Dr. Sarah E.

Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, 109 TW Alexander Dr., Durham, NC
Website: https://sarahebenish.weebly.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahebenish/ | Twitter: @SarahEBenish

Education
University of Maryland, College Park, MD
Ph.D., Atmospheric and Oceanic Science (2021)
M.S., Atmospheric and Oceanic Science (2015-2019)
University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, WI
B.S., Biology, Environmental Studies, and Global Health (2011-2015)

Professional Experience
U.S. EPA Office of Research and Development, Durham, NC
Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) Postdoctoral Research Fellow (2021-Present)
Analyze atmospheric deposition trends using novel measurement model fusion techniques and investigate
sources of nitrogen contributing to high amounts of nutrients found in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.

University of Maryland, College Park, MD

Site Operator, National Atmospheric Deposition Program and Clean Air Status & Trends Network
(2018-2020)
Coordinated weekly site visits for sample collection and documentation and maintained monitoring
equipment.

Graduate Research Assistant (2016-2020)

Evaluated atmospheric composition using airborne observations collected over Hebei Province, China.
Operated airborne meteorological, aerosol, and trace gas instruments for local air quality flights.

Graduate Reviewer (2017)

Reviewed online, interactive modules on meteorological instrumentation and measurement for the UCAR
COMET MetEd courses, available online.

Graduate Teaching Assistant, Atmospheric and Oceanic Climate (Fall 2016)

Communicated graduate level course content and maintained records on student progress.

Teaching Assistant, Weather and Climate (Fall 2015 and Spring 2016)
Facilitated weekly discussions and laboratory experiments about course topics and advised students
through completion of two projects each semester.

UW-Madison Nelson Institute Center for Sustainability and the Global Environment, Madison, WI
Undergraduate Researcher (2013-2015)
Validated satellite retrievals using airborne in situ NO2, O3, CH2O, and NO profiles collected during the
airborne DISCOVER-AQ campaign.

Publications
Peer-Reviewed:
1. Benish, S.E., He, H., Ren, X., Salawitch, R.J., Shao, M., Lu, S., Dickerson, R.R. Airborne Observations
of CFCs over Hebei Province, China in Spring 2016. J. Geophys. Res-Atmos. (2021).
https://doi.org/10.1029/2021JD035152

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2. Benish, S.E., He, H., Ren, X., Roberts, S.J., Salawitch, R.J., Li, Z.Q., Wang, F., Wang, Y., Zhang, F.,
Shao, M., Lu, S., Dickerson, R.R., Observations of Nitrogen Oxides and Volatile Organic Compounds
over the North China Plain and Impact on Ozone Formation. Atmos. Chem. Phys.
https://www.atmos-chem-phys-discuss.net/acp-2020-194/
3. Ren, X., Hall, D.L., Vinciguerra,T., Benish, S.E., Stratton, P.R., Ahn, D., Hansford, J.R., M. D. Cohen,
M.D., Sahu, S., He, H., Grimes, C., Fuentes, J.D., Shepson, P.B., Salawitch, R.J., Ehrman, S.H., and
Dickerson, R.R. (2019), Methane emissions from the Marcellus Shale in southwestern Pennsylvania and
northern West Virginia Based on Airborne Measurements, J. Geophys. Res-Atmos. 124.
https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2018JD029690
4. Ren, X., Salmon, O., Hansford, J., Ahn, D., Hall, D.L., Benish, S.E., Stratton, P.R., He, H., Sahu, S.,
Grimes, C., Heimburger, A., Martin, C.M., Cohen, M.D., Stunder, B., Salawitch, R.J., Ehrman, S.H.,
Shepson, P.B., Dickerson, R.R. (2018), Methane Emissions From the Baltimore-Washington Area Based
on Airborne Observations: Comparison to Emissions Inventories, J. Geophys. Res-Atmos., 123.
https://doi.org/10.1029/2018JD028851
Additional Publications:
1. Benish, S.E. and Fiffer, M. Affordable Clean Energy Rule Threatens Progress of Clean Air Act (2020).
Eos. Editorial. https://eos.org/opinions/affordable-clean-energy-rule-threatens-progress-of-clean-air-act.
2. Benish, S.E., Reid, G.H., Deshpande, A., Ravan, S., Lamb, R. The Impact of Emerging 5G Technology
on U.S. Weather Prediction (2020). J. Sci. Pol and Gov., Volume 17, Issue 2. Policy Memo.
https://www.sciencepolicyjournal.org/article_1038126_jspg170203.html
3. Benish, S.E., Meeting STEM workforce demands by diversifying STEM (2018). J. Sci. Pol and Gov.,
Volume 13. Policy Memo. http://www.sciencepolicyjournal.org/jspgvol13.html
4. Benish, S.E., New study outlines correlation between air pollution and diabetes (2018). Oshkosh
Northwestern. Editorial.
https://amp.thenorthwestern.com/story/opinion/readers/2018/07/27/letter-editor-educate-yourself-air-pollu
tion-risks-diabetes/850283002/

Awards
1. NC State Postdoc Research Symposium Most Interesting Research Video, view here (2021).
2. University of Maryland College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences Graduate
Commencement Speaker, view here (2020).
3. 3 Minute Thesis, University of Maryland Campus and College Winner, view here (2020).
4. NASA Group Achievement Award, for involvement in the Ozone Water-Land Environmental Transition
Study (OWLETS) (2019).
5. Ann Wylie Green Fund Award, for outstanding doctoral students in final stages of dissertation (2019).
6. Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Science Service Award, for service to the department (2018).
7. Outstanding Graduate Assistant Award, recognizes contributions for top 2% of all graduate students
(2016).
8. College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences Dean’s Fellowship (2015).
9. Sustainability Innovation in Research and Education-Research Experience for Undergraduates Grant
(2014).

First-Author Presentations (P for poster)

1. Chesapeake Bay Program July 2021 Modeling Workgroup Quarterly Review, CMAQ Tracer Runs,
Virtual (July 2021). View slides here.
2. NC State Postdoc Research Symposium, 5/2021: Atmospheric Deposition from EPA’s long-term Air
Quality Simulations. Virtual. View here.
3. NADP TDep Spring Meeting, 5/2021: Comparison of deposition estimates from EQUATES (CMAQv5.3)
and ECODEP (CMAQv5.0.2) time series. Virtual.
4. Deposition-Forest Service Air Resource Management Meeting. 4/2021: EQUATES: EPA’s Air Quality
Time Series Project. Virtual.

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5. EPA Atmospheric and Environmental Systems Modeling Division seminar, 2/2021: Examination of Air
Pollutants from Hebei Province, China. Virtual. 
6. AMS 101st Annual Meeting, 1/2021: How Can Airborne Observations over Hebei Province, China Help
Inform Air Quality Policy? Virtual.
7. AGU Annual Fall Meeting, 12/2020: The Impact of Meteorology on Air Pollution in the Lower
Atmosphere over the North China Plain in Spring 2016. Virtual (P). 
8. Johns Hopkins Science Policy Group Maryland General Assembly Science Poster Session, 3/2020: How
Has Air Quality Legislation Influenced Atmospheric Deposition in Maryland? Annapolis, MD (P).
9. AMS 100th Annual Meeting, 1/2020: Observations of VOCs over Hebei Province, China and Impact on
Ozone Formation. Boston, MA.
10. AGU Annual Fall Meeting, 12/2019: Aircraft Observations of High Concentrations of CFC-11 and
CFC-12 over Hebei Province, China in Spring 2016. San Francisco, CA (P). 
11. NCAR FASCINATE, 9/2019: The Influence of Meteorology on SO2 over Hebei, China. Boulder, CO. (P).
12. SPARC CFC-11 Symposium, 3/2019: Aircraft Measurements of Elevated CFC-11 Concentrations over
the North China Plain in Spring 2016. Vienna, Austria.
13. AGU Annual Fall Meeting, 12/2018: Vertical Distributions and Trends of Aerosol Properties in the
Baltimore/Washington, D.C. Region from Aircraft, Satellites, and Surface Observations from 2008 to
2018. Washington, D.C. (P).
14. NADP Fall Meeting, 11/2018: Temporal and Spatial Trends of Atmospheric Deposition in Maryland and
Comparison to Observations of Atmospheric Pollutants in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. Albany, NY
(P).
15. AMS 98th Annual Meeting, 1/2018: Characterization of an O3 Event During a Persistent High Pressure
Episode over the North China Plain. Austin, TX (P).
16. iCACGP 14 th Quadrennial Symposium and IGAC 15th Science Conference, 9/2018: An O3 Event During a
High Pressure Episode in the North China Plain. Takamatsu, Japan (P).
17. NYC Metro Area Energy & Air Quality Data Gaps Workshop, 5/2017: Comparison of Trace Gas Profiles
over the Chesapeake Bay in Summer 2014 with China in Spring 2016 using Aircraft Observations.
Palisades, NY (P).

Workshops and Conferences

1. 2020 AMS Washington Forum. October 2020. Virtual. Awarded registration funding.
2. Maryland Science and Technology Policy Fellowship Summit. August 2020. Virtual. Co-organizer.
3. AWMA 113 th Annual Conference and Exhibition. June 2020. Virtual. Awarded registration funding by
National Science Policy Network.
4. AMS Summer Policy Colloquium. Summer 2020. Virtual. Awarded registration funding.
5. ComSciCon-American Institute of Physics. Attended September 2019. College Park, MD. Awarded
partial funding.
6. AAAS on Catalyzing Advocacy in Science and Engineering (CASE). Attended March 2018. Washington,
D.C. Awarded registration funding.

Outreach and Service

Special Events Chair, Networking and Leadership Training Organization (NLTO) (2021-Present)
Coordinate personal and professional development seminars with a team of early career researchers at the
EPA.
Mentor, Geosciences Education and Mentorship Support (GEMS) (2021-Present)
Coach an undergraduate student pursuing higher education in earth science by providing support with the
graduate school application process and materials.
Vice-President, Graduate Science Policy (2018-2020)
Manage website and social media and coordinate involvement in science policy engagement with the
Maryland state legislature, other academic institutions, and science policy initiatives.
Voices for Science Policy Fellow, American Geophysical Union (2018-2019)

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 Conducted science policy outreach with my community every month; highlights include planning and
organizing a congressional letter writing breakfast and being interviewed about air quality for a podcast.
Peer Mentor, UW-Madison Women in Science and Engineering Learning Community (2016-2017)
Mentored freshmen undergraduate students in a STEM residence hall.
Volunteer, various organizations (2011-Present)
Develop and plan science outreach activities for local Girl Scout troops and rural schools.
Journal Reviewer, Atmospheric Environment (1); Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres (2); Journal
of Applied Meteorology and Climatology (2)