Pillar-Little, Elizabeth

Pillar-Little, Elizabeth

Research Scientist

Office: NWC 4636
Phone: (405) 325-9467
Website: bliss.science
Twitter: @AtmosChemDoc

Education:

  • B.S. Biochemistry, B.S. Applied Forensic Science; Mercyhurst University, 2009
  • Ph.D. Chemistry; University of Kentucky, 2017
    • Thesis: Mechanisms of Heterogeneous Oxidation at Model Aerosol Interfaces by Ozone and Hydroxyl Radicals
    • Advisor: Marcelo I. Guzman

Research Interests:

  • Atmospheric chemistry and air quality
  • Boundary layer meteorology
  • Land-air-vegetation
  • Aerosol-cloud interactions

Online Research Profile:
Google Scholar
Research Gate

Biography:
Liz Pillar-Little is a research scientist I at the Cooperative Institute for Severe and High-Impact Weather Research and Operations (CIWRO). Her research at CIWRO broadly centers around on the topic of chemical weather, or how weather influences chemical processes in the atmosphere as well as how atmospheric chemistry impacts weather. This can take shape in many forms such as aerosol-cloud interactions, land-atmosphere interactions, air quality, and much more. She is currently working on projects exploring the role of aerosol on the pre-convective and convective environment, drivers of variations of vertical gradients of CO2 in the ASL/ABL, and the drivers of aerosol distribution in the ASL/ABL. Prior to joining CIWRO in July 2021, she worked a postdoctoral research associate for the Center for Autonomous Sensing and Sampling (CASS) from 2017-2018. She continued with CASS as a research scientist and its assistant director from 2018-2021. In addition to her research activities, she is actively engaged in undergraduate initiatives on campus and has served as an undergraduate research mentor for a dozen students since arriving at OU since 2017.

When not thinking about the chemistry of things that spin or helping manage the UAS fleet, Liz enjoys cooking, baking, video games, creative writing, gardening, and tabletop games.