Tami Bond

Tami Bond (born 1963 or 1964) is a professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Illinois, and an affiliate professor of Atmospheric Science. Bond has focused on the effective study of black carbon or soot in the atmosphere. She is a current MacArthur Fellow, which was awarded to her in 2014.

Tami Bond received a Bachelor of Science Degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Washington in 1993. She went on to post graduate study at the University of California at Berkeley, where she was awarded a Masters of Science in engineering in 1995, focusing on combustion. In 2000, she completed study for an interdisciplinary Doctor of Philosophy degree in Atmospheric Sciences, Civil Engineering and Mechanical Engineering, again from the University of Washington.

When discussing how she became interested in engineering, Bond noted, "I was poor and had a car that broke, and I had to fix it. It was frustrating but satisfying." In the late 1980s, she apprenticed in an auto body shop and became curious about how cars were made. She wanted to know about their design, not just to fix automobiles but to improve them. These experiences and others eventually led her to engineering

According to the MacArthur Foundation, Bond's laboratory and field research into quantifying the sources and effects of black carbon, as well as its optical and physical properties in the atmosphere, have provided the most comprehensive data on this pollutant and its effects as of 2014. Bond has expressed a specific interest in having her research bring a difference to the practical lives of individuals.

In addition to the MacArthur, which she received at the age of 50, Bond is the recipient of the National Science Foundation CAREER Grant, and the Nauman Faculty Scholar Award. She has also received the Xerox Faculty award and the Center for Advanced Study at the University of Illinois fellowship.