Clare Patchett ’26 Showcases Air-Quality Research at MIT Undergraduate Conference

This past weekend, Clare Patchett '26 and her project team from the New Jersey Governor’s School of Engineering and Technology presented their research paper, “California PM2.5: A Ground- and Satellite-Based Data Analysis and Policy Investigation,” at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge. The presentation was part of the 2025 Undergraduate Research Technology Conference (URTC), an internationally-renowned event showcasing remarkable engineering and technological breakthroughs conducted by undergraduate researchers from across the country.

Clare and her team began their journey in August, participating in a small-group research project at the New Jersey Governor’s School. Using coding languages such as Python, their project translated complex air-quality data into accessible formats for policymakers and the general public. Beyond data visualization, the team’s paper also identified gaps in current policy and proposed actionable revisions for California policymakers.

Reflecting on the experience, Clare said, “It was such an honor to be accepted to present at this prestigious conference and have my first research published as a high school student. The experience of meeting and networking with international undergraduate researchers was inspiring, and I know that it will give me a strong foundation for future research endeavors in college.”