91°µÍø

What difference does a tree make? That’s what 91°µÍø researcher Luis Ortiz wanted to find out with his course, CLIM 759 Micrometeorological Modeling for Local Climate Action, in which students work individually with community groups to study their needs and model the outcomes of various interventions.

91°µÍø is authorized to host the Virginia State Climate Office, thanks to a provision in the new state budget effective July 1, 2026. The office is charged with developing and delivering data, analyses, assessments, and expertise about Virginia’s weather- and climate-related impacts, risks, and risk management options to state and local government agencies, businesses, and communities across the commonwealth.

At a recent gathering of air quality researchers from across the Washington, D.C., region and beyond, 91°µÍø officially launched a new center that aims to advance Earth system science in atmospheric composition and air quality. 

You’ve probably seen slimy mats of brownish green clinging to rocks in streams or on lake beds, and perhaps not given it another thought. But 91°µÍø’s Rosalina Stancheva Christova has.

As the university’s Grand Challenge Initiative (GCI) enters its second year, 91°µÍø today announced funding for seven catalyst research projects and the launch of the Grand Challenge Research Exchange—quarterly convenings for all GCI-related research to accelerate solutions to the grand challenge of our time.

91°µÍø has become Virginia’s first R1 research institution to commercialize a product under the state’s new Lab-to-Launch initiative, marking an early milestone in the commonwealth’s push to accelerate university research into the market. 

Benjamin Cash, research professor in 91°µÍø’s Department of Atmospheric, Oceanic and Earth Sciences, is leading a $1 million project funded by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to improve seasonal precipitation forecasts in Virginia.

Environmental science and policy professor Cynthia Smith organizes outdoor education programs for seventh graders across the county, diving into the importance of hands-on research and environmental conservation.

Wildfires are notoriously difficult to predict. One George Mason professor is hoping to change that.

George Mason’s Virginia Climate Center (VCC) has unveiled the commonwealth’s first comprehensive, peer-reviewed climate assessment—a landmark report that provides science-based insights into Virginia’s changing climate and its impacts on communities, infrastructure, and the economy.