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A CU Â鶹ӰԺ student-led air quality research symposium

Date: Friday, February 27, 2026

Location: SEEC Auditorium (C120), CU Â鶹ӰԺ East Campus

Join us for the Second AQ Buffs Air Quality Research Symposium, a student-led event designed to connect CU and Colorado Front Range students conducting air quality research. This symposium fosters collaboration and networking within the CU community, among different Colorado Front Range institutions, while engaging with Colorado-based industry and government representatives in the air quality field.

Meeting Program

The meeting will run from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm and will feature research talks, a poster session, a career panel, Ìýa networking lunch, and a keynote talk, providing a platform to share your work, develop your presentation skills, and build professional connections.

Schedule (subject to change):

Panel discussion: Career Paths in Air Quality

We are excited to host a career panel discussion with representatives from a variety of Air Quality career paths, including industry, academia, national lab, and federal and state government.Ìý

, Principal Scientist, PSE Healthy Energy

Dr. Kelsey Bilsback is a Senior Scientist at PSE Healthy Energy. She is a scientist with a background in engineering and atmospheric science. Expertise in data analysis, emissions, air pollution, measurements, atmospheric modeling, and the impacts of air pollution on health and climate.

, EH&S Data and Analytics Engineer, Oviniv

Sam is an EH&S Data and Analytics Engineer at Ovintiv with over 15 years of experience focused on air quality compliance and emissions management. Sam’s background spans environmental consulting and industry roles, with experience in air permitting, emissions calculations, and regulatory reporting. Sam’s current interests center on translating air quality regulations into automated data systems and analytics that support accurate reporting, strong compliance programs, and better decision‑making.

, Associate Professor, Colorado State University

Dr. Shantanu Jathar is an Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Colorado State University (CSU). His research interests are in air quality engineering and atmospheric chemistry and at CSU he leads the Laboratory for Air Quality Research. Current research projects range from studying aerosols in smoke plumes to developing affordable instrumentation to measure outdoor (e.g., ozone) and indoor (e.g., bacteria) air.ÌýHe is married to an electrical engineer and has two bouncy kids. In his spare time, he likes to run, bike, hike, paddle, drink coffee, and play the bansuri.

, Air Quality Policy and Program Specialist with Adams County, Colorado

Tehya Stockman is the Air Quality Policy and Program Specialist for Adams County, Colorado. In her current role, she works on a variety of projects, including participating in state air quality rulemakings; managing an indoor air quality grant program sponsored by Kaiser Permanente; reviewing air quality permits within the county; and working closely with community groups on air quality concerns. Tehya works across local governments, the state, and community groups to advocate for policies to improve air quality for residents of Adams County. Before her role at Adams County, Tehya worked as a senior air quality engineer at Air Sciences, a temporary aide for the Air Pollution Control Division, and air quality analyst for Denver Department of Public Health and Environment’s Love My Air team. She received a BS in mechanical engineering from Olin College of Engineering and PhD in environmental engineering from CU Â鶹ӰԺ.

, Research Scientist V, National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR)

Dr. Qing Ye is a Scientist working in the Atmospheric Chemistry Observations and Modeling Lab at NSF NCAR. She received her PhD degree from Carnegie Mellon University and did her postdoctoral training at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. At NCAR, she works with the university community to study the chemistry of atmospheric organic gases and aerosols using laboratory experiments and chemical mechanism models. She is also interested in studying how human activities affect air quality in indoor environments.

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KeynoteÌý

Abstract

A silver lining of the COVID-19 pandemic is that it deepened our understanding of how diseases spread through the air. However, gaps in knowledge remain about the detailed mechanisms of transmission and the effectiveness of engineering-based interventions in real-world settings. This seminar will feature findings from two studies, one on ventilation and one on ionization. Using a novel experimental setup resembling childcare settings, we studied the impact of ventilation rate on influenza virus transmission between ferrets. We exposed four recipient ferrets to a donor infected with influenza virus at low and high ventilation rates. Surprisingly, the transmission efficiency of the virus was 50% in both cases. In the second study, we evaluated the effectiveness of in-duct ionization for reducing airborne bacterial contamination in a large lecture hall. We collected bioaerosol samples at multiple locations in the room with the ionizer on and off. Ionization did not significantly reduce total bacterial concentrations nor culturable bacterial counts. These findings highlight the need to account for behavioral and environmental factors when designing engineering-based interventions for airborne disease transmission.

Bio

Linsey Marr is a University Distinguished Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Virginia Tech. Her research group studies pollutants in indoor and outdoor air. She is especially interested in emissions of microorganisms into the air and how they are transformed in the environment. Prior to the pandemic, she was one of a small number of researchers who studied viruses in the air. Marr is a MacArthur Fellow, a member of the National Academy of Engineering, and a Fellow of the American Association for Aerosol Research, American Geophysical Union, and International Society of Indoor Air Quality and Climate. She received a B.S. in engineering science from Harvard College and a Ph.D. in civil and environmental engineering from the University of California, Berkeley and completed her post-doctoral training at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Key Deadlines

• Abstract submission and participant registration open: January 9, 2026
• Abstract submission close: We’re extending the abstract submission deadline to Friday, Feb 13!
• Abstract decisions made by February 20, 2026
• Late-breaking poster submission close: February 17
• Participant-only registration close: February 17

Register here to attend

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Photo competition

The symposium also features an air quality-inspired photo competition. Submit your photos related to AQ research or AQ impacts in the form below. No AI-generated photos are allowed. Attendees will vote on the submitted photos during the symposium and the winning photo will receive a prize!

Use the registration link above to submit your photo to the competition.

Photo competition winners must be present at the event in order to claim their award.
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Cost

Free to attend. Participants must register using the link above by February 6, 2026 so we can arrange catering orders. Lunch, coffee, and snacks will be served.

Posters can be printed for a fee at , INSTAAR in SEEC, , , and many other locations.

Organizing committee

Environmental Engineering:, Dorian Schwartz, Gabriela Cortes, , , .

Mechanical Engineering:Esther Ozuruoha.

Chemistry: , .

Material Science and Engineering:.

Faculty Adviser:Marina Vance.

Interested in joining our organizing committee? Please email Rileigh Robertson for more information.

Inclusion and Accessibility

The Â鶹ӰԺ is committed to providing equal access to individuals with disabilities. If you are planning to attend this event and require accommodations, please contact Marina VanceÌýno later than 7 days before the event. We will make all reasonable efforts to fulfill requests submitted after the deadline.

Sponsors

A big thank you this year's sponsors!

CU Â鶹ӰԺ Sponsors

Environmental Engineering (EVEN) Program, Â鶹ӰԺ.

Mechanical Engineering Department, Â鶹ӰԺ.

Graduate and Professional Student Government (GPSG), Â鶹ӰԺ.

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Industry Sponsors

Original Code Consulting

provides LabVIEW software development from instrument drivers to complete applications, and has decades of experience with atmospheric instrumentation.

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2B Tech

develops analytical instruments for atmospheric and environmental measurements.

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Would you like to become a sponsor? Please email Gabriela Cortes for more information.

Presentation List

Session I: Morning platform presentations

This session will run from 9:15 to 10:45 am. Presenters and titles are shown in bold.

Session II: Afternoon platform presentations

This session will run from 1:30 to 3:00 pm. Presenters and titles are shown in bold.

Poster presentations

Posters will be available for viewing in the meeting room throughout the day and will be presented at 12:00 - 1:30 pm. Presenters and titles are shown in bold.

Meeting Archive

First AQ Buffs, 2025