Clarkson Ph.D. Candidate Co-Chairs a session at the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR)

Clarkson Mathematics Ph.D. candidate, Vijay Kumar, was awarded the 2022 travel grant from the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR) for his oral presentation at the 40th AAAR Annual Conference, where he co-chaired a session in Raleigh, North Carolina. Kumar’s presentation discussed the statistical analysis of PM2.5 measurements captured by Purple Air’s low-cost air quality sensors. PM2.5 refers to tiny particles in the air that are two and a half microns or less in width. Kumar states, Air pollution has been linked to numerous pollution-mediated adverse health effects and, their monitoring is key for taking preventative and mitigative measures. However, the sensitivity, noise, and accuracy of data acquired by these low-cost sensors remain a concern. Kumar addressed the limitations and suggested corrections for the air quality low-cost sensor measurements. According to Prof. Sumona Mondal, This award is an acknowledgment of our research and Vijay’s contribution to the construction of precise prediction models of air quality from noisy low-cost sensor’s data. Vijay Kumar is working with Sumona Mondal, Associate Professor of Mathematics, Suresh Dhaniyala, Bayard D. Clarkson Distinguished Professor, Co-Director of Center for Air and Aquatic Resources Engineering and Sciences (CAARES), and Shantanu Sur, Associate Professor of Biology. Kumar’s research focuses on time series and spatial analysis for accurate prediction of air quality from low-cost sensors.