Biography
Dr Melita Keywood is a Senior Principal Research Scientist in the Climate Science Centre of CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere. Dr Keywood has 23 years of experience in aerosol research and has authored 64 peer reviewed journal publications and over 70 client reports.
Melita completed her PhD in environmental geochemistry at the Australian National University in 1996 and has worked at CSIRO since, with two six-month breaks taken up with maternity leave. Between 2002 and 2004 Melita visited the Californian Institute of Technology, working with Professor John Seinfeld on the laboratory simulation of secondary organic aerosol.
Melita’s research expertise lies in the chemical and microphysical properties of atmospheric aerosol which she uses in a variety of applications ranging from tracking long term changes in aerosol microphysics and chemical composition of the remote marine boundary layer, to understanding aerosol growth and secondary organic aerosol in urban airsheds and biomass burning plumes. More recently Melita has been applying these expertise to the investigation of the impact of unconventional gas extraction on air quality.
Melita is a co-leader of the Particle and Multiphase Atmospheric program at Cape Grim and was an author on the 2016 State of Environment Report, for which she led the Atmosphere chapter. Melita has also led or contributed to numerous large and high profile projects including the National monitoring of hazardous substances in air for Persistent Organic Pollutants (2011-2015), the Upper Hunter Particle Characterisation Study (2012), the Lower Hunter Particle Characterisation Study (2014-2015), the Sydney Particle Study (2011-2014), the Human health and CSG development: A future study design framework (Gas Industry Social and Environmental Alliance 2017) and the Air, water and soil impacts of hydraulic fracturing (Gas Industry Social and Environmental Alliance 2017-2018).
Melita presented a keynote lecture at the 23rd Biennial International Clean Air and Environment Conference of the Clean Air Society of Australia and New Zealand (CASANZ) in October 2017 and was part of the team awarded the 2016 Clean Air Achievement Award from the CASANZ (for making a significant contribution to achieving improvements in the quality of the air environment) and a Certificate of Recognition (2014) from the CASANZ (in recognition of significant contribution to the understanding of the air quality impacts of a major emergency on the local community and environment- Hazelwood Coal Mine Fire 2014).
Other Interests
Melita is a member of several international scientific committees including the Word Meteorological Organisations Pollution and Atmospheric Chemistry Scientific Steering Committee (EPAC SSC) (http://www.wmo.int/pages/prog/arep/gaw/JSCOPAGEPAC.html) and is Vice President of the International Commission for Atmospheric Chemistry and Global Pollution (http://www.icacgp.org/ ). Dr Keywood served on the Scientific Steering Committee for the International Global Atmospheric Chemistry Project (IGAC) and was a founding co-chair of the Interdisciplinary Biomass Burning Initiative
Current Roles
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Group Leader
Atmospheric Composition and Chemistry -
Team Leader
Aerosols
Academic Qualifications
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1989
Bachelor of Science
University of Auckland -
1989
Master of Science
University of Auckland -
1996
Doctor of Philosophy
Australian National University
Professional Experiences
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2002-2004
Postdoctoral Fellow
California Institute of Technology
Achievements and Awards
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2019-2019
Werner Strauss Clean Air Achievement Award from the
Clean Air Society of Australia and New Zealand -
2016-2016
Clean Air Achievement Award for making a significant contribution to achieving improvements in the quality of the air environment.
Clean Air Society of Australia and New Zealand -
2014-2014
Certificate of Recognition for significant contribution to the understanding of the air quality impacts of a major emergency on the local community and environment- Hazelwood Coal Mine Fire 2014
Clean Air Society of Australia and New Zealand -
2002-2004
Postdoctoral Fellowship
California Institute of Technology
Other highlights
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2019-present
President Commission for Atmospheric Chemistry and Global Pollution (ICACGP)
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2016-2018
Co-Chair, Scientific Program Committee, 14th iCACGP Quadrennial Symposium and 15th IGAC Science Conference Takamatsu, Japan, September 25-29, 2018
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2014-2018
Vice president Commission for Atmospheric Chemistry and Global Pollution (ICACGP)
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2012-2017
Co-chair of the IGAC\iLEAPS\WMO Interdisciplinary Biomass Burning Initiative
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2014-present
Member of the WMO Pollution and Atmospheric Chemistry Scientific Steering Committee (EPAC SSC)
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2010-2016
Science Steering Committee Member for International Global Atmospheric Chemistry Project (IGAC)
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2005-present
Lead Scientist, Cape Grim Science Program