Rate My Professor Peter Doran

Peter T. Doran is an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois at Chicago, with a research focus on Antarctic Climate and Ecosystems. He earned a Bachelor's degree from Trent University, Ontario; a Master's degree from Queen's University at Kingston, Ontario; and a Ph.D. in Hydrology and Hydrogeology from the University of Nevada, Reno. Doran was faculty in Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois at Chicago prior to 2015. He currently holds the position of Professor of Geology and Geophysics and John Franks Endowed Chair at Louisiana State University.

Doran's research specializations include hydrogeology, polar environments, Antarctic climate and ecosystems, astrobiology, and planetary protection. His investigations cover Antarctic limnology, paleolimnology, biogeochemistry in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, and ecosystem responses to climate variability. As Principal Investigator for the NASA ENDURANCE project, he advanced under-ice robotic exploration for astrobiology applications. Key publications include 'Antarctic climate cooling and terrestrial ecosystem response' (Nature, 2002), 'Valley floor climate observations from the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica, 1986–2000' (Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 2002), 'Examining the scientific consensus on climate change' (Eos, Transactions American Geophysical Union, 2009), 'Spectrofluorometric characterization of dissolved organic matter for indication of precursor organic material and aromaticity' (Limnology and Oceanography, 2001), and 'Consensus on consensus: a synthesis of consensus estimates on human-caused global warming' (Environmental Research Letters, 2016). Doran has published over 80 articles, contributing significantly to polar science through involvement in the McMurdo Dry Valleys Long-Term Ecological Research program. He is a Fellow of the Geological Society of America and the Earth Leadership Program.