Professor Jordan Peccia has long been driven by a deep belief that environmental research should serve human health—and his work reflects a deep commitment to using science in service to the New Haven community. When the COVID-19 pandemic began, Professor Peccia quickly mobilized his lab’s expertise to support the city’s public health response. Just days after New Haven’s first confirmed case in March 2020, he launched the Yale COVID-19 Wastewater Monitoring Project—a groundbreaking early warning system that tracks virus levels in wastewater.
This innovative approach allowed health officials to detect outbreaks well before traditional case data became available, offering a crucial head start in protecting public health. From the start, Professor Peccia partnered closely with the City of New Haven and the Water Pollution Control Authority, building a strong network of collaboration that soon expanded to include Yale New Haven Hospital, the New Haven Health Department, and the Connecticut Department of Health. His lab’s real-time data became a vital tool for local decision-makers and remains a public resource to this day. As of January 2025, his team marked 1,749 consecutive days of monitoring infectious diseases in New Haven wastewater. Even as federal and state case tracking has wound down, Jordan’s lab continues to provide free, high-quality surveillance data to city officials and residents.
In addition to COVID-19, Professor Peccia’s team now monitors local outbreaks of influenza, RSV, and norovirus. They also played a key role in tracking the 2022 mpox outbreak and recently launched surveillance for H5N1 bird flu. These efforts—funded through Yale support, grants, and private philanthropy—have all been made available to the city at no cost. For his visionary leadership, his trusted partnerships with local public health institutions, and his commitment to scientific service for the common good, President Maurie McInnis and Economic Development Administrator Michael Piscitelli present Professor Jordan Peccia with an Ivy Award.