{"id":1424,"date":"2021-08-26T10:02:00","date_gmt":"2021-08-26T17:02:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/students-tackle-urgent-environmental-issues-thanks-to-a-new-fellowship-program\/"},"modified":"2026-05-21T21:43:18","modified_gmt":"2026-05-22T04:43:18","slug":"eh-matters-fellowship","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/eh-matters-fellowship\/","title":{"rendered":"Students tackle urgent environmental issues thanks to a new fellowship program"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n    \n                                                              \n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--article-hero \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--article-hero\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n<div class=\"inner-wrapper\">\n          \n<div class=\"f--field f--image\">\n\n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n              \n      <img\n                            data-src=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/04\/story-3540-768x432.jpg\"\n          data-srcset=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/04\/story-3540-768x432.jpg 768w\"          data-sizes=\"(min-width:1200px) 75vw, (min-width:768px) 83vw, 100vw\"          class=\"lazyload\"\n        \n                  alt=\"Students tackle urgent environmental issues thanks to a new fellowship program\"\n        \n        \n                                      \/>\n\n    \n    \n  \n  \n\n<\/div>\n  \n      <div class=\"image-caption\">\n          \n<div class=\"f--field f--description\">\n\n    \n  Tim Saunders (left) and Leon Zhu are gaining experience in environmental health research through their Environmental Health Methodological, Trainings and Teaching Enterprise (EH MATTERS) fellowships. (Photos: Courtesy Tim Saunders; Ruth Chen.)\n\n\n<\/div>\n    <\/div>\n  \n  <div class=\"text-wrapper\">\n          <nav aria-label=\"Breadcrumb\" class=\"breadcrumbs\">\n        <ul>\n                      <li><a href=\"\/news\/stories\/\">News<\/a><\/li>\n                      <li><a href=\"\/news\/stories\/\/?category=faculty\">Faculty<\/a><\/li>\n                  <\/ul>\n      <\/nav>\n    \n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--page-title\">\n\n    \n  <h1>Students tackle urgent environmental issues thanks to a new fellowship program<\/h1>\n\n\n<\/div>\n    \n          <div class=\"subtitle\">\n            \n<div class=\"f--field f--description\">\n\n    \n  The new EH MATTERS fellowship gives students from underrepresented groups a chance to conduct research on environmental health and safety issues. <strong>[3\u00be min read]<\/strong>\n\n\n<\/div>\n      <\/div>\n    \n           <strong class=\"author-field\"><span >By<\/span><a href=\"mailto:communication@dornsife.usc.edu\">Margaret Crable<\/a><\/strong>\n    \n          <span class=\"post-date-field\">August 26, 2021<\/span>\n      <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--social-share \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--social-share\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n  <div class=\"content-wrapper\">\n    <span class=\"a2a_kit a2a_kit_size_32 addtoany_list\" style=\"line-height: 32px;\">\n      <span class=\"title\">\n        Share\n      <\/span>\n                        <a class=\"a2a_button_copy_link\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/#copy_link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"Link\">\n            <span class=\"a2a_svg a2a_s__default a2a_s_copy_link\">\n              <svg height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 19 19\" width=\"19\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"m7.43475275 9.52380952-2.17490843 2.26076008c-1.08745421 1.058837-1.68841575 2.518315-1.68841575 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xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"m8.14285714 9.42857143c-.17142857 0-.34285714 0-.51428571.08571428l7.28571427 6.34285719c.3428572.2571428.6857143.2571428.9428572 0l7.2857142-6.34285719c-.0857142-.08571428-.2571428-.08571428-.4285714-.08571428zm-1.28571428 1.11428567v.1714286 8.5714286c0 .6857143.6 1.2857143 1.28571428 1.2857143h14.57142856c.6857143 0 1.2857143-.6 1.2857143-1.2857143v-8.5714286c0-.0857143 0-.0857143 0-.1714286l-7.2 6.3428572c-.7714286.6857143-1.8857143.6857143-2.6571429 0z\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\" transform=\"translate(-6 -9)\"\/><\/svg>\n            <\/span>\n            <span class=\"a2a_label visually-hidden\">Email<\/span>\n          <\/a>\n                  <\/span>\n  <\/div>\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n \n\n\n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--rich-text \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--rich-text\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n      \n<div class=\"f--field f--wysiwyg\">\n\n    \n  <p>Just a few blocks from a busy Target store, preschool and neighborhood of single-family homes in San Pedro, California, sit two tanks containing nearly 25 million gallons of butane gas. If a spill were to occur, a single spark could ignite the highly combustible gas and detonate a massive explosion.<\/p>\n<p>Nearby residents have been unsuccessfully petitioning for the removal of the tanks since their installation in the 1970s. Now, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/bisc\/\">biological sciences<\/a>\u00a0major Tim Saunders is joining the fight, thanks to an\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/envhealthcenters.usc.edu\/ehmatters\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Environmental Health Methodological, Trainings and Teaching Enterprise<\/a>\u00a0(EH MATTERS) fellowship provided by the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/envhealthcenters.usc.edu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">USC Environmental Health Centers<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Under the guidance of\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/faculty-search\/edward-lawrence-avol\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Edward Avol<\/a>, professor of clinical population and public health sciences at the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Keck School of Medicine of USC<\/a>, Saunders is building a case study of the tanks\u2019 impact on the neighborhood.<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 630px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/migration-uploads\/EHMattersFellows_Profile_InStoryA-3540.jpg\" alt=\"Photo of two large tanks situated behind residential homes.\" width=\"630\" height=\"406\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Saunders is detailing the risks from large tanks of highly flammable butane gas situated near homes and schools in San Pedro. (Image Source: Google Maps\/Chris Valle.)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cI did calculations, based on an Environmental Protection Agency formula, for the distance broken glass could spray and people will be injured. Best case scenario, the blast radius would be around three miles. The port of Los Angeles would be damaged,\u201d says Saunders. \u201cThen there\u2019s the worst-case scenario. If you look at a maximum impact range, it could be up to around 10 \u00bd miles.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He\u2019s working on a website and infographics that visualize the danger in the hopes it gets policy-makers to act.<\/p>\n<h2>Ensuring environmental equity<\/h2>\n<p>Saunders is one of seven students currently using an EH MATTERS fellowship to research environmental issues that affect human health and safety. The paid, three-semester opportunity pairs students with a mentor who assigns a project and provides guidance for their work.<\/p>\n<p>The fellowship is led by Avol,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/spatial.usc.edu\/team-view\/jill-johnston\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Jill Johnston<\/a>, assistant professor of preventive medicine at Keck School of Medicine and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/spatial.usc.edu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">spatial sciences<\/a>\u00a0at USC Dornsife, and Wendy Gutschow, program administrator in the Division of Environmental Health, Department of Population and Public Health Sciences at the medical school.<\/p>\n<p>Funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, the fellowship aims to mentor students from backgrounds underrepresented in the sciences. The program\u2019s application includes considerations like racial ethnicity, whether an applicant is a first-generation college student or an immigrant.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI find that equity and diversity discussions are often too narrowly focused on race or income in isolation, when in fact cultures, traditions and beliefs are also a big part of the conversation \u2014 and this program was designed with that in mind,\u201d says\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/faculty-search\/rima-habre\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Rima Habre<\/a>, associate professor of (clinical) environmental health and spatial sciences at Keck School of Medicine and USC Dornsife.<\/p>\n<h2>Up in the air<\/h2>\n<p>The EH MATTERS fellowship is enabling Leon Zha, a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.qcb-dornsife.usc.edu\/\">quantitative biology<\/a>\u00a0major, to act on long-standing concerns for the environment. Zha grew up in the Bay Area, where California\u2019s seasonal wildfires were at first only a background annoyance. Starting around his sophomore year in high school, however, the fires became so large and the wildfire smoke so stifling that his cross country and track practices were often canceled.<\/p>\n<p>Zha joined his high school environmental club, which conducted clean-ups of creek beds, lobbied the city council to enact stricter environmental regulations and installed compost bins in the school.<\/p>\n<p>He also got involved with the landmark\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.vox.com\/2020\/1\/17\/21070810\/climate-change-lawsuit-juliana-vs-us-our-childrens-trust-9th-circuit\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Juliana vs. United States<\/a>\u00a0case, in which 21 young people sued the federal government for inaction on climate change. An essay written by Zha, detailing the impact of the wildfires on his life, was submitted to the appeals court as part of the case.<\/p>\n<p>Now through his EH MATTERS fellowship, he\u2019s working with Habre on the issue of air pollution. Zha has been analyzing particulate matter measurements in the air around L.A. and determining its sources.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLeon\u2019s models will help investigators in the Maternal and Developmental Risks from Environmental Social Stressors Center understand which sources of exposure during pregnancy are most responsible for higher health risks in the mom and the baby,\u201d says Habre.<\/p>\n<h2>Friends and neighbors<\/h2>\n<p>Zha is happy that his work could make a palpable difference to people. \u201cIt\u2019s no use if we\u2019re just in some \u2018ivory tower\u2019 all day,\u201d he says. \u201cUltimately, we want our science to be impactful for the community around us.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Many environmental health issues are hurting low-income communities the most. Studies indicate that those living in poor neighborhoods\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.scientificamerican.com\/article\/people-poor-neighborhoods-breate-more-hazardous-particles\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">breathe in more hazardous particles<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/steep\/new-data-show-severity-of-water-contamination-in-poor-neighborhoods\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">drink more contaminated water<\/a>. Communities that are home predominantly to people of color and immigrants are also most likely to be affected.<\/p>\n<p>The EH MATTERS fellowship enables students from affected groups and neighborhoods to conduct research that could make a difference in their own backyard.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBeing a man of color, EH MATTERS gave me a platform to speak for my community,\u201d says Saunders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n  \n        \n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--article-related-stories \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--article-related-stories\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n  <div class=\"inner-wrapper\">\n    \n                  <article>\n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--cta-title\">\n\n    \n  <h3>\n          <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/trumps-words-arent-stopping-many-countries-from-setting-higher-climate-goals\/\" \n                        class=\"\" \n      >Trump\u2019s words aren\u2019t stopping China, Brazil and many other countries from setting higher climate goals, but progress is\u00a0slow<\/a>\n      <\/h3>\n\n\n<\/div>\n        <\/article>\n              <article>\n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--cta-title\">\n\n    \n  <h3>\n          <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/amazon-gold-mining-impedes-reforestation-efforts\/\" \n                        class=\"\" \n      >Why forests aren\u2019t coming back after gold mining in the Amazon<\/a>\n      <\/h3>\n\n\n<\/div>\n        <\/article>\n              <article>\n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--cta-title\">\n\n    \n  <h3>\n          <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/throwing-soup-van-gogh-climate-protesters-cop27\/\" \n                        class=\"\" \n      >Throwing soup on a Van Gogh: How climate protesters are making their voices heard over Egypt\u2019s climate summit\u00a0suppression<\/a>\n      <\/h3>\n\n\n<\/div>\n        <\/article>\n            <\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The new EH MATTERS fellowship gives students from underrepresented groups a chance to conduct research on environmental health and safety issues. <strong>[3\u00be min read]<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":52,"featured_media":1427,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10,24,17,15],"tags":[376,150,65,375,69,60,214],"class_list":["post-1424","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-faculty","category-social-impact","category-student","category-sustainability","tag-dei","tag-dei-story","tag-environment","tag-fellowships","tag-pollution","tag-research","tag-undergraduate-spotlight"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.1.1 - 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