Mike Alves in an alumnus of Augsburg University, where he studied Chemistry. In 2015, he researched human breath using mass spectrometric techniques, looking for and successfully identifying major breath compounds that are biomarkers for bodily processes. Currently, he is at the University of California-San Diego pursuing a PhD in Analytical and Atmospheric Chemistry, funded for three years by the prestigious National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship. Alves works on climate-related studies as well as indoor air chemistry. His project looks at humans’ impact on the surfaces and breathable air, and the effects those impacts might bring. While at Augsburg, Alves was the recipient of Minnesota Space Grant scholarships to support his education.