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BAE Seminar
April 26, 2022 @ 10:30 am - 11:30 am
SPECIAL SEMINAR
Co-hosted by the Departments of CCEE, BAE, and the STEPS Center
Open to NC State Faculty, Students, and Staff
Tuesday, April 26, 10:30-11:30 AM, FWH 2336 on Centennial Campus,
DEVELOPING TESTING TECHNOLOGIES FOR ADDRESSING HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL STRUGGLES OF MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES
Diana Vanegas
Department of Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences
Clemson University
Abstract: Low-income communities carry a disproportionate burden of disease associated with unsafe water, food, and air. While highly accurate and sensitive detection technologies to assess the presence of harmful pollutants exist, considerable testing gaps remain in resource-deprived regions. Thus, increasing accessibility to pollutant testing technologies by vulnerable communities is paramount for:
- Speeding up the local response to emerging environmental hazards.
- Guiding institutional decision-making processes to protect the rights and well-being of at-risk populations.
- Raising societal awareness of complex connections between environmental degradation, health issues, and economic disparities.
In this talk, I will first present an example of a transdisciplinary approach, and the associated tools, for addressing water pollution and food insecurity in distressed territories of the southwest region of Colombia. Next, I will present a different example featuring the design of a biology-inspired SARS-CoV-2 detection method. Finally, I will contrast methodological and epistemic elements from both research approaches to draw some conclusions regarding the scope and relevance of the described projects.
About Dr. Diana Vanegas: Dr. Diana Vanegas is an Assistant Professor of Biosystems Engineering at Clemson University (USA). She received her B.S. degree in Food Engineering from Universidad del Valle (Colombia) and her M.Sc. and a Ph.D. in Agricultural and Biological Engineering from the University of Florida (USA). Her research focuses on the development of technologies for monitoring harmful chemical and biological agents that disproportionately burden communities in the Global South. Through her interdisciplinary work, she has established strong collaboration ties in Colombia, China and the USA.