Research meteorologist and first African American male Ph.D. from UGA Geography, Dr. Marcus Williams

The Fort Stewart Fire Research Campaign was an integrative research effort that collected data on Fire Behavior, Fuels, and Smoke during a series of prescribed burns at Fort Stewart. Dr. Marcus Williams, a Research Meteorologist at the USFS Athens Fire Lab, was the discipline lead for Micrometeorology and a member of the Smoke measurement discipline. He is seen here observing PM2.5 concentration levels on a small handheld measurement device. PM2.5 concentrations were also measured using an Environmental Beta-Attenuation Mass Monitor (EBAMS) and the height of the smoke plume was measured using a CL31 ceilometer. The data collected during the fire research campaign will be vital in improving smoke plume modeling for prescribed burns.

Dr. Williams was the first African American male to receive a Ph.D. from the Department of Geography at the University of Georgia in 2016.