Professor Hsu and I are pursuing a project to measure how retrofitting a residential building for full electrification and passive house standards changes its air quality. Although these changes will aid in decarbonization and increase energy efficiency, they may also impact the exposure of occupants to air pollution, a major public health concern. Our affordable housing partner in New York City has installed air quality and gas sensors in a residential building before, during, and after its retrofit. By analyzing the indoor air quality data from these sensors and surveying residents, we seek to better understand the effects of building decarbonization on air quality and the extent to which people in the same building experience different exposure levels to air pollution.

I am participating in this SuperUROP because of my interest in the energy transition and its impacts on health and the environment. I look forward to this experience, which will enable me to improve and apply my data analysis and visualization skills. This opportunity to conduct research with the potential to tangibly improve the lives of others is exciting to me, and I believe I will find this work deeply fulfilling and inspiring.