Bridging Academia & Advocacy: GASP Partners with Pitt Students, Open to Fall 2025 Projects

While our core work involves advocacy, watchdog efforts, and public education, did you know a vital component of our success lies in our robust partnerships with academia?

It’s true - we regularly collaborate with bright minds from local universities like the University of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon University, Chatham University, and more, integrating their research and analytical skills into our ongoing fight for cleaner air.

These collaborations are deeply embedded in our strategic work, offering students invaluable real-world experience while providing GASP staff with fresh perspectives and enhanced capacity to tackle complex air quality challenges. 

From in-depth air quality research to policy analysis and developing innovative watchdog tools, academia plays a critical role in advancing our goals.

Visualizing Air Quality Violations at Title V Facilities in Allegheny County 

This past spring, we had the privilege of working with a talented group of students from the University of Pittsburgh School of Computing and Information on a data analytics project that looked at air quality violations from the polluting facilities over the past five years.

The students took on the challenge of visualizing this complex data. They compiled information from various public records, regulatory filings, and news reports, then transformed it into a visual representation. 

This kind of data visualization can be incredibly powerful, allowing community members, policymakers, and even fellow advocates to quickly understand the scope and history of air pollution issues. 

In order from left to right (all seniors): Jiri Palayekar (Majors: Information Science and Psychology), Abby Swan (Major: Data Science), Areej Mohsin (Major: Data Science), Dhwani Kanani (Major: Data Science), Ankita Raj (Major: Data Science), Luke Daniel (Majors: Data Science and Computer Science).

We thank them so much for their work, which you can check out here.

Collaboration is at Our Core

This project is just one example of how academic partnerships are woven into the fabric of GASP's work. 

We believe that fostering these connections enriches both the students' educational journeys and our capacity to make a tangible difference in our region's air quality. Students from various disciplines – environmental science, public policy, data analytics, public health, and more – find opportunities to apply their theoretical knowledge to real-world problems with direct community impact.

“These collaborations are not just about research; they're about building the next generation of environmental leaders and providing them with the practical experience needed to drive change,” GASP Executive Director Patrick Campbell said. “We benefit from their enthusiasm, their access to cutting-edge research methodologies, and their fresh analytical approaches. In return, we offer them a chance to contribute meaningfully to a cause that potentially affects every breath we take.”

Looking Ahead: Partner with Us This Fall!

As we look towards the Fall 2025 semester and beyond, GASP is eager to expand these partnerships. If you are a professor or a student at Pitt, CMU, Chatham, or any other academic institution in the region with an interest in environmental health, public policy, data science, or related fields, we invite you to reach out to us. 

Let's explore how we can collaborate to make Southwestern Pennsylvania a healthier place for everyone to breathe. Feel free to email our communications manager Amanda Gillooly at amanda@gasp-pgh.org.