News

AirUCI faculty Mike Dennin, also UCI's Vice Provost for Teaching and Learning, served on a National Academies panel which has released their Consensus Study on Teaching. The report calls on leaders of institutions and academic units, instructors, and other stakeholders to leverage their roles to improve undergraduate STEM education so all students can thrive.  Mike emphasizes that this is a long-term effort that will require concerted and consistent action by multiple stakeholders, within and beyond the higher education system. Read the study

In a January 16th article on Yahoo Life, AirUCI Research Specialist Shahir Masri is asked about the AQI, a tool used by the Environmental Protection Agency in order to communicate outdoor air quality.  Shahir says that the AQI is a helpful but imprecise tool which, for example, can’t tell us about very localized air pollution as it measures regions small to large depending on the placement of toxin monitors. “Similarly, the AQI considers average air quality over specified time windows,” he says.  Read the article

AirUCI faculty Jim Randerson is quoted in a January 15th article in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on the real causes of the firestorm ravaging Los Angeles.  While it’s hard to attribute individual events to climate change, it’s abnormal for wildfires—like those in Los Angeles—to happen during January, but very dry conditions as well as hurricane-force winds helped set the city ablaze.  Winter is the rainy season in Southern California, said Jim, and he can’t remember a time when it has not rained this far into January.  Even an inch of rainfall would have helped hydrate shrubs before the Santa Ana winds kicked up. “That water shuts down any wind-driven fire,” Jim said.  Read the article

AirUCI faculty Jun Wu is quoted in a January 14th article in Time Magazine on the best ways to protect yourself from wildfire smoke and ash.  Toxic particles from burned buildings, burned chemicals, burned cars, etc. are an urgent threat to many areas in Los Angeles County after the deadly firestorm last week and residents are urged to wear N-95 masks.  In addition to this threat, Jun advises that residents avoid turning on your fireplace, burning a candle, or frying food during the wildfire crisis. All can release chemicals and contribute to air pollution.  "If you’re sweeping up ash inside your home, mist it with water first, and then use a damp cloth or mop to clean surfaces," Jun says.  Bag it up before throwing it away, and avoid vacuums unless they have a HEPA filter.  Jun offers more steps to protect yourself from these toxins.  Read the article 

Read more from AirUCI alum Scott Epstein,air quality assessment manager at AQMD