Adelaide Clark, Ph.D.
Assistant professor of chemistry
EDUCATION: Ph.D., analytical chemistry, Baylor University; bachelor’s degree in chemistry with a concentration in education, Emory & Henry College.
BEGAN TEACHING AT PC: Fall 2022
EXPERTISE: Environmental analytical chemistry with a focus on semi-volatile organic compounds in atmospheric particulate matter as it relates to human health and air quality
NEWSWORTHY: Clark is one of two Provost Faculty Fellows for the 2025-2026 academic year. While at PC, she has secured nearly $350,000 in external funding, part of which was used to establish FriAir Net, the Friar Air Monitoring Network. Three monitoring sites in the state will help her understand patterns in pollution across distances and time.
CURRENT PROJECTS: Clark and her students are finishing up a project investigating flame retardants and plasticizers in wildfire smoke in the Pacific Northwest. Additionally, using FriAir Net, they are investigating levels of flame retardants and plasticizers in atmospheric particulate matter across Rhode Island.
QUOTABLE: “I’m often asked why I chose to study air. I wanted to do something in chemistry that made a difference in the world, which led me to environmental work. You can decide not to drink the water somewhere, you can choose not to eat fish from a contaminated lake, but you can’t escape the air you breathe. Only by understanding what is in the air can we take steps to clean it up and make it better for the next generations.”
ORIGINALLY FROM: Cincinnati, Ohio (but grew up in Tennessee, Florida, Michigan, and Virginia)
HOBBIES: Running, baking, visiting Disney, reading romantasy novels, various craft projects, listening to Taylor Swift.
— CAROLYN CRONIN
