McWhorter Fund for Excellence Grants

The Earlon McWhorter ’68 and Betty McWhorter Fund for Excellence (McWFFE) was established to “further collaboration between the major academic disciplines in the College of Architecture, Design and Construction,” specifically in the area of design-build. The application cycle typically launches in late Fall.

2024–25 Awardee

Ben Marshall and Emily McGlohn
Particulate matter exposure due to cooking events with ducted and non-ducted fume hoods in dwellings under 1000 square feet

This funding will support the design and implementation of a ducted fume hood and operable window in Mark’s home at the Rural Studio, which is currently in the design phase. The funding will provide for air quality sensors for testing the design and comparing it to the previous kitchen exhaust design in Mrs. Patrick’s Home which is a very similar floor plan to Mark’s home, making comparisons between ducted and recirculating fume hoods possible. Findings will be shared with the study participants, Rural Studio, Front Porch Initiative and Alabama Cooperative Extension System (ACES) to help develop design standards for healthier kitchen environments. The findings will also be submitted as a journal article and talks to Indoor Environments and the International Society of Indoor Air Quality conference in 2026.