Trish Koman

Trish Koman, PhD, MPP, is an adjunct practice instructor in urban and regional planning. She is the co-writing instructor for the law course. Dr. Koman also teaches air pollution, public health, and environmental justice in the College of Literature, Sciences and Arts (LSA) at the School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS). Dr. Koman’s writing include authoring the first Report to Congress for the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act, serving as the managing director for the Report to Congress required by the Clean Air Act Section 183(e) program to reduce air toxics from architectural coatings and consumer products; contributing as a principal author for the landmark air pollution fine particle national ambient air quality standards; and other works. She has contributed to the peer-reviewed literature and environmental educational materials on a wide range of air pollution and environmental policy topics for the general public. During her career, Dr. Koman has served as the senior national environmental justice coordinator and scientist for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Air and Radiation. For 10 years, Dr. Koman conducted research at the U-M School of Public Health, where she led community-engaged scholarship including studies of climate change vulnerability as well as health studies related to air pollution and wildland fire smoke exposures. Working with community partners in Flint, MI, during the water crisis, Dr. Koman developed an environmental education campaign. Dr. Koman also served as the faculty research program manager for the U-M College of Engineering Multidisciplinary Design Program. While in federal service previously, Dr. Koman managed multi-disciplinary benefit-cost analyses, regulatory programs, and technological innovation initiatives. She established an international program to reduce diesel emissions from seaports which under her leadership grew to over $100 million grant program, helped initiate the Clean School Bus USA program to protect children’s health, and led the team that established the first fine particulate matter standard. She has received numerous awards including an EPA Administrator Award for Excellence, and she was recognized by the American Public Health Association with the Distinguished Service award for the environment. Her teaching has been recognized with a U-M Provost teaching innovation award. She earned her bachelors with distinction, Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Virgnia, a masters degree in public policy from the University of California at Berkeley, and a Ph.D. in Environmental Health Sciences at the University of Michigan.