Carolina air quality faculty share research at NC BREATHE event in Charlotte
April 14, 2016
On April 8, more than 300 participants gathered in Charlotte, NC for the Bridging Research on Economics and Air Quality for The Health of Everyone (NC BREATHE) conference. The event featured air quality experts, medical professionals, government officials, and citizen scientists sharing information on the latest in current air quality research and current projects.
A number of faculty and students from UNC-Chapel Hill participated in the event as presenters, moderators and attendees.
- Jason West, an associate professor in the Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, delivered a keynote address on “Connecting Air Pollution, Climate Change, Energy and Health.” West discussed recent research findings showing that global air pollution is under appreciated for its impact on public health.
- The UNC Institute for the Environment’s Sarav Arunachalam demonstrated CTOOLS—a collaboration with EPA that allows for the study of local air pollution from a range of sources.
- Steve Wall, also with the Institute, moderated one of the policy breakout sessions.
The conference concluded with recognition for the student poster awards. Receiving the award for best graduate poster was Carolina’s Shih Ying Chang, a Ph.D. candidate at UNC-Chapel Hill’s Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering and an affiliate with the Institute.
The NC BREATHE conference is designed to provide a forum for collaboration and to discuss the latest research related to the impacts air pollution has on human health, the environment, and the economy.
The full list of speakers and topics covered during the day long discussion of air quality, public health, and economics can be found at http://ncbreatheconference.org/.
Photos courtesy of Nancy Pierce. (Photo 1) Jason West delivers keynote at NC BREATHE; (Photo 2) Shih Ying Chang (far right) won best graduate poster.