Scott Samuelsen, AirUCI faculty and Director of AirUCI partner APEP, is the Primary Investigator on a groundbreaking new project to build the first community microgrid projects in California. This new housing development will feature two neighborhoods with self-supporting energy systems that can be connected if needed. Working with several partners — the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), SunPower, KB Home, Southern California Edison (SCE), and Schneider Electric (SE) — this testing and demonstration project equips each home with smart energy systems which will be monitored and evaluated by APEP to enhance these technologies. Read the article
News
Here's the latest news from AirUCI — our events, our people, our science.
2022
Friday, October 21, 2022
Along with researchers at UC Davis, AirUCI faculty Jun Wu and Shahir Masri, an AirUCI research specialist in her group, have published an article in Climate that shows how the correlation between high temperatures and airborne particle concentrations disproportionately affect lower income residents. Periods of high summer heat combined with inhalable particles such as those generated by wildfires affect residents in remote, lower income communities more than people with better access to information. “Among low-income households, many lack computers and even internet, rendering them less able to become informed about, and therefore prepare for an approaching wildfire or smoke plume. In some cases, such platforms publish news before traditional media channels,” said Shahir. Read the article
Thursday, October 20, 2022
AirUCI faculty Andrea de Vizcaya Ruiz is quoted in an article on NBC News about a recent study showing the dangers of gas stoves and the chemicals they release into homes. Benzene is of particular concern. "It’s one of the most direct chemicals that induces cancer, because it transforms the cells in the bone marrow," Andrea said. Read the article
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
