For her seminal contributions to our understanding of atmospheric chemistry both in and outdoors, Delphine Farmer has received the 2022 AGU Atmospheric Sciences Ascent Award. Prof. Farmer’s research describes the atmospheric chemistry occurring in remote to highly complex indoor environments. Her expertise in indoor atmospheric chemistry was profoundly important these past 2 pandemic years—she has played a critical role in communicating how exposure to aerosol containing SARS-CoV-2 threatens public health and how to mitigate this threat. Three major research thrusts characterize Prof. Farmer’s recent scholarship. First, in a series of field and laboratory studies, Farmer has led a community effort to study the aerosol chemistry of the home environment. She led the HOMEChem field study in 2018. In this study, she illustrated how both cooking and volatile chemical emissions associated with cleaning and fragrances increase aerosol exposure. She quantified and developed frameworks for describing the partitioning of chemicals with the diverse surfaces present in the home. These important studies have changed how the community understands the multiphase chemistry of the indoor environment. Second, she has made significant contributions toward describing the aerosol and gas phase dynamics of wildfire plumes. Her participation in WE-CAN and analysis of this important data set yielded a series of manuscripts that describe the photochemical aging of wildfire emissions and how they alter the amount, chemical composition/toxicity of aerosol, including describing the evolving optical properties of the aerosol. Third, from data she obtained in several ambient studies at forested field sites, Farmer described how biogenically derived chemicals such as isoprene and monoterpenes are oxidized to form organic aerosol and small carboxylic acids. This body of work has helped answer a question that has eluded our community: Where do all the small carboxylic acids measured both in the gas phase and in rainfall come from? The body of work contained in any one of these thrusts would be sufficient for recognition with the Ascent Award. That she has had such impact in all three is remarkable. Finally, although the Ascent Award is focused on research, Delphine’s efforts to build community must be recognized. Prof. Farmer helped initiate, and cohosts, the virtual Frontiers in Atmospheric Chemistry Seminar Series that routinely attracts hundreds of attendees from around the world. This single act of generosity in service has enriched so many during these particularly difficult past 2 years. —Paul Wennberg, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena

I am delighted to receive the AGU Atmospheric Sciences Ascent Award on behalf of the many people who supported me in developing my career and scientific interests. I thank Paul Wennberg for his kind nomination, and Ron Cohen, Allen Goldstein, and Jose Jimenez for their support, not only of my nomination but also of my career. In particular, Ron Cohen (my Ph.D. adviser) and Jose Jimenez (my postdoctoral adviser) fostered my curiosity and encouraged me to always question ideas, both established and new. Atmospheric chemistry is inherently collaborative and centers around scientists with different approaches to field, laboratory, and modeling studies working together to solve impactful problems. The strength of the field lies in its diversity of perspectives. The work for which I am cited is not “mine” but is instead the result of collaborations with many thoughtful scientists from around the world who deserve recognition. Most important to this research are the graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and research scientists in my group. They are truly the ones pushing the way we think about problems, and I look forward to seeing what scientific puzzles and curiosities we find next. I am particularly grateful to the many friends that I found among colleagues and coworkers—they not only supported my research but also made it fun. The atmospheric and indoor chemistry communities created a welcoming environment for me, helping me navigate new topics and build a career. I hope that environmental chemists at all career stages continue working together to ensure that our field is inclusive and truly open to a diversity of researchers. —Delphine Farmer, Colorado State University, Fort Collins