USU Engineering Faculty Appointed to State of Utah Air Quality Board

Utah State University Research Associate Professor Randy Martin will serve a four-year term on the Utah Air Quality Board.

Martin and four additional nominees were selected to fill vacant positions on the panel. He was officially sworn into the role on May 24.

Utah Air Quality Board members are chosen for their knowledge of air pollution matters and represent specific interests, professions and industries. Martin was selected to fill the role as engineer/scientist and to provide expert opinion about air quality rules and policies. Board members are appointed by the governor and confirmed by the state Senate.

Martin is a leading expert in air quality topics. Since joining USU’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering in 2000, he has completed dozens of studies and analysis of atmospheric trace species, most notably reactive hydrocarbons and related oxidation products. In recent years, Martin has become well known for his expertise of the characterization and behavior of ambient fine particulate matter, known as PM 2.5 or PM 10.

Earlier this year, Martin served as a lead researcher in one of the largest air quality studies ever conducted in Utah. He and colleagues from the Utah Department of Environmental Quality, the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the University of Utah performed a major study aimed at better understanding the chemical and atmospheric conditions that contribute to Utah’s wintertime air pollution. The study involved ground-based measurement stations and a specially-equipped NOAA aircraft that collected trace gases and aerosols in Salt Lake and Cache valleys.

Data from the study are still being analyzed, and Martin says he plans to present some of the findings at an upcoming conference.

Martin has published over 20 research publications and is actively involved in several professional organizations including the Air and Waste Management Association, American Geophysical Union, American Chemical Society and Engineers Without Borders.

Media Contact: Dr. Randy Martin, Research Associate Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Utah State University | 435-797-1585 | randy.martin@usu.edu

Matt Jensen, Public Relations Specialist, College of Engineering, Utah State University | office: 435-797-8170, mobile: 801-362-0830 | matthew.jensen@usu.edu | engineering.usu.edu | @EngineeringUSU