Indoor Air Conference 2011 will Showcase CAEE Program
Professor Richard Corsi is shown accepting the presidency of Indoor Air 2011. This unique technical program will focus on major challenges facing the indoor air and climate community.
People in the developed world spend approximately 90% of their time indoors, making it the most important microenvironment of our lives. Around the world researchers study sources of indoor pollutants, their health effects at all stages of life, and engineering controls to improve building environments. The Indoor Air conference series began in 1978 and is held every three years at different locations around the globe. It brings together the best and brightest doing research on indoor air quality from around the world, as well as practitioners and policymakers.
In 2008, the University of Texas was selected to organize Indoor Air 2011, and CAEE professor Richard Corsi was named conference President. The Cockrell School of Engineering’s Center for Lifelong Engineering Education (CLEE) is officially organizing the event. Previous conferences have been held in Copenhagen, Beijing, Stockholm, Berlin, Nagoya, Toronto, Edinburgh, amongst others.
Over 1,100 abstracts were received for Indoor Air 2011, a record in the series. Abstracts were submitted from 50 countries, with a vast majority originating outside of North America. It is expected that the conference will draw between 1,300 and 1,500 attendees. As many as 800 technical presentations will be made, along with approximately 40 hours of targeted forums, workshops, and debates.
Special symposia will also take place internal to the conference on Indoor Air Quality in Developing Countries (run by students of CAEE), “Microbiomes of Built Environments”, and “Climate Change and Indoor Air Quality.” As is traditional for Indoor Air conferences, a robust social program that focuses on local culture will involve evening activities in and around Austin and the University of Texas, as well as daytime programs for accompanying persons.
Corsi says, “For one week in June of 2011 (June 5th to 10th) the eyes of the indoor air quality world will be focused on the University of Texas. Over the past decade the Building Energy and Environments group within CAEE has risen to be amongst the top programs in the world, and that is clearly reflected in the selection of UT to organize Indoor Air 2011. Importantly, our great students will also play a key role in implementation of the conference, a wonderful opportunity for professional development, and to showcase our students and program to participants from around the world.”
Conference sponsors range from the USEPA, US Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Sloan Foundation, National Science Foundation, Greenguard Environmental Institute, and more. Additional information about the conference can be found at Indoor Air 2011.
For more information, please contact Alumni Coordinator Laura Klopfenstein at (512) 471-1279 or klopfenstein@mail.utexas.edu