2025 Frank A. Chambers Excellence in Air Pollution Control Award

Frank A. Chambers (1885–1951) was a founder of the Smoke Prevention Association of America, a forerunner of the Air & Waste Management Association, and was instrumental in building the foundation for A&WMA. His pioneering ideas for smoke control were employed by many cities across the United States. The Frank A. Chambers Excellence in Air Pollution Control Award is presented annually by the Association for outstanding achievement in the science and art of air pollution control. It requires technical accomplishments considered to be major contributions, the merits of which have been widely recognized by persons in the field. The coverage is intentionally broad, since it recognizes achievement in any line of technical endeavor in air pollution control, from pure research to applied science.

 
A&WMA presents the 2025 Frank A. Chambers Excellence in Air Pollution Control Award to Andrew Grieshop.
 
Dr. Andrew Grieshop is a Professor in the Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering at North Carolina State University. This award honors Dr. Grieshop’s contributions to advancing the science and practice of air pollution control, particularly in the context of household and ambient air quality challenges.
 
Dr. Grieshop’s research focuses on understanding how energy use contributes to air pollution and how emissions transform once released into the atmosphere. His work integrates laboratory experiments, field measurements, and modeling to support efforts that aim to reduce pollution exposure and improve public health. While his interests span a range of topics in air quality engineering and atmospheric science, much of his work has centered on the problem of household air pollution in low-income settings — a major but often overlooked contributor to the global burden of disease.
 
In close collaboration with students, NGOs, and researchers around the world, Dr. Grieshop’s group has studied cooking-related emissions in low-income settings where solid fuels are commonly used. Over the past decade, the team have conducted fieldwork in countries including India, Malawi, Zambia, Rwanda, and Mexico, often under challenging conditions. Their studies have examined how cookstoves perform in real-world environments, using custom-built portable instruments to collect emissions and exposure data. These measurements have revealed that some technologies, though promising in the lab, may not deliver the same benefits in practice. Findings from one study in India influenced the decision to reevaluate a large-scale cookstove rollout, and other results have contributed to ongoing efforts to shift attention toward modern fuels such as LPG and electricity.
 
Dr. Grieshop’s work has also focused on understanding how cooking and other combustion-related emissions evolve in the atmosphere. Using both laboratory and field-based tools—including oxidation flow reactors—his group has explored the formation of secondary organic aerosols and other transformation processes that affect the health and climate impacts of air pollution. Related studies have examined the optical properties and volatility of aerosols from sources like biomass burning and motor vehicles. These efforts contribute to improving the representation of air pollution processes in models used to inform environmental policy.

In addition to emissions and chemical transformation, Dr. Grieshop has been involved in studies that assess pollution exposure. His team has used sensor networks and personal monitors to measure air quality in both indoor and outdoor environments. This includes some of the first long-term air quality datasets in rural sub-Saharan Africa, as well as studies on how different combinations of traditional and modern cooking practices affect air quality inside homes.

Dr. Grieshop approaches these challenges with a combination of technical curiosity and a commitment to practical relevance. His modeling work often aims to weigh trade-offs between different energy interventions, considering health and climate benefits and trade-offs.
 
In his teaching and mentoring role at NC State, Dr. Grieshop works closely with undergraduate and graduate students and serves as faculty advisor to the university’s chapter of Engineers Without Borders. Many of his former students are now working in air quality science and environmental policy roles around the world. He has also served the broader scientific community through leadership roles with the American Association for Aerosol Research and through participation in expert groups including the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and global clean cooking initiatives.
 
Dr. Grieshop holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley, and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Engineering & Public Policy from Carnegie Mellon University. He completed postdoctoral work at the University of British Columbia before joining the faculty at NC State.
 
Throughout his career, Dr. Grieshop has sought to connect the technical aspects of air pollution science with their human and environmental implications. His collaborative, pragmatic approach reflects the spirit of the Frank A. Chambers Award, and he is highly honored to be recognized for his efforts to address the ongoing air pollution problems through research, education, and engagement.