Earth and Mineral Sciences

EarthTalks: Michael Waring to discuss indoor air quality on April 15

Michael Waring, professor and department head of civil, architectural and environmental engineering at Drexel University, will give the talk, “Exposure to indoor PM2.5 and impact of outdoor-to-indoor temperature and humidity gradients,” at 4 p.m. Monday, April 15, in 112 Walker Building on the University Park campus. Credit: Penn StateCreative Commons

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Michael Waring, professor and department head of civil, architectural and environmental engineering at Drexel University, will give the talk, “Exposure to indoor PM2.5 and impact of outdoor-to-indoor temperature and humidity gradients,” at 4 p.m. Monday, April 15, in 112 Walker Building on the University Park campus. The talk also will be available via Zoom.

“Outdoor aerosols experience environmental changes when transported indoors, including outdoor-to-indoor temperature and humidity gradients, which can reduce or enhance indoor concentrations due to repartitioning driven by thermodynamic changes,” Waring said. “Traditional models often overlook these phenomena, which can lead to inaccurate predictions of indoor aerosol exposure. In this talk, I will explore how we simulated the impact of these effects in different climate zones across the U.S., highlighting important considerations. This research is important for better understanding indoor air quality and exposure to outdoor pollutants.”

Waring’s research exists at the intersection of environmental and architectural engineering. It focuses on indoor air quality and exposure, indoor aerosol and chemical modeling, and sustainable and healthy buildings. He believes that making buildings function more effectively is imperative to solving many societal challenges.

Waring holds a bachelor of arts in English and economics, a bachelor of science in architectural engineering, a master of science in environmental and water resources engineering, and a doctorate in civil engineering, all from the University of Texas at Austin.

The talk is part of the EarthTalks spring 2024 series, “Urban Systems Science,” which is exploring complex urban systems, including interactions between tightly connected human and natural systems both within city boundaries and between cities and the surrounding rural environment. For more information about the spring 2024 series, visit the EarthTalks website.

Last Updated April 8, 2024

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