Dr. Alex Gilerson
Dr. A. Gilerson received his PhD, Master and Bachelor degrees from the Technical University, Kazan, Russia. He started his work at the CCNY in 1997 at the Institute for Ultrafast Spectroscopy and Lasers (IUSL) with the focus on medical applications of optical coherence tomography. Since joining Optical Remote Sensing Laboratory of Electrical Engineering Department in 2003 he worked on multiple projects related to Remote Sensing of the coupled Ocean-Atmosphere environment, specifically on development of algorithms for the estimation of chlorophyll concentration and chlorophyll fluorescence, detection of algal blooms, validation of satellite sensors for ocean monitoring, development of instrumentation and systems for advanced characterization of the ocean waters and ocean surface.
He developed (together of Dr. S. Ahmed) the Long Island Sound Coastal Observatory (LISCO) for the validation of the Ocean Color satellite sensors which is a part of NASA AERONET and AERONET-Ocean Color Networks; developed integrated system for the study of underwater polarized light fields; developed a hyperspectral polarimetric imaging system for ocean studies; led CCNY group in multiple ocean field campaigns.
He is a member of the NOAA-NASA-Navy team for the calibration/validation of the Ocean Color satellites. His work has been supported by grants from NASA, NOAA and the Office of Naval Research.
He is a part of Earth System Science and Environmental Engineering Program and a member of doctoral faculty of the Earth and Environmental Sciences Program at the Graduate Center of CUNY, member of NOAA CREST center.
His research combines scalable field experiments with advanced numerical modeling to characterize the turbulent transport of mass, momentum, and energy in the urban boundary layer. A central focus of his work is investigating the drivers of urban heat island (UHI) intensity in large cities and its interaction with extreme heat events such as heatwaves. He is actively developing mitigation strategies to help moderate urban climate impacts and build more sustainable, resilient cities.
Dr. Ramamurthy’s lab also explores coastal urban boundary layer dynamics and how they influence convective clouds and thunderstorms—an area of growing importance in the context of climate change and coastal urbanization. He collaborates with the NOAA-CREST Center to operationalize remote sensing tools for urban climate research, expanding the capacity to monitor and model environmental conditions in densely populated areas.
His broader research interests include computational fluid dynamics, environmental fluid mechanics, building energy modeling, and urban meteorology. Through this work, he aims to develop science-based solutions to the challenges of climate adaptation and urban sustainability.
In addition to his academic and research roles, Dr. Ramamurthy is a member of the American Meteorological Society’s Board on Urban Environment and serves as an Associate Editor for the ASME Journal of Solar Energy Engineering. His contributions to urban climate science continue to inform both local policy and broader environmental resilience efforts.
