Jim McQuaid

Jim joined the School in April 2000 from the School of Chemistry in Leeds where he did both his undergraduate and postgraduate studies and some initial postdoctoral work too. His research is primarily focused upon observations of the composition of both gas phase and aerosol species in the atmosphere. Over the last 18 years he has participated in a large number of research campaigns both ground-based and airborne including ACSOE, EXPORT, SAFARI2K, NAMBLEX, ITOP, RICO, DABEX/DODO, AMMA, EUCAARI-LONGREX, OP3, VOCALS, AMISA, Fennec, SAMBBA, ICE-ACCACIA and ICE-D. He was extensively involved in the conversion of existing instrumentation (WAS & VACC) and design and development of new instruments (PAN & ORAC) for deployment on the UK 146 atmospheric research aircraft (FAAM). For a long time he also had some funding as a NCAS (National Centre for Atmospheric Science) aircraft scientist.

Opting for a more leisurely pace, in September/October 2013, Jim sailed across the US from Cape Canaveral, Florida to the Pacific coast in Monterey, California in a 60 metre long airship as one of the team for an exciting new BBC series. Operation Cloud Lab: Secrets of the Skies is "one of television’s most ambitious experiments on the atmosphere". He also providing scientific and technical advice to the production team for the programme which was broadcast in July 2014. He also made clouds as part of Richard Hammond's Wild Weather series and has contributed to BBC iWonder (cloud weighing and perfect sunrise). He is a regular contributor to the weekly Paul Hudson Weathershow which is broadcast across local radio stations in Yorkshire.