Professor Vaida’s research lies at the interfaces of physical chemistry and atmospheric and environmental science. Drawing on fundamental techniques and concepts of physical chemistry, Professor Vaida uses spectroscopy to explore chemical reactions in the atmosphere, many of which have an impact on the environment. Her experimental program has included investigation of the photochemical processes that created the Antarctic ozone hole. Professor Vaida has discovered previously unsuspected sources of hydroxyl radicals. She is currently studying light-initiated chemical reactions in the atmosphere of the Earth both today and before life emerged on the planet. A new direction of her research is the application of photochemistry to synthesize high-energy compounds from materials in the atmosphere. As one measure of the significance of Professor Vaida’s research, many of her articles have been heavily cited by other scientists. Her achievements in scientific research have previously earned her a prestigious Guggenheim Fellowship, election as a fellow of the American Physical Society and the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and a Boulder Faculty Assembly Award.
