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Kristen Johnson

Kristen Johnson

Name:

Kristen  Johnson

Title:

Assistant Professor

Department:

Chemistry

Email Address:

knjohnson@tntech.edu

Phone:

(931) 372-3233

Office:

Lab Science Commons - 3101

Education and Development:
Postdoctoral Scholar, University of California, Irvine, 2022-2024
Ph.D., Washington State University, 2022
B.S. Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Superior, 2016
Research Interests: 
Physical, Analytical and Atmospheric/Environmental Chemistry
 
Research Projects:
Research in the Johnson group focuses on the study of airborne particulate matter (PM).
Research is divided into two main projects:
 
  • To understand the influence of molecular self-assembly within aerosol particles and thin films and its impact on their chemical reactivity and the uptake of toxic compounds. This project will help us to understand why cooking emissions have a longer lifetime in the environment than is predicted.
  • To develop analytical techniques to assess the dynamic changes in aerosol particle properties, such as hygroscopicity, phase state, and viscosity. 
    Physical properties of aerosol particles directly influence the particles reactivity and persistence in the atmosphere. Understanding these properties and how they change as the particles undergo photochemical aging is important for predicting the climate effects and for accurately representing the chemistry of these particles in large climate models.
 

Major methods: infrared spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and microscopy.