Ph.D. Carnegie Mellon University (2009)

Current Research

• Air pollution source contributions
• Air pollution exposure estimation and inequality
• Air pollution in communities
• Ecosystem impacts of air pollution
• Pesticide drift and sustainable agriculture
• Engineering pedagogy

Professional Activities

Environmental Division Board of Directors: American Institute of Chemical Engineers

Lecturers Committee: Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors

Member: American Association for Aerosol Research

Member: American Association for the Advancement of Science

Member: International Society for Exposure Science

 

Research Statement

The Computational Atmospheric Chemistry and Exposure Laboratory, led by Dr. Kristina Wagstrom, specializes in applying computational engineering-based approaches to address problems related to air pollution and atmospheric chemistry. This includes creating new and expanded modeling approaches, using community-developed computational tools to directly answer pressing scientific questions, using low-cost monitoring tools to expand the observational data available for model evaluation and development, and addressing local air pollution concerns posed by community partners. The overarching goal of the laboratory is to bridge the gap between the basic scientific understanding of the transport and transformation of atmospheric pollutants and the tools policy makers and communities use to develop potential air pollution strategies.

Engaging Communities to Bridge the Local to Regional Gap in Air Pollution Assessment (NSF CAREER Award #1752231)

Over 19% of the United States population lives near major roads. This can negatively impact health and lead to lower life expectancy. This project willequip communities to advocate for solutions to local, near-road air quality concerns. Student involvement will lead to an increase in participation of underrepresented groups in engineering. The team will achieve these goals by combining air quality measurements, modeling, and community engagement. This work will transform how policy makers and urban planners solve air quality problems.

Resolving Source Contributions to Atmospheric Deposition (NSF CBET Award #1705813)

To effectively design watershed management plans environmental regulators need the most complete picture of the major chemical species and sources contributing to the deposition of atmospheric nitrogen in watersheds. The modeling components of this project will estimate the amount of atmospheric nitrogen from different sources depositing in watersheds throughout the United States. This work also includes a focused look on the Long Island Sound Watershed. Specifically, this will include extensive modeling of both the atmosphere and watershed in the region and supplemental nitrogen deposition sampling to provide a clearer picture of the impacts in the region.

Quantifying Contributions to Global Atmospheric Gas and Particulate Matter Pollutants

Winds can transport air pollution over large distances crossing oceans and continents. As such, there is a critical need to quantify how emissions from one region may impact the pollutant concentrations in other regions and climate. The objective of this project is to provide improved modeling of the contributions from different regions and atmospheric processes to atmospheric gas and particle pollutant concentrations. This work also sets up future work to estimate global particulate matter age, source-specific impacts on climate, and source-resolved linkages between the atmosphere and hydrosphere.

Evaluating the Extent of Pesticide Drift between Conventional and Organic Farmlands (UConn Academic Plan Award, PI: Richard Parnas)

This project aims to evaluate the amount of pesticide drift between the University of Connecticut conventional farmlands and the Spring Valley Student Farm and EcoGarden which both employ organic farming practices. This work will measure the amount of major pesticides depositing at these sites to estimate the impact on water resources, ecosystems, and organic farmlands.

Evaluating Long-term Trends in Air Pollution Exposures

This set of projects aim to estimate exposures to a variety of groups over the last several decades. This includes projects aimed at estimating the exposure to cyclists, runners, and walkers in urban areas; to different socioeconomic groups; at schools across the country; and in the Stamford, CT train station.

 

Current Research Group Members:

• Fatema Parvez, Ph.D. Student
• Carmen Lamancusa, Ph.D. Student
• Landon Bassett, Ph.D. Student
• Yukui Li, Ph.D. Student

Previous Positions

2012 – 2013	Science and Technology Policy Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science, Environmental Protection Agency
2009 – 2012	Postdoctoral Associate, Civil Engineering, University of Minnesota

Awards & Honors