Ariane Middel is an urban climatologist whose work has greatly advanced scientists’ understanding of the effects of heat in cities. She is currently focused on developing better models and metrics to quantify urban heatscapes using tools like MaRTy, a biometeorological robot designed to measure extreme temperatures, and ANDI, a thermal manikin that measures how the body reacts to heat. The robot was used in one of Middel’s latest studies on ASU’s Tempe campus where her team measured the best landscape designs to keep people cool. Middel has worked with municipalities in the Valley, including the Cities of Phoenix and Tempe, to assess cool pavement implementations, find the most effective shade, and help identify cool corridors.

Middel is an assistant professor in the School of Arts, Media and Engineering and the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence. She directs the SHaDE Lab at ASU and is an active member of the Urban Climate Research Center (UCRC) and the Central Arizona–Phoenix Long-Term Ecological Research (CAP LTER) program.