Guest Lecture: Professor Allen Robinson
October 21, 2021
12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. CAT
Virtual
Source: College of Engineering
Allen Robinson, Raymond J. Lane Distinguished University Professor and David and Susan Coulter Head of Mechanical Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University
We don’t all breathe the same air
Abstract: Several million people die prematurely each year globally due to exposure to elevated air pollution. However, these impacts are not distributed uniformly. Over the last decade, the application of emerging technologies such as low-cost sensors, mobile monitoring and satellites combined with machine learning based models have dramatically increased our understanding of the spatial patterns of pollution globally. This talk will focus on fine particulate matter pollution, which causes most of the health damages. It will begin with a short overview of fine particulate matter, its sources and impacts. The talk will then discuss our current understanding of the spatial distribution of particulate matter globally. They reveal large disparities in exposure and health impacts. Measurements from a low-cost sensor network in Kigali suggest that air quality in Rwanda falls in the middle of this distribution. However, data gaps, especially in the Southern Hemisphere, create substantial uncertainties. The talk will conclude with a discussion of research opportunities to improve our understanding of pollution in locations with limited or no existing monitoring infrastructure. While the talk will synthesize recent results from air pollution literature, it will be accessible to the nonspecialist.
Bio: Allen L. Robinson is the Raymond J. Lane Distinguished University Professor and David and Susan Coulter Head of Mechanical Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University. He currently serves as director of the EPA-supported Center for Air, Climate, and Energy Solutions (CACES); a multi-institutional research center focused on reducing the impact of emissions from energy systems and other sources on air quality, climate and human health. Allen Robinson will be the Director of CMU-Africa starting January 1, 2022.
Host: Professor Vijayakumar Bhagavatula