The Chemical and Biological Engineering Department is pleased to present a seminar by Kerry Kelly from The University of Utah as part of our ChBE Seminar Series.

Dr. Kelly will present a seminar titled "Addressing air quality challenges through IoT solutions, policy, and education."

ABSTRACT: Northern Utah, where I live and work, periodically experiences the worst air quality in the nation -- and sometimes the world. Climate change and growing population are exacerbating our region's degraded air quality, especically particulate air pollution associated with wildfires, temperature inversions, and airborne dust, which are linked to numerous adverse health effects. As just one example the Great Salt Lake, a significant source of particle pollution (dust), recently reached historically low levels, revealing more than 750 mi2 of exposed lake bed, portions of which contain elevated levels of toxic metals, such as lead and arsenic. In recent years, government officials and scientists learning that particle pollution levels are not distributed uniformly. This talk will discuss using cost-effective (IoT) solutions to understand and address air quality challenges including: protecting youth athletes from air quality hazards, improving indoor air quality during pollution episodes, and encouraging smartidling choices in areas where vehicles congregate. It will also discuss overcoming data quality challenges associated with the use of cost-effective sensors, translating our work into policy, and linking to educational activities.

Dr. Kelly is a professional engineer and an Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering at the University of Utah. She has a BS in Chemical Engineering from Purdue University of Utah, a MS in Environmental Engineering from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, and a PhD in Environmental Engineering from the University of Utah. Dr. Kelly is committed to the translation of science to data-driven policy decisions. She served 8 years on Utah's Air Quality Board and currently serves on the state's air quality policy board together with state legislators. She has received a NSF CAREER award, the UCAIR air quality person of the year from Utah's governor for her service to the state, and The Story Exhange's Women in Science Innovation Prize. Her research focuses on understanding and addressing air-quality challenges, including using cost-effective, air-quality sensing to empower communities, optimizing energy efficiency and indoor air quality, and understanding viable virus transmission in hospital settings.

Bagels and coffee will be provided at 9:30am, and the seminar will start at 9:40am. Please plan to arrive on time to grab a bagel and mingle!

*Please note that there will be no Zoom option for seminars this year.