Student Earns President’s Award for Research on Warehouse Development and Community Health
A student-led research project examining the relationship between warehouse expansion, air quality, and public health in Moreno Valley earned top honors at the 18th Annual Riverside Community College District Student Research Conference, held Nov. 21 at Riverside City College.
Marilyn Gonzalez, a Moreno Valley College student, received the President’s Award for Academic Excellence for her project, The Impact of Warehouse Expansion on Air Quality and Health in Moreno Valley. The award recognizes the most outstanding student research produced within each RCCD college and highlights academic work that demonstrates depth of inquiry, methodological rigor, and relevance to real-world issues.
Gonzalez’s research focused on the rapid growth of warehouse and industrial development in Moreno Valley and the concerns residents have raised about its potential effects on air quality and long-term health outcomes. Drawing from bilingual community surveys and historical environmental data, her study examined how increased truck traffic and industrial activity may be contributing to higher levels of particulate matter and ozone, pollutants commonly associated with respiratory and cardiovascular conditions.
The project combined self-reported health and perception data from Moreno Valley residents with air quality records from regional monitoring agencies, allowing Gonzalez to compare lived community experiences with measured environmental trends. Findings indicated that many residents perceive local air quality as poor and report respiratory concerns, particularly in areas with concentrated warehouse activity. Those perceptions aligned with higher levels of ozone and particulate matter documented in areas with significant logistics development.
Gonzalez conducted the project with guidance from faculty advisor Sara Yerushalmian, associate professor of psychology at Moreno Valley College, and collaborated with Yamilet Gonzalez, a UCSD alumna, to carry out the research.
In addition to earning the President’s Award, Gonzalez participated in a student panel during the conference, where she shared her findings alongside peers from across the district. The annual RCCD Student Research Conference brings together students from Moreno Valley College, Norco College and Riverside City College to present original research through oral presentations and poster sessions spanning multiple disciplines.
The President’s Award is open to student research developed through coursework or independent study at each home college, with abstracts evaluated by faculty reviewers. Gonzalez’s recognition places her work among the highest-rated student research submissions from Moreno Valley College this year.
Her project contributes to ongoing conversations about land use, environmental monitoring, and public health in rapidly developing communities like Moreno Valley. As regional growth continues, research grounded in both community input and empirical data offers an important foundation for informed dialogue among residents, educators, and policymakers.