Background
Kristina Wagstrom, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering Department at the University of Connecticut College of Engineering. Wagstrom’s current research focuses on the human health impacts of air pollution, including in school settings.

Wagstrom chose to pursue her degrees in chemical engineering because she wanted to help society. “I had a personal desire to utilize my skills as a chemical engineer in a way that would make a lasting impact on human health, particularly from an environmental standpoint,” she says. While her interests may not seem like they fit within traditional chemical engineering, a lot of her work takes advantage of the skills that chemical engineers have. “Understanding how systems interact with each other from a chemical standpoint is very beneficial within my line of work,” Wagstrom says.

Wagstrom began working with schools out of concern for the spread of infectious diseases in the classroom, considering that many schools do not have centralized HVAC systems to help. She also has an elementary-aged child, which opened up her eyes to the reality of the potential dangers that may come from indoor air pollution. Since 2021, Wagstrom has been working on a project called the UConn Indoor Air Quality Initiative, part of the Clean Air Equity Response (CLEAR) Program. Both Wagstrom and Marina Creed, a Nurse Practitioner at UConn Health whom Wagstrom credits as the founder of the initiative, were concerned about child health in schools when COVID transmission rates were high. The project combines high quality do-it-yourself air filters with standard box fans to filter the air in classrooms. They have worked with public schools in Coventry, West Hartford, and Middletown. While not a permanent fix to stop transmission of infectious diseases and improve indoor air quality, use of the filters is an effective way to slow down the spread and improve indoor air quality until HVAC upgrades are possible. Tests have shown a 60% reduction in small particles when the DIY air purifier is used in occupied classrooms. Participation in the project is now one of the labs in the Introduction to Engineering course for all first-year engineering majors at UConn and completed air purifiers are distributed to local organizations.

Involvement with CSCH

Wagstrom cares deeply about providing a safer school environment for children, so she finds it very important to collaborate with others whose work is also aimed towards student health and wellness. “I was drawn to join the Collaboratory as an affiliate in order to make valuable connections with other professionals who are involved in community-engaged work,” she says.

You can learn more about Wagstrom and her work by visiting the Indoor Air Quality Initiative website, the Computational Atmospheric Chemistry and Exposure Lab website and her UConn Faculty Page.

Fun Facts

Over her lifetime, Wagstrom has scuba-dived with seven different species of sharks. She also plays the bass flute in a flute choir.

Undergraduate Researcher Elena Roberts interviewed Kristina Wagstrom and wrote this profile.