B.S. (Chemistry, MIT 1979)
Ph.D. (Chemistry, University of Washington, 1987)
Office: UW1-334
Phone: 425.352.5357
Email: djaffe@u.washington.edu
Website: http://faculty.washington.edu/djaffe/
Mailing: Box 358530, 18115 Campus Way NE, Bothell, WA 98011-8246
I teach environmental science, environmental chemistry and air pollution. While all of my courses are fundamentally science courses, I feel it is also important for students to understand the ways that science impacts regional, national and global policy. For this reason, my science courses mix in elements of environmental policy, as well as emphasizing communication skills. For non-science students, I emphasize the scientific method and ways to understand and interpret scientific information. I feel this is particularly important given the fact that science and technology are all around us, yet are not well understand by most non-specialists. Most of my courses include active learning components in the form of lab or field investigations in environmental science. Past class projects include testing campus vehicles for carbon monoxide emissions, measuring the carbon monoxide and tar concentrations in cigarette smoke, measuring ozone output from copying machines and measuring particulate matter in the air at the UW Bothell campus. In my opinion, to understand science, nothing substitutes for first hand investigations and teachers don't have all the answers. Sometimes students have to go out and conduct experiments to find the answers for themselves.
BIS 386 Global Environmental Issues
BES 301 Science Methods and Practice
BES 311 Environmental Chemistry
BES 315 Environmental Chemistry Lab
BES 430 Air Pollution and Health
My primary area of expertise is in global and regional air pollution, especially carbon monoxide, ozone, nitrogen oxides, aerosols, mercury and other metals. In 1997 my research team discovered that Asian air pollution could be transported across the Pacific in as little as 6 days time, under certain meteorological conditions. This discovery has led to many important policy relevant questions, but unfortunately we are not yet able to answer these questions. My research team at UW Bothell consists of post-doctoral fellows, graduate students and undergraduates, all working together to address these questions. This work is supported by research grants from the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. For more details on my research program, please refer to my main webpage where you can get current information and learn about opportunities to join my research team.
