October 2023

Michael Turgeon, a recent graduate from the Sacramento State Public Policy and Administration master’s program, is studying the link between air quality and academic performance. Turgeon also has an undergraduate background in the biological sciences, which gave him a solid foundation of scientific research methods. His background in both the sciences and public policy made for a very thoughtful pairing, which led him to conduct his exceptional research in finding a significant correlation between the quality of the air we breathe and academic performance in the classroom.

Turgeon’s work took off while taking a master’s level research course with Sacramento State’s Public Policy and Administration Chair and Professor, Dr. Robert Wassmer. In this course, the class was provided with educational data sets to work with to establish foundational competencies in data analysis and statistical research methods. Turgeon was also concurrently working for the California Air Resources Board, when the lightbulb of his research idea to explore the connection between air quality data and educational data went off. While it's widely known that air pollution impacts respiratory conditions such as asthma and lung disease, research also shows that it has a notable influence on cognition as well. Thus began Turgeon’s thesis and award-winning research; The Effect of Local Pollution Exposure on Academic Achievement in California.

The beginning of his research involved accessing and examining relevant data sets, which can be a momentous challenge as some data sets aren’t readily available. Another challenge is the steep learning curve that comes with becoming fluent in these data sets and building enough competency to perform an accurate analysis. In Turgeon’s case, he built these competencies with the guidance of Dr. Wassmer in preparation for, and throughout, his thesis work.

Turgeon utilized an educational data set from Stanford University on standardized test scores for K-12 students in California as a measurement of academic performance. He also used a data set from CalEnviroScreen, a database managed by the State of California, that provides data on air pollution levels in the state. Turgeon analyzed the data from each set, focusing on the years 2009 – 2018. Through an extensive amount of formatting, evaluating, and number crunching, Turgeon identified a significant correlation between air pollution levels and standardized test scores throughout the state. What’s more, he discovered an especially strong correlation between the two in lower income regions of California.

While there is a profound connection between the two, there are other variables in the equation that have a considerable impact worth mentioning. A few examples include the quality of the air filtration systems that vary from school to school throughout the state, and the disparities in air pollution levels in each region. These variables tend to be heightened in lower income areas in the state, and both are important factors that play a role in Turgeon’s research and overall mitigation efforts.

So, what can be done about this? Nothing a little hard work and policy change can’t fix.

Actually, the road to effective policy change is quite complex and hazy at times. Turgeon has learned through both his time in his master’s program, and career with the Air Resources Board, that to enact policy change, you must have an extremely strong and defensible case to back it up. Turgeon's continued work on this project is contributing to such a case. Building a solid case involves in-depth research and analysis, which set the standards for Turgeon’s thesis work. Another key to top quality research is the ability for the identified outcomes to hold up when examined from different angles, lenses, and perspectives. This is another facet Turgeon applied, and continues to apply, to his work.

While Turgeon’s research showed a significant correlation between air quality and academic performance, there is still work to be done to create change at the policy level. The good news is, California has already begun to implement more equitable policies. There are a multitude of compounding factors that have a hand in both air quality and academic performance, and the benefits of these changes will in turn, open the door for more to follow suit.

What’s next for Turgeon? Turgeon and Dr. Wassmer are continuing to research and refine this study. One detail they are currently focusing on is the recency of the air we breathe; examining the long-term ramifications of air pollution from years ago, as well as the immediate effects of the air pollution levels on a given test date. Eventually, they plan to take it a step further and publish their work

When asked what advice he has for students interested in becoming involved in research, Turgeon emphasized the importance of building a good partnership with a faculty mentor. He also mentioned that participating in campus research events are a great opportunity to get your feet wet with research in a professional context, and can give a glimpse into what a career in that field might look like. Finally, and arguably most importantly, you don’t need to be an expert to get started in research.

Now that is a breath of fresh air.