultraviolet radiation.
He also figures out when and where to fly to capture data that will make sense of our atmospheric soup – that is, so scientists can understand how the ingredients in the mix affect air quality and Earth’s climate. “Deciphering the meaning of the data is the biggest challenge,” he says, “but also the most important part, because that’s what decision makers need to effectively regulate air pollution.”
Daum got his start as a chemistry major at the Drexel Institute of Technology, earning his bachelor’s degree in 1965. He went on to earn a Ph.D. in 1969 from Michigan State University. Daum then joined the faculty of Northern Illinois University before joining Brookhaven Lab’s Atmospheric Sciences Division in 1980, a division he now heads.
In 1991, the Department of Energy sent Daum to the Middle East to study the environmental effects of the oil fires set by the retreating Iraqi Army during the Persian Gulf War. Closer to home, his studies have investigated pollutants above Nashville, New York, Phoenix, Philadelphia, Houston, and the Northeast.
When he gets a chance to stay on the ground, Daum likes to garden, cook, and play golf.
