The Center of Air Pollution Impact and Trend Analysis (CAPITA) specializes in global aerosol research and the impact of air pollution on the atmosphere. CAPITA has a staff composed of faculty, permanent technical staff, visiting scientists, postdoctoral research assistants, and graduate students who participate in research. CAPITA is guided by an executive board consisting of the faculty: Rudolf B. Husar, Director and Professor of Mechanical Engineering; Edward Macias, Associate Director, Professor of Chemistry and Provost, Warren H. White, Senior Research Associate in Chemistry, and Janja D. Husar, Senior Research Associate in Mechanical Engineering. The supporting staff maintains data and literature banks, assists CAPITA personnel with literature searches, programming, data processing, and similar services.
The personnel of CAPITA enjoy the support of well developed facilities for information storage, retrieval, and processing. These include a literature library, computers and peripherals, and extensive software.
The literature library is maintained in conjunction and cooperation with the existing Washington University library system. The main focus of the CAPITA library, however, is on the specialized interdisciplinary field of air pollution. The library collection consists of pertinent journals, technical documents and assortment of informal working papers, and private communications. The cataloging and indexing is computerized.
The existing library contains over 50 air pollution related data sets including fuel use, emission data ambient air pollution concentration data, weather data, visibility, and acid precipitation data. CAPITA has converted the disparate sets into a uniform format, to facilitate access, inter comparison, and the use of standardized statistical and analytical routines.
Much of the strength of CAPITA lies in the over 200 software program packages available for handling computerized data banks and general information management.
By the 1990s, CAPITA research and administration has shifted from mainframes and minis to IBM PC-based computers. Both Wide Area Network (Internet) and Local area Network (Windows for Workgroups) facilitate effective communication within and outside the University. Computer peripherals include laser printers, CD-ROM, 9-track and cartridge backup tapes, PC-video boards and others.
Last modified June 9, 1995
http://capita.wustl.edu/AboutCapita.html