Here's the latest news from AirUCI — our events, our people, our science.
AirUCI faculty Annmarie Carlton is the recipient of this year’s Violet Diller Award for Professional Excellence from Iota Sigma Pi, a national honor society for women in chemistry. The award consists of a cash prize, certificate, and a lifetime membership in Iota Sigma Pi. From the ISP website: “This award is for outstanding contribution to chemistry and allied fields by a woman. This is a triennial award."
Congratulations to Annmarie for this well-deserved distinction!
Samuel Bekoe, a graduate student in AirUCI's Furche group, is a recipient of a 2022-2023 Molecular Sciences Software Institute (MoSSI) Software Fellowship. These prestigious fellowships, awarded to only 11 fellows this year, recognize major contributions to computational methods that advance molecular science, computer science, and applied mathematics. Congratulations, Samuel!
Several AirUCI faculty were invited to speak at the Telluride Science Research Center workshop held July 18-22, 2022. Celia Faiola, Sergey Nizkorodov,, Manabu Shiraiwa, and Jim Smith all gave presentations on key topics. A number of AirUCI collaborators from other institutions also spoke at the workshop, including Alla Zelenyuk, Alex Laskin, and Yinon Rudich.
AirUCI faculty James Randerson, Jack Brouwer, and Jun Wu are among the subjects of an article describing our campus' focus on solving critical environmental issues. The legacies of Sherry Rowland and Ralph Cicerone, both honorary AirUCI members, are also referenced as inspirations for this work. Highlighted are Jim's research using satellite remote sensing to compile wildfire data; Jacks focus on hydrogen electrolyzers and fuel cells; and Jun's studies into environmental exposures of people to various agents, such as air pollution, noise, heat, or wildfires, and the health impact of those exposures. Read the article
AirUCI faculty James Randerson has released a study of California tree loss, research marking the first time scientists have been able to measure tree population declines in California as well as attribute the changes to such pressures as wildfires, drought stress, and logging. His research team, including AirUCI postdoc Jonathan Wang, utilized satellite data from the USGS and NASA’s Landsat mission to study vegetation changes between 1985 and 2021. One of the starkest declines in tree cover they documented was in Southern California, where 14% of the tree population in local mountain ranges has vanished. Read the article Read the Earth.com article
On July 9, 2022, AirUCI faculty Jack Brouwer was a guest on the PBS series Sustaining Us to discuss hydrogen as a viable alternative to power large vehicles such as ships, trucks, and trains. He answered questions about making hydrogen more available for these purposes and utilizing existing infrastructure to facilitate a transition to this green energy option. Watch the video
AirUCI Research Specialist Shahir Masri is quoted in a Healthline article on the fallout from the recent Supreme Court decision to strip enforcement powers from the Environmental Protection Agency. “If there’s anything positive to have come from the Supreme Court decision,” said Shahir, “it’s that the court affirmed that greenhouse emissions are a threat to the public.” He said it’s now up to the public to pay attention and make climate change an issue in the upcoming midterm elections. Read the article
AirUCI faculty Manabu Shiraiwa is quoted in an article in Voice of OC about Covid outreach and the importance of indoor air quality. He commented on the air exchange rate inside buildings as a key factor in reducing risk of viral transmission. "People can do a very simple thing; for example if you invite people to your house, just open the window – that’s going to increase the air exchange rate,” Manabu said. "Increasing air ventilation and indoor air quality, doesn't just reduce transmission of viruses, but also other pollutants that can trigger asthma and allergies.” Read the article
Donald Dabdub, one of the founding faculty of AirUCI, is retiring on July 1, 2022. Donald has not only contributed to AirUCI research in critical and innovative ways, his career as a Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering as well as his service to UCI's students as Associate Dean of Undergraduate Education has touched so many lives and influenced so many students. We hope he will be available to AirUCI for questions and consultations while enjoying his well-deserved retirement. Many thanks, Donald, and we'll miss you!
AirUCI faculty Jun Wu and Shahir Masri, former AirUCI research specialist, have published the results of their studies on the sources of lead contamination of soil in Santa Ana. Based on archival documents such as maps and newspapers, two potential sources of lead from past years seem likely — lead-based paint and leaded gasoline with the gasoline far more prevalent. Both of these sources have been illegal in California for decades. Currently public health agencies are primarily focused on lead-paint and consumer products, but this study shows they may be overlooking legacy contamination by leaded gasoline as a major source of environmental lead. Read the article
