Coty Jen
Associate Professor, Chemical Engineering
Coty Jen is an associate professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering and a member of the Center for Atmospheric Particle Studies at Carnegie Mellon University. Her research focuses on understanding how the chemical composition and physical properties of atmospheric aerosol particles influence air quality and climate. Specifically, her goal is to disentangle the chemical complexity of the atmosphere by measuring and then developing semi-empirical models to describe the numerous compounds and their reactions that help form and grow atmospheric particles. These models will help predict how human activities will alter air quality over the next few decades. In addition, Jen’s group specializes in developing novel aerosol measurement techniques to measure the physical characteristics and molecular make-up of atmospheric particles from several molecules to 2.5 µm in diameter produced from wildfires to complex atmospheric reactions.
Jen obtained her BS in chemical engineering at Columbia University in 2010, MS in chemical engineering at the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities in 2013, Ph.D. in mechanical engineering at the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities in 2015, and postdoc in environmental science, policy, and management at University of California, Berkeley in 2018. She received the NSF GRFP, NSF AGS Postdoctoral Fellowship, and the American Association of Aerosol Research Friedlander Award. Jen’s research is currently funded by NSF AGS Atmospheric Chemistry and DOE Atmospheric System Research.
Understanding the Complexities of the Atmosphere
Faculty Insights
Education
2015 Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
2013 MS, Chemical Engineering, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
2010 BS, Chemical Engineering, Columbia University
Research Interests
Media mentions
National Institutes of Health
Biomedical Engineering Ph.D. student receives $49k grant award
BME’s Dhruv Bhattaram, a second-year Ph.D. student, received $49k from the NIH to advance research on the development and application of lung epithelial organoids called apical-out airway organoids (AoAOs). Bhattaram has been part of BME’s Charlie Ren’s group, and as PI, he will partner with ChemE’s Coty Jen, MechE’s Amir Barati Farimani, and Pitt’s Kong Chen to present AoAOs as a next-generation theragnostic platform targeted towards airway health and cilia pathophysiology.
Chemical Engineering
An above-the-field campaign
In Oklahoma, the Jen Lab attached an instrument they designed and built to a tethered balloon, measuring sulfuric acid in the atmosphere.
Department of Energy
Jen interviewed on particle research
ChemE’s Coty Jen spoke with the Department of Energy about her research on atmospheric nucleation driven by sulfuric acid. Jen specifically covers the recent testing her research team conducted on a device they built that measures the precursor gasses in seed-particle formation.
CMU Engineering
2024 Dean’s Early Career Fellowships awarded
The College of Engineering congratulates Eni Halilaj, Coty Jen, and George Okeyo, the 2024 recipients of the Engineering Dean's Early Career Fellowships.
Chemical Engineering
Measuring ocean air to understand clouds and climate
In the lab and in the field, Coty Jen is studying marine phytoplankton emissions and their impact on atmospheric chemistry.
Chemical Engineering
From fridge to lunchbox: Measuring sulfuric acid in the air
Coty Jen received a grant to commercialize a smaller and less expensive instrument that will enable the research community to start monitoring urban sulfuric acid concentrations more widely.
Chemical Engineering
Teachers turned researchers
Two local high school teachers spent a month as researchers in the Jen Lab, part of a pilot program to help increase atmospheric chemistry and climate change literacy.
CMU Engineering
Quantifying that pond smell
Researchers are partnering with the PA Department of Environmental Protection to determine if emissions from harmful algal blooms could be unsafe to breathe.
WPXI Channel 11 News
Jen discusses poor air quality’s impact on health on WPXI Channel 11 News
ChemE’s Coty Jen discusses the poor air quality resulting from the Canadian wildfires and how prolonged exposure can have a serious impact on people’s health on WPXI Channel 11 News.
Chemical Engineering
Undergraduate researches health impacts of wildfire smoke
Chemical Engineering sophomore Jing Lin researches how smoke particles released into the atmosphere by wildfires affect our respiratory and immune systems.
Chemical Engineering
Faculty earn DOE Awards for Atmospheric Research
Carnegie Mellon University’s Coty Jen and Hamish Gordon have earned Department of Energy (DOE) awards for their work in atmospheric research.
Chemical Engineering
CMU’s Dominic Casalnuovo earns NSF Graduate Fellowship
First-year Chemical Engineering Ph.D. student, Dominic Casalnuovo, has earned a fellowship in the prestigious National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowship Program (NSF GRFP). His research focuses on developing new techniques for measuring trace gaseous pollutants in the atmosphere.