News

Here's the latest news from AirUCI — our events, our people, our science.

 

2022

Wednesday, October 12, 2022

In a paper published recently in Nature Communications, an interdisciplinary team of AirUCI researchers quantified the health co-benefits of different decarbonization scenarios.  Along with AirUCI faculty Scott Samuelsen and Steve Davis, and AirUCI Senior Scientists Mark MacKinnon and Shupeng Zhu, Andrea Carlos-Carlos (engineering grad student) contributed to this study which found that greener buildings and cleaner trucking showed measurable improvement in health outcomes for disadvantaged communities.  Read the article 

Tuesday, October 11, 2022

The Horiba Institute for Mobility and Connectivity2 research facility was formally dedicated in a grand opening ceremony held Tuesday, October 11th on the UCI campus.  AirUCI faculty Vojislav Stamenkovic, who serves as the HIMaC2 Director, was present at the ceremony.  Researchers from multiple disciplines are exploring new horizons in zero-emission, connected, and autonomous vehicle technologies as well as the integration of energy and transportation sectors to improve the environment and people’s lives.  Read the article

Friday, October 7, 2022

A number of AirUCI members attended the October 2022 meeting of American Association for Aerosol Research to present their cutting-edge research.  For many graduate students it was the first major in-person conference as many conferences were virtual during the COVID era.  Several current members and alumni of AirUCI were recognized. Adam Thomas, a graduate student from the Smith group, received the poster presentation award.  Prof. Sergey Nizkorodov was elected Fellow of AAAR while Prof. Tran Nguyen, previously a graduate student in AirUCI, received the Kenneth T. Whitby Award.  All in all, a very good showing!

Friday, October 7, 2022

AirUCI Co-Director Sergey Nizkorodov has been elected as a fellow of the American Association of Aerosol Research (AAAR).  He joins fellow AirUCI faculty Donald Dabdub (recently retired) and numerous AirUCI collaborators in receiving this honor.  In 2008, the AAAR Board of Directors established a category of Fellow to honor significant contributions by individuals to the discipline of aerosol science and technology, and service to AAAR.  AAAR Fellows are expected to actively promote the field of aerosol science and technology and the ideals of AAAR.  The AAAR Fellow title is retained as long as the individual is living.  Congratulations, Sergey!

Thursday, September 29, 2022

AirUCI grad student Cynthia Wong (Nizkorodov group) has been selected to receive UCI's Chemistry Excellence in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Award for 2022, recognizing individuals who significantly contribute to creating a more inclusive, just, and welcoming community in UCI’s Department of Chemistry. Cynthia has demonstrated her commitment to these values through departmental and broader activities, including recruitment, outreach, mentoring, and teaching.  Congratulations, Cynthia!

Saturday, September 24, 2022

On September 24th, Dr. Jason Low, who as an undergrad studied with AirUCI Director Barbara Finlayson-Pitts, was inducted into the UCI Physical Sciences Alumni Hall of Fame.  AirUCI faculty Steve Davis was among the speakers at this event.  Jason serves as Assistant Deputy Executive Officer of the Monitoring and Analysis Division for Science & Technology Advancement at the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD).  He has returned to UCI several times to speak to classes that Barbara has taught, and was the last graduate student to receive his PhD under Ralph Cicerone.  Read the article

Wednesday, September 21, 2022

AirUCI faculty Jack Brouwer was interviewed by KCAL TV on September 21st regarding a study on campus to measure how average homes adapt to smart technologies.  A  group of faculty homes in University Hills were outfitted with solar panels, electric cars, battery chargers, and storage units to test the performance of the electrical grid and reduce energy costs and emissions.  Energy storage is the key, said Jack, and fuel cell and hydrogen technology can help reduce stress on the electricity grid.  View the interview

Friday, September 9, 2022

AirUCI faculty Jack Brouwer is quoted in a September 9th Daily Pilot article regarding a plan he has submitted to the Public Utilities Commission that would introduce hydrogen mixed in with natural gas at several buildings on the UCI campus. They plan to use an electrolyzer to convert water into hydrogen, which does not produce carbon dioxide when it burns. That will then be mixed into the fuel being piped through existing lines in parts of the campus. Read the article

Thursday, September 8, 2022

AirUCI faculty Jim Randerson and his grad student, Audrey Odwuor, took part in a controlled burn near Blodgett, CA by sampling material on the forest floor prior to the burn and collecting smoke samples.  These will be analyzed back in the lab and compared with burn data to determine if the prescribed fire efficiently burns through the materials it's supposed to, truly reducing the risk of future wildfires.  The U.S. Forest Service is analyzing their practices — thinning pre-emptively could allow more wind to whip through during a burn, producing hotter flames and making the blaze harder to control, but it might also help the burn consume more of the remaining fodder, creating a longer-lasting buffer against wildfire.  These studies help form best practices for forest maintenance.  Read the article

Tuesday, September 6, 2022

AirUCI grad student Katie Hopstock (Nizkorodov group) has been selected to receive a Campuswide Honors Collegium Graduate Fellowship for 2022-2023. Upon joining the CHC advising team this fall, Katie will counsel students who are embarking on undergraduate research about issues such as finding a faculty advisor, the research process, and how doing research can help students reach their goals. Congratulations, Katie!

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