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Faculty Experts
Assistant Professor of Environmental Engineering
College of Engineering
Expertise:
environmental engineering
Contact:
sc3623@drexel.edu
215.895.6726
Capps leads the Drexel Atmospheric Modeling Lab, where her group studies how the location of fossil fuel and other emissions affects public health and climate endpoints through ozone production, aerosol formation and cloud brightening. Her research centers on modeling outdoor air quality and atmospheric behavior in regions that have been or could be affected by externalities of fossil fuel extraction, transport, refinement and consumption.
The Atmospheric Modeling Lab is helping to develop and test the latest air quality modeling programs to estimate the influence of emissions sources on health, ecosystem, and climate impacts of pollutants. Its modeling focuses on the human effect of pollution by projecting impacts over a short time period—up to one year—and at a regional scale, to help inform environmental decision making.
More information about Capps
Related from the Drexel News Blog
For news media inquiries contact Britt Faulstick at bef29@drexel.edu or 215.895.2617.
Policy Like EPA’s Clean Power Plan Would Mean Higher Crop Yields
Shannon Capps, PhD, an assistant professor in the College of Engineering, was quoted in a Dec. 22, Ars Technica story about her research on projecting the future effects of emissions-reduction policies, similar to those proposed in the EPA’s Clean Power Plan, on crops and vegetation.
Air Pollution Spike During Philly's SEPTA Strike
Shannon Capps, PhD, an assistant professor in the College of Engineering, was quoted in a Nov. 19 Philadelphia Inquirer story about an increase in air pollution detected during the SEPTA strike. An abridged version of the story also ran in the Philadelphia Daily News.
Increased Car Traffic During SEPTA Strike Increased Air Pollution by 400 Percent
Peter DeCarlo, PhD, an assistant professor in the College of Engineering and College of Arts and Sciences; and Shannon Capps, PhD, an assistant professor in the College of Engineering, were mentioned in a Nov. 18 WHYY/Newsworks.org story about increased air pollution during the SEPTA strike earlier this month.
Suffocating Ozone — Policies That Stem Emission of Precursor Chemicals Save Lives and Crops
An international team of environmental and atmospheric scientists have pinpointed the chemical emissions that contribute the most to the harmful air quality conditions that are choking more and more cities and causing health problems and reducing agricultural production across the United States. The findings suggest that targeted policies could be more effective in limiting the formation of ground-level ozone, like smog, which contributes to tens of thousands of respiratory related deaths and nearly a billion dollars of crop loss each year.
As Rocky Mountain Region Plans Its Energy Future, Study Suggests Reigning in Greenhouse Gas Emissions Will Save Hundreds of Lives and Billions of Dollars
Research by Drexel University and the University of Colorado at Boulder suggests that imposing fees on energy producers that emit greenhouse gas could improve the health and financial well-being of the Rocky Mountain region.
People Aren't The Only Beneficiaries of Power Plant Carbon Standards
When the Environmental Protection Agency finalized the Clean Power Plan in 2015 it exercised its authority to regulate carbon dioxide emissions to protect public welfare. The Plan, now the focus of escalating debate, also put the nation on course to meet its goals under the Paris Climate Agreement. Given that other pollutants are emitted from power plants—along with carbon dioxide—research has shown that carbon emission standards for the power sector benefit human health. New research released today shows that they would also benefit crops and trees.