Skip to main content
  • Home
  • About
  • Faculty Experts
  • For The Media
  • ’Cuse Conversations Podcast
  • Topics
    • Alumni
    • Events
    • Faculty
    • Students
    • All Topics
  • Contact
  • Submit
STEM
  • All News
  • Arts & Culture
  • Business & Economy
  • Campus & Community
  • Health & Society
  • Media, Law & Policy
  • STEM
  • Veterans
  • University Statements
  • Syracuse University Impact
  • |
  • The Peel
  • Athletics
Sections
  • All News
  • Arts & Culture
  • Business & Economy
  • Campus & Community
  • Health & Society
  • Media, Law & Policy
  • STEM
  • Veterans
  • University Statements
  • Syracuse University Impact
  • |
  • The Peel
  • Athletics
  • Home
  • About
  • Faculty Experts
  • For The Media
  • ’Cuse Conversations Podcast
  • Topics
    • Alumni
    • Events
    • Faculty
    • Students
    • All Topics
  • Contact
  • Submit
STEM

Honeywell and Syracuse University Establish Research Partnership to Develop Next-Generation Air Quality Technology

Monday, March 1, 2021, By Alex Dunbar
Share
College of Engineering and Computer SciencefacultyResearch and CreativeSTEM

Honeywell and Syracuse University have established a research partnership to fund research on emerging indoor air quality technologies. The partnership will include the naming of a Honeywell Indoor Air Quality Laboratory at the College of Engineering and Computer Science, which will be used by researchers to help create healthier and safer building environments.

Air quality is essential to a healthy building. It can impact occupant health and productivity, energy efficiency and real estate value. The quality of air is affected by the presence of pollutants in the indoor environment that may cause harm. When IAQ is poor, occupants can experience a drop in productivity as well as adverse health effects, such as asthma and bronchitis. The concentration of some pollutants can be two to five times higher indoors than typical outdoor concentrations.

head shot

Jensen Zhang

“Indoor air quality isn’t a buzz word—it’s a critical factor in creating safer, healthier building environments,” says Manish Sharma, vice president and chief technology and product officer, Honeywell Building Technologies. “Our work with Syracuse will measure the performance of a variety of emerging indoor air quality technologies to not only improve occupant productivity and well-being but also help building owners understand the best solutions for different building environments and situations. In the long term, this will help them to better attract occupants, manage energy efficiency and improve their real estate value.”

The principal investigator is Jensen Zhang, professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering, and the co-principal investigators are Bing Dong, associate professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering, and Dacheng Ren, associate dean for research and graduate programs.

“This is a fantastic partnership, and we’re excited to work with Honeywell on indoor air quality research that benefits people all over the world,” says J. Cole Smith, dean of the College of Engineering and Computer Science. “Professors Jensen Zhang and Bing Dong have been at the forefront of indoor air quality research and the Honeywell Indoor Air Quality Lab at Link Hall will enhance our world-class research abilities.”

“When private industry and academia team up, we can create meaningful change. This collaboration will help identify potential solutions to further improve indoor air quality and create healthier building environments to enhance the occupant experience,” says Suresh Venkatarayalu, chief technology officer, Honeywell.

head shot

Bing Dong

The Honeywell Indoor Air Quality Lab at Syracuse University will be used to solve several research objectives to determine the impact of air quality on human productivity and creativity. Faculty will use the lab to conduct direct, side-by-side comparisons of next-generation indoor air quality improvement technologies and advanced building systems, in a controlled practical building environment, to provide a comparative analysis of the technologies based on key IAQ parameters measured by sensors and through AI-driven HVAC controls. The research will include characterizing and evaluating IAQ sensors. The research will help building owners and operators better determine the right technologies to meet specific building conditions and goals.

Additionally, the research will develop artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms for dynamic ventilation management. The intent is to identify new ventilation strategies that comply with ASHRAE 62.1 IAQ standards while also achieving goals such as improved occupant productivity, with potentially fewer sick days, as well as enhanced energy savings.

“We are excited to collaborate with Honeywell indoor air quality research and development. People typically spend 80 to 90 percent of their times indoors, and occupant exposure to the various gas, particulate and biological contaminants found indoors has tremendous impacts on human health, productivity and creativity,” says Zhang. “The Honeywell and Syracuse collaboration will lead to energy-efficient and cost-effective approaches and technologies to improving indoor environmental quality and reducing the risk of infectious disease transmission, as we look to improve social, economic and environmental conditions.”

Honeywell offers an integrated set of solutions to help building owners improve the health of building environments, operate more cleanly and safely, comply with social distancing policies, and help reassure occupants that it is safer to return to the workplace. The Honeywell Healthy Buildings solutions can support the needs of any building and features specific solutions for premium commercial buildings, airports, hospitality, health care, stadiums and educational institutions.

Honeywell’s Healthy Buildings solutions integrate air quality, safety and security technologies along with advanced analytics to help building owners minimize potential risks of contamination and improve business continuity by monitoring both the building environment and building occupants’ behaviors.

About Syracuse University
Syracuse University is a private research university that advances knowledge across disciplines to drive breakthrough discoveries and breakout leadership. Our collection of 13 schools and colleges with over 200 customizable majors close the gap between education and action, so students can take on the world. In and beyond the classroom, we connect people, perspectives and practices to solve interconnected challenges with interdisciplinary approaches. Together, we’re a powerful community that moves ideas, individuals and impact beyond what’s possible.

About Honeywell Building Technologies
Honeywell Building Technologies (HBT) is a global business with more than 18,000 employees. HBT creates products, software and technologies found in more than 10 million buildings worldwide. Commercial building owners and operators use our technologies to help create safe, energy efficient, sustainable and productive facilities. For more news and information on Honeywell Building Technologies, visit http://www.honeywell.com/newsroom.

Honeywell (www.honeywell.com) is a Fortune 100 technology company that delivers industry specific solutions that include aerospace products and services; control technologies for buildings and industry; and performance materials globally. Our technologies help aircraft, buildings, manufacturing plants, supply chains, and workers become more connected to make our world smarter, safer, and more sustainable. For more news and information on Honeywell, please visit www.honeywell.com/newsroom.

  • Author

Alex Dunbar

  • Recent
  • Ian ’90 and Noah Eagle ’19 Share a Love of Sportscasting and Storytelling (Podcast)
    Thursday, June 5, 2025, By John Boccacino
  • Rock Record Illuminates Oxygen History
    Thursday, June 5, 2025, By Dan Bernardi
  • What Can Ancient Climate Tell Us About Modern Droughts?
    Thursday, June 5, 2025, By News Staff
  • Blackstone LaunchPad Founders Circle Welcomes New Members
    Thursday, June 5, 2025, By Cristina Hatem
  • Syracuse Stage Concludes 2024-25 Season With ‘The National Pastime’
    Wednesday, June 4, 2025, By Joanna Penalva

More In STEM

Rock Record Illuminates Oxygen History

Several key moments in Earth’s history help us humans answer the question, “How did we get here?” These moments also shed light on the question, “Where are we going?,” offering scientists deeper insight into how organisms adapt to physical and…

What Can Ancient Climate Tell Us About Modern Droughts?

Climate change is reshaping the global water cycle, disrupting rainfall patterns and putting growing pressure on cities and ecosystems. Some regions are grappling with heavier rainfall and flooding, while others face prolonged droughts that threaten public health, disrupt economies and…

University’s Dynamic Sustainability Lab and Ireland’s BiOrbic Sign MOU to Advance Markets for the Biobased Economy

This month at the All Island Bioeconomy Summit held in Co. Meath, Ireland, it was announced that BiOrbic, Research Ireland Centre for Bioeconomy, comprising 12 leading Irish research universities in Ireland, signed a joint memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Dynamic Sustainability…

Professor Bing Dong Named as the Traugott Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

The College of Engineering and Computer Science has named Bing Dong as the Traugott Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. This endowed professorship is made possible by a 1998 gift from the late Fritz Traugott H’98 and his wife, Frances….

Physics Professor Honored for Efforts to Improve Learning, Retention

The Department of Physics in the College of Arts and Sciences (A&S) has made some big changes lately. The department just added an astronomy major approved by New York State and recently overhauled the undergraduate curriculum to replace traditional labs with innovative…

Subscribe to SU Today

If you need help with your subscription, contact sunews@syr.edu.

Connect With Us

  • X
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • LinkedIn
Social Media Directory

For the Media

Find an Expert Follow @SyracuseUNews
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • LinkedIn
  • @SyracuseU
  • @SyracuseUNews
  • Social Media Directory
  • Accessibility
  • Privacy
  • Campus Status
  • Syracuse.edu
© 2025 Syracuse University News. All Rights Reserved.