Linsey Marr

The first thing that people think about a professor is that they teach college students. Well, I'm the type of professor who mostly does research. I study viruses in the air and indoor and outdoor air pollution. My group's research lies at the intersection of environmental engineering, aerosol science, and public health. I lead teams of students, research scientists, and other professors in experiments to discover new knowledge about airborne transmission of diseases such as Covid-19 and the flu. Our results can be used to develop recommendations and guidelines for improving health. 

I love science and math and want to apply them to solve problems that affect our everyday lives.

I have a B.S. in Engineering Science from Harvard and M.S. and Ph.D. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of California at Berkeley. I completed my postdoctoral training in Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences at MIT.

I work mainly in an office, where I meet with my graduate students and postdoctoral researchers to discuss their research and write and edit scientific papers to share our results. I also meet with collaborators and write proposals to try to get funding for research. On some days, I teach a class and spend some time beforehand preparing class material and assignments and answering students' questions.

There are a few best parts about being a professor of engineering. One is discovering new knowledge, something that no one else has ever known, through research. Another is helping students learn new concepts and tools. A third is producing and explaining research that helps regular people, policymakers, and others make changes to improve their air quality and health. 

My spouse is a water resources engineer, and we have two children who probably will not be engineers because they are interested in history, art, economics, and astrophysics.

I am an avid recreational athlete who runs, bikes, and does Crossfit six times per week. I enjoy hiking, and I ski as much as possible.