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Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering

Frey awarded the 2020 Alcoa Foundation Distinguished Engineering Research Achievement Award

April 24, 2020
Frey speaking at the 9th International Symposium on Regional Air Quality Improvement in Rapidly Developing Economic Regions, in Guangzhou, China, 2017.

CCEE’s Dr. H. Christopher Frey, the Glenn E Futrell Distinguished University Professor, was recently awarded the 2020 Alcoa Foundation Distinguished Engineering Research Achievement Award. This award is made to a senior faculty member for research achievements over a period of at least five years at NC State.

Frey during time on the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology in Washington, DC

Frey is recognized as an international leader in the area of air quality. In the past five years, Frey’s contributions have focused on measurement and modeling of the activity, energy use, and emissions of on-road and non-road vehicles; and modeling of human exposure to air pollution and associated risk. His methods rely on Portable Emission Measurement Systems (PEMS) for field measurements which renders the results from his research to be practical, and impactful and therefore well received by the stakeholders in the academic and the professional communities.

Frey has also provided significant contributions to literature on quantification of human exposure to air pollutants produced by vehicles, particularly fine particulate matter less than 2.5 microns in aerodynamic diameter (PM2.5). Dr. Frey has conducted field studies to measure human exposure to air pollution in multiple transport modes (e.g., pedestrian, bicycle, car, transit bus, and others) in Raleigh, Surrey (UK), and Hong Kong and in so doing has demonstrated methods and insights regarding study design and variability.  Methodological approaches from Dr. Frey’s work have been cited and incorporated into science assessments that are the fundamental basis for the development of National Ambient Air Quality Standards.  He is currently developing a comprehensive exposure model for Hong Kong as a key member of a large interdisciplinary team that is conducting extensive field measurements and data collection.  This model will inform public and private decisions makers regarding effective air pollutant exposure intervention strategies aimed at improving human health.

Frey with members of his research group who were presenting at a conference.

Frey incorporates his research to the classroom and provides students with an opportunity to obtain, analyze and interpret real-world vehicle emissions data.  He has demonstrated an outstanding commitment to graduate research and mentoring.  His students publish the results of their research work in peer-reviewed journals, conference proceedings, and technical reports and excel nationally, having won best paper and best poster awards at several conferences.

Congratulations to Dr. Frey, and to Dr. Fanxing Li, associate professor in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (CBE),who received the Alcoa Foundation Engineering Research Achievment Award which recognizes young faculty members who have accomplished outstanding research achievements during the preceding three years. You can read more about Li’s research here.

The Alcoa awards are traditionally awarded during the College of Engineering’s annual spring faculty meeting. That meeting has been postponed because of the COVID-19 outbreak that has closed campus. Frey and Li will receive their awards at a later date.