Ashish Sharma holds a joint appointment with the Environmental Science Division of the Argonne National Laboratory. He is the Climate and Urban Sustainability Lead at the Discovery Partners Institute. In addition, he has a graduate faculty appointment in the Department of Atmospheric Sciences and as an NCSA affiliate at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The focus of his research is on atmospheric sciences and land-atmosphere interactions at a variety of spatial scales (regional through local). He performs targeted climate dynamical downscaling experiments with the overall goal of creating ​“bridges” between spatial scales. Another aspect of his research involves collaborating across science, engineering, social sciences, and policy to perform collaborative, applied, and translational research focused on reducing vulnerabilities and increasing preparedness in urban environments. He collaborates with cities and institutions to conduct research on environmental issues related to heat, fog, air quality, high-impact weather, and environmental justice topics. He has projects funded by NSF, NASA, IBM, and the Walder Foundation. 

 

Dr. Sharma holds a Ph.D. degree in Aerospace Engineering from Arizona State University (2012). He is a fellow of the Royal Meteorological Society and has published more than 30 articles. He has co-authored an assessment on the impacts of climate change on the Great Lakes region (2019) and a special assessment of the impacts of climate change on the State of Illinois (2021). He briefed the US Senate and House members on urban and climate issues in the Great Lakes region. He also co-authored the 2019 NOAA report on Climate Research to Enhance Resilience to Extreme Heat — Aligning research priorities with stakeholder needs. He is one of the authors of the first climate action plan for the Chicago metro region (2021), which has been recognized nationally.