The SAPPHIRES Team
Carsen Hobson
Undergraduate Student, Mechanical Engineering
Colorado State University
Carsen is an undergraduate student in Mechanical Engineering at CSU who is working with Dr. Christian L’Orange.
Christin Kreml
Research Program Manager, Mechanical Engineering
Colorado State University
Christin is the Research Engagement and Program Manager for the SAPPHIRES project. She supports coordination across research teams, facilitates meetings and outreach activities, and helps keep the project organized and moving forward.
Christian L'Orange
Research Assistant Professor, Mechanical Engineering
Colorado State University
Christian’s work is at the intersection of energy usage and the resulting climate and human health implications of that usage. Christian leads the Anticipation and Protection teams in SAPPHIRES, developing anticipatory algorithms and in-home interventions.
Daniel Rodriguez
Graduate Student, Mechanical Engineering
Colorado State University
Daniel is part of the Diagnostic sub-team, evaluating conditions within the home and how their variations are affected by internal and external factors. Before CSU, Daniel investigated air quality impacts from large industrial facilities and benefits from decarbonizing industry, with a particular focus on environmental justice communities.
Ellison Carter
Assistant Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Colorado State University
Ellison is an environmental engineering researcher with interests in indoor and outdoor air quality, air pollution exposure, and the impacts of energy policy and air pollution interventions on health and climate. She is responsible for connections between SAPPHIRES and the EPIC Homes program at the City of Fort Collins.
Erika (Miller) Gallegos
Research Assistant Professor, Mechanical Engineering
Colorado State University
Erika’s research is centered on integrating humans with complex systems to enhance safety and performance in the design and evaluation of new and existing infrastructure. Her work focuses on modeling human behavior and cognitive workload over time to evaluate the interactions between humans and machines, with an emphasis on developing appropriate trust and maintaining situational awareness of human operators with autonomous systems. Erika is Suitability (human-technical) team lead.
Ganesh Pai
Postdoctoral Fellow
Colorado State University
Pai is a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Human Systems Lab, specializing in Human Factors and User Experience. He is part of the Suitability (human-technical) team in SAPPHIRES and has a background in user studies and product development. Previously, he worked in the Human Performance Lab at UMass Amherst, focusing on user behavior with complex systems. His research involves using VR headsets, eye-trackers, and high-fidelity simulators. Pai’s work includes developing training applications to enhance user understanding and conducting studies to assess changes in perceptions and performance.
Jordan Rice
Graduate Student, Mechanical Engineering
Colorado State University
Jordan is an undergraduate student in Mechanical Engineering who will . He is working to finalize the House of Pressure and will contribute to the Protection team by developing physical filtration devices and their integration with home structures.
Lori Shupe
Education, Research, and Training Manager, Indoor Climate Research and Training
Champaign County Regional Planning Commission
Lori Shupe, EdM, manages a training center for the Illinois Home Weatherization Assistance Program, working with weatherization instructors and the State Weatherization Manager. Within SAPPHIRES, Lori leads the Delivery team, developing curricula for home pressure management as well as interfacing with contractors.
Marilee Long
Professor and Department Head, Journalism and Media Communications
Colorado State University
Marilee’s research interests are in health and science communication. She is interested in the use of messages to encourage attitudinal and behavioral change. She has studied the use of citizen science approaches to increase awareness, knowledge, and protective behaviors related to poor air quality caused by wildfire smoke and ozone. She also studies the effects of media portrayals of science and scientists on people’s attitudes toward science. Marilee is a member of the Suitability team in this project.
Misa Soto
Research Associate I, Mechanical Engineering
Colorado State University
Misa’s current work on the Protection team is testing filter efficiency in filtering particulate matter through a duct filtration system. He also participates in the Diagnostic team using tracer gas decay to measure air exchange. Misa graduated from the University of Arizona in 2023 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biomedical Engineering.
Naomi Chang
Postdoctoral Fellow
Colorado State University
Naomi is an environmental engineer with interests in air quality and public health. She received her PhD from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where her research focused on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the indoor environment. Naomi is working on understanding the factors that influence how people interact with and maintain air quality interventions in their home.
Paul Francisco
Senior Research Engineer, Energy Institute
Colorado State University
Paul’s research focus is the interplay between energy efficiency and indoor air quality, primarily in low-income housing. He has chaired ASHRAE’s Residential Ventilation Standard (62.2), Environmental Health, and Residential Buildings Committees. He also directs a weatherization training center at the Champaign County Regional Planning Commission, where he teaches Healthy Homes principles to practitioners. Paul is contributing to the development of technology in the Protection team and advises on the Diagnostic and Delivery teams.
Tami Bond
Walter Scott, Jr. Presidential Chair in Energy, Environment and Health
Colorado State University
Tami’s interest is in how human decisions affect local and global environments, and how those environments in turn affect their residents. She also has background in combustion, air quality, and climate effects of air pollution. Tami is Principal Investigator on the SAPPHIRES project and leads the Diagnostic team.
Will Clagett
Research Associate III, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Colorado State University
Will is currently working on projects researching residential and non-residential indoor air quality. His work on SAPPHIRES includes coordinating with participants to schedule home visits and assisting with installation of monitoring equipment at homes in the project. Will has an MPH with a concentration in Environmental and Occupational Health from Indiana University and prior to joining CSU, was a Public Health Specialist at the IU Public Health Department.
Past Team Members
Dominic Bledsoe
Graduate Student, Mechanical Engineering
Colorado State University
Dominic worked on the Diagnostic sub-team, evaluating pressures in homes and their variations with home operation and weather conditions.
Karia Del Toro Garza
Undergraduate Student, Mechanical Engineering
Colorado State University
Karia was an undergraduate student in Mechanical Engineering (B.S) with a minor in Ethnic Studies. Her research interests lie in equitable access to higher education, retention rates of historically excluded communities in engineering, particle infiltration, and the development of tools to create clean household air. For our project, Karia researched efficiencies of filters under different conditions as part of the protection team.
Mason Martinez
Student, Mechanical Engineering
Colorado State University
Mason was an undergraduate student, expecting a degree in Mechanical Engineering in May 2024. He has worked on both the P2A and SAPPHIRES projects, producing dozens of laboratory experiments to assess pyrolysis and filtration efficiency. Mason is also a multi-sport athlete.
Paige Ambord
Now at UNC-Asheville
Paige was a sociologist who broadly focuses on urban sociology, community, property, and place. Her dissertation research evaluated local perceptions and identified collective action processes around vacant and abandoned commercial and industrial properties. She also worked for the City of South Bend on initiatives related to substandard housing, including a citywide lead poisoning testing initiative. Paige was an active player in the Suitability team, conducting focus groups and surveys about privacy, self-determinacy, and technology use.
Taylor Kennedy Frenchi
Program Manager
Colorado State University
Taylor was the program manager for several ongoing initiatives including SAPPHIRES. While working at CSU, she pursued a Master’s degree in Conservation Biology. She came to the team with a public health and conservation background.