The quality of the air in Utah is among the worst in the country.

From wintertime inversions to summertime ozone haze, there are few breaks in bad-air days along the Wasatch Front and in many other hot spots in the state. It is one of the state’s most pressing issues as air pollution is associated with health problems, negatively impacts quality of life and has the potential to affect economic development.

At the University of Utah, we can make a difference in cleaning the air we breathe.

On Oct. 3, 2019, faculty from disciplines spanning the institution are invited to come together as One U to engage in a discussion about what we know, work in progress, and how we can collaborate on air quality-related research, education, policy development, and outreach.

The one-day symposium is being hosted by Dan Reed, senior vice president for Academic Affairs, and Mike Good, senior vice president for Health Sciences. It is the first in a series of multidisciplinary symposia on Utah’s air quality.

“The symposium’s objectives are to build connections among researchers across Utah’s campus, catalyze new research collaborations, coordinate research activities and communicate research findings,” Reed said. “This is part of our One U commitment to partnerships across academic affairs and health sciences.”

The day will begin with a keynote address by George D. Thurston, a leading scholar on the human health effects of air pollution. He also is the director of the Program in Exposure Assessment and Human Health Effects in the Department of Environmental Medicine at New York University School of Medicine.

Panel discussions throughout the day will look at environmental change—what’s driving it and impacts on air quality; what we know from health and environmental data; what environmental health literacy looks like; and the reality and consequences of environmental health inequities.

The symposium will end with exhibits of research posters and creative works.