Dr. Melissa Ugelow is an analytical and atmospheric chemist interested in studying the complex atmospheric chemistry that results in organic aerosols and ice clouds in planetary atmospheres. During her Ph.D. work, she primarily experimentally studied the optical and chemical properties of organic aerosols relevant to planetary atmospheres. As a NASA Postdoctoral Program fellow in the Spectroscopy for Planetary ICes Environments (SPICE) laboratory, she experimentally studied organic ices relevant to Titan's stratosphere. Following her postdoc, she currently performs laboratory IR transmission spectroscopy on thin ice films composed of nitrile and hydrocarbon ices in order to quantify the chemical identification of Titan’s Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS)-observed co-condensed stratospheric ice clouds, along with understanding their formation pathways and structural properties.
Melissa Ugelow
(RESEARCH AST, PLANETARY STUDIES)
| Email: | melissa.ugelow@nasa.gov |
| Phone: | 301.286.2963 |
| Org Code: | 693 |
| Address: |
NASA/GSFC Mail Code 693 Greenbelt, MD 20771 |
| Employer: |
Brief Bio
Positions/Employment
Postdoctoral Fellow
Administered by Universities Space Research Association - NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
July 2018 - July 2021
Research Space Scientist
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center - Greenbelt, MD
July 2021 - Present
Education
Awards
Grants
Investigating the Optical Properties of Coupled Aerosol and Ice Cloud Particles in Titan's Stratosphere
FLARE Internal Scientist work package - NASA GSFC, NASA NRA #: ISFM - Awarded: 2019-11-25
Dates: 2020-07-01 - 2021-06-30
Laboratory Studies on the Chemical, Optical, and Physical Properties of Titan’s Cassini CIRS-Observed Stratospheric Ice Clouds
ROSES Cassini Data Analysis Program (CDAP) - NASA HQ (NNH20ZDA001N) - Awarded: 2020-09-28
Dates: 2021-01-01 - 2023-12-31
V-WiSHeS: Venus Wideband Submillimeter Heterodyne Spectrometer
ROSES Maturation of Instruments for Solar System Exploration (MatISSE) - NASA HQ, NASA (NRA#: NNH20ZDA001N) - Awarded: 0000-00-00
Dates: 2021-04-01 - 2024-03-31
Publications
Refereed
2024. "Laboratory Studies on the Influence of Hydrogen on Titan-like Photochemistry." ACS Earth and Space Chemistry 8 (12): 2362-2371 [10.1021/acsearthspacechem.4c00102] [Journal Article/Letter]
2024. "Propyne: Determination of Physical Properties and Unit Cell Parameters under Titan-Relevant Conditions." ACS Earth and Space Chemistry 8 (5): 957-964 [10.1021/acsearthspacechem.3c00303] [Journal Article/Letter]
2022. "The CORGIE Instrument Suite: Understanding Hydrogeologic Cycles on Planetary Bodies Through In Situ Characterization of Surface-Atmosphere Interactions." Optimizing Planetary In Situ Surface-Atmosphere Interaction Investigations Workshop, Boise, Idaho, LPI Contribution No. 2685 id. 7008 [Proceedings]
2022. "Optical Properties of Cyanoacetylene Ices in the Far- to Near-infrared with Direct Relevance to Titan's Stratospheric Ice Clouds." The Planetary Science Journal 3 (4): 77 [10.3847/psj/ac596f] [Journal Article/Letter]
2020. "The Impact of Molecular Oxygen on Anion Composition in a Hazy Archean Earth Atmosphere." Astrobiology 20 (5): 658-669 [10.1089/ast.2019.2145] [Journal Article/Letter]
2019. "The Influence of Gas-phase Chemistry on Organic Haze Formation." The Astrophysical Journal Letters 885 (1): L6 [10.3847/2041-8213/ab4b5b] [Journal Article/Letter]
2019. "Chemical Composition of Gas-Phase Positive Ions during Laboratory Simulations of Titan’s Haze Formation." ACS Earth and Space Chemistry 3 (2): 202-211 [10.1021/acsearthspacechem.8b00139] [Journal Article/Letter]
2018. "Camilla: A centaur reconnaissance and impact mission concept." Planetary and Space Science 164 184-193 [10.1016/j.pss.2018.07.008] [Journal Article/Letter]
2018. "The Effect of Oxygen on Organic Haze Properties." The Astrophysical Journal Letters 859 (1): L2 [10.3847/2041-8213/aac2c7] [Journal Article/Letter]
2018. "Exploring the Atmosphere of Neoproterozoic Earth: The Effect of O2 on Haze Formation and Composition." The Astrophysical Journal 858 (2): 119 [10.3847/1538-4357/aabd7d] [Journal Article/Letter]
2018. "Laboratory investigations of Titan haze formation: In situ measurement of gas and particle composition." Icarus 301 136-151 [10.1016/j.icarus.2017.09.039] [Journal Article/Letter]
2017. "The optical and chemical properties of discharge generated organic haze using in-situ real-time techniques." Icarus 294 1-13 [10.1016/j.icarus.2017.04.028] [Journal Article/Letter]
2014. "Visualizing Nanoparticle Dissolution by Imaging Mass Spectrometry." Analytical Chemistry 86 (7): 3517-3524 [10.1021/ac404153q] [Journal Article/Letter]
2012. "Preparation and measurement methods for studying nanoparticle aggregate surface chemistry." Journal of Environmental Monitoring 14 (7): 1914 [10.1039/c2em30048f] [Journal Article/Letter]