Peter Weiss, Ph.D.
Research Associate, Department of Environmental Toxicology
University of California, Santa Cruz 95064
pweiss@ucsc.edu
peter@peterweissmusic.com
www.SingingScientist.com


Music Experience


Science and Music Elementary Teaching


Education and Credentials


Current Research Interests and Specialties


Employment



Research Publications

Chand, D., D. A. Jaffe, P. C. Swartzendruber, E. Prestbo, W. Hafner, P. Weiss-Penzias, S. Kato, A. Takami, S. Hatakeyama, and Y. Kajii, 2008, Reactive and particulate mercury in the Asian marine boundary layer. Atmospheric Environment,  doi:10.1016/j.atmosenv.2008.06.048.

Ebinghaus, R., C. Banic, S. Beauchamp, D. Jaffe, H. H., Kock, N. Pirrone, L. Poissant, F. Sprovieri, and P. Weiss-Penzias, 2008 Spatial coverage and temporal trends of land-based atmospheric mercury measurements in the northern and southern hemispheres.  In Mercury Fate and Transport in the Global Atmosphere: Measurements, Models, and Policy Implications, N. Pirrone and R. Mason Eds., United Nations Environment Program Global Mercury Partnership.

Weiss-Penzias, P., M. S. Gustin, S. Lyman, 2008. Observations of speciated atmospheric mercury at three sites in Nevada, USA: evidence for a free tropospheric source of reactive gaseous mercury, manuscript in review, Journal Geophysical Research-Atmospheres.

Weiss-Penzias, P., D. A. Jaffe., P. S. Swartzendruber, W. Hafner, D. Chand, and E. Prestbo, 2007. Quantifying Asian and biomass burning sources of mercury using the Hg/CO ratio in pollution plumes observed at the Mount Bachelor observatory, Atmospheric Environment, 41, 4366-4379.

Weiss-Penzias, P., D. A. Jaffe., P. S. Swartzendruber, J. B. Dennison, D. Chand, W. Hafner, and E. Prestbo, 2006, Observations of Asian air pollution in the free troposphere at Mt. Bachelor Observatory during the spring of 2004. , Journal of Geophysical Research, 111, D10304, doi: 10.1029/2005JD006522.

Swartzendruber, P. S., D. A. Jaffe., E. Prestbo, P. Weiss-Penzias, N. Selin, R. Park, D. Jacob, S. Strode, and L. Jaegle, 2006. Observations of Reactive Gaseous Mercury in the Free-Troposphere at the Mt. Bachelor Observatory, Journal of Geophysical Research, 111, D24301, doi:10.1029/2006JD007415.

Jaffe, D. A., E. Prestbo, P. Swartzendruber, P. Weiss-Penzias, S. Kato, A. Takami, S. Hatakeyama, and Y. Kajii, 2005, Export of Atmospheric Mercury from Asia. Atmospheric Environment, 39, 3029-3038.

Weiss-Penzias, P., D. Jaffe, L. Jaegle, and Q. Liang, 2004. Influence of long-range-transported pollution on the annual and diurnal cycles of carbon monoxide and ozone at Cheeka Peak Observatory, Journal of Geophysical Research, 109, D23S14, doi:10.1029/2004JD004505.

Weiss-Penzias, P., D. Jaffe, A. McClintick, E. Prestbo, and M. Landis, 2003, Gaseous elemental mercury in the marine boundary layer: Evidence for rapid removal in anthropogenic pollution. Environmental Science and Technology, 37, 3755-3763.

Jaeglé, L., D. A. Jaffe, H. U. Price, P. Weiss-Penzias, P. I. Palmer, M. J. Evans, D. J. Jacob, and I. Bey, 2003, Sources and budgets for CO and O3 in the northeastern Pacific during the spring of 2001: Results from the PHOBEA-II Experiment. Journal of Geophysical Research, 108(D20), 8802, doi:10.1029/2002JD003121.

Jaffe, D., M. S. Landis, P. Weiss-Penzias, and E. Prestbo, 2003, Comment on 'Mercury concentrations in coastal California precipitation: Evidence of local and trans-Pacific fluxes of mercury to North America' by D. J. Steding and A. R. Flegal. Journal of Geophysical Research, 108(D17), 4553, doi:10.1029/2003JD003504.


Jaffe, D. and P. Weiss-Penzias, 2002, Biogeochemical Cycles - The Nitrogen Cycle.  In Encyclopedia of Atmospheric Sciences, J. Holton, Ed., Elsevier.

Weiss, P. S., J. E. Johnson, R. H. Gammon, and T. S. Bates, 1995, Reevaluation of the open ocean source of carbonyl sulfide to the atmosphere. Journal of Geophysical Research, 100(D11), 23,083-23,092.

Weiss, P. S, S. S. Andrews, J. E. Johnson, and O. C. Zafiriou, Photoproduction of carbonyl sulfide in south Pacific Ocean waters as a function of irradiation wavelength, 1995, Geophysical Research Letters, 22(3), 215-218.

Milder, S. J, P. S. Weiss, D. S. Kliger, 1989, Time-resolved absorption, circular dichroism, and emission of tRNA. Evidence that the photo-cross-linking of 4-thiouridine in tRNA occurs from the triplet state. Biochemistry, 28(5), 2258-2264.


Oral Presentations

2008, National Atmospheric Deposition Program, Annual Meeting, Madison, Wisconsin - Invited Speaker

2008, UNEP Global Partnership of Atmospheric Mercury Transport and Fate Research, Rome Italy - Invited Speaker

2006, Atmospheric mercury fluxes based on ratios with carbon monoxide in pollution plumes from Asian, U.S., and biomass burning sources. American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, San Francisco, California.

2006, Identification and quantification of mercury source regions from year-long observations at a mountain-top site in the free troposphere. Eighth International Conference on Mercury and a Global Pollutant, Madison, WI.

2005, Teaching Environmental Sustainability through Indigenous Culture: The History of Ishi and the Yahi People of California. First International Conference on Environmental, Cultural, Economic, and Social Sustainability, Honolulu, Hawaii.

2001, Spring and Summer Observations of Carbon Monoxide, Ozone, Non-Methane Hydrocarbons and Elemental Mercury. American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, San Francisco, California.

Other Professional Activities

2007, Poster presentation, American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, San Francisco, California.
2007, Participant, CALFED Bay-Delta Program Annual Workshop and Review of Mercury Projects, Sacramento, California.
2006, Participant, NADP Planning Meeting for a Proposed Mercury Trends Network (MTN), Riverside, California.

Fellowships and Awards

1992-1995, Graduate fellowship from Global Change Education Program, U.S. Department of Energy.

Teaching Publications

Weiss-Penzias, P., 2006, Teaching Environmental Sustainability through Indigenous Culture: The History of Ishi and the Yahi People of California. International Journal of Environmental, Cultural, Economic, and Social Sustainability, Vol. 1.


PETER WEISS - THE SINGING SCIENTIST
PETER WEISS - THE SINGING SCIENTIST
About The Singing Scientist
What do you get when you cross a mercury pollution Ph.D. research scientist, a father, and a folk rocker/activist?  Why, the Singing Scientist, of course.  Dr. Peter Weiss synthesizes music and science as a way to teach about environmental issues.

"Dr. Pete" created the Singing Scientist in 2005 while working at the University of Washington in Seattle, where he served as a faculty researcher in the Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences Department.  Then in 2006, after moving to Santa Cruz and being bathed in this enlightened community (and an inspiring John McCutcheon concert at the First Congregational Church!), Peter took his music/science message to elementary school children (his daughter attends Westlake Elementary).  He has performed at several Santa Cruz County schools, the Monterey Bay Aquarium and Strawberry Music Festival.  Peter Weiss and the Earth Rangers combine well-crafted songs with informative messages about getting up and making a change toward compassion and action.  "Dr. Pete" delights his young audience as he mixes smoking and exploding ingredients in unique ways to teach about CO2 and global warming.  The show is dynamic, interactive and inspiring for all ages.

My Bio