Neel got his PhD degree in Atmospheric Sciences from Michigan
Technological University. His graduate research focused on the effect of
turbulence on cloud droplet growth in warm clouds as well as droplet and
ice particle interactions in mixed phase clouds. He used digital in-line
holography to study droplets and ice in three dimensional volume
measurements. He performed experiments in the Michigan Tech Pi Chamber,
Michigan Tech Turbulence Chamber and other research facilities like the
Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research (TROPOS) in Leipzig,
Germany. He also analyzed airborne holographic measurements from the
CSET campaign over the Pacific Ocean. He currently has two peer reviewed
journal publications and a number of conference presentations from his
graduate research.
He has now joined the Climate and Process Modeling group at BNL as a
postdoctoral fellow to continue research on cloud-aerosol interactions,
effect of turbulence on cloud processes and precipitation as well as
modeling of such processes.
Education
- Michigan Technological University, Ph.D, Atmospheric Sciences,
2013.
- University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MS, Aerospace Engineering,
2012.
- University of Mumbai, BS, Mechanical Engineering, 2010.
Areas of Interest
- atmospheric physics, clouds and observational
methods to study them;
- the effect of turbulence on droplet condensation
and collision coalescence
in warm clouds, as well as droplet-ice interactions
in mixed phase clouds;
- analyzing field observation data of marine
stratocumulus and cumulus clouds during the CSET
campaign;
- analyzing LiDAR wind velocity data to study
marine boundary layer properties over Lake Michigan.
Awards, Honors and Memberships
- July 2018, Michigan Technological University
Finishing Fellowship Award -- Awarded to students
recognized by the Graduate Dean Awards Advisory Panel
for research, publication record, and contribution to
the mission of Michigan Tech.
- Feb 2018, Trans National Access Eurochamp 2020
Scholarship Award -- Awarded for high impact research
collaboration with Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric
Research, Leipzig, Germany.
- Dec 2017, Outstanding student paper at American
Geophysical Union, Fall 2017 Meeting -- Awarded for
Influence of microphysical variability which showed
signatures of Stochastic condensation in laboratory as
well as in-situ clouds measurements.
Experience
- Graduate Research Assistant, Michigan Technological
University, Houghton MI, 2014-2018.
- Visiting Researcher, Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research (TROPOS), Feb 2017-Mar 2018.
- Research Assistant, University of Michigan, Ann
Arbor, 2012-2013.
- Research Project Lead, Nuclear Power Corporation of
India Ltd. (NPCIL), Mumbai, 2009-2010.
- Summer Internship, Center for Computational
Technologies (CCTECH), Pune, India, Summer 2010.
External Service
- 2011-2012, Graduate Student Advisory Committee
University of Michigan Aersopace Eng., Ann Arbor --
Organized and was a part of 10 individuals acting as
mentors for incoming graduate and undergraduate students
to the Aerospace department.
- 2010-2011, Student Coordinator University of
Michigan Housing and Dining, Ann Arbor -- Supervised
student and university football team dining along with
groups of 25-30 student and union employees at South
Quadrangle Housing and Dining.
Selected Publications
Desai, N., Chandrakar, K. K., Kinney, G., Cantrell,
W., & Shaw, R. A. Aerosol-mediated glaciation of mixed-phase
clouds: Steady-state laboratory measurements. Geophys. Res. Lettrs
46, 9154-9162, doi:10.1029/2019GL083503 (2019).
Desai, N., Glienke, S., Fugal, J., &Shaw, R. A. Search
for microphysical signatures of stochastic condensation in marine
boundary layer clouds using airborne digital holography. J.
Geophys. Res. Atmos. 124, 2739-2752, doi:10.1029/2018JD029033
(2019).
Desai, N., K. K. Chandrakar, K. Chang, W. Cantrell,
and R. A. Shaw. Influence of Microphysical Variability on Stochastic
Condensation in a Turbulent Laboratory Cloud. J. Atmos. Sci.
75(1), 189-201 (2018).