Ph.D. 2012. Colorado State
University, Department of Atmospheric Science. Dissertation Title: Observations of reactive nitrogen species in
the atmosphere and nitrogen deposition in the Rocky Mountains. Advisor: Dr.
Jeffrey L. Collett Jr.
M.S. 2008. Colorado State
University, Department of Atmospheric Science.Thesis Title: Atmospheric Nitrogen
and Sulfur Deposition in Rocky Mountain National Park. Advisor: Dr. Jeffrey
L. Collett Jr.
B.S.
2006. Susquehanna University, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences., Undergraduate
Thesis Title: Measurements and dispersion
modeling of sulfur dioxide concentrations in the vicinity of a coal-fired power
plant. Research Advisor: Dr. Derek J. Straub
Research:
For my postdoc I worked with Cort Anastasio at the University of
California-Davis from November 2012 to May 2014. We measured the quantum
yield of nitrite from nitrate photolysis in laboratory ice/snow.
Photolysis of nitrate is an important source of reactive nitrogen species like
NOxand HONO and
oxidants like hydroxyl radical and O3in snow covered regions. We were
interested in better understanding the nitrite yield in ice at environmentally
relevant wavelengths (>300nm) and the factors that may impact it.
My graduate research focused on measuring and analyzing
atmospheric reactive nitrogen as a means of understanding its sources and
levels of deposition in Rocky Mountain and Grand Teton National Parks.We focused on quantifying both the
inorganic contributions from dry and wet deposition as well as organic nitrogen
in precipitation and aerosol. As part of this work I helped to organize a team
of researchers and the measurements collecting field samples.
I also had the opportunity of participate in VOCALS-Rex on the C-130 in
Arica, Chile. During the field campaign I collected cloud water samples
to complement the suite of other measurements made during the campaign on the
C-130, other aircraft, the ground, and research vessels.
As an undergraduate I participated
in two atmospheric science related research projects. In the summer of 2005, at
the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory with the DOE Science Undergraduate
Laboratory Internships, I compared particulate samplers in the PM10 and PM2.5
range at the Hanford Site in Richland, WA. For my undergraduate research
project, during the summer of 2004, I worked with Dr. Derek Straub at
Susquehanna University where were examined and modeled the dispersion of a
sulfur dioxide plume downwind of the Sunbury Electric coal fired power plant in
Selinsgrove, PA.
Honors/Awards:
Alumni Award - In recognition of exemplary performance in the CSU
Atmospheric Science Graduate Program (April 2012)
Recognition for Outstanding Poster Presentation at the World Climate
Research Programme (WCRP) Open Science Conference (October 2011)
David L. Dietrich Honorary Scholarship for exemplary performance in the
study of air quality in the CSU Atmospheric Science Graduate Program (October
2010)
Honorable Mention for poster presentation at 5th
International Conference on Fog, Fog Collection, and Dew (July 2010)
Professional Organizations: AAAR, AWMA, ACS, ESWN
Workshops:
Invited workshop on Communication: Talking
Environmental Science: May 9-11, 2011.Hosted
by the School of Global and Environmental Sustainability, the Graduate Degree
Program in Ecology, and the Center for Multiscale Modeling of Atmospheric
Processes at Colorado State University.
2011 ESWN Professional Development Workshop: Developing
Your Research Identity.June 6-8, 2011.
Activities/Service:
Presenter at Alliance for Climate Education Sacramento Area Workshop for High School Teachers: Climate Change in the Next Generation Classroom. August 2013.
Research Mentor for
CMMAP Summer Undergraduate Research Program, Department
of Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University, Summers of 2007, 2009, 2010, 2012, and 2014.
AAAR CSU Student Chapter Vice President
(2008-2009)
Graduate Student Council Representative
for the Atmospheric Science Department (2007-2008)
Mentor for the Saturday Morning
Engineering Club, a program to get 4th-6th grade
girls interested in science and engineering (Fall 2007)
Publications:
Gebhart, K.A., Malm, W.C., Rodriguez, M.A., Barna, M.G., Schichtel, B.A., Benedict, K.B., Collett Jr., J.L., Carrico, C.M., 2014. "Meteorological and Back Trajectory Modeling for the Rocky Mountain Atmospheric Nitrogen and Sulfur Study II. Advances in Meteorology, vol. 2014, doi:10.1155/2014/414015
Prenni, A.J., Levin, E.J.T., Benedict, K.B., Sullivan, A.P.,
Schurman, M.I., Gebhart, K.A., Day, D.E., Carrico, C.M., Schichtel, B.A.,
Collett Jr., J.L., Kreidenweis, S.M., 2014. Gas-phase reactive nitrogen near
Grand Teton National Park: Impacts of transport, anthropogenic emissions, and
biomass burning. Atmospheric Environment 89,
749-756.
Malm, W.C., Schichtel, B.A.,
Barna, M.G., Gebhart, K.A., Rodriguez, M.A., Collett Jr., J.L., Carrico, C.M., Benedict, K.B., Prenni, A.J.,
Kreidenweis, S.M., 2013. Aerosol species concentrations and source
apportionment of ammonia at Rocky Mountain National Park. Journal of the Air & Waste ManagementAssociation 63, 1245-1263.
Benedict, K.B., Chen, X., Sullivan, A.P., Li, Y., Day, D., Levin,
E., Prenni, A., Kreidenweis, S.M., Schichtel, B., Collett Jr., J.L., 2013. The Spatial Distribution of
Reactive Nitrogen Species and Nitrogen Deposition in Grand Teton National Park. . Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres
18, 11,875-11,887.
Benedict, K.B.,
Kreidenweis, S.M., Schichtel, B., Malm, W.C., Collett Jr., J.L., accepted. A Nitrogen Deposition Budget
for Rocky Mountain National Park. Ecological
Applications 23,
1156-1169.
Benedict, K.B., Day, D.,
Schwandner, F.M., Kreidenweis, S.M., Schichtel, B., Malm, W.C., Collett Jr.,
J.L. 2013. Transport of atmospheric reactive nitrogen species in Rocky Mountain
National Park and across Colorado. Atmospheric
Environment 64, 66-76.
Heald, C.L., Collett, J.L., Lee, T., Benedict, K.B., Schwandner, F.M., Li,
Y., Clarisse, L.,Hurtmans, D.R.,Van Damme, M. , Clerbaux, C., Coheur, P.-F.,
and Pye, H.O.T., 2012. Atmospheric ammonia and particulate inorganic nitrogen
over the United States.Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics., 12, 10295-10312, doi:10.5194/acp-12-10295-2012.
Day, D., Chen, D., Gebhart, K., Carrico, K.,
Schwander, F., Benedict, K.B.,
Schichtel, B., Collett Jr., J.L., 2012. Spatial and Temporal Variability of
Ammonia and other Inorganic Aerosol Species on the Front Range and Eastern
Plains of Northern Colorado, USA. Atmospheric
Environment 61, 490-498.
Saide, P.E., Spak, S.N., Carmichael, G.R., Mena-Carrasco, M.A.,
Howell, S., Leon, D.C., Snider, J.R., Bandy, A.R., Collett, J.L., Benedict, K.B., de Szoeke, S.P.,
Hawkins, L.N., Allen, G., Crawford I., Crosier, J., and Springston, S.R., 2012.
Evaluating WRF-Chem aerosol indirect effects in Southeast Pacific marine
stratocumulus during VOCALS-REx, Atmos.
Chem. Phys., 12, 3045-3064, doi:10.5194/acp-12-3045-2012.
Benedict, K.B., Lee, T, Collett Jr., J.L.,2012. Cloud water composition over the Southeastern Pacific Ocean
during the VOCALS Region Experiment. Atmospheric Environment 46, 104-114, doi:10.1016/j.atmosenv.2011.10.029.
Yang, M., Huebert, B.J., Blomquist, B.W., Howell, S.G., Shank, L.M.,
McNaughton, C.S., Clarke, A.D., Hawkins, L.N., Russell, L.M., Covert, D.S.,
Coffman, D.J., Bates, T.S., Quinn, P.K., Zagorac, N., Bandy, A.R., de Szoeke, S.P.,
Zuidema, P.D., Tucker, S.C., Brewer, W.A., Benedict,
K.B., and Collett, J.L., 2011. Atmospheric sulfur cycling in the
southeastern Pacific – longitudinal distribution, vertical profile, and diel
variability observed during VOCALS-REx, Atmos.
Chem. Phys., 11, 5079-5097, doi:10.5194/acp-11-5079-2011.
Beem, K. B., Raja, S., Schwandner, F. M., Taylor, C., Lee, T.,
Sullivan, A. P., Carrico, C. M., McMeeking, G. R., Day, D., Levin, E., Hand,
J., Kreidenweis, S. M., Schichtel, B., Malm, W. C., and Collett, Jr., J. L.,
2010. Deposition of reactive nitrogen during the Rocky Mountain Airborne
Nitrogen and Sulfur (RoMANS) study. Environmental
Pollution 158, 862-872, doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2009.09.023.