Joe died August 16, 2024 in Windham New Hampshire, USA. Joe was the husband of Deborah and father to Sarah and Joey. Joe was born in North Andover and as a young man he excelled in baseball, football, and wrestling. Joe attended the MIT Massachusetts Institute of Technology where he earned undergraduate and graduate degrees in earth and planetary science, majoring in meteorology.

   After graduating from MIT, Joe began specializing in air pollution, in particular model development. key contributions included the Buoyant Line Plume Model, CALPUFF and CALMET as well as BPIP and BPIP Prime models. These models are widely used by researchers, environmental consultants, and regulatory agencies (including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) globally. He took great pride in teaching and mentorship.

   The latest version of the GRAL dispersion model, 24.04, has been released and it includes several updates and bug fixes. GRAL, a Lagrangian dispersion model, is extensively used for simulating pollutant dispersion, and these updates are expected to enhance its reliability in various environmental scenarios.

   A significant fix in version 24.04 addresses an issue that caused incorrect concentration calculations within buildings. This bug, present since version 23.11, affected flat terrain and certain building configurations. Correcting this issue ensures that GRAL can provide more accurate simulations in urban settings where building interactions play an important role.