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The ENERGY Center
At the ENERGY Center, we study how everyday exposures drive conditions like asthma, diabetes, hypertension, obesity and intellectual and developmental disabilities.
We focus on the communities most affected by environmental harm — women, children, immigrants, and people with disabilities — and work to create safer homes, neighborhoods, and workplaces.
Our team brings deep expertise in exposure science, environmental and occupational epidemiology, workplace health and safety, advanced data analysis and nutrition science. We uncover how risks are distributed across spaces and time — and how targeted solutions can make a difference.
NEWS:
CUNY PhD candidate awarded grant for AI and machine learning project
PhD candidate Rachel Thompson received a 2025 NY/NJ ERC Pilot Project Award for her study using AI and low-cost sensors to track and reduce exposure risks among New York City service workers. Her work, mentored by Dr. Brian Pavilonis, takes a proactive approach to improving occupational health and reducing disparities. Read more here.
Announcing the inaugural recipients of the Edward A. Geltman Memorial Prize in Environmental Health Policy
The ENERGY Center is proud to announce the first recipients of the Edward A. Geltman Memorial Prize in Environmental Health Policy: Elizabeth Pasnik and Jhanvi Solanki. Supported by the CUNY SPH Foundation, this newly established prize honors the legacy of Edward A. Geltman, JD, late husband of Associate Professor Elizabeth Glass Geltman, LLM, JD, a champion of environmental health, public policy, and interdisciplinary learning. It recognizes outstanding MPH students whose work exemplifies evidence-based advocacy, environmental justice, and systems-level thinking.
Elizabeth Pasnik, a student in the Environmental, Occupational and Geospatial Health Sciences (EOGHS) department, was nominated by EOGHS faculty for her exceptional integration of environmental design, health advocacy, and policy analysis. Drawing on her background as a government contractor and environmental employee, Elizabeth’s work spans climate justice, urban ventilation standards, and occupational health. Her capstone focused on New York State’s Nail Salon Reform Program, offering a rigorous policy analysis and actionable recommendations to improve health outcomes for salon workers. Her scholarship—rooted in environmental equity and informed by practice—reflects a deep commitment to policy change.
Jhanvi Solanki, an MPH candidate in Epidemiology and Biostatistics, has demonstrated an ability to connect advanced data analysis with community-driven environmental health policy. Her capstone examined neighborhood walkability and obesity prevalence using geospatial methods. As a Community Planning Fellow with the Fund for the City of New York, Jhanvi worked closely with AIRnyc to develop predictive models for asthma risk, aligning real-time health data with environmental exposures. Her work bridges public health and urban planning, and she has emerged as a thought leader in the role of data in environmental health equity. A first-generation international student, Jhanvi has also contributed to peer-reviewed research and mentored fellow students as a teaching and research assistant.
We congratulate Elizabeth and Jhanvi on this well-earned recognition and will offer mentorship to support their publication endeavors in the coming year. Their work is a powerful reflection of the ENERGY Center’s mission to advance health equity and environmental justice through research, policy, and practice.
