Valparaiso University students and faculty involved in the Northern Lake County Environmental Partnership will share their research findings at an open house at Indiana University Northwest in Gary this Saturday, Feb. 28 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
What: Students, scientists and other community partners involved in the partnership will present on three main topics:
- The group has collected over 300 road dust samples over the course of two and a half years from Hammond, East Chicago and Gary, which were analyzed at Valpo for carbon content, and at the University of Notre Dame for metals, including iron.
- Low-cost particulate matter monitors have been set up throughout northwest Indiana to monitor vital information regarding air quality. The study has found a stark difference between air particulates in Northwest Indiana compared to the air in central Indiana.
- The team is currently looking for volunteers in northern Lake County to participate in an indoor pollution study, which would require participants to wear a wristband that collects particulate matter for later analysis, among other requirements. The study provides a stipend for participants.
Where: Indiana University Northwest, 3400 Broadway, Gary, IN. (Library building conference room.)
When: Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
For more information, contact Julie Peller, Ph.D., professor of chemistry at Valparaiso University, at .
