Group

Dr. Katrina Bossert

Dr. Bossert is a space physicist who studies dynamics in the near-Space region. She uses optical remote sensing instrumentation to look at coupling between the lower atmosphere and thermosphere-ionosphere system. She received her B.S./M.S. in electrical engineering from the University of Colorado Boulder and her Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering from University of Colorado Boulder. Her current projects include investigating the effects of terrestrial weather on space weather, and studying the implications of wave breakdown and turbulence in the spacecraft reentry region. She received the NSF CAREER award in 2020, and the AFOSR Young Investigator Award in 2021. Dr. Bossert currently oversees the hydroxyl airglow imager at the poker flat research facility in Fairbanks, AK. 

Google Scholar Link for Dr. Bossert

Jessica Berkheimer

Jessica is an astrophysics PhD student at Arizona State University, working with Dr. Katrina Bossert to study gravity waves and the role they play in transporting momentum throughout the Earth's atmosphere. Jessica uses an OH airglow imager located at the Poker Flat Research Range in Fairbanks, Alaska to capture images of gravity waves, instabilities, and breaking near an altitude of 86 km.

Jessica has developed the Gravity Wave Zoo citizen science project:

Check out the Gravity Wave Zoo Project

Sophie Phillips

Sophie is a third year Astrophysics PhD Candidate working with Dr. Bossert on lower atmospheric drivers of atmospheric dynamics on Earth, including gravity waves. She is interested in better understanding gravity wave dynamics, and how they evolve into upper regions of the atmosphere, such as the thermosphere. She uses observational data from both ground based and satellite instruments in order to study short term and seasonal atmospheric behavior; remote sensing and reanalysis tools are powerful devices to gain information from the troposphere to the thermosphere. In her free time, she enjoys singing, playing soccer, and cuddling with her pet cat Thomas."

Jessica Norrell

Jessica Norrell is a current PhD student who combines ground-based instruments and satellite data to observe atmospheric perturbations in Earth’s thermosphere and ionosphere. She received her B.A. in Astronomy and Physics from Boston University in 2021, where she worked extensively with their network of imagers to study red airglow. Current research involves gravity wave observations via multiple satellites, all-sky imagers and lidar, focusing on events over North America. Additional interests include atmospheric dynamics on other planets, particularly the generation of waves in the Venusian atmosphere.


Dr. Komal Kumari

Dr. Kumari is a postdoctoral researcher who has been with the group since July 2021. She completed her PhD at Clemson Univeristy in 2021, and has expertise in large scale dynamics and tides in the near space environment. She studies the interaction of large scale and small scale dynamics. 

Dr. Kumari Google Scholar Link

Former Group Members:

Dr. Carl Bjorn Kjellstrand Postdoctoral Researcher September 2021 - May 2023