EPA grant will fund study on impact of ?daylighting' on productivity

SYRACUSE, N.Y.—Upstate Medical University has been awarded a $299,011 grant from the Environmental Protection Agency to study the impact of "daylighting on human decision making and productivity." The study, which will be conducted by Usha Satish, Ph.D., associate professor of psychiatry, will assess the difference in productivity of individuals working in rooms illuminated by artificial light with those working in rooms lit by natural light.

In previous research, Satish has used computer-assisted simulations to assess decision-making performance and cognitive functioning. Satish used such simulations at select medical residency programs to assess competency and, if needed, to provide additional training to a medical residents in critical decision-making skills, long before they complete residency programs.

The EPA grant award for Upstate was announced June 15 by the Syracuse Center of Excellence. Three other area higher education institutions—Clarkson University, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry and Syracuse University—also received EPA grants through the Collaborative Activities for Research and Technology funding. Total amount of grants awarded was $1.4 million.

"This grant program further illustrates the powerful economic engine that research and higher education continue to be for this region," said Upstate Medical University President David R. Smith, M.D. "In total, these projects aim to enhance the human condition, how we live and work, and ultimately build a healthier future for us all. In many ways, they reflect the central mission of Upstate Medical University: to improve the health of the communities we serve. For this opportunity, we thank Congressman Maffei for his support of this valuable program."