Ilona Riipinen. Photo: Paul Zieger
Ilona Riipinen. Photo: Paul Zieger

“This recognition from the international research community is a great honor. The science required for understanding the drivers behind climate change and air quality, however, cannot be achieved by a single researcher alone, but requires efficient team work across disciplinary and national boundaries. Receiving this award sends a positive message about the level aerosol, climate and air quality research done at Stockholm University and the Nordic countries in general - and I am obviously very happy about it.”

About Ilona Riipinen

Ilona Riipinen joined ITM in 2011. She holds a PhD in Physics from the University of Helsinki, Finland and has worked as a postdoctoral researcher in Finland and the USA. She currently leads a dynamic research group of 10 people and has published more than 80 articles in peer-reviewed journals with particular focus on aerosol formation and the development of measurement techniques to study the interaction between organic gases and aerosol particles. Besides her affiliation with Stockholm University, Ilona Riipinen is also Adjunct Professor at Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, USA and an Associate Professor at the University of Helsinki, Finland.

-Dr Riipinen is a very innovative young scientist in the field of atmospheric aerosol research and one who has made highly significant contributions to the field of aerosol formation and especially the role of organics in the formation and growth of atmospheric particles and its importance for climate,” says Alfred Weber, Professor at Clausthal University of Technology, Germany, and Chairman of the Smoluchowski Award Committee.

Ilona Riipinen is the second female- as well as the second youngest awardee of the Smoluchowski Award.

About the Smoluchowski Award

The Smoluchowaski Award, named after the physicist Marian Smoluchowaski (1872 – 1917) is awarded annually to one or two young researchers (under 40 years of age) who has/have significantly contributed to the field of aerosol science.  The award is conferred by the Association of Aerosol Research (GAef) during the European Aerosol Conference, which takes place every year in select locations.

The annual award consists of a certification and donation of €2000. The names and achievements of the awardee (s) are published in the Journal of Aerosol Science.

For more information contact:

Ilona Riipinen, Department of Applied Environmental Science & Bert Bolin Centre for Climate Research, Stockholm University.
Mob: +358-40-7082823; +46-73-5859251
Email: Ilona.riipinen@itm.su.se

Stella Papadopoulou, Science Communicator, Department of Applied Environmental Science, Stockholm University
Mob: +46-70-180 8234,
Email: stella.papadopoulou@itm.su.se