Goucher College Receives Federal Funds to Advance Research and Fill Critical Gaps in Urban Heat Mapping in Baltimore

Goucher College has received $151,000 in Congressionally Directed Spending to support air-quality research and fill critical gaps in urban heat mapping in Baltimore. The fiscal year 2026 Congressionally Directed Spending, secured by U.S. senators Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobrooks (both D-Md.), will support the installation of weather stations and air quality sensors to produce data-driven climate science information. The research study and community outreach project will focus on the City of Baltimore, where public health problems have historically been linked to systemic social and environmental injustice.  

The community-based feasibility study will allow Goucher College faculty to integrate earth-science, geospatial, and socio-economic data to equitably track issues of environmental justice. In addition to installing a weather station on Goucher’s campus, the college’s Community-Based Learning Office will identify community partners and neighborhoods to install additional weather stations in to collect important data, including heat mapping. Heat mapping tracks portions of the city that are warmer than surrounding rural areas due to dense buildings, roads, and pavement that absorb and retain heat.  

“The research and work that Goucher College students are doing is transforming what we know about our state. I am proud to have secured this essential federal funding so we can properly study and understand air quality and heat mapping in Baltimore. This funding goes far beyond Goucher College and will support environmental studies and efforts to address environmental challenges across our entire state—including for children living with asthma,” said Sen. Alsobrooks.   

These urban heat islands can exacerbate respiratory conditions, including asthma. Baltimore youth asthma rates are the highest in Maryland, and research has found a correlation between poverty and asthma, with the poorest neighborhoods aligning with the hottest neighborhoods in Baltimore, which are predominantly African American, due to redlining. This study will enable broader discussions with community partners and impacted residents.  

“We know that the harmful impacts of climate change on air quality and heat pose an increasing risk to public health across America, but it’s often underserved communities that are forced to confront the worst effects. We delivered these funds to Goucher College to equip them to better track these disparities—and to help guide future decisions on how we can build a healthier future for all of Baltimore’s residents,” said Sen. Chris Van Hollen, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee. 

Every Goucher undergraduate student is required to have exposure to environmental science and data analytics, and this project will offer hands-on learning opportunities for undergraduates, as well as graduate students in the master’s degree programs in applied policy analysis and environmental sustainability and management.  

“This project enables a variety of learning experiences across the college, allowing students from multiple disciplines to gain hands-on experience participating as student research assistants,” said Tom Narock, associate professor of data science at Goucher College. “Data from this project will also be used in a variety of Goucher classes and capstone projects, and we look forward to also engaging the expertise of Goucher’s Community-Based Learning Office to broaden the discussion to community partners and residents.” 

The research will contribute to Maryland’s efforts to produce new data-driven climate science reports to inform policies and programs to enhance the region’s public and environmental health.