Tree canopies provide shade and generate fresh oxygen, but they also may have additional benefits for humans. Alexandra Ponette-González, assistant professor of geography, is studying how post oak and blackjack oak trees in full foliage can improve air quality when air pollutants fall on their branches and leaves and eventually the ground. She earned a prestigious National Science Foundation CAREER award to further her research, which could help urban planners see the air quality benefits of planting trees.