College

Buchtel College of Arts and Sciences

Date of Last Revision

2026-05-28 08:01:31

Major

Computer Science

Honors Course

CPSC 498

Number of Credits

2

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science

Date of Expected Graduation

Spring 2026

Abstract

Air quality impacts public health, environmental sustainability, and quality of life. However, accurate and easily accessible short-term air quality forecasting is challenging to find. This project, Clear Skies, presents a machine learning–based system for forecasting next-day Air Quality Index (AQI) levels across regions in Ohio. By using historical pollutant data with variables such as temperature, humidity, wind speed, and atmospheric pressure, the system finds relationships that traditional statistical models often don’t show.

Machine learning models are evaluated alongside AI techniques to find the environmental factors that influence AQI predictions. This helps reduce the “black box” nature of many AI systems and improves trust and usability for non-expert audiences. Additionally, the project considers sustainability by using efficient models with lower computational cost.

Forecast results are presented through an interactive dashboard hoping to make air quality information accessible to the public. Clear Skies hopes to demonstrates AI can support environmental awareness, public health decision-making, and community engagement.

Research Sponsor

John Hoag

First Reader

Philip Marcin

Second Reader

Ronald Gelleny

Honors Faculty Advisor

Brian Bagotto

Proprietary and/or Confidential Information

No

Community Engaged Scholarship

No

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