Renowned indoor air quality expert and 2005 SU honorary degree recipient P. Ole Fanger to discuss newest research

Renowned indoor air quality expert and 2005 SU honorary degree recipient P. Ole Fanger to discuss newest researchMay 04, 2005Kelly Homan Rodoskikahoman@syr.edu

P. Ole Fanger, a world-renowned expert in indoor air quality, will present an honorary degree seminar, May 13 at 2 p.m., in Room 105 of Syracuse University’s Link Hall. The seminar, hosted by the L.C. Smith College of Engineering and Computer Science (ECS), is free and open to the public. Parking is available in the University’s paid visitor lots.

Fanger, a professor at the International Centre for Indoor Environment and Energy at the Technical University of Denmark, will receive an honorary doctorate of science degree during SU’s 151st Commencement, to be held May 15 in the Carrier Dome.

In his May 13 presentation, Fanger will speak on “Improving Human Productivity, Learning and Health By Upgrading Indoor Air Quality,” which is a central focus of SU’s Enviromental Quality Systems (EQS) Center and the Syracuse Center of Excellence in Environmental and Energy Systems. Fanger was a keynote speaker at the Environmental Systems Symposium at SU in 2002.

“Dr. Fanger is regarded by his community of peers as the undisputed authority on the study of the effect of indoor environmental quality on human comfort and productivity,” says H. Ezzat Khalifa, NYSTAR Distinguished Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering in ECS and director of the EQS Center. “Indeed, his pioneering work in this area provided the scientific foundation of research and discovery in human thermal comfort and, until today, serves as the basis for most international standards in this field.”

It is well documented in comprehensive field studies in different parts of the world, Fanger says, that high percentages of occupants in offices and other buildings find the indoor air quality unacceptable and suffer from sick building syndrome symptoms. Independent studies have documented that mediocre air quality has a negative impact on the productivity of office workers, and studies in schools show a similar effect on children’s learning. A recent comprehensive study has documented a large increase in the risk of asthma/allergies in homes with poor indoor air quality.

Fanger predicts a paradigm change, in which researchers will try to provide indoor air quality that is acceptable for even the most sensitive people. Fanger will discuss how a dramatic improvement may be realized while reducing the consumption of energy. He will also talk about providing indoor air that is perceived to be as fresh and pleasant as outdoor air, and a possible paradigm shift in conditioning air so that it is perceived to be better than air found anywhere in nature.

Fanger’s interdisciplinary research over three decades has contributed to identifying the prime importance of the indoor environment for the quality of human life. His models-which are used worldwide-allow for the prediction of the impact of the indoor environment on human comfort, health and productivity.

Sixty-nine scientific awards in 27 countries, including numerous honorary doctorates, medals and honorary memberships in professional engineering societies, have recognized Fanger’s research. He is a member of seven scientific academies, including the U.S. National Academy of Engineering and the Royal Academy of Engineering in the United Kingdom. Fanger is president of SCANVAC, a federation comprising 20,000 heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) engineers in Scandinavia.