Danielle Haas Freeman, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Chemical and Environmental Sciences
Department of Science
Prof Freeman is an environmental chemist and a teacher. In lab, she studies where chemicals go and how they behave when they are released to the environment. Her primary research focuses on sunlight-driven reactions that transform organic chemicals in natural waters, changing their behavior and effects. Her work on crude oils has shown that sunlight exposure can change the chemistry and physical properties of oil spilled in the ocean, with implications for damage assessments and effective cleanups when an oil spill happens at sea. In the classroom, Prof Freeman uses active learning techniques to teach chemistry and oceanography coursework.
Education
- A.B. Chemistry, 2017, Bowdoin College
- Ph.D. Environmental Chemistry, 2024, MIT-WHOI Joint Program in Oceanography
Courses Taught
- General Chemistry
- Analytical Chemistry
Selected Publications and Presentations
- Freeman, D.H.; Nelson, R.K.; Pate, K.; Reddy, C.M.; Ward, C.P. Forecasting Photo-Dissolution for Future Oil Spills at Sea: Effects of Oil Properties and Composition. Environ Sci Technol. 2024.
- Freeman, D.H.; Niles, S.F.; Rodgers, R.P.; French-McCay, D.P.; Longnecker, K.; Reddy, C.M.; Ward, C.P. Hot and cold: Photochemical weathering mediates oil properties and fate differently depending on seawater temperature. Environ Sci Technol. 2023.
- Freman, D.H. and Ward, C.P. Sunlight-driven dissolution is a major fate of oil at sea. Sci Adv. 2022.
- Ward, C.P.; Bowen, J.C.; Freeman, D.H.; Sharpless, C.M. Rapid and Reproducible Characterization of the Wavelength-Dependence of Aquatic Photochemical Reactions Using Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs). Environ Sci Technol Letters. 2021.
Research Interests
- How do the chemistry and physical properties of crude oils spilled at sea change upon exposure to sunlight?
Professional Affiliations
- North Atlantic Chapter of the Society for Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry
