On March 25, Audrey joined Respiratory Health Association for their annual Advocacy Day. Audrey spent the entire day on Capital Hill in Springfield lobbying legislators to support environmental legislation. Specific laws that she advocated for were the Warehouse Pollution Reduction Act, Zero Emissions Vehicle Act, and the Power Act. Audrey formed valuable connections with legislators, members of the RHA, and valuable community members.
Just two months ago, Mena Whalen, Ping Jing, Margaret Gonzalez, Pranati Mitta, and Nora Lee Reinhardt attended the 2025 NASA HAQAST (Health and Air Quality Applied Sciences Team) Meeting in St. Louis, MO. They met with fellow researchers, students, and community leaders to find solutions to healthier, cleaner futures. There, the team presented a poster on CLEAR's current and future work to fellow researchers, students, and community leaders.
In December, CLEAR worked alongside Loyola's Campus Ministry to create lunches for homeless shelters around the city. In just a couple hours, the team created over 120 bagged lunches. Events such as this allow our team to get involved with other organizations around campus, while fostering community within our lab. We are always seeking opportunities to engage with our Chicago community to create positive change.