Deborah Gross

Education & Professional History

University of California-Berkeley, PhD

Deborah has been at Carleton since 1998, following a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of California, Riverside. She has enjoyed sabbatical projects at The Paul Scherrer Institute in Switzerland, Fudan University in China, and the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, as well as recent work in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Organizations & Scholarly Affiliations

• American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR)
• American Chemical Society (ACS) Membership in Analytical, Environmental and Physical Divisions.
• American Geophysical Union (AGU) Membership in Atmospheric Division.
• American Society for Mass Spectrometry (ASMS)
• Association for Environmental Studies and Sciences (AESS)
• Minnesota Mass Spectrometry Group (MinnMass)
• Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society
• Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR)
• American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
• National Association for Geoscience Teachers (NAGT)
• Society for Chicanos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS)

My research interests lie in the study of ambient aerosol particles. I am interested in using real-time particle measuring instruments, such as the Aerosol Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometer (ATOFMS) to learn more about airborne particulates. This instruments makes it possible to measure both the size and composition of ambient aerosol particles in real-time, from polydisperse samples. Now we can learn what the particles outside actually consist of, on an individual basis! Once we have a better understanding of where particles which we are breathing come from, as well as their chemical composition, it will be possible to better understand their effects on the environment and on human health.

Current applications of this work focus on emissions from cooking with biomass fuel, as is done by nearly 3 billion people in the world. The emissions from cooking have significant climate and health impacts, disproportionately affecting women and girls. Through a collaboration with Professor Tsegaye Nega at Carleton College, I have gotten the opportunit to apply aerosol science to development and evaluation of cleaner fan-forced gasifier stoves for use in Ethiopia. Involvement of students in this project, through research and course-based projects including work in Ethiopia, has been a hallmark of the project.

Carleton Students and Translators/Assistants in August, 2018.

My teaching interests lie in the general areas of environmental and analytical chemistry, with forays into Climate Science, Chemical Kinetics, and general chemistry.  I am especially committed to working to support all students in their study of STEM disciplines, especially those students who are from groups traditionally under-represented in these fields.  To that end, I have developed and run Carleton’s FOCUS program.

• Drew, S. R.; Gross, D. S.; Hollingsworth, W. E.; Baraniak, T.; Zall, C. M.; Mann, K. R. “Overdriven Pulsed Light Emitting Diodes: An Inexpensive Excitation Source for Time-Resolved Luminescence Lifetime Measurements” Chem. Educ. 2019, 96, 1046-1050 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jchemed.8b01024
• DiBartolo, P. M.; Gregg-Jolly, L.; Gross, D.; Manduca, C. A.; Iverson, E.; Cooke III, D. B.; Davis, G. K.; Davidson, C.; Hertz, P. E.; Hibbard, L.; Ireland, S. K.; Mader, C.; Pai, A.; Raps, S.; Siwicki, K.; Swartz, J. E. “Principles and Practices Fostering Inclusive Excellence: Lessons from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Capstone Institutions” CBE – Life Sci. Educ., 2016, 15:ar44, 1 – 11. Doi:10.1187/cbe.16-01-0028
• Huo, J.; Lu, X.; Wang, X.; Chen, H.; Ye, X., Gao, S., Gross, D. S.; Chen, J.; Yang, X. “Online single particle analysis of chemical composition and mixing state of crop straw burning particles: from laboratory study to field measurement” Environ. Sci. Eng. 2016, 10, 244–252. Doi: 10.1007/s11783-015-0768-z.
• Gross, D. S.; Manduca, C. A.; Iverson, E. A. R.; Willett, G. A. “Broadening Access to Science with Support for the Whole Student in a Residential Liberal Arts College Environment” Coll. Science Teaching, 2015, 44, 99-107.
• Tang, Y.; Huang, Y.; Li, L.; Chen, H.; Chen, J.; Yang, X.; Gao, S.; Gross, D. S. “Characterization of aerosol optical properties, chemical composition and mixing states in the winter season in Shanghai, China” Env. Sci., 2014, 26, 2412 – 2422. doi: /10.1016/j.jes.2014.03.002.
• Gross, D. S.; Van Ryswyk, H. “Examination and Manipulation of Protein Surface Charge in Solution with Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry” Chem. Educ., 2014, 91, 1240 – 1243. doi: 10.1021/ed4005886.
• Wang, X.; Ye, X.; Chen, H.; Chen, J.; Yang, X.; Gross, D. S. “Online Hygroscopicity and Chemical Measurement of Urban Aerosol in Shanghai, China.” Atmospheric Environment, 2014, 95, 318-326. doi: 10.1016/ j.atmosenv.2014.06.051.
• Dall’Osto, M.; Querol, X.; Alastuey, A.; Minguillon, M. C.; Alier, M.; Amato, F.; Brines, M.; Cusack, M.; Grimalt, J. O.; Karanasiou, A.; Moreno, T.; Pandolfi, M.; Pey, J.; Reche, C.; Ripoll, A.; Tauler, R.; Van Drooge, B. L.; Viana, M.; Harrison, R. M.; Gietl, J.; Beddows, D.; Bloss, W.; O’Dowd, C.; Ceburnis, D.; Martucci, G.; Ng, N. L.; Worsnop, D.; Wenger, J.; Mc Gillicuddy, E.; Sodeau, J.; Healy, R.; Lucarelli, F.; Nava, S.; Jimenez, J. L.; Gomez Moreno, F.; Artinano, B.; Prévôt, A. S. H.; Pfaffenberger, L.; Frey, S.; Wilsenack, F.; Casabona, D.; Jiménez-Guerrero, P.; Gross, D.; Cots, N., “Presenting SAPUSS: Solving Aerosol Problem by Using Synergistic Strategies in Barcelona, Spain.” Chem. Phys. 2013, 13, 8991-9019. doi:10.5194/acp-13-8991-2013
• Smyth, A. M.; Thompson, S. L.; de Foy, B.; Olson, M. R.; Sager, N.; McGinnis, J.; Schauer, J. J.; Gross, D. S. “Sources of metals and bromine-containing particles in Milwaukee” Atmospheric Environment, 2013, 73, 124 – 130. doi: 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2013.03.014
• Huang, Y., Li, L., Li, J., Wang, X., Chen, H., Chen, J., Yang, X., Gross, D. S., Wang, H., Qiao, L., Chen, C. “A case study of the highly time-resolved evolution of aerosol chemical and optical properties in urban Shanghai, China” Chem. Phys. 2013, 13, 3931–3944. doi:10.5194/acp-13-3931-2013
• Pagels, J.; Dutcher, D. D.; Stolzenburg, M. R.; McMurry, P. H.; Gälli, M. E.; Gross, D. S. “Fine Particle Emissions from Solid Biofuel Combustion Studied with Single Particle Mass Spectrometry – Identification of Markers for Organics, Soot and Ash Components” Geophys. Res., 2012, 118, 1-12. doi:10.1029/2012JD018389.
• de Foy, B.; Smyth, A. M.; Thompson, S. L.; Gross, D. S.; Olson, M. R.; Sager, N.; Schauer, J. J. “Sources of Nickel, Vanadium and Black Carbon in Aerosols in Milwaukee” Atmospheric Environ., 2012, 59, 294-301. doi:10.1016/j.atmosenv.2012.06.002
• Dutcher, D. D.; Stolzenburg, M. R.; Thompson, S. L.; Medrano, J. M.; Gross, D. S.; Kittelson, D.; McMurry, P. H. “Emissions from Ethanol-Gasoline Blends: A Single Particle Perspective” Atmosphere, 2011, 2, 182 – 200. doi:10.3390/atmos2020182
• Dutcher, D. D.; Pagels, J; Bika, J; Franklin, L.; Stolzenburg, M.; Thompson, S.; Medrano, J.; Brown, N.; Gross, D. S.; Kittelson, D.; McMurry, P. H. “Emissions from soy biodiesel blends: A single particle perspective” Atmospheric Environment, 2011, 45, 3406 – 3413. doi:10.1016/j.atmosenv.2011.03.047
• Baltensperger, U.; Chirico, R.; DeCarlo, P. F.; Dommen, J.; Gaeggeler, K.; Heringa, M.; Li, M.-L.; Prevot, A.; Alfarra, M. R.; Gross, D. S.; Kalberer, M. “Recent developments in the mass spectrometry of atmospheric aerosols” J. Mass Spectrom., 2010, 16, 389 – 395.
• Gross, D.S.; Atlas, R.; Rzeszotarski, J. ; Turetsky, E. ; Christensen, J. ; Benzaid, S. ; Olson, J. ; Smith, T. ; Steinberg, L. ; Sulman, J. ; Ritz, A. ; Anderson, B. ; Nelson, C.; Musicant, D. R.; Chen, L.; Snyder, D. C.; Schauer, J. J. “Environmental chemistry through intelligent atmospheric data analysis,” Model. Softw. 2010, 25, 760-769. doi: 10.1016/j.envsoft.2009.12.001