Nancy Jeanne Brown, Ph.D.

Dr. Brown is a Senior Scientist and Department Head of the Atmospheric Sciences Department at Berkeley Lab. Her research interests are atmospheric science, chemical kinetics, air-quality modeling, aerosols, high-performance computing, and combustion modeling. She received a B.S. in Chemistry at Virginia Polytechnic Institute, and an M.S. in Molecular Physics and Ph.D. in Chemical Physics at the University of Maryland. Dr. Brown has published numerous scientific papers and served as a principal investigator on many projects. She was a Research Professor at the University of California at Davis, and has held a number of teaching and research positions on the Berkeley campus, where she is an Affiliate Faculty in the Energy and Resources Group.

She has been a Professor Inviteé, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris VI; a governor's appointee, Scientific Advisory Committee, State of California Acid Deposition Program; and a member of the Board of Directors of the Combustion Institute. She has served on numerous state and federal advisory committees. Among them: DOE’s Unconventional Resources Technology Advisory Committee; the Committee on Ozone-Forming Potential of Reformulated Gasoline; the Board on Atmospheric Sciences and Climate; the National Research Council Executive Committee; as a Chemistry Leader for DOE's Combustion Simulation and Modeling Initiative for the Strategic Simulation Initiative; as Chair for the Scientific Advisory Committee, EPA Center (at MIT, Caltech, and NJIT) for Airborne Toxics; as a member of the Advisory Committee—National Science Foundation, Directorate of Engineering. Dr. Brown has also been a member of several EPA Review Committees.

1. What inspires you to work in STEM?

The delight of:

• Discovery
• Learning new things
• Problem solving
• Integrating knowledge

2. What excites you about your work at the Energy Department/Berkeley Lab?

Energy and environment are in lock step. The goal of protecting the environment while facilitating and optimize energy production inspires my research, which is concerned with improving our ability to accurately simulate reactive flows that describe combustion and atmospheric phenomena.

3. How can our country engage more women, girls, and other underrepresented groups in STEM?

Early intervention is really important, using vehicles like science camps that are funded by scholarships. We need more outreach conducted by role models. More highly tuned messaging, perhaps guided by advice from professionals in journalism or marketing. Getting the word out that science is enticing and exciting. Making the business of science less onerous.

4. Do you have tips you would recommend for someone looking to enter your field of work?

Get involved in research as an undergraduate. Work really hard in graduate school to distinguish yourself.

5. When you have free time, what are your hobbies?

I am a foodie and I love to exercise. I also love live theater.