Our Team

Prof. Hope Michelsen

Prof. Michelsen has been studying the chemistry of particles and developing ways to detect them since 1993. She started her research career as an undergraduate at Dartmouth College in Chemistry, studying laser spectroscopy. As a graduate student, she investigated gas-surface reactive scattering at the IBM Almaden Research Center and Stanford University, where she received her Ph.D. degree in Chemistry with a minor in Physics. She was an NSF postdoctoral fellow at Harvard University, a research scientist at Atmospheric and Environmental Research, Inc., and a technical staff member in the Combustion Research Facility at Sandia National Laboratories. Prof. Michelsen also enjoys practicing and teaching yoga and having adventures with her husband and their two border collies.

James Rundel

James received his B.S. in Energy Systems Engineering from the University of Wyoming. After graduating, he explored his interest in energy by working in a rotational role for a utility company for two years. He then returned to the University of Wyoming for an M.S. in Mechanical Engineering. His master's research focused on thermal digestion of biological tissues and analysis of soot formation in flat flames, which ignited his interest in combustion. He is excited to explore soot formation and combustion chemistry for his Ph.D. work at CU Boulder. In his free time, James can often be found befriending any dog he comes across, running, biking, or practicing Tae Kwon Do, in which he holds the rank of 1st Dan black belt.

Chaitanya Ghole

Chaitanya received his bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Pune. During his undergraduate course, he participated in BAJA SAEINDIA where he, along with his teammates, made a single-seater All-Terrain Vehicle. Post undergrad, he worked as an Engine Performance and Simulation Engineer at Mahindra Research Valley, R&D centre of Mahindra and Mahindra. The two-year job experience sparked his interest in combustion and soot formation in engines. He is passionate about analyzing soot formation in flames for his Ph.D. degree at CU Boulder. Chaitanya enjoys reading English and Marathi literature and has a keen interest in Indian Classical music.

Jonathan Silberstein

Jon graduated from the College of William and Mary with a BS in physics. Prior to his time in Boulder, Jon interned as an electrochemistry lab technician and civil engineer, which sparked his interest in the intersection of science and the environment. Jon is excited to start realizing how little he knows about atmospheric chemistry, and to study soot formation using x-ray and laser diagnostic techniques. When he is not in lab, Jon can be found trail running, talking about running, thinking of running more, and running on the track.

Charlotte Thomas

Charley recently graduated from the University of Michigan with her B.S.E. in Chemical Engineering. As an undergraduate, Charley assisted in research focused on developing chemical kinetic models of biofuel combustion. She looks forward to applying her interest in chemistry to new areas such as lithium ion battery fires and soot inception. In her free time, Charley loves to dance, listen to/make music with friends, and pet her cats and dogs.

Dr. Ray Bambha

Ray received his B.S. in Applied Physics from Caltech, an M.S.E.E. from University of Central Florida, and his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst for work in the area of millimeter-wave cloud radar remote sensing. He has been a technical staff member at a national laboratory since 2000. His research is focused on investigating the properties of potential biofuels for use in jet engines. He also studies trace gases and aerosols relevant to climate change using regional atmospheric modeling and inverse modeling to estimate sources of methane and other climate pollutants.

The Michelsen Lab for Particulate Chemistry and Diagnostics