UC Community Air Team Attends ASIC 2026

Our research team recently traveled from around California to attend the 2026 Air Sensors International Conference (ASIC), hosted by the UC Davis Air Quality Research Center in Los Angeles. The conference brought together researchers, engineers, policymakers, and community organizations to explore how advances in air quality monitoring can support more effective decision-making. As a social scientist, the conference was a great opportunity to learn more about innovative air sensor technologies and to better understand how these tools can be used to address air pollution and environmental justice concerns.

One highlight of the conference was the panel that our team organized, which was called “Measuring Air Toxics with Communities.” Moderated by our project PI Clare Cannon, the panel featured researchers and community partners from UC Davis, UC San Diego, UC Irvine, and Alliance for a Better Community (ABC). The session focused on our ongoing work using TARTA to measure toxic metals in partnership with communities facing disproportionate environmental burdens. ABC’s participation was especially meaningful, as it helped ground the conversation in the lived experiences and priorities of community members most directly affected by air pollution. Together, we discussed what it means to bring emerging air monitoring technologies into community settings, especially when the pollutants of concern are difficult to measure and often overlooked by conventional monitoring systems.

Attending ASIC reinforced the value of interdisciplinary collaboration in environmental justice research. Addressing complex air quality challenges requires technological innovation like we saw at ASIC, but also meaningful partnerships with communities and a commitment to translating scientific findings into action. I left the conference with new ideas for moving our research forward and a deeper appreciation for the collaborative work needed to advance cleaner air and healthier communities. 

UC Community Air team (from left to right): Dr. Anthony Wexler – Distinguished Professor, UC Davis; Dr. Junbeom Jang – Postdoctoral Researcher,  UC Davis; Dr. Brenda Lopez Reyna – Postdoctoral Researcher, UC Davis; Sage Kime – PhD Student, UC Irvine; Dr. Clare Cannon, Associate Professor, UC Davis; Dalia Velasco – Director of Strategy, Alliance for a Better Community (ABC); Luis Lopez – Policy & Advocacy Coordinator, Alliance for a Better Community (ABC); Dr. Camila Alvarez – Assistant Professor, UC San Diego; Michaela Anang-Hadjicostandi, JD – MA Student, UC Davis; Dr. Michael Mendez – Associate Professor, UC Irvine