James Russell
Professor and Co-Director
Dr . Russell's research has focused on atmospheric science, remote sensing and satellite data analysis to study properties and processes in Earth's atmosphere. He began his career in electrical engineering at the NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia developing instrumentation and performing ground and rocket reentry tests of heat shield material used on the Gemini and Apollo capsule. He also worked on instrumentation for characterizing the Martian atmosphere during entry. He served as Co-PI on the Nimbus-7 LIMS satellite experiment to study odd nitrogen effects on the ozone layer and PI for the HALOE experiment on the UARS satellite to study odd chlorine and odd nitrogen effects on ozone. He currently serves as PI for the SABER experiment on the TIMED satellite to study the chemistry, dynamics and energetics of the thermosphere and mesosphere and PI on the AIM mission to study noctilucent clouds. Dr . Russell served as head of the Chemistry and Dynamics Branch and the Theoretical Studies Branch in the NASA Langley Atmospheric Sciences Division and currently is a Professor of Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences and Co-Director of the Center for Atmospheric Sciences at Hampton University in Virginia. He received the BSEE degree from Virginia Tech, the MSEE degree from the U. of Virginia and the PhD in Aeronomy from the U.of Michigan. He is author or co-author of more than 350 papers in the scientific literature.