ROCIS Presentations & White Papers
From the beginning, the ROCIS team has been active in teaching others about the impacts of outdoor pollutants on indoor air quality—and the resultant impact on human health. We have delivered numerous presentations, white papers, and webinars on air pollution and the interventions that reduce exposure to both outdoor and indoor contaminants. These materials are assembled below.
ROCIS White Papers
Protecting Homes from Outdoor Pollution
Don Fugler, Principal Investigator, Residential Sector Focus
To fully address indoor air quality, outdoor pollution must be taken into consideration. This paper examines data related to the sources of air pollution and the variety of factors that influence exposure and provides guidance for mitigating these threats.
Download “Protecting Homes from Outdoor Pollution”:
Protecting Commercial Buildings from Outdoor Pollutants: School, Office, and Multifamily Buildings
Thomas J. Phillips. Principal Investigator, Schools/Commercial Focus
A partner piece to “Protecting Homes from Outdoor Pollutants,” this paper provides a broad framework for understanding the sources and pathways of outdoor pollutants in commercial buildings and the mitigation approaches that can be taken.
Download “Protecting Commercial Buildings from Outdoor Pollution”:
Executive Summary (PDF)
Full Report (PDF)
Appendix: IAQ Information Resources and Topics (PDF)
Related Materials
ROCIS Stakeholder Meeting: July 23, 2014
Don Fugler’s presentation on protecting homes from outdoor pollutants laid the groundwork for the forthcoming white paper on this topic. This was an opportunity to present key findings and solicit feedback from our key stakeholders. Check out Don’s presentation slides as well as a video or audio-only recording of the presentation.
ROCIS Stakeholder Meeting: September 11, 2014
Tom Phillips presented on the topic of outdoor pollution in commercial buildings, which was the topic of the forthcoming ROCIS white paper. This was an opportunity to present key findings and solicit feedback from our key stakeholders. Check out Tom’s presentation slides as well as a video or audio-only recording of the presentation.
ROCIS Forum: Creating Healthy Places: Protecting Indoor Spaces from Outdoor Pollution
A highlight of our 2014 forum on indoor/outdoor air quality included a joint presentation of the ROCIS white papers by Don Fugler and Tom Phillips. Listen to the presentation in audio or video recording, and follow along with the presentation slides.
ROCIS Presentations
Navigate by year:
2023–2024
2024 National Home Performance Conference
April 8–11, 2024
Reducing Exposure to Particle Pollution in Homes: Sources, Impacts, Solutions
Rana Belshe, Kevin Brauer, and Linda Wigington
Particle Filtration with Central Air Handlers: Folly or Opportunity?
Rhett Major and Linda Wigington
2023 Pitt Public Health Undergraduate Scholars Program (PHUSP)
Examination of Particle Pollution, Environmental Justice, and the Potential for Maternal Health Progress*
Preti Chowdhury
*Received honorable mention for the Williams-Hutchins Health Equity Award
We're Not Done with Radon: Exposure Reduction & Implications for Environmental Justice Communities*
Shaina Lacap
*Check out Shaina’s post on radon on the ROCIS blog.
2021–2022
Energy OutWest
August 1–5, 2022
Reducing Outdoor Contaminants in Indoor Homes
Linda Wigington
Air Handler Interventions
Linda Wigington
2022 National Home Performance Conference
April 11–14, 2022
Particle Filtration With Central Air Handlers: Folly or Opportunity?
Linda Wigington and Rhett Major
Decarbonization Debate
Linda Wigington et al.
Insights from the Low Cost Monitoring Project (LCMP)
January 26, 2022
Presented to SW PA Interfaith Power and Light
Linda Wigington
ROCIS LCMP: Opportunities and Implications
September 22, 2021
Presented at the League of Women Voters of Greater Pittsburgh Annual Meeting
Linda Wigington
Energy and Environmental Building Alliance Hybrid High Performance Home Summit
IAQ Monitors: Passive House California
September 2021
Linda Wigington
Keep a Lid on It: Best Practices for Reducing Cooking Pollution in Homes
September 15, 2021
EEBA Presentation
Tom Phillips
December 15, 2020
Online ROCIS Webinar
Breakfast Panel with Green Building Alliance Sustainability and Women
June 2021
Linda Wigington
IAQ Devices: Where, Who, and For What?
Webinar for Passive House California
May 2021
Joe Medosh, Linda Wigington, et al.
Particle Filtration With Central Air Handlers: Folly or Opportunity?
Presentation at the National Virtual Home Performance Conference
April 2021
Linda Wigington and Rhett Major
Air Quality Impacts and Challenges: ROCIS LCMP
Presentation for the Green Home Office Lunch and Learn, Pitt Sustainability
March 2021
Emily Dale
Presentation on IAQ Devices for the RESNET Annual Conference
February 2021
Joe Medosh, Linda Wigington, et al.
Reducing Exposure to Air Pollution Particles
EHP Expert Panel on Infectious Lung Disease and Air Pollution
February 25, 2021
Don Fugler et al.
Making the Connection: Home Hazards
GASP Making the Connection Webinar Series
January 14, 2021
Linda Wigington et al.
2019–2020
Particle Filtration With Central Air Handlers: Folly or Opportunity?
Presentation for the 2020 Home Performance™ Regional Education Series: New England
November 13, 2020
Rhett Major and Linda Wigington
Indoor Air Quality and Health Panel
One Health One Planet™ Symposium: One Health and the Air We Breathe, Phipps Conservatory
October 19–23, 2020
Linda Wigington et al.
Presentation to Valley Clean Air Now on Intervention Opportunities
October 2020
Linda Wigington and Deb Gentile
IAQ Monitoring for Healthier Homes
National Virtual Home Performance Conference
March 2020
Linda Wigington, Joe Medosh, Woody Delp
Presentation on Air Handler Interventions for ACTION-Housing
March 2020
Rhett Major and Linda Wigington
Presentation to Valley Clean Air Now on Intervention Opportunities
December 2019
Linda Wigington
Citizen Science: Indoor Air Monitoring: The ROCIS Experience
2019 Shale Public Health Conference
November 19, 2019
Samantha Totoni
The ROCIS Experience
Presentation to USC Citizens for Land Stewardship
November 19, 2019
Linda Wigington and Samantha Totoni
Home Performance Research Needs
Healthy Building Summit: Practice to Research
October 2019
Linda Wigington et al.
All Things Monitoring
Presentation to Clean Air Council
June 2019
Linda Wigington and Deb Gentile
National Home Performance Conference
April 1–4, 2019
Electrification of Existing Homes: Fantasy or Path to Sustainability
Linda Wigington and Richard Faesey
High MERV Filters in Central Air Handlers: Opportunities and Challenges
Linda Wigington and Rhett Major, with Brent Stephens
Using Consumer IAQ Monitors to Create a Healthier Home
Linda Wigington and Brett Singer
Electricity Use Implications of Better Indoor Air Quality
Linda Wigington
Webinar for Tufts University on Air Handler Interventions
March 2019
Linda Wigington
2017–2018
Reducing Household Particles With Filtration: Measured Results, Opportunities and Challenges
2018 ACEEE Conference on Health, Environment and Energy
December 5, 2018
Linda Wigington
Presentation for the Sustainability Salon - Focus on Air Quality
November 2018
Linda Wigington
Beyond Dilution - Reducing Exposure to Particle Pollution
Healthy Buildings Summit 2018
October 25, 2018
Linda Wigington
North American Passive House Network 2018 Conference
October 17 – 21, 2018
Healthy Kitchen Ventilation: Best Practices in Low-E Homes
Tom Phillips
Beyond Dilution: Reducing Exposure to Particle Pollution in High Performance Homes
Linda Wigington
ROCIS Intervention Workshop
Workshops to Scratch the Advocacy Itch, Clean Air Council
September 2018
Linda Wigington
Health and Safety Panel at Centering Equity in the Sustainable Building Sector Initiative: Launch Summit
NAACP
August 2018
Linda Wigington
Reducing the Impact of Outdoor Pollution in Homes
Allegheny County Clean Air Now (ACCAN) Meeting
August 2018
Linda Wigington and Mark Dixon
2018 HPC National Home Performance Conference
April 23 – 26, 2018
High-MERV Filters in Central Air Handlers: Opportunities and Challenges
Linda Wigington and Rhett Major
What Can You Do With a Consumer IAQ Monitor?
Brett Singer and Linda Wigington
Maximizing Energy Reductions with Non-Traditional Electricity Savings
Linda Wigington and Rana Belshe
Air Quality Presentation to the Sustainable Pittsburgh Challenge Meeting
March 2018
Linda Wigington
ROCIS: Low-Cost Particle Monitoring Insights and Interventions
Federal Interagency Committee on Indoor Air Quality (CIAQ)
February 14, 2018
Linda Wigington
Reducing Indoor Particles with Filtration: Opportunities and Challenges
Dry Climate Forum on Home Performance
February 5 – 7, 2018
Tom Phillips and Linda Wigington
LCMP Presentation for Sustainable Pittsburgh Challenge
February 2018
Kacy McGill
Redwood Energy's 4th Zero Net Carbon Retreat - Kitchen Range Hood Presentation
January 2018
Tom Phillips
LCMP Presentation for Care About Your Air
December 2018
Kacy McGill
ROCIS’s Low Cost Monitoring and Interventions: Insights and Implications
Healthy Building Summit: Research Into Practice
November 2-3, 2017
Linda Wigington
ROCIS’s Low Cost Monitoring Program: Lessons Learned
Pittsburgh’s Air Quality, Indoor Environments and You
October 25, 2017
Linda Wigington, Rob Busher, and Kacy McGill
Monitoring and Intervention Presentation for Sustainable Pittsburgh Challenge
September 2017
Linda Wigington
ROCIS: Low Cost Monitoring Project: Insights Interventions, and Implications
SCA Fellows Air Quality Training
September 22, 2017
Linda Wigington, Rob Busher, and Kacy McGill
ROCIS: Particle Data Explorations and Insights
U.S. EPA Smart City Air Challenge Webinar, Data Use in Community Air Quality Projects
September 14, 2017
Linda Wigington
ROCIS: Low Cost Monitoring Insights and Interventions
68th Sustainability Salon
September 9, 2017
Linda Wigington
ROCIS Low Cost Monitoring Project: Insights, Interventions, and Implications
The Air We Breathe: A Regional Summit on Air Pollution and Asthma in Our Community
September 8, 2017
Linda Wigington
ROCIS High MERV Filter/Air Handler Inquiry: Opportunities and Challenges
DEAWP Meeting (Diagnostic Energy Auditors of Western Pennsylvania)
June 3, 2017
Linda Wigington and Rhett Major
National Home Performance Conference
April 2017
Cost-Effective Electric Savings Not Left on the Table
Linda Wigington and Rana Belshe
Presentation on Air Handlers
Linda Wigington and Rhett Major
Presentation on Air Quality Monitors
Linda Wigington
Linda Wigington Interview by Debra Little
This interview covers the basics of the ROCIS LCMP program and describes the findings emerging from interventions, especially the high MERV filter and the air handler inquiry.
LCMP Presentations at the Forum on Dry Climate Home Performance
February 2017
Linda Wigington
2014–2016
Presentation to Sustainable Pittsburgh Challenge
August 2016
Linda Wigington
ROCIS Stakeholders Meeting
February 26, 2016
The focus of this meeting was to glean insights from the ROCIS LCMP cohorts, both by reviewing data and learning from participants’ experiences.
ROCIS Stakeholders Meeting
February 27, 2015
This meeting was an opportunity to identify others in our region who share specific common interests around air quality. We set out to clarify barriers and opportunities in moving our initiatives forward and, whether as an individual or an organization, made a commitment to take action.
Creating Healthy Places: Protecting Indoor Spaces from Outdoor Pollution
ROCIS Forum
December 4 – 5, 2014
ROCIS was proud to bring together the knowledge, creativity, connections, and insight of our local community and beyond for a forum on the impact of outdoor pollution on indoor air quality.
Focus on Particulate Matter
Webinar I: Indoor Concentrations of Outdoor Air Pollution
November 21, 2014
Webinar II: Health Impacts, Standards, Monitoring, and Building-level Mitigation
November 25, 2014
ROCIS Stakeholders Meeting
September 11, 2014
This meeting laid out some of the key concepts related to the impact of outdoor pollutants on indoor air quality. We used this opportunity to present a draft white paper focused on multifamily and school buildings in order to get feedback from our diverse stakeholders.
ROCIS Stakeholders Meeting
July 23, 2014
The information in this meeting provided an excellent grounding in the history of air quality in the Pittsburgh region. We also used this opportunity to present a draft white paper focused on the impact of outdoor pollution on indoor air quality—a topic that lies at the heart of our work—in order to get feedback from our diverse stakeholders.