Jonathan Dooley receiving the Langmuir award for excellence in research

Jonathan F. Dooley is a recent graduate student from the New Mexico Tech physics department; earning a PhD with a dissertation in Instrumentation. 

Dooley received a B.S. in Physics from George Mason University and began graduate research in optical instrumentation at the Magdalena Ridge Observatory Interferometer (MROI). Under the guidance of Prof. Michelle Creech-Eakman, Dooley developed a system of networked sensors for quantification of optical beam drift between unit telescopes and beam combination facility.  With extensive exposure to embedded and networked control systems, as well as a strong background in spectroscopy, Dooley shifted focus to designing instruments used for atmospheric chemistry. 

Working with Prof. Ken Minschwaner, Dooley’s doctoral research focused on the development and validation of an airborne system to quantify various methane sources. This system was deployed around various sources including Oil and Natural Gas facilities, dairies and agricultural activities, and landfills with emissions at or below the detection threshold of other aircraft and space-based monitoring systems. This new sampling and analysis method was shown to be sensitive and selective, contributing to ongoing initiatives to quantify sources of atmospheric greenhouse gas and inform mitigation and policy decisions. Dooley received the 2025 Langmuir Award for the recent paper titled “A New Aerial Approach for quantifying and attributing methane emissions: implementation and validation” published in the journal of Atmospheric Measurement Techniques. Much of this work was in collaboration and support from Los Alamos National Lab (LANL), Sandia National Lab, and the New Mexico Consortium.

Field campaign to quantify active and orphaned wells in Pawhuska OK, USA. Dooley and Prof. Misnchwaner setup and perform routine system checks before multiple flights in collaboration with LANL, Sandia National Labs, and the Osage Nation. 

Dooley has helped design and implement a variety of scientific instrumentation projects with MROI, LANL, National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO), and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). Dooley recently began a postdoctoral fellowship at Georgetown University where he is developing new methods to interpret atmospheric greenhouse gas data from orbiting satellites. Particularly interested in understanding complex urban and agricultural areas, his current research includes various anthropogenic sources as well as carbon capture in the biosphere. Through collaborations with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Boston University, and NASA Goddard, Dooley also helps design novel proximal sensing systems to measure physiological indicators from vegetation in urban and agricultural environments.

Addressing the global imbalance between carbon emission and sequestration will be the defining legacy of our society. Dr. Dooley aims to use his varied set of experiences – from embedded sensor design to atmospheric spectroscopy – to develop a multi-scale approach to carbon exchange monitoring and adaptation. The combination of ground, aircraft, and space-based measurement strategies is essential to constrain and validate the carbon flux estimates driving climate policies and mitigation strategies.

Cassandra Skaar

Cassandra Skaar graduated from New Mexico Tech this past month, with her Master of Science in Biology through the Accelerated Master’s Program. Cassandra was also the recipient of the Founder’s Award, recognizing her scholarship, research, and involvement with campus affairs. She received her Bachelor of Science in Biology at NMT last May. Her MS Thesis, titled “Culture-Independent Analysis of Viral Communities in Extremely Acidic Volcanically Influenced Lakes”, looked into an aspect of our biosphere that is not as heavily studied, viruses in extreme environments. 

Cassandra performed field work in Valles Caldera National Preserve, located near Jemez Springs, NM, and conducted both wet lab analyses and bioinformatics to further understanding of how viruses are influenced by their environment and the roles viruses play within extremely acidic environments.

During her time as an MS student, she got the opportunity to present her research at the annual Rio Grande American Society of Microbiology Meeting and at the annual Rocky Mountain Geobiology Symposium, which she helped organize here at NMT alongside the Jones Geomicrobiology Lab. During her time as an undergraduate, she was a part of the inaugural SEAPHAGES course offered to freshman in the Biology program interested in conducting research. This course introduced her to the amazing world of phages (viruses that infect bacteria), and from there she knew this was what she wanted to be the focus of her research career. She also got the opportunity to conduct research under Dr. Thomas Kieft, on two separate research projects: inhibition of cyanobacteria growth in Carlsbad Caverns and analysis of bacteriophages in deep sequestered brine from the Moab Khotsong Mine in South Africa. From these research experiences, she was awarded the Barry Goldwater National Scholarship in 2023. She also was a member of TriBeta National Biological Honor Society, and served as secretary from 2022-2024.

Cassandra will be continuing on at NMT to pursue her PhD in Geobiology under Dr. Daniel Jones, continuing to explore and analyze viral communities in extremely acidic environments. In the future, she plans to pursue a career in academia as a research professor. She is extremely grateful for the support and advice she has received throughout her time at Tech from her advisors, professors, and peers.

Cassandra collecting viral samples at one of her sites in Valles Caldera National Preserve