Best Paper award

ALBANY, N.Y. (April 21, 2026) — UAlbany PhD student Md. Reazul Islam developed an app that uses artificial intelligence and a network of smart devices to monitor, predict and map pollution levels, alerting users in real time to areas with hazardous air quality that could damage their health and suggesting alternate routes. "Urban air pollution is a major threat to sustainable cities and public health, and major sources include industrial vehicle emissions and poor waste management," said Islam, who is in the first year of his PhD program in computer science. The app comes with a built-in intelligent waste management system that can also alert garbage collectors to bins that are nearly full, helping them optimize collection routes and prevent environmental and public health hazards before they occur.