Our fellows

Semontee Deb holds a Master’s degree in Atmospheric Sciences and a Bachelor’s Degree in Physics, from the University of Calcutta, India. She contributed to a peer-reviewed publication in the Journal of Geophysical Research, which focussed on solar-ionospheric interactions,gaining valuable experience in data analysis, numerical modeling, and scientific writing.
She gained experience in air pollution,aerosol–cloud interactions and dust transport mechanisms over the Indian region as a project associate in the Indian Institute of technology Kanpur.
With a strong foundation in physics and mathematics, she is particularly interested in understanding the dynamics of atmospheric dust and its impact on air quality and climate. As a Marie Skłodowska-Curie PhD researcher within the DUST-DN network at the Cyprus Institute, her work will involve the simulation and analysis of dust transport processes in the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East region. Her research combines numerical weather prediction models, satellite data, and ground-based observations to enhance the characterization and forecasting of dust events.

My name is Kenneth Tschorn, I am a PhD candidate at the Cyprus Institute and the Technical University of Darmstadt (Germany). During both my bachelor’s and master’s degree, I studied Geography at the University of Bonn (Germany) with strong focus on the spatiotemporal variability of particulate matter air pollution from cruise traffic in the UNESCO World Heritage Natural Site Geirangerfjord, Western Norway. I completed one ERASMUS+ exchange semester at the University of Bergen (Norway), and another one at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) in Trondheim (Norway). As a research associate within a long-term air quality monitoring program at the aforementioned UNESCO World Heritage Natural Site Geirangerfjord, I gained valuable experiences such as conducting field work in a particularly cold climate as well as teaching both undergraduate and graduate students on climatology, air pollution and other related topics.

My transition from Norway to Cyprus has given me new potential to grow within one of the leading research Institutes in the eastern Mediterranean area. As part of DUST-DN, I am focusing on the microphysical properties of atmospheric dust. This includes the development of methodologies to sample dust particles and acquire three-dimensional images by applying advanced Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). Furthermore, I am also interested in dust particle orientation, which may be inferred by analyzing datasets of a dual-FOV backscatter sonde.

Overall, my aim is not only to advance my own doctorate project, but also to foster collaboration and contribute to the Dust-DN network as a whole. In any case, my philosophy remains clear: passion for science, passion for a better planet!

Zuhir Bona is a PhD student and Graduate Research Fellow at the CARE-C Centre of Excellence, The Cyprus Institute, working on the Marie Skłodowska-Curie funded DUST-DN project. He holds a Master’s degree in Theoretical Physics (2025) and a Bachelor’s degree in Physics (2021), both from the Faculty of Science, Mansoura University, Egypt.

His research investigates the global distribution of mineral dust and its interactions with clouds. He employs remote sensing techniques to enhance our understanding of mineral dust’s role in the Earth system.

My name is Fernando Pacheco Bueno. I am an Ecuadorian environmental engineer with a master’s degree in Environmental Science and Technology, along with postgraduate studies in weather and climate modeling; both from Ghent University in Belgium. My research focuses on modeling super-coarse dust particles in the atmosphere and understanding their role in the Earth’s climate system. By improving how climate models represent the size, transport, and distribution of these larger particles, we aim to achieve more accurate estimates of their radiative forcing.

During my bachelor’s degree, I studied physics at the University of Milan, my home town. During this time, I followed with interest climate-related courses, which led me to pursue a master’s degree in climate physics at Utrecht University in the Netherlands. Drawn by my fascination with mountains and pristine nature, I conducted my master’s thesis at the Institut des Géosciences de l’Environnement (IGE) in Grenoble, where I studied Antarctic ice shelves using machine learning techniques.

Building on my experience in climate modeling and data analysis, I am now part of the Dust-DN project, where my research will focuses on modeling the spatial representation of resolved mineralogy. By integrating newly released satellite data, the project aims to improve our understanding of airborne dust effects on climate, particularly over Northern Africa, the Middle East, and Europe. The modeled predictions will be evaluated against in-situ, remote, and satellite observations.

Eleni Kolintziki majored in Agriculture at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, completing her thesis on land degradation and how it affects food security in Greece and Tunisia, employing the cloud-based remote sensing tool ‘’trends.earth’’ and calculating the 15.3.1 SDG indicator. She earned a Master’s in Environmental Sciences from Trinity College Dublin, where she broadened her knowledge on pressing environmental issues, while becoming familiar with environmental policies and more advanced geospatial analysis. She has an interdisciplinary background and experience in research, bringing a diverse skill set to her work. As a PhD researcher within the Marie Curie-funded DUST-DN network at the Cyprus Institute, she will focus on quantifying and characterizing dust microphysical properties in the Mediterranean and Middle East. Her research will integrate in situ and remote sensing tools for monitoring dust and identifying their sources.