Across the US, air pollutants regulated under the Clean Air Act are monitoring at fixed-location sites, and based on these measurements, the majority of the US does not experience air quality issues. However, these measurement sites may be sparsely distributed through space. Dr. May will discuss two of his projects that seeks to address this issue by providing data with improved spatial resolution in areas where people live, work, and play using low-cost sensors.
These projects include deploying sensors on a transit bus to provide regular, repeated measurements in an urban environment and collaborating with high schools near Columbus, OH to establish a network of sensors throughout the local community. Improved spatial resolution can provide better estimates of localized air pollutant concentrations and better protect children, the elderly, and other groups who may be more sensitive to poor air quality.
Dr. May holds a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University, an MS in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Clarkson University, and a BE in Chemical Engineering from the University of Delaware. Subsequent to his PhD, he was a post-doctoral researcher in the Department of Atmospheric Science at Colorado State University. Dr. May’s research has two main focus areas: 1) emission, fate, and transport of atmospheric pollutants and 2) indoor environmental quality. These efforts include both laboratory and field studies as well as computational approaches. He also has on-going collaborations with three high schools in Central Ohio that enable students to collect localized air quality data using low-cost sensors.
The University's Environmental Lecture Series specifically focused this year's programming to complement the Symposium Against Indifference's "Liberty and Responsibility" theme by organizing a series of events encompassing a diverse set of discussions across disciplines to focus on "Environmental laws and Ohio wildlife, natural resources and quality of life." The goal of this year’s Environmental Lecture Series is to engage with this theme through examples of the application of Ohio's environmental laws and policies.
Fifty years ago on January 1, 1970, President Nixon signed into law the National Environmental Policy Act. Later that year, Nixon ordered the establishment of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, with responsibility for maintaining and enforcing national standards under a variety of environmental laws. Nixon signed other laws focused on environmental health, including the Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act, and the Endangered Species Act. This began a nearly six-decade period in which U.S. citizens were expected to take more responsibility for their actions in the natural environment. Over this same time period, some individuals and communities objected to new restrictions on liberty with respect to use of natural areas. This tension remains for many examples of both national laws and local policies.
Support for the Environmental Lecture Series is provided by a grant from the National Science Foundation, donations from individuals and additional support from Ashland University.
Fifty years ago on January 1, 1970, President Nixon signed into law the National Environmental Policy Act. Later that year, Nixon ordered the establishment of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, with responsibility for maintaining and enforcing national standards under a variety of environmental laws. Nixon signed other laws focused on environmental health, including the Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act, and the Endangered Species Act. This began a nearly six-decade period in which U.S. citizens were expected to take more responsibility for their actions in the natural environment. Over this same time period, some individuals and communities objected to new restrictions on liberty with respect to use of natural areas. This tension remains for many examples of both national laws and local policies.
Support for the Environmental Lecture Series is provided by a grant from the National Science Foundation, donations from individuals and additional support from Ashland University.
