Matt Alvarado is a fifth year graduate student in atmospheric chemistry in the Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences at MIT. Matt researches the chemical and physical transformations of aerosol particles in smoke plumes in order to better understand the impact of forest and savannah fires on the global environment. Before starting his PhD research, Matt was an environmental consultant with Cambridge Environmental where he assessed the risks to human health and the environment from landfills, oil spills, and other environmental hazards. Matt is an elected member of the Brookline Democratic Town Committee and has been elected as a delegate to the Massachusetts State Democratic Convention for the last three years.