Hi! I’m Hikari Murayama.

I’m a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Atmospheric and Climate Science at the University of Washington, working with the Turner Group to advance methane quantification using remote sensing data.

My research is at the intersection of environmental and atmospheric science, applied ML, and remote sensing. I apply these tools to modern and historical climate challenges: from satellite-based monitoring of power plant carbon emissions today to reconstructing past African landscapes using archival aerial photographs.

I completed my Ph.D. at the University of California, Berkeley’s Energy and Resources Group, where I was co-advised by Solomon Hsiang and Ronald Cohen. I earned my B.A. in Chemical Physics from Wellesley College. Prior to graduate school, I led remote sensing projects at NASA DEVELOP and worked in economic consulting.

My current work is supported by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. Over the course of my career, I have been fortunate to receive support from the Quad Fellowship and the University of California Dissertation-Year Fellowship, as well as hold fellowships with the UW eScience Institute’s Data Science for Social Good program, Berkeley’s D-Lab, and Stanford University’s Global Policy Lab.

When I’m away from my computer, I enjoy hiking, traveling, hunting for the best local coffee, matcha, and food spots, and practicing yoga.