Jessica's Project Page

Who:  I was born in California and raised in Saint George. I came to the University of Utah to continue my education and live in a groovy city. In my spare time, I love watching movies about the oppression of different cultures, immigrants’ journeys, Korean films, and anime.

My scientific/engineering interests:  Since I started growing older, I realized that everyday products contain toxic ingredients and processes that harm and even kill people. I hate this. Growing up I loved science and engineering and I knew in my heart that I wanted to be a chemical engineer to fix these and other processing problems.

Academic goals:  I am a chemical engineering major and a Japanese minor. After earning my undergraduate degree, I plan to attend graduate school where I will pursue a Master’s degree in chemical engineering.

Career goals:  Someday I will work in an industry where I can design, create, and collaborate to fix problems. As a first-generation Latina, I also want to let other young Latina girls know that they can succeed in STEM and in whatever else they dream of doing.

Air pollution is a problem for minority communities of the Salt Lake Valley, Utah (SLV). According to the U.S. National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) measured levels of fine particulate matter exceed the standard safety levels an average of 18 days each winter in this valley. Exposure affects the heart and lungs, which increases medical costs and decreases the quality of life of those affected. In addition, since these communities are generally located near areas with large emitters of other pollutants that contribute to poor health. This project was initiated to determine the correlation between air quality and health of minority communities in SLV by deploying sensors to track air quality in and around the homes of participants and recording the health parameters of participants. 

The recent COVID-19 pandemic led to initiating a secondary study. An abundant amount of information regarding COVID-19 is being released every day. Related information has become increasingly accessible by traditional methods and social media, but most of it is in English. This second study is being designed to survey the Spanish speaking community to determine if they are receiving sufficient information to address their needs during the COVID-19 pandemic.