Leena Leppänen, Doctor of Philosophy, has been awarded the title of Docent at the Arctic Centre of the University of Lapland starting November 1, 2026. The title of Docent is given in the field of Snow Physics.

Leppänen’s research focuses on snow physics, snow microstructure, and snow measurements. She possesses extensive, over a decade long professional experience in snow research. She has done snow measurements in Lapland, Switzerland, Iceland, Svalbard, and Antarctica. Leppänen’s current research concerns the effects of water falling onto a snow surface, such as the changes in the snow microstructure.

Leppänen received her doctorate in geophysics from the University of Helsinki in 2020. Her doctoral thesis investigated the measurement and modeling of seasonal snowpack properties using passive microwave observations.

Leppänen has been conducting snow research at the Finnish Meteorological Institute in Sodankylä since 2012. She currently leads the thematic network “Nordic Snow Network” in the UArctic and takes part in coordinating the ESA-FMI Arctic-Boreal Earth Science, Calibration and Validation Supersite project funded by the European Space Agency.

In addition, Leppänen is participating in several other initiatives, including EXQALIBR Antarctica project funded by the Academy of Finland, POLARIN project funded by the Horizon Europe, and a collaboration with the LUMA-Centre Lapland regarding citizen science observations of snow.

– The title of Docent further strengthens cooperation with the Arctic Centre and enables a long-term commitment to its activities, Leppänen comments.

Between 2021 and 2025, Leppänen participated as a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Arctic Centre of the University of Lapland in the CHARTER project funded by the Horizon 2020. Currently, she works as a Visiting Researcher in the Global Change Research Programme at the Arctic Centre.

In May 2026, Leppänen gave a public teaching demonstration at the Arctic Centre titled “Observing snow properties” regarding her title of Docent.