2012 Summer Research Experiences for Undergraduates at Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Castelaz, Michael W.; Cline, J. D.; Whitworth, C.; Clavier, D.; Owen, L.

2013-01-01

Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute (PARI) offers research experiences for undergraduates (REU). PARI receives support for the internships from the NC Space Grant Consortium, NSF awards, private donations, and industry partner funding. The PARI REU program began in 2001 with 4 students and has averaged 6 students per year over the past 11 years. This year PARI hosted 8 funded REU students. Mentors for the interns include PARI’s Science, Education, and Information Technology staff and visiting faculty who are members of the PARI Research Faculty Affiliate program. Students work with mentors on radio and optical astronomy research, electrical engineering for robotic control of instruments, software development for instrument control and software for citizen science projects, and science education by developing curricula and multimedia and teaching high school students in summer programs at PARI. At the end of the summer interns write a paper about their research which is published in the annually published PARI Summer Student Proceedings. Several of the students have presented their results at AAS Meetings. We will present a summary of specific research conducted by the students with their mentors and the logistics for hosting the PARI undergraduate internship program.

A Research Experiences for Undergraduates program (REU) Program Designed to Recruit, Engage and Prepare a Diverse Student Population for Careers in Ocean Sciences.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clarkston, B. E.; Garza, C.

2016-02-01

The problem of improving diversity within the Ocean Sciences workforce—still underperforming relative to other scientific disciplines—can only be addressed by first recruiting and engaging a more diverse student population into the discipline, then retaining them in the workforce. California State University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB) is home to the Monterey Bay Regional Ocean Science Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program. As an HSI with strong ties to multiple regional community colleges and other Predominantly Undergraduate Institutions (PUIs) in the CSU system, the Monterey Bay REU is uniquely positioned to address the crucial recruitment and engagement of a diverse student body. Eleven sophomore and junior-level undergraduate students are recruited per year from academic institutions where research opportunities in STEM are limited and from groups historically underrepresented in the Ocean Sciences, including women, underrepresented minorities, persons with disabilities, and veterans. During the program, students engage in a 10-week original research project guided by a faculty research mentor in one of four themes: Oceanography, Marine Biology and Ecology, Ocean Engineering, and Marine Geology. In addition to research, students develop scientific self-efficacy and literacy skills through rigorous weekly professional development workshops in which they practice critical thinking, ethical decision-making, peer review, writing and oral communication skills. These workshops include tangible products such as an NSF-style proposal paper, Statement of Purpose and CV modelled for the SACNAS Travel Award Application, research abstract, scientific report and oral presentation. To help retain students in Ocean Sciences, students build community during the REU by living together in the CSUMB dormitories; post-REU, students stay connected through an online facebook group, LinkedIn page and group webinars. To date, the REU has supported 22 students in two cohorts (2014, 2015) and here we present successes, challenges and lessons learned for an innovative program designed to recruit, engage and prepare students for Ocean Science careers.

Successes and Challenges in the SAGE (Summer of Applied Geophysical Experience) REU Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Braile, L. W.; Baldridge, W. S.; Pellerin, L.; Ferguson, J. F.; Bedrosian, P.; Biehler, S.; Jiracek, G. R.; Snelson, C. M.; Kelley, S.; McPhee, D.

2014-12-01

The SAGE program was initiated in 1983 to provide an applied geophysics research and education experience for students. Since 1983, 820 students have completed the SAGE summer program. Beginning in 1992, with funding from the NSF, SAGE has included an REU (Research Experience for Undergraduates) experience for selected undergraduate students from U.S. colleges and universities. Since 1992, 380 undergraduate REU students have completed the SAGE program. The four week, intensive, summer program is based in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and involves students in learning geophysical theory and applications; collection of geophysical field data in the northern Rio Grande Rift area; data processing, modeling and interpretation; and presentation (oral and written) of results of each student's research results. Students (undergraduates, graduates and professionals) and faculty are together on a school campus for the summer program. Successful strategies (developed over the years) of the program include teamwork experience, mentoring of REUs (by faculty and more senior students), cultural interchange due to students from many campuses across the U.S. and international graduate students, including industry visitors who work with the students and provide networking, a capstone experience of the summer program that includes all students making a "professional-meeting" style presentation of their research and submitting a written report, a follow-up workshop for the REU students to enhance and broaden their experience, and providing professional development for the REUs through oral or poster presentations and attendance at a professional meeting. Program challenges include obtaining funding from multiple sources; significant time investment in program management, reporting, and maintaining contact with our many funding sources and industry affiliates; and, despite significant efforts, limited success in recruiting racial and ethnic minority students to the program.

UAHuntsville and NASA-MSFC Heliophysics REU: Year One Strategy and Results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Farid, S.; Heerikhuisen, J.; Winebarger, A. R.

2012-12-01

Scientists from the University of Alabama in Huntsville and NASA Marshall Space Fight Center (MSFC) received a 3-year National Science Foundation (NSF) award to create a unique Heliophysics Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU). For 10 weeks, 10 undergraduate students engaged in cutting edge heliophysics research with NASA or UAHuntsville astrophysicists specializing in research from the solar interior to the heliopause. Research projects included theory, modeling, computer simulations, data analysis and instrument design. The primary objectives of this REU are to 1.) increase minority participation in science, technology and mathematics (STEM) fields in general, and heliophysics in particular, and 2.) decrease the STEM attrition rate in first and second year students. This REU is unique because of our focus on recruiting talented students that may not have otherwise participated in an REU. In addition to the usual criteria of most REUs, consideration of need was also given to those students who were sophomores, students with little or no previous research experience, those from small or non-PhD granting institutions, students with less than average GPA, minorities, women, etc. In this poster, we review the effectiveness of the first year strategy. We evaluate the recruitment and application process, mentor placement, living and working arrangements, introductory tutorials, and merit of final research projects. We present modifications for next year's effort, and make suggestions to similar REU programs.

The SARA REU Site Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wood, M. A.; Oswalt, T. D.; SARA Collaboration

2000-12-01

We present an overview of the Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Site Program hosted by the Southeastern Association for Research in Astronomy (SARA) for the past 6 years. SARA is a consortium of the six universities: Florida Institute of Technology, East Tennessee State University, Florida International University, The University of Georgia, Valdosta State University, and Clemson University. We host 10-11 student interns per year out of an application pool of ~150-200. Recruiting flyers are sent to the ~3400 undergraduate institutions in the United States, and we use a web-based application form and review process. We are a distributed REU Site, but come together for group meetings at the beginning and end of the summer program and stay in contact in between using email list manager software. Interns complete a research project working one-on-one with a faculty mentor, and each intern travels to observe at the SARA Observatory at Kitt Peak National Observatory. Interns give both oral and display presentations of their results at the final group meeting. In addition, all interns write a paper for publication in the IAPPP Communications, an international amateur-professional journal, and several present at professional meetings and in refereed publications. We include in the group meetings a ``how-to'' session on giving talks and posters, an Ethics Session, and a session on Women in Astronomy. This work was supported by the NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Site Program through grant AST 96169939 to The Florida Institute of Technology.

Small Friends of Hot Jupiters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nunez, Luis Ernesto; Johnson, John A.

2017-01-01

Hot Jupiters are Jupiter-sized gas giant exoplanets that closely orbit their host star in periods of about 10 days or less. Early models hypothesized that these exoplanets formed away from the star, then over time drifted to their characteristically closer locations. However, new theories predict that Hot Jupiters form at their close proximity during the process of core accretion (Batygin et al. 2015). In fact, a super-Earth and a Neptune-sized exoplanet have already been detected in the Hot Jupiter-hosting star WASP-47 (Becker et al. 2015). We will present our analysis of radial velocity time series plots to determine whether low-mass, short-period planets have been previously overlooked in systems of stars which host Hot Jupiters.The SAO REU program is funded in part by the National Science Foundation REU and Department of Defense ASSURE programs under NSF Grant no. 1262851.

Evaluating Research Ethics Training in the Maryland Sea Grant REU Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Allen, M. R.; Kumi, G. A.; Kumi, B. C.; Moser, F. C.

2016-02-01

The NSF's Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program is an opportunity to cultivate responsible research practices in researchers at an early stage in their career. However, teaching responsible research conduct and science ethics in this program has been challenging because of a lack of consensus regarding which instructional methods are most effective for educating students about ethical concepts and establishing the process of ethical decision-making. Over the last 15 years, Maryland Sea Grant's REU ethics program has evolved by exploring different teaching models and looking for ways to effectively engage upper level undergraduates throughout their summer experience in ethical responsibility training. Since 2007, we have adopted a concerted experiential learning approach that includes an ethics seminar, role playing, case studies, and reflection. Currently, our summer long ethics training includes: 1) an interactive seminar; 2) a workshop with role playing and case studies; 3) 1-2 readings; and 4) a roundtable discussion with faculty mentors and their mentees to discuss researchers' real-world experiences with ethical dilemmas. Within the last 3 years, we have expanded our student learning outcomes assessments by administering pre- and post-program surveys to assess ethical skills students acquire through the program. Reevaluations administered three and six years after the REU experience will measure long term effectiveness of the training. Results from the first group of students reveal a greater awareness of ethical issues following our summer program. Students show a high level of competence about "black and white" issues (falsification, fabrication, plagiarism), but are more challenged by ethical "gray areas" such as data ownership and authorship. Results suggest many undergraduates come to research programs with basic ethics training, but benefit from our additional focus on complex ethical dilemmas.

Using a Summer REU to Help Develop the Next Generation of Mathematical Ecologists.

PubMed

Bennie, Barbara; Eager, Eric Alan; Peirce, James P; Sandland, Gregory J

2018-04-01

Understanding the complexities of environmental issues requires individuals to bring together ideas and data from different disciplines, including ecology and mathematics. With funding from the national science foundation (NSF), scientists from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and the US geological survey held a research experience for undergraduates (REU) program in the summer of 2016. The goals of the program were to expose students to open problems in the area of mathematical ecology, motivate students to pursue STEM-related positions, and to prepare students for research within interdisciplinary, collaborative settings. Based on backgrounds and interests, eight students were selected to participate in one of two research projects: wind energy and wildlife conservation or the establishment and spread of waterfowl diseases. Each research program was overseen by a mathematician and a biologist. Regardless of the research focus, the program first began with formal lectures to provide students with foundational knowledge followed by student-driven research projects. Throughout this period, student teams worked in close association with their mentors to create, parameterize and evaluate ecological models to better understand their systems of interest. Students then disseminated their results at local, regional, and international meetings and through publications (one in press and one in progress). Direct and indirect measures of student development revealed that our REU program fostered a deep appreciation for and understanding of mathematical ecology. Finally, the program allowed students to gain experiences working with individuals with different backgrounds and perspectives. Taken together, this REU program allowed us to successfully excite, motivate and prepare students for future positions in the area of mathematical biology, and because of this it can be used as a model for interdisciplinary programs at other institutions.

Supporting a Diverse Community of Undergraduate Researchers in Satellite and Ground-Based Remote Sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blake, R.; Liou-Mark, J.

2012-12-01

The U.S. remains in grave danger of losing its global competitive edge in STEM. To find solutions to this problem, the Obama Administration proposed two new national initiatives: the Educate to Innovate Initiative and the $100 million government/private industry initiative to train 100,000 STEM teachers and graduate 1 million additional STEM students over the next decade. To assist in ameliorating the national STEM plight, the New York City College of Technology has designed its NSF Research Experience for Undergraduate (REU) program in satellite and ground-based remote sensing to target underrepresented minority students. Since the inception of the program in 2008, a total of 45 undergraduate students of which 38 (84%) are considered underrepresented minorities in STEM have finished or are continuing with their research or are pursuing their STEM endeavors. The program is comprised of the three primary components. The first component, Structured Learning Environments: Preparation and Mentorship, provides the REU Scholars with the skill sets necessary for proficiency in satellite and ground-based remote sensing research. The students are offered mini-courses in Geographic Information Systems, MATLAB, and Remote Sensing. They also participate in workshops on the Ethics of Research. Each REU student is a member of a team that consists of faculty mentors, post doctorate/graduate students, and high school students. The second component, Student Support and Safety Nets, provides undergraduates a learning environment that supports them in becoming successful researchers. Special networking and Brown Bag sessions, and an annual picnic with research scientists are organized so that REU Scholars are provided with opportunities to expand their professional community. Graduate school support is provided by offering free Graduate Record Examination preparation courses and workshops on the graduate school application process. Additionally, students are supported by college counselors. Many of the students are first generation college students who often face issues that can impede their academic progress. The last component, Vision and Impetus for Advancement, allows REU Scholars to see themselves as STEM scientists and workforce professionals. Exposure trips provide students with an opportunity to meet scientists working in industry. Additionally, the students also present their research and participate at local, regional, and national conferences. Furthermore, since many of the students were never given the chance to visit STEM-focused industries and conferences. The program, therefore, helps to broaden their STEM experience. Of the 38 REU Scholars, 16%(6) of them are in graduate school in the STEM disciplines, 21%(8) of them have graduated and are in the STEM workforce, and 63%(24) of them continue to pursue their STEM degrees. Three of the students have won first place recognition for their research, and two of the students will be co-authors for two peer-review publications and one book chapter. Additionally, survey results show that 84% of the student participants now indicate interest in pursuing Master's degrees in STEM and 75% indicate interest in pursuing doctoral degrees in STEM. This program is supported by NSF REU grant #1062934.

Determination of the Fundamental Properties of the Eclipsing Binary V541 Cygni

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McGruder, Chima; Torres, Guillermo; Siverd, Robert; Pepper, Joshua; Rodriguez, Joseph; KELT Collaboration

2017-01-01

We report new high-resolution spectroscopic observations of the B-type detached spectroscopic eclipsing binary V541 Cygni (e = 0.465 and P =15.34 days). We combine analysis of these new spectra with analysis of V-band photometry from the literature to obtain the most precise measurements of the fundamental properties of the stars to date (yielding ~1% errors in the masses and ~2% for the radii). A comparison with current stellar evolution models indicates good fits for an age of ~ 200 million years and [Fe/H] ~ -0.2. Available eclipse timings gathered over 40 years were used to re-determine the apsidal motion of the system, dω/dt = 0.993 degs/cent, which is larger than what theory suggests.The SAO REU program was funded in part by the National Science Foundation REU and Department of Defense ASSURE programs under NSF Grant no. 1262851, and by the Smithsonian Institution.

Effective Recruiting and Intrusive Retention Strategies for Diversifying the Geosciences through a Research Experiences for Undergraduate Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liou-Mark, J.; Blake, R.; Norouzi, H.; Yuen-Lau, L.; Ikramova, M.

2016-12-01

Worse than in most Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields, underrepresented minority (URM) groups in the geosciences are reported to be farthest beneath the national benchmarks. Even more alarming, the geosciences have the lowest diversity of all the STEM disciplines at all three levels of higher education. In order to increase the number of underrepresented groups in the geosciences, a National Science Foundation funded Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program at the New York City College of Technology has implemented effective recruitment strategies to attract and retain diverse student cohorts. Recruitment efforts include: 1) establishing partnership with the local community colleges; 2) forging collaborations with scientists of color; 3) reaching out to the geoscience departments; and 4) forming relationships with STEM organizations. Unlike the other REU programs which primarily provide a summer-only research experience, this REU program engages students in a year-long research experience. Students begin their research in the summer for nine weeks, and they continue their research one day a week in the fall and spring semesters. During the academic year, they present their projects at conferences. They also serve as STEM ambassadors to community and high school outreach events. This one-year triad connection of 1) professional organizations/conferences, 2) continual research experience, and 3) service constituent has resulted in higher retention and graduation rates of URMs in the STEM disciplines. Both formative and summative program assessment have uncovered and shown that strong recruitment efforts accompanied by intrusive retention strategies are essential to: a) sustain and support STEM URMs in developing confidence as scientists; b) create formal and informal STEM communities; and c) provide a clear pathway to advanced degrees and to the geoscience workforce. This project is supported by NSF REU Grant #1560050.

Networking for Successful Diversity Recruiting: Creating a Highly Diverse Research Experiences for Undergraduates Program by Networking with Mentors, Faculty, and Students.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dalbotten, D. M.; Berthelote, A.; Watts, N. B.

2017-12-01

Successfully recruiting for diversity begins as you plan your program and make sure that all elements of the program support diverse participation. The REU on Sustainable Land and Water Resources continues to be one of the most diverse NSF-funded Research Experience for Undergraduate Programs in the geosciences. Every aspect of the program, from recruiting, the application process, selecting participants, and the methods developed to support participant success have been scrutinized and tailored towards broadening participation. While the focus of the research has been on collaboration with Native American reservations to create community-based participatory research projects and improving access for Native American students, the PIs strive for ethnic and cultural diversity of the participants. Emphasis on networking and building relationships with minority-serving institutions has led to increasing numbers of underrepresented students applying to the REU. In 2017, a full 30% of our applications were from underrepresented groups. The authors will discuss methods for improved diversity recruiting, as well as ways to make every aspect of your program support diversity in the geosciences.

Field Geophysics at SAGE: Strategies for Effective Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Braile, L. W.; Baldridge, W. S.; Jiracek, G. R.; Biehler, S.; Ferguson, J. F.; Pellerin, L.; McPhee, D. K.; Bedrosian, P. A.; Snelson, C. M.; Hasterok, D. P.

2011-12-01

SAGE (Summer of Applied Geophysical Experience) is a unique program of education and research in geophysical field methods for undergraduate and graduate students from any university and for professionals. The core program is held for 4 weeks each summer in New Mexico and for an additional week in the following academic year in San Diego for U.S. undergraduates supported by the NSF Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program. Since SAGE was initiated in 1983, 730 students have participated in the program. NSF REU funding for SAGE began in 1990 and 319 REU students have completed SAGE through 2011. The primary objectives of SAGE are to teach the major geophysical exploration methods (seismic, gravity, magnetics, electromagnetics); apply these methods to the solution of specific problems (environmental, archaeological, hydrologic, geologic structure and stratigraphy); gain experience in processing, modeling and interpretation of geophysical data; and integrate the geophysical models and interpretations with geology. Additional objectives of SAGE include conducting research on the Rio Grande rift of northern New Mexico, and providing information on geophysics careers and professional development experiences to SAGE participants. Successful education, field and research strategies that we have implemented over the years include: 1. learn by doing; 2. mix lecture/discussion, field work, data processing and analysis, modeling and interpretation, and presentation of results; 3. a two-tier team approach - method/technique oriented teams and interpretation/integration teams (where each team includes persons representing different methods), provides focus, in-depth study, opportunity for innovation, and promotes teamwork and a multi-disciplinary approach; 4. emphasis on presentations/reports - each team (and all team members) make presentation, each student completes a written report; 5. experiment design discussion - students help design field program and consider issues - safety, constraints, data quality/quantity, research objective, educational experience, survey parameters, why multidisciplinary?, etc.; 6. knowledge of multiple geophysical field methods (each student works with all methods); 7. information on geophysics careers and networking provided by industry visitors; 8. measures of success of the program include high rate of continuation to graduate school and careers in geophysics, support and feedback from industry participants and visitors, student evaluations at end of program, presentations at professional meetings, publications, and faculty evaluation of student work.

Biosphere 2, a nexus of partner networks that improve student experiences and outcomes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dontsova, K.; Bonine, K. E.; Batchelor, R. L.; Brinkworth, C.; Keller, J. M.; Hogan, D.; Treloar, D.

2017-12-01

University of Arizona (UA) Biosphere 2 co-convenes several internship opportunities for undergraduate students, including 1) NSF-funded Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Site: "Biosphere 2 Earth Systems Research for Environmental Solutions", 2) NSF-funded INCLUDES program "Collaborative Research: Integrating Indigenous and Western Knowledge to Transform Learning and Discovery in the Geosciences" executed in collaboration with the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR), and 3) STEM Teacher and Researcher (STAR) Fellows Program in partnership with California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo. In addition, the B2 REU Site partners with several UA organizations linking research to stakeholders, such as UA Cooperative Extension, Institute of the Environment, and the Water Resources Research Center, and with the UA Graduate College's Undergraduate Research Opportunities Consortium (UROC), which connects a diverse portfolio of summer research programs across the UA campus. Connections among these programs and organizations allow us to improve student experiences and outcomes by leveraging organizational, mentor, and peer diversity and expertise. Each partnership brings unique benefits for the students - from access to teaching experience and perspectives that STAR Fellows provide, to a multitude of professional development programs made possible by pooled resources of UROC participants, to access to networks and knowledge from our outreach partners, to opportunities for continued multi-year learning and support with INCLUDES and UCAR. Coming together allows all partners to better apply outside resources, expertise, and knowledge to bring more value to the students and to help students enrich themselves as well as partner organizations and program participants.

Single Particle Jumps in Sheared SiO2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McMahon, Sean; Vollmayr-Lee, Katharina; Cookmeyer, Jonathan; Horbach, Juergen

We study the dynamics of a sheared glass via molecular dynamics simulations. Using the BKS potential we simulate the strong glass former SiO2. The system is initially well equilibrated at a high temperature, then quenched to a temperature below the glass transition, and, after a waiting time at the desired low temperature, sheared with constant strain rate. We present preliminary results of an analysis of single particle trajectories of the sheared glass. We acknowledge the support via NSF REU Grant #PHY-1156964, DoD ASSURE program, and NSF-MRI CHE-1229354 as part of the MERCURY high-performance computer consortium. We thank G.P. Shrivastav, Ch. Scherer and B. Temelso.

The Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory Summer Student Programs in La Serena, Chile

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaleida, Catherine C.; Smith, C.; Van Der Bliek, N. S.; James, D.

2014-01-01

The Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO) offers positions for U.S. and Chilean student interns during the Chilean summer months of January-March (northern winter semester) at the CTIO offices in La Serena, Chile. CTIO is part of the National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO) of the United States, focused on the development of astronomy in the southern hemisphere. Six undergraduate research assistantships are offered for U.S. physics and astronomy undergraduate students through the NSF-funded Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program. The CTIO-funded Prácticas de Investigación en Astronomía (PIA) program is run concurrently with the REU program, and offers two research assistantships for Chilean undergraduate or 1st or 2nd year masters students, also at the CTIO offices in La Serena, Chile. The CTIO REU and PIA programs provide exceptional opportunities for students considering a career in astronomy to engage in substantive research activities with scientists working at the forefront of contemporary astrophysics. Student participants work on specific research projects in close collaboration with members of the CTIO scientific and technical staff, such as galaxy clusters, gravitational lensing, supernovae, planetary nebulae, stellar populations, star clusters, star formation, variable stars and interstellar medium. The CTIO REU and PIA programs emphasize observational techniques and provide opportunities for direct observational experience using CTIO's state-of-the-art telescopes and instrumentation. The programs run for 10 weeks, from mid-January to the end of March. A two-night observing run on Cerro Tololo and a field trip to another observatory in Chile are included for students of both programs. These positions are full time, and those selected will receive a modest stipend and subsidized housing on the grounds of the offices of CTIO in La Serena, as well as travel costs to and from La Serena. In addition, the students have the opportunity attend the American Astronomical Society (AAS) winter meeting to present their research the year following the program.

Increasing Diversity in Global Climate Change Research for Undergraduates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, L. P.; Marchese, P.; Carlson, B. E.; Howard, A. M.; Peteet, D. M.; Rosenzweig, C.; Druyan, L. M.; Fulakeza, M.; Gaffin, S.; Austin, S. A.; Cheung, T. D.; Damas, M. C.; Boxe, C.; Prince, T.; Ng, C.; Frost, J.

2014-12-01

Global Climate Change and the ability to predict the effects of forcings and feedback mechanisms on global and local climate are critical to the survival of the inhabitants of planet Earth. It is therefore important to motivate students to continue their studies towards advanced degrees and pursue careers related to climate change. This is best accomplished by involving undergraduates in global climate change research. This Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) initiative is based at the City University of New York (CUNY) and the Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS), and is supported by NASA and NSF. Mentors for the primarily summer research experiences include CUNY faculty and GISS scientists. Research topics include the Wetland Carbon Project, The Cooling Power Of Urban Vegetation, Internal Ocean Mixing, El Niño Southern Oscillation, Pollution Transport and Tropospheric Ozone. Students are recruited from CUNY colleges and other colleges and universities. The program maintains an emphasis on under-represented minorities and females. Approximately sixty percent of the undergraduate students are under-represented minorities and forty percent are female. The project is supported by NSF award AGS-1359293 REU Site: CUNY/GISS Center for Global Climate Research.

Creating Authentic Geoscience Research Experiences for Underrepresented Students in Two-Year Undergraduate Programs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liou-Mark, J.; Blake, R.

2014-12-01

With community college and two-year program students playing pivotal roles in advancing the nation's STEM agenda now and throughout the remainder of this young millennia, it is incumbent on educators to devise innovative and sustainable STEM initiatives to attract, retain, graduate, and elevate these students to four-year programs and beyond. Involving these students in comprehensive, holistic research experiences is one approach that has paid tremendous dividends. The New York City College of Technology (City Tech) was recently awarded a National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) supplemental grant to integrate a community college/two-year program component into its existing REU program. The program created an inviting and supportive community of scholars for these students, nurtured them through strong, dynamic mentoring, provided them with the support structures needed for successful scholarship, and challenged them to attain the same research prominence as their Bachelor degree program companions. Along with their colleagues, the community college/two-year program students were given an opportunity to conduct intensive satellite and ground-based remote sensing research at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Cooperative Remote Sensing Science and Technology Center (NOAA-CREST) at City College and its CREST Institute Center for Remote Sensing and Earth System Science (ReSESS) at City Tech. This presentation highlights the challenges, the rewards, and the lessons learned from this necessary and timely experiment. Preliminary results indicate that this paradigm for geoscience inclusion and high expectation has been remarkably successful. (The program is supported by NSF REU grant #1062934.)

Accurate Masses, Radii, and Temperatures for the Eclipsing Binary V2154 Cyg, and Tests of Stellar Evolution Models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bright, Jane; Torres, Guillermo

2018-01-01

We report new spectroscopic observations of the F-type triple system V2154 Cyg, in which two of the stars form an eclipsing binary with a period of 2.6306303 ± 0.0000038 days. We combine the results from our spectroscopic analysis with published light curves in the uvby Strömgren passbands to derive the first reported absolute dimensions of the stars in the eclipsing binary. The masses and radii are measured with high accuracy to better than 1.5% precision. For the primary and secondary respectively, we find that the masses are 1.269 ± 0.017 M⊙ and 0.7542 ± 0.0059 M⊙, the radii are 1.477 ± 0.012 R⊙ and 0.7232 ± 0.0091R⊙, and the temperatures are 6770 ± 150 K and 5020 ± 150 K. Current models of stellar evolution agree with the measured properties of the primary, but the secondary is larger than predicted. This may be due to activity in the secondary, as has been shown for other systems with a star of similar mass with this same discrepancy.The SAO REU program is funded by the National Science Foundation REU and Department of Defense ASSURE programs under NSF Grant AST-1659473, and by the Smithsonian Institution. GT acknowledges partial support for this work from NSF grant AST-1509375.

UAHuntsville-NASA MSFC Heliophysics REU: A Model for Recruiting Targeted Groups

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Farid, S.; Heerikhuisen, J.; Winebarger, A. R.

2014-12-01

In 2011, researchers from the University of Alabama-Huntsville Center for Space Plasma and Aeronomic Research Center (CSPAR) and NASA Marshall Space Fight Center (MSFC) received a 3-year NSF award to create a REU site specifically designed to increase the participation of underrepresented groups in the Geo-sciences, specifically Heliophysics, and to reduce the attrition rate of sophomores by engaging them in research. This program has been highly successful. In three years of operation, we have increased in the diversity of applicant pool and selected participants, increased the number of inexperienced participants and made measurable impacts on the students' perceptions of graduate school and Heliophysics careers, and produced research with significant scientific merit. We attribute the success of the program to our proactive recruitment of first and second year students, underrepresented groups, and students from small universities. Key factors in our efforts include: 1) In person school visits of targeted schools 2.) Establishing relationships with faculty at targeted schools. 3.) An inclusive selection process that considers the availability of research at the students home institution 4.) A reduced focus on GPA and more focus on recommendation letters as indicators of success 5.) A successful cohort of experienced and inexperienced students 6.) The unique learning environment fostered by UAH-CSPAR and NASA-MSFC scientists. In this presentation, we review our strategies and suggest techniques to recruit targeted groups to similar REU programs.

Summer Research Experiences for Science and Art Teachers to Explore Astrobiology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cola, J.; Gaucher, E.; Snell, T.; Greenwood, J.; Angra, A.; Zimmerman, C.; Williams, L. D.

2012-12-01

The Georgia Tech Center for Ribosomal Origins and Evolution, a center funded by the NASA Astrobiology Institute, developed an educational program titled, "Life on the Edge: Astrobiology." The purpose of the program was to provide high school educators with the exposure, materials, and skills necessary to prepare our future workforce and to foster student interest in scientific discovery on Earth and throughout the universe. In an effort to promote and encourage entry into teaching careers, Georgia Tech paired teachers in the Georgia Intern-Fellowship for Teachers (GIFT) program with undergraduate students interested in becoming a teacher through the NSF Pre-Teaching REU program. The GIFT and Pre-Teaching fellows investigated extremophiles, which became the focus of a week-long, "Life on the Edge: Astrobiology " summer program developed by three high school educators, two undergraduate students and faculty in the Schools of Biology, and Chemistry and Biochemistry at Georgia Tech. Twenty high school students were introduced to hands-on activities, such as astrobiology inspired art and techniques such as genomic DNA purification, gel electrophoresis, and Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). The impact of the Astrobiology program on the GIFT researchers, Pre-Teaching REU students, high school students, and faculty are discussed.

Discovery and Characterization of Gravitationally Lensed X-ray Sources in the CLASH Sample

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pasha, Imad; Van Weeren, Reinout J.; Santos, Felipe A.

2017-01-01

We present the discovery of ~20 gravitationally lensed X-ray sources in the Cluster Lensing And Supernova survey with Hubble (CLASH) survey, a sample of massive clusters of galaxies between z ~ 0.2-0.9 observed with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). By combining CLASH imaging with Chandra X-ray Observatory observations of the same clusters, we select those sources in the HST images which are gravitationally lensed X-ray sources behind the clusters. Of those discovered sources, we determine various properties including source redshifts and magnifications, as well as performing X-ray spectral fits to determine source fluxes and luminosities. Prior to this study, only four lensed X-ray sources behind clusters have been found, thus to the best of our knowledge, our program is the first to systematically categorize lensed X-ray sources behind galaxy clusters.This work was supported by the SAO REU program, which is funded in part by the National Science Foundation REU and Department of Defense ASSURE programs under NSF Grant no. 1262851, and by the Smithsonian Institution.

REU in Physics at Kansas State University--- an Evolving Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Corwin, Kristan; Glymour, Bruce; Lara, Amy; Weaver, Larry; Zollman, Dean

2009-03-01

The REU site in the Physics Department at Kansas State University, funded by NSF for 13 years between 1992 and 2007, originally focused on atomic collision physics. Now the theme has broadened to include laser-matter interactions on atomic and nanoscales, and an ethics component is incorporated. Students study how atoms and molecules interact with ultra-fast optical and x-ray pulses, reveal the structure of nanoparticle crystallization and gel formation with scattered laser light, and develop computer codes for atomic interactions in Bose-Einstein condensates and nanoparticle self-assembly from lattices to gels; some have traveled to Japan for neutrino experiments. The students we select come primarily from smaller colleges and universities in the Midwest where research opportunities are limited. Prof. Weaver, who has served as PI since 1992, facilitates their transition from a teaching to research environment through lectures and individual interactions. Our program is in a period of transition. While Prof. Weaver continues to be the ``impedance match'' between students and mentors, other leadership roles are gradually being assumed by a team of faculty members who strive to preserve the intimacy and excellence of the program.

Integrating Research and Extension for the Nsf-Reu Program in Water Resources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Judge, J.; Migliaccio, K.; Gao, B.; Shukla, S.; Ehsani, R.; McLamore, E.

2011-12-01

Providing positive and meaningful research experiences to students in their undergraduate years is critical for motivating them to pursue advanced degrees or research careers in science and engineering. Such experiences not only offer training for the students in problem solving and critical thinking via hands-on projects, but also offer excellent mentoring and recruiting opportunities for the faculty advisors. The goal of the Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Program in the Agricultural and Biological Engineering Department (ABE) at the University of Florida (UF) is to provide eight undergraduate students a unique opportunity to conduct research in water resources using interdisciplinary approaches, integrating research and extension. The students are selected from diverse cultural and educational backgrounds. The eight-week REU Program utilizes the extensive infrastructure of UF - Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) through the Research and Education Centers (RECs). Two students are paired to participate in their own project under the direct supervision of one of the four research mentors. Four of the eight students are located at the main campus, in Gainesville, Fl, and four remaining students are located off-campus, at the RECs, where some of the ABE faculty are located. The students achieve an enriching cohort experience through social networking, daily blogs, and weekly video conferences to share their research and other REU experiences. The students are co-located during the Orientation week and also during the 5-day Florida Waters Tour. Weekly group meetings and guest lectures are conducted via synchronously through video conferencing. The integration of research and extension is naturally achieved through the projects at the RECs, the guest lectures, Extension workshops, and visits to the Water Management Districts in Florida. In the last two years of the Program, we have received over 80 applicants, from four-year and advanced degree offering institutions and a variety of majors such as Geology, Meteorology, Environmental Sciences & Engineering, Civil Engineering, Water Resources, Agricultural Engineering, Physics, Geography, Chemical Engineering, to name a few. This model of providing integrated research and extension opportunities in hydrology where not all the REU participants are physically co-located, is unique and can be extended to other disciplines.

Preparing undergraduates for the future of scientific collaboration: Benefits, challenges and technological solutions in Distributed REU Sites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hubenthal, M.; Anagnos, T.

2012-12-01

As research problems increasingly require multi-disciplinary approaches they naturally foster scientific collaborations between geographically distributed colleagues. This increasing trend in scientific research, the rapid evolution of communication technology, cognitive research into distance education, and the current generation of undergraduate students' eagerness to embrace and use technology, increases the relevance of distributed REU sites. Like traditional REU sites that host a cohort of students in one geographic location, distributed REU sites also seek to attract, nurture, and retain students in a STEM career pipeline. Distributed REU sites are unique in that some or all of the interns are geographically distributed during the research period. This arrangement allows the REU site to capitalize on distributed scientific resources such as field sites, research facilities, or human capital. At their core, distributed REU sites are fundamentally constructed of elements that have proven to be effective components of any undergraduate research experience. They also strive to develop and employ specialized programming that leverages collaboration tools through a cyberinfrastructure to enable interns to develop meaningful social and academic relationships with one another. Since 2006 the IRIS Consortium and NEES have facilitated separate, NSF funded, distributed REU Sites. Implementation and evaluations of these programs have revealed a number of successes and benefits. Longitudinal tracking indicates that distributed REU Sites are at least as successful as traditional sites in attracting, nurturing, and retaining students in a STEM career pipeline. A distributed arrangement also offers benefits over a traditional REU site, such as the flexibility to place interns at a variety of institutions with mentors making only an annual commitment to participate. This ensures that all mentors are eager to participate and are concerned with their intern's growth. It also exposes all interns to a larger spectrum of research topics and approaches within a field than would be available within a single research site. Evaluations also reveal that fostering social and academic interactions among interns working on generally unrelated projects at separate locations is challenging and requires a consistent, focused effort by the program. In part this is because creating a cohort experience in this situation requires a layer of interaction beyond the networks naturally establish by the interns when co-located. A critical first step is to establish a social presence among the group. This occurs through early face-to-face meetings and then is carried forward as interns transition to virtual interactions. These virtual interactions occur through a variety of technological solutions. Both commercially and freely available technologies such as blogging software, Facebook, an online course management system, virtual worlds, and a variety of online conferencing applications are used to connect the students both synchronously and asynchronously. We have documented the strengths and weaknesses of these individual solutions and show how combinations, combined with programmatic interventions, can offer a suite of functionality necessary to facilitate both social and academic interactions and influence career paths.

The Effectiveness of the AAS REU Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hemenway, M. K.; Boyce, P. B.; Milkey, R. W.

1996-05-01

In an attempt to address the particular needs of astronomy faculty and undergraduate students, in 1991 the Education Office of the American Astronomical Society approached the National Science Foundation with a unique proposal for funding through the Research Experiences for Undergraduates program. The goals of the AAS program were to "slow the hemorrhage of students out of science...", extend the REU program to non-NSF-funded scientists, to reach under-represented women and minority students particularly in small educational institutions, and to encourage research scientists there to mentor students. As this grant has now expired, the AAS has surveyed the 44 mentors and their students to assess the program's effect on the mentor and the mentor's career; the educational institution; and the student's education and career choices. More than half the mentors responded by the abstract deadline. The program clearly had an effect upon the individuals involved. The greatest effect (in 85% of the cases) was to develop more interest in the mentor's research project both among the students and among the mentor's faculty colleagues. The mentors rated the grant to be a medium or strong factor in their student's decision to pursue graduate study, which 90% of them did. All but one of the AAS-REU students attended an AAS meeting and 3/4 of those gave a paper on their project research. Over 90% of the mentors felt that the research experience strongly promoted a greater interest in science, a greater understanding of science and a desire to continue in science. According to the mentors, this was a very positive and beneficial program for the students as well as for themselves.

Simulations, Imaging, and Modeling: A Unique Theme for an Undergraduate Research Program in Biomechanics.

PubMed

George, Stephanie M; Domire, Zachary J

2017-07-01

As the reliance on computational models to inform experiments and evaluate medical devices grows, the demand for students with modeling experience will grow. In this paper, we report on the 3-yr experience of a National Science Foundation (NSF) funded Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) based on the theme simulations, imaging, and modeling in biomechanics. While directly applicable to REU sites, our findings also apply to those creating other types of summer undergraduate research programs. The objective of the paper is to examine if a theme of simulations, imaging, and modeling will improve students' understanding of the important topic of modeling, provide an overall positive research experience, and provide an interdisciplinary experience. The structure of the program and the evaluation plan are described. We report on the results from 25 students over three summers from 2014 to 2016. Overall, students reported significant gains in the knowledge of modeling, research process, and graduate school based on self-reported mastery levels and open-ended qualitative responses. This theme provides students with a skill set that is adaptable to other applications illustrating the interdisciplinary nature of modeling in biomechanics. Another advantage is that students may also be able to continue working on their project following the summer experience through network connections. In conclusion, we have described the successful implementation of the theme simulation, imaging, and modeling for an REU site and the overall positive response of the student participants.

Highlighting Successful Strategies for Engaging Minority Students in the Geosciences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liou-Mark, J.; Blake, R.; Norouzi, H.; Vladutescu, D. V.; Yuen-Lau, L.

2017-12-01

Igniting interest and creativity in students for the geosciences oftentimes require innovation, bold `outside-the-box' thinking, and perseverance, particularly for minority students for whom the preparation for the discipline and its lucrative pathways to the geoscience workforce are regrettably unfamiliar and woefully inadequate. The enrollment, retention, participation, and graduation rates of minority students in STEM generally and in the geosciences particularly remain dismally low. However, a coupled, strategic geoscience model initiative at the New York City College of Technology (City Tech) of the City University of New York has been making steady in-roads of progress, and it offers practical solutions to improve minority student engagement in the geosciences. Aided by funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF), two geoscience-centric programs were created from NSF REU and NSF IUSE grants, and these programs have been successfully implemented and administered at City Tech. This presentation shares the hybrid geoscience research initiatives, the multi-tiered mentoring structures, the transformative geoscience workforce preparation, and a plethora of other vital bastions of support that made the overall program successful. Minority undergraduate scholars of the program have either moved on to graduate school, to the geoscience workforce, or they persist with greater levels of success in their STEM disciplines.

Is Episodic Accretion Necessary to Resolve the Luminosity Problem in Low-Mass Protostars?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sevrinsky, Raymond Andrew; Dunham, Michael

2017-01-01

In this contribution, we compare the results of protostellar accretion simulations for scenarios both containing and lacking episodic accretion activity. We determine synthetic observational signatures for collapsing protostars by taking hydrodynamical simulations predicting highly variable episodic accretion events, filtering out the stochastic behavior by applying power law fits to the mass accretion rates onto the disk and central star, and using the filtered rates as inputs to two-dimensional radiative transfer calculations. The spectral energy distributions generated by these calculations are used to calculate standard observational signatures of Lbol and Tbol, and compared directly to a sample of 230 embedded protostars. We explore the degree to which these continually declining accretion models successfully reproduce the observed spread of protostellar luminosities, and examine their consistency with the prior variable models to investigate the degree to which episodic accretion bursts are necessary in protostellar formation theories to match observations of field protostars. The SAO REU program is funded in part by the National Science Foundation REU and Department of Defense ASSURE programs under NSF Grant no. 1262851, and by the Smithsonian Institution.

O2(b1Σg+, v = 0, 1) Relative Yield in O(1D) + O2 Energy Transfer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kostko, O.; Raj, S.; Campbell, K. M.; Pejakovic, D. A.; Slanger, T. G.; Kalogerakis, K. S.

2012-04-01

Energy transfer from excited O(1D) atoms to ground-state O2(X3Σg-) leads to production of O2 in the first two vibrational levels of the O2(b1Σg+) state: O(1D) + O2 → O(3P ) + O2(b1Σg+, v = 0, 1). Subsequent radiative decay of O2(b1Σg+, v = 0, 1) to the ground state results in the Atmospheric Band emission, a prominent feature of the terrestrial airglow. The relative yield for production of O2(b1Σg+, v = 0, 1) in the above process, k1/k0, is an important parameter in modeling of the observed O2 Atmospheric Band emission intensities. In the laboratory experiments, the output of a pulsed fluorine laser at 157 nm is used to photodissociate molecular oxygen in an O2/N2 mixture flowing through a heated gas cell. Photodissociation of O2 produces a ground-state O(3P ) atom and an excited O(1D) atom. O(1D) rapidly transfers energy to the remaining O2 to produce O2(b1Σg+, v = 0, 1). The populations of O2(b1Σg+, v = 0, 1) are monitored by observing emissions in the O2(b-X) 0-0 and 1-0 bands at 762 and 688 nm, respectively. The value of k1/k0 is extracted from the time-dependent O2(b1Σg+, v = 0, 1) fluorescence signals using computer simulations. We find that production of v = 1 is substantially larger than that of v = 0. We will present measurements on k1/k0 and its temperature dependence, and discuss the significance of these and other relevant laboratory measurements on the interpretation of the O2 Atmospheric Band emission. This work was supported by the US National Science Foundation (NSF) Aeronomy Program under grant AGS-0937317. The fluorine laser was purchased under grant ATM-0216583 from the NSF Major Research Instrumentation Program. The participation of Sumana Raj and Kendrick M. Campbell was supported by a Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) site, co-funded by the Division of Physics of the NSF and the Department of Defense in partnership with the NSF REU program (PHY-1002892).

PRISM Polarimetry of Massive Stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kerkstra, Brennan; Lomax, Jamie R.; Bjorkman, Karen S.; Bjorkman, Jon Eric; Skiff, Brian; Covey, Kevin R.; Wisniewski, John P.

2016-01-01

We present the early results from our long-term, multi-epoch filter polarization survey of massive stars in and around young Galactic clusters. These BVRI polarization data were obtained using the PRISM instrument mounted on the 1.8m Perkins Telescope at Lowell Observatory. We first detail the creation of our new semi-automated polarization data reduction pipeline that we developed to process these data. Next, we present our analysis of the instrumental polarization properties of the PRISM instrument, via observations of polarized and unpolarized standard stars. Finally, we present early results on the total and intrinsic polarization behavior of several isolated, previously suggested classical Be stars, and discuss these results in the context of the larger project.BK acknowledges support from a NSF/REU at the University of Oklahoma. This program was also supported by NSF-AST 11411563, 1412110, and 1412135.

Broadening Participation: Mentoring Community College Students in a Geoscience REU

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, M.; Osborn, J.

2015-12-01

Increasingly, REUs are recruiting from community colleges as a means of broadening participation of underrepresented minorities, women, and low-income students in STEM. As inclusion of community college students becomes normalized, defining the role of science faculty and preparing them to serve as mentors to community college students is a key component of well-designed programs. This session will present empirical research regarding faculty mentoring in the first two years of an NSF-REU grant to support community college students in a university's earth and environmental science labs. Given the documented benefits of undergraduate research on students' integration into the scientific community and their career trajectory in STEM, the focus of the investigation has been on the processes and impact of mentoring community college STEM researchers at a university serving a more traditionally privileged population; the degree to which the mentoring relationships have addressed community college students needs including their emotional, cultural and resource needs; and gaps in mentor training and the mentoring relationship identified by mentors and students.

REU Program | CTIO

Science.gov Websites

Optical Astronomy Observatories (NOAO), located in La Serena, Chile, offers 10 week Undergraduate Research REU/PIA English/Spanish Astronomy Dictionary REU/PIA Current and Previous Programs CTIO REU/PIA Alumni

Evaluating Student Success and Outcomes in the Scripps Institution of Oceanography REU Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Teranes, J. L.; Kohne, L.

2013-12-01

The NSF foundation-wide REU program exists to help attract and retain a diverse pool of talented undergraduate students in STEM fields. These goals are particularly relevant in earth and marine sciences because relatively few minority students traditionally seek careers in these fields and only account for an extremely small percentage of Ph.D. degrees earned. The Scripps Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) REU program is a 10-week summer program currently in its third year of funding. The SURF program invites 10-15 undergraduate students from across the country to Scripps to participate in high quality collaborative research with Scripps faculty and researchers. Program components also include research seminars, career and graduate school preparation, GRE-prep courses, field trips and social activities. The project's goal, broadly, is to increase the participation of underrepresented minorities in marine science and related disciplines at a national level. Our program includes a comprehensive evaluation and assessment plan to help us understand the impact of this REU experience on the student participant. Our assessment consists of paired pre- and post-survey questions to estimate student growth in the following areas as related to earth and marine sciences: (1) increased knowledge and skills (2) increased confidence in ability to conduct research (3) improved attitudes and interest in the field and (4) more ambitious career goals. Assessment results from the last two cohorts have helped refine our recruitment and selection strategies. In the first year of our program, we focused almost exclusively on recruiting underrepresented minority students; over of the participants represented ethic groups considered to be underrepresented in STEM fields. However, participants did not demonstrate overall significant pre/post gains in any of the goal areas, mostly because pre-survey scores indicated that the students were already very strong in all goal areas. In years 2 and 3 our recruitment has continued to target underrepresented minorities, but our selection criteria now includes the following factors in order to better identify students who would most greatly benefit from the program: (1) students who have not had significant research experience (2) students who have not yet had significant exposure to the field (3) first-generation college students and (4) students who may not be as high achieving as other applicants, but who might have more opportunity for growth in the program. This modified selection and recruitment strategy has been successful, our 2012 cohort recorded higher demonstrated and perceived impacts in all goal areas. Our experience has demonstrated that, in order to have the most significant impact, REU Sites must be active in recruiting and involving students who are not already well positioned for success in STEM careers.

Redshift Evolution of Non-Gaussianity in Cosmic Large-Scale Structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sullivan, James; Wiegand, Alexander; Eisenstein, Daniel

2018-01-01

We probe the higher-order galaxy clustering in the final data release (DR12) of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey using germ-grain Minkowski Functionals (MFs). Our data selection contains 979,430 BOSS galaxies from both the northern and southern galactic caps over the redshift range 0.2 - 0.6. We extract the higher-order parts of the MFs and find deviations from the case without higher order MFs with chi-squared values of order 1000 for 24 degrees of freedom across the entire data selection. We show the MFs to be sensitive to contributions up to the five-point correlation function across the entire data selection. We measure significant redshift evolution in the higher-order functionals for the first time, with a percentage growth between redshift bins of approximately 20 % in both galactic caps. This is a nearly a factor of 2 greater than similar growth in the two-point correlation function and will allow for tests of non-linear structure growth by comparing the three-point and higher-order parts to their expected theoretical values. The SAO REU program is funded by the National Science Foundation REU and Department of Defense ASSURE programs under NSF Grant AST-1659473, and by the Smithsonian Institution.

The AGN Luminosity Fraction in Galaxy Mergers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dietrich, Jeremy; Weiner, Aaron; Ashby, Matthew; Martinez-Galarza, Juan Rafael; Smith, Howard Alan

2017-01-01

Galaxy mergers are key events in galaxy evolution, generally triggering massive starbursts and AGNs. However, in these chaotic systems, it is not yet known what fraction each of these two mechanisms contributes to the total luminosity. Here we measure and model spectral energy distributions (SEDs) using the Code for Investigating Galaxy Emission (CIGALE) in up to 33 broad bands from the UV to the far-IR for 23 IR-luminous galaxies to estimate the fraction of the bolometric IR luminosity that can be attributed to the AGN. The galaxies are split nearly evenly into two subsamples: late-stage mergers, found in the IRAS Revised Bright Galaxy Sample or Faint Source Catalog, and early-stage mergers found in the Spitzer Interacting Galaxy Sample. We find that the AGN contribution to the total IR luminosity varies greatly from system to system, from 0% up to ~90%, but is substantially greater in the later-stage and brighter mergers. This is consistent with what is known about galaxy evolution and the triggering of AGNs.The SAO REU program is funded in part by the National Science Foundation REU and Department of Defense ASSURE programs under NSF Grant no. 1262851, and by the Smithsonian Institution.

Deep Chandra Observations of Abell 586: A Remarkably Relaxed Non-Cool-Core Cluster

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Richstein, Hannah; Su, Yuanyuan

2018-01-01

The dichotomy between cool-core and non-cool-core clusters has been a lasting perplexity in extragalactic astronomy. Nascent cores in non-cool-core clusters may have been disrupted by major mergers, yet the dichotomy cannot be reproduced in cosmology simulations. We present deep Chandra observations of the massive galaxy cluster Abell 586, which resides at z=0.17, thus allowing its gas properties to be measured out to its virial radius. Abell 586 appears remarkably relaxed with a nearly spherical X-ray surface brightness distribution and without any offset between its X-ray and optical centroids. We measure that its temperature profile does not decrease towards the cluster center and its central entropy stays above 100 keV cm2. A non-cool-core emerges in Abell 586 in the absence of any disruptions on the large scale. Our study demonstrates that non-cool-core clusters can be formed without major mergers. The origins of some non-cool-core clusters may be related to conduction, AGN feedback, or preheating.The SAO REU program is funded by the National Science Foundation REU and Department of Defense ASSURE programs under NSF Grant AST-1659473, and by the Smithsonian Institution.

Accelerated Learning: Undergraduate Research Experiences at the Texas A&M Cyclotron Institute

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yennello, S. J.

The Texas A&M Cyclotron Institute (TAMU CI) has had an NSF funded Research Experiences for Undergraduates program since 2004. Each summer about a dozen students from across the country join us for the 10-week program. They are each imbedded in one of the research groups of the TAMU CI and given their own research project. While the main focus of their effort is their individual research project, we also have other activities to broaden their experience. For instance, one of those activities has been involvement in a dedicated group experiment. Because not every experimental group will run during those 10 weeks and the fact that some of the students are in theory research groups, a group research experience allows everyone to actually be involved in an experiment using the accelerator. In stark contrast to the REU students' very focused experience during the summer, Texas A&M undergraduates can be involved in research projects at the Cyclotron throughout the year, often for multiple years. This extended exposure enables Texas A&M students to have a learning experience that cannot be duplicated without a local accelerator. The motivation for the REU program was to share this accelerator experience with students who do not have that opportunity at their home institution.

The "art" of science communication in undergraduate research training

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fatemi, F. R.; Stockwell, J.; Pinheiro, V.; White, B.

2016-12-01

Student creation of well-designed and engaging visuals in science communication can enhance their deep learning while streamlining the transmission of information to their audience. However, undergraduate research training does not frequently emphasize the design aspect of science communication. We devised and implemented a new curricular component to the Lake Champlain NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program in Vermont. We took a holistic approach to communication training, with a targeted module in "art and science". Components to the module included: 1) an introduction to environmental themes in fine art, 2) a photography assignment in research documentation, 3) an overview of elements of design (e.g., color, typography, hierarchy), 4) a graphic design workshop using tools in Powerpoint, and 5) an introduction to scientific illustration. As part of the REU program, students were asked to document their work through photographs, and develop an infographic or scientific illustration complementary to their research. The "art and science" training culminated with a display and critique of their visual work. We report on student responses to the "art and science" training from exit interviews and survey questions. Based on our program, we identify a set of tools that mentors can use to enhance their student's ability to engage with a broad audience.

Successes, Challenges and Lessons Learned for Recruiting, Engaging and Preparing a Diverse Student Population for 21st Century Careers in Ocean Sciences.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clarkston, B. E.; Garza, C.

2015-12-01

Diversity within the Ocean Sciences workforce is still underperforming relative to other scientific disciplines, a problem that will be only be solved by recruiting, engaging and retaining a more diverse student population. The Monterey Bay Regional Ocean Science Research Experiences for Undergraduates program is housed at California State University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB), an HSI with strong connections to multiple regional community colleges and other Predominantly Undergraduate Institutions (PUIs) in the CSU system. From this unique position, 11 sophomore and junior-level undergraduate students are recruited per year from academic institutions where research opportunities in STEM are limited and from groups historically underrepresented in the Ocean Sciences, including women, underrepresented minorities, persons with disabilities, and veterans. During the program, students engage in a 10-week original research project guided by a faculty research mentor in one of four themes: Oceanography, Marine Biology and Ecology, Ocean Engineering, and Marine Geology. In addition to research, students engage in rigorous weekly professional development workshops in which they practice critical thinking, ethical decision-making, peer review, writing and oral communication skills. These workshops include tangible products such as an NSF-style proposal paper, Statement of Purpose and CV modelled for the SACNAS Travel Award Application, research abstract, scientific report and oral presentation. To help retain students in Ocean Sciences, students build community during the REU by living together in the CSUMB dormitories; post-REU, students stay connected through an online facebook group, LinkedIn page and group webinars. To date, the REU has supported 22 students in two cohorts (2014, 2015) and here we present successes, challenges and lessons learned for a program designed to prepare students for 21st century Ocean Science careers.

77 FR 49832 - Notice of Intent To Seek Approval To Establish an Information Collection

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-08-17

... in basic and applied research in STEM. Consult With Other Agencies & the Public NSF has not consulted...). SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title: Grantee Reporting Requirements for the Research Experiences for Undergraduates... Information Collection The Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Reporting Module is a component of...

Configuring The REU Experience To Maximize Student Collaboration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Majkowski, L.; Pullin, M. J.

2012-12-01

The New Mexico Tech NSF-funded REU Program, Interdisciplinary Science for the Environment (ISE), hosted six cohorts of students between 2005 and 2010. The program ran for eight weeks during the first cycle and nine weeks during the second cycle, bringing in an average of twelve student participants per year. Students were provided with a stipend, food allowance, travel from home to New Mexico Tech, and free campus housing. The program sponsored weekend group field trips to scientific, environmental, and cultural sites of significance in New Mexico. For the second cycle, the ISE shared some programmatic elements with the New Mexico EPSCoR Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP). The majority of the research projects focused on the geosciences, with interdepartmental participation from researchers in earth science, hydrology, chemistry, environmental science, and biology. The ISE adopted a non-traditional approach to matching student participants with research projects and faculty mentors. Students were selected from different disciplines to work together in pairs on each project. This model provided the students with a peer collaborator in addition to the guidance of their faculty mentors and support from graduate students associated with the different projects. The focus on cohort, both within the individual research projects and each year's group, enabled and enhanced the students' critical thinking, problem-solving and teamwork skills. Students would routinely seek out the advice of their peers when they hit a roadblock in their research. This collaboration also occurred across the boundaries of the ISE and UROP cohorts. Long-term follow up has shown that a significant number of the student participants have continued on to graduate school. Students credit the program with developing their capacity to work on complex problems in an interdisciplinary group environment. Additionally, many students have continued contact with their research partners, faculty mentors and other members of their REU cohort.

Probing Protoplanetary Disk Upper Atmospheres for Heating and Dust Settling Using Synthetic CO Spectra

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lewis, Josiah; Brittain, S. D.

2010-01-01

CO emission is a useful probe of the warm gas distribution in the planet forming regions of disks around Herbig Ae/Be stars. We model UV fluoresced and thermally excited CO in the circumstellar disks of several HAeBes. We find indications of dust settling in the upper atmospheres of HD 141569 and HD 7048 and a correlation between PAH luminosity and gas heating in these two systems. This project was funded by a partnership between the National Science Foundation (NSF AST-0552798), Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU), and the Department of Defense (DoD) ASSURE (Awards to Stimulate and Support Undergraduate Research Experiences) programs.

Life in the Universe - Astronomy and Planetary Science Research Experience for Undergraduates at the SETI Institute

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chiar, J.; Phillips, C. B.; Rudolph, A.; Bonaccorsi, R.; Tarter, J.; Harp, G.; Caldwell, D. A.; DeVore, E. K.

2016-12-01

The SETI Institute hosts an Astrobiology Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program. Beginning in 2013, we partnered with the Physics and Astronomy Dept. at Cal Poly Pomona, a Hispanic-serving university, to recruit underserved students. Over 11 years, we have served 155 students. We focus on Astrobiology since the Institute's mission is to explore, understand and explain the origin, nature and prevalence of life in the universe. Our REU students work with mentors at the Institute - a non-profit organization located in California's Silicon Valley-and at the nearby NASA Ames Research Center. Projects span research on survival of microbes under extreme conditions, planetary geology, astronomy, the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI), extrasolar planets and more. The REU program begins with an introductory lectures by Institute scientists covering the diverse astrobiology subfields. A week-long field trip to the SETI Institute's Allen Telescope Array (Hat Creek Radio Astronomy Observatory in Northern California) and field experiences at hydrothermal systems at nearby Lassen Volcanic National Park immerses students in radio astronomy and SETI, and extremophile environments that are research sites for astrobiologists. Field trips expose students to diverse environments and allow them to investigate planetary analogs as our scientists do. Students also participate in local trips to the California Academy of Sciences and other nearby locations of scientific interest, and attend the weekly scientific colloquium hosted by the SETI Institute at Microsoft, other seminars and lectures at SETI Institute and NASA Ames. The students meet and present at a weekly journal club where they hone their presentation skills, as well as share their research progress. At the end of the summer, the REU interns present their research projects at a session of the Institute's colloquium. As a final project, students prepare a 2-page formal abstract and 15-minute presentation that mirrors the requirements for professional conference presentations. In collaboration with the mentors, successful projects are selected and funded for submission to national scientific conferences during the subsequent academic year. This program is funded by the NSF AST Grant # 1359346.

Variability of Massive Young Stellar Objects in Cygnus-X

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thomas, Nancy H.; Hora, J. L.; Smith, H. A.

2013-01-01

Young stellar objects (YSOs) are stars in the process of formation. Several recent investigations have shown a high rate of photometric variability in YSOs at near- and mid-infrared wavelengths. Theoretical models for the formation of massive stars (1-10 solar masses) remain highly idealized, and little is known about the mechanisms that produce the variability. An ongoing Spitzer Space Telescope program is studying massive star formation in the Cygnus-X region. In conjunction with the Spitzer observations, we have conducted a ground-based near-infrared observing program of the Cygnus-X DR21 field using PAIRITEL, the automated infrared telescope at Whipple Observatory. Using the Stetson index for variability, we identified variable objects and a number of variable YSOs in our time-series PAIRITEL data of DR21. We have searched for periodicity among our variable objects using the Lomb-Scargle algorithm, and identified periodic variable objects with an average period of 8.07 days. Characterization of these variable and periodic objects will help constrain models of star formation present. This work is supported in part by the NSF REU and DOD ASSURE programs under NSF grant no. 0754568 and by the Smithsonian Institution.

Black Hole Masses for Type I Active Galactic Nuclei in the Chandra Cosmos Legacy Survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nagaraj, Gautam; Fornasini, Francesca; Civano, Francesca Maria

2018-01-01

Tight local relations between SMBH masses and galaxy properties have established the fundamental connection between SMBHs and their host galaxies. However, in order to better understand the coevolution of SMBHs and their host galaxies over cosmic time, we need measurements of black hole masses, AGN luminosities, and galaxy stellar masses from sizable samples of AGN covering lower luminosities than the brightest quasars spanning a wide redshift range. In this study, we report masses of the SMBHs of 224 Type I AGNs from the Chandra COSMOS Legacy Survey as determined by the line widths of Mg II 2798, Hb 4862, and Ha 6564 via scaling relations derived from reverberation mapping. Preliminary comparison with host galaxy luminosities and stellar masses suggests an increase in Eddington ratio with redshift, consistent with previous studies. In addition, our derived SMBH masses fall above the local AGN MBH--M* (galactic stellar mass) relation from Reines & Volonteri (2015), but it is still not clear whether this results from redshift evolution of the MBH--M* relation or from the incompleteness of the spectroscopic surveys available. The SAO REU program is funded by the National Science Foundation REU and Department of Defense ASSURE programs under NSF Grant AST-1659473, and by the Smithsonian Institution.

The Evolution of Galaxies Through the Spatial Distribution of Their Globular Clusters: the Brightest Galaxies in Fornax

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zegeye, David W.

2018-01-01

We present a study of the evolution of the 10 brightest galaxies in the Fornax Cluster, as reconstructed through their Globular Cluster (GC) populations. GCs can be characterized by their projected two-dimensional (2D) spatial distribution. Over- or under-densities in the GC distribution, can be linked to events in the host galaxy assembly history, and used to constrain the properties of their progenitors. With HST/ACS imaging, we identified significant structures in the GC distribution of the 10 galaxies investigated, with some of the galaxies possessing structures with >10-sigma significance. GC over-densities have been found within the galaxies, with significant differences between the red and blue GC population. For elongated galaxies, structures are preferentially to be aligned along the major axis. Fornax Cluster galaxies appear to be more dynamically relaxed than the Virgo Cluster galaxies previously investigated with the same methodology by D'Abrusco et al. (2016). However, from these observations, the evident imprints left in the spatial distribution of GCs in these galaxies suggest a similarly intense history of interactions.The SAO REU program is funded by the National Science Foundation REU and Department of Defense ASSURE programs under NSF Grant AST-1659473, and by the Smithsonian Institution.

Investigating Supermassive Black Hole Spin at Different Redshift

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sinanan-Singh, Jasmine

2018-01-01

Supermassive black hole (SMBH) spin encodes vital information about the history of SMBH growth. High spins indicate a history of growth through large mass accretion events, which spin-up the black hole; Intermediate spins indicate a history of galactic mergers, which don't tend to systemcatically spin-up or spin-down black holes; low spins are attributed to successive, small accretion events with random orientations. Examining spin over different redshifts will help us understand the relative growth of SMBHs by mergers or accretion over cosmic time, an important part of understanding how SMBHs and their host galaxies co-evolved over time. To study spin, we compute the Fe K alpha emission line from the X-ray spectra of AGN sources in the Chandra-COSMOS Legacy Survey. We stack rest frame AGN spectra to improve the signal-to-noise ratio since the photon counts are low for individual spectra, and then average the spectra using an unwieghted mean. Our method is derived from Corral et al. (2008). We test our method on the two brightest sources in the COSMOS Survey and compute the rest frame average Fe K alpha emission line for different redshift bins. The SAO REU program is funded by the National Science Foundation REU and Department of Defense ASSURE programs under NSF Grant AST-1659473, and by the Smithsonian Institution.

The Effects of Galaxy Interactions on Star Formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beverage, Aliza; Weiner, Aaron; Ramos Padilla, Andres; Ashby, Matthew; Smith, Howard A.

2018-01-01

Galaxy interactions are key events in galaxy evolution, and are widely thought to trigger significant increases in star formation. However, the mechanisms and timescales for these increases are still not well understood. In order to probe the effects of mergers, we undertook an investigation based on the Spitzer Interacting Galaxies Survey (SIGS), a sample of 102 nearby galaxies in 48 systems ranging from weakly interacting to near coalescence. Our study is unique in that we use both broadband photometry and a large sample of objects chosen to be statistically meaningful. Our data come from 32 broad bands ranging from the UV to far-IR, and we model spectral energy distributions (SEDs) using the Code for Investigating Galaxy Emission (CIGALE) to estimate physical characteristics for each galaxy. We find marginal statistical correlations between galaxy interaction strength and dust luminosity and the distribution of dust mass as a function of heating intensity. The specific star formation rates, however, do not show any enhancement across the interaction stages. This result challenges conventional wisdom that mergers induce star formation throughout galaxy interaction.The SAO REU program is funded in part by the National Science Foundation REU and Department of Defense ASSURE programs under NSF Grant no. 1262851, and by the Smithsonian Institution.

A Combined Study of Photospheric Magnetic and Current Helicities and Subsurface Kinetic Helicities of Solar Active Regions during 2006-2012

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seligman, Darryl; Petrie, G.; Komm, R.

2014-01-01

We compare the average photospheric current helicity H_c, photospheric twist parameter α (a well-known proxy for the full relative magnetic helicity), and subsurface kinetic helicity K_h for 128 active regions observed between 2006-2012. We use 1436 Hinode photospheric vector magnetograms and subsurface fluid velocity data from GONG Dopplergrams. We find a significant hemispheric bias in all three parameters. The K_h parameter is preferentially positive/negative in the southern/northern hemisphere. The H_c and α parameters have the same bias for strong fields |{B}|>1000 G). We examine the temporal variability of each parameter for each active region and identify a significant subset of regions whose three helicity parameters all exhibit clear increasing or decreasing trends. The temporal profiles of these regions have the same bias: positive/negative helicity in the northern/southern hemisphere. The results are consistent with Longcope et al.'s Σ-effect. This work is carried out through the National Solar Observatory Research Experiences for Undergraduate (REU) site program, which is co-funded by the Department of Defense in partnership with the NSF REU Program. The National Solar Observatory is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc. (AURA) under cooperative agreement with the National Science Foundation.

Developing and Implementing an REU Program Philosophy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

LaDue, D. S.

2013-12-01

Each individual REU and REU-like program takes place in different fields, in unique contexts, with unique individuals, some of whom are different each year. Because of this, copying program elements from one year to another, or from another program, may not recreate outcomes. Having an underlying program philosophy, or approach to the program, creates the conditions for innovation and creativity to provide new spark to a program each year. As a former REU participant in a nuclear physics REU, and now an adult learning scientist, the director of the National Weather Center REU Program focuses on clarifying goals and outcomes of the program to the participants, and adapting the program each year to best help each participant learn research skills, reflect upon their experiences with research, and find leads to careers that would suit them well. How decisions are made regarding what types of activities to do every year will be contrasted with how other activities are created or adapted according to the needs of the unique individual students. Consideration is also given toward trends in the field, such as exposing participants to whatever current lively discussions are taking place locally or in the broader field.

Coordinating a Large, Amalgamated REU Program with Multiple Funding Sources

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fiorini, Eugene; Myers, Kellen; Naqvi, Yusra

2017-01-01

In this paper, we discuss the challenges of organizing a large REU program amalgamated from multiple funding sources, including diverse participants, mentors, and research projects. We detail the program's structure, activities, and recruitment, and we hope to demonstrate that the organization of this REU is not only beneficial to its…

Year 4 Of The NSF-funded PAARE Project At SC State

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walter, Donald K.; Brittain, S. D.; Cash, J. L.; Hartmann, D. H.; Howell, S. B.; King, J. R.; Leising, M. D.; Mayo, E. A.; Mighell, K. J.; Smith, D. M.

2012-01-01

We summarize the progress made through Year 4 of "A Partnership in Observational and Computational Astronomy (POCA)". This NSF-funded project is part of the "Partnerships in Astronomy and Astrophysics Research and Education (PAARE)" program. Our partnership includes South Carolina State University (a Historically Black College/University), Clemson University (a Ph.D. granting institution) and the National Optical Astronomy Observatory. Fellowships provided by POCA as well as recruitment efforts on the national level have resulted in enrolling a total of four underrepresented minorities into the Ph.D. program in astronomy at Clemson. We report on the success and challenges to recruiting students into the undergraduate physics major with astronomy option at SC State. Our summer REU program under POCA includes underrepresented students from across the country conducting research at each of our three institutions. Examples are given of our inquiry-based, laboratory exercises and web- based activities related to cosmology that have been developed with PAARE funding. We discuss our ground-based photometric and spectroscopic study of RV Tauri and Semi-Regular variables which has been expanded to include successful Cycle 2 Kepler observations of a dozen of these objects reported elsewhere at this conference (see D.K. Walter, et.al.). Support for the POCA project is provided by the NSF PAARE program to South Carolina State University under award AST-0750814 as well as resources and support provided by Clemson University and the National Optical Astronomy Observatory. Support for the Kepler observations is provided by NASA to South Carolina State University under award NNX11AB82G.

Temperature Dependence of O2(b1Σ ^+g, v = 0 and 1) Relative Yield in O(1D) + O2 Energy Transfer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kostko, O.; Raj, S.; Campbell, K.; Pejakovic, D. A.; Kalogerakis, K.

2011-12-01

Energy transfer from excited O(1D) atoms to ground-state O2(X3Σ ^-g) leads to production of O2 in the first two vibrational levels of the O2 (b1Σ ^+g) state: O(1D) + O2 -> O(3P) + O2(b1Σ ^+g, v = 0, 1). Subsequent radiative decay of O2(b1Σ ^+g, v = 0, 1) to the ground state results in the Atmospheric Band emission, a prominent feature of the terrestrial airglow. The relative yield for production of O2(b1Σ ^+g, v = 0 and 1) in the above process, k1/k0, is an important parameter in modeling of the observed Atmospheric Band emission intensities. Recent measurements at room temperature have shown that production of O2(b1Σ ^+g, v = 1) dominates that of O2(b1Σ ^+g, v = 0), with k1/k0 having a value of approximately 3.5 [1]. In the laboratory experiments, the output of a pulsed fluorine laser at 157 nm is used to photodissociate molecular oxygen in an O2/N2 mixture flowing through a heated gas cell. Photodissociation of O2 produces a ground-state O(3P) atom and an excited O(1D) atom. O(1D) rapidly transfers energy to the remaining O2 to produce O2(b1Σ ^+g, v = 0, 1). The populations of O2(b1Σ ^+g, v = 0 and 1) are monitored by observing emissions in the O2(b--X) 0--0 and 1--0 bands at 762 and 688 nm, respectively. The value of k1/k0 is extracted from the time-dependent O2(b1Σ ^+g, v = 0 and 1) fluorescence signals using computer simulations. We will present measurements on the temperature dependence of k1/k0 and discuss their atmospheric significance. This work was supported by the US National Science Foundation (NSF) Aeronomy Program under grant AGS-0937317. The fluorine laser was purchased under grant ATM-0216583 from the NSF Major Research Instrumentation Program. S. Raj and K. M. Campbell participated in a Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) site, co-funded by the Division of Physics of the NSF and the Department of Defense in partnership with the NSF REU program under grant PHY-1002892. [1] K. S. Kalogerakis, D. A. Pejaković, R. A. Copeland, T. G. Slanger (2005), Relative Yield of O2(b1Σ ^+g, v = 0 and 1) in O(1D) + O2 Collisions, Eos Trans. AGU, 86(52), Fall Meet. Suppl., Abstract SA11A-0220.

Supporting REU Leaders and Effective Workforce Development in the Geosciences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sloan, V.; Haacker, R.

2014-12-01

Research shows that research science experiences for undergraduates are key to the engagement of students in science, and teach critical thinking and communication, as well as the professional development skills. Nonetheless, undergraduate research programs are time and resource intensive, and program managers work in relative isolation from each other. The benefits of developing an REU community include sharing strategies and policies, developing collaborative efforts, and providing support to each other. This paper will provide an update on efforts to further develop the Geoscience REU network, including running a national workshop, an email listserv, workshops, and the creation of online resources for REU leaders. The goal is to strengthen the connections between REU community members, support the sharing of best practices in a changing REU landscape, and to make progress in formalizing tools for REU site managers.

Modeling Spectral Variations of Dusty Circumstellar Envelopes During Microlensing Events

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bunker, Christina; Ignace, R.; Bjorkman, J. E.

2007-12-01

Microlensing surveys have proven to be tremendously fruitful in providing valuable data products for many fields of astrophysics, from eclipse lightcurves for substellar candidates to limb darkening in stellar atmospheres. We report on a program of modeling observables from microlensing of circumstellar envelopes, particularly those of red giant stars that are the most likely to show finite source effects. Recent modeling results for the time dependent spectral energy distributions from microlensing of dusty winds are presented. In effect, wavelength-dependent continuum variations that occur as the lens-star separation changes can provide information about the emissivity distribution of dust in the wind. This project was funded by a partnership between the National Science Foundation (NSF AST-0552798), Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU), and the Department of Defense (DoD) ASSURE (Awards to Stimulate and Support Undergraduate Research Experiences) programs.

Cornell Astronomy REU: Casting a Wide Net to Increase Access to Research Opportunities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fernandez de Castro, Patricia; Haynes, Martha P.

2018-01-01

We describe a Research Experience for Undergraduates program in astrophysics and planetary science hosted in a major university setting that is geared especially but not exclusively to students who matriculate at smaller colleges and universities without major astronomy research programs, have not previously had off-campus research experiences and/or have non-traditional academic backgrounds.Individual research projects which students undertake with faculty mentors and their research groups are the keystone of the program. Built around this central activity are a set of other components that aim to expose students to the broad areas of astrophysical and planetary science research and to foster their appreciation of the research enterprise and their possible place within it. We describe the professional development activities that are offered to students, including lectures and workshops on a broad range of topics in astrophysics and planetary science, research group meetings, tutorials on research and scientific presentation skills, participation in outreach, education on the graduate school experience and application process, and discussions of the scientific enterprise, career paths and options in astronomy and related fields as well as the role REU group meetings with the program director (which complement meetings students attend within the context of their research group) play in developing students’ scientific competencies and pre-professional development. Also described are program elements that aim to make the program accessible to all students, including older students, those in relationships or with children as well as cohort building. Finally, we discuss lessons learned on how recruiting on merit and suitability to the research projects on offer, with a strong emphasis on smaller colleges and universities without major astronomy research programs can work towards a broader and more inclusive recruitment.This work was supported by NSF award AST-1156780.

The 2012 CASPER Physics Circus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carmona Reyes, Jorge; Land-Zandstra, Anne; Cheng, Joyce; Douglass, Angela; Harris, Brandon; Zhang, Zhuanhao; Chen, Mudi; Matthews, Lorin; Hyde, Truell

2012-10-01

The CASPER Physics Circus is one component of a CASPER ongoing educational outreach initiative known as the CASPER Seamless Pathway. The Physics Circus is funded by the United States Department of Education and is designed to increase interest in, engagement with, and understanding of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) within students in grades 6 through 12. The program's material and curriculum is aligned with both TEKS (Texas Essentials Knowledge and Skills) and National Science and Mathematics Standards, with its components (theatre, hands-on exhibitions, game show, professional development and curriculum) reinforcing these goals in a creative and entertaining format. Pre- and post-assessments measuring both content understanding and attitude towards science were conducted for a representative sample of the cohort and the analyzed data will be presented. The role the Circus plays within CASPER's Seamless Pathway will also be discussed along with other current CASPER programs including its High School Scholars program, CASPER's Interns program and CASPER NSF funded REU/RET programs for college undergraduates and K-12 teachers.

Implementing the correlated fermi gas nuclear model for quasielastic neutrino-nucleus scattering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tockstein, Jameson

2017-09-01

When studying neutrino oscillations an understanding of charged current quasielastic (CCQE) neutrino-nucleus scattering is imperative. This interaction depends on a nuclear model as well as knowledge of form factors. Neutrino experiments, such as MiniBooNE, often use the Relativistic Fermi Gas (RFG) nuclear model. Recently, the Correlated Fermi Gas (CFG) nuclear model was suggested in, based on inclusive and exclusive scattering experiments at JLab. We implement the CFG model for CCQE scattering. In particular, we provide analytic expressions for this implementation that can be used to analyze current and future neutrino CCQE data. This project was supported through the Wayne State University REU program under NSF Grant PHY-1460853 and by the DOE Grant DE-SC0007983.

Results from a Pilot REU Program: Exploring the Cosmos Using Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chanover, Nancy J.; Holley-Bockelmann, Kelly; Holtzman, Jon A.

2017-01-01

In the Summer of 2016 we conducted a 10-week pilot Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program aimed at increasing the participation of underrepresented minority undergraduate students in research using data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). This program utilized a distributed REU model, whereby students worked with SDSS scientists on exciting research projects while serving as members of a geographically distributed research community. The format of this REU is similar to that of the SDSS collaboration itself, and since this collaboration structure has become a model for the next generation of large scale astronomical surveys, the students participating in the SDSS REU received early exposure and familiarity with this approach to collaborative scientific research. The SDSS REU also provided the participants with a low-risk opportunity to audition for graduate schools and to explore opportunities afforded by a career as a research scientist. The six student participants were placed at SDSS REU host sites at the Center for Astrophysics at Harvard University, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Vanderbilt University, and the University of Portsmouth. Their research projects covered a broad range of topics related to stars, galaxies, and quasars, all making use of SDSS data. At the start of the summer the REU students participated in a week-long Boot Camp at NMSU, which served as a program orientation, an introduction to skills relevant to their research projects, and an opportunity for team-building and cohort-forming. To foster a sense of community among our distributed students throughout the summer, we conducted a weekly online meeting for all students in the program via virtual meeting tools. These virtual group meetings served two purposes: as a weekly check-in to find out how their projects were progressing, and to conduct professional development seminars on topics of interest and relevance to the REU participants. We discuss the outcomes of this pilot REU program and future plans for involving underrepresented minority undergraduate students in SDSS-related research. This work was supported by a grant from Sloan Foundation to the Astrophysical Research Consortium.

A Reassessment of the Impact of Astronomy REU Programs on Female Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Slater, Stephanie J.; Slater, T. F.

2008-05-01

For many years, federal agencies have enthusiastically supported Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) programs to engage students in research experiences to encourage them to continue to pursue astronomy career paths. Despite widespread tacit agreement that such experiences are critically important to filling the STEM career pipeline, there has been insufficient evaluation published to substantiate these impacts, with what little is described focusing on building students’ confidence and enculturation into the scientific enterprise. Upon closer inspection the data that exists, it appears that REU's may have little impact on participants’ career decisions, with the small number of those who do alter their intentions in favor of attending being balanced out by those who decide not to attend. This scenario begs the question of do REU programs create students who will go on to STEM careers or, alternatively, do REU programs simply attract students who are already pre-destined for STEM careers? This study chose to approach the problem using a mixed method, ex post facto design. Using six years of data, pre- and post- interview transcripts were compared to career decisions to develop a framework through which to further interview participants with regard to which career pathway decisions they are making. An interview process was then used to develop a new model that explained both these participants’ choices and findings in previous research. Data suggests that the nature and perceived quality of an REU experience is largely irrelevant to STEM career pursuit. For participants who were already committed to graduate studies, the REU was a means to enhance their candidacy for admissions. Those least likely to attend graduate school were those who were not committed prior to the REU. For these participants the REU served as a means to enhance their resumes for post-graduation employment.

2012 NNIN REU Program | National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network

Science.gov Websites

Effects of RAD51 Assembly on dsDNA with Magnetic Tweezers, page 26 Morgan McGuinness, page NNIN iREU Site Kelly Suralik, page NNIN iREU Site: Japan Effects of Membrane Surface Modification on Calcium Carbonate REU Site: Howard University Controlling and Understanding the Effects of Reactive Colloids' Packing on

Designing Effective Undergraduate Research Experiences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Severson, S.

2010-12-01

I present a model for designing student research internships that is informed by the best practices of the Center for Adaptive Optics (CfAO) Professional Development Program. The dual strands of the CfAO education program include: the preparation of early-career scientists and engineers in effective teaching; and changing the learning experiences of students (e.g., undergraduate interns) through inquiry-based "teaching laboratories." This paper will focus on the carry-over of these ideas into the design of laboratory research internships such as the CfAO Mainland internship program as well as NSF REU (Research Experiences for Undergraduates) and senior-thesis or "capstone" research programs. Key ideas in maximizing student learning outcomes and generating productive research during internships include: defining explicit content, scientific process, and attitudinal goals for the project; assessment of student prior knowledge and experience, then following up with formative assessment throughout the project; setting reasonable goals with timetables and addressing motivation; and giving students ownership of the research by implementing aspects of the inquiry process within the internship.

PhAst: A Flexible IDL Astronomical Image Viewer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rehnberg, Morgan; Crawford, R.; Trueblood, M.; Mighell, K.

2012-01-01

We present near-Earth asteroid data analyzed with PhAst, a new IDL astronomical image viewer based on the existing application ATV. PhAst opens, displays, and analyzes an arbitrary number of FITS images. Analysis packages include image calibration, photometry, and astrometry (provided through an interface with SExtractor, SCAMP, and missFITS). PhAst has been designed to generate reports for Minor Planet Center reporting. PhAst is cross platform (Linux/Mac OSX/Windows for image viewing and Linux/Mac OSX for image analysis) and can be downloaded from the following website at NOAO: http://www.noao.edu/staff/mighell/phast/. Rehnberg was supported by the NOAO/KPNO Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Program which is funded by the National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates Program and the Department of Defense ASSURE program through Scientific Program Order No. 13 (AST-0754223) of the Cooperative Agreement No. AST-0132798 between the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA) and the NSF.

The Assessment of the Impact of REU Programs on Student Classroom Performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hughes, Chris

2009-03-01

Supporters of undergraduate research claim that the research experience enhances the success of students in their classes and promotes their progress toward completing a science major. Since there are many other variables that can influence a student's progress through a curriculum, it is frequently difficult to compare students from undergraduate research programs with a suitable control group. At James Madison University, a significant number of chemistry and physics majors participate in summer REU programs on campus. However, since JMU is among the top 10% of undergraduate institutions in the US in undergraduate physics enrollment, there are also a significant number who choose not to stay on campus for summer research. Using several years worth of data, we have determined the change in the GPAs of REU students (N=75) from the semester before the REU to the semester after the REU and compared these with the students who did not participate in summer research (N=663). We have found that the REU students' average GPA increased by a statistically significant amount while the non-REU students' average GPA was unchanged to within a standard deviation. We will also discuss other assessment methods used at JMU and some of the limitations in the interpretation of this study.

NSF Support for Physics at the Undergraduate Level: A View from Inside

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McBride, Duncan

2015-03-01

NSF has supported a wide range of projects in physics that involve undergraduate students. These projects include NSF research grants in which undergraduates participate; Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) centers and supplements; and education grants that range from upper-division labs that may include research, to curriculum development for upper- and lower-level courses and labs, to courses for non-majors, to Physics Education Research (PER). The NSF Divisions of Physics, Materials Research, and Astronomy provide most of the disciplinary research support, with some from other parts of NSF. I recently retired as the permanent physicist in NSF's Division of Undergraduate Education (DUE), which supports the education grants. I was responsible for a majority of DUE's physics grants and was involved with others overseen by a series of physics rotators. There I worked in programs entitled Instrumentation and Laboratory Improvement (ILI); Course and Curriculum Development (CCD); Course, Curriculum, and Laboratory Improvement (CCLI); Transforming Undergraduate STEM Education (TUES); and Improving Undergraduate STEM Education (IUSE). NSF support has enabled physics Principal Investigators to change and improve substantially the way physics is taught and the way students learn physics. The most important changes are increased undergraduate participation in physics research; more teaching using interactive engagement methods in classes; and growth of PER as a legitimate field of physics research as well as outcomes from PER that guide physics teaching. In turn these have led, along with other factors, to students who are better-prepared for graduate school and work, and to increases in the number of undergraduate physics majors. In addition, students in disciplines that physics directly supports, notably engineering and chemistry, and increasingly biology, are better and more broadly prepared to use their physics education in these fields. I will describe NSF support for undergraduate physics with both statistics and examples. In addition I will talk about trends in support for undergraduate physics at NSF and speculate about directions such support might go. Contents of this paper reflect the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the National Science Foundation.

Increasing Diversity in Global Climate Change, Space Weather and Space Technology Research and Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, L. P.; Austin, S. A.; Howard, A. M.; Boxe, C.; Jiang, M.; Tulsee, T.; Chow, Y. W.; Zavala-Gutierrez, R.; Barley, R.; Filin, B.; Brathwaite, K.

2015-12-01

This presentation describes projects at Medgar Evers College of the City University of New York that contribute to the preparation of a diverse workforce in the areas of ocean modeling, planetary atmospheres, space weather and space technology. Specific projects incorporating both undergraduate and high school students include Assessing Parameterizations of Energy Input to Internal Ocean Mixing, Reaction Rate Uncertainty on Mars Atmospheric Ozone, Remote Sensing of Solar Active Regions and Intelligent Software for Nano-satellites. These projects are accompanied by a newly developed Computational Earth and Space Science course to provide additional background on methodologies and tools for scientific data analysis. This program is supported by NSF award AGS-1359293 REU Site: CUNY/GISS Center for Global Climate Research and the NASA New York State Space Grant Consortium.

Four years of REU in South Texas: Fostering the Participation of Hispanic Students in Marine Science Research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buskey, E. J.; Erdner, D.

2011-12-01

Our REU site is a ten-week summer program that is currently in its fourth year and has served 37 undergraduate students in that time. The range of environments present in south Texas, including barrier islands, estuaries and hypersaline lagoons, and the inherent climatic variability of the region make it an excellent natural laboratory for studying the effects of both natural and human-driven change. REU projects to date have focused on many of the pressing environmental concerns in the region, including the impacts of land use and freshwater demand on the transport of water and waterborne constituents to coastal waters, harmful algal blooms, effects of nutrient loads on coastal ecosystems, and hypoxia. The program begins with a 2 day research cruise that serves as an immediate introduction to local biota and methods in marine science, and it brings the students and mentors together as a group in a more informal setting. The students then carry out independent research projects under the mentorship of a faculty member, and attend workshops on responsible research, graduate school, and science careers. Our program also benefits from a close interaction with the Mission-Aransas National Estuarine Research Reserve, exposing the students to applied research of relevance to coastal management issues. One of the primary goals of our program is to foster the retention of underrepresented groups, particularly Hispanics, in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields by increasing their participation in undergraduate research experiences. We have targeted Hispanic students because our institute is located in a state where 37% of the population is Hispanic, and in a region where the proportion of Hispanic students is even higher. Our recruiting efforts have included advertising the program via in-person presentations at minority serving institutions (UT El Paso, UT San Antonio), and on list-serves for professional societies and sites at minority serving institutions. We have also directly contacted academic advisors at undergraduate institutions, especially those with marine sciences degrees and/or a significant proportion of Hispanic enrollment. Despite these directed efforts, however, program surveys show that the most common ways that students find out about our program are by 1) searching the NSF REU website, 2) general online searches (e.g. Google), and 3) from a professor or advisor. In terms of student participation, we feel that we are making progress in entraining Hispanic students into undergraduate research. The participation rate for Hispanic students in our program (21%) was twice that of their 10% nationwide undergraduate STEM enrollment rate. Hispanic students also make up a greater proportion of the offers relative to the applicant pool and accept offers more frequently. Nonetheless, we continue to seek new recruiting strategies, in order to increase the participation rate of Hispanic students, in a state where Hispanic STEM enrollment rates above 50% are common.

A new approach to assess student perceptions of gains from an REU program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Houser, C.; Cahill, A. T.; Lemmons, K.

2013-12-01

Research Experience for Undergraduate (REU) programs are designed to recruit students to science and engineering research careers by allowing the students to conduct research with faculty mentors. The success of REU programs is commonly assessed based on student perceptions of gains using a simple Likert scale. Because students tend to be positive about all aspects of their research experience, the results of the Likert scale tend to be meaningless. An alternative assessment technique, similar to Q-analysis, is used to assess the perceived outcomes of an international REU program hosted by Texas A&M University. Students were required to sort commonly identified REU outcomes into a normal distribution, from most agree to least agree, based on what they perceive as their personal gains from the program. Factor analysis reveals 3 groups of students who believe that they gained field and analytical skills (Group 1), greater competence in research and self-confidence (Group 2), and an improved understanding of the scientific method (Group 3). Student perceptions appear to depend on whether the student had previous research experience through classes and/or as a research assistant at their home institution. A comparison to a similar sort of REU outcomes by the faculty mentors suggests that there is a slight disconnect in the perceived gains by the students between the student participants and the faculty mentors.

A Detailed Analysis of the Physical Conditions in the Infrared Dark Clouds in the Region IGGC 16/23

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scibelli, Samantha; Tolls, Volker

2017-01-01

There is an ongoing debate about why the star formation rate is low in the Galactic Center and Galactic Bar region of the Milky Way. Clump 2 is located at a distance of ~400 pc from the Galactic Center in the Galactic Bar region near the edge of the Central Molecular Zone (CMZ). Molecular clouds in this region are too distant to be influenced by the central black hole. However, despite of its location, Clump 2 is comprised of molecular clouds that show the same low star formation rate as those in the Galactic Center. Using Herschel PACS and SPIRE and APEX dust continuum emission data, our measurements indicate that cores in the IGGC 16/23 region have dust masses and densities comparable to those of more typical star-forming molecular clouds in the solar neighborhood. In addition, we analyzed Herschel HIFI high-J 12CO emission line observations supplemented by MOPRA molecular line observations. We find that the IGGC 16/23 region is composed of many smaller cores with different systemic velocities in the same line of sight advocating that additional analysis should be done to provide better constraints on the core sizes and masses to confirm that the core masses are below their virial masses and, thus, are not collapsing.The SAO REU program is funded in part by the National Science Foundation REU and Department of Defense ASSURE programs under NSF Grant no. 1262851, and by the Smithsonian Institution.

Advancing Space Sciences through Undergraduate Research Experiences at UC Berkeley's Space Sciences Laboratory - a novel approach to undergraduate internships for first generation community college students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raftery, C. L.; Davis, H. B.; Peticolas, L. M.; Paglierani, R.

2015-12-01

The Space Sciences Laboratory at UC Berkeley launched an NSF-funded Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program in the summer of 2015. The "Advancing Space Sciences through Undergraduate Research Experiences" (ASSURE) program recruited heavily from local community colleges and universities, and provided a multi-tiered mentorship program for students in the fields of space science and engineering. The program was focussed on providing a supportive environment for 2nd and 3rd year undergraduates, many of whom were first generation and underrepresented students. This model provides three levels of mentorship support for the participating interns: 1) the primary research advisor provides academic and professional support. 2) The program coordinator, who meets with the interns multiple times per week, provides personal support and helps the interns to assimilate into the highly competitive environment of the research laboratory. 3) Returning undergraduate interns provided peer support and guidance to the new cohort of students. The impacts of this program on the first generation students and the research mentors, as well as the lessons learned will be discussed.

Online Resources and Community Support for REU Leaders

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sloan, V.; Haacker, R.

2015-12-01

Creating and running undergraduate research programs is very time and resource intensive, and leaders work in relative isolation, managing every aspect of REU programs. This paper will give an update on new tools, resources, and support gathered from the geoscience REU community and made available through the SOARS Center for Undergraduate Research via the web, a listserv, and workshops. These include advice and tools on topics such as broadening participation, ethics and safety training, and communicating with mentors. The demand from the private sector for graduates to be more adaptable, adept at problem solving, and skilled at writing and presenting (Chronicle for Higher Education, 2012) increases the need for the REU community to provide professional development for students. As a result, we are also working to provide materials and webinars on teaching interns how to prepare talks and posters, how to write their internship experience into their résumé, and about graduate school and other non-academic career paths. REUs continue to successfully attract strong students into STEM fields, and the quality of these programs is enhanced by the generous sharing of insight and tools within the GEO REU community (ucar.scied.edu/soars/reu).

Opening the Conversation on REU Assessment and Evaluation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pressley, S. N.; LeBeau, J. E.

2015-12-01

Project evaluation is a key component to ensuring success of any Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program. The Washington State University (WSU) Regional Atmospheric Chemistry: State-of-the-art Measurement and Modeling in the Pacific Northwest REU Site employs a mixed method approach to determine what is working well and what can use improvement (formative evaluation) and to determine impact and effectiveness of the project in reaching the stated goals (summative evaluation). Quantitative data is collected via a pre-/post-test measuring participants' research self-efficacy (RSE), motivation, background information, extent of socialization, and their interpretation of the value of the REU experience. Qualitative data is gathered through individual interviews with the REU students (at the beginning and end of the program) and faculty mentors (at the end). Beginning interviews focus on expectations for the REU program and student backgrounds. End interviews focus on student RSE development, interpretations of their experience, and the value of the experience. Faculty mentors are interviewed to gather insight on student performance in the program and perspectives on the overall success of the program in meeting the proposed goals. Students are provided an opportunity to comment on the strengths and weaknesses of workshops, providing critical feedback to the particular instructor and enabling the faculty to modify the workshop content and activities in future years. Finally, research results are evaluated during the final poster presentation, and faculty are interviewed to report on their perception of how each student learned and gained knowledge during the program. To evaluate the retention of students in engineering and science and identify chosen career paths, a longitudinal survey was created and it is administered via email each year. Many REU programs also employ the Undergraduate Research Students Self-Assessment (URSSA) online tool designed for evaluating REU experiences (University of Colorado at Boulder). Information presented in this presentation will include a discussion of the current tools used as described above as well as a discussion of the pros/cons of using URSSA. One of the concerns with using URSSA in conjunction with the other assessment tools is "survey fatigue".

IBP's Four-Prong Approach for Broadening Participation in the STEM Community

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ricciardi, L.; Fauver, A.; Johnson, A.; Detrick, L.; Siegfried, D.; Thomas, S.; Valaitis, S.

2013-12-01

The goal of the Institute for Broadening Participation (IBP) is to increase diversity in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) workforce. As a freestanding non-profit dedicated to this work IBP is uniquely positioned to provide resources to faculty and students that individual institutions and disciplinary based programs cannot. Through its initial work with the NSF Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship (IGERT), Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU), and Alliance for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP) programs, IBP developed a four-pronged approach open to all members of the STEM community nationally for addressing the problem of underrepresentation: Synthesizing information - compiling and translating best practices into materials and resources accessible and useful to a broad national audience; Creating and maintaining strategic web resources - making information on programs, best practices, and references easily available to a wide audience including students, faculty, and administrators; Extensive face-to-face and virtual outreach - drawing constituents to the resources available via IBP that support students and faculty through the entire STEM pathway; and Catalyzing partnerships - cultivating a community of practice and culture of diversity, to reduce isolation among diversity practitioners, and to increase information sharing. IBP is also home to several successful initiatives that use both virtual and face-to-face components to bring together underrepresented students with established underrepresented and other scientists in academia, government and industry. These connections provide underrepresented students with supportive mentoring, networking opportunities, and professional skill development contributing to an overall improved retention rate of underrepresented students majoring in STEM degrees. IBP's initiatives include the NASA One Stop Shopping Initiative (NASA OSSI), Pathways to Ocean Science, Pathways to Engineering, and the Minorities Striving and Pursuing Higher Degrees of Success (MS PHD'S) Professional Development program in Earth System Science (ESS). NASA OSSI recruits and facilitates student engagement in NASA student education and employment opportunities. Pathways to Ocean Science connects and supports underrepresented students with REU programs in Ocean Sciences and serves as a resource for REU program directors. Pathways to Engineering synthesized mentoring resources into an online mentoring manual for underrepresented STEM students that has been extensively vetted by mentoring experts throughout the country. MS PHD'S, an award-winning professional development program for underrepresented students, focuses on increasing the retention rate of underrepresented students receiving advanced degrees in ESS. As of August 2013, 213 students have participated in the program. 67 of those students are currently enrolled in a PhD. program. Another 47 have completed their PhD and are actively engaged in the ESS workforce.

Undergraduate research in geochemistry at a larger university: developing a community of undergraduate and graduate researchers.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ryan, J. G.

2003-12-01

Faculty at state research universities can find the paired requirements of establishing research programs and developing a "pipeline" of graduate students to be the most challenging aspects of their jobs, especially with shrinking pools of graduate applicants. These problems may be more acute for laboratory-based geochemists, as few graduate candidates possess the requisite quantitative and chemical backgrounds. The need to "get my research going" at the University of South Florida led me to work primarily with undergraduates, as a) they were available and interested, b) they required no more laboratory training than M.S. students; and c) small-dollar funds were available to support them, both in-house and via NSF REU Supplements. Some senior colleagues argued that this approach would hinder my developing a graduate program as is necessary for tenure. This contention turned out to be untrue. My success in undergraduate research draws funding (in NSF REU Site and disciplinary research grants), has attracted outside MS and Ph.D. candidates, and has retained quality in-house students seeking MS degrees. Students working with me join a laboratory community in which undergraduate and graduate researchers are on equal footing in terms of access to instrumentation and other facilities. I work with all my students, irrespective of rank, as members of a cooperative research group. I encourage and expect that technical instruction I provide to any individual will be passed on to their colleagues, which helps develop a "lab culture" of best practices, and ingrains new knowledge and skills through the act of teaching them to others. Maintaining this research environment requires active recruitment of capable graduate AND undergraduate students, regular monitoring of laboratory practices, and ready availability for consultation and mentoring. One must be cognizant of the differing time commitment issues of undergraduates and graduates, and set research goals appropriately. Undergraduate research projects in which 3-4 students work together to collect necessary data can get around the class vs. research scheduling issues they face as they can share the laboratory workload through the week. Group projects can thus collect larger bodies of data, allowing students to address more substantive problems.

OVII and Temperature Limits on the Local Hot Bubble

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pirtle, Robert; Petre, N.; McCammon, D.; Morgan, K.; Sauter, P.; Clavadetscher, K.; Fujimoto, R.; Hagihara, T.; Masui, K.; Mitsuda, K.; Takei, Y.; Wang, Q. D.; Yamasaki, N. Y.; Yao, Y.; Yoshino, T.

2013-01-01

The observed ¼-keV (ROSAT R12 band) X-ray background originates largely in a region of hot ionized gas roughly 100 pc in extent surrounding the Sun known as the Local Hot Bubble (LHB). The observed flux is quite uniform at low latitudes (|b| < 30°), but there a several large areas at intermediate and high latitudes that are enhanced by factors of 2 - 3. Charge exchange between highly charged ions in the Solar wind and interstellar neutral H and He moving through interplanetary space might provide a very roughly isotropic contribution about equal to the low- latitude flux (Koutroumpa et al. 2008), but cannot produce the enhancements. Correlations with the interstellar absorbing column show that some of these bright regions are apparently due to clumps of hot gas in the Galactic halo, while many of them show no correlation and must be due to extensions of the LHB (Kuntz & Snowden 2000, Bellm & Vaillancourt 2005). Global fits of simple plasma emission spectra give temperatures near 1.0 x 106 K for both LHB and halo emission, but the possibility of a substantial contamination by charge exchange could distort this result in unknown ways. Thermal excitation of O VII is strongly temperature dependent in this range, so we have tried to correlate O VII fluxes measured with Suzaku with variations in ¼-keV intensity from the ROSAT R12 band map to determine the temperature. We take eleven O VII intensity measurements from Yoshino et al. (2009), one from Masui et al. (2009), and an additional eighteen from archival Suzaku pointings and correlate these with the R12 band local and halo intensities as separated by Kunzt & Snowden (2000). The lack of detectable correlation in both cases strongly limits any O VII production by the material producing the enhancements, and upper limits to the temperatures are set. This work was supported in part by the National Science Foundation's REU program through NSF Award AST-1004881 and by NASA grant NNX09AF09G. *present address: Department of Physics, Lewis & Clark College, Portland, OR. This work was supported in part by the National Science Foundation's REU program through NSF Award AST-1004881.

Modern Process Studies in Kongsfjord, Svalbard: Arctic Geoscience Research Experience for U.S. Undergraduates (Svalbard REU)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Powell, R. D.; Brigham-Grette, J.

2011-12-01

The Svalbard REU (Research Experience for Undergraduates) program focuses on understanding how high latitude glaciers, meltwater streams, and sedimentation in lakes and fjords respond to changing climate. Since summer of 2004, six under-graduate students have been selected to participate in the summer field program. Students work on individual projects and in close conjunction with faculty advisors and other student researchers. They formulate their own research questions, develop their project, and complete their field research during a five-week program on Svalbard, Norway. Following the summer program, students complete their projects at their home institution during the following academic year as a senior thesis. A spring symposium brings all participants back together again with their final results. The most recent field season was completed in Kongsfjord (79N) showing that the contemporary studies of tidewater glacier margins provide an unparalleled opportunity for introducing motivated third year undergraduate students to the challenges and rewards of polar geoscientific field research. Rates of rapid change in this high-latitude Arctic environment emphasize the complexity of the Earth System at the interface of the ocean, atmosphere and cryosphere. Given background information in glacial and marine geology, glaciology, hydrology, climatology and fjord oceanography not routinely offered in undergraduate curricula, students develop the science questions to be addressed and establish a field plan for instrumentation and sampling. Working together in small boats in one of the most challenging natural environments, the students expand their leadership skills, learn the value of teamwork and collaborative data sharing while maintaining a strong sense of ownership over their individual science projects. The rigors of studying an actively calving tidewater glacier also builds on their outdoor skills, especially when it is necessary to improvise and become resourceful due to instrumentation failures or weather-related delays. Self-confidence and problem solving skills emerge from both field and laboratory research operations when students draw upon and expand their base of practical knowledge via trial and error. Logistical facilities in Ny Alesund offer an international experience with opportunities for dialog with scientists of a wide variety of disciplines working at research stations representing more than 12 different European and Asian countries. The program is funded by the NSF's Office of Polar Programs and has close ties and collaboration with the Norwegian University in Svalbard (UNIS) and Norsk Polar Institute scientists. NSF also funds a science teacher as a PolarTREC participant.

Advancing Earth System Science Literacy and Preparing the Future Geoscience Workforce Through Strategic Investments at the National Science Foundation (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karsten, J. L.; Patino, L. C.; Rom, E. L.; Weiler, C. S.

2010-12-01

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent federal agency created 60 years ago by the U.S. Congress "to promote the progress of science; to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare; to secure the national defense…" NSF is the primary funding agency in the U.S. to support basic, frontier research across all fields in science, engineering, and education, except for medical sciences. With a FY 2011 budget request of more than $955 million, the NSF Directorate for Geosciences (GEO) is the principle source of federal funding for university-based fundamental research in the geosciences and preparation of the next generation of geoscientists. Since its inception, GEO has supported the education and training of a diverse and talented pool of future scientists, engineers, and technicians in the Earth, Ocean, Atmospheric and Geospatial Sciences sub-fields, through support of graduate research assistants, post-doctoral fellows, and undergraduate research experiences. In the late 1990’s and early 2000’s, GEO initiated several programs that expanded these investments to also support improvements in pre-college and undergraduate geoscience education through a variety of mechanisms (e.g., professional development support for K-12 teachers, development of innovative undergraduate curricula, and scientist-mentored research experiences for elementary and secondary students). In addition to GEO’s Geoscience Education (GeoEd), Opportunities for Enhancing Diversity in the Geosciences (OEDG), Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE), and Geoscience Teacher Training (GEO-Teach) programs, GEO participates in a number of cross-Foundation programs, including the Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU), Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship (IGERT), Ethics Education in Science and Engineering (EESE), NSF Graduate STEM Fellows in K-12 Education (GK-12), and Partnerships for International Research and Education (PIRE) programs, and the new Climate Change Education Partnership (CCEP) program. Many broader impact activities associated with individual research grants supported by GEO contribute to the mix, through integration of research and education. Improving access to high quality geoscience education, developing educational resources and pedagogies that reflect current understandings based on cognitive research on how people learn science in formal and informal settings, cultivating a diverse talent pool for the future, and developing robust mechanisms to evaluate the quality of these various approaches and tools are challenges faced by the entire geosciences research and education community, not just NSF/GEO. In the past two years, GEO has worked collaboratively with the Education and Human Resources (EHR) Directorate, and sister agencies NOAA and NASA, to establish a new GEO Education and Diversity Strategic Framework, that will guide our investments in the future, and identify opportunities for a more cohesive, collaborative, and synergistic approach across NSF and the federal government. Details of this new strategic framework, results of recent program evaluations, and their implications for future NSF/GEO education program funding will be discussed.

Laser Measurements of the H Atom + Ozone Rate Constant at Atmospheric Temperatures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Y.; Smith, G. P.; Peng, J.; Reppert, K. J.; Callahan, S. L.

2015-12-01

The exothermic H + O3 reaction produces OH(v) Meinel band emissions, used to derive mesospheric H concentrations and chemical heating rates. We have remeasured its rate constant to reduce resulting uncertainties and the measurement extend to lower mesospheric temperatures using modern laser techniques. H atoms are produced by pulsed ultraviolet laser trace photolysis of O3, followed by reaction of O(D) with added H2. A second, delayed, frequency-mixed dye laser measures the reaction decay rate with the remaining ozone by laser induced fluorescence. We monitor either the H atom decay by 2 photon excitation at 205 nm and detection of red fluorescence, or the OH(v=9) product time evolution with excitation of the B-X (0,9) band at 237 nm and emission in blue B-A bands. By cooling the enclosed low pressure flow cell we obtained measurements from 146-305 K. Small kinetic modeling corrections are made for secondary regeneration of H atoms. The results fully confirm the current NASA JPL recommendation for this rate constant, and establish its extrapolation down to the lower temperatures of the mesosphere. This work was supported by the NSF Aeronomy Program and an NSF Physics summer REU student grant.

Multidisciplinary "Boot Camp" Training in Cellular Bioengineering to Accelerate Research Immersion for REU Participants

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shreiber, David I.; Moghe, Prabhas V.; Roth, Charles M.

2015-01-01

Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) sites widely serve as the first major research gateway for undergraduates seeking a structured research experience. Given their lack of prior research skills, and the highly compressed duration of the REU programs, these students frequently encounter barriers to a seamless transition into a new…

Selectivity of adsorption of gases on doped graphene

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nnabugwu, Jordan; Maiga, Sidi; Gatica, Silvina

We report our results on the selectivity of carbon dioxide being adsorbed onto doped graphene. Using the Ideal Adsorption Solution theory (IAST) we calculate the selectivity using the uptake pressures of pure gases. We focus on the adsorption of atmospheric gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2) , Nitrogen (N2) , and Methane (CH4) on a pure and doped monolayer graphene slab placed at the bottom of a simulation cell. Grand Canonical Monte Carlo (GCMC) simulations allow us to calculate the amount of gases adsorbed at a given temperature and pressure of the system. We found that including impurities of varying strength and concentration can increase significantly the selectivity at room temperature. Financial support from the National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates Program for the REU Site in Physics at Howard University (NSF Award No. PHY-1358727) is gratefully acknowledged.

NURail Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Summer Program in Multimodal Freight Transportation Risk.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-08-01

NURail hosted an REU Summer Program in Multimodal Freight Transportation Risk at the Rail Transportation and Engineering Center (RailTEC) in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC...

Student Feedback of Career Development Workshops for Program Improvement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

LeBeau, J. E.; Pressley, S. N.

2016-12-01

A number of techniques are employed each year to evaluate the effectiveness of and to identify opportunities for improvement in the Laboratory for Atmospheric Research (LAR) REU program at Washington State University. For example, information gathered from pre-/post-surveys and pre-/post-interviews provides information regarding students' perceptions and levels of experience with the scientific process, career and academic goals, and motivation for joining the REU program. Poster session rubrics assess students' abilities to summarize their experiences in a professional setting. Alumni surveys gauge former participants' perceptions of the REU experience. One seemingly simple and highly useful, but often less documented, component of the evaluation process for program improvement is the use of workshop feedback forms. Weekly workshops are designed to provide students with enhanced knowledge and skills in the area of atmospheric chemistry as well as research design skills, academic and career guidance, and presentation skills. According to previous years' evaluation reports, workshops are largely beneficial to students for learning new skills. Yet, students suggest a number of recommendations that may benefit any REU program, such as: providing slides beforehand to provide a framework for the upcoming workshop, having instructors speak in more student-friendly language, covering higher-level topics, and including more hands-on, instructor-guided practice during the workshops. Thus, workshop feedback forms provide meaningful feedback to increase learning outcomes and enhance the REU student experience. This presentation will offer ideas gathered from over five years of workshop feedback forms that, while somewhat specific to workshops offered for the LAR REU, can offer faculty and PIs insight into the student experience, enhancing their ability to improve programming and achieve greater learning outcomes.

The Kinetics of Oxygen Atom Recombination in the Presence of Carbon Dioxide

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jamieson, C. S.; Garcia, R. M.; Pejakovic, D.; Kalogerakis, K.

2009-12-01

Understanding processes involving atomic oxygen is crucial for the study and modeling of composition, energy transfer, airglow, and transport dynamics in planetary atmospheres. Significant gaps and uncertainties exist in the understanding of these processes and often the relevant input from laboratory measurements is missing or outdated. We are conducting laboratory experiments to measure the rate coefficient for O + O + CO2 recombination and investigating the O2 excited states produced following the recombination. These measurements will provide key input for a quantitative understanding and reliable modeling of the atmospheres of the CO2 planets and their airglow. An excimer laser providing pulsed output at either 193 nm or 248 nm is employed to produce O atoms by dissociating carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, or ozone. In an ambient-pressure background of CO2, O atoms recombine in a time scale of a few milliseconds. Detection of laser-induced fluorescence at 845 nm following two-photon excitation near 226 nm monitors the decay of the oxygen atom population. From the temporal evolution of the signal the recombination rate coefficient is extracted. Fluorescence spectroscopy is used to detect the products of O-atom recombination and subsequent relaxation in CO2. This work is supported by the US National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Planetary Astronomy Program. Rosanne Garcia’s participation was funded by the NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Program.

Ten-Year Retrospective Longitudinal-Study of Student Perspectives on Value of REU

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Slater, T. F.; Slater, S. J.

2013-12-01

For more than two decades, federal agencies have been enthusiastically supporting summer research experiences for undergraduates. These REU programs are tacitly intended to increase retention and provide "an important educational experience" for undergraduates, particularly women, minorities and underrepresented groups. Numerous authors (viz., Laursen, Lopatto, Dolan, among many others) have enthusiastically described positive impacts of summer REU programs from exit interview data. These results include enhanced persistence to pursue STEM careers and confirmed desire to attend graduate school in the field targeted by a particular REU. Perhaps surprisingly, negative student experiences are rarely described in the scholarly literature, but do appear in more informal publications (viz., Gueterma, 2007). One wonders how REU alumni, looking back over their entire collective portfolio of experiences, now perceive the educational value of their REU experience relative to their other educational experiences. To obtain a backwards-looking, reflective description from REU alumni on the value of their REU experiences, we conducted a 10-year, two-stage study was designed to explore the ways in which the REU acted as an educational experience for 51 women from a single geoscience sub-discipline. The first phase was an ex post facto longitudinal analysis of data, including multiple interviews with each participant during their REU, annual open-ended alumni surveys, faculty interviews, and extensive field notes, over a 10-year period. This analysis informed the second phase, a clinical interview. Over 10 hours of interviews with 8 participants were conducted and analyzed. These 8 participants were selected to represent a variety of career stages, and for their potential to reflect on a wide variety of educational experiences. Results from the interviews, done many years after their REU experience, indicate that the interviewees' REU did not provide a substantive educational experience related to the nature of scientific work, the scientific process, or the culture of academia when considered in a comparative context of students' other educational experiences. Results further indicated that the REU did not serve to transform participants' conceptions about themselves as situated in science, and learning gains with regard to other aspects of the self, were somewhat limited. Instead, the data suggests that these women arrived at the REU with pre-existing and remarkably strong conceptions in these areas, and that the REU did not functional to alter those states. These conceptions were frequently the result of interactions with mentors/scientists from middle school until well into the undergraduate period.

Multilevel approach to mentoring in the Research Experiences for Undergraduates programs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bonine, K. E.; Dontsova, K.; Pavao-Zuckerman, M.; Paavo, B.; Hogan, D.; Oberg, E.; Gay, J.

2015-12-01

This presentation focuses on different types of mentoring for students participating in Research Experiences for Undergraduates programs with examples, including some new approaches, from The Environmental and Earth Systems Research Experiences for Undergraduates Program at Biosphere 2. While traditional faculty mentors play essential role in students' development as researchers and professionals, other formal and informal mentoring can be important component of the REU program and student experiences. Students receive mentoring from program directors, coordinators, and on site undergraduate advisors. While working on their research projects, REU students receive essential support and mentoring from undergraduate and graduate students and postdoctoral scientists in the research groups of their primary mentors. Cohort living and group activities give multiple opportunities for peer mentoring where each student brings their own strengths and experiences to the group. Biosphere 2 REU program puts strong emphasis on teaching students to effectively communicate their research to public. In order to help REUs learn needed skills the outreach personnel at Biosphere 2 mentor and advise students both in groups and individually, in lecture format and by personal example, on best outreach approaches in general and on individual outreach projects students develop. To further enhance and strengthen outreach mentoring we used a novel approach of blending cohort of REU students with the Cal Poly STAR (STEM Teacher And Researcher) Program fellows, future K-12 STEM teachers who are gaining research experience at Biosphere 2. STAR fellows live together with the REU students and participate with them in professional development activities, as well as perform research side by side. Educational background and experiences gives these students a different view and better preparation and tools to effectively communicate and adapt science to lay audiences, a challenge commonly facing researchers but rarely taught to future scientists. In addition, REU students act as mentors themselves to the middle and high school students in Biosphere 2 Science Academy sharing with them exciting research they are doing and their experiences about doing science and life in college.

Development of a 3-D Nuclear Event Visualization Program Using Unity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuhn, Victoria

2017-09-01

Simulations have become increasingly important for science and there is an increasing emphasis on the visualization of simulations within a Virtual Reality (VR) environment. Our group is exploring this capability as a visualization tool not just for those curious about science, but also for educational purposes for K-12 students. Using data collected in 3-D by a Time Projection Chamber (TPC), we are able to visualize nuclear and cosmic events. The Unity game engine was used to recreate the TPC to visualize these events and construct a VR application. The methods used to create these simulations will be presented along with an example of a simulation. I will also present on the development and testing of this program, which I carried out this past summer at MSU as part of an REU program. We used data from the S πRIT TPC, but the software can be applied to other 3-D detectors. This work is supported by the U.S. Department of Energy under Grant Nos. DE-SC0014530, DE-NA0002923 and US NSF under Grant No. PHY-1565546.

Characteristics of an Imaging Polarimeter for the Powell Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hall, Shannon; Henson, G.

2010-01-01

A dual-beam imaging polarimeter has been built for use on the 14 inch Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope at the ETSU Harry D. Powell Observatory. The polarimeter includes a rotating half-wave plate and a Wollaston prism to separate light into two orthogonal linearly polarized rays. A TEC cooled CCD camera is used to detect the modulated polarized light. We present here measurements of the polarization of polarimetric standard stars. By measuring unpolarized and polarized standard stars we are able to establish the instrumental polarization and the efficiency of the instrument. The polarimeter will initially be used as a dedicated instrument in an ongoing project to monitor the eclipsing binary star, Epsilon Aurigae. This project was funded by a partnership between the National Science Foundation (NSF AST-0552798), Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU), and the Department of Defense (DoD) ASSURE (Awards to Stimulate and Support Undergraduate Research Experiences) programs.

Production of Radioactive Beams on the Proton Dripline Using MARS at Texas A&M

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roundey, Rebekah; Roeder, Brian; Youngs, Michael

2017-09-01

Exotic nuclei near the proton dripline are of interest for research in nuclear astrophysics, especially in the study of the r-p process. A 58Ni on Ni reaction at higher energies has been shown to successfully populate isotopes on the dripline, but this reaction has not previously been used at the Cyclotron Institute. In this experiment, a 58Ni beam at 36 MeV/u was impinged on Nickel and Beryllium targets to determine which isotopes could be produced. The resulting fragments were measured with two Silicon detectors in order to determine energy loss and production rates for each isotope. The effects of the different targets and the presence of a Carbon stripper foil on production rates will be presented and compared with simulations from the LISE++ program. Funded by a NSF REU Grant (PHY-1659847) and a DOE Grant (DE-FG02-93ER40773).

Introducing Ethics to Chemistry Students in a "Research Experiences for Undergraduates" (REU) Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hanson, Mark J.

2015-01-01

A three-day ethics seminar introduced ethics to undergraduate environmental chemistry students in the Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program. The seminar helped students become sensitive to and understand the ethical and values dimensions of their work as researchers. It utilized a variety of resources to supplement lectures and…

The Connection Between Solar Coronal Cavities and Solar Filaments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zawadzki, B.; Karna, N.; Prchlik, J.; Reeves, K.; Kempton, D.; Angryk, R.

2017-12-01

Filaments are structures in the solar corona made up of relatively cool, dense, partially ionized plasma. Coronal cavities, circular or elliptical regions of low plasma density, are observed above prominences on the solar limb when viewed in EUV and white light coronal images. Since most filament/cavity eruptions lead to a coronal mass ejection (CME), determining the likelihood of an eruption event will improve our ability to predict space weather. We examine SDO/AIA cavity metadata and HEK filament metadata to determine which cavities are associated with which filaments from 2012 to 2015. Our study involved 140 cavities and 368 filaments that appeared poleward of +-30 degrees. We categorized the cavities and filaments based on the stability of the structures, defined by whether or not the cavity and filament exist long enough to track fully across the solar disk. Using these categories we perform a statistical study on various filament qualities within the metadata. Our findings indicate that filaments with cavities are observed more often at high latitude in compared to filaments without cavities. Moreover, our study indicates that a statistically significant difference exists between the filament length and tilt distributions for certain categories. This work supported by the NSF-REU solar physics program at SAO, grant number AGS-1560313, and the NSF-DIBBS project, grant number ACI-1443061.

Under the hood of IRIS's Distributed REU Site

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hubenthal, M.; Taber, J.

2014-12-01

Since 1998 the IRIS Undergraduate Internship Program has provided research experiences for up to 15 students each summer. Through this 9 to 11 week internship program, students take part in an intensive week-long preparatory course, and work with leaders in seismological research, in both lab-base and field-based settings, to produce research products worthy of presentation and recognition at large professional conferences. The IRIS internship program employs a distributed REU model that has been demonstrated to bond students into a cohort, and maintain group cohesion despite students conducting their research at geographically distributed sites. Over the past 16 years the program has encountered numerous anticipated and unanticipated challenges. The primary challenges have involved exploring how to modify the REU-system to produce outcomes that are better aligned with our programmatic goals. For example, some questions we have attempted to address include: How can the success of an REU site be measured? How do you find, interest, and recruit under-represented minorities into a geophysics program? Can the program increase the probability of interns receiving some minimal level of mentoring across the program? While it is likely that no single answer to these questions exists, we have developed and piloted a number of strategies. These approaches have been developed through a process of identifying relevant research results from other REUs and combing this information with data from our own programmatic evaluations. This data informs the development of specific changes within our program which are then measured as a feedback. We will present our current strategies to address each questions along with measures of their effectiveness. In addition to broad scale systematic issues, we have also placed significant effort into responding to smaller, process challenges that all REU sites face. These range from simple logistical issues (e.g. liability), to educational issues (e.g. what "assignments" are meaningful but not so overwhelming as to take away from research time), to longer term issues such as building an effective alumni network, tracking participants, and maintaining funding. While each REU is unique, we will share our approaches to dealing with these issues, as such topics may be of use to other REUs.

The Dense Gas Fraction in the Central Molecular Zone in the Milky Way

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vargas-Salazar, Irene; Battersby, Cara; Walker, Daniel; Zhang, Qizhou; CMZoom

2017-01-01

The Central Molecular Zone (CMZ), a large reservoir of dense molecular gas occupying the central 500pc of the Milky Way, is an extreme star-formation environment where the validity of star formation prescriptions can be tested. The star formation rate (SFR) in the CMZ is about an order of magnitude lower than predicted by the currently accepted prescriptions. An international team lead by PIs Battersby and Keto conducted a survey from 2013-2016 called CMZoom using the Submillimeter Array (SMA) to characterize star formation within resolved molecular clouds in this extreme region. One of the main goals of this survey is to further quantify and understand the low SFR found in this region of the Galaxy. Here, we use the CASA software package to run synthetic observations of hydrodynamical simulations of molecular clouds and vary the observation parameters in such a way that we explore the real parameter space that was probed during the survey. The purpose of this is to investigate how the different observational parameters affect the resultant data. Afterwards, we estimate the “dense gas fraction” (DGF) found in regions across the CMZ. This estimate was found by using the interferometric flux from SMA and the single-dish flux from the Bolocam Galactic Plane Survey. We analyzed the effects that different locations of the CMZ had on these approximate DGF. With these simulations and DGF estimates, we are able to generate improved methods to analyze the data from this survey that will help understand star formation in an extreme environment.The SAO REU program is funded in part by the National Science Foundation REU and Department of Defense ASSURE programs under NSF Grant no.1262851, and by the Smithsonian Institution.

Broadening participation in Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) programs: an evaluation of the team research model for undergraduate research experiences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berthelote, A. R.; Geraghty Ward, E. M.; Dalbotten, D. M.

2014-12-01

The REU site on sustainable land and water resources has a goal of broadening participation in the geosciences by underrepresented groups and particularly Native American students. We are evaluating modifications to the traditional REU model in order to better support these students. First, we review a team research model for REU students, where students are placed on teams and work together in peer groups supported by a team of mentors. Second, the REU takes place in locations that have high populations of Native American students to remove barriers to participation for non-traditional students. Finally, the teams do research on issues related to local concerns with cultural focus. Traditional REU models (1 faculty to 1 student/on campus) have been shown to be effective in supporting student movement into graduate programs but often fail to attract a diverse group of candidates. In addition, they rely for success on the relationship between faculty and student, which can often be undermined by unrealistic expectations on the part of the student about the mentor relationship, and can be exacerbated by cultural misunderstanding, conflicting discourse, or students' personal or family issues. At this REU site, peer mentorship and support plays a large role. Students work together to select their research question, follow the project to completion and present the results. Students from both native and non-native backgrounds learn about the culture of the partner reservations and work on a project that is of immediate local concern. The REU also teaches students protocols for working on Native American lands that support good relations between reservation and University. Analysis of participant data gathered from surveys and interview over the course of our 3-year program indicates that the team approach is successful. Students noted that collaborating with other teams was rewarding and mentors reported positively about their roles in providing guidance for the student's future plans. While there are still challenges to this approach (e.g. optimal team size and structure, interpersonal conflicts among team members, geographically dispersed teams), the model has proven effective in recruiting and retaining students from culturally, geographically, and economically diverse backgrounds.

Broadening Awareness and Participation in the Geosciences Among Underrepresented Minorities in STEM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blake, R.; Liou-Mark, J.

2012-12-01

An acute STEM crisis exists nationally, and the problem is even more dire among the geosciences. Since about the middle of the last century, fewer undergraduate and graduate degrees have been granted in the geosciences than in any other STEM fields. To help in ameliorating this geoscience plight, particularly from among members of racial and ethnic groups that are underrepresented in STEM fields, the New York City College of Technology (City Tech) launched a vibrant geoscience program and convened a community of STEM students who are interested in learning about the geosciences. This program creates and introduces geoscience knowledge and opportunities to a diverse undergraduate student population that was never before exposed to geoscience courses at City Tech. This geoscience project is funded by the NSF OEDG program, and it brings awareness, knowledge, and geoscience opportunities to City Tech's students in a variety of ways. Firstly, two new geoscience courses have been created and introduced. One course is on Environmental Remote Sensing, and the other course is an Introduction to the Physics of Natural Disasters. The Remote Sensing course highlights the physical and mathematical principles underlying remote sensing techniques. It covers the radiative transfer equation, atmospheric sounding techniques, interferometric and lidar systems, and an introduction to image processing. Guest lecturers are invited to present their expertise on various geoscience topics. These sessions are open to all City Tech students, not just to those students who enroll in the course. The Introduction to the Physics of Natural Disasters course is expected to be offered in Spring 2013. This highly relevant, fundamental course will be open to all students, especially to non-science majors. The course focuses on natural disasters, the processes that control them, and their devastating impacts to human life and structures. Students will be introduced to the nature, causes, risks, effects, and prediction of natural disasters including earthquakes, volcanoes, tsunamis, landslides, subsidence, global climate change, severe weather, coastal erosion, floods, mass extinctions, wildfires, and meteoroid impacts. In addition to the brand new geoscience course offerings, City Tech students participate in geoscience - seminars, guest lectures, lecture series, and geoscience internship and fellowship workshops. The students also participate in geoscience exposure trips to NASA/GISS Columbia University, NOAA-CREST, and the Brookhaven National Laboratory. Moreover, the undergrads are provided opportunities for paid research internships via two NSF grants - NSF REU and NSF STEP. Geoscience projects are also integrated into course work, and students make geoscience group project presentations in class. Students also participate in geoscience career and graduate school workshops. The program also creates geoscience articulation agreements with the City College of New York so that students at City Tech may pursue Bachelor's and advanced degrees in the geosciences. This program is supported by NSF OEDG grant #1108281.

Two-Decade Monitoring of MWC349 in Optical and Radio: New Results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thomashow, Eydon; Jorgenson, Regina A.; Strelnitski, Vladimir; Walker, Gary; Maria Mitchell Observatory (MMO) Research Experiences for Undergraduate (REU) Interns, 2017

2018-01-01

Maria Mitchell Observatory (MMO) has completed the two-decade long monitoring of MWC 349 in the optical and radio domains. This poster presentation will be primarily devoted to the new results obtained by optical photometry with broad and narrow band filters and observations of the variability in the masing H30 radio line during the observational season of 2017. The H30 emission arises in the circumstellar disk of the MWC 349A component of the visual double star (with 2.4 arcsec separation between the A and B components). Variable optical emission is also believed to be due to star A. By combining our optical observations with earlier MMO observations, we not only confirmed the previously known quasi-period of ~230 days, but confirmed a second period of ~700 days. One of the most interesting results of radio monitoring is the long-term variability of the systemic radial velocity of star A, as determined through averaging the radial velocities of the two masing peaks arising in the circumstellar disk. This may be the first case where a possible hidden close companion of a star (a lower mass star or a massive protoplanet) is detected by monitoring the radial velocity of the star via the spectral line radiation from its disk. E.T. completed this project as a 2017 MMO NSF REU intern and would like to thank the other interns for their help in conducting the optical observations. This project was supported in part by the NSF REU grant AST-1358980 and by the Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association.

The Snapshot A Star SurveY (SASSY)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garani, Jasmine I.; Nielsen, Eric; Marchis, Franck; Liu, Michael C.; Macintosh, Bruce; Rajan, Abhijith; De Rosa, Robert J.; Jinfei Wang, Jason; Esposito, Thomas M.; Best, William M. J.; Bowler, Brendan; Dupuy, Trent; Ruffio, Jean-Baptiste

2018-01-01

The Snapshot A Star Survey (SASSY) is an adaptive optics survey conducted using NIRC2 on the Keck II telescope to search for young, self-luminous planets and brown dwarfs (M > 5MJup) around high mass stars (M > 1.5 M⊙). We present the results of a custom data reduction pipeline developed for the coronagraphic observations of our 200 target stars. Our data analysis method includes basic near infrared data processing (flat-field correction, bad pixel removal, distortion correction) as well as performing PSF subtraction through a Reference Differential Imaging algorithm based on a library of PSFs derived from the observations using the pyKLIP routine. We present the results from the pipeline of a few stars from the survey with analysis of candidate companions. SASSY is sensitive to companions 600,000 times fainter than the host star withint the inner few arcseconds, allowing us to detect companions with masses ~8MJup at age 110 Myr. This work was supported by the Leadership Alliance's Summer Research Early Identification Program at Stanford University, the NSF REU program at the SETI Institute and NASA grant NNX14AJ80G.

The Role of Minority Serving Institutions and REU Programs for Enhancing Diversity in Astronomy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stassun, K. G.

2002-12-01

In this Special Session we will highlight the important role of Minority Serving Institutions in preparing future minority astronomers. Minority Serving Institutions include Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs), and Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs). We will also stress the role that REU (Research Experiences for Undergraduates) programs can have in enhancing diversity in astronomy. The session will feature a panel of invited speakers from Minority Serving Institutions and REU programs who will present viewpoints, strategies, and discussion on processes that encourage and mentor individuals who elect to pursue science-related careers including astronomy and astrophysics. Specific objectives for the Session include: Report to the AAS membership on the important role played by Minority Serving Institutions, where these institutions are, the populations they serve; Introduce the AAS membership to representatives from various Minority Serving Institutions, including an HBCU, an HSI, a TCU, and a community college, and to representatives from REU programs; Provide an opportunity for representatives from these institutions to describe their role in preparing minority undergraduates in the sciences, how their programs bridge to PhD-granting programs in astronomy, and ways they suggest for the AAS to help enhance these bridges; Provide an opportunity for AAS members to dialogue with these representatives, hopefully resulting in specific ``action items" that will serve to strengthen partnerships with Minority Serving Institutions.

A Spitzer/glimpse Search For Galaxies: What Zone Of Avoidance?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parsons, Lamarr; Benjamin, R. A.; GLIMPSE Team

2007-12-01

We report the results of a visual search for galaxy candidates in an area of twelve square degrees covered by the Galactic Legacy Infrared Mid-Plane Survey Extraordinaire-3D (GLIMPSE-3D) Spitzer Legacy programs. The areas searched consisted of three 2x2 degree blocks, with galactic coordinates centered at (330, -02), (330, +02) and (331, -02). All three regions were imaged for 2.4 seconds in the 3.6, 4.5, 5.8 and 8.0 µm bands using IRAC on the Spitzer Space Telescope. We report a total of 114 galaxy candidates, yielding an average of 9.5 candidates per square degree. We also show that the galaxy detection rate is dependent on galactic latitude, probably due to the lower diffuse 8 micron background at high latitudes. We have found that the detection rate increases from 4 per square degree (at b=1º) to 12 per square degree (at b=3º). We present the physical parameters of these galaxies, discuss their clustering, and note which have been previously detected in other wavebands/surveys. This work was supported by the National Science Foundation's REU program and the Department of Defense's ASSURE program through NSF Award AST-0453442.

Upgrade to the Cryogenic Hydrogen Gas Target Monitoring System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Slater, Michael; Tribble, Robert

2013-10-01

The cryogenic hydrogen gas target at Texas A&M is a vital component for creating a secondary radioactive beam that is then used in experiments in the Momentum Achromat Recoil Spectrometer (MARS). A stable beam from the K500 superconducting cyclotron enters the gas cell and some incident particles are transmuted by a nuclear reaction into a radioactive beam, which are separated from the primary beam and used in MARS experiments. The pressure in the target chamber is monitored so that a predictable isotope production rate can be assured. A ``black box'' received the analog pressure data and sent RS232 serial data through an outdated serial connection to an outdated Visual Basic 6 (VB6) program, which plotted the chamber pressure continuously. The black box has been upgraded to an Arduino UNO microcontroller [Atmel Inc.], which can receive the pressure data and output via USB to a computer. It has been programmed to also accept temperature data for future upgrade. A new computer program, with updated capabilities, has been written in Python. The software can send email alerts, create audible alarms through the Arduino, and plot pressure and temperature. The program has been designed to better fit the needs of the users. Funded by DOE and NSF-REU Program.

Alignment and Calibration of an Airborne Infrared Spectrometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vira, A.

2017-12-01

The airborne infrared spectrometer (AIR-Spec) will measure the coronal plasma emission lines in the infrared at high spatial and spectral resolution. These results will enhance our understanding of the coronal dynamics and improve solar forecasting models. To measure the infrared coronal emission lines, the airborne system will fly on the NSF/NCAR High-Performance Instrumented Airborne Platform for Environmental Research (HIAPER) during the total solar eclipse in August 2017. The flight path was calculated to maximize the observation time. A detailed analysis of our flight path will be reported. The optical system consists of a fast steering mirror, telescope, grating spectrometer, and slit-jaw imager. Light from the sun is directed into the f/15 telescope by a fast steering mirror. The telescope focuses the light on the slitjaw and the remaining light enters the grating spectrometer through the slit. The poster will include a discussion of the alignment procedures for the telescope and spectrograph. All of the spectrometer optics are cooled to cryogenic temperatures, which complicates the alignment process. After the telescope and spectrometer are aligned independently, the telescope needs to be precisely aligned to the spectrometer. Several alignment methods were used to ensure that the telescope is focused at the slitjaw and normal to the spectrometer. In addition to the optical alignment, there are a few calibrations to complete: 1) flat field, 2) spectral, and 3) radiometric. The flat field gives us a measure of the pixel to pixel variations. The spectral calibration is used to determine the conversion factor between wavelength and pixel. The radiometric calibration is used to map the camera output to radiance. All these calibrations are necessary for processing our data from the solar eclipse. We will report on our methods and results for the optical alignment and calibration for AIR-Spec. AIR-Spec is supported by NSF and Smithsonian Institution through the Major Research Instrumentation program. This work is supported by the NSF-REU solar physics program at SAO, grant number AGS-1560313.

Line Bisector Variations in Stars with Extrasolar Planets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Povich, M. S.; Giampapa, M. S.; Valenti, J. A.; Tilleman, T.

1999-12-01

We present the results from a high-resolution, synoptic spectroscopic program of observation of ten F- and G-type stars, seven of which exhibit periodic radial velocity variations attributed to the presence of one or more substellar companions. The observations were obtained from 1998 March to 1999 February using the 1.52-m NSO McMath-Pierce Solar Telescope Facility on Kitt Peak in conjunction with the solar-stellar spectrograph. The spectra were acquired with a resolving power of approximately 1.2 x 105. The line bisector was then derived from unblended photospheric features. In particular, we define the velocity displacement of the spectral line bisector and determine the bisector amplitude for the Fe I absorption line at 625.26 nm in order to search for variations in the line asymmetry over time. Such variations could mimic Doppler shifts in observations with lower spectral resolution. Examination of the bisector velocity displacement over the time span of our observations reveals no substantial difference between stars with planetary companions and those without reported companions. We find no correlation between the bisector variations and the orbital phase of a substellar companion in any of our target stars. Simulations of a periodic signal with noise levels based on our measurement errors suggest that we can exclude bisector variations with amplitudes greater than about 20 m s-1. These results support the conclusion that extrasolar planets best explain the observed periodic variations in radial velocity. This work was supported by a NASA grant to the NOAO under the auspices of the Origins of Solar Systems Program. MP gratefully acknowledges support from the NSF-sponsored Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program at the NOAO. The NOAO is operated by AURA, Inc., under a cooperative agreement with the NSF.

A Search for Satellites of Kuiper Belt Object 55636 from the 2009 October 9 Occultation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jensen-Clem, Rebecca; Elliot, J. L.; Person, M. J.; Zuluaga, C. A.; Bosh, A. S.; Adams, E. R.; Brothers, T. C.; Gulbis, A. A. S.; Levine, S. E.; Lockhart, M.; Zangari, A. M.; Babcock, B. A.; DuPre, K.; Pasachoff, J. M.; Souza, S. P.; Rosing, W.; Secrest, N.; Bright, L.; Dunham, E. W.; Kakkala, M.; Tilleman, T.; Rapoport, S.; Zambrano-Marin, L.; Wolf, J.; Morzinski, K.

2011-01-01

A world-wide observing campaign of 21 telescopes at 18 sites was organized by Elliot et al. (2010 Nature 465, 897) to observe the 2009 Oct. 9 stellar occultation of 2UCAC 41650964 (UCAC2 magnitude 13.1) by the Kuiper Belt object 55636 (visual magnitude 19.6). Integration times varied between 0.05 seconds at the Vatican Advanced Technology Telescope and 5 seconds at Mauna Kea mid-level. Data from the two sites that successfully observed the occultation (Haleakala and the Mauna Kea mid-level) were analyzed by Elliot et al. (2010) to determine the diameter and albedo of 55636. In this study, we use the entire data set to search for signatures of occultations by nearby satellites. One satellite previously discovered with occultation data is Neptune's moon Larissa, which was detected during Neptune's close approach to a star in 1982 (Reitsema et al. 1982). No satellites are found in this study, and upper limits will be reported on satellite radii within the volume probed (2 x 10-8 of the Hill Sphere). This work was supported, in part, by NASA Grants NNX10AB27G (MIT), NNX08AO50G (Williams College), and NNH08AI17I (USNO-FS) and NSF Grant AST-0406493 (MIT). Student participation was supported in part by NSF's REU program and NASA's Massachusetts Space Grant.

Formative Assessment as a Tool to Benefit the Student/Mentor Relationship in the Northern Ecosystem Research for Undergraduates (NERU) Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Froburg, E.; Varner, R. K.

2016-12-01

Partners in the Northern Ecosystem Research for Undergraduates (NERU) project, funded by the NSF Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program, have developed a multi-instrument formative assessment approach aimed at maintaining a responsive relationship between undergraduate participants and their research mentors. All evaluation is conducted independent of the NERU scientific/mentor team, by the Joan and James Leitzel Center for Mathematics, Science, and Engineering Education. The 10-week summer research experience has 3 components. 1) REU fellows spend the first 3-weeks at the University of New Hampshire, where they acquire background knowledge of Earth System Science and biogeochemistry; 2) students spend the following 4-weeks at the Abisko Scientific Research Station in research co-mentored by UNH-based and ANS-based scientists; and 3) fellows return to UNH to complete any additional analytical work, synthesize their results, and prepare their projects for presentation. There are three primary tools that are used formatively, and the results are integrated over multiple time periods. Application and Pre-program Survey: Although these two instruments are primarily components of participant recruitment and the summative program metrics, they also provide a baseline understanding of student preparation and perspectives. Mentor Pairing Survey: This component was added prior to the fourth year of the program, in response to specific trends in participant feedback. The survey is completed by both participants and mentors, and is designed to match research goals, skills, and personalities. Focus Groups: Two focus group sessions are held during the summer research experience—one midway through the 3rd week, just prior to departure for Sweden, and a second session just prior to completion of the 10-week summer program. These focus groups provide immediate feedback on, and opportunity for response to, student concerns in a range of areas. Participants are also encouraged to approach the evaluator individually. Taken as a whole, formative assessment allows the project team to respond immediately to specific participant concerns, and to also make longer-term programmatic changes reflective of trends in survey and focus group responses.

The University of Texas Science and Engineering Apprentice Program as a Model for an REU Site

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davis, M. B.; Blankenship, D. D.; Ellins, K. E.

2004-12-01

The University of Texas Institute for Geophysics at (UTIG) is one of five research labs in the Austin area that hosts recent high school graduates for summer research projects through the Applied Research Lab Science and Engineering Apprenticeship Program (SEAP). The SEAP is a program designed to provide summer research opportunities to recent high school undergraduates who excel in science and math. UTIG has been a large proponent of the SEAP and has typically mentored two to four students each year and a total alumni of about twenty. The program has successfully targeted groups that are typically underrepresented in sciences and engineering. Current statistics show that 25% of past SEAP students are members of an ethnic minority and 80% of SEAP students are female. Many of these students have stayed on after the summer program and continued to work part-time or return during summers to UTIG while completing their undergraduate careers. A significant portion of these students present results at professional meetings and ultimately commit to careers in science and engineering, both in industry and academia. SEAP students at UTIG work alongside scientists and graduate students as part of a team, and, through this interaction, improve their scientific knowledge and problem solving skills. Both graduate and undergraduate students involved in NSF-funded research grants mentor the SEAP students, giving them the opportunity to work on their own research problem while contributing data and interpretation to a more fundamental research problem. By uniting student research under the umbrella of Antarctic ice sheet research, students learn how their individual research projects relate to the more unifying science problem centered on ice sheet variability, and Antarctic continental evolution. They also gain an understanding of how research is carried out. At the same time, scientists and graduate students learn how to communicate their knowledge so that it is interesting and relevant to student learning. We are interested in expanding the SEAP model for student research to a scale that can support multidisciplinary REU site activities by extending research possibilities into polar research, marine studies, seismology, planetary science, and science education at UTIG in future years.

Magnetic Dynamos and X-Ray Activity in Ultracool Dwarfs (UCDs): Surprises in the Radio Band

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Williams, Peter K.; Cook, B. A.; Berger, E.

2014-01-01

Radio observations established early on that some brown dwarfs host kilogauss magnetic fields, despite their low temperatures and the absence of the shearing tachocline that is believed to be key to the solar dynamo. The observed radio emission is often surprisingly bright, exceeding the standard magnetic radio/X-ray (Güdel-Benz) relation by as much as five orders of magnitude. This effect is still not satisfactorily explained. In an attempt to improve matters, we have constructed and analyzed a comprehensive database of ultracool dwarfs with both radio and X-ray data, including new observations of seven targets with Chandra and the upgraded VLA. While all of the newly-observed objects were detected in the X-ray, only one was detected in the radio. These new targets are thus consistent with the standard relation, in striking contrast with some previous data. Some pairs of dwarfs with outwardly similar characteristics (spectral type, v sin i) have dramatically different emission properties, with radio/X-ray ratios that differ by two orders of magnitude. These results suggest that there is dramatic variance in ultracool magnetic activity. As we also discuss in a companion poster examining the relation between rotation and activity, variation in the topology of the magnetic field may explain the data. This work is supported in part by the NSF REU and DOD ASSURE programs under NSF grant no. 1262851 and by the Smithsonian Institution. We also acknowledge support from the NSF through Grant AST-1008361 and from NASA through Chandra Award Number G02-13007A issued by the Chandra X-ray Observatory Center, operated by the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory and NASA under contract NAS8-03060.

Measurement of Motion Transfer Functions for Mirror Suspensions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stuver, Amber; Beilby, Mark; Glancy, Aran; Gonzalez, Gabriela

2001-04-01

Interferometric gravitational wave detectors, such as LIGO, use mirrors suspended in pendulums. The current LIGO dectors use simple pendulums, but advanced LIGO detectors will use multiple pendulums with some stages on soft vertical springs. A drawback of the a multiple pendulum design is that it is difficult to model and predict cross couplings from one vibrational mode to another due to slight unavoidable asymmetries in the real system. Of most concern are the couplings to motion along the optical axis and into angular motions, which have the most potential to contaminate data. Our research focuses on the experimental testing of the pendulum designs for cross couplings with a special dedicated shaking stage. The cross couplings in each degree of freedom, their isolation and damping are investigated in this research though the measurement of transfer functions as filtered though the suspension system. This research is supported by The Pennsylvania State University, the NSF Grant no. PHY-9870032, and the REU program at The Pennsylvania State University.

Vibration isolation/suppression: research experience for undergraduates in mechatronics and smart structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fonda, James; Rao, Vittal S.; Sana, Sridhar

2001-08-01

This paper provides an account of a student research project conducted under the sponsoring of the National Science Foundation (NSF) program on Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) in Mechatronics and Smart Strictures in the summer of 2000. The objective of the research is to design and test a stand-alone controller for a vibration isolation/suppression system. The design specification for the control system is to suppress the vibrations induced by the external disturbances by at least fiver times and hence to achieve vibration isolation. Piezo-electric sensors and actuators are utilized for suppression of unwanted vibrations. Various steps such as modeling of the system, controller design, simulation, closed-loop testing using d- Space rapid prototyping system, and analog control implementation are discussed in the paper. Procedures for data collection, the trade-offs carried out in the design, and analog controller implementation issues are also presented in the paper. The performances of various controllers are compared. The experiences of an undergraduate student are summarized in the conclusion of the paper.

SNR 1E0102.2-7219 after Six Years with Chandra

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rutkowski, M. J.; Schlegel, E. M.; Keohane, J.

2005-12-01

We present Chandra X-ray Observatory archived observations of the supernova remnant 1E0102.2-7219 in the Small Magellanic Cloud. Combining 22 ACIS-I observations for 230 ks of total exposure time, we present ACIS images with an unprecedented signal to noise ratio for this remnant. We present three upper limits on the X-ray flux for the remnant's elusive central compact object, which are consistent with current neutron star cooling models, based on a Cas A-like blackbody spectrum. Additionally, we discuss the elliptical structure of the remnant and the relative positions of the blast wave, the reverse shock, and the extent of 1E0102.2-7219's rim. This research was supported by the NSF REU Program at SAO under Eric Schlegel, whose research was supported by contract number NAS8-39073 from NASA to SAO for operation of the Chandra X-Ray Observatory. Jonathan Keohane's research was supported by Chandra award GO3-4070C.

Multiple Near Wake Patterns Behind Annular Rings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Jinzhong; Higuchi, Hiroshi; Muzas, Brian K.; Furuya, Shojiro

1996-11-01

Wake interactions behind concentric annular rings at different spacing ratios were experimentally investigated. The flow visualization, laser Doppler velocimetry data and results from the particle tracking velocimetry are presented and discussed. Jets through individual slots merged in multiply-stable, axisymmetric manners. Most flow patterns were persistent unless the flow was strongly disturbed. The vortex interactions from individual annular elements were also axisymmetric in the near wake. This is in contrast to the asymmetric flows observed earlier behind two-dimensional slotted plates (Higuchi et al. J. Aircraft 26 1989, Phys. Fluids 6(1), 1994). The intermediate wake, however, was dominated by large scale, three-dimensional wake motions even at moderate porosity. Onset of the specific flow patterns was associated with the interactions among start-up vortices. Given model geometry, different turbulent structures and mean velocity profiles were observed in the intermediate wake depending on the near wake pattern. *BKM was a NSF-REU Program undergrad. from Princeton U. and SF was from Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. This work was suppoted in part by the Naval Air Warfare Center.

Volcanic Surface Deformation in Dominica From GPS Geodesy: Results From the 2007 NSF- REU Site

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murphy, R.; James, S.; Styron, R. H.; Turner, H. L.; Ashlock, A.; Cavness, C.; Collier, X.; Fauria, K.; Feinstein, R.; Staisch, L.; Williams, B.; Mattioli, G. S.; Jansma, P. E.; Cothren, J.

2007-12-01

GPS measurements have been collected on the island of Dominica in the Lesser Antilles between 2001 and 2007, with five month-long campaigns completed in June of each year supported in part by a NSF REU Site award for the past two years. All GPS data were collected using dual-frequency, code-phase receivers and geodetic-quality antenna, primarily choke rings. Three consecutive 24 hr observation days were normally obtained for each site. Precise station positions were estimated with GIPSY-OASISII using an absolute point positioning strategy and final, precise orbits, clocks, earth orientation parameters, and x-files. All position estimates were updated to ITRF05 and a revised Caribbean Euler pole was used to place our observations in a CAR-fixed frame. Time series were created to determine the velocity of each station. Forward and inverse elastic half-space models with planar (i.e. dike) and Mogi (i.e. point) sources were investigated. Inverse modeling was completed using a downhill simplex method of function minimization. Selected site velocities were used to create appropriate models for specific regions of Dominica, which correspond to known centers of pre-historic volcanic or recent shallow, seismic activity. Because of the current distribution of GPS sites with robust velocity estimates, we limit our models to possible magmatic activity in the northern, proximal to the volcanic centers of Morne Diablotins and Morne aux Diables, and southern, proximal to volcanic centers of Soufriere and Morne Plat Pays, regions of the island. Surface deformation data from the northernmost sites may be fit with the development of a several km-long dike trending approximately northeast- southwest. Activity in the southern volcanic centers is best modeled by an expanding point source at approximately 1 km depth.

Developing virtual REU cohorts: Reflections from the IRIS Undergraduate Internship Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hubenthal, M.; Taber, J.; Aster, R.; Frassetto, A.

2007-12-01

Beginning in 2006, the IRIS Education and Outreach program received funding from the National Science Foundation (EAR-0453427) to explore a novel approach to the traditional Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) model. This model blends the spirit of an REU program, which traditionally hosts participants in one location with successful prior IRIS experience hosting students at widely separated institutions to participate in summer research. A unique feature the IRIS Undergraduate Internship Program is that throughout the summer, interns form and sustain a virtual community, offering assistance, sharing ideas, asking questions, and relaying life experiences while conducting their research at diverse institutions. Key to IRIS's REU model is a combination of: one-on-one mentoring by researchers at IRIS institutions across the US, developing a strong unity among interns through both face-to-face and on-line interactions, participation of an IRIS REU alumni mentor to provide both group and intern-specific guidance developing interns' abilities to self-evaluate and work independently, through carefully designed web-based tools, and increasing interns' awareness of the IRIS and broader Earth Science community; demonstrating the role they will play in this larger community. Virtual interaction is facilitated by 1) bringing students together for face-to-face contact, through a week long orientation held annually at the IRIS PASSCAL Instrument Center on the campus of the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, and 2) the community enabling web infrastructure at http://www.iris.edu/internship/. During the orientation students engage in classes in geophysics basics, career preparation, as well as training to communicate virtually. Our experiences and evaluations from the 2006 and 2007 field seasons have:shown the increasing demand for electronic advertising of REU programs, provided support for several assumptions of the model including the key role of both the orientation week and the alumni mentor, revealed the important role of blogs and discussion forums in the mentoring and self-reflection process, as well as additional technical enhancements to improve the virtual cohort, produced concrete examples of the model applied at its best, and helped the program identify challenges the model faces, e.g communicating during remote fieldwork and sustaining intern's attention and participation in the virtual community.

Starting and Running an REU for Minorities and Women

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davenport, Dennis E.; Porter, Bonita

2008-01-01

The decreasing number of U.S. citizens with advanced degrees in the mathematical sciences is a growing concern. Also of concern is the small number of advanced degrees in the sciences going to African Americans, Latinos, and women. Several Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) programs have been developed to address these issues. In this…

The educational function of an astronomy REU program as described by participating women

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Slater, Stephanie Jean

The long-running REU-program is tacitly intended to increase retention and provide "an important educational experience" for undergraduates, particularly women, minorities and underrepresented groups. This longitudinal, two-stage study was designed to explore the ways in which REUs acted as educational experiences for 51 women in the field of astronomy, in an attempt to develop a theory of experience related to the REU. Stage-1 consisted of an ex post facto analysis of data collected over 8 years, including multiple interviews with each participant during their REU, annual open-ended alumni surveys, faculty interviews, and extensive field notes. All data were analyzed using a theoretical framework of continuity and interaction, in a search for transformative experiences. Four findings emerged, related to developing understandings of the nature of professional scientific work, the scientific process, the culture of academia, and an understanding of the "self." Analysis provided an initial theory that was used to design the Stage-2 interview protocol. In Stage-2, over 10 hours of interviews were conducted with 8 participants selected for their potential to disconfirm the initial theory. Results indicate that the REU provided a limited impact in terms of participants' knowledge of professional astronomy as a largely computer-based endeavor. The REU did not provide a substantive educational experience related to the nature of scientific work, the scientific process, the culture of academia, participants' conceptions about themselves as situated in science, or other aspects of the "self". Instead, the data suggests that these women began the REU with pre-existing and remarkably strong conceptions in these areas, and that the REU did not function to alter those states. These conceptions were frequently associated with other mentors/scientist interactions, from middle school into the undergraduate years. Instructors and family members also served as crucial forces in shaping highly developed, stable science identities. Sustained relationships with mentors were particularly transformational. These findings motivate an ongoing research agenda of long-term mentoring relationships for women in the sciences, at a variety of stages and across multiple disciplines.

REU Programs at Field Research Stations Offer Unique Advantages that may Enhance Retention of Students in STEM Fields.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, D. Y.; Marinelli, R. L.; Heidelberg, K., IV

2014-12-01

Studies have shown that undergraduate participation in research opportunities strengthens the retention of students in STEM fields. Increasing students' confidence levels in their scientific abilities, aiding in the development of their scientific identity, and strengthening their sense of belonging to a scientific community have been cited as important contributing factors. Research field stations offer unique advantages that amplify these benefits by challenging students to plan and work in the field, enhancing networking opportunities with multi-disciplinary professionals from numerous institutions and hierarchical levels, and creating a stronger sense of belonging and comradery within a science community. The USC Wrigley Institute for Environmental Studies' (WIES) Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program is an 8-week program that begins on the main USC campus in Los Angeles and moves to a marine field station on Catalina Island during weeks 2-7, before returning to the mainland to complete the last week of the program. This unique model provides REU students with an opportunity to become integrated into faculty mentors' labs on the main campus, while exposing them to life as a researcher at a field station, both of which contribute significantly to the students' development as a scientist. Here, we present the WIES REU model and include a discussion of benefits and challenges to this unique infrastructure.

The Educational Function of an Astronomy Research Experience for Undergraduates Program as Described by Female Participants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Slater, Stephanie

2010-01-01

The long-running REU-program is tacitly intended to increase retention and provide "an important educational experience" for undergraduates, particularly women, minorities and underrepresented groups. This longitudinal, two-stage study was designed to explore the ways in which the REU acted as an educational experience for 51 women in the field of astronomy. Stage-1 consisted of an ex post facto analysis of data collected over 8 years, including multiple interviews with each participant during their REU, annual open-ended alumni surveys, faculty interviews, and extensive field notes. Four themes emerged, related to developing understandings of the nature of professional scientific work, the scientific process, the culture of academia, and an understanding of the "self." Analysis provided an initial theory that was used to design the Stage-2 interview protocol. In Stage-2, over 10 hours of interviews were conducted with 8 participants selected for their potential to disconfirm the initial theory. Results indicate that the REU provided a limited impact in terms of participants’ knowledge of professional astronomy as a largely computer-based endeavor. The REU did not provide a substantive educational experience related to the nature of scientific work, the scientific process, the culture of academia, participants' conceptions about themselves as situated in science, or other aspects of the "self,” were limited. Instead, the data suggests that these women began the REU with pre-existing and remarkably strong conceptions in these areas, and that the REU did not functional to alter those states. These conceptions were frequently associated with other mentors/scientist interactions, from middle school into the undergraduate years. Instructors and family members also served as crucial forces in shaping highly developed, stable science identities. Sustained relationships with mentors were particularly transformational. These findings motivate an ongoing research agenda of long-term mentoring relationships for women in the sciences, at a variety of stages and across multiple disciplines.

Exploration of the impacts of distributed-site Research Experiences for Undergraduates using pre-/post- student interviews

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Colella, H.; Hubenthal, M.; Brudzinski, M. R.

2013-12-01

The benefits for student participants of undergraduate research opportunities have been well documented. However, advancements in information and communications technologies (ICT) and cultural shifts around online education and virtual peer-to-peer interaction have lead to new models in which to structure such experiences. Currently, these ICT-enabled Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) programs connect geographically distributed interns in supportive e-learning communities while maintaining a traditional local mentoring arrangement. To document and explore the effects of distributed REU Sites in more depth, six interns from such a program, the Incorporated Research Institution for Seismology (IRIS) REU, were selected at random and asked to be interviewed about the REU experience. The primary targets of the interviews are to understand the mentor/mentee relationships, feeling of support and development and value of near-peer and far-peer relationships throughout their internship in a distributed REU program, and whether they receive the training necessary to gain confidence as a researcher. We also examine the various communication technologies as well as best practices and strategies that can increase intern connectedness. Pre-internship interviews were conducted in-person at the start of the centralized internship orientation week, while post-internship interviews were virtual (e.g. video chat with Skype or Google Hangout). These semi-structured interviews have full audio recordings and subsequent transcriptions. An additional, virtual follow-up interview will be conducted next spring after the interns have an opportunity to attend and present their research at a national conference (e.g., AGU). Interview material will be analyzed through a process of coding, sorting, local integration, and inclusive integration. Results will also be triangulated with pre- and post- survey data both from participants and other survey data from previous years of the IRIS program. Our presentation will highlight the key findings of these analyses. GeoCorps and RESESS will begin to employ this interview style assessment beginning this fall and next year, respectively, which will facilitate detailed comparisons between distributed and non-distributed REU approaches.

NOAA's Undergraduate Scholarship Program Outcomes and Opportunities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaplan, M.; Jabanoski, K.; Christenson, T.

2017-12-01

NOAA supports about 115 - 150 undergraduates per year through the Ernest F. Hollings Scholarship and the Educational Partnership Program Undergraduate Scholarship. These programs provide tuition support and paid summer internships at NOAA to exceptional students majoring in the geosciences. Multiple methods were used to evaluate program outcomes and track the career trajectories, including mining LinkedIn data and conducting evaluation surveys of recipients as well as students who applied but did not receive the award. Results show more than 75% of scholars continued on to graduate school, primarily in a NOAA mission fields. This compared to only 56% of nonrecipients. More than 60% of alumni had at least one professional record, with the most alumni working in private industry, followed by nongovernmental organizations and federal, state and local government. The evaluation identified 77 other scholarship programs applied to by NOAA scholarship recipients. The most commonly reported program was the NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) for which 20% of scholars applied and 46% of applications were successful. Other common scholarships included the Goldwater Scholarship (received by 5% of NOAA scholars) and the Udall Scholarship (received by 4% of scholars). In the most recent class of 118 undergraduate scholars, 24% reported having another research experience by the time they arrived for orientation at the end of their sophomore year. These results suggest coordination across scholarship opportunities may be useful to engage and retain students in geoscience fields.

Information Management Strategies for Program Tracking and Formative Evaluation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Siegfried, D.; Detrick, L.; Valaitis, S.; Johnson, A.; Thomas, S. H.; Fauver, A.

2013-05-01

The Institute for Broadening Participation (IBP) has developed information management systems to facilitate programmatic formative evaluation, tracking and outreach activities. Nearly a decade of design solutions and technical implementations in support of IBP's professional development and mentoring programs for students (including the "Pathways to Ocean Science," "Minorities Striving and Pursuing Higher Degrees of Success" in Earth System Science, and "Pathways to Engineering") has provided IBP with a toolbox of proven strategies for addressing program engagement and participant tracking, outreach, and a variety of other information management needs. In this session, IBP will use case-specific examples to share general design strategies for program participant and activities data collection in REUs and other program types. The cases will illustrate an approach that begins with a review of program logic, objectives, expected outcomes, constraints and requirements, which then informs a comprehensive system design. When implemented, such information systems improve administrative efficiency through streamlined data collection processes and easy-to-use data capture forms, and a corresponding set of reporting tools provides access to data that is crucial for ongoing program improvement. IBP presents this information in response to collaborations with administrators of Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) programs as well as longer duration programs, who have expressed the need for more comprehensive and easy to use information systems. Recently IBP has also worked with the directors of NSF and NASA funded programs seeking assistance in addressing their formative evaluation needs including system design, information collection, and reporting efforts.

The Relationship Between Infrared Dark Cloud and Stellar Properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Calahan, Jenny; Hora, Joseph L.

2018-01-01

Massive stars are known to form within infrared dark clouds (IRDCs), but many details about how molecular clouds collapse and form stars remain poorly understood.We determine the relationship between the dark cloud mass and the population of young stellar objects (YSOs) associated with the cloud to shed light on the physical processes occurring within these star forming regions. We chose to use a sample of IRDCs and YSOs within the Cygnus-X region, a close-by giant star formation complex that has every stage of star formation represented. Using observations from IRAC, MIPS, PACS, and SPIRE on Spitzer and Herschel we identified a sample of 30,903 YSOs and 167 IRDCs. We derived the class of each YSO as well as the mass of YSO and IRDCs from the flux information. Using these parameters, as well as their locations in the cloud, we were sorted IRDC fragments into larger filaments and associate a set of YSOs with each IRDC. By measuring and comparing parameters such as YSO total mass, number of YSOs, Class 0, Class I, and Class II populations, distance from host filament, and filament mass we tested for correlations between the YSO and IRDC parameters. Using this treasure trove of information, we find that Class 0 and I objects are located more closely to their host IRDC than their Class II counterparts. We also find that high-density IRDCs are better environments for star formation than low-density IRDCs. However, we find no correlation between the total mass of the IRDC and the largest YSO mass in the IRDC, suggesting that IRDCs of any mass can have massive YSOs associated with them.The SAO REU program is funded by the National Science Foundation REU and Department of Defense ASSURE programs under NSF Grant AST-1659473, and by the Smithsonian Institution.

Long-term Academic and Career Impacts of Undergraduate Research: Diverse Pathways to Geoscience Careers Following a Summer Atmospheric Science Research Internship

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trott, C. D.; Sample McMeeking, L. B.; Boyd, K.; Bowker, C.

2015-12-01

Research experiences for undergraduates (REU) have been shown to support the success of STEM undergraduates through improving their research skills, ability to synthesize knowledge, and personal and professional development, all while socializing them into the nature of science. REUs are further intended to support STEM career choice and professional advancement, and have thus played a key role in diversity efforts. Recruiting and retaining diverse students in STEM through REUs is of particular importance in the geosciences, where women and ethnic minorities continue to be significantly underrepresented. However, few studies have examined the long-term impacts of these REUs on students' academic and career trajectories. Further, those that do exist primarily study the experiences of current graduate students, scientists, and faculty members—that is, those who have already persisted—which overlooks the multiple academic and career paths REU students might follow and may preclude a thorough examination of REUs' diversity impacts. In this long-term retrospective study of the academic and career impacts of a REU program at a large Western U.S. research university, we interviewed 17 former REU participants on their expectations prior to their REU participation, their experiences during the REU, the immediate outcomes from the experience, and its long-term impacts on their academic and career choices. To address gaps in the existing literature on REU impacts, we purposively sampled students who have taken a variety of educational and career paths, including those not engaged in science research. Despite varied trajectories, the majority of the students we interviewed have persisted in the geosciences and attest to the REU's profound impact on their career-related opportunities and choices. This presentation describes students' diverse STEM pathways and discusses how students' REU expectations, experiences, and immediate outcomes continued to make an impact long-term.

Research Opportunities in Solid Earth Science (RESESS): Broadening Participation in Geology and Geophysics (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eriksson, S. C.; Hubenthal, M.

2009-12-01

RESESS is a multi-year, paid, summer research internship program designed for students from underrepresented groups. The students receive extensive mentoring in science research and communication and become part of a community that provides ongoing support. This has been possible in the initial 5 years of the program through collaboration with Significant Opportunities in Atmospheric Research and Science (SOARS), where solid earth students have been an integral part of the SOARS cohort, benefiting from social as well as educational interactions. 11 students have taken part in RESESS for at least one year and of these, four students have graduated in geoscience and entered graduate programs in geophysics and one was recently awarded an NSF graduate fellowship. Students have presented over 20 posters at national science meetings, and one has co-authored a peer-reviewed article. 23 scientists have mentored students over the past 5 years and 17 percent of these mentors are from underrepresented groups in science; 19 other scientists and university/science consortia staff have mentored students in written and verbal presentations and supported their integration into the local communities. Mentorship over a period of years is one important hallmark of this program as students have benefited from the support of UNAVCO, IRIS, USGS, and university scientists and staff during the summer, academic year, and at professional meetings such as AGU, GSA, NABGG, and SACNAS as well as consortia and project science workshops (UNAVCO, IRIS, and EarthScope). One goal of the project has been to educate the scientific community on the benefits of mentoring undergraduate students from underrepresented groups in STEM fields. Increasingly, scientists are approaching RESESS to include this program in their implementation of broader impacts. RESESS has been funded by NSF for the next five years with plans to expand the number of students, geographic and scientific diversity, and sources of funding for a sustainable program. Collaboration with the IRIS REU program and major research programs such as POLENET began over the past three years. Synergistic activities will be increased with the inauguration of the IRIS Minority Speakers Series, partnership with the Colorado Diversity Initiative, and expanded recruitment and research opportunities from universities and colleges nation-wide.

The Svalbard REU Program: A High-Latitude Undergraduate Research Program in Glacial, Fluvial and Marine Processes Relevant to Arctic Climate Change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Powell, R.; Brigham-Grette, J.; Cumpston, R.; Trusel, L.; Werner, A.; Roof, S.; Retelle, M.

2005-12-01

A pilot-study field season was conducted this past summer from the most northerly permanent settlement in the world as part of our ongoing Svalbard REU program funded by the National Science Foundation (award OPP-0244097). Ny Alesund, on the island of Spitsbergen, Svalbard, is an international research center operated by Norway, and during summers, hosts about 100 scientists from over 15 nations. With NSF support, the US now participates in a new marine laboratory that opened this year, and we made that our operations center. The success of our field program is enhanced by tight logistics and research objectives integrated with UNIS (the University Centre on Svalbard), the Norwegian Polar Institute and Kings Bay AS. Our program provides genuine research experiences in Arctic Quaternary science for undergraduates. Research focuses on modern glacial sedimentation processes relevant to understanding records of past climate changes preserved in marine and lacustrine basins. Students in this marine portion of the program had a total immersion experience, being surrounded by scientists from different nations and from disciplines differing widely from theirs. They interacted with these scientists formally and informally, discussing their science plans, attending weekly science talks, and enjoying conversations at meal times. First, we introduced the students to arctic glacial and marine systems, and then through discussion and demonstration they developed their own research plans and made decisions on modifying sampling schemes through the field season. Studies focused on sediment transport and deposition in Kongsfjorden by polythermal tidewater glaciers, icebergs, meltwater streams and marine currents. Students sampled glaciers and icebergs for debris concentrations, collected seawater samples for suspended sediment concentrations, performed CTD casts to define water column structure, conducted bathymetric profiling using GPS control, and collected fjord sediment samples with small box-cores and short gravity cores. Also students were able to initially process samples in the marine lab. But in a practical sense they also learned survival away from home comforts, and how to deal and cope with unexpected occurrences as always arise when working in these environments. They are currently conducting laboratory research on samples and reducing and analyzing data, which will lead to theses and presentations at scientific meetings.

The role of the faculty mentor to the REU experience: insights from an international REU

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Houser, C.; Cahill, A. T.; Lemmons, K.

2012-12-01

The Texas A&M REU in Costa Rica provides students with an opportunity to participate in research on the ecohydrology of a tropical pre-montane forest. The international and field components of this program require both that students to work in research clusters of several faculty and students, and that each of the clusters contribute to a primary research question of closing the water budget for a small watershed. Specifically, students and faculty participate in precipitation (P), evapotranspiration (E), hydrology (Q) or subsurface storage (DS) research clusters. It is argued that having the students at a central research station location and focusing their research on a common research problem is an important aspect of an international REU program to avoid a feeling of isolation and to ensure that the students remain safe in their research and during their free time. However, this shared experience and research question can highlight differences among the faculty mentors and make the students evaluate their individual experience more critically. To better understand the relationship between the REU student and their faculty mentor(s), we have been conducting pre- and post-surveys, interviews, and focus groups to understand their experience in the REU and the manner in which the faculty mentor can affect that experience and the desire to continue in research. Results of the pre-trip survey suggest that the undergraduate students are most concerned about their projects and show little no concern about the faculty mentor with whom they will be completing their research. Post-trip results from 2011 and 2012 suggest that mentors had a much greater impact on the experience than expected. Many students said that their future research/graduate school plans were significantly affected by their REU mentor relationship. One student said that by working closely with mentors, "you know that what you are doing and learning is pertinent because you are learning it from actual researchers." The overall results suggest that the student-to-mentor relationship created through these authentic experiences is highly influential in either encouraging or discouraging students to conduct future research and/or attend graduate school.

A search for inversion layers in hot Jupiters with high-resolution spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hood, Callie; Birkby, Jayne; Lopez-Morales, Mercedes

2017-01-01

At present, the existence of thermal inversion layers in hot Jupiter atmospheres is uncertain due to conflicting results on their detection. However, understanding the thermal structure of exoplanet atmospheres is crucial to measuring their chemical compositions because the two quantities are highly interdependent. Here, we present high-resolution infrared spectroscopy of a hot Jupiter taken at 3.5 μm with CRIRES (R~100,000) on the Very Large Telescope. We directly detect the spectrum of the planet by tracing the radial-velocity shift of water features in its atmosphere during approximately one tenth of its orbit. We removed telluric contamination effects and the lines of the host star from our observed combined light spectra using singular value decomposition, then cross-correlated these processed spectra with a grid of high spectral resolution molecular templates containing features from water, methane, and carbon dioxide. The templates included atmospheric profiles with and without thermal inversion i.e. emission and absorption lines, respectively. We find evidence of water emission features in the planet’s dayside spectrum at a signal-to-noise of 4.7, indicative of a thermal inversion in the planet's atmosphere within the pressures ranges probed by our observations. The direct detection of emission lines at high spectral resolution in the planet spectrum make it one of the most unambiguous detections of a thermal inversion layer in an exoplanet atmosphere to date. However, we are carrying out further data analysis to ensure the robustness of the signal. Future observations of other molecules that could cause inversion layers, e.g. titanium oxide, would provide strong additional evidence of the inversion and help further our understanding of the behavior of highly irradiated giant planet atmospheres.The SAO REU program is funded in part by the National Science Foundation REU and Department of Defense ASSURE programs under NSF Grant no. 1262851, and by the Smithsonian Institution. This work was performed in part under contract with the California Institute of Technology/Jet Propulsion Laboratory funded by NASA through the Sagan Fellowship Program executed by the NASA Exoplanet Science Institute.

Using local research sites to engage undergraduates in environmental science research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Varner, R. K.

2016-12-01

For the first time in their undergraduate experience, students in the University of New Hampshire's Techniques in Environmental Science course are immersed in learning approaches to scientific investigation that they can implement as part of their senior capstone research experience or other REU type programs. The course begins with an understanding of the value of note taking in the field and working collaboratively in groups. The students then embark upon a series of field experiences that include using both simple and complex tools for mapping elevation, species composition and above ground biomass estimates in a forest and wetland, carbon cycling through measurement of greenhouse gas exchange at both a wetland and at an organic dairy farm, assessing hydrology and water quality through both ground and surface water measurements at locations on campus, and finally analysis of atmospheric chemistry data collected locally. Over the course of a semester the students learn how to describe their methodology and the importance of their work concisely. Eventually the students are given instrumentation and a field site and learn to ask their own research question and develop their approach to answering it. This course model provides a foundation for students to pursue their capstone research experiences but also for understanding complex environmental questions such as the impact of land use change on water and air quality and carbon cycling and its role in our climate system. Students are provided a unique opportunity to address questions at field sites that are local and are part of larger research programs which allows for a larger context to place their work. This course has also been a framework for the NSF funded REU program- Northern Ecosystems Research for Undergraduates (EAR#1063037). Sallie's Fen, a wetland research site, is used as an initial field setting for students to learn techniques, build their ability to ask research questions and to plan research approaches, all skills required for them to be successful in their research in northern Sweden where they spend the next four weeks studying the impact of climate change in a region of thawing permafrost.

Velocity Distributions of Interplanetary Dust Derived from Astronomical Sky Spectra

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huestis, D. L.; Ali, S.; Cosby, P. C.; Slanger, T. G.

2001-11-01

Characterization of interplanetary dust is important for understanding the creation by accretion of planets and moons, the development of planetary atmospheres, and, potentially, for the initiation of prebiotic chemistry. The recent COBE mission has provided a profile in ecliptic coordinates of the distribution of interplanetary dust particles through their thermal infrared emission. Additional information about interplanetary dust can be extracted from its visible spectrum of scattered sunlight, called Zodiacal Light. Night sky spectra taken at large-aperture telescopes using high-resolution echelle spectrographs reveal Fraunhofer absorption features in the Zodiacal Light spectrum of scattered sunlight, a nuisance in subtraction from the spectrum of the extraterrestrial object under investigation. We are analyzing the intensity modulations and Doppler shifts of solar Fraunhofer absorption lines in the Zodiacal Light component of sky spectra, donated by collaborating astronomers using Keck/HIRES and other high-performance astronomical facilities. Our objectives include velocity distributions of interplanetary dust and improved separation of terrestrial and extraterrestrial sources in sky spectra. Participation of S. Ali was made possible by a grant from the NSF Physics Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program.

Alfvén Wave Heating Model of an Active Region and Comparisons with the EIS Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lawless, A. P.; Asgari-Targhi, M.

2013-12-01

We study the generation and dissipation of Alfvén waves in open and closed field lines using the images from the Solar Dynamics Observatory's (SDO) Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) (van Ballegouijen et al. 2011; Asgari-Targhi & van Ballegouijen 2012; Asgari et al. 2013). The goal is to search for observational evidence of Alfvén waves in the solar corona and to understand their role in coronal heating. We focus on one particular active region on the 10th of December 2007. Using the MDI magnetogram and the potential field modeling of this region, we create three-dimensional MHD models for several open and closed field lines in different locations in the active region. For each model, we compute the temperature, pressure, magnetic field strength, average heating rate, and other parameters along the loop. We then compare these results with the EIS observations. This research is supported by the NSF grant for the Solar physics REU Program at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (AGS-1263241) and contract SP02H1701R from Lockheed-Martin to SAO.

Measuring M Dwarf Rotation in the Pan-STARRS 1 Medium Deep Survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fong, Erin R.; Williams, Peter K. G.; Berger, Edo

2016-01-01

The rise of large-format CCDs and automated detection methods has greatly increased the tractability of large-scale studies of stellar rotation. Studies of the relationship between stellar rotation and magnetic activity show a strong correlation, supporting the concept of a rotationally-driven dynamo. However, the number of confirmed rotation periods for stars in the fully convective regime, whose magnetic dynamos are less well understood, remains low. Here we report on ongoing work to measure rotation periods for the M dwarf stellar population observed by the Pan-STARRS 1 Medium Deep Survey (PS1/MDS). We refine an initial sample of around 4.3 million sources using color cuts in each of the five Pan-STARRS 1 filters. Of these sources, we estimate there to be around 135,000 sources which are candidate M dwarfs with a spectral type of M1 or higher. We discuss the outcomes of various rotation period detection methods and present preliminary results. This work is supported in part by the National Science Foundation REU and Department of Defense ASSURE programs under NSF Grant no. 1262851 and by the Smithsonian Institution.

Measuring the Accelerations of Water Megamasers in Active Galaxy J0437+2456

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Turner, Jeremy; Jeremy Turner

2018-01-01

The Megamaser Cosmology Project is measuring the Hubble constant using observations of 22 GHz water megamasers in the accretion disks of active galaxies within the Hubble flow. This approach uses the dynamics of the megamaser disks to determine their physical sizes and thereby find the angular-diameter distances to galaxies without relying on the cosmic distance ladder. We present Green Bank Telescope observations and analysis of the maser disk in the galaxy J0437+2456, which encircles a 2.9×106 M⊙ supermassive black hole. With spectral monitoring observations spanning over four years, we measure the centripetal acceleration of each individual maser component by tracking its velocity drift over time. These accelerations will be used in later work to model the maser disk and determine the distance to the galaxy. Our acceleration measurements use an iterative least squares fitting technique. For the systemic maser features, we find a mean acceleration of 1.87 ± 0.47 km/s/yr. This project was completed as part of the NSF REU program at NRAO.

Atmospheric Effects on Cosmic Ray Air Showers Observed with HAWC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Young, Steven

2014-01-01

The High Altitude Water Cherenkov Gamma Ray detector (HAWC), currently under construction on the Sierra Negra volcano near Puebla, Mexico, can be used to study solar physics with its scaler data acquisition system. Increases in the scaler rates are used to observe GeV cosmic rays from solar flares while decreases in the rates show the heliospheric disturbances associated with coronal mass ejections. However, weather conditions and height-dependent state variables such as pressure and temperature affect the production of extensive particle air showers that can be detected by the scaler system. To see if these atmospheric effects can be removed, we obtained local weather data from the Global Data Assimilation System (GDAS) and the local weather station at HAWC. The scaler pulse rates were then correlated to the pressure and temperature. We present data from a Forbush decrease observed by HAWC following a significant coronal mass ejection in April 2013, and describe our efforts to remove atmospheric variations from the scaler counts. This work was partially supported by the National Science Foundation’s REU program through NSF Award AST-1004881 to the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Dynamics of molecular hydrogen in crystalline silicon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fowler, W. Beall; Walters, Peter; Stavola, Michael

2002-03-01

We have studied the dynamics of interstitial molecular hydrogen in crystalline silicon by using a potential energy function for the molecule that consists of the superposition of potentials for two separated atomic hydrogens as generated from the quantum-mechanical calculations of Porter et al.(1) The rotational properties were calculated using the approach of Martin and Fowler (2) and the vibrational properties of the molecules as a whole were obtained. Results for molecular hydrogen, deuterium, and HD indicate nearly free rotational motion, consistent with shallow rotational potentials. Confinement of the molecules leads to center-of-mass vibrations of a few hundred wave numbers and dynamical "off-centeredness" that breaks tetrahedral symmetry for the high-frequency stretch vibrations. These and other results have helped to interpret recent experiments on these systems (3). This work was supported by the NSF REU program at Lehigh University. 1. A. R. Porter et al., Phys. Rev. B 60, 13 534 (1999). 2. K. R. Martin and W. B. Fowler, Phys. Rev. B 52, 16 516 (1995). 3. E Chen, M. Stavola, W. B. Fowler, and P. Walters (to be published).

Maximizing a Multilevel Mentoring Model to Improve Research Experiences for Undergraduates Student Outcomes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moser, F. C.; Allen, M. R.; Clark, J.

2016-12-01

Since 1989 the Maryland Sea Grant REU program's mentoring approach evolved considerably from a near `hands-off' approach to one that explores ways to maximize mentoring effectiveness. Our current model creates a multi-tiered system: the REU - research mentor relationship remains central to setting the student's science project, but greater student growth is supported by REU program leaders, visiting researchers, graduate students, and peer and near-peer mentors. Evaluation of our evolving mentoring program suggests our approach is successful and serves a diversity of students well, but we recognize the challenge of devising an evaluation system, given our limited annual cohort number (15 - 17 students), that fully captures the nuances of student - mentor relationships. We present multiple years of data on student skills, networks of relationships, student goals, and mentor goals using qualitative, quantitative and interview assessments. Further, we explore opportunities to strengthen our efforts and evolve our evaluation approach as we aspire to more accurately identify the components of our multilevel mentoring model that contribute most significantly to student success.

Introducing ethics to chemistry students in a "Research Experiences for Undergraduates" (REU) program.

PubMed

Hanson, Mark J

2015-01-01

A three-day ethics seminar introduced ethics to undergraduate environmental chemistry students in the Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program. The seminar helped students become sensitive to and understand the ethical and values dimensions of their work as researchers. It utilized a variety of resources to supplement lectures and class discussion on a variety of issues. Students learned about the relevance of ethics to research, skills in moral reasoning, and the array of ethical issues facing various aspects of scientific research. © 2015 The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

Synthesis and Characterization of 2-D Materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pazos, S.; Sahoo, P.; Afaneh, T.; Rodriguez Gutierrez, H.

Atomically thin transition-metal dichacogenides (TMD), graphene, and boron nitride (BN) are two-dimensional materials where the charge carriers (electrons and holes) are confined to move in a plane. They exhibit distinctive optoelectronic properties compared to their bulk layered counterparts. When combined into heterostructures, these materials open more possibilities in terms of new properties and device functionality. In this work, WSe2 and graphene were grown using Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) and Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) techniques. The quality and morphology of each material was checked using Raman, Photoluminescence Spectroscopy, and Scanning Electron Microscopy. Graphene had been successfully grown homogenously, characterized, and transferred from copper to silicon dioxide substrates; these films will be used in future studies to build 2-D devices. Different morphologies of WSe2 2-D islands were successfully grown on SiO2 substrates. Depending on the synthesis conditions, the material on each sample had single layer, double layer, and multi-layer areas. A variety of 2-D morphologies were also observed in the 2-D islands. This project is supported by the NSF REU Grant #1560090 and NSF Grant #DMR-1557434.

Does Thioflavin-T Detect Oligomers Formed During Amyloid Fibril Assembly

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Persichilli, Christopher; Hill, Shannon E.; Mast, Jason; Muschol, Martin

2011-03-01

Recent results have shown that oligomeric intermediates of amyloid fibril assembly represent the main toxic species in disorders such as Alzheimer's disease and type II diabetes. Thioflavin-T (ThT) is among the most commonly used indicator dyes for mature amyloid fibrils in vitro. We used ThT to monitor amyloid fibril formation of lysozyme (HEWL), and correlated ThT fluorescence to concurrent dynamic light scattering and atomic force microscopy measurements. Specifically, we tested the ability of ThT to discern among oligomer-free vs. oligomeric fibril assembly pathways. We found that ThT fluorescence did not detect oligomer growth; however, fluorescence increases did coincide with the formation of monomeric filaments in the oligomer-free assembly pathway. This implies that ThT fluorescence is not generally suitable for the detection of oligomeric intermediates. The results further suggest different internal structures for oligomeric vs. monomeric filaments. This research was supported, in part, by funding through the Byrd Alzheimer's Institute (ARG-2007-22) and the BITT-Florida Center of Excellence for M.M., an NSF-REU grant (DMR-1004873) for C. P. and an NSF-IGERT fellowship for S.H.

Supramolecular Polymer Nanocomposites - Improvement of Mechanical Properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hinricher, Jesse; Neikirk, Colin; Priestley, Rodney

2015-03-01

Supramolecular polymers differ from traditional polymers in that their repeat units are connected by hydrogen bonds that can reversibly break and form under various stimuli. They can be more easily recycled than conventional materials, and their highly temperature dependent viscosities result in reduced energy consumption and processing costs. Furthermore, judicious selection of supramolecular polymer architecture and functionality allows the design of advanced materials including shape memory and self-healing materials. Supramolecular polymers have yet to see widespread use because they can't support much weight due to their inherent mechanical weakness. In order to address this issue, the mechanical strength of supramolecular polymer nanocomposites based on ureidopyrmidinone (UPy) telechelic poly(caprolactone) doped with surface activated silica nanoparticles was investigated by tensile testing and dynamic mechanical analysis. The effects of varying amounts and types of nanofiller surface functionality were investigated to glean insight into the contributions of filler-filler and filler-matrix interactions to mechanical reinforcement in supramolecular polymer nanocomposites. MRSEC NSF DMR 0819860 (PI: Prof. N. Phuan Ong) REU Site Grant: NSF DMR-1156422 (PI: Prof. Mikko Haataja)

REU Students' Initial Perceptions of Scientific Ethics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murphy, Sytil; Zollman, Dean

2010-10-01

One goal of undergraduate research, particularly Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) programs, is to help students become aware of the importance of ethical conduct in research. The Survey of Undergraduate Research Experiences (SURE) indicates that biology students believe they learn more about ethical conduct from their research experiences than physics students. Motivated by this, we initiated a study of both biology and physics REU students at Kansas State University consisting of pre- and post-interviews regarding their understanding of ethics with results to be compared to the SURE. This paper presents the students' initial perceptions (from the pre-interview) of how ethical issues impact science in general as well as their own specific work. We also discuss the differences in the interview responses of the two groups.

Not Business-as-Usual: Resetting Expectations for Recruitment, Engagement & Professional Development of Today's URM in Geosciences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Auzenne, K.; Teranes, J. L.

2017-12-01

"The significant problems we have cannot be solved at the same level of thinking with which we created them." - Albert Einstein. In order to successfully recruit and retain today's URM in geosciences, we must think critically and strategically about how opportunities for professional engagement and skills-building are marketed, structured and implemented at various stages of an individual's career, and how those opportunities may be viewed and/or experienced differently by URM students and professionals. This presentation will discuss how modern professional development strategies for URMs should include: (1) clearly defined expectations that acknowledge cultural differences and challenges; (2) supportive exposure to experiences and individuals, such as role models, mentors and potential advisors; (3) constructive skill-building experiences that foster confidence and a sense of belonging, and (4) a demonstrated institutional commitment to diversity and inclusion from leadership that translates into visible resources and support. The presentation will highlight examples of these efforts and outcomes at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, including the Scripps Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Program, a NSF-funded Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU). With a commitment to enhancing diversity and inclusion, the SURF program has used the strategies above to help recruit and retain URM, women and veterans in graduate school and careers in the geosciences.

Spectral Classification of Heavily Reddened Stars by CO Absorption Strength

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garling, Christopher; Bary, Jeffrey S.; Huard, Tracy L.

2017-01-01

The nature of dust grains in dense molecular clouds can be explored by obtaining spectra of giant stars located behind the clouds and examining the wavelength-dependent attentuation of their light. This approach requires the intrinsic spectra of the background stars to be known, which can be achieved by determining their spectral types. In the K-band spectra of cool giant stars, several temperature-sensitive CO absorption bands serve as good spectral type indicators. Taking advantage of the SpeX Infrared Telescope Facility Spectral Library, near-infrared spectra collected with TripleSpec and the 3.5-meter ARC Telescope at Apache Point Observatory, and a previously constructed CO spectral index, we make precise spectral determinations of 20 giant stars located behind two dense cloud cores: CB188 and L429C. With spectral types in hand, we then utilize Markov Chain Monte Carlo techniques to constrain extinctions along these lines of sight. The spectral typing method will be described and assessed as well as its success at finding a couple of incorrectly spectral typed stars in the SpeX Library. Funding for this program was provided by a NSF REU grant to the Keck Northeast Astronomy Consortium and a grant from the NASA Astrophysics Data Analysis Program.

Building a Network of Internships for a Diverse Geoscience Community

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sloan, V.; Haacker-Santos, R.; Pandya, R.

2011-12-01

Individual undergraduate internship programs, however effective, are not sufficient to address the lack of diversity in the geoscience workforce. Rather than competing with each other for a small pool of students from historically under-represented groups, REU and internship programs might share recruiting efforts and application processes. For example, in 2011, the RESESS program at UNAVCO and the SOARS program at UCAR shared recruiting websites and advertising. This contributed to a substantial increase in the number of applicants to the RESESS program, the majority of which were from historically under-represented groups. RESESS and SOARS shared qualified applications with other REU/internship programs and helped several additional minority students secure summer internships. RESESS and SOARS also leveraged their geographic proximity to pool resources for community building activities, a two-day science field trip, a weekly writing workshop, and our final poster session. This provided our interns with an expanded network of peers and gave our staff opportunities to work together on planning. Recently we have reached out to include other programs and agencies in activities for our interns, such as mentoring high-school students, leading outreach to elementary school students, and exposing our interns to geoscience careers options and graduate schools. Informal feedback from students suggests that they value these interactions and appreciate learning with interns from partner programs. Through this work, we are building a network of program managers who support one another professionally and share effective strategies. We would like to expand that network, and future plans include a workshop with university partners and an expanded list of REU programs to explore further collaborations.

University of Maryland MRSEC - Research: Highlights

Science.gov Websites

; National Labs International Educational Education Pre-College Programs Homeschool Programs Undergraduate Perspective at UMD MRSEC Nanoscience Camp Annual Middle School Student Science Conference (SSC) Pre ) Activities UMD-MRSEC Research Experience for Undergraduates Program (REU) Pre-Engineering Program

Supporting student skill development in undergraduate research experiences through the development of a self-reflection guide

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hubenthal, M.; Brudzinski, M.

2016-12-01

There has been an increased emphasis on documenting the benefits of participating in undergraduate research opportunities (URO) and developing an understanding of the factors that influence these benefits. While tools to effectively measure the behavior, attitude, skills, interest, and/or knowledge (BASIK) that result from UROs have matured, little focus has been placed on developing practical tools and strategies to support students and mentors as they work to develop the BASIK being measured. Viewed through the lens of constructivism, a URO can be examined as a cognitive apprenticeship (CA) where learning occurs through several key methods: modeling, coaching, scaffolding, articulation, reflection, and exploration. In a study of UROs as CA, Feldman et al., (2013) found reflection to be one of the least commonly initiated methods employed by interns and mentors, and concluded, "there is need for professors to be more proactive in helping their students gain intellectual proficiency". This work, in its pilot stages, seeks to address this gap through the development of an intern self-reflection guide and implementation plan to further increase students' skill development. The guide is being developed based on IRIS's existing self-reflection tool. However, it has recently been revised to bring its constructs and items into better alignment with those of the Undergraduate Research Student Self-Assessment (URSSA) tool. The URSSA was selected because it is designed to measure skills and has recently undergone a validation study. In addition, it serves as the basis for the development of a new tool, the NSF Biology REU CORE. The revised self-reflection guide and protocol were piloted this summer in IRIS Summer REU program. The alignment between the constructs of the URSSA and the self-reflection guide will be presented along with findings from the 2016 program evaluation. Future development of the intervention will include a validation of the items on the self-reflection guide as well as the development of additional guidance for the mentors about the implementation process. Feldman, A., Divoll, K. A., & Rogan-Klyve, A. (2013). Becoming Researchers: The Participation of Undergraduate and Graduate Students in Scientific Research Groups. Science Education, 97(2), 218-243.

Multi-Mission System Architecture Platform: Design and Verification of the Remote Engineering Unit

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sartori, John

2005-01-01

The Multi-Mission System Architecture Platform (MSAP) represents an effort to bolster efficiency in the spacecraft design process. By incorporating essential spacecraft functionality into a modular, expandable system, the MSAP provides a foundation on which future spacecraft missions can be developed. Once completed, the MSAP will provide support for missions with varying objectives, while maintaining a level of standardization that will minimize redesign of general system components. One subsystem of the MSAP, the Remote Engineering Unit (REU), functions by gathering engineering telemetry from strategic points on the spacecraft and providing these measurements to the spacecraft's Command and Data Handling (C&DH) subsystem. Before the MSAP Project reaches completion, all hardware, including the REU, must be verified. However, the speed and complexity of the REU circuitry rules out the possibility of physical prototyping. Instead, the MSAP hardware is designed and verified using the Verilog Hardware Definition Language (HDL). An increasingly popular means of digital design, HDL programming provides a level of abstraction, which allows the designer to focus on functionality while logic synthesis tools take care of gate-level design and optimization. As verification of the REU proceeds, errors are quickly remedied, preventing costly changes during hardware validation. After undergoing the careful, iterative processes of verification and validation, the REU and MSAP will prove their readiness for use in a multitude of spacecraft missions.

REU Solar and Space Physics Summer School

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Snow, M. A.; Wood, E. L.

2011-12-01

The Research Experience for Undergrads (REU) program in Solar and Space Physics at the University of Colorado begins with a week of lectures and labs on Solar and Space Physics. The students in our program come from a variety of majors (physics, engineering, meteorology, etc.) and from a wide range of schools (small liberal arts colleges up through large research universities). The majority of the students have never been exposed to solar and space physics before arriving in Boulder to begin their research projects. We have developed a week-long crash course in the field using the expertise of scientists in Boulder and the labs designed by the Center for Integrated Space Weather Modeling (CISM).

Single Investigator or Group Projects? Which is the More Successful Model for a REU Site?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boush, L. P.; Myrbo, A.; Berman, M. J.; Gnivecki, P.; Michelson, A.; Brady, K. L.

2012-12-01

Undergraduate research programs have become popular and effective mechanisms for developing future geoscientists and increasing participation of under-represented groups in the sciences. There are many models for implementing such programs that span different philosophies and goals. Our Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program in the Bahamas is in the second of its three year award and has used two different models each year of its operation. In the first year, we used the individual student project model, where students pursued their own research much like an honors or masters thesis approach. Specifically, students did individual projects in four areas: paleobiology, geoarcheology, geobiology and limnogeology. In the second year, we used the team concept model, where students were divided into two teams, coring different lakes. The students combined efforts in both the field and lab, doing basic limnology of the basins, and then collecting and analyzing the cores that they took. While both pedagogy models were successful in teaching basic science skills in the field and lab, each one had different strengths and weaknesses. The single investigator model allowed students to have complete intellectual ownership of their projects, while the group model allowed students to work together in teams and produce a more comprehensive dataset that was higher quality and more likely to be published. In addition, while student knowledge gains were statistically the same for both years, the attitudes towards science scores were higher for the 'team model' year than for the single investigator. Since one of the goals of the REU program is to engage students and foster a desire to continue scientific inquiry or careers in science, the 'team model' could be regarded as more successful. It also allowed higher quality datasets to be produced and a more realistic view of how most science is done—in a collaborative, multidisciplinary way. Each student learned all of the field and lab techniques and helped one another as a cooperative group but was held individually responsible for various aspects of the data collection and analysis. Further, it can be argued that in the short amount of time allotted for REU projects (8-10 weeks), it is difficult for inexperienced students to design a publishable project; and one could question if this is the appropriate venue for having students initiate either projects that are too large to do in the timeframe of the REU or too specific or limited in data and methods to be significant scientific contributions. Thus, we will pursue the 'team model' in our third year of our REU project because it has yielded better scientific outcomes and more satisfying experiences for our students.

Frequency Domain Multiplexing for Use With NaI[Tl] Detectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Belling, Samuel; Coherent Collaboration

2017-09-01

A process used in many forms of signal communication known as multiplexing is adapted for the purpose of combining signals from NaI[Tl] detectors so that fewer digitizer channels can be used to process the signal information from large experiments within the COHERENT collaboration. Each signal is passed through a ringing circuit to modulate it with a characteristic frequency. Information about the signal can be extracted from its amplitude, frequency, and phase. Simulations in LTSpice show that an operational amplifier circuit with a parallel LRC feedback loop can serve as the modulating circuit. Several such circuits can be constructed and housed compactly in a unit, and fed to an inverting, summing amplifier with tunable gain, such that the signals are carried by one cable. The signals are analyzed based on a Fourier transform after being digitized. The results show that the energy, channel, and time of the original interaction can be recovered by this process. In some cases it is possible through filtering and deconvolution to recover the shape of the original signal. The effort is ongoing, but with the design presented it is possible to multiplex 10 detectors into a single digitizer channel. NSF REU Program at Duke University.

Optical design of a robotic TV camera probe for minimally invasive abdominal surgery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Todaro, Susanna; He, Weiyi; Killinger, Dennis

2011-03-01

Minimally invasive techniques are a promising new field of surgery; however, they limit the surgeon's access points and maneuverability. In order to increase the number of access points in minimally invasive abdominal surgery, a proposed implantable medical probe braces to the abdominal wall and provides illumination and video signal. The probe is cylindrical, about 25 mm long and 10 mm in diameter. A ring of LEDs on the end of the probe illuminates the tissue, and the resulting image is focused onto an HD video detector. It was necessary to apply beam-shaping reflectors to collimate the light onto a small target area, to avoid illuminating areas not picked up by the video. These reflectors were designed and simulated using the optical ray tracing software TracePro. Two LED chip geometries and three types of reflector geometries were analyzed, and the parameters for each geometry were optimized. For the straight-edged reflectors, the intensity patterns and optimization were compared to experimental results. Although parabolic reflectors produced the best collimation, cone reflectors with a 20-degree half-angle produced significant collimation at a much cheaper price. This work was supported by NSF REU program (award No DMR-1004873).

Commissioning a Rotating Target Wheel Assembly for Heavy Element Studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fields, L. D.; Bennett, M. E.; Mayorov, D. A.; Folden, C. M.

2013-10-01

The heaviest elements are produced artificially by fusing nuclei of light elements within an accelerator to form heavier nuclei. The most direct method to increase the production rate of nuclei is to increase the beam intensity, necessitating the use of a rotating target to minimize damage to the target by deposited heat. Such a target wheel was constructed for heavy element research at Texas A&M University, Cyclotron Institute, consisting of a wheel with three banana-shaped target cutouts. The target is designed to rotate at 1700 rpm, and a fiber optic cable provides a signal to trigger beam pulsing in order to avoid irradiating the spokes between target segments. Following minor mechanical modifications and construction of a dedicated electrical panel, the rotating target assembly was commissioned for a beam experiment. A 15 MeV/u beam of 20Ne was delivered from the K500 cyclotron and detected by a ruggedized silicon detector. The beam pulsing response time was characterized as a function of the rational frequency of the target wheel. Preliminary analysis suggests that the K500 is capable of pulsing at rates of up to 250 Hz, which is sufficient for planned future experiments. Funded by DOE and NSF-REU Program.

The Snapshot A-Star SurveY (SASSY)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garani, Jasmine; Nielsen, Eric L.; Marchis, Franck; Liu, Michael C.; Macintosh, Bruce; Rajan, Abhijith; De Rosa, Robert J.; Wang, Jason; Esposito, Thomas; Best, William M. J.; Bowler, Brendan P.; Dupuy, Trent J.; Ruffio, Jean-Baptise

2017-01-01

We present the Snapshot A-Star SurveY (SASSY), an adaptive optics survey conducted using NIRC2 on the Keck II telescope to search for young, self-luminious planets and brown dwarfs (M > 5MJup) around high mass stars (M > 1.5 M⊙). We describe a custom data-reduction pipeline developed for the coronagraphic observations of our 200 target stars. Our data analysis method includes basic near infrared data processing (flat-field correction, bad pixel removal, distortion correction) as well as performing PSF subtraction through a Reference Differential Imaging algorithm based on a library of PSFs derived from the observations using the pyKLIP routine. We present early results from the survey including planet and brown dwarf candidates and the status of ongoing follow-up observations. Utilizing the high contrast of Keck NIRC2 coronagraphic observations, SASSY reaches sensitivity to brown dwarfs and planetary mass companions at separations between 0.6'' and 4''. With over 200 stars observed we are tripling the number of high-mass stars imaged at these contrasts and sensitivities compared to previous surveys. This work was supported by the NSF REU program at the SETI Institute and NASA grant NNX14AJ80G.

Investigating the Orbital Period Valley of Giant Planets in Kepler Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thomas, Brianna P.; Birkby, Jayne L.

2016-01-01

Transit light curves contain a wealth of information about the basic properties of a planet, such as its radius, semi-major axis, and orbital period. For the latter property, there is a distinct lack of planets with periods between 10 to 100 days. This gap could be caused by something as simple as observational bias, or as prominent as planetary formation or migration. Here, we report an investigation into the atmosphere of planets within this orbital period valley, to search for differences that may indicate a different formation mechanism or migration path to those outside of it. We do this by searching for the secondary eclipse of planets in the valley in order to measure their albedos. We determined an optimal target for this: KOI-366 b (P ~ 75 days). However, we find that despite the exquisite precision of Kepler data, it cannot constrain the albedo for this long-orbit planet candidate. We measure a 1σ upper limit on the geometric albedo of Ag,1σ ≤ 2.0. We highlight that additional scatter in the light curve is likely caused by a ~ 2-day pulsation of the giant host star, and that further data is required to measure the secondary eclipse. KOI-366 is one of the best suited of all host stars with long period exoplanet candidates for follow-up due to its relatively bright magnitude (Kp = 11.7 mag), but the full investigation of the reflective properties of long period planets may require space-based observations from future instruments, such as WFIRST, that will be more sensitive to objects further away from their host stars. This work was supported in part by the NSF REU and DoD ASSURE programs under NSF grant no. 1262851 and by the Smithsonian Institution. This work was performed in part under contract with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) funded by NASA through the Sagan Fellowship Program executed by the NASA Exoplanet Science Institute.

Climate Change and Impacts Research Experiences for Urban Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marchese, P.; Carlson, B. E.; Rosenzweig, C.; Austin, S. A.; Peteet, D. M.; Druyan, L.; Fulakeza, M.; Gaffin, S.; Scalzo, F.; Frost, J.; Moshary, F.; Greenbaum, S.; Cheung, T. K.; Howard, A.; Steiner, J. C.; Johnson, L. P.

2011-12-01

Climate change and impacts research for undergraduate urban students is the focus of the Center for Global Climate Research (CGCR). We describe student research and significant results obtained during the Summer 2011. The NSF REU site, is a collaboration between the City University of New York (CUNY) and the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS). The research teams are mentored by NASA scientists and CUNY faculty. Student projects include: Effects of Stratospheric Aerosols on Tropical Cyclone Activity in the North Atlantic Basin; Comparison of Aerosol Optical Depth and Angstrom Exponent Retrieved by AERONET, MISR, and MODIS Measurements; White Roofs to the Rescue: Combating the Urban Heat Island Effect; Tropospheric Ozone Investigations in New York City; Carbon Sequestration with Climate Change in Alaskan Peatlands; Validating Regional Climate Models for Western Sub-Sahara Africa; Bio-Remediation of Toxic Waste Sites: Mineral Characteristics of Cyanide-Treated Mining Waste; Assessment of an Ocean Mixing Parameterization for Climate Studies; Comparative Wind Speed through Doppler Sounding with Pulsed Infrared LIDAR; and Satellite Telemetry and Communications. The CGCR also partners with the New York City Research Initiative (NYCRI) at GISS. The center is supported by NSF ATM-0851932 and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA).

Ultrafast nuclear dynamics in halomethanes studied with time-resolved Coulomb explosion imaging and channel-selective Fourier spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Malakar, Y.; Kaderiya, B.; Pearson, W. L.; Ziaee, F.; Kanaka Raju, P.; Zohrabi, M.; Jensen, K.; Rajput, J.; Ben-Itzhak, I.; Rolles, D.; Rudenko, A.

2016-05-01

Halomethanes have recently attracted considerable attention since they often serve as prototype systems for laser-controlled chemistry (e.g., selective bond breaking or concerted elimination reactions), and are important molecules in atmospheric chemistry. Here we combine a femtosecond laser pump-probe setup with coincident 3D ion momentum imaging apparatus to study strong-field induced nuclear dynamics in methane and several of its halogenated derivatives (CH3 I, CH2 I2, CH2 ICl). We apply a time-resolved Coulomb explosion imaging technique to map the nuclear motion on both, bound and continuum potential surfaces, disentangle different fragmentation pathways and, for halogenated molecules, observe clear signatures of vibrational wave packets in neutral or ionized states. Channel-selective and kinetic-energy resolved Fourier analysis of these data allows for unique identification of different electronic states and vibrational modes responsible for a particular structure. Supported by the Chemical Sciences, Geosciences, and Biosciences Division, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, Office of Science, U. S. DOE. K. R. P. and W. L. P. supported by NSF Award No. IIA-143049. K.J. supported by the NSF-REU Grant No. PHYS-1461251.

Teachers, Researchers, and Students Collaborating in Arctic Climate Change Research: The Partnership Between the Svalbard REU and ARCUS PolarTREC programs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roof, S.; Warburton, J.; Oddo, B.; Kane, M.

2007-12-01

Since 2004, the Arctic Research Consortium of the U.S. (ARCUS) "TREC" program (Teachers and Researchers Exploring and Collaborating, now "PolarTREC") has sent four K-12 teachers to Svalbard, Norway to work alongside researchers and undergraduate students conducting climate change research as part of the Svalbard Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Program. The benefits of this scientist/educator/student partnership are many. Researchers benefit from teacher participation as it increases their understanding of student learning and the roles and responsibilities of K-12 teachers. The TREC teacher contributes to the research by making observations, analyzing data, and carrying heavy loads of equipment. In collaborating with K- 12 teachers, undergraduate student participants discover the importance of teamwork in science and the need for effective communication of scientific results to a broad audience. The questions that K-12 teachers ask require the scientists and students in our program to explain their work in terms that non-specialists can understand and appreciate. The K-12 teacher provides a positive career role model and several Svalbard REU undergraduate students have pursued K-12 teaching careers after graduating. TREC teachers benefit from working alongside the researchers and by experiencing the adventures of real scientific research in a remote arctic environment. They return to their schools with a heightened status that allows them to share the excitement and importance of scientific research with their students. Together, all parties contribute to greatly enhance public outreach. With ARCUS logistical support, TREC teachers and researchers do live web conferences from the field, reaching hundreds of students and dozens of school administrators and even local politicians. Teachers maintain web journals, describing the daily activities and progress of the researcher team. Online readers from around the world write in to ask questions, which the TREC teacher answers after consulting the research team. TREC teachers have developed and distributed teaching modules using real questions and data from the research program. Our collaboration is successful in part because the teachers are well prepared by ARCUS in advance of the field experience and the Svalbard REU leaders treat the TREC teacher as a senior member of the research team. Reliable telephone and internet communication from the field site is also important because it greatly facilitates the daily outreach. Our success is measured by the hundreds of K-12 students exposed to arctic climate change research (some of which are now going to college to pursue geoscience studies!) and the mutual desire for continued collaboration between the Svalbard REU Program and the ARCUS PolarTREC Program.

Accumulation of BSA in Packed-bed Microfluidics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Summers, Samantha; Hu, Chuntian; Hartman, Ryan

2012-11-01

Alzheimers and Parkinsons are two diseases that are associated with protein deposition in the brain, causing loss of either cognitive or muscle functioning. Protein deposition diseases are considered progressive diseases since the continual aggregation of protein causes the patient's symptoms to slowly worsen over time. There are currently no known means of treatment for protein deposition diseases. Our goal is to understand the potential for packed-bed microfluidics to study protein accumulation. Measurement of the resistance to flow through micro-scale packed-beds is critical to understanding the process of protein accumulation. Aggregation in bulk is fundamentally different from accumulation on surfaces. Our study attempts to distinguish between either mechanism. The results from our experiments involving protein injection through a microfluidic system will be presented and discussed. Funding received by NSF REU Grant 1062611.

Discovery of Compact Quiescent Galaxies at Intermediate Redshifts in DEEP2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blancato, Kirsten; Chilingarian, Igor; Damjanov, Ivana; Moran, Sean; Katkov, Ivan

2015-01-01

Compact quiescent galaxies in the redshift range 0.6 < z < 1.1 are the missing link needed to complete the evolutionary histories of these objects from the high redshift z ≥ 2 Universe to the local z ~ 0 Universe. We identify the first intermediate redshift compact quiescent galaxies by searching a sample of 1,089 objects in the DEEP2 Redshift Survey that have multi-band photometry, spectral fitting, and readily available structural parameters. We find 27 compact quiescent candidates between z = 0.6 and z = 1.1 where each candidate galaxy has archival Hubble Space Telescope (HST) imaging and is visually confirmed to be early-type. The candidates have half-light radii ranging from 0.83 < Re,c < 7.14 kpc (median Re,c = 1.77 kpc) and virial masses ranging from 2.2E10 < Mdyn < 5.6E11 Msun (median Mdyn = 7.7E10 Msun). Of our 27 compact quiescent candidates, 13 are truly compact with sizes at most half of the size of their z ~ 0 counterparts of the same mass. In addition to their structural properties bridging the gap between their high and low redshift counterparts, our sample of intermediate redshift quiescent galaxies span a large range of ages but is drawn from two distinct epochs of galaxy formation: formation at z > 2 which suggests these objects may be the relics of the observed high redshift compact galaxies and formation at z ≤ 2 which suggests there is an additional population of more recently formed massive compact galaxies. This work is supported in part by the NSF REU and DOD ASSURE programs under NSF grant no. 1262851 and by the Smithsonian Institution.

Supersonic inflation of the radio lobes of NGC 1052: evidence for non-thermal particle acceleration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morris, Taylor Andrew; Kraft, Ralph P.; Jones, Christine

2016-01-01

We analyze archival Chandra data of the nearby AGN NGC 1052 to determine the nature of the interaction of the radio lobes with the ambient hot gas. NGC 1052 is typically classified as a Seyfert galaxy, but has a radio bright core and extended diffuse radio lobes on kpc scales. We report the detection of X-ray bright shells around the radio lobes, suggestive of compression of the ISM by the supersonic inflation of the lobes. We determine the temperature and density of the gas in these shells and of the ambient ISM. We find that the temperature of the ISM is 0.8 keV, and that of the shells around the E and W radio lobes are 0.72 and 0.69 keV, respectively fitting a single temperature APEC model. The statistical quality of the fits is low, so systematic uncertainties dominate our ability to distinguish temperature variations between regions. NGC 1052's outburst is relatively young (9 x 1013 sec) and comparatively low power (1.9 x 1041 erg/sec). Interestingly, the density jump between the shells and the ambient ISM is larger than the maximum compression allows by the Rankine-Hugoniot conditions, suggesting that the emission from the shells is not thermal. We propose that the bubbles are highly supersonic (Mach number >5) and that the emission of the shell is due to synchrotron radiation from a population of ultrarelativistic electrons created by the powerful shock. If this interpretation is correct, NGC 1052 would be only the second AGN in which this process has been observed. This work was supported in part by the NSF REU and DoD ASSURE programs under NSF grant no. 1262851 and by the Smithsonian Institution.

Insights from an 8-Year Longitudinal Study of Female REU Participants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Slater, S. J.

2009-12-01

The long-running REU program is tacitly intended to increase retention and provide "an important educational experience" for undergraduates, particularly women, minorities and underrepresented groups. This 8-year, two-stage study was designed to explore the ways in which the REU acted as an educational experience for 51 women from a single scientific discipline. This paper describes the results of that analysis in two sections. The first section describes the results from an ex post facto longitudinal data analysis. This data included multiple interviews with each participant during their REU, annual open-ended alumni surveys, faculty interviews, and extensive field notes, over an 8-year period. As a result of this analysis, four themes emerged, related to developing understandings of the nature of professional scientific work, the nature of the scientific process, the culture of academia, and finally, an understanding of the "self." This analysis served as an initial theory that was used to design the second stage, interview protocol. In the second stage over 10 hours of interviews with 8 participants were conducted and analyzed. These 8 participants were selected to represent a variety of career stages, and for their potential to disconfirm the initial theory. Analysis of this interview data failed to provide disconfirming evidence. Results from this study indicate that the REU did not provide a substantive educational experience related to the nature of scientific work, the scientific process, or the culture of academia. Results further indicated that the REU did not serve to transform participants' conceptions about themselves as situated in science, and learning gains with regard to other aspects of the self, were somewhat limited. Instead, the data suggests that these women arrived at the REU with pre-existing and remarkably strong conceptions in these areas, and that the REU did not functional to alter those states. These conceptions were frequently the result of interactions with mentors/scientists from middle school until well into the undergraduate period. Formal and informal interactions with research scientists and instructors, in addition to family members, served as crucial forces in shaping highly developed, stable science identities. Sustained interactions with a single mentor at a home institution were particularly transformational. This study suggests further studies into the impact of long-term mentors on women in the sciences, at a variety of stages and across multiple disciplines.

Star Formation and AGN Activity in Ultraluminous Infrared Galaxies at z > 1.15

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baldassare, Vivienne; Kartaltepe, J.

2012-01-01

We studied active galactic nucleus (AGN) activity and star formation in a sample of 52 luminous and ultraluminous infrared galaxies ((U)LIRGs) with 1.17 < z < 1.602 and LIR > 1011.5 Lsolar. ULIRGs get their extreme infrared luminosities from the heating of dust by star formation and/or AGN. Studies done in the local universe have revealed that all local ULIRGs are mergers (Sanders & Mirabel 1996), and have proposed evolutionary schemes in which early merger stages are dominated by starbursts, intermediate merger stages are dominated by starburst-AGN composite objects, and late merger stages are dominated by AGN (Yuan et al. 2010). They have also shown that most ULIRGs with LIR > 1012.4-12.5 Lsolar appear AGN-like (Tran et al. 2001). We used near infrared spectroscopy in order to determine whether these trends extend to high redshift, utilizing the [NII]/H-alpha and [OIII]/H-beta line ratios to plot our objects on a BPT diagram which classifies them as star forming, AGN, or composite. We find that many of the objects in our sample show evidence of mergers or interactions, and that all objects in our sample with LIR >1012.5 Lsolar are AGN or composite objects. Vivienne Baldassare was supported by the NOAO/KPNO Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Program which is funded by the National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates Program and the Department of Defense ASSURE program through Scientific Program Order No. 13 (AST-0754223) of the Cooperative Agreement No. AST-0132798 between the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA) and the NSF.

Searching for Faint Planetary Nebulae Using Digital Sky Surveys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jacoby, George; Kronberger, M.; Patchick, D.; Teutsch, P.; Saloranta, J.; Howell, M.; Crisp, R.; Riddle, D.; Acker, A.; Frew, D.; Parker, Q.; Kaplan, E.

2010-01-01

Recent H-alpha surveys such as SHS and IPHAS have improved the completeness of the Galactic planetary nebula (PN) census. We now know of 3,000 PNe in the Galaxy, but this is far short of most estimates, typically 25,000 - 50,000 for the total population. The size of the Galactic PN population is required to derive an accurate estimate of the chemical enrichment rates of nitrogen, carbon, and helium. More importantly, a high PN count (>20,000) is strong evidence that most 1-8 M(Sun) main sequence stars will go through a PN phase, while a low count (<10,000) argues that special conditions (e.g., a close binary interaction) are required to form a PN and suggests that the Sun will not produce one. We describe a technique for finding hundreds of PNe by visually scanning the existing data collections of the digital sky surveys, thereby improving the census of Galactic PNe. We will also report on the actual yield of PN found with this technique after spectroscopic verification. This has been a collaborative effort between a group of dedicated amateur astronomers (Deepskyhunters) with follow-up by professionals using WIYN, OHP, and SAAO. Evan Kaplan was supported by the NOAO/KPNO Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Program which is funded by the National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates Program and the Department of Defense ASSURE program through Scientific Program Order No. 13 (AST-0754223) of the Cooperative Agreement No. AST-0132798 between the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA) and the NSF.

Embedding Climate Services

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shafer, M.; Boone, M.; Keim, B. D.

2015-12-01

With the rapidly-increasing number of climate services providers, the landscape for putting climate into practice is getting both easier to access and more confusing. Each provider serves a different clientele, and in so doing draws more stakeholder organizations into the sphere of those using climate information in decision-making. The challenge has been in connecting these new stakeholders with expertise that may reside within a different provider organization. To help close the gap, the Southern Climate Impacts Planning Program (SCIPP; http://www.southernclimate.org), a NOAA RISA Team, initiated a summer internship program, where students with expertise in meteorology or climatology would work for an organization more closely aligned with another climate services provider network. The format was patterned after the successful NSF-funded Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program at the National Weather Center, where students are selected from undergraduate programs across the nation to spend a summer conducting research under a scientific mentor. The SCIPP initiative flipped this model, instead sending students to organizations with operational needs for climate information to work under their mentorship in partnership with SCIPP scientists. Over the past two summers, SCIPP has recruited students to work at landscape-based (Gulf Coast Joint Venture and National Wetlands Research Center) and community-based (Tulsa Partners) organizations. Students worked alongside the organizations' staff on a daily basis and were supported through periodic calls with the SCIPP team to help identify appropriate datasets and work through methodological issues. This presentation will discuss how these relationships were created, the expertise of each of the organizations involved, and outcomes from the projects.

Research, Recruitment, and Assessment Strategies From The Dune Undergraduate Geomorphology and Geochronology (DUGG) REU Site at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rawling, J.; Presiado, R. S.; Hanson, P. R.

2013-12-01

The goals of the DUGG REU project included providing students with 1) significant field and laboratory training in geomorphology and geochronology, 2) an opportunity to participate in a project of regional significance to geomorphologists and Quaternary scientists and 3) cohort building opportunities resulting in relationships that will serve them throughout their graduate and/or professional STEM careers. Each cohort was provided with three opportunities to visit their chosen study sites and collect data. Students were introduced to their sites with geophysical surveying by conducting ground-penetrating radar transects. During the second and third field excursions students collected subsurface sediment samples with either a bucket auger or a portable vibracoring device. Student generated data from previous trips, including preliminary OSL data before the third trip, better informed subsequent sampling strategies. In total, the students measured the particle-size distributions from ~950 samples taken from 160 sites and dated 65 sand samples using optically-stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating. Efforts made to ensure a diverse applicant pool included the standard NSF and university websites, targeted emails, targeted recruitment at conferences, university visits, and collaborations with other undergraduate research centers. In total, approximately 25% of the participating DUGG students were members of minority groups underrepresented in the sciences (n=5), 65% were women (n=14) and one was a veteran of the Iraq conflict. The DUGG project included a Council on Undergraduate Research review during year one of the program to have external input on the project, and an aggressive internal assessment protocol that evaluated five measures related to the impact the project was having on the students. Over the three years of the project, the multiple annual program assessments were able to document increases in participants' technology literacy, perception toward geosciences, research techniques, and oral presentation skills from the beginning to the end of each DUGG cycle. The DUGG program also yielded effective gains in the student's geoscience content knowledge as measured by the assessment instruments. It is clear from the project assessments that the three years of DUGG had significant successes, and was a direct result of the careful consideration of each year's experience and evaluations. The combination of multiple visits to the research sites, rapid data turn around, diversity recruitment, and rigorous assessment ensured the successful achievement of the program goals and resulted in exceptional experiences for the DUGG students.

NSF's Career-Life Balance Initiative and the NSF Astronomy and Astrophysics Postdoctoral Fellowships

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ajhar, Edward A.

2013-01-01

In the fall of 2011, the National Science Foundation (NSF) began the Career-Life Balance Initiative to support graduate students, postdoctoral students, and early-career researchers in STEM fields. NSF is focusing first on its most prestigious programs for early-career scientists---the CAREER program and the postdoctoral programs, including the NSF Astronomy and Astrophysics Postdoctoral Fellowships (AAPF)---where career-life balance opportunities can help retain a significant fraction of early career talent. Subject to budget constraints, NSF plans to further integrate and enhance career-life balance opportunities over time through other programs, like the Graduate Research Fellowships Program and ADVANCE, and subsequently through the broader portfolio of NSF activities. In addition, to comply with Title IX, NSF has regulations to ensure that educational programs that receive NSF funds are free of gender discrimination and harassment. A primary goal of this presentation is to put facts about NSF into the hands of students, faculty, staff, administrators and other policy makers to benefit the advancement of career-life balance in the astronomical community. The presentation focus areas will (1) address common misconceptions about NSF rules regarding parental leave; (2) discuss benefits already available through the AAPF program, Graduate Research Fellowships, and other programs; and (3) listen to community concerns and issues to bring these back to the foundation for consideration. Did you know that NSF allows paid parental leave under many circumstances? For example, the AAPF program currently allows two months of paid parental leave during the fellow's tenure. What are the rules for NSF Graduate Research Fellowships? Come to the session and find out; the answers to such questions might surprise you.

Evaluating Student Success and Progress in the Maryland Sea Grant REU Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moser, F. C.; Allen, M. R.; Clark, J.

2012-12-01

The Maryland Sea Grant's Research Experiences for Undergraduate (REU) 12-week summer program is in its 24th year. This estuarine science-focused program has evolved, based in part on our use of assessment tools to measure the program's effectiveness. Our goal is to understand the REU program's effectiveness in such areas as improving student understanding of scientific research, scientific ethics and marine science careers. Initially, our assessment approach was limited to short surveys that used qualitative answers from students about their experience. However, in the last decade we have developed a more comprehensive approach to measure program effectiveness. Currently, we use paired pre- and post-survey questions to estimate student growth during the program. These matching questions evaluate the student's change in knowledge and perception of science research over the course of the summer program. Additionally, we administer several surveys during the 12 weeks of the program to measure immediate responses of students to program activities and to gauge the students' evolving attitudes to customize each year's program. Our 2011 cohort showed consistent improvement in numerous areas, including understanding the nature of science (pre: 4.35, post: 4.64 on a 5 point scale), what graduate school is like (3.71, 4.42), the job of a researcher (4.07, 4.50), and career options in science (3.86, 4.42). Student confidence also increased in numerous skills required for good scientists. To analyze the long-term impact of our program, we survey our alumni to assess graduate degrees earned and career choices. A large percentage (72%) of our tracked alumni have continued on to graduate school, with subsequent careers spanning the academic (51%), public (24%) and private (25%) sectors. These assessments demonstrate that our program is successful in meeting our key objectives of strengthening the training of undergraduates in the sciences and retaining them in marine science careers.

Using an Iterative Fourier Series Approach in Determining Orbital Elements of Detached Visual Binary Stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tupa, Peter R.; Quirin, S.; DeLeo, G. G.; McCluskey, G. E., Jr.

2007-12-01

We present a modified Fourier transform approach to determine the orbital parameters of detached visual binary stars. Originally inspired by Monet (ApJ 234, 275, 1979), this new method utilizes an iterative routine of refining higher order Fourier terms in a manner consistent with Keplerian motion. In most cases, this approach is not sensitive to the starting orbital parameters in the iterative loop. In many cases we have determined orbital elements even with small fragments of orbits and noisy data, although some systems show computational instabilities. The algorithm was constructed using the MAPLE mathematical software code and tested on artificially created orbits and many real binary systems, including Gliese 22 AC, Tau 51, and BU 738. This work was supported at Lehigh University by NSF-REU grant PHY-9820301.

Simulations of the Neutron Gas in the Inner Crust of Neutron Stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vandegriff, Elizabeth; Horowitz, Charles; Caplan, Matthew

2017-09-01

Inside neutron stars, the structures known as `nuclear pasta' are found in the crust. This pasta forms near nuclear density as nucleons arrange in spaghetti- or lasagna-like structures to minimize their energy. We run classical molecular dynamics simulations to visualize the geometry of this pasta and study the distribution of nucleons. In the simulations, we observe that the pasta is embedded in a gas of neutrons, which we call the `sauce'. In this work, we developed two methods for determining the density of neutrons in the gas, one which is accurate at low temperatures and a second which justifies an extrapolation at high temperatures. Running simulations with no Coulomb interactions, we find that the neutron density increases linearly with temperature for every proton fraction we simulated. NSF REU Grant PHY-1460882 at Indiana University.

The Effects of Scales on Autorotation of Monarch Butterfly Forewings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dechello, Nicole; Lang, Amy

2014-11-01

The wings of Monarch butterflies (Danus plexippus) have scales of approximately 100 micrometers that cover their wings in a roof-shingle pattern, and these scales are hypothesized to help improve flight efficiency for their long migration. The aerodynamic effects of the scales, particularly involving the leading edge vortex formation and resulting lift, were investigated by observing the natural autorotation of forewing specimen when dropped in quiescent air. A high-speed camera recorded drop tests of 32 forewings both with scales and after removal of the scales. It was found that the scales, on average, comprised 17% of the forewing mass. Tracking software was used to analyze the videos for several parameters, including descent speed and radius of rotation. NSF ECE Grant #1358991 supported the first author as an research experience for undergraduate (REU) student.

Mapping Dark Matter in Simulated Galaxy Clusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bowyer, Rachel

2018-01-01

Galaxy clusters are the most massive bound objects in the Universe with most of their mass being dark matter. Cosmological simulations of structure formation show that clusters are embedded in a cosmic web of dark matter filaments and large scale structure. It is thought that these filaments are found preferentially close to the long axes of clusters. We extract galaxy clusters from the simulations "cosmo-OWLS" in order to study their properties directly and also to infer their properties from weak gravitational lensing signatures. We investigate various stacking procedures to enhance the signal of the filaments and large scale structure surrounding the clusters to better understand how the filaments of the cosmic web connect with galaxy clusters. This project was supported in part by the NSF REU grant AST-1358980 and by the Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association.

The Community Mentoring REU: A Novel Paradigm for Research Experiences for Undergraduates Programs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kobulnicky, Henry; Maierhofer, Lara; Kobulnicky, Carol; Dale, Daniel A.

2018-01-01

Research Experience for Undergraduates programs were conceived to promote entry of college students into STEM disciplines. Evidence suggests that participating in REUs increases interest in STEM, conveys skills leading to STEM jobs and graduate study, increases science self-efficacy, builds professional networks for young scientists, and cultivates identity as a scientist. Nevertheless, the factors that mediate desired outcomes are still poorly understood, and persistence of negative mentoring experiences among REU participants motivates the design and study of novel approaches to preparing future STEM professionals. During five summers spanning 2012-2016 we implemented a "Community Mentoring" paradigm at the University of Wyoming's 10-week Astronomy REU program. In contrast to "traditional model (TM)" REUs that pair a single senior scientist mentor with a single junior mentee, community mentoring (CM) unites 6-8 undergraduates with 3-5 faculty (perhaps assisted by a graduate student or postdoc) on a collaborative team addressing a single science goal. In CM, students have access to a pool of mentors and a peer group reading the same literature, working in a common location, sharing equipment (in this case the WIRO 2.3 meter telescope), sharing data, and learning the same analysis skills. The community interacts daily, modeling the highly collaborative nature of modern scientific teams. Our study used an electronic survey consisting of 24 questions to compare a cohort of 28 CM students to a national control group of 77 students who conducted REUs elsewhere during the same period, typically under the TM. CM students report a significantly higher level of "learning from their peers", "learning to work on a science team", and "sense of community" compared to the TM cohort. The CM cohort also reports a higher overall level of satisfaction with the REU and a lower level of negative experiences, such as finding it difficult to get time with a mentor. This talk will review other lessons learned in five years of community mentoring as it describes an alternative paradigm for REUs.

DECam Survey for Substellar and Low-mass Stellar Members of Sco-Cen

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mamajek, Eric E.; Moolekamp, Fred; James, David; Luhman, Kevin; Pecaut, Mark; Metchev, Stanimir A.; Denbo, Sara; Bell, Cameron P. M.

2017-01-01

We present the results of a DECam imaging survey for low-mass stellar and substellar objects in the nearby Sco-Cen OB association. The DECam survey was taken in izY bands in 2013 and 2015 and covered $\\sim$87 deg$^2$ in the two nearest and oldest subgroups, Upper Cen-Lup ($\\sim$142 pc) and Lower Cen-Cru ($\\sim$118 pc; both with mean ages $\\sim$16 Myr). Using color-magnitude and proper motion selection, we identify 391 candidate Sco-Cen members with masses ranging from near the D-burning limit of $\\sim$13 M$_{Jup}$, through the H-burning limit, up to $\\sim$0.4 M$_\\odot$. Our initial spectroscopic follow-up with the ARCoIRIS and COSMOS spectrographs for 19 objects have yielded young M dwarfs showing signatures of low surface-gravity. Our survey yields the first constraints on the substellar and low-mass initial mass function and disk fraction in the two oldest Sco-Cen subgroups, and will yield a large sample of young, low-surface gravity M and L-type objects of constrained age, distance, and chemical composition. We acknowledge support from NSF award AST-1313029 and the REU Site in Physics and Astrophysics at the University of Rochester supported by NSF award PHY-1156339.

Micro Penning Trap for Continuous Magnetic Field Monitoring in High Radiation Environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Latorre, Javiera; Bollen, Georg; Gulyuz, Kerim; Ringle, Ryan; Bado, Philippe; Dugan, Mark; Lebit Team; Translume Collaboration

2016-09-01

As new facilities for rare isotope beams, like FRIB at MSU, are constructed, there is a need for new instrumentation to monitor magnetic fields in beam magnets that can withstand the higher radiation level. Currently NMR probes, the instruments used extensively to monitor magnetic fields, do not have a long lifespans in radiation-high environments. Therefore, a radiation-hard replacement is needed. We propose to use Penning trap mass spectrometry techniques to make high precision magnetic field measurements. Our Penning microtrap will be radiation resistant as all of the vital electronics will be at a safe distance from the radiation. The trap itself is made from materials not subject to radiation damage. Penning trap mass spectrometers can determine the magnetic field by measuring the cyclotron frequency of an ion with a known mass and charge. This principle is used on the Low Energy Beam Ion Trap (LEBIT) minitrap at NSCL which is the foundation for the microtrap. We have partnered with Translume, who specialize in glass micro-fabrication, to develop a microtrap in fused-silica glass. A microtrap is finished and ready for testing at NSCL with all of the electronic and hardware components setup. DOE Phase II SBIR Award No. DE-SC0011313, NSF Award Number 1062410 REU in Physics, NSF under Grant No. PHY-1102511.

Comparison of Optical and Multi-Waveband Variations of Selected Gamma-ray Bright Blazars in 2012

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schultz, Benjamin; Jorstad, S. G.; Marscher, A. P.; Williamson, K. E.; Walker, G. E.

2013-01-01

We present multi-wavelength observations of several gamma-ray bright blazars. We combine optical data obtained with the 17-inch CCD telescope of Maria Mitchell Observatory with space- and ground-based observations carried out with a variety of instruments. These include a number of other optical telescopes, the Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope at photon energies of 0.1-200 GeV, and the Swift satellite at 0.3-10 keV plus optical and UV wavelengths. Three of the observed blazars proved to be particularly active - BL Lac, Mrk501, and CTA-102. BL Lac was of special interest, displaying remarkable activity in multiple wavelengths during this observation period, including the optical, in which it underwent its largest observed flare in a number of years. In addition, CTA-102 has recently undergone an unprecedented multi-wavelength outburst. We cross-correlate the variations in the different wavebands in an effort to guide theoretical interpretations of the optical and high-energy emission from blazars. This project was supported by NSF/REU grant AST-0851892 and the Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association. The research at Boston University was supported in part by NSF grant AST-0907893 and by NASA through Fermi grant NNX11AQ03G.

Teaching Global Change in Local Places: The HERO Research Experiences for Undergraduates Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yarnal, Brent; Neff, Rob

2007-01-01

The Human-Environment Research Observatory (HERO) Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program aimed to develop the next generation of researchers working on place-based human-environment problems. The program followed a cooperative learning model to foster an integrated approach to geographic research and to build collaborative research…

Understanding Measurements Returned by the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cohen, Daniel Parke; Criscuoli, Serena

2014-06-01

The Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) aboard the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) observes the Sun at the FeI 6173 Å line and returns full disk maps of line-of-sight observables including the magnetic field flux, FeI line width, line depth, and continuum intensity. To properly interpret such data it is important to understand any issues with the HMI and the pipeline that produces these observables. At this aim, HMI data were analyzed at both daily intervals for a span of 3 years at disk center in the quiet Sun and hourly intervals for a span of 200 hours around an active region. Systematic effects attributed to issues with instrument adjustments and re-calibrations, variations in the transmission filters and the orbital velocities of the SDO were found while the actual physical evolutions of such observables were difficult to determine. Velocities and magnetic flux measurements are less affected, as the aforementioned effects are partially compensated for by the HMI algorithm; the other observables are instead affected by larger uncertainties. In order to model these uncertainties, the HMI pipeline was tested with synthetic spectra generated through various 1D atmosphere models with radiative transfer code (the RH code). It was found that HMI estimates of line width, line depth, and continuum intensity are highly dependent on the shape of the line, and therefore highly dependent on the line-of-sight angle and the magnetic field associated to the model. The best estimates are found for Quiet regions at disk center, for which the relative differences between theoretical and HMI algorithm values are 6-8% for line width, 10-15% for line depth, and 0.1-0.2% for continuum intensity. In general, the relative difference between theoretical values and HMI estimates increases toward the limb and with the increase of the field; the HMI algorithm seems to fail in regions with fields larger than ~2000 G. This work is carried out through the National Solar Observatory Research Experiences for Undergraduate (REU) site program, which is co-funded by the Department of Defense in partnership with the NSF REU Program. The National Solar Observatory is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc. (AURA) under cooperative agreement with the National Science Foundation.

Production of Short-Lived 37K

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stephens, Heather; Melconian, Dan; Shidling, Praveen

2011-03-01

The purpose of our work during the summer months of 2010 was to produce a beam of 37 K with >= 99 % purity and characterize in detail the remaining contaminants. A projectile beam of 38 Ar at 25 and 29 MeV/nucleon from the K500 cyclotron generated the 37 K by reacting with an H2 gas target. The MARS spectrometer was then used to separate the reaction products of interest from the primary beam and other unwanted reaction products. From analysis of our production experiment, we were able to successfully produce 807 counts/nC of 37 K with 99.19% purity at 25MeV/u and 1756 counts/nC with 98.93% purity at 29MeV/u. The purity of this beam and rate of production is more than adequate for use in determining the half-life of 37 K, the next step to be done by the team in August 2010. This measurement will be accomplished by implanting the activity into a Mylar tape, placing it between two high-efficiency gas counters and counting the amount of beta decays as a function of time. It is expected the half-life will be measured using the 37 K produced from 38 Ar at 29MeV/u. Funded by DOE and NSF-REU Program.

Production of Short-Lived 37 K

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stephens, Heather; Melconian, Dan; Shidling, Praveen

2011-04-01

The purpose of our work during the summer months of 2010 was to produce a beam of 37 K with >= 99% purity and characterize in detail the remaining contaminants. A projectile beam of 38Ar at 25 and 29 MeV/nucleon from the K500 cyclotron generated the 37 K by reacting with an H2 gas target. The MARS spectrometer was then used to separate the reaction products of interest from the primary beam and other unwanted reaction products. From analysis of our production experiment, we were able to successfully produce 807 counts/nC of 37 K with 99.19% purity at 25MeV/u and 1756 counts/nC with 98.93% purity at 29MeV/u. The purity of this beam and rate of production is more than adequate for use in determining the half-life of 37 K, the next step to be done by the team in August 2010. This measurement will be accomplished by implanting the activity into a Mylar tape, placing it between two high-efficiency gas counters and counting the amount of beta decays as a function of time. It is expected the half-life will be measured using the 37 K produced from 38Ar at 29MeV/u. Funded by DOE and NSF-REU Program

The Search for Transients and Variables in the LSST Pathfinder Survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gorsuch, Mary Katherine; Kotulla, Ralf

2018-01-01

This research was completed during participation in the NSF-REU program at University of Wisconsin-Madison. Two fields of a few square degrees, close to the galactic plane, were imaged on the WIYN 3.5 meter telescope during the commissioning of the One Degree Imager (ODI) focal plane. These images were taken with repeated, shorter exposures in order to model an LSST-like cadence. This data was taken in order to identify transient and variable light sources. This was done by using Source Extractor to generate a catalog of all sources in each exposure, and inserting this data into a larger photometry database composed of all exposures for each field. A Python code was developed to analyze the data and isolate sources of interest from a large data set. We found that there were some discrepancies in the data, which lead to some interesting results that we are looking into further. Variable and transient sources, while relatively well understood, are not numerous in current cataloging systems. This will be a major undertaking of the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST), which this project is a precursor to. Locating these sources may give us a better understanding of where these sources are located and how they impact their surroundings.

Heating of Dust in Gamma-Ray Burst Environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hackett, Brianne; Updike, A. C.; Hartmann, D. H.

2010-01-01

We report observations in the R-band of the afterglow of GRB 090618 with the SARA 0.9m telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory. The lightcurve can be fit with a broken power law, with a possible jet break at t j ˜ 0.74 days. The foreground extinction to this burst is A R = 0.036 while the extinction in the host galaxy is undetermined. We also carry out a study of dust destruction due to heating by the prompt and early afterglow emission from the gamma-ray bursts. Dust can be destroyed to distances of several parsecs, so that the local environment of a GRB may not contribute significantly to the possible obscuration. While multiband photometry of GRB afterglows offers a powerful probe of dust evolution to large redshifts, the effects of the intense GRB radiation on dust in its vicinity must be taken into account. This project was funded by a partnership between the National Science Foundation (NSF AST-0552798), Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU), and the Department of Defense (DoD) ASSURE (Awards to Stimulate and Support Undergraduate Research Experiences) programs. We thank S. Brittain, A. Colson, J. Lewis, and M. Kronberg for obtaining the CCD images with the SARA telescope. This project has also benefited from discussions with Renata Cumbee and Shanna Estes.

Update on the Citizen CATE Experiment: Indonesia to 2017

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McKay, Myles; Penn, Matt; Baer, Robert; Bosh, Robert; Garrison, David; Gelderman, Richard; Hare, Honor; Isberner, Fred; Jensen, Logan; Kovac, Sarah; Mitchell, Adriana; Pierce, Michael; Thompson, Patricia; Ursache, Andrei; Varsik, John R.; Walter, Donald K.; Watson, Zachary; Young, David T.; Citizen CATE Team

2017-01-01

The Citizen Continental-America Telescopic Eclipse (CATE) Experiment is a team of students, citizen scientists and professional astronomers who will operate 60 identical telescopes distributed across the country in the path of totality from Oregon to South Carolina during the 21 August 2017 solar eclipse. The project goal is to produce a 90-minute time sequence of calibrated white light images of the solar corona. This unprecedented, continuous, temporal coverage during totality will allow us to address questions related to the dynamics in the inner 2.5 Rsun of the corona.Field testing of the equipment began with one setup located on the Faroe Islands during the March 2015 total solar eclipse. Here we report on the more recent March 2016 eclipse where five CATE teams were sent to Indonesia. This group included university undergraduate students, their faculty mentors and other professional scientists. CATE completed a successful field testing of multiple sites near the equator that were distributed over 20 degrees in longitude. We conclude our discussion with how the experience gained over the past two years is being put to use as we prepare for the full implementation of the CATE Network in August 2017.This work was supported in part by funding from NASA SMD grant NNX16AB92A and the NSF REU program through AST-1460743.

A highly sensitive magnetic biosensor for detection and quantification of anticancer drugs tagged to superparamagnetic nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wingo, J.; Devkota, J.; Mai, T. T. T.; Nguyen, X. P.; Mukherjee, P.; Srikanth, H.; Phan, M. H.; Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology Collaboration; University of South Florida Team

2014-03-01

A precise detection of low concentrations of biomolecules attached to magnetic nanoparticles in complex biological systems is a challenging task and requires biosensors with improved sensitivity. Here, we present a highly sensitive magnetic biosensor based on the magneto-reactance (MX) effect of a Co65Fe4Ni2Si15B14 amorphous ribbon with nanohole-patterned surface for detection and quantification of anticancer drugs (Curcumin) tagged to Fe3O4 nanoparticles. The detection and quantification of Curcumin were assessed by the change in MX of the ribbon subject to varying concentrations of the functionalized Fe3O4 nanoparticles. A high capacity of the MX-based biosensor in quantitative analysis of the nanoparticles was achieved in the range of 0 - 50 ng/ml, beyond which the detection sensitivity (η) remained unchanged. The η of the biosensor reached an extremely high value of 30%, which is about 4-5 times higher than that of a magneto-impedance (MI) based biosensor. This biosensor is well suited for detection of low-concentration magnetic biomarkers in biological systems. This work was supported by was supported by the Florida Cluster for Advanced Smart Sensor Technologies, USAMRMC (Grant # W81XWH-07-1-0708), and the NSF-funded REU program at the USF.

Over a Decade of Lessons Learned from an REU Program in the Science of Global Change and Sustainability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hersh, E. S.; James, E. W.; Banner, J. L.

2014-12-01

The Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) in "The Science of Global Change and Sustainability" at the University of Texas at Austin Environmental Science Institute (ESI) has just completed its twelfth summer. The program has 113 REU alumni plus 5 Research Experience for Teachers (RET) alumni, selected from a competitive pool of 976 applicants (~14% acceptance rate), 68% from 61 smaller colleges and universities (of 79 schools represented), 40% of those who self-reported coming from demographics underrepresented in STEM, and with nearly 70% women. Students conduct independent research under the supervision of a faculty mentor in four major interdisciplinary themes: Impacts on Ecosystems, Impacts on Watersheds and the Land Surface, Campus Sustainability, and Reconstructing Past Global Change. These themes bridge chemistry, biology, ecology, environmental policy, civil and environmental engineering, marine science, and geological science. The summer cohort participates in weekly research and professional development seminars along with group field exercises. Topics include graduate school, career preparation, research ethics, sustainability, global change, environmental justice, and research communication. These activities plus the student's individual research comprise a portfolio that culminates in a reflection essay integrating the concepts, methods, and perspectives gained over the 10-week program. Program alumni were surveyed in 2014 to gauge long-term impact and outcomes. Of the 76 surveyed from 2006-2013, 39% responded. 67% have earned or are working on a graduate degree, and 94% of the graduate programs are in STEM. 93% of the responding alumni felt that the program "influenced my job and educational choices" and 97% felt that the program "helped me better understand scientific research." 40% presented their findings at a conference and 17% authored or co-authored a peer-reviewed publication. This presentation will include a discussion of best practices and lessons learned over twelve years, such as strategies to increase cohort diversity, innovative activities, and results from long-term program evaluation on attitudes toward STEM careers and program outcomes.

Virtual cohorts and face-to-face recruitment: Strategies for cultivating the next generation of the IRIS Community

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hubenthal, M.; Wysession, M. E.; Aster, R. C.

2009-12-01

Since 1998, the IRIS Consortium REU program has facilitated research opportunities and career development for 71 undergraduate students to work with leaders in seismological research, travel to exciting locations for fieldwork, and engage in significant research for presentation and recognition at major professional conferences. A principal program goal is to encourage more students, representing a more diverse population, to choose careers in Earth science. Of the forty-six internship alumni that have completed their undergraduate degrees thus far, 85% have attained or are currently pursuing a graduate degree in a geoscience field and an additional 6% are working in a geoscience career with an undergraduate degree. The IRIS Consortium’s program differs from traditional REUs in that students are hosted at IRIS member institutions that are geographically distributed. To capture the sprit of a traditional REU cohort, IRIS has developed and refined a model that bonds students into a cohort. Key to the model are: a) research projects that have a common focus within seismology, b) a weeklong orientation where students get to know one another, share common experiences and establish a “social presence” with the other interns, c) a cyber infrastructure to maintain their connectedness in a way that enables both learning and collaboration, d) an alumni mentor that supports the interns and serves both as a role model and an unbiased and experienced third-party to the mentor/mentee relationship, and e) an alumni reception, and scientific presentation, at the annual Fall AGU Meeting to reconnect and share experiences. Through their virtual community interns offer each other assistance, share ideas, ask questions, and relate life experiences while conducting their own unique research. In addition to developing a model for encouraging virtual cohorts, IRIS has also carefully examined recruitment strategies to increase and diversify the applicant pool. Based on applicant surveys we believe that the best method to advertise REU programs has shifted away from the traditional and expensive hardcopy fliers tacked to bulletin board in the halls of science departments. Instead we have found that the two most common methods for students to learn about the program were by visiting the IRIS website to view video clips or slideshow presentations and via personal notification/encouragement from faculty or staff at their institutions. The importance of personal notification was even more pronounced for applicants from minority serving institutions. Given the importance both the web and faculty advising in encouraging students to apply, the IRIS REU has adopted the following three recruitment strategies: 1) Engage students through the website by providing access to traditional text and photos, narrated video clips and other media, as well as links to previous intern’s blogs, 2) Empower and encourage faculty to recruit students by providing resources for easy use in classes such as annotated slideshows and narrated videos, and 3) Reach out to minority students personally through a speaker series featuring minority alumni of the IRIS REU program.

RNA Secondary Structure Prediction by Using Discrete Mathematics: An Interdisciplinary Research Experience for Undergraduate Students

PubMed Central

Ellington, Roni; Wachira, James

2010-01-01

The focus of this Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) project was on RNA secondary structure prediction by using a lattice walk approach. The lattice walk approach is a combinatorial and computational biology method used to enumerate possible secondary structures and predict RNA secondary structure from RNA sequences. The method uses discrete mathematical techniques and identifies specified base pairs as parameters. The goal of the REU was to introduce upper-level undergraduate students to the principles and challenges of interdisciplinary research in molecular biology and discrete mathematics. At the beginning of the project, students from the biology and mathematics departments of a mid-sized university received instruction on the role of secondary structure in the function of eukaryotic RNAs and RNA viruses, RNA related to combinatorics, and the National Center for Biotechnology Information resources. The student research projects focused on RNA secondary structure prediction on a regulatory region of the yellow fever virus RNA genome and on an untranslated region of an mRNA of a gene associated with the neurological disorder epilepsy. At the end of the project, the REU students gave poster and oral presentations, and they submitted written final project reports to the program director. The outcome of the REU was that the students gained transferable knowledge and skills in bioinformatics and an awareness of the applications of discrete mathematics to biological research problems. PMID:20810968

RNA secondary structure prediction by using discrete mathematics: an interdisciplinary research experience for undergraduate students.

PubMed

Ellington, Roni; Wachira, James; Nkwanta, Asamoah

2010-01-01

The focus of this Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) project was on RNA secondary structure prediction by using a lattice walk approach. The lattice walk approach is a combinatorial and computational biology method used to enumerate possible secondary structures and predict RNA secondary structure from RNA sequences. The method uses discrete mathematical techniques and identifies specified base pairs as parameters. The goal of the REU was to introduce upper-level undergraduate students to the principles and challenges of interdisciplinary research in molecular biology and discrete mathematics. At the beginning of the project, students from the biology and mathematics departments of a mid-sized university received instruction on the role of secondary structure in the function of eukaryotic RNAs and RNA viruses, RNA related to combinatorics, and the National Center for Biotechnology Information resources. The student research projects focused on RNA secondary structure prediction on a regulatory region of the yellow fever virus RNA genome and on an untranslated region of an mRNA of a gene associated with the neurological disorder epilepsy. At the end of the project, the REU students gave poster and oral presentations, and they submitted written final project reports to the program director. The outcome of the REU was that the students gained transferable knowledge and skills in bioinformatics and an awareness of the applications of discrete mathematics to biological research problems.

Proto-Typing Research Aimed for Secondary School Students and Teachers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walker, C. E.; Fersch, A.; Barringer, D.; Pompea, S. M.

2011-12-01

In workshops on GLOBE at Night, teacher professional development has begun on using night sky brightness data and bat telemetry data to do scientific research in the classroom. The study looks at the effects of light pollution on the flight paths of threatened and endangered (T&E) bats between their day roosts and night foraging areas. A jump-start in getting secondary school students involved was the BioBlitz event in Tucson, Arizona in October 2011. During the 24-hour event, night Sky Quality Meter (SQM) data was taken across the Saguaro National Park West, through Tucson and across the Saguaro National Park East. The program had its beginning with a pair of Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) students and their advisor. Through the collaboration of the National Science Foundation's REU program, the National Optical Astronomy Observatory's GLOBE at Night program and the U.S. Arizona Game and Fish Department (AzGFD), two REU students along with their advisor used data from the GLOBE at Night project and telemetry tracking data of lesser long-nosed bats to study the effects of light pollution on the flight paths of the bats between their day roosts and night foraging areas around the city of Tucson, AZ. During the summer of 2010, the first REU student used the visual limiting magnitude data from GLOBE at Night and, with the assistance of the AzGFD, ran compositional analyses with respect to the bats' flight paths to determine whether the bats were selecting for or against flight through regions of particular night sky brightness levels. The bats selected for the regions in which the limiting sky magnitudes fell between the ranges of 2.8-3.0 to 3.6-3.8 and 4.4-4.6 to 5.0-5.2, suggesting that the lesser long-nosed bat can tolerate a fair degree of urbanization. Three areas of systematic uncertainty were identified of which 2 could be addressed the following summer. Due to a relatively large uncertainty in each individually measured visual limiting magnitude, Sky Quality Meter (SQM) measurements were subsequently used as a more objective source of data. In addition, the area over which the data was taken was expanded to redress spurious edge effects in making contour maps. During the summer of 2011, the second REU student took more SQM data and, with the SQM database from GLOBE at Night and the assistance of the AzGFD, performed a logistic regression analysis with respect to the bats' flight paths to determine whether the bats preferred or avoided flight through regions of particular night sky brightness levels. During the presentation, we will provide more on the analysis and conclusions of the research, as well as the extension of the program to secondary students and teachers. Should the conclusion be that the bats are preferentially staying in darker areas, a next step for students and teachers would include helping to maintain a dark corridor where the T&E lesser long nosed bats travel between roosts and foraging areas. Should this prototype project succeed, it will be used as a template for other REU and secondary school research projects on endangered animals across the U.S. affected by light pollution. Teacher professional development will play a big role in the program's future success.

Research Experience for Undergraduates: Understanding the Arctic as a System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alexeev, V. A.; Walsh, J. E.; Arp, C. D.; Hock, R.; Euskirchen, E. S.; Kaden, U.; Polyakov, I.; Romanovsky, V. E.; Trainor, S.

2017-12-01

Today, more than ever, an integrated cross-disciplinary approach is necessary to understand and explain changes in the Arctic and the implications of those changes. Responding to needs in innovative research and education for understanding high-latitude rapid climate change, scientists at the International Arctic research Center of the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) established a new REU (=Research Experience for Undergraduates) NSF-funded site, aiming to attract more undergraduates to arctic sciences. The science focus of this program, building upon the research strengths of UAF, is on understanding the Arctic as a system with emphasis on its physical component. The goals, which were to disseminate new knowledge at the frontiers of polar science and to ignite the enthusiasm of the undergraduates about the Arctic, are pursued by involving undergraduate students in research and educational projects with their mentors using the available diverse on-campus capabilities. IARC hosted the first group of eight students this past summer, focusing on a variety of different disciplines of the Arctic System Science. Students visited research sites around Fairbanks and in remote parts of Alaska (Toolik Lake Field Station, Gulkana glacier, Bonanza Creek, Poker Flats, the CRREL Permafrost Tunnel and others) to see and experience first-hand how the arctic science is done. Each student worked on a research project guided by an experienced instructor. The summer program culminated with a workshop that consisted of reports from the students about their experiences and the results of their projects.

An REU Project on the Precambrian Rocks of Yellowstone National Park: Some lessons learned

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Henry, D.; Mogk, D. W.; Mueller, P. A.; Foster, D. A.

2014-12-01

An NSF-funded REU project (2011-2013), based in Yellowstone National Park (YNP), was designed to characterize the geology, geochemistry and geochronology of Precambrian rocks in northern YNP. Over two field seasons two cadres of 12 students (12 women and 12 men) were chosen from small-to-large state universities and private colleges. REU students participated in three major activities constituting a complete research experience: Field studies involved geologic mapping and sampling of Precambrian basement; formulation of testable research questions by smaller working groups; and mapping and sampling projects to address research questions; Analytical studies, sample preparation immediately followed field work with petrographic analysis at students' home institutions and a week-long visit to analytical laboratories to conduct follow-up studies by small research groups during the academic year (Univ. Florida - geochemistry and geochronology; Univ. Minnesota - EMPA analysis); Communicating results, each working group submitted an abstract and collectively presented 13 posters at the 2011 and 2012 GSA Rocky Mountain sectional meetings. We used directed discovery to engage students in a community of practice in the field and found that a long apprenticeship (2-3 weeks) is optimal for novice-master interactions in exploring natural setting. Initial group hikes were used to normalize methods and language of the discipline. Students developed a sense of ownership of the overall project and assumed personal responsibility for directed research projects. Training was provided to: guide students in selection and appropriate use of tools; develop sampling strategies; discuss communal ethics, values, and expectations; develop efficient work habits; stimulate independent thinking; and engage decision-making. It was important to scaffold the field experience to students' level of development to lead to mastery. Analytical activities were designed from rock to analysis so that each group mastered all preparation steps and instrumental techniques under supervision of graduate mentors and lab managers leading to a clearer understanding of data interpretation. Students were communally engaged in abstract and poster preparation to ensure proper focus, scientific breadth, and style of presentation.

NSF Factbook. Guide to National Science Foundation Programs and Activities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Renetzky, Alvin, Ed.; Flynn, Barbara J., Ed.

This publication is a thorough guide to National Science Foundation (NSF) programs and activities. Research activities and science education programs supported by NSF during the fiscal year 1970 are reviewed in part one of this volume. Comprehensive listings of NSF grants and awards are presented in the second section which includes a list of…

NSB organizational changes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

To increase its involvement in National Science Foundation (NSF) policy and program oversight, the National Science Board (NSB), which is the NSF governing body, has instituted a number of changes in its committee structure and operations.One reason for the changes, according to Roland Schmitt, senior vice president for corporate research and development at the General Electric Company and chairman of NSB, is to move away from approval of NSF awards as the primary mechanism for NSB oversight of NSF programs. By law, NSB must approve awards that are above a certain dollar value. Most awards above that limit come from only a few NSF programs. The new changes will allow NSB to review programs and projects throughout NSF earlier in the review process and to affect major program decisions when they are being made.

The CNO Bi-cycle in the Open Cluster NGC 752

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hawkins, Keith; Schuler, S.; King, J.; The, L.

2011-01-01

The CNO bi-cycle is the primary energy source for main sequence stars more massive than the sun. To test our understanding of stellar evolution models using the CNO bi-cycle, we have undertaken light-element (CNO) abundance analysis of three main sequence dwarf stars and three red giant stars in the open cluster NGC 752 utilizing high resolution (R 50,000) spectroscopy from the Keck Observatory. Preliminary results indicate, as expected, there is a depletion of carbon in the giants relative to the dwarfs. Additional analysis is needed to determine if the amount of depletion is in line with model predictions, as seen in the Hyades open cluster. Oxygen abundances are derived from the high-excitation O I triplet, and there is a 0.19 dex offset in the [O/H] abundances between the giants and dwarfs which may be explained by non-local thermodynamic equilibrium (NLTE), although further analysis is needed to verify this. The standard procedure for spectroscopically determining stellar parameters used here allows for a measurement of the cluster metallicity, [Fe/H] = 0.04 ± 0.02. In addition to the Fe abundances we have determined Na, Mg, and Al abundances to determine the status of other nucleosynthesis processes. The Na, Mg and Al abundances of the giants are enhanced relative to the dwarfs, which is consistent with similar findings in giants of other open clusters. Support for K. Hawkins was provided by the NOAO/KPNO Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Program which is funded by the National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates Program and the Department of Defense ASSURE program through Scientific Program Order No. 13 (AST-0754223) of the Cooperative Agreement No. AST-0132798 between the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA) and the NSF.

An evaluation capacity building toolkit for principal investigators of undergraduate research experiences: A demonstration of transforming theory into practice.

PubMed

Rorrer, Audrey S

2016-04-01

This paper describes the approach and process undertaken to develop evaluation capacity among the leaders of a federally funded undergraduate research program. An evaluation toolkit was developed for Computer and Information Sciences and Engineering(1) Research Experiences for Undergraduates(2) (CISE REU) programs to address the ongoing need for evaluation capacity among principal investigators who manage program evaluation. The toolkit was the result of collaboration within the CISE REU community with the purpose being to provide targeted instructional resources and tools for quality program evaluation. Challenges were to balance the desire for standardized assessment with the responsibility to account for individual program contexts. Toolkit contents included instructional materials about evaluation practice, a standardized applicant management tool, and a modulated outcomes measure. Resulting benefits from toolkit deployment were having cost effective, sustainable evaluation tools, a community evaluation forum, and aggregate measurement of key program outcomes for the national program. Lessons learned included the imperative of understanding the evaluation context, engaging stakeholders, and building stakeholder trust. Results from project measures are presented along with a discussion of guidelines for facilitating evaluation capacity building that will serve a variety of contexts. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

The Effects of Hemodynamic Shear Stress on Stemness of Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raddatz, Andrew; Triantafillu, Ursula; Kim, Yonghyun (John)

2015-11-01

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) have recently been identified as the root cause of tumors generated from cancer cell populations. This is because these CSCs are drug-resistant and have the ability to self-renew and differentiate. Current methods of culturing CSCs require much time and money, so cancer cell culture protocols, which maximize yield of CSCs are needed. It was hypothesized that the quantity of Acute myelogenous leukemia stem cells (LSCs) would increase after applying shear stress to the leukemia cells based on previous studies with breast cancer in bioreactors. The shear stress was applied by pumping the cells through narrow tubing to mimic the in vivo bloodstream environment. In support of the hypothesis, shear stress was found to increase the amount of LSCs in a given leukemia population. This work was supported by NSF REU Site Award 1358991.

Aerodynamic Analysis of Morphing Blades

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harris, Caleb; Macphee, David; Carlisle, Madeline

2016-11-01

Interest in morphing blades has grown with applications for wind turbines and other aerodynamic blades. This passive control method has advantages over active control methods such as lower manufacturing and upkeep costs. This study has investigated the lift and drag forces on individual blades with experimental and computational analysis. The goal has been to show that these blades delay stall and provide larger lift-to-drag ratios at various angles of attack. Rigid and flexible airfoils were cast from polyurethane and silicone respectively, then lift and drag forces were collected from a load cell during 2-D testing in a wind tunnel. Experimental data was used to validate computational models in OpenFOAM. A finite volume fluid-structure-interaction solver was used to model the flexible blade in fluid flow. Preliminary results indicate delay in stall and larger lift-to-drag ratios by maintaining more optimal angles of attack when flexing. Funding from NSF REU site Grant EEC 1358991 is greatly appreciated.

Micellization and phase transitions in a triblock copolymer-D2O system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Odhner, Hosanna; Huff, Alison; Patton, Kelly; Jacobs, D. T.; Clover, Bryna; Greer, Sandra

2011-03-01

The triblock copolymer (``unimer'') of PPO-PEO-PPO (commercially known as 17R4) has hydrophobic ends and a hydrophilic center. When placed in D2 O at lower concentrations and temperatures, only a network of unimers exists. However, at higher concentrations or temperatures, micelles of different geometries can form. We have measured the micellization line marking the transition from only unimers to some micelles, as well as a one- to two-phase transition at higher temperatures. This second transition is an Ising-like, LCST critical point, based on the shape of the coexistence curve. We find the LCST to not correspond to the minimum of the cloud point curve, which indicates polydispersity as described by Sollich. We acknowledge the support from Research Corporation, NSF-REU grant DMR 0649112, The College of Wooster, and (for BC and SG) to the donors of the Petroleum Research Fund, administered by the American Chemical Society.

Comparison of Solar and Wind Power Output and Correlation with Real-Time Pricing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoepfl, Kathryn E.; Compaan, Alvin D.; Solocha, Andrew

2011-03-01

This study presents a method that can be used to determine the least volatile power output of a wind and solar hybrid energy system in which wind and solar systems have the same peak power. Hourly data for wind and PV systems in Northwest Ohio are used to show that a combination of both types of sustainable energy sources produces a more stable power output and would be more valuable to the grid than either individually. This method could be used to determine the ideal ratio in any part of the country and should help convince electric utility companies to bring more renewable generation online. This study also looks at real-time market pricing and how each system (solar, wind, and hybrid) correlates with 2009 hourly pricing from the Midwest Interconnect. KEH acknowledges support from the NSF-REU grant PHY-1004649 to the Univ. of Toledo and Garland Energy Systems/Ohio Department of Development.

Observations on Leading-Edge Vortex Development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Glenn, Michael; Lang, Amy; Wahidi, Redha; Wilroy, Jacob

2016-11-01

Most of an insect's lift comes from the leading edge vortex (LEV) that they produce when flapping their wings. There are many variables that make a LEV either stronger or weaker such as: roughness from the scales on their wings, angle of attack (AoA) of wing, size of the wing, and speed of the wing during flapping motion. Experiments were conducted to study LEV development to gain a better understanding of butterfly flight and the importance of LEV formation. The variables emphasized in this particular experiment were the chord length Reynolds numbers. Two smooth plates of 4 inches and 7 inches were compared in this experiment with Re of 1500 and 3000. Matlab was used to track the LEV location and calculate the vorticity and circulation magnitudes. Differences in LEV vortex strength as a function of chord length will be presented. Funding was provided by NSF REU site Grant EEC 1358991 and CBET Grant 1628600.

Spatially Resolved Emission of a z~3 Damped Lyman Alpha Galaxy with Keck/OSIRIS IFU

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Christenson, Holly; Jorgenson, Regina

2017-01-01

The damped Lyman alpha (DLA) class of galaxies contains most of the neutral hydrogen gas over cosmic time. Few DLAs have been detected directly, which limits our knowledge of fundamental properties like size and mass. We present Keck/OSIRIS infrared integral field spectroscopy (IFU) observations of a DLA that was first detected in absorption toward a background quasar. Our observations use the Keck Laser Guide Star Adaptive Optics system to reduce the point-spread function of the quasar, making it possible to spatially resolve the DLA emission. We map this emission in O[III] 5007 Å. At redshift z~3, this DLA represents one of the highest redshift DLAs mapped with IFU spectroscopy. We present measurements of the star formation rate, metallicity, and gas mass of the galaxy.This project was supported in part by the NSF REU grant AST-1358980 and by the Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association.

Building Capacity Through Hands-on Computational Internships to Assure Reproducible Results and Implementation of Digital Documentation in the ICERT REU Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gomez, R.; Gentle, J.

2015-12-01

Modern data pipelines and computational processes require that meticulous methodologies be applied in order to insure that the source data, algorithms, and results are properly curated, managed and retained while remaining discoverable, accessible, and reproducible. Given the complexity of understanding the scientific problem domain being researched, combined with the overhead of learning to use advanced computing technologies, it becomes paramount that the next generation of scientists and researchers learn to embrace best-practices. The Integrative Computational Education and Research Traineeship (ICERT) is a National Science Foundation (NSF) Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Site at the Texas Advanced Computing Center (TACC). During Summer 2015, two ICERT interns joined the 3DDY project. 3DDY converts geospatial datasets into file types that can take advantage of new formats, such as natural user interfaces, interactive visualization, and 3D printing. Mentored by TACC researchers for ten weeks, students with no previous background in computational science learned to use scripts to build the first prototype of the 3DDY application, and leveraged Wrangler, the newest high performance computing (HPC) resource at TACC. Test datasets for quadrangles in central Texas were used to assemble the 3DDY workflow and code. Test files were successfully converted into a stereo lithographic (STL) format, which is amenable for use with a 3D printers. Test files and the scripts were documented and shared using the Figshare site while metadata was documented for the 3DDY application using OntoSoft. These efforts validated a straightforward set of workflows to transform geospatial data and established the first prototype version of 3DDY. Adding the data and software management procedures helped students realize a broader set of tangible results (e.g. Figshare entries), better document their progress and the final state of their work for the research group and community, helped students and researchers follow a clear set of formats and fill in the necessary details that may be lost otherwise, and exposed the students to the next generation workflows and practices for digital scholarship and scientific inquiry for converting geospatial data into formats that are easy to reuse.

Enriching the Research Experiences for Undergraduates in Geoscience Through Student Feedback

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sears, R. F.; Bank, C. G.

2014-12-01

Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) allow students to work alongside professionals while they conduct scientific research and offer excellent opportunities to expose students to the practical components of their university education. Indeed, anecdotal evidence shows that a well-planned REU builds teamwork skills, provides a deeper understanding of the science learned in the classroom, and allows students to experience the various stages of science and thus consider wider career options. However, such evidence is difficult to measure. In this presentation we will present preliminary results from a survey of 2nd and 3rd year students who have been engaged in separate interdisciplinary projects (a geophysical survey in South Africa to assist archaeologists, and a forensic study in collaboration with the provincial police). Our before and after surveys address criteria such as students' understanding of scientific methodology, familiarity with the topic and tools for the research, expectations of the study and of themselves, and logistics of doing science. It is our hope that the student voices we present will help REU program coordinators to address limitations and establish best practices to provide the richest possible learning experience.

Place-based research project design for 10-week REU and two-week "mini-REU" internships using lake sediment cores

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Myrbo, A.; Howes, T.; Thompson, R.; Drake, C.; Woods, P.; Schuldt, N.; Borkholder, B.; Marty, J.; Lafrancois, T.; Pellerin, H.

2012-12-01

Lake sediment cores provide scalable, interdisciplinary research projects that are well suited for summer internships such as the NSF-REU (Research Experience for Undergraduates). Short paleorecords (100-500 years or about a meter of core) are easy to collect and are tractable in terms of sample numbers (Myrbo et al. 2011). Many students find it compelling to reconstruct the recent past; choosing sites with cultural or historical significance is another way to make research seem more relevant. We present the results and experiences of designing two- and ten-week individual, group, and team research projects. Each of these projects contributes to the findings of a collaborative inquiry by the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa (FDL) and the University of Minnesota (UMN). Research questions are determined and framed by FDL Resource Management, and student projects are supported and advised by both FDL and UMN scientists. The research is focused on the past environmental conditions of on- and off-Reservation wild rice lakes and the surrounding landscapes and people, and includes the study of biological and chemical proxies as well as historical records. Over the past three years, this approach has enabled diverse groups of students to conduct authentic and original basic research that also has applications to management and planning issues for Tribal resource managers, and to develop skills that are portable to other management and academic settings. These compelling "short" time scale projects can serve as a gateway for students to further pursue science including longer term paleorecords, climate change research, other disciplines in ecology, water resources, geography, archeology, and geology, as well as humanities research areas such as history and landscape architecture. An overarching goal is to help students understand current environmental change in the context of long-term changes, pre-industrial human land use, and accelerated Anthropocene impacts. The two-week "mini-REU" was designed to attract students with little or no independent research experience, who might be intimidated by applying for a ten-week internship away from home (but who might apply for one after completing a good mini-REU). The arc of research, from site selection to field work and lab work to data interpretation and poster presentation, must be encompassed in these brief projects, so group projects with clear goals are best suited for mini-REUs. The May 2012 project, with twelve students in four research proxy groups (charcoal, phytoliths, plant macrofossils, and zooplankton), demonstrated that a FDL lake, Rice Portage, had extensive wild rice habitat prior to early 20th-century Euroamerican ditching; this proof was required in order for FDL to gain a permit from the Army Corps of Engineers to raise the lake level as part of a wild rice restoration effort. Each proxy group had one research advisor (a graduate student or soft money researcher), plus one UMN über-advisor for the project as a whole, as well as the Fond du Lac resource manager. All of these advisors also work with the 10-week interns throughout the summer.

Reconfiguring REU programs to build links between institutions is an efficiient way of expanding student participation in research.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Halpern, J. B.

2016-12-01

There is good evidence that STEM career recruiting would be bettered by a shift in REU programs from an individual student focus to building institutional links with faculty participation. This would improve recruiting, duration and the scientific productivity of the REU system. Student commitment would benefit from a more sophisticated and productive project that this would enable as would research groups and mentors at all institutions. Such programs build long lasting links between the institutions and individual faculty. For teaching institutions, scientifically centered collaborations bring faculty and students into the research culture. Faculty who teach at such institutions will maintain their research skills as well as their links to the field and gain respect both internally and externally. Visibility of the collaboration at the non-research centered institution will attract other students into the area. An on-going collaboration offers benefits to the research institution as well. First, recruitment becomes less hit and miss because the partners have observed and taught their students. Second partners will provide appropriate training and context before the summer starts for new students. Third, the availability of partners to help mentoring the students during the summer and into the academic year makes it easier for graduate students, post-docs and the research university faculty as well. Fourth, a good collaboration builds respect and understanding on all sides, which, since many in the research group will go on to teach at teaching centered institutions is important. Building respect for transfer students from Community Colleges and smaller teaching institutions among the research faculty is another benefit. I will describe programs that I have designed an led that successfully implement these ideas.

Assessment of the benefits of a summer undergraduate research program for physics and chemistry majors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hughes, Chris; MacDonald, Gina

2006-11-01

Presently at James Madison University, there are slightly more than 100 physics majors and 150 chemistry majors. Each summer, a significant fraction of these students participate in either the chemistry or interdisciplinary materials science Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program on campus. This provides a large pool of students from which to draw data comparing the influence of undergraduate research on both classroom performance and attitudes toward science as a profession. By analyzing the grade point averages of chemistry and physics majors, we have shown slightly larger increases from spring semester to fall semester for students who participated in the REU than those who did not. We have also measured changes in attitudes using surveys of the students both at the beginning and at the end of the summer experience. An analysis of these surveys will be presented.

Participatory Action Research Experiences for Undergraduates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sample McMeeking, L. B.; Weinberg, A. E.

2013-12-01

Research experiences for undergraduates (REU) have been shown to be effective in improving undergraduate students' personal/professional development, ability to synthesize knowledge, improvement in research skills, professional advancement, and career choice. Adding to the literature on REU programs, a new conceptual model situating REU within a context of participatory action research (PAR) is presented and compared with data from a PAR-based coastal climate research experience that took place in Summer 2012. The purpose of the interdisciplinary Participatory Action Research Experiences for Undergraduates (PAREU) model is to act as an additional year to traditional, lab-based REU where undergraduate science students, social science experts, and community members collaborate to develop research with the goal of enacting change. The benefits to traditional REU's are well established and include increased content knowledge, better research skills, changes in attitudes, and greater career awareness gained by students. Additional positive outcomes are expected from undergraduate researchers (UR) who participate in PAREU, including the ability to better communicate with non-scientists. With highly politicized aspects of science, such as climate change, this becomes especially important for future scientists. Further, they will be able to articulate the relevance of science research to society, which is an important skill, especially given the funding climate where agencies require broader impacts statements. Making science relevant may also benefit URs who wish to apply their science research. Finally, URs will gain social science research skills by apprenticing in a research project that includes science and social science research components, which enables them to participate in future education and outreach. The model also positively impacts community members by elevating their voices within and outside the community, particularly in areas severely underserved socially and politically. The PAREU model empowers the community to take action from the research they, themselves, conducted, and enables them to carry out future research. Finally, many of these communities (and the general public) lack the understanding of the nature of science, which leads to ignorance on the part of citizens in areas of science such as climate change. By participating in science/social science research, community members gain a better understanding of the nature of science, making them more informed citizens. The PAREU model is theoretically grounded in decades of research in social science and documented impacts of student research experiences. In addition to providing practical benefits for communities with needs solvable by scientific research, the model builds on and expands student skills gained from traditional REU programs Deep and sustained engagement among scientists, social scientists, and community leaders is expected to create better informed citizens and improve their ability to solve problems.

CATE 2016 Indonesia: normalized radial graded filtering, site-to-site image registration, and preliminary results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jensen, L.; Kovac, S. A.; Hare, H. S.; Mitchell, A. M.; McKay, M. A.; Bosh, R.; Watson, Z.; Penn, M.

2016-12-01

An area of the solar corona from 1 out to approximately 2.5 solar radii is currently poorly sampled in astronomy. This is largely due to difficulties inherent in observing the sun from space and from the ground. Specifically focusing on ground based observations, the main problem is scattered light in the Earth's atmosphere and in the telescopes themselves. A total solar eclipse solves this problem by blocking the light from the photosphere of the sun before it enters the atmosphere, reducing the scattered light in the atmosphere by a factor of 10,000. However, using a total solar eclipse introduces another challenge due to the small window of time it provides. At any given location in 2017, the totality will last for only about 2.5 minutes and such a small data set limits the studies that can be done on the inner corona. The Citizen Continental-America Telescopic Eclipse Experiment plans to overcome this issue by taking advantage of America's infrastructure and using 60 identical telescopes to collect continuous data of the solar eclipse as the shadow travels from Oregon to South Carolina. By splicing these data together 90 minutes of one-of-a-kind data can be collected, revealing the dynamics of the inner corona as never seen before. For the 2016 Indonesian total solar eclipse the CATE project collected data using 5 sites along the eclipse path. These data were then used to develop processing programs to use on future data. These processes included site-to-site image registration as well as normalized radial graded filtering of the images. Programs were also developed to begin performing studies on the data including overlapping CATE and LASCO space telescope data for a total coronal image as well as thread tracing routines to quantify direction in the coronal filaments. This work was made possible through the National Solar Observatory Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Program, which is funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF). The NSO Training for 2017 Citizen CATE Experiment, funded by NASA (NASA NNX16AB92A), also provided support for this project. The National Solar Observatory is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc. (AURA) under cooperative agreement with the NSF.

CATE 2016 Indonesia: Camera, Software, and User Interface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kovac, S. A.; Jensen, L.; Hare, H. S.; Mitchell, A. M.; McKay, M. A.; Bosh, R.; Watson, Z.; Penn, M.

2016-12-01

The Citizen Continental-America Telescopic Eclipse (Citizen CATE) Experiment will use a fleet of 60 identical telescopes across the United States to image the inner solar corona during the 2017 total solar eclipse. For a proof of concept, five sites were hosted along the path of totality during the 2016 total solar eclipse in Indonesia. Tanjung Pandan, Belitung, Indonesia was the first site to experience totality. This site had the best seeing conditions and focus, resulting in the highest quality images. This site proved that the equipment that is going to be used is capable of recording high quality images of the solar corona. Because 60 sites will be funded, each set up needs to be cost effective. This requires us to use an inexpensive camera, which consequently has a small dynamic range. To compensate for the corona's intensity drop off factor of 1,000, images are taken at seven frames per second, at exposures 0.4ms, 1.3ms, 4.0ms, 13ms, 40ms, 130ms, and 400ms. Using MatLab software, we are able to capture a high dynamic range with an Arduino that controls the 2448 x 2048 CMOS camera. A major component of this project is to train average citizens to use the software, meaning it needs to be as user friendly as possible. The CATE team is currently working with MathWorks to create a graphic user interface (GUI) that will make data collection run smoothly. This interface will include tabs for alignment, focus, calibration data, drift data, GPS, totality, and a quick look function. This work was made possible through the National Solar Observatory Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Program, which is funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF). The NSO Training for 2017 Citizen CATE Experiment, funded by NASA (NASA NNX16AB92A), also provided support for this project. The National Solar Observatory is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc. (AURA) under cooperative agreement with the NSF.

Development of a global education environment to study the Equatorial Ionosphere with Cognitive Radars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Urbina, J. V.

2011-12-01

The author has recently been awarded the NSF Career award to develop a radar with cognitive sensing capabilities to study Equatorial plasma instabilities in the Peruvian Andes. Educational research has shown that a rich learning environment contributes tremendously toward improvement in learning achievements and also attitudes toward studies. One of the benefits of this project is that it provides such an environment and a global platform to involve several students at both graduate and undergraduate levels from the US, Puerto Rico, and Peru, and who will benefit from designing, installing, and deploying a radar in multi-instrument science campaigns. In addition to working in the laboratories, students will gain invaluable real world experience building this complex instrument and making it work under challenging conditions at remote sites. The PI will describe how these components are being developed in a Freshman Seminar course and Graduate courses in the Department of Electrical Engineering at Penn State University, and how they are aligned well with the department's and university's strategy for greater global engagement through a network of Global Engagement Nodes in South America (GENSA). The issues of mentoring, recruitment, and retention become particularly important in consideration of the educational objective of this career project to involve underrepresented students with diverse backgrounds and interest them in research projects. The author is working very closely with the Office of Engineering Diversity to leverage existing programs at Penn State designed to increase the participation of women and minority students in science and engineering research: (a) WISER (Women In Science and Engineering Research), and (b) MURE (Minority Undergraduate Research Experience). The Electrical Engineering Department at Penn State is also currently an NSF REU (Research Experience for Undergraduates) site. The PI will also present his efforts in connecting his career project in providing research experiences during summer to underrepresented groups as well as students from schools without extensive research environments.

Development of Water Target for Radioisotope Production

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tripp, Nathan

2011-10-01

Ongoing studies of plant physiology at TUNL require a supply of nitrogen-13 for use as a radiotracer. Production of nitrogen-13 using a water target and a proton beam follows the nuclear reaction 16-O(p,a)13-N. Unfortunately the irradiation of trace amounts of oxygen-18 within a natural water target produces fluorine-18 by the reaction 18-O(p, n)18-F. The presence of this second radioisotope reduces the efficacy of nitrogen-13 as a radiotracer. Designing a natural water target for nitrogen-13 production at TUNL required the design of several new systems to address the problems inherent in nitrogen-13 production. A heat exchanger cools the target water after irradiation within the target cell. The resulting improved thermal regulation of the target water prevents the system from overheating and minimizes the effect of the cavitations occurring within the target. Alumina pellets within a scrubbing unit remove the fluorine-18 contamination from the irradiated water. The modular design of the water target apparatus makes the system highly adaptable, allowing for easy reuse and adaptation of the different components into future projects. The newly designed and constructed water target should meet the current and future needs of TUNL researchers in the production of nitrogen-13. This TUNL REU project was funded in part by a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) NSF-PHY-08-51813.

New Low-Mass Wide Companions to Members of the Sco-Cen OB Association

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Finn, Molly; Mamajek, Eric E.; Luhman, Kevin; Murphy, Simon

2017-01-01

We have conducted a survey for wide common proper motion companions to 512 members of the Upper Cen-Lup (UCL) and Lower Cen-Cru (LCC) subgroups of the Sco-Cen OB association using astrometry and photometry from the SPM4 catalog. Companion candidates were selected within 3 arcminutes (23 kau = 0.11 pc at d = 130 pc). We find that 12% of the Sco-Cen members have stellar companions in the separation range 3-20 kau. Optical spectra of 16 candidate companions were taken with the new COSMOS spectrograph on the Blanco 4-m telescope and the Wide Field Spectrograph on the Australian National University 2.3-m telescope. The spectroscopic survey yielded 14 M-type stars with Na I surface gravity index indicative of pre-MS status, of which half were Li-rich (along with two background giant interlopers). Seven stars in the range M1-M4.5 appear to be Li depleted, but otherwise seem to be pre-MS due to their chromospheric activity, low surface gravity via the Na I index, and their co- movement with other young stars in Sco-Cen. We suggest that these stars represent the Li depletion boundary for UCL and LCC. We acknowledge support from NSF award AST-1313029 and the REU Site in Physics and Astrophysics at the University of Rochester supported by NSF award PHY-1156339.

Comparison Of Optical, UV, X-ray, And Gamma-ray Variations Of Selected Blazars In 2011

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Consiglio, Santina; Marscher, A. P.; Jorstad, S. G.; Walker, G.

2012-01-01

We present multi-wavelength observations of several gamma-ray bright blazars. We combine optical data obtained at Maria Mitchell Observatory on Nantucket Island with space- and ground-based observations carried out with a variety of instruments. These include a number of other optical telescopes, the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope at photon energies of 0.1-200 GeV, the Rossi X-Ray Timing Explorer at 2.4-10 keV, and the Swift satellite at 0.3-10 keV plus optical and UV wavelengths. Three of the observed blazars proved to be particularly active - BL Lac, 3C 279, and PKS 1510-089. BL Lac was of special interest, varying greatly in optical brightness from night to night. In addition, as reported by the VERITAS group, it exhibited a remarkable, short-lived flare at TeV gamma-ray energies on one of the nights. We cross-correlate the variations in the different wavebands in an effort to guide theoretical interpretations of the optical and high-energy emission from blazars. This project was supported by NSF/REU grant AST-0851892 and by the Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association. The research at Boston University was supported in part by NSF grants AST-0907893, and by NASA through Fermi grants NNX08AV65G and NNX11AQ03G.

Information Technology Research and Education at NSF

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wink, Donald J.

2000-11-01

The NSF has been a leader in the development of new information technologies, including support for work in education and technology. Often, opportunities for educators are found in larger efforts. This is the case for the Information Technology Research (ITR) program. It has now been extended to education areas, as announced in NSF Publication 00-126. Links to the program announcement in multiple formats are found at http://www.nsf.gov/cgi-bin/getpub?nsf00126.

Research Ethics with Undergraduates in Summer Research Training Programs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheung, I.; Yalcin, K.

2016-02-01

Many undergraduate research training programs incorporate research ethics into their programs and some are required. Engaging students in conversations around challenging topics such as conflict of interest, cultural and gender biases, what is science and what is normative science can difficult in newly formed student cohorts. In addition, discussing topics with more distant impacts such as science and policy, intellectual property and authorship, can be difficult for students in their first research experience that have more immediate concerns about plagiarism, data manipulation, and the student/faculty relationship. Oregon State University's Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) in Ocean Sciences: From Estuaries to the Deep Sea as one model for incorporating a research ethics component into summer undergraduate research training programs. Weaved into the 10-week REU program, undergraduate interns participate in a series of conversations and a faculty mentor panel focused on research ethics. Topics discussed are in a framework for sharing myths, knowledge and personal experiences on issues in research with ethical implications. The series follows guidelines and case studies outlined from the text, On Being A Scientist: Responsible Conduct In Research Committee on Science, Engineering, and Public Policy, National Academy of Sciences.

Particle-Induced Gamma-ray Emission Spectroscopy Over a Broad Range of Elements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Olds, Hannah; Wilkinson, John; Tighe, Meghanne; McLallen, Walter; McGuire, Patrick

2017-09-01

Ion beam analysis is a common application of nuclear physics that allows elemental and isotopic information about materials to be determined from accelerated light ion beams One of the best know ion beam analysis techniques is Particle-Induced Gamma-ray Emission (PIGE) spectroscopy, which can be used ex vacuo to identify the elements of interest in almost any solid target. The energies of the gamma-rays emitted by excited nuclei will be unique to each element and depend on its nuclear structure. For the most sensitivity, the accelerated ions should exceed the Coulomb barrier of the target, but many isotopes are known to be accessible to PIGE even below the Coulomb barrier. To explore the sensitivity of PIGE across the periodic table, PIGE measurements were made on elements with Z = 5, 9, 11-15, 17, 19-35, 37, 42, 44-48, 53, 56, 60, 62, 73, and 74 using 3.4 MeV protons. These measurements will be compared with literature values and be used as a basis for comparison with higher-energy proton beams available at the University of Notre Dame's St. Andre accelerator when it comes online this Fall. The beam normalization technique of using atmospheric argon and its 1459 keV gamma-ray to better estimate the integrated beam on target will also be discussed. Funded by the NSF REU program and the University of Notre Dame.

Searching for Spectroscopic Signs of Termination Shocks in Solar Flares

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Galan, G.; Polito, V.; Reeves, K.

2017-12-01

The standard flare model predicts the presence of a termination shock located above the flare loop tops, however terminations shocks have not yet been well observed. We analyze flare observations by the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS), which provides cotemporal UV imaging and spectral data. Specifically, we study plasma emissions in the Fe XXI line, formed at the very hot plasma temperatures in flares (> 10 MK). Imaging observations that point to shocks include fast hot reconnection downflows above the loop tops and localized dense, bright plasma at the loop tops; spectral signatures that suggest shocks in the locality of the loop tops include redshifts and nonthermal broadening of the Fe XXI line. We identify possibly significant redshifts in some on-disk flare events observed by IRIS. Redshifts are observed in the vicinity of the bright loop top source that is thought to coincide with the site of the shock. In these events, the Fe XXI emissions at the time of the redshifted structures are dominated by at the at-rest components. The much more less intense redshifted components are broader, with velocities of 200 km/s. The spatial location of these shifts might indicate plasma motions and speeds indicative of termination shocks. This work is supported by the NSF-REU solar physics program at SAO, grant number AGS-1560313, and by NASA Grant NNX15AJ93G. Keywords: Solar flares, Solar magnetic reconnection, Termination shocks

Creating a Research Experience for Undergraduates that meets the Student Halfway: The REU Site on Sustainable Land and Water Resources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dalbotten, D. M.; Hill, K. M.; Berthelote, A. R.; Ito, E.; Pellerin, H.; Howes, T.; Myrbo, A.

2012-12-01

There are excellent opportunities for undergraduate students to participate in research programs across the country, but often they suffer from a lack of applicants from underrepresented groups and non-traditional students. Potential applicants are out there, but too often they are lost through the recruitment and application process. We present the results here of a decade of experience in reaching the students where they are at, metaphorically and physically. Each aspect of the REU recruitment and application process will be considered in terms of barriers to participation that occur before the student even applies, in the program design and application process. We examine the application itself, the recruiting process, reaching students through their mentors and student organizations, the non-traditional student, and how programs can be constructed that allow for a wider diversity of participants. The Research Experience for Undergraduates on Sustainable Land and Water Resources strives to meet the student at least halfway through our unique program design. Our team-orientated REU places teams of students at three sites: Salish Kootenai College on the Flathead Reservation in Montana, the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Reservation in Northern Minnesota, and at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis. Students from across the country participate in research related to land and water resources while also learning about the sustainable management practices of these communities. Every effort is made to include the non-traditional student, including parents, through the design of the program, the materials we recruit with, and our application process. Students learn about all aspects of research, from experimental design, to field and laboratory practices, to modeling and quantitative analysis. In addition, all of our mentors are encouraged to work as a team to meet the individual needs of the students in our program—academic, cultural, and social—and work for student success.

First Observations of a Stellar Occultation by KBO (50000) Quaoar from MIT's George R. Wallace, Jr., Astrophysical Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sallum, Stephanie; Brothers, T.; Elliot, J. L.; Person, M. J.; Bosh, A. S.; Zangari, A.; Zuluaga, C.; Levine, S.; Bright, L.; Sheppard, S.; Tilleman, T.

2011-05-01

Here we report the first recorded observations of a stellar occultation by Kuiper Belt Object (KBO) (50000) Quaoar. We detected a single-chord stellar occultation by Quaoar of a magnitude 16.2 star designated 26029635 UCAC2 (2MASS ID 1275509401), which occurred on 11 February 2011 UT. The prediction of the occultation was made using long baseline astrometric observations of Quaoar from several sites as part of the MIT Planetary Astronomy Laboratory's continuing effort to improve KBO positions for occultation prediction. The successful observations were made with a Celestron C14 0.36 m telescope and an SBIG STL-1001E CCD camera on a Paramount ME robotic mount. These observations show that a relatively accessible level of astronomical equipment, of the class often used by amateur astronomers, can be used to record KBO occultations. The data were taken at MIT's George R. Wallace, Jr., Astrophysical Observatory in Westford, MA. A light curve was generated from the data using aperture photometry on the individual images and is presented here. This light curve is being analyzed by Person et al. (this meeting) to provide constraints on Quaoar's size. We also discuss various observing strategies that could be used in the future to optimize the data from this type of event. This work was supported in part by grant NNX10AB27G to MIT from NASA's Planetary Astronomy Division. Student participation was supported in part by NSF's REU program, MIT's Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program, NASA's Massachusetts Space Grant, and the George R. Wallace, Jr., Astrophysical Observatory.

NHERI: Advancing the Research Infrastructure of the Multi-Hazard Community

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blain, C. A.; Ramirez, J. A.; Bobet, A.; Browning, J.; Edge, B.; Holmes, W.; Johnson, D.; Robertson, I.; Smith, T.; Zuo, D.

2017-12-01

The Natural Hazards Engineering Research Infrastructure (NHERI), supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF), is a distributed, multi-user national facility that provides the natural hazards research community with access to an advanced research infrastructure. Components of NHERI are comprised of a Network Coordination Office (NCO), a cloud-based cyberinfrastructure (DesignSafe-CI), a computational modeling and simulation center (SimCenter), and eight Experimental Facilities (EFs), including a post-disaster, rapid response research facility (RAPID). Utimately NHERI enables researchers to explore and test ground-breaking concepts to protect homes, businesses and infrastructure lifelines from earthquakes, windstorms, tsunamis, and surge enabling innovations to help prevent natural hazards from becoming societal disasters. When coupled with education and community outreach, NHERI will facilitate research and educational advances that contribute knowledge and innovation toward improving the resiliency of the nation's civil infrastructure to withstand natural hazards. The unique capabilities and coordinating activities over Year 1 between NHERI's DesignSafe-CI, the SimCenter, and individual EFs will be presented. Basic descriptions of each component are also found at https://www.designsafe-ci.org/facilities/. Additionally to be discussed are the various roles of the NCO in leading development of a 5-year multi-hazard science plan, coordinating facility scheduling and fostering the sharing of technical knowledge and best practices, leading education and outreach programs such as the recent Summer Institute and multi-facility REU program, ensuring a platform for technology transfer to practicing engineers, and developing strategic national and international partnerships to support a diverse multi-hazard research and user community.

Radial-Velocity Signatures of Magnetic Features on the Sun Observed as a Star

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Palumbo, M. L., III; Haywood, R. D.; Saar, S. H.; Dupree, A. K.; Milbourne, T. W.

2017-12-01

In recent years, the search for Earth-mass planets using radial-velocity measurements has become increasingly limited by signals arising from stellar activity. Individual magnetic features induce localized changes in intensity and velocity, which combine to change the apparent radial velocity of the star. Therefore it is critical to identify an indicator of activity-driven radial-velocity variations on the timescale of stellar rotation periods. We use 617.3 nm photospheric filtergrams, magnetograms, and dopplergrams from SDO/HMI and 170.0 nm chromospheric filtergrams from AIA to identify magnetically-driven solar features and reconstruct the integrated solar radial velocity with six samples per day over the course of 2014. Breaking the solar image up into regions of umbrae, penumbrae, quiet Sun, network, and plages, we find a distinct variation in the center-to-limb intensity-weighted velocity for each region. In agreement with past studies, we find that the suppression of convective blueshift is dominated by plages and network, rather than dark photospheric features. In the future, this work will be highly useful for identifying indicators which correlate with rotationally modulated radial-velocity variations. This will allow us to break the activity barrier that currently precludes the precise characterization of exoplanet properties at the lowest masses. This work was supported by the NSF-REU solar physics program at SAO, grant number AGS-1560313. This work was performed in part under contract with the California Institute of Technology (Caltech)/Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) funded by NASA through the Sagan Fellowship Program executed by the NASA Exoplanet Science Institute.

Assessing Student-Mentor Interaction During a Summer REU for Two Year College Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Doser, D. I.; Olivarez, A.; Rohrbaugh, R.; Villalobos, J. I.

2017-12-01

UTEP-ROCCS (Research Opportunities for Community College Students) is a summer REU program designed exclusively for two-year college students. The program differs from other summer REU's in several ways. First, the participants are only in El Paso during the month of June to begin their research projects, with subsequent research carried out at their home institutions with intensive virtual mentoring in July. Second, the mentoring team is a unique mix of 2-year and 4-year college faculty and undergraduate juniors and seniors. Our first cohort of 6 ROCCS students began their research in June 2017 supported by 2 UTEP undergraduate mentors and 5 faculty mentors. Preliminary results of a series of 4 weekly road checks indicate that 95% of the time the participants felt the faculty and student mentors were supportive, encouraging, and able to respond to their questions and concerns. All felt they received constructive, useful critiques of their field and research work, were motivated by the mentors to learn more and were challenged to extend their abilities and skills for the success of their research projects. Over 70% of the time they felt the mentors encouraged them by suggesting appropriate and available resources when they were struggling. And, most importantly, over 96% of the time they felt the experience stimulated their interest in geology as a future career. We hope to observe similar trends in the road checks of July 2017 as participants prepare their results for the AGU's fall virtual undergraduate poster session.

Astrobiology Research Experience for Undergraduates: An Interdisciplinary REU Program at the SETI Institute

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Phillips, C. B.; Devore, E. K.

2009-12-01

The SETI Institute hosts a summer Astrobiology Research Experience for Undergraduates program for highly motivated students interested in astrobiology research. Students work with scientists at the SETI Institute and at the nearby NASA Ames Research Center on projects spanning the field of astrobiology from microbiology to planetary geology to astronomy and astrophysics. Each student is mentored by a scientist for his/her summer research project. As astrobiology is interdisciplinary, the first week includes a seminar series to provide a broad foundation in the field as the students begin their research projects. The 10-week program includes a week-long field trip to the SETI Institute’s Allen Telescope Array, located at the Hat Creek Radio Astronomy Observatory in Northern California, as well as a field experience at hydrothermal systems at nearby Lassen Volcanic National Park. Students also participate in local field trips to places like the California Academy of Sciences and other nearby locations of scientific interest, and attend seminars, lectures, and discussions on astrobiology. Students are also invited to attend events at nearby NASA Ames Research Center, which offers the opportunity to interact with other undergraduate and graduate students participating in NASA summer programs. At the end of the program, students write up and present their research projects, and mentors recommend some projects for submission to a national scientific conference, which the selected students will be funded to attend. The Astrobiology REU program emphasizes three main areas, which are listed in the table along with typical project themes. Each year, specific student research projects are described on the website, and students are asked to select the three that most interest them as a part of their applications. Applications are due in early February. Typically, 10 students apply for each available position. Students have been selected from colleges and universities national-wide, including community colleges. The Astrobiology REU program has served 4 classes of students, and is funded through summer of 2011. A total of 61 students have participated (12 in 2006, 17 in 2007, 17 in 2008, and 15 in 2009); all have successfully completed their internships. Of these students, 59% were women, and 21% were minorities. To date 18 students have gone on to graduate studies, in Master’s or PhD programs at schools including Harvard, UC Berkeley, UC Santa Cruz, Stanford, Univ. of Nebraska, and many others, in fields including astronomy, optical science, space life sciences, geology, physics, mechanical engineering, and molecular and cellular biology. The SETI Institute is a non-profit private scientific research institution located in California’s Silicon Valley. The Astrobiology REU program is supported by National Science Foundation Grant AST-0852095 with additional funding from NASA’s Astrobiology Institute, the SETI Institute and private donors.Main research areas and typical project themes

Unique aspects of Colorado State University`s REU Program in Radar and Remote Sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hefner, E.; Chandrasekar, V.

2005-12-01

The primary mission for CSU`s REU program on radars is to create a real-life research experience for the undergraduates participating during the summer. The students are provided with a basic description of their unique research project and paired with a graduate mentor and/or faculty member. Even though the students are paired with a graduate mentor that has extensive knowledge of the assigned topic, the students are responsible for developing the project through their own efforts. Each student is also required to obtain a fundamental grasp of radar basics through independent study and a series of small lectures put on by researchers at CSU. As part of the real-life research each student is exposed to, every student has to develop and hone his or her presentation and writing skills with weekly presentations and mandatory proposal and report submittals. The program is structured such that each student has access to a vast resource of technical knowledge in the form of published documents and other researchers. This allows students that learn through different mediums to have all the necessary resources available to them. While the students are performing research in areas that have not been explored before, they are also given the opportunity to explore the differences between undergraduate and graduate school. Each student is given the ability to participate in GRE prep courses. Students are given the opportunity to assess their educations, and if they find through their research that they enjoy a specific topic or are lacking necessary background information, then they can choose to register for specific courses in the upcoming fall semester. Along with influencing course selection among the REU students, the students bring their experiences and newly developed research skills back to school with them.

Building Opportunities for Environmental Education Through Student Development of Cyberinfrastructure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moysey, S. M.; Boyer, D. M.; Mobley, C.; Byrd, V. L.

2014-12-01

It is increasingly common to utilize simulations and games in the classroom, but learning opportunities can also be created by having students construct these cyberinfrastructure resources themselves. We outline two examples of such projects completed during the summer of 2014 within the NSF ACI sponsored REU Site: Research Experiences for Undergraduates in Collaborative Data Visualization Applications at Clemson University (Award 1359223). The first project focuses on the development of immersive virtual reality field trips of geologic sites using the Oculus Rift headset. This project developed a platform which will allow users to navigate virtual terrains derived from real-world data obtained from the US Geological Survey and Google Earth. The system provides users with the ability to partake in an interactive first-person exploration of a region, such as the Grand Canyon, and thus makes an important educational contribution for students without access to these environmental assets in the real world. The second project focused on providing players visual feedback about the sustainability of their practices within the web-based, multiplayer watershed management game Naranpur Online. Identifying sustainability indicators that communicate meaningful information to players and finding an effective way to visualize these data were a primary challenge faced by the student researcher working on this project. To solve this problem the student translated findings from the literature to the context of the game to develop a hierarchical set of relative sustainability criteria to be accessed by players within a sustainability dashboard. Though the REU focused on visualization, both projects forced the students to transform their thinking to address higher-level questions regarding the utilization and communication of environmental data or concepts, thus enhancing the educational experience for themselves and future students.

The NSF and the geosciences community: Rotating program officers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Batiza, Rodey; Rea, David K.; Rumble, Douglas, III

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is a federal agency charged with the care and feeding of basic scientific research in U.S. colleges and universities. NSF is a major contributor toward the support of research in Earth, ocean, and atmospheric sciences, disciplines of great importance to AGU members.NSF makes a regular practice of employing scientists from universities, nonprofit research organizations, industry, and state or local governments as temporary program officers (“rotators”) with terms of service from 1 to 2 years. There are several reasons for the use of rotators: It brings to NSF people who have firsthand, recent knowledge of "what it is really like" beyond the Washington, D.C. beltway. Knowledge of new ideas, recent graduates, and a fresh look at the system are worth considerably more than the problems that arise owing to inexperienced program officers.It sheds some sunshine on internal NSF procedures when the rotator returns with his tales to his home institution.It provides NSF management with considerable flexibility in coping with changing staff requirements.

Linking the GLOBE Program With NASA and NSF Large-Scale Experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Filmer, P. E.

2005-12-01

NASA and the NSF, the sponsoring Federal agencies for the GLOBE Program, are seeking the participation of science teams who are working at the cutting edge of Earth systems science in large integrated Earth systems science programs. Connecting the GLOBE concept and structure with NASA and NSF's leading Earth systems science programs will give GLOBE schools and students access to top scientists, and expose them to programs that have been designated as scientific priorities. Students, teachers, parents, and their communities will be able to see how scientists of many disciplines work together to learn about the Earth system. The GLOBE solicitation released by the NSF targets partnerships between GLOBE and NSF/NASA-funded integrated Earth systems science programs. This presentation will focus on the goals and requirements of the NSF solicitation. Proponents will be expected to provide ways for the GLOBE community to interact with a group of scientists from their science programs as part of a wider joint Earth systems science educational strategy (the sponsoring agencies', GLOBE's, and the proposing programs'). Teams proposing to this solicitation must demonstrate: - A focus on direct connections with major NSF Geosciences and/or Polar Programs and/or NASA Earth-Sun research programs that are related to Earth systems science; - A demonstrable benefit to GLOBE and to NSF Geosciences and/or Polar Programs or NASA Earth-Sun education goals (providing access to program researchers and data, working with GLOBE in setting up campaigns where possible, using tested GLOBE or non-GLOBE protocols to the greatest extent possible, actively participating in the wider GLOBE community including schools, among other goals); - An international component; - How the existing educational efforts of the large science program will coordinate with GLOBE; - An Earth systems science education focus, rather than a GLOBE protocol-support focus; - A rigorous evaluation and assessment component that will collaborate with the Geosciences Education assessment contractor and with the GLOBE Office's evaluation and assessment activities; and - Contact and discussions with the GLOBE Office regarding understandings of roles and responsibilities. The following link is a PDF document with full explanation of the GLOBE Program's new direction.

Coolant Design System for Liquid Propellant Aerospike Engines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McConnell, Miranda; Branam, Richard

2015-11-01

Liquid propellant rocket engines burn at incredibly high temperatures making it difficult to design an effective coolant system. These particular engines prove to be extremely useful by powering the rocket with a variable thrust that is ideal for space travel. When combined with aerospike engine nozzles, which provide maximum thrust efficiency, this class of rockets offers a promising future for rocketry. In order to troubleshoot the problems that high combustion chamber temperatures pose, this research took a computational approach to heat analysis. Chambers milled into the combustion chamber walls, lined by a copper cover, were tested for their efficiency in cooling the hot copper wall. Various aspect ratios and coolants were explored for the maximum wall temperature by developing our own MATLAB code. The code uses a nodal temperature analysis with conduction and convection equations and assumes no internal heat generation. This heat transfer research will show oxygen is a better coolant than water, and higher aspect ratios are less efficient at cooling. This project funded by NSF REU Grant 1358991.

Scaling, clustering and avalanches for steel beads in an external magnetic field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marquinez, Alyse; Thvedt, Ingrid; Lehman, S. Y.; Jacobs, D. T.

2011-03-01

We investigated avalanches using uniform 3mm steel spheres (``beads'') dropped onto a conical bead pile within a uniform magnetic field. The bead pile is built by pouring beads onto a circular base where the bottom layer of beads had been glued randomly. Beads are then individually dropped from a fixed height after which the pile is massed. This process is repeated for thousands of bead drops. By measuring the number of avalanches of a given size that occurred during the experiment, the resulting avalanche size distribution was compared to a power law description as predicted by self-organized criticality. As the magnetic field intensity increased, the beads clustered to give a larger angle of repose and we measured the change in the avalanche size distribution. The moments of the distribution give a sensitive test of mean-field theory as the universality class for these bead piles. We acknowledge support from Research Corporation and NSF-REU grant DMR 0649112.

Experimental Study of Unsteady Separation in a Laminar Boundary Layer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bonacci, Andrew; Lang, Amy; Wahidi, Redha; Santos, Leo

2016-11-01

Separation, caused by an adverse pressure gradient, can be a major problem to aircraft. Reversing flow occurs in separated regions and an investigation of how this backflow forms is of interest due to the fact that this could be used as a means of initiating flow control. Specifically, backflow can bristle shark scales which may be linked to a passive, flow actuated separation control mechanism. An experiment was conducted in a water tunnel to replicate separation, with a focus on the reversing flow development near the wall within a laminar boundary layer. Using a rotating cylinder, an adverse pressure gradient was induced creating a separated region over a flat plate. In this experiment the boundary layer grows to sizes great enough that the scale of the flow is increased, making it more measurable to DPIV. In the future, this research can be utilized to better understand flow control mechanisms such as those enabled by shark skin. Funding from Army Research Office and NSF REU site Grant EEC 1358991 is greatly appreciated.

Implementation of the Pan-STARRS Image Processing Pipeline

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fang, Julia; Aspin, C.

2007-12-01

Pan-STARRS, or Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System, is a wide-field imaging facility that combines small mirrors with gigapixel cameras. It surveys the entire available sky several times a month, which ultimately requires large amounts of data to be processed and stored right away. Accordingly, the Image Processing Pipeline--the IPP--is a collection of software tools that is responsible for the primary image analysis for Pan-STARRS. It includes data registration, basic image analysis such as obtaining master images and detrending the exposures, mosaic calibration when applicable, and lastly, image sum and difference. In this paper I present my work of the installation of IPP 2.1 and 2.2 on a Linux machine, running the Simtest, which is simulated data to test your installation, and finally applying the IPP to two different sets of UH 2.2m Tek data. This work was conducted by a Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) position at the University of Hawaii's Institute for Astronomy and funded by the NSF.

Key Actions of Successful Summer Research Mentors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Raman, D. Raj; Geisinger, Brandi N.; Kemis, Mari R.; de la Mora, Arlene

2016-01-01

Summer research opportunities for undergraduates, such as those supported by the National Science Foundation's Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program, can be critical experiences that help persuade students to pursue research through graduate studies. Studies analyzing the key actions of successful mentors are scarce. The goal of…

The NSF/RANN FY 1975 program for geothermal resources research and technology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kruger, P.

1974-01-01

The specific goal of the NSF geothermal program is the rapid development by industry of the nation's geothermal resources that can be demonstrated to be commercially, environmentally and socially acceptable as alternate energy sources. NSF, as the lead agency for the federal geothermal energy research program, is expediting a program which encompasses the objectives necessary for significant utilization. These include: acceleration of exploration and assessment methods to identify commercial geothermal resources; development of innovative and improved technology to achieve economic feasibility; evaluation of policy options to resolve environmental, legal, and institutional problems; and support of experimental research facilities for each type of geothermal resource. Specific projects in each of these four objective areas are part of the NSF program for fiscal year 1975.

Polar advisory committee focuses on NSF realignment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Showstack, Randy

2012-11-01

With the U.S. National Science Foundation's (NSF) realignment that moves the agency's Office of Polar Programs (OPP) back to the Directorate for Geosciences (GEO), "the emphasis on the importance of the polar program at NSF doesn't change," NSF director Subra Suresh reassured members of the federal Advisory Committee on Polar Programs during a committee meeting on 5 November. "The polar program in its entirety stays as the same entity. Nothing changes," he told committee members, regarding the realignment that began on 1 October (see Eos, 93(43), 427, doi:10.1029/2012EO430003). "Nothing changes in terms of our commitment to the polar program. Nothing changes in terms of infrastructure support. Nothing changes in terms of people in the polar program speaking for the polar program to the external world and internally. And nothing changes in terms of how individual scientists interact with the polar program."

Description and comparison of excretory urography performed during radiography and computed tomography for evaluation of the urinary system in healthy New Zealand White rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus).

PubMed

Vilalta, Laura; Altuzarra, Raul; Espada, Yvonne; Dominguez, Elisabet; Novellas, Rosa; Martorell, Jaime

2017-04-01

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the usefulness of excretory urography performed during radiography (REU) and CT (CTEU) in healthy rabbits, determine timings of urogram phases, and compare sensitivities of REU and CTEU for detection of these phases. ANIMALS 13 New Zealand White rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus). PROCEDURES Rabbits were screened for signs of systemic and urinary tract disease. An REU examination of each was performed, followed ≥ 5 days later by a CTEU examination. Contrast images from each modality were evaluated for quality of opacification and intervals between initiation of contrast medium administration and detection of various urogram phases. RESULTS Excretory urograms of excellent diagnostic quality were achieved with both imaging modalities. For all rabbits, the nephrographic phase of the urogram appeared in the first postcontrast REU image (obtained between 34 and 40 seconds after initiation of contrast medium administration) and at a median interval of 20 seconds in CTEU images. The pyelographic phase began at a median interval of 1.63 minutes with both imaging modalities. Contrast medium was visible within the urinary bladder at a median interval of 2.20 minutes. Median interval to the point at which the nephrogram and pyelogram were no longer visible in REU images was 8 hours and 2.67 hours, respectively. The CTEU technique was better than the REU technique for evaluating renal parenchyma. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Findings suggested that REU and, particularly, CTEU may be valuable tools for the diagnosis of renal and urinary tract disease in rabbits; however, additional evaluation in diseased rabbits is required.

Engaging Diverse Students Through International Collaboration and Professional Preparation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feineman, M. D.; Nyblade, A.; Webb, S. J.

2016-12-01

The AfricaArray-Bushveld REU is a partnership between the Pennsylvania State University and the University of the Witwatersrand. The primary goal is to engage a diverse cohort of students in international scientific collaboration through a program of training, field work, and laboratory and/or computational analysis. At least 50% of the student participants each year are from under-represented minorities. Students spend 2-3 weeks at Penn State, then 3 weeks in South Africa, followed by another 2-3 weeks in the US. The introductory 2-3 week session at Penn State is devoted to ethics and safety training, the human history, culture, and geologic history of South Africa, and Earth Science Literacy. Upon arriving in South Africa, the students are placed into field groups with students, post-docs, and faculty from Wits and other African nations participating in the AfricaArray Geophysics Field School. Each disciplinary group includes at least 1 mentor from the US and 1 from South Africa. Students spend time collecting rock samples for geochemical analysis, installing and servicing seismometers, and/or collecting data from the shallow subsurface using a variety of geophysical techniques. All students attend lectures by faculty at Wits, receive training in proper use and maintenance of scientific instrumentation, and interact with industry representatives. The culmination of this part of the REU is a day of oral presentations, where all students (REU and AfricaArray Geophysics Field School) share their experiences and data. After returning to the US, students engage in geochemical analysis, processing of seismic data, and modeling geophysical data. In addition to faculty mentors, the students work closely with graduate students and post-docs. All participate in mentor-led discussions about future career paths and graduate school options. As a capstone to the REU, each student writes a conference abstract and gives a poster presentation of their research. Each abstract includes co-authors from the US and South Africa, and these have been presented by students at SACNAS, NABG, GSA, and AGU meetings. At the end of the REU, students participating in anonymous surveys report feeling more confident in their ability to contribute to an international scientific collaboration and to complete a graduate degree in geosciences.

The Aysen Glacier Trail (AGT): Fostering leadership and personal growth towards understanding our place in the environment through experiential learning and scientific inquiry in northern Patagonia, Chile

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sincavage, R.; Chambers, F. B.; Leidich, J.

2017-12-01

The Colonia Glacier, a low elevation mid-latitude glacier, drains the lee side of the central division of the Northern Patagonian Ice Field (NPI). As such, it serves as a microcosm of conditions on the NPI as a whole. Glaciers of this type have experienced extreme variability in Holocene thickness and extent, making them excellent indicators of local and regional climate conditions. Glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) originating in the remote Cachet Basin, dammed by the Colonia Glacier, have increased in frequency from once every 10 years to 3 times annually since 2008. These flood events are important in that they 1.) directly impact the livelihoods of downstream residents, 2.) may be linked to the overall health of the Colonia Glacier and, to a larger extent, the NPI, 3.) provide a natural laboratory for studying the dynamics of large flood events, and 4.) have downcut the sediments sequestered in the upper basin, revealing a rich Holocene sedimentologic and climate record. With improved access to this remote region through local partners in recent years, outstanding opportunities for scientific discovery, education, and outreach exist in one of the most beautiful and least-studied glacial regions on Earth. We propose establishing an NSF REU site here to further develop the abundant educational and research opportunities in this spectacular locale. We envision students participating under the REU will receive a broad-based background in glaciology and sedimentology prior to the field experience, and then participate in basic field research led by the PIs into understanding recent and Holocene linkages between climate change and the glacio-fluvio geomorphology of the NPI. A pilot program of 13 U.S. and Chilean students with wide-ranging backgrounds and degree levels was conducted in the winter of 2015-16. A two week backcountry trek across rocky terrain, mountain streams, active glaciers, and proglacial lakes in this seldom-visited region immersed the students in the glacial geomorphology of the region. All students identified the course as a life-changing experience, both in their increase in knowledge of the subject matters of glacial geomorphology, climate, and sedimentology/stratigraphy, as well as leadership skills, wilderness travel, and local culture.

The New York City Research Initiative: A Model for Undergraduate and High School Student Research in Earth and Space Sciences and Space Technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scalzo, F.; Frost, J.; Carlson, B. E.; Marchese, P.; Rosenzweig, C.; Austin, S. A.; Peteet, D. M.; Druyan, L.; Fulakeza, M.; Gaffin, S.; Baruh, H.; Decker, S.; Thangam, S.; Miles, J.; Moshary, F.; Rossow, W.; Greenbaum, S.; Cheung, T. K.; Johnson, L. P.

2010-12-01

1 Frank Scalzo, 1 Barbara Carlson, 2 Leon Johnson, 3 Paul Marchese, 1 Cynthia Rosenzweig, 2 Shermane Austin, 1 Dorothy Peteet, 1 Len Druyan, 1 Matthew Fulakeza, 1 Stuart Gaffin, 4 Haim Baruh, 4 Steven Decker, 5 Siva Thangam, 5 Joe Miles, 6 James Frost, 7 Fred Moshary, 7 William Rossow, 7 Samir Ahmed, 8 Steven Greenbaum and 3 Tak Cheung 1 NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, USA 2 Physical, Environmental and Computer Sciences, Medgar Evers College, CUNY, Brooklyn, NY, USA 3 Physics, Queensborough Community College, CUNY, Queens, NY, USA 4 Rutgers University, Newark, NJ, USA 5 Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, NJ, USA 6 Physics, LaGuardia Community College, CUNY, Queens, NY, USA 7 Electrical Engineering, City College of New York, CUNY, USA 8 Physics, Hunter College, CUNY, USA The New York City Research Initiative (NYCRI) is a research and academic program that involves high school, undergraduate and graduate students, and high school teachers in research teams under the mentorship of college/university principal investigator of NASA funded projects and/or NASA scientists. The principal investigators are at 7 colleges/universities within a 20-mile radius of New York City (NYC and Northern New Jersey), as well as the NASA Goddard Institute of Space Studies. The program supports research in Earth Science, Space Science, and Space Technology. Research investigations include: Sea Surface Temperature and Precipitation in the West African Monsoon, Urban Heat Island: Sun and Rain Effects, Decadal Changes in Aerosol and Asthma, Variations in Salinity and River Discharge in the Hudson River Estuary, Environmental Change in the Hudson Estuary Wetlands, Verification of Winter Storm Scale Developed for Nor’easters, Solar Weather and Tropical Cyclone Activity, Tropospheric and Stratospheric Ozone Investigation in Metropolitan NYC, Aerosol Optical Depth through use of a MFRSR, Detection of Concentration in the Atmosphere Using a Quantum Cascade Laser System, Optimization Model for Future Lunar Colony, Models of Space Travel, and NMR Investigation of MnO2 Infused Carbon Nanofoams. We describe student research, significant results and enrichment activities during the Summer 2010. The NYCRI partners with the CUNY-GISS Center for Global Climate Change, an NSF REU Site. The NYCRI is supported by NASAâ^À^Ùs Earth Science Office, GSFC Education Office, as well as NASA and NSF awards to NYCRI College/University Principal Investigators.

Searching for Flickering Giants in the Ursa Minor Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Montiel, Edward J.; Mighell, K. J.

2010-01-01

We present a preliminary analysis of three epochs of archival Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 (WFPC2) observations of a single field in the Ursa Minor (UMi) dwarf spheroidal (dSph) galaxy. These observations were obtained in 2000, 2002, and 2004 (GO-7341, GO-8776, GO-2004; PI: Olszewski). We expand upon the work of Mighell and Roederer 2004 who reported the existence of low-amplitude variability in red giant stars in the UMi dSph. We report the 16 brightest point sources (F606W <= 21.5 mag) that we are able to match between all 3 epochs. The 112 observations were analyzed with HSTphot. We tested for variability with a chi-squared statistic that had a softened photometric error where 0.01 mag was added in quadrature to the reported HSTphot photometric error. We find that all 13 stars and 3 probable galaxies exhibit the same phenomenon as described in Mighell and Roederer with peak to peak amplitudes ranging from 54 to 125 mmags on 10 minute timescales. If these objects were not varying, the deviates should be normally distributed. However, we find that the deviates have a standard deviation of 1.4. This leads to three possible conclusions: (1) the observed phenomenon is real, (2) an additional systematic error of 7 mmag needs to be added to account for additional photometric errors (possibly due to dithering), or (3) there was a small instrumental instability with the WFPC2 instrument from 2000 to 2004. E.J.M. was supported by the NOAO/KPNO Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Program which is funded by the National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates Program and the Department of Defense ASSURE program through Scientific Program Order No. 13 (AST-0754223) of the Cooperative Agreement No.AST-0132798 between the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA) and the NSF.

Light Pollution Around Tucson, AZ And Its Effect On The Spatial Distribution Of Lesser Long-nosed Bats

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fersch, Alisa; Walker, C.

2012-01-01

Light pollution is a well-known problem for astronomers. It is also gaining attention as an ecological issue. The federally endangered Lesser Long-Nosed Bat (Leptonycteris cursoae) resides for part of the year near Tucson, Arizona. It is possible that this species tends to avoid light. Excess artificial light would therefore interfere with the bats’ flight patterns and foraging habits. In order to test this hypothesis, we quantified night sky brightness with data from the citizen-science campaign GLOBE at Night. Using direct measurements taken with a Sky Quality Meter (SQM), we created a contour map of the artificial night sky brightness around Tucson. When this map is compared to the approximate flight paths of the lesser long-nosed bat, we can see that the bats do appear to be avoiding the brightest area of Tucson. We also used logistic regression to analyze what combination of ecological variables (ecoregion, vegetation cover, landform and light) best describes the observed spatial distribution of lesser long-nosed bats. Of the models that were tested, light alone was not a good predictor of the bat presence or absence. However, light in addition to vegetation and ecoregion was the best model. This information can be useful for making decisions about lighting codes in areas of the city that the bats tend to traverse. The contour map of light pollution in Tucson will be useful for both future astronomy and ecology studies and can also be used for public outreach about light pollution. Fersch was supported by the NOAO/KPNO Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Program which is funded by the National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates Program and the Department of Defense ASSURE program through Scientific Program Order No. 13 (AST-0754223) of the Cooperative Agreement No. AST-0132798 between the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA) and the NSF.

Pills and pints: risky drinking and alcohol-related harms among regular ecstasy users in Australia.

PubMed

Kinner, Stuart A; George, Jessica; Johnston, Jennifer; Dunn, Matthew; Degenhardt, Louisa

2012-05-01

A significant proportion of young Australians engage in risky alcohol consumption, and an increasing minority are regular ecstasy (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine) users. Risky alcohol use, alone or in combination with ecstasy, is associated with a range of acute and chronic health risks. The aim of this study was to document the incidence and some health-related correlates of alcohol use, and concurrent alcohol and ecstasy use, among a large, national sample of regular ecstasy users (REU) in Australia. National, cross-sectional surveys of REU in Australia 2003-2008. Among REU in 2008 (n=678) usual alcohol use, psychological distress and health-related quality of life were measured using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test, Kessler Psychological Distress Scale and Short Form-8 Survey respectively. Among REU in 2008, 36% reported high-risk patterns of usual alcohol consumption, 62% reported usually consuming more than five standard drinks with ecstasy, and 24% reported currently experiencing high or very high levels of psychological distress. Controlling for age and education, high-risk drinking among REU was associated with higher levels of psychological distress and poorer health-related functioning; however, the associations between concurrent alcohol and ecstasy use, and health outcomes, were not significant (P>0.05). A large and increasing proportion of REU in Australia engage in high-risk patterns of alcohol consumption, including in combination with ecstasy. High-risk alcohol consumption among this group is associated with adverse health-related outcomes. Prevention and harm reduction interventions for REU should incorporate messages about the risks associated with alcohol use. There is an ongoing need for youth-specific, coordinated alcohol and other drug and mental health services. © 2011 Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs.

Socio-contextual Determinants of Research Evidence Use in Public-Youth Systems of Care.

PubMed

Garcia, Antonio R; Kim, Minseop; Palinkas, Lawrence A; Snowden, Lonnie; Landsverk, John

2016-07-01

Recent efforts have been devoted to understanding the conditions by which research evidence use (REU) is facilitated from the perspective of system leaders in the context of implementing evidence-based child mental health interventions. However, we have limited understanding of the extent to which outer contextual factors influence REU. Outer contextual factors for 37 counties in California were gathered from public records in 2008; and child welfare, juvenile justice, and mental health system leaders' perceptions of their REU were measured via a web-based survey from 2010 to 2012. Results showed that leaders with higher educational attainment and in counties with lower expenditures on inpatient mental health services were significantly associated with higher REU. Positive relationships between gathering research evidence and racial minority concentration and poverty at the county level were also detected. Results underscore the need to identify the organizational and socio-political factors by which mental health services and resources meet client demands that influence REU, and to recruit and retain providers with a graduate degree to negotiate work demands and interpret research evidence.

The Sunnel: Engaging Visitors in Solar Research via a Tunnel Through the Sun

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

DeMuth, Nora H.; Walker, C. E.

2006-12-01

The publicly accessible hallway space inside the McMath-Pierce Solar Telescope building on Kitt Peak has great untapped potential to house a display that would be relevant and understandable to KPNO visitors without the need for mediation or further explanation. An effective display would unite background content on solar physics and astronomy, and information on current solar research techniques and results in an accessible way that would excite and engage visitors. Considering these requirements, we created a concept currently dubbed the Sunnel (for “Sun-tunnel”). The Sunnel consists of two 95by 13-foot murals of the layers of the Sun stretching down the visitor hallway in the McMath-Pierce Solar Telescope. Temperatures of the layers are represented by the colors of the peak in the corresponding black-body curves, and solar features such as sunspots and pressure waves are represented by abstract designs flowing along the walls. A photon path will be laid on the floor using tiles, and several posters highlighting current solar research and background science content relevant to solar research will be displayed on one wall. An audio tour featuring interviews with solar researchers guides visitors along the Sunnel, engaging them and supporting deeper appreciation of the solar research. Installation of the murals is scheduled for early 2007, just in time to celebrate the International Heliophysical Year. DeMuth's research was supported by the NOAO/KPNO Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Program which is funded by the National Science Foundation through Scientific Program Order No. 3 (AST-0243875) of the Cooperative Agreement No. AST-0132798 between the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA) and the NSF.

The Massive Black Hole in the Dwarf Galaxy NGC 4486B

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bender, A.; Green, R. F.; Gebhardt, K.; Bower, G. A.; Kormendy, J.; Lauer, T.; Richstone, D. O.; STIS IDT Galaxy Nuclei Team; Nuker Team

2003-12-01

We report results from the application of a three-integral galactic dynamical model to NGC 4486B. This dwarf E1 companion to M87 has long been known to be an outlier in the Fundamental Plane. Kormendy and Magorrian et al. found a substantial central black hole mass, making it an outlier in the MBH to Lbulge relationship as well. From the modeling we are able to determine the extent to which NGC 4486B follows the MBH - sigma relation more closely than the other bulge galaxy relationships. The other unique feature NGC 4486B exhibits is a double nucleus structure, the second of only two observed. We combine the high resolution of STIS spectra with ground based data to form a more complete description of the line-of-sight velocity distributions (LOSVDs) in the nuclear region of NGC 4486B. Through the increased resolution of the dynamics and the three-integral model, we place an improved constraint on the mass-to-light ratio and black hole mass. Bender's research was supported by the NOAO/KPNO Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Program which is funded by the National Science Foundation through Scientific Program Order No. 3 (AST-0243875) of the Cooperative Agreement No. AST-0132798 between the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA) and the NSF. RG and GB were supported by NASA for the STIS Instrument Definition Team. This work is a collaboration with the STIS Instrument Definition Team galaxy nuclei group, which also includes John Hutchings, Charles Joseph, Mary Elizabeth Kaiser, Charles Nelson, Donna Weistrop, and Bruce Woodgate. This work is a collaboration with the Nuker Team, which also includes Ralf Bender, Alan Dressler, Sandra Faber, Alex Filippenko, Carl Grillmair, Luis Ho, John Magorrian, Jason Pinkney, Christos Siopis, and Scott Tremaine.

Gas-Expanded Liquids: Synergism of Experimental and Computational Determinations of Local Structure

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Charles A. Eckert; Charles L. Liotta; Rigoberto Hernandez

2007-06-26

This project focuses on the characterization of a new class of solvent systems called gas-expanded liquids (GXLs), targeted for green-chemistry processing. The collaboration has adopted a synergistic approach combining elements of molecular dynamics (MD) simulation and spectroscopic experiments to explore the local solvent behavior that could not be studied by simulation or experiment alone. The major accomplishments from this project are: • Applied MD simulations to explore the non-uniform structure of CO2/methanol and CO2/acetone GXLs and studied their dynamic behavior with self-diffusion coefficients and correlation functions • Studied local solvent structure and solvation behavior with a combination of spectroscopy andmore » MD simulations • Measured transport properties of heterocyclic solutes in GXLs through Taylor-Aris diffusion techniques and compared these findings to those of MD simulations • Probed local polarity and specific solute-solvent interactions with Diels-Alder and SN2 reaction studies The broader scientific impact resulting from the research activities of this contract have been recognized by two recent awards: the Presidential Green Chemistry Award (Eckert & Liotta) and a fellowship in the American Association for the Advancement of Science (Hernandez). In addition to the technical aspects of this contract, the investigators have been engaged in a number of programs extending the broader impacts of this project. The project has directly supported the development of two postdoctoral researcher, four graduate students, and five undergraduate students. Several of the undergraduate students were co-funded by a Georgia Tech program, the Presidential Undergraduate Research Award. The other student, an African-American female graduated from Georgia Tech in December 2005, and was co-funded through an NSF Research and Education for Undergraduates (REU) award.« less

Structure and Dynamics of Quiescent Prominence Eruptions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lu, Muzhou; Su, Y.; Adriaan van Ballegooijen, A.

2012-05-01

We present a survey on the fine structure and dynamics of quiescent prominence eruptions observed both on the disk and at the limb. We have identified 45 quiescent prominence eruptions by looking at the SDO (Solar Dynamics Observatory)/AIA (Atmospheric Imaging Assembly) daily movies from April to June in 2011. Among these events, there are 24 symmetric eruptions (coherent loop-like eruptions) and 21 asymmetric eruptions (one footpoint lifts off) as shown by AIA and STEREO/EUVI observations. Vertical filament threads are identified in 10 out of the 45 events, while horizontal threads are observed in almost all eruptions. We find 23 events with twisting/untwisting motions. For 14 selected limb events, we carry out a detailed study of the eruption dynamics using AIA observations at 304 Å. We find that the initial heights of these erupting prominences are located around 50-110 Mm above the limb. The eruptions start from a speed of less than 5 km/s, then increase to several tens km/s in the AIA field of view. The maximum speed of these events is 50 km/s. The acceleration plots show a positive acceleration in the range of 0 to 20 m/s^2. No significant difference is identified in the dynamics of the symmetric and asymmetric eruptions. Acknowledgments. This project is supported by the NASA contract SP02H1701R from LMSAL to Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (SAO). M. Lu is supported under the NSF-REU solar physics program at SAO, grant number ATM-0851866.

Engaging Women in Computer Science and Engineering: Promising Practices for Promoting Gender Equity in Undergraduate Research Experiences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Karen A.; Fann, Amy J.; Misa-Escalante, Kimberly O.

2011-01-01

Building on research that identifies and addresses issues of women's underrepresentation in computing, this article describes promising practices in undergraduate research experiences that promote women's long-term interest in computer science and engineering. Specifically, this article explores whether and how REU programs include programmatic…

Research Funding Set for NSF, NASA, EPA.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chemical and Engineering News, 1982

1982-01-01

Funds (1983) for National Science Foundation (NSF), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) research programs include $1,092,200,000 (NSF), $5.5 billion (NASA), and $119 million (EPA). NSF's science education activities were raised to $30 million in spite of the Administration's plan to phase…

Partnerships for building strong internship and research experiences for undergraduates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goehring, L.; Haacker-Santos, R.; Dutilly, E.

2013-12-01

REU and internship site directors often operate in geographic and institutional isolation from each other, unable to share best practices or resources. When collaboration is possible, benefits for both the students and leaders of these programs can be achieved. In 2013, the SOARS REU program, hosted at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), supported the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) in creating a new internship program aimed at engaging undergraduate science and engineering students in NEON's work. Both student programs share the objective of reaching underrepresented groups in STEM. The year long collaboration allowed NEON to learn best practices in recruitment and support of students, mentor training, and program development, and to customize its internship according to its organization i.e., a science/engineering observatory under construction. Both programs shared several elements: students were housed together so that interns could tap into a larger cohort of supportive peers; students participated in a joint leadership training to strengthen cross program mentoring; and students met weekly for a scientific communications workshop. Having multiple science disciplines represented enhanced the workshop as students learned about writing styles and cultures of each other's fields, fostering an appreciation of different scientific disciplines and interdisciplinary thinking. Finally, at the end of the summer, students presented their findings in a joint poster session. We found that collaboration between programs led to increased recruitment of students from diverse backgrounds and support of students through stronger cohorts, shared trainings, and enhanced program content. In this presentation we share findings of our programs' evaluations and make recommendations on building collaborative partnerships for internships and research experiences for undergraduates.

Coronal Dynamics at Recent Total Solar Eclipses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pasachoff, J. M.; Lu, M.; Davis, A. B.; Demianski, M.; Rusin, V.; Saniga, M.; Seaton, D. B.; Lucas, R.; Babcock, B. A.; Dantowitz, R.; Gaintatzis, P.; Seeger, C. H.; Malamut, C.; Steele, A.

2014-12-01

Our composite images of the solar corona based on extensive imaging at the total solar eclipses of 2010 (Easter Island), 2012 (Australia), and 2013 (Gabon) reveal several coronal mass ejections and other changes in coronal streamers and in polar plumes. Our resultant spatial resolution is finer than that available in imaging from spacecraft, including that from SOHO/LASCO or STEREO. We trace the eruptions back to their footpoints on the sun using imaging from SDO and SWAP, and follow them upwards through the corona, measuring velocities. The high-resolution computer compositing by Miloslav Druckmüller and Hana Druckmüllerová (2010 and 2013) and Pavlos Gaintatzis (2012) allows comparison of our images with those taken at intervals of minutes or hours along the totality path. Williams College's 2013 eclipse expedition was supported in part by grant 9327-13 from National Geographic Society/Committee for Research and Exploration. Our work on the 2012 eclipse is supported in part by grant AGS-1047726 from Solar Terrestrial Research/NSF AGS. V.R. and M.S. were partially supported by the VEGA grant agency project 2/0098/10 and 2/0003/13 (Slovak Academy of Sciences) and Grant 0139-12 from NG/CRE, and Hana Druckmüllerová by grant 205/09/1469 of the Czech Science Foundation. M.L. was supported by Sigma Xi. C.M. was a Keck Northeast Astronomy Consortium Summer Fellow, supported at Williams College by REU/NSF grant AST-1005024. Partial support was provided by U.S. Department of Defense's ASSURE program. J.M.P. thanks Caltech's Planetary Sciences Department for hospitality. Support for D.B.S. and SWAP came from PRODEX grant C90345 managed by ESA in collaboration with the Belgian Federal Science Policy Office (BELSPO) in support of the PROBA2/SWAP mission, and from the EC's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under grant 218816 (SOTERIA project, www.soteria-space.eu). SWAP is a project of the Centre Spatial de Liège and the Royal Observatory of Belgium funded by BELSPO.

Characterization of Pollution Transport into Texas Using OMI and TES Satellite and In Situ data, and HYSPLIT Back Trajectory Analyses: implications for TCEQ State Implementation Plans and High School/Undergraduate STEM Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boxe, C.; Bella, D.; Khaimova, J.; Culpepper, J.; Ahmed, N.; Belkalai, A.; Ealy, J.; Arroyo, I.; Lahoumh, M.; Jenkins, O.; Emmanuel, S.; Andrews, J.; Fu, D.; Wu, L.; Choi, Y.; Morris, G.; Osterman, G. B.; Johnson, L. P.; Austin, S. A.

2014-12-01

Using an online trajectory analysis tool NASA, ArcGIS, Satellite and EPA in situ data, we assess whether high pollution events in Texas are primarily sourced locally or remotely. We focus satellite data that exemplify high O3 and NO2 over Texas's lower troposphere. Four day back trajectory analyses of all dates show that upper-, mid-, and lower-tropospheric air over Texas, containing high O3, is transported from the Gulf of Mexico, Southeast USA, Midwest USA, Northeast USA, the Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Mexico, etc. Only day showed air at 1 km is sourced within Texas. Satellite data show O3 enhancements in the boundary layer and O3 and NO2 enhancements via tropospheric column profiles. These enhancements complement four-day trajectory analysis. This study provides a viable basis for more quantifiable and accurate information for developing effective air quality State Implementation Plans. STEM Impact: (i) D. Bella was an NSF-LSAMP undergraduate research mentee with me at Medgar Evers College-CUNY; she received a B.S. in Environmental Science (and a Chemistry Minor) and is now a Ph.D. graduate student at University at Albany's School of Public Health. (ii) J. Khaimova is an undergraduate Geology and Planetary Science B.S. major at Brooklyn College-CUNY. I have supported Jessica's summer internship in summer 2013 as a CUNY Summer Research Fellow, where she is currently an NSF-REU research mentee at Pennsylvania State University's Meteorology Department. (iii) J. Culpepper received his B.S. in Environmental Science from MEC-CUNY and will be a Ph.D. student, Fall 2014 at University of Iowa's Civil and Environmental Engineering Department. (iv) S. Gentle was a high school researcher with me within ACS's Project SEED Program for high school students. S. Gentle will start her undergraduate career Fall 2014 at Pennsylvania State University and seeks to attain a B.S. in Chemistry. (v). All parties, including high school and undergraduate researchers seek to attend medical/graduate school to pursue an M.D/Ph.D. in a STEM-discipline.

Growing Diversity in Space Weather and Climate Change Research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, L. P.; Ng, C.; Marchese, P.; Austin, S.; Frost, J.; Cheung, T. D.; Robbins, I.; Carlson, B. E.; Steiner, J. C.; Tremberger, G.; Paglione, T.; Damas, C.; Howard, A.; Scalzo, F.

2013-12-01

Space Weather and Global Climate Impacts are critical items on the present national and international science agendas. Understanding and forecasting solar activity is increasingly important for manned space flight, unmanned missions (including communications satellites, satellites that monitor the space and earth environment), and regional power grids. The ability to predict the effects of forcings and feedback mechanisms on global and local climate is critical to survival of the inhabitants of planet Earth. It is therefore important to motivate students to continue their studies via advanced degrees and pursue careers related to these areas. This CUNY-based initiative, supported by NASA and NSF, provided undergraduate research experience for more than 70 students in topics ranging from urban impacts of global climate change to magnetic rope structure, solar flares and CMEs. Other research topics included investigations of the ionosphere using a CubeSat, stratospheric aerosols in Jupiter's atmosphere, and ocean climate modeling. Mentors for the primarily summer research experiences included CUNY faculty, GISS and GSFC scientists. Students were recruited from CUNY colleges as well as other colleges including Spelman, Cornell, Rutgers and SUNY colleges. Fifty-eight percent of the undergraduate students were under-represented minorities and thirty-four percent were female. Many of the research teams included high school teachers and students as well as graduate students. Supporting workshops for students included data analysis and visualization tools, space weather, planetary energy balance and BalloonSats. The project is supported by NASA awards NNX10AE72G and NNX09AL77G, and NSF REU Site award 0851932.

What Knowledge of Responsible Conduct of Research Do Undergraduates Bring to Their Undergraduate Research Experiences?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mabrouk, Patricia Ann

2016-01-01

Over a three-year period, chemistry and engineering students participating in six Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) programs were surveyed before and after participating in a research ethics training workshop. The goal was to learn what undergraduate students already knew about key concepts in research ethics at the start of their…

College Faculty-Oriented Programs of the National Science Foundation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kormondy, Edward J.

1979-01-01

Describes the contributions of the National Science Foundation (NSF) to the development of college faculty in 1958, 1968, and 1978. The described activities are NSF institutes, faculty research participation, and fellowship programs. (HM)

An Integrative and Collaborative Approach to Creating a Diverse and Computationally Competent Geoscience Workforce

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moore, S. L.; Kar, A.; Gomez, R.

2015-12-01

A partnership between Fort Valley State University (FVSU), the Jackson School of Geosciences at The University of Texas (UT) at Austin, and the Texas Advanced Computing Center (TACC) is engaging computational geoscience faculty and researchers with academically talented underrepresented minority (URM) students, training them to solve grand challenges . These next generation computational geoscientists are being trained to solve some of the world's most challenging geoscience grand challenges requiring data intensive large scale modeling and simulation on high performance computers . UT Austin's geoscience outreach program GeoFORCE, recently awarded the Presidential Award in Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring, contributes to the collaborative best practices in engaging researchers with URM students. Collaborative efforts over the past decade are providing data demonstrating that integrative pipeline programs with mentoring and paid internship opportunities, multi-year scholarships, computational training, and communication skills development are having an impact on URMs developing middle skills for geoscience careers. Since 1997, the Cooperative Developmental Energy Program at FVSU and its collaborating universities have graduated 87 engineers, 33 geoscientists, and eight health physicists. Recruited as early as high school, students enroll for three years at FVSU majoring in mathematics, chemistry or biology, and then transfer to UT Austin or other partner institutions to complete a second STEM degree, including geosciences. A partnership with the Integrative Computational Education and Research Traineeship (ICERT), a National Science Foundation (NSF) Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Site at TACC provides students with a 10-week summer research experience at UT Austin. Mentored by TACC researchers, students with no previous background in computational science learn to use some of the world's most powerful high performance computing resources to address a grand geosciences problem. Students increase their ability to understand and explain the societal impact of their research and communicate the research to multidisciplinary and lay audiences via near-peer mentoring, poster presentations, and publication opportunities.

International Opportunities and Programs at NSF

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wodarczyk, F.

2006-05-01

The National Science Foundation's Office of International Science and Engineering (OISE) promotes the development of an integrated, Foundation-wide international strategy for international science and engineering activities both inside and outside NSF and manages international programs that are innovative, catalytic, and responsive to a broad range of NSF interests. Specifically, OISE supports programs to expand and enhance leading-edge international research and education opportunities for U.S. scientists and engineers, especially at the early career stage. It works to build and strengthen effective institutional partnerships throughout the global science and engineering research and education community, and it supports international collaborations in NSF's priority research areas. This talk will highlight opportunities for international collaboration for individuals at all levels of their careers, from student to established researcher, with examples of supported programs. Some recent activities focus on bringing together researchers in scientific disciplines and experts in cyberinfrastructure to promote and enable international data collection, manipulation, storage, and sharing via high-speed networks.

Evaluation of NSF's International Research Fellowship Program: Final Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martinez, Alina; Epstein, Carter; Parsad, Amanda; Whittaker, Karla

2012-01-01

Among the National Science Foundation's (NSF) postdoctoral programs, the International Research Fellowship Program (IRFP) is unique in its emphasis on providing postdoctoral fellows with international research experiences. Established in 1992, IRFP provides financial support to postdoctoral scientists for a research experience abroad lasting…

Effective Temperatures for Young Stars in Binaries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muzzio, Ryan; Avilez, Ian; Prato, Lisa A.; Biddle, Lauren I.; Allen, Thomas; Wright-Garba, Nuria Meilani Laure; Wittal, Matthew

2017-01-01

We have observed about 100 multi-star systems, within the star forming regions Taurus and Ophiuchus, to investigate the individual stellar and circumstellar properties of both components in young T Tauri binaries. Near-infrared spectra were collected using the Keck II telescope’s NIRSPEC spectrograph and imaging data were taken with Keck II’s NIRC2 camera, both behind adaptive optics. Some properties are straightforward to measure; however, determining effective temperature is challenging as the standard method of estimating spectral type and relating spectral type to effective temperature can be subjective and unreliable. We explicitly looked for a relationship between effective temperatures empirically determined in Mann et al. (2015) and equivalent width ratios of H-band Fe and OH lines for main sequence spectral type templates common to both our infrared observations and to the sample of Mann et al. We find a fit for a wide range of temperatures and are currently testing the validity of using this method as a way to determine effective temperature robustly. Support for this research was provided by an REU supplement to NSF award AST-1313399.

The Effects of AR on Membrane Wing Performance in Low Re Flight

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jordan, Alex; Hubner, James

2011-11-01

There is increased interest in the design of micro air vehicles (MAVs) due to their military reconnaissance and surveying capabilities. Research has shown that the use of membrane wings in low Reynolds number flight results in performance characteristics that, when compared to rigid wing counterparts of similar geometry, are beneficial. An experimental study was performed to determine if the benefits of membrane wings change when AR is decreased. The membrane wings used silicon rubber affixed to aluminum frames of repeated cell geometry. The wings tested employed 1, 3, 5 and 9 cells and had ARs of 0.9, 2.6, 4.1, and 4.33 respectively. Measurements of lift and drag at a Reynolds number of 49,000 were acquired over a range of angles of attack. Vibration frequencies of the membranes were obtained via high-speed imagery. Comparisons of lift and drag data for the flat plates and membrane wings showed that the membrane wings with ARs of 0.9 and 2.6 did not show the same performance benefits as the higher AR membrane wings. Funded by NSF REU Site #1062611.

Determination of Orbital Parameters for Visual Binary Stars Using a Fourier-Series Approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brown, D. E.; Prager, J. R.; DeLeo, G. G.; McCluskey, G. E., Jr.

2001-12-01

We expand on the Fourier transform method of Monet (ApJ 234, 275, 1979) to infer the orbital parameters of visual binary stars, and we present results for several systems, both simulated and real. Although originally developed to address binary systems observed through at least one complete period, we have extended the method to deal explicitly with cases where the orbital data is less complete. This is especially useful in cases where the period is so long that only a fragment of the orbit has been recorded. We utilize Fourier-series fitting methods appropriate to data sets covering less than one period and containing random measurement errors. In so doing, we address issues of over-determination in fitting the data and the reduction of other deleterious Fourier-series artifacts. We developed our algorithm using the MAPLE mathematical software code, and tested it on numerous "synthetic" systems, and several real binaries, including Xi Boo, 24 Aqr, and Bu 738. This work was supported at Lehigh University by the Delaware Valley Space Grant Consortium and by NSF-REU grant PHY-9820301.

The Effects of Including Piezoelectric Film as Part of a Wing Surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sappo, Charlotte

2014-11-01

Micro air vehicles (MAVs) are size- and weight-restricted, unmanned, flying vehicles that often exploit biology for inspiration. Membrane wings, one commonly employed biological adaptation, improves aerodynamic efficiency. These efficiency gains are due to the passive deformations and vibrations of the membrane. Piezoelectric films have the potential to further utilize these vibrations through the conversion of this motion into measureable electrical energy. In this investigation, an amplifier circuit was designed to measure the charge generated by a flexible polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) film adhered to a rectangular wing frame (aspect ratio of 2). The trailing edge was unattached and free to vibrate. The circuit consisted of two charge amplifiers, to convert the high impedance charge of the piezoelectric film into an output voltage, and an instrumentation amplifier, to reject common-mode noise. Amplifying and filtering the output signal appropriately, through the use of the feedback capacitance and resistance, was discovered to be of the utmost importance for this endeavor. Results from shaker and wind tunnels tests are presented. NSF ECE Grant 1358991 supported the first author as a REU student.

Passive Flap Actuation by Reversing Flow in Laminar Boundary Layer Separation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parsons, Chase; Lang, Amy; Santos, Leo; Bonacci, Andrew

2017-11-01

Reducing the flow separation is of great interest in the field of fluid mechanics in order to reduce drag and improve the overall efficiency of aircraft. This project seeks to investigate passive flow control using shark inspired microflaps in laminar boundary layer separation. This study aims to show that whether a flow is laminar or turbulent, laminar and 2D or turbulent and 3D, microflaps actuated by reversing flow is a robust means of controlling flow separation. In order to generate a controlled adverse pressure gradient, a rotating cylinder induces separation at a chosen location on a flat plate boundary layer with Re above 10000. Within this thick boundary layer, digital particle image velocimetry is used to map the flow. This research can be used in the future to better understand the nature of the bristling shark scales and its ability to passively control separation. Results show that microflaps successfully actuated due to backflow and that this altered the formation of flow separation. I would like to thank the NSF for REU Grant EEC 1659710 and the Army Research Office for funding this project.

Effects of porous insert on flame dynamics in a lean premixed swirl-stabilized combustor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brown, Marcus; Agrawal, Ajay; Allen, James; Kornegay, John

2016-11-01

In this study, we investigated different methods of determining the effect a porous insert has on flame dynamics during lean premixed combustion. A metallic porous insert is used to mitigate instabilities in a swirl-stabilized combustor. Thermoacoustic instabilities are seen as negative consequences of lean premixed combustion and eliminating them is the motivation for our research. Three different diagnostics techniques with high-speed Photron SA5 cameras were used to monitor flame characteristics. Particle image velocimetry (PIV) was used to observe vortical structures and recirculation zones within the combustor. Using planar laser induced fluorescence (PLIF), we were able to observe changes in the reaction zones during instabilities. Finally, utilizing a color high-speed camera, visual images depicting a flame's oscillations during the instability were captured. Using these monitoring techniques, we are able to support the claims made in previous studies stating that the porous insert in the combustor significantly reduces the thermoacoustic instability. Funding for this research was provided by the NSF REU site Grant EEC 1358991 and NASA Grant NNX13AN14A.

The effect of butterfly-scale inspired patterning on leading-edge vortex growth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilroy, Jacob; Lang, Amy; Wahidi, Redha

2014-11-01

Leading edge vortices (LEVs) are important for generating thrust and lift in flapping flight, and the surface patterning (scales) on butterfly wings is hypothesized to play a role in the vortex formation of the LEV. To simplify this complex flow problem, we designed an experiment to focus on the alteration of 2-D vortex development with a variation in surface patterning. Specifically we are interested in the secondary vorticity generated by the LEV interacting at the patterned surface and how this can affect the growth rate of the circulation in the LEV. For this experiment we used rapid-prototyped longitudinal and transverse square grooves attached to a flat plate and compared the vortex formation as the plate moved vertically. The plate is impulsively started in quiescent water and flow fields at Re = 1500, 3000, and 6000 are examined using Digital Particle Image Velocimetry (DPIV). The vortex formation time is 0.6 and is based on the flat plate travel length and chord length. Support for this research came from NSF REU Grant 1358991 and CBET 1335848.

Measuring particle charge in an rf dusty plasma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fung, Jerome; Liu, Bin; Goree, John; Nosenko, Vladimir

2004-11-01

A dusty plasma is an ionized gas containing micron-size particles of solid matter. A particle gains a large negative charge by collecting electrons and ions from the plasma. In a gas discharge, particles can be levitated by the sheath electric field above a horizontal planar electrode. Most dusty plasma experiments require a knowledge of the particle charge, which is a key parameter for all interactions with other particles and the plasma electric field. Several methods have been developed in the literature to measure the charge. The vertical resonance method uses Langmuir probe measurements of the ion density and video camera measurements of the amplitude of vertical particle oscillations, which are excited by modulating the rf voltage. Here, we report a new method that is a variation of the vertical resonance method. It uses the plasma potential and particle height, which can be measured more accurately than the ion density. We tested this method and compared the resulting charge to values obtained using the original resonance method as well as sound speed methods. Work supported by an NSF REU grant, NASA and DOE.

Scientific Applications of two U.S. Antarctic Program Projects at NSIDC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scharfen, G. R.; Bauer, R. J.

2001-12-01

The National Snow and Ice Data Center maintains two Antarctic science data management programs supporting both the efforts of Principal Investigators (PIs), and the science that is funded by the NSF Office of Polar Programs. These programs directly relate to the OPP "Guidelines and Award Conditions for Scientific Data", which identify the conditions for awards and responsibilities of PIs regarding the archival of data, and submission of metadata, resulting from their NSF OPP grants. The U.S. Antarctic Data Coordination Center (USADCC) is funded by NSF to assist PIs as they meet these requirements, and to provide a U.S. focal point for the Antarctic Master Directory, a web-based searchable directory of Antarctic scientific data. The USADCC offers access to free, easy-to-use online tools that PIs can use to create the data descriptions that the NSF policy data requires. We provide advice to PIs on how to meet the data policy requirements, and can answer specific questions on related issues. Scientists can access data set descriptions submitted to the Antarctic Master Directory, by thousands of scientists around the world, from the USADCC web pages. The USADCC website is at http://nsidc.org/NSF/USADCC/. The Antarctic Glaciological Data Center (AGDC) is funded by NSF to archive and distribute data collected by the NSF Antarctic Glaciology Program and related cryospheric investigations. The AGDC contains data sets collected by individual investigators on specific grants, and compiled products assembled from many different PI data sets, published literature, and other sources. Data sets are available electronically and include access to the data, plus useful documentation, citation information about the PI(s), locator maps, derived images and references. The AGDC website is at http://nsidc.org/NSF/AGDC/. The utility of both of these projects for scientists is illustrated by a typical user-driven case study to research, obtain and use Antarctic data for a science application.

CAREER opportunities at the Condensed Matter Physics Program, NSF/DMR

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Durakiewicz, Tomasz

The Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program is a Foundation-wide activity, offering prestigious awards in support of junior faculty. Awards are expected to build the careers of teacher-scholars through outstanding research, excellent education and the integration of education and research. Condensed Matter Physics Program receives between 35 and 45 CAREER proposals each year, in areas related to fundamental research of phenomena exhibited by condensed matter systems. Proposal processing, merit review process, funding levels and success rates will be discussed in the presentation. NSF encourages submission of CAREER proposals from junior faculty members from CAREER-eligible organizations and encourages women, members of underrepresented minority groups, and persons with disabilities to apply. NSF/DMR/CMP homepage: https://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5666

A Case Study of URM Retention through IBP's Professional Development and Mentoring Activities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, A.; Williamson Whitney, V.; Ricciardi, L.; Detrick, L.; Siegfried, D.; Fauver, A.; Ithier-Guzman, W.; Thomas, S. H.; Valaitis, S.

2012-12-01

As a free-standing not for profit organization, the Institute for Broadening Participation (IBP) hosts a variety of initiatives designed to increase the retention of underrepresented minority (URM) students pursuing pathways in STEM. Successful initiatives include virtual and face-to-face components that bring together URM students with established URM and other scientists in academia, government and industry. These connections provide URM students with supportive mentoring, networking opportunities, and professional skill development contributing to an overall improved retention rate of URM students majoring in STEM degrees. IBP's initiatives include the NASA One Stop Shopping Initiative (NASA OSSI), Pathways to Ocean Science, Pathways to Engineering, and the Minorities Striving and Pursuing Higher Degrees of Success (MS PHD'S) Professional Development program in Earth System Science (ESS). The NASA OSSI initiative recruits and facilitates student engagement in NASA student education and employment opportunities. Through IBP's virtual and person-to-person communications, students learn how to identify, apply to, and participate in NASA programs. Pathways to Ocean Science connects and supports URM students with REU programs in the Ocean Sciences while serving as a resource for REU program directors. As one of IBP's newest initiatives, Pathways to Engineering has synthesized mentoring resources into an online mentoring manual for URM STEM students that has been extensively vetted by mentoring experts throughout the country. The manual which is organized by user groups serves as an e-forum providing undergraduates, graduates, postdocs, faculty members and project directors with valuable resources to facilitate a positive REU experience. This mentoring initiative also provides a mechanism for submitting new resources and inviting feedback in mentoring best practices throughout the STEM community. MS PHD'S, one of IBP's longest running and most successful initiatives, focuses on increasing the retention rate of URM students receiving advanced degrees in Earth system science. Through a three-phase structure of activities, the program addresses major barriers to retention in ESS including isolation, lack of preparation and professional development, and lack of mentoring. Program activities center on peer-to-peer community building, professional development exercises, networking experiences, one-on-one mentoring, and a facilitated virtual community. MS PHD'S participants report a reduced sense of isolation, an increased sense of community, and a higher level of confidence about their ability to succeed in their chosen field. As of August 2012, 189 students have participated in the program. 60 of those students are currently enrolled in a PhD. program. Another 35 have completed their PhD and are actively engaged in the ESS workforce.

Undergraduate Research Experiences in Support of Dryland Monitoring: Field and Satellite Remote Sensing of Change in Savanna Structure, Biomass, and Carbon after Prescribed Fires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Washington-Allen, R. A.; Twidwell, D. L., Jr.; Mendieta, V. P.; Delgado, A.; Redman, B.; Trollope, W. S.; Trollope, L.; Govender, N.; Smit, I.; Popescu, S. C.; de Bruno Austin, C.; Reeves, M. C.

2009-12-01

The status and trend of degradation in the world’s Drylands, that support over 1.2 billion people, is unknown because monitoring & assessment has not occurred on a globally consistent basis and skilled personnel with a cultivated interest in natural resource science and management are lacking. A major monitoring dataset is the 37-year Landsat data archive that has been released free to the world, but this dataset requires persons who understand how to process and interpret this and similar datasets applicable to the desertification problem. The College of Agriculture & Life Sciences (COALS) at Texas A&M University (TAMU) has an initiative to provide undergraduates with both international and research experiences. The lead author used start-up money, USFS project funds for livestock footprint studies in the US, and seed money from COALS to 1) develop academic mentor contacts in Mozambique, Namibia, Botswana, South Africa, and Tunisia to prepare a National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates (NSF-REU) Site proposal and 2) launch a pilot REU for two TAMU undergraduate students. Mr. Delgado and Mr. Redman received lidar processing and visualization, field survey training on global positioning systems (GPS), terrestrial LIDAR, and ground penetrating radar technologies and conducted carbon change studies by collecting pre- and post-fire laser scans on experimental burn (EPB) sites in Texas and South Africa. Mr. Redman also developed GIS databases of Landsat timeseries for these EPBs and others in southern Africa. Mr. Delgado participated in the Savanna Fire Ignition Research Experiment (SavFIRE) in Kruger National Park (KNP) by collected laser scan data on 3 EPBs. He also received mentoring from Dr. Winston Trollope, a prominent fire ecologist, and Mr. Chris Austin both of Working with Fire International and Navashni Govender, KNP’s Fire Ecologist. He also was an active participant in a NASA sponsored workshop on remote sensing of global savannas.

Excitation of levels in Li6 by inelastic electron scattering

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bernheim, M.; Bishop, G. R.

1963-07-01

Inelastic scattering of electrons from metallic targets of Li 6 was studied as part of a program to establish the validity of the Born approximation calculation of the cross section. This calculation predicts the separation of the inelastic form factor into two contributions corresponding to the absorption of longitudinal and transverse virtual photons by the bombarded system. (R.E.U.)

You can see galaxies from your computer | CTIO

Science.gov Websites

Calendar Activities NOAO-S EPO Programs CADIAS Astro Chile Hugo E. Schwarz Telescope Dark Sky Education Preserving the Dark Skies La Oficina de Protección de la Calidad del Cielo del Norte de Chile - OPCC Light Pollution StarLight Universe The World at Night (TWAN) International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) Students REU

Calcium II K Line as a Measure of Activity: Meshing Sac Peak and Solis Measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Urbach, Elana; Earley, J.; Keil, S.

2012-05-01

The Calcium II K line is an important indicator of solar and stellar activity. Disk integrated Ca K measurements have been taken at the Evans Solar Facility at Sacramento Peak Observatory since 1976. This instrument will be shut down by the end of the year, and the observations will be continued by the Solis Integrated Sunlight Spectrometer (ISS), which has been taking measurements since 2006. We attempt to regress the measurements from Sacramento Peak and ISS. In addition, we compare the Ca K measurements with disk averaged line of sight magnetic field measurements, which will help us predict the magnetic field of other stars. We also compare the measurements with Lyman α, allowing us to use Ca K as an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) proxy. This work is carried out through the National Solar Observatory Research Experiences for Undergraduate (REU) [or Research Experiences for Teachers (RET)] site program, which is co-funded by the Department of Defense in partnership with the National Science Foundation REU/RET Program. The National Solar Observatory is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc. (AURA) under cooperative agreement with the National Science Foundation.

Status of the profession

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Boyce, Peter B.; Beichman, Charles A.; Abt, Helmut A.; Bauer, Wendy Hagen; Burbidge, Geoffrey; Cochran, Anita L.; Dorfman, Robert; Harris, Hugh; Havlen, Robert; Jones, Christine

1991-01-01

The number of astronomers has grown by about 40 percent over the past decade. The number of astronomers with jobs in industry, or with long-term, non-tenured, jobs has increased dramatically compared with traditional faculty positions. The increase in the number of astronomers and the declining share of the NSF budget going to astronomy has led to extreme difficulties in the NSF grant program and in support of the National Observatories. In 1989, direct NASA support of astronomers through the grants program exceeds that of NSF, although the total of the NSF grants program over decade far exceeds that of NASA. Access to major new telescopes will be important issue for the 1990s. US astronomers, who once had a monopoly on telescopes larger than 3 meters, will, by the year 2000, have access to just half of the world's optical telescope area.

Leveraging community support for Education and Outreach: The IRIS E&O Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taber, J.; Hubenthal, M.; Wysession, M. E.

2009-12-01

The IRIS E&O Program was initiated 10 years ago, some 15 years after the creation of the IRIS Consortium, as IRIS members increasingly recognized the fundamental need to communicate the results of scientific research more effectively and to attract more students to study Earth science. Since then, IRIS E&O has received core funding through successive 5-year cooperative agreements with NSF, based on proposals submitted by IRIS. While a small fraction of the overall Consortium budget, this consistent funding has allowed the development of strong, long-term elements within the E&O Program, including summer internships, IRIS/USGS museum displays, seismographs in schools, IRIS/SSA Distinguished Lecture series, and professional development for middle school and high school teachers. Reliable funding has allowed us to develop expertise in these areas due to the longevity of the programs and the continuous improvement resulting from ongoing evaluations. Support from Consortium members, including volunteering time and expertise, has been critical for the program, as the Consortium has to continually balance the value of E&O products versus equipment and data services for seismology research. The E&O program also provides service to the Consortium, such as PIs being able to count on and leverage IRIS resources when defining the broader impacts of their own research. The reliable base has made it possible to build on the core elements with focused and innovative proposals, allowing, for example, the expansion of our internship program into a full REU site. Developing collaborative proposals with other groups has been a key strategy where IRIS E&O's long-term viability can be combined with expertise from other organizations to develop new products and services. IRIS can offer to continue to reliably deliver and maintain products after the end of a 2-3 year funding cycle, which can greatly increase the reach of the project. Consortium backing has also allowed us to establish an educational fund in honor of the late John Lahr. This fund, which is comprised of individual donations, is being used to provide seismographs to schools along with professional development and ongoing support from the E&O program. We are also developing a plan for attracting larger private and/or foundation funds for new E&O activities, leveraging the reputation of a long-term program.

Collaborative, Early-undergraduate-focused REU Programs at Savannah State University have been Vital to Growing a Demographically Diverse Ocean Science Community

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gilligan, M. R.; Cox, T. M.; Hintz, C. J.

2011-12-01

Formal support for undergraduates to participate in marine/ocean science research at Savannah State University (SSU), a historically-Black unit of the University System of Georgia, began in 1989 with funding from the National Science Foundation for an unsolicited proposal (OCE-8919102, 34,935). Today SSU, which has offered B.S degrees since 1979 and M.S. degrees since 2001 in Marine Sciences, is making major contributions nationally to demographic diversity in ocean sciences. 33% of Master's degrees in marine/ocean sciences earned by African Americans in the U.S. from 2004-2007 were earned at SSU. 10% of African American Master's and Doctoral students in marine/ ocean sciences in 2007 were either enrolled in the Master's program at SSU or were former SSU students enrolled in Doctoral programs elsewhere. Collaborative REU programs that focus on early (freshman and sophomore) undergraduate students have been a consistent and vital part of that success. In the most recent iteration of our summer REU program we used six of the best practices outlined in the literature to increase success and retention of underrepresented minority students in STEM fields: early intervention, strong mentoring, research experience, career counseling, financial support, workshops and seminars. The early intervention with strong mentoring has proven successful in several metrics: retention in STEM majors (96%), progression to graduate school (50%), and continuation to later research experiences (75%). Research mentors include faculty at staff at SSU, the Skidaway Institute of Oceanography, Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary and Georgia Tech-Savannah. Formal collaborative and cooperative agreements, externally-funded grants, and contracts in support of student research training have proven to be critical in providing resources for growth and improvement marine science curricular options at the University. Since 1981 the program has had four formal partnerships and 36 funded grant awards and contracts totaling 11.7 million. HBCUs are disproportionately more effective in training significant numbers of African American students in the sciences. Although they enrolled only 11.1% of African-American undergraduates and 9.4% of African American graduate students in fall 2007 in the U.S., they awarded 33.3% of undergraduate and 24% of master's degrees earned by African-Americans in Biological, biomedical and, physical sciences, and science technologies in 2006 and 2007. Commitments to the development of non-traditional academic and research programs at HBCUs and other minority serving institutions should be expanded to increase demographic diversity in the ocean sciences.

The Baryonic Tully Fisher Relation for the ALFALFA 100 Sample

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Finney, Elizabeth E.; Haynes, Martha P.; APPSS Team

2018-01-01

The APPSS (Arecibo Pisces-Perseus Supercluster Survey) team aims to quantify the over-densities of matter in the Pisces-Perseus Supercluster (PPS) filament by exploring the Baryonic Tully Fisher Relation (BTFR) of the ALFALFA (Arecibo Legacy Fast ALFA) 100 survey – (α.100) and, in the future, using targeted observations of low mass star-forming galaxies. Galaxies in the PPS filament region and its foreground and background voids are influenced by the gravitational pull of the large concentration of matter, and are expected to show velocities that deviate significantly from the smooth Hubble expansion. By deriving the peculiar motions of galaxies in the ALFALFA 100 survey as measured by the BTFR, we will further our understanding of the amount and distribution of the underlying dark matter in the supercluster. In this project, we make a first attempt to investigate the BTFR of the α.100 sample, and discuss our findings. This sample was corrected for inclination, extinction, and other sources of scatter, and a least squares linear regression fit was applied to determine the slope of the BTFR. We compare the slope of the α.100 sample to various literature values, and find that the slope is shallower due to slower-rotating, low-mass galaxies. Investigation of this shallow slope is needed in future work, as well as a modification of the intrinsic axial ratio assumed for this sample of galaxies. EF participated in the summer 2017 REU program in the Center for Astrophysics and Planetary Science at Cornell University under NSF award AST-1659264.

Camera Development for the Cherenkov Telescope Array

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moncada, Roberto Jose

2017-01-01

With the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA), the very-high-energy gamma-ray universe, between 30 GeV and 300 TeV, will be probed at an unprecedented resolution, allowing deeper studies of known gamma-ray emitters and the possible discovery of new ones. This exciting project could also confirm the particle nature of dark matter by looking for the gamma rays produced by self-annihilating weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs). The telescopes will use the imaging atmospheric Cherenkov technique (IACT) to record Cherenkov photons that are produced by the gamma-ray induced extensive air shower. One telescope design features dual-mirror Schwarzschild-Couder (SC) optics that allows the light to be finely focused on the high-resolution silicon photomultipliers of the camera modules starting from a 9.5-meter primary mirror. Each camera module will consist of a focal plane module and front-end electronics, and will have four TeV Array Readout with GSa/s Sampling and Event Trigger (TARGET) chips, giving them 64 parallel input channels. The TARGET chip has a self-trigger functionality for readout that can be used in higher logic across camera modules as well as across individual telescopes, which will each have 177 camera modules. There will be two sites, one in the northern and the other in the southern hemisphere, for full sky coverage, each spanning at least one square kilometer. A prototype SC telescope is currently under construction at the Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory in Arizona. This work was supported by the National Science Foundation's REU program through NSF award AST-1560016.

Topology in Synthetic Column Density Maps for Interstellar Turbulence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Putko, Joseph; Burkhart, B. K.; Lazarian, A.

2013-01-01

We show how the topology tool known as the genus statistic can be utilized to characterize magnetohydrodyanmic (MHD) turbulence in the ISM. The genus is measured with respect to a given density threshold and varying the threshold produces a genus curve, which can suggest an overall ‘‘meatball,’’ neutral, or ‘‘Swiss cheese’’ topology through its integral. We use synthetic column density maps made from three-dimensional 5123 compressible MHD isothermal simulations performed for different sonic and Alfvénic Mach numbers (Ms and MA respectively). We study eight different Ms values each with one sub- and one super-Alfvénic counterpart. We consider sight-lines both parallel (x) and perpendicular (y and z) to the mean magnetic field. We find that the genus integral shows a dependence on both Mach numbers, and this is still the case even after adding beam smoothing and Gaussian noise to the maps to mimic observational data. The genus integral increases with higher Ms values (but saturates after about Ms = 4) for all lines of sight. This is consistent with greater values of Ms resulting in stronger shocks, which results in a clumpier topology. We observe a larger genus integral for the sub-Alfvénic cases along the perpendicular lines of sight due to increased compression from the field lines and enhanced anisotropy. Application of the genus integral to column density maps should allow astronomers to infer the Mach numbers and thus learn about the environments of interstellar turbulence. This work was supported by the National Science Foundation’s REU program through NSF Award AST-1004881.

Analyzing Serendipitous Asteroid Observations in Imaging Data using PHOTOMETRYPIPELINE

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ard, Christopher; Mommert, Michael; Trilling, David E.

2016-10-01

Asteroids are nearly ubiquitous in the night sky, making them present in the majority of imaging data taken every night. Serendipitous asteroid observations represent a treasure trove to Solar System researchers: accurate positional measurements of asteroids provide important constraints on their sometimes highly uncertain orbits, whereas calibrated photometric measurements can be used to establish rotational periods, intrinsic colors, or photometric phase curves.We present an add-on to the PHOTOMETRYPIPELINE (PP, github.com/mommermi/photometrypipeline, see Poster presentation 123.42) that identifies asteroids that have been observed serendipitously and extracts astrometry and calibrated photometry for these objects. PP is an open-source Python 2.7 software suite that provides image registration, aperture photometry, photometric calibration, and target identification with only minimal human interaction.Asteroids are identified based on approximate positions that are pre-calculated for a range of dates. Using interpolated coordinates, we identify potential asteroids that might be in the observed field and query their exact positions and positional uncertainties from the JPL Horizons system. The method results in robust astrometry and calibrated photometry for all asteroids in the field as a function of time. Our measurements will supplement existing photometric databases of asteroids and improve their orbits.We present first results using this procedure based on imaging data from the Vatican Advanced Technology Telescope.This work was done in the framework of NAU's REU summer program that is supported by NSF grant AST-1461200. PP was developed in the framework of the "Mission Accessible Near-Earth Object Survey" (MANOS) and is supported by NASA SSO grants NNX15AE90G and NNX14AN82G.

Relating Alfvén Wave Heating Model to Observations of a Solar Active Region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yoritomo, J. Y.; Van Ballegooijen, A. A.

2012-12-01

We compared images from the Solar Dynamics Observatory's (SDO) Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) with simulations of propagating and dissipating Alfvén waves from a three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) model (van Ballegooijen et. al 2011; Asgari-Targhi & van Ballegooijen 2012). The goal was to search for observational evidence of Alfvén waves in the solar corona and understand their role in coronal heating. We looked at one particular active region on the 5th of May 2012. Certain distinct loops in the SDO/AIA observations were selected and expanded. Movies were created from these selections in an attempt to discover transverse motions that may be Alfvén waves. Using a magnetogram of that day and the corresponding synoptic map, a potential field model was created for the active region. Three-dimensional MHD models for several loops in different locations in the active region were created. Each model specifies the temperature, pressure, magnetic field strength, average heating rate, and other parameters along the loop. We find that the heating is intermittent in the loops and reflection occurs at the transition region. For loops at larger and larger height, a point is reached where thermal non-equilibrium occurs. In the center this critical height is much higher than in the periphery of the active region. Lastly, we find that the average heating rate and coronal pressure decrease with increasing height in the corona. This research was supported by an NSF grant for the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (SAO) Solar REU program and a SDO/AIA grant for the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory.

A Study of NSF Teacher Enhancement Program (TEP) Participants and Principal Investigators: 1984-1989. Volume I: Summary Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abt Associates, Inc., Cambridge, MA.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) supported more than 600 inservice teacher training programs between 1984 and 1989 under its Teacher Enhancement Program (TEP). Two studies were undertaken of TEP: the first was a survey of the 600 Principal Investigators (PIs) who had operated inservice teacher enhancement projects and the second, a survey of…

Evaluation of NSF's Program of Grants and Vertical Integration of Research and Education in the Mathematical Sciences (VIGRE)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Academies Press, 2009

2009-01-01

In 1998, the National Science Foundation (NSF) launched a program of Grants for Vertical Integration of Research and Education in the Mathematical Sciences (VIGRE). These grants were designed for institutions with PhD-granting departments in the mathematical sciences, for the purpose of developing high-quality education programs, at all levels,…

National Science Foundation Grants and Awards for Fiscal Year 1982.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Science Foundation, Washington, DC.

Provided is a listing of all National Science Foundation (NSF) program grants and contracts awarded in Fiscal Year 1982. The listing is organized by specific NSF programs within these areas: (1) mathematical and physical sciences; (2) engineering; (3) biological, behavioral, and social sciences; (4) astronomical, earth, and ocean sciences…

National Science Foundation. Grants and Awards for Fiscal Year 1981.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Science Foundation, Washington, DC.

Provided is a listing of all National Science Foundation (NSF) program grants and contracts awarded in Fiscal Year 1981. The listing is organized by specific NSF programs within these areas: (1) mathematical and physical sciences; (2) engineering; (3) biological, behavioral, and social sciences; (4) astronomical, atmospheric, earth, and ocean…

Evaluation of the NSF Industry/University Cooperative Research Centers: Descriptive and Correlative Findings.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Science Foundation, Washington, DC. Directorate for Engineering.

This report presents results of a survey of participants in the National Science Foundation (NSF) Industry-University Cooperative Research Centers program. The program promotes more rapid technological innovation by creating linkages between industry and university scientists. The Centers function as university research groups, with partial…

The 1983-1984 NSF Chautauqua-Type Short Course Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zeitler, William R.; Ogletree, Owen, Jr.

1984-01-01

National Science Foundation (NSF) Chautauqua-type short courses offer undergraduate science teachers the opportunity to absorbe new ideas from highly respected scholars. A complete list of courses, course directors, locations, dates, and registration fees for the 1983-84 program is provided. Subject areas include: instructional composting, cells…

Tracking Student Participants from a REU Site with NAE Grand Challenges as the Common Theme

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burkett, Susan; Dye, Tabatha; Johnson, Pauline

2015-01-01

The National Academy of Engineering (NAE) Grand Challenges provides the theme for this NSFfunded Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) site. Research topics, with their broad societal impact, allow undergraduate students from multiple engineering disciplines and computer science to work together on exciting and critical problems. The…

Compulsory Project-Level Involvement and the Use of Program-Level Evaluations: Evaluating the Local Systemic Change for Teacher Enhancement Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Kelli; Weiss, Iris R.

2011-01-01

In 1995, the National Science Foundation (NSF) contracted with principal investigator Iris Weiss and an evaluation team at Horizon Research, Inc. (HRI) to conduct a national evaluation of the Local Systemic Change for Teacher Enhancement program (LSC). HRI conducted the core evaluation under a $6.25 million contract with NSF. This program…

The Early Tech Development Course: Experiential Commercialization Education for the Medical Academician.

PubMed

Servoss, Jonathan; Chang, Connie; Fay, Jonathan; Ward, Kevin

2017-04-01

Research produced by medical academicians holds promise for developing into biomedical innovations in therapeutics, devices, diagnostics, and health care information technology; however, the road to biomedical innovation is fraught with risk, including the challenge of moving from basic research insight onto a viable commercialization path. Compounding this challenge is the growing demand on medical academicians to be more productive in their clinical, teaching, and research duties within a resource-constrained environment. In 2014, the University of Michigan (UM) Medical School and College of Engineering codesigned and implemented an accelerated, biomedical-focused version of the National Science Foundation (NSF) Innovation Corps (I-Corps) program. The UM Early Tech Development (ETD) Course, designed for medical academicians exploring the commercial potential of early-stage ideas, covers the NSF I-Corps concept; supports the formation of teams of faculty, graduate, and medical students; and accommodates medical academicians' schedules. From 2014 to 2015, the ETD Course graduated 39 project teams from UM and other institutions. One-third of the teams have continued to pursue their projects, receiving additional funding, engaging industry partners, or enrolling in the NSF I-Corps program. The ETD Course, a potential pipeline to the NSF I-Corps program, captures a target audience of medical academicians and others in academic medicine. To better understand the long-term effects of the course and its relationship to the NSF I-Corps program, the authors will conduct a study on the careers of all ETD Course graduates, including those who have enrolled in NSF I-Corps versus those who have not.

The Early Tech Development Course: Experiential Commercialization Education for the Medical Academician

PubMed Central

Chang, Connie; Fay, Jonathan; Ward, Kevin

2017-01-01

Problem Research produced by medical academicians holds promise for developing into biomedical innovations in therapeutics, devices, diagnostics, and health care information technology; however, the road to biomedical innovation is fraught with risk, including the challenge of moving from basic research insight onto a viable commercialization path. Compounding this challenge is the growing demand on medical academicians to be more productive in their clinical, teaching, and research duties within a resource-constrained environment. Approach In 2014, the University of Michigan (UM) Medical School and College of Engineering codesigned and implemented an accelerated, biomedical-focused version of the National Science Foundation (NSF) Innovation Corps (I-Corps) program. The UM Early Tech Development (ETD) Course, designed for medical academicians exploring the commercial potential of early-stage ideas, covers the NSF I-Corps concept; supports the formation of teams of faculty, graduate, and medical students; and accommodates medical academicians’ schedules. Outcomes From 2014 to 2015, the ETD Course graduated 39 project teams from UM and other institutions. One-third of the teams have continued to pursue their projects, receiving additional funding, engaging industry partners, or enrolling in the NSF I-Corps program. Next Steps The ETD Course, a potential pipeline to the NSF I-Corps program, captures a target audience of medical academicians and others in academic medicine. To better understand the long-term effects of the course and its relationship to the NSF I-Corps program, the authors will conduct a study on the careers of all ETD Course graduates, including those who have enrolled in NSF I-Corps versus those who have not. PMID:28351064

National Science Foundation Fiscal Year 1986 Awards (by State and NSF Directorate).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Science Foundation, Washington, DC.

Provided is a listing of National Science Foundation (NSF) program grants and contracts awarded in Fiscal Year 1986. Data, current as of Feburary 13, 1987, are arranged as follows: (1) by state, with totals for each state (foreign countries are alphabetized with states); (2) by NSF Directorate, with award and dollar totals for each NSF…

Attracting Students Into Science: Insights From a Summer Research Internship Program for Community College Students in Colorado

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anderson, S. P.; Smith, L. K.; Gold, A. U.; Batchelor, R. L.; Monday, B.

2014-12-01

Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) programs commonly serve students already committed to careers in science. To spark student interest in the sciences early in their college career, the CIRES diversity initiative teamed with the Boulder Creek Critical Zone Observatory to build an REU for Colorado community college students. A group of 7 students was selected from consideration of diversity, prior training, and personal statements. Each student was paired with a research science mentor. Field excursions and team-building exercises filled the first week of the 8-week program. Students received weekly training in science communication, responsible conduct of research, use of spreadsheet and graphing software, and statistical analysis. Each student presented their research in a poster session, an oral presentation, and a written report. Several aspects of this pilot program worked well. The students formed a very supportive cohort, despite the fact that they were not in residence. Cohesion grew out of the immersion in field trips, and was reinforced with weekly check-ins. The trainings were essential for seeing projects through to written and oral presentations. Teaming students for fieldwork was an effective strategy to build support, and reduce mentor fatigue. Each student produced useful data. In the future, we would include a workshop on personal finances to address a clear need. Transportation support will be provided. A residential program might attract some but could preclude participation of students with families or other life-issues. Personal tutoring tailored to research projects would address low math skills. All 7 students completed the program; several elected to submit to the undergraduate virtual poster session at Fall AGU. Students all reported enormous personal and academic growth. Some are discussing transfer and graduate school opportunities with their mentors. The enthusiasm and appreciation of the students was unparalleled.

Increasing Access for Economically Disadvantaged Students: The NSF/CSEM & S-STEM Programs at Louisiana State University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilson, Zakiya S.; Iyengar, Sitharama S.; Pang, Su-Seng; Warner, Isiah M.; Luces, Candace A.

2012-01-01

Increasing college degree attainment for students from disadvantaged backgrounds is a prominent component of numerous state and federal legislation focused on higher education. In 1999, the National Science Foundation (NSF) instituted the "Computer Science, Engineering, and Mathematics Scholarships" (CSEMS) program; this initiative was designed to…

Gender Differences in Major Federal External Grant Programs. Technical Report Summary

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hosek, Susan D.; Cox, Amy G.; Ghosh-Dastidar, Bonnie; Kofner, Aaron; Rampal, Nishal; Scott, Jon; Berry, Sandra H.

2005-01-01

The Wyden amendment to the National Science Foundation (NSF) Authorization Act of 2002 sought to determine whether federally funded educational programs other than sports comply with Title IX, which prohibits gender discrimination. At the request of NSF, this report analyzes administrative data from fiscal years 2001 through 2003 describing the…

Gender Differences in Major Federal External Grant Programs. Technical Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hosek, Susan D.; Cox, Amy G.; Ghosh-Dastidar, Bonnie; Kofner, Aaron; Ramphal, Nishal; Scott, Jon; Berry, Sandra H.

2005-01-01

The Wyden amendment to the National Science Foundation (NSF) Authorization Act of 2002 sought to determine whether federally funded educational programs other than sports comply with Title IX, which prohibits gender discrimination. At the request of NSF, this report analyzes administrative data from fiscal years 2001 through 2003 describing the…

SAGE (Summer of Applied Geophysical Experience): Learning Geophysics by Doing Geophysics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiracek, G. R.; Baldridge, W. S.; Biehler, S.; Braile, L. W.; Ferguson, J. F.; Gilpin, B. E.; Pellerin, L.

2005-12-01

SAGE, a field-based educational program in applied geophysical methods has been an REU site for 16 years and completed its 23rd year of operation in July 2005. SAGE teaches the major geophysical exploration methods (including seismics, gravity, magnetics, and electromagnetics) and applies them to the solution of specific local and regional geologic problems. These include delineating buried hazardous material; mapping archaeological sites; and studying the structure, tectonics, and water resources of the Rio Grande rift in New Mexico. Nearly 600 graduates, undergraduates, and professionals have attended SAGE since 1983. Since 1990 REU students have numbered 219 coming from dozens of different campuses. There have been 124 underrepresented REU students including 100 women, 14 Hispanics, 7 Native Americans, and 3 African Americans. Tracking of former REU students has revealed that 81% have gone on to graduate school. Keys to the success of SAGE are hands-on immersion in geophysics for one month and a partnership between academia, industry, and a federal laboratory. Successful approaches at SAGE include: 1) application of the latest equipment by all students; 2) continued updating of equipment, computers, and software by organizing universities and industry affiliates; 3) close ties with industry who provide supplemental instruction, furnish new equipment and software, and alert students to the current industry trends and job opportunities; 4) two-team, student data analysis structure that simultaneously addresses specific geophysical techniques and their integration; and 5) oral and written reports patterned after professional meetings and journals. An eight member, 'blue ribbon' advisory panel from academia, industry, and the federal government has been set up to maintain the vitality of SAGE by addressing such issues as funding, new faculty, organization, and vision. SAGE is open to students from any university (or organization) with backgrounds including geophysics, geology, engineering, physics, and mathematics. SAGE is sponsored by the Los Alamos National Laboratory Branch of the University of California's Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics. More information is available on the SAGE web site at http://www.sage.lanl.gov/.

National Medal of Science nominations sought

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Showstack, Randy

2013-03-01

The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) is accepting nominations for the 2013 National Medal of Science until 1 April 2013. Congress established the medal in 1959 as a presidential award for individuals "deserving of special recognition by reason of their outstanding contributions to knowledge in the physical, biological, mathematical, or engineering sciences." Later, Congress expanded the recognition to include the social and behavioral sciences. NSF notes, "We are especially interested in identifying women, members of minority groups, and persons with disabilities for consideration." More information is available at http://www.nsf.gov/od/nms/medal.jsp and http://www.nsf.gov/od/nms/nsf_2013nationalmedalofscience_callfornominations.pdf. For more details, contact the Medal of Science program manager at nms@nsf.gov or 703-292-8040.

Bayesian analysis of X-ray jet features of the high redshift quasar jets observed with Chandra

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McKeough, Kathryn; Siemiginowska, Aneta; Kashyap, Vinay; Stein, Nathan; Cheung, Chi C.

2015-01-01

X-ray emission of powerful quasar jets may be a result of the inverse Compton (IC) process in which the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) photons gain energy by interactions with the jet's relativistic electrons. However, there is no definite evidence that IC/CMB process is responsible for the observed X-ray emission of large scale jets. A step toward understanding the X-ray emission process is to study the Radio and X-ray morphologies of the jet. Results from Chandra X-ray and multi-frequency VLA imaging observations of a sample of 11 high- redshift (z > 2) quasars with kilo-parsec scale radio jets are reported. The sample consists of a set of four z ≥ 3.6 flat-spectrum radio quasars, and seven intermediate redshift (z = 2.1 - 2.9) quasars comprised of four sources with integrated steep radio spectra and three with flat radio spectra.We implement a Bayesian image analysis program, Low-count Image Reconstruction and Analysis (LIRA) , to analyze jet features in the X-ray images of the high redshift quasars. Out of the 36 regions where knots are visible in the radio jets, nine showed detectable X-ray emission. Significant detections are based on the upper bound p-value test based on LIRA simulations. The X-ray and radio properties of this sample combined are examined and compared to lower-redshift samples.This work is supported in part by the National Science Foundation REU and the Department of Defense ASSURE programs under NSF Grant no.1262851 and by the Smithsonian Institution, and by NASA Contract NAS8-39073 to the Chandra X-ray Center (CXC). This research has made use of data obtained from the Chandra Data Archive and Chandra Source Catalog, and software provided by the CXC in the application packages CIAO, ChIPS, and Sherpa. Work is also supported by the Chandra grant GO4-15099X.

Automation of the Lowell Observatory 0.8-m Telescope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buie, M. W.

2001-11-01

In the past year I have converted the Lowell Observatory 0.8-m telescope from a classically scheduled and operated telescope to an automated facility. The new setup uses an existing CCD camera and the existing telescope control system. The key steps in the conversion were writing a new CCD control and data acquisition module plus writing communication and queue control software. The previous CCD control program was written for DOS and much of the code was reused for this project. The entire control system runs under Linux and consists of four daemons: MOVE, PCCD, CMDR, and PCTL. The MOVE daemon is a process that communciates with the telescope control system via an RS232 port, keeping track of its state and forwarding commands from other processes to the telescope. The PCCD daemon controls the CCD camera and collects data. The CMDR daemon maintains a FIFO queue of commands to be executed during the night. The PCTL daemon receives notification from any other deamon of execution failures and sends an error code to the on-duty observer via a numeric pager. This system runs through the night much as you would traditionally operate a telescope. However, this system permits queuing up all the commands for a night and they execute one after another in sequence. Additional commands are needed to replace the normal human interaction during observing (ie., target acquisition, field registration, focusing). Also, numerous temporal synchronization commands are required so that observations happen at the right time. The system was used for this year's photometric monitoring of Pluto and Triton and is in general use for 2/3 of time on the telescope. Pluto observations were collected on 30 nights out of a potential pool of 90 nights. Detailed system design and capabilites plus sample observations will be presented. Also, a live demonstration will be provided if the weather is good. This work was supported by NASA Grant NAG5-4210 and the NSF REU Program grant to NAU.

Pluto's Atmosphere from the July 2010 Stellar Occultation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Person, Michael J.; Elliot, J. L.; Bosh, A. S.; Gulbis, A. A. S.; Jensen-Clem, R.; Lockhart, M. F.; Zangari, A. M.; Zuluaga, C. A.; Levine, S. E.; Pasachoff, J. M.; Souza, S. P.; Lu, M.; Malamut, C.; Rojo, P.; Bailyn, C. D.; MacDonald, R. K. D.; Ivarsen, K. M.; Reichart, D. E.; LaCluyze, A. P.; Nysewander, M. C.; Haislip, J. B.

2010-10-01

We have observed the 4 July 2010 stellar occultation by Pluto as part of our program of monitoring Pluto's atmospheric changes over the last decade. Successful observations were obtained from three sites: Cerro Calan and Cerro Tololo, Chile, as well as the HESS-project site (High Energy Stereoscopic System) in southwestern Namibia. Successful telescope apertures ranged from 0.45 m to 1.0 m and resulted in seven occultation light curves for the event from among the three sites. Simultaneous analysis of the seven light curves indicates that Pluto's atmosphere continues to be stable, as the calculated atmospheric radii are consistent with those detected in 2006 (Elliot et al., AJ 134, 1, 2007) and 2007 (Person et al., AJ 136, 1510, 2008), continuing the stability that followed the large pressure increase detected between 1988 (Millis et al., Icarus 105, 282, 1993) and 2002 (Elliot et al., Nature 424, 165, 2003). We will present the overall astrometric solution as well as current profiles for Pluto's upper atmospheric temperature and pressure obtained from inversion of the light curves (Elliot, Person, and Qu, AJ 126, 1041, 2003). This work was supported, in part, by grants NNX10AB27G to MIT, NNX08AO50G to Williams College, and NNH08AI17I to the USNO from NASA's Planetary Astronomy Division. The 0.75-m ATOM (Automatic Telescope for Optical Monitoring) light curve was obtained with the generous assistance of the HESS-project staff, arranged by Stefan Wagner and Marcus Hauser of the University of Heidelberg. The 0.45-m Goto telescope at Cerro Calán National Astronomical Observatory, Universidad de Chile, was donated by the Government of Japan. PROMPT (Panchromatic Robotic Optical Monitoring and Polarimetry Telescopes) observations at Cerro Tololo were made possible by the Robert Martin Ayers Science Fund. Student participation was supported in part by NSF's REU program and NASA's Massachusetts Space Grant.

Using REU Projects and Crowdsourcing to Facilitate Learning on Demand

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liu, Hong P.; Klein, Jerry E.

2013-01-01

With the increasing complexity of technology and large quantities of data in our digital age, learning and training has become a major cost of employers. Employee competence depends more and more on how quickly one can acquire new knowledge and solve problems to meet pressing deadlines. This paper presents a practical method to use REU (Research…

Astronomy education awards in the IUSE:EHR portfolio

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Kevin M.

2017-01-01

Improving Undergraduate STEM Education (IUSE) is a National Science Foundation (NSF) program that addresses immediate challenges and opportunities facing undergraduate STEM education. IUSE endeavors to support faculty as they incorporate educational research results into the classroom and advance our understanding of effective teaching and learning. Note that IUSE is an NSF-wide framework. This paper will focus upon IUSE:EHR - the IUSE program administered from NSF's Education and Human Resources Directorate (EHR) through the Division of Undergraduate Education (DUE). Other branches of IUSE operating within this framework include IUSE:RED in the Engineering Directorate and IUSE:GEOPATHS in the Geosciences Directorate.

An inward striking free reed coupled to a cylindrical pipe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vines, Justin; Paquette, Ammon; Cottingham, James P.

2003-10-01

A number of acoustical measurements have made on a reed-pipe combination consisting of a harmonium-type reed from an American reed organ installed at the closed end of a cylindrical pipe. This configuration, which somewhat resembles the configuration of free-reed organ pipes, differs from the reed-pipe combination occurring in the mouth organs of Asia, which use symmetric (outward striking) free reeds and normally operate on both possible directions of airflow. Measurements have been made of the sounding frequency, amplitude of vibration of the reed tongue, and the sound spectrum. Of particular interest is the degree to which the reed frequency can be altered by altering the pipe length, and hence the pipe resonance frequency. In this case the sounding frequency can be pulled considerably below the natural frequency of the reed. These results can be compared with the results of similar measurements on free-reed organ pipes [J. Braasch, C. Ahrens, J. P. Cottingham, and T. D. Rossing, Fortschr. Akust., DAGA (2000)]. In addition, some interesting ``special effects'' have been studied, which can be obtained using unusual pipe lengths and blowing in the ``wrong'' direction. [Work supported by the NSF from REU Grant No. 0139096.

Application of Piezoelectrics to Flapping-Wing MAVs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Widstrand, Alex; Hubner, J. Paul

2015-11-01

Micro air vehicles (MAVs) are a class of unmanned aerial vehicles that are size-restricted and operate at low velocities and low Reynolds numbers. An ongoing challenge with MAVs is that their flight-related operations are highly constrained by their size and weight, which limits battery size and, therefore, available power. One type of MAV called an ornithopter flies using flapping wings to create both lift and thrust, much like birds and insects do. Further bio-inspiration from bats led to the design of membrane wings for these vehicles, which provide aerodynamic benefits through passive vibration. In an attempt to capitalize on this vibration, a piezoelectric film, which generates a voltage when stressed, was investigated as the wing surface. Two wing planforms with constant area were designed and fabricated. The goal was to measure the wings' flight characteristics and output energy in freestream conditions. Complications with the flapper arose which prevented wind tunnel tests from being performed; however, energy data was obtained from table-top shaker tests. Preliminary results indicate that wing shape affects the magnitude of the charge generated, with a quarter-elliptic planform outperforming a rectangular planform. Funding provided by NSF REU Site Award number 1358991.

Effect of physical variables on capture of magnetic nanoparticles in simulated blood vessels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Minghui; Brazel, Christopher

2011-11-01

This study investigated how the percent capture of magnetic nanoparticles in a simulated vessel varies with physical variables. Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) can used as part of therapeutic or diagnostic materials for cancer patients. By capturing these devices with a magnetic field, the particles can be concentrated in an area of diseased tissue. In this study, flow of nanoparticles in simulated blood vessels was used to determine the affect of applying an external magnetic field. This study used maghemite nanoparticles as the MNPs and either water or Fetal Bovine Serum as the carrier fluid. A UV-Vis collected capture data. The percent capture of MNPs was positively influenced by five physical variables: larger vessel diameters, lower linear flow velocity, higher magnetic field strength, better dispersion, lower MNP concentration, and lower protein content in fluid. Free MNPs were also compared to micelles, with the free particles having more successful magnetic capture. Four factors contributed to these trends: the strength of the magnetic field's influence on the MNPs, the MNPs' interactions with other particles and the fluid, the momentum of the nanoparticles, and magnetic mass to total mass ratio of the flowing particles. Funded by NSF REU Site #1062611.

Stagnation, circulation, and erosion of granular materials through belt conveyor sluice gate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pohlman, Nicholas; Moralda, Michael; Dunne, Ryan

2013-11-01

Control of flow rates in conversion reactors for discrete materials like biomass can be achieved in belt conveyors through a combination of belt speed, hopper size, and aperture opening. As material is extracted from the bottom of the storage hopper, other material cannot achieve plug flow and therefore is restricted from exiting through a sluice-gate type opening. The excess material moves vertically from the opening causing a pile up and recirculation back along the free surface of the hopper. Experimental results obtained through high speed imaging show the position of the stagnation point as well as the rate of circulation is dependent on the mass flow rate achieved and instantaneous fill level. The movement of material into the plug flow along the belt allows verification of deposition models on erodible beds rather than rigid surfaces with artificial roughness of glued particles. Similarly, the pile-up at the exit influences the efficiency of the transport affecting the narrow energy return on investment of biomass resources. The laboratory-scale behavior can therefore be translated into industrial performance metrics for increased operational efficiency. This work is supported by the NSF REU Site Operation E-Tank under award number 1156789.

Overview of an REU program: A case study in gender parity, ethnic diversity, and community college students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pearson, J. K.; Noriega, G.; Benthien, M. L.

2017-12-01

The Undergraduate Studies in Earthquake Information Technology (USEIT) is an REU Internship Program focused in multi-disciplinary, collaborative research offered through the Southern California Earthquake Center (SCEC); a research consortium focused on earthquake science. USEIT is an 8-week intensive undergraduate research program. The program is designed for interns to work as a collaborative engine to solve an overarching real-world earthquake problem referred to as the "Grand Challenge". The interns are organized in teams and paired with mentors that have expertise in their specific task in the Grand Challenge. The program is focused around earthquake system science, where students have the opportunity to use super computers, programming platforms, geographic information systems, and internally designed and developed visualization software. The goal of the USEIT program is to motivate undergraduates from diverse backgrounds towards careers in science and engineering through team-based research in the field of earthquake information technology. Efforts are made to recruit students with diverse backgrounds, taking into consideration gender, ethnic background, socioeconomic standing, major, college year, and institution type (2-year and 4-year colleges). USEIT has a partnership with two local community colleges to recruit underserved students. Our emphasis is to attract students that would 1) grow and develop technical skills, soft skills, and confidence from the program, and 2) provide perspective and innovation to the program. USEIT offers on-campus housing to provide a submerged learning environment, recruits diverse majors to foster interdisciplinary collaboration, maintains a full time in lab mentor for day-to-day intern needs, takes students on field trips to provide context to their research, and plans activities and field trips for team building and morale. Each year metrics are collected through exit surveys, personal statements, and intern experience statements. We highlight lessons learned, including a need for pre-program engagement to ensure student success.

NAS Panel endorses science center concept

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Science and technology centers, as proposed by President Ronald Reagan in his January 1987 State of the Union message, could make “significant contributions to science and to the nation's economic competitiveness,” according to a new report by a National Academy of Sciences (NAS) panel. What will be necessary to realize these contributions, the panel cautioned, are proper management, adequate resources, and, “above all, the selection of programs for which the centers are the most effective form of organization.”NSF plans to support science and technology centers, beginning October 1, 1988, which is the start of fiscal year 1988. NSF requested guidance from the NAS panel in implementing the program. Although other government agencies will participate in the program, NSF will play the primary role.

National Science Foundation proposed budget could see another increase

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Showstack, Randy

2012-03-01

President Barack Obama's proposed budget for the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) for fiscal year (FY) 2013 would provide the agency with $7.37 billion, a $340 million increase, 4.8% above the FY 2012 estimated budget under which NSF has been operating. NSF has fared well during previous budget cycles, and the Obama administration's budget document for FY 2013 states that “NSF plays a critical role in the implementation of the President's Plan for Science and Technology.” With federal agencies operating under tighter budgets in a difficult financial climate, NSF director Subra Suresh said the budget includes substantial increases for core programs, frontier science, education, and human resources. “I am confident that NSF merits the $7.4 billion the president proposed. I'm optimistic Congress will approve the budget,” Suresh said at a 13 February NSF budget briefing.

A Strategic Vision for NSF Investments in Antarctic and Southern Ocean Research: Recommendations of a New Study from the National Academes of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weller, R. A.; Bell, R. E.; Geller, L.

2015-12-01

A Committee convened by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine carried out a study (at the request of NSF's Division of Polar Programs) to develop a strategic vision for the coming decade of NSF's investments in Antarctic and Southern Ocean research. The study was informed by extensive efforts to gather ideas from researchers across the United States. This presentation will provide an overview of the Committee's recommendations—regarding an overall strategic framework for a robust U.S. Antarctic program, regarding the specific areas of research recommended as highest priority for NSF support, and regarding the types of infrastructure, logistical support, data management, and other critical foundations for enabling and adding lasting value to the proposed research .

From the NSF: The National Science Foundation’s Investments in Broadening Participation in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Education through Research and Capacity Building

PubMed Central

James, Sylvia M.; Singer, Susan R.

2016-01-01

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has a long history of investment in broadening participation (BP) in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. A review of past NSF BP efforts provides insights into how the portfolio of programs and activities has evolved and the broad array of innovative strategies that has been used to increase the participation of groups underrepresented in STEM, including women, minorities, and persons with disabilities. While many are familiar with these long-standing programmatic efforts, BP is also a key component of NSF’s strategic plans, has been highlighted in National Science Board reports, and is the focus of ongoing outreach efforts. The majority of familiar BP programs, such as the Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation (now 25 years old), are housed in the Directorate for Education and Human Resources. However, fellowship programs such as the Graduate Research Fellowships and Postdoctoral Research Fellowships under the Directorate for Biological Sciences (and parallel directorates in other STEM disciplines) are frequently used to address underrepresentation in STEM disciplines. The FY2016 and FY2017 budget requests incorporate funding for NSF INCLUDES, a new cross-agency BP initiative that will build on prior successes while addressing national BP challenges. NSF INCLUDES invites the use of innovative approaches for taking evidence-based best practices to scale, ushering in a new era in NSF BP advancement. PMID:27587853

Optimizing the Performance of X-Ray Optics for MaGIXS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yadlapalli, N.; Hertz, E.; Cheimets, P.

2017-12-01

The Marshall Grazing Incidence X-Ray Spectrometer (MaGIXS) is an X-ray imaging spectrometer that will observe the solar corona in the soft X-ray regime with both spatial and spectral resolution. The science goal of MaGIXS is to better understand the problem of coronal heating by measuring the temperature distribution, composition, and temporal variability of hot plasmas (>4 MK) in active regions. In order to do this, the instrument will observe the corona with a fast cadence ( 5 seconds) in wavelengths between 6-24 A with a 6" spatial resolution and a 0.1 A spectral resolution. To ensure that this instrument can achieve such a resolution, it is crucial to have exact measurements of the focal lengths of the mirrors. The mirrors will be aligned and mounted using the Centroid Detector Assembly (CDA) (a steerable laser originally developed for aligning the AXAF mirrors), a CMM Romer arm, and Hartmann aperture masks to perform the focal length measurements. We have designed metrology supports that elevate the aperture mask and mirror up to the height of the optical axis defined by the CDA of the laser, allows the aperture mask 3 translational degrees of freedom, and the allows the mirror 3 translational and 3 rotational degrees of freedom needed for alignment. The measured and verified focal lengths will then be used to carry out the alignment of the mirrors as the MaGIXS instrument is assembled for launch. MaGIXS is supported by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, contract number NNM15AA15C. This work is additionally supported by the NSF-REU solar physics program at SAO, grant number AGS-1560313.

Lost in Loess: Paleomagnetic investigation into loess and tephra deposits in interior Alaska

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Semler, L.; Arnold, K. E.; Williams, D.; Morton, J.; Layer, P. W.; Stone, D. B.; Beget, J.; Schaefer, J.

2003-12-01

As a part of a NSF-funded Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, loess and tephra samples were collected at a road cut near Tok, Alaska, to determine if the site was suitable for paleoclimate reconstruction of the Pleistocene. Oriented cubes and cores were obtained from a section of loess just below the Sheep Creek tephra dated at 190 +/- 20 ka, through the Tetlin tephra (1.2 meters below the Sheep Creek tephra) dated at 630 +/- 50 ka to two meters below the Tetlin tephra. The accumulated amount of loess between dated tephra layers suggests a span of more than one million years for the whole section assuming a constant sedimentation rate for the loess. The samples were measured for natural remanent magnetization (NRM) and magnetic susceptibility before magnetic cleaning techniques (Alternating Field Demagnetization and Thermal Demagnetization) were employed. Samples were analyzed using a cryogenic magnetometer. The demagnetizations show stable magnetic vectors and demonstrate that loess is a reliable paleomagnetic recorder. At Tok, we found that the entire section is of normal polarity and shows no sign of the 780 ka Brunhes-Matuyama polarity reversal, which was expected to be 42 cm below the Tetlin tephra. Absence of the reversal may be due to discontinuities or other changes in the sedimentation rate in the loess, a problem with the sampling methods, or incorrect ages of the tephras. Based on our studies, we feel that changing rates of loess deposition or other unseen discontinuities are the reason the reversal was not found. Because of the uncertainty of the depositional history of the Tok loess, this section is not useful for obtaining a continuous record of ancient climate.

Fatty acids as biomarkers for food web structure in the eastern North Pacific Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Behrens, J.; Aluwihare, L.; Stephens, B. M.

2015-12-01

Resulting from a NSF funded REU program at Scripps Institution of Oceanography in 2015, this research utilized gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to analyze the fatty acid composition of suspended particulate organic matter (POM) and zooplankton (ZP; primarily copepods). Samples analyzed for this study were collected simultaneously from surface waters approximately 9 miles off the coast of San Diego in June 2015. I was testing the hypothesis that essential fatty acids in ZP should reflect their diet, in particular, distinguishing contributions from a microbial versus traditional food web. Food web structure in this region of the ocean has been shown to be sensitive to climate change on inter-annual and longer timescales. Thus, a proxy that identifies restructuring of food webs would be useful for examining the response of ocean ecosystems to future climate change. Lipids were extracted from ZP and POM using a modified Bligh and Dyer method with sonication. Following saponification free fatty acids and other lipids were further purified using column chromatography. Polar functional groups in lipids were then methylated prior to GC-MS analysis. In addition, 2-dimensional GCxGC with time of flight MS was used to distinguish polyunsaturated fatty acid isomers. My poster will present initial findings of shared fatty acids of zooplankton and POM suspended material from the Northern Pacific collection site. Further research will be focused on analyzing the hydrogen isotope composition of fatty acids in zooplankton and suspended DOM obtained at the collection site to further characterize and increase certainty on the role of microbes and phytoplankton in the region's food-web to distinguish prokaryotic and eukaryotic sources.

Building Big Flares: Constraining Generating Processes of Solar Flare Distributions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wyse Jackson, T.; Kashyap, V.; McKillop, S.

2015-12-01

We address mechanisms which seek to explain the observed solar flare distribution, dN/dE ~ E1.8. We have compiled a comprehensive database, from GOES, NOAA, XRT, and AIA data, of solar flares and their characteristics, covering the year 2013. These datasets allow us to probe how stored magnetic energy is released over the course of an active region's evolution. We fit power-laws to flare distributions over various attribute groupings. For instance, we compare flares that occur before and after an active region reaches its maximum area, and show that the corresponding flare distributions are indistinguishable; thus, the processes that lead to magnetic reconnection are similar in both cases. A turnover in the distribution is not detectable at the energies accessible to our study, suggesting that a self-organized critical (SOC) process is a valid mechanism. However, we find changes in the distributions that suggest that the simple picture of an SOC where flares draw energy from an inexhaustible reservoir of stored magnetic energy is incomplete. Following the evolution of the flare distribution over the lifetimes of active regions, we find that the distribution flattens with time, and for larger active regions, and that a single power-law model is insufficient. This implies that flares that occur later in the lifetime of the active region tend towards higher energies. We conclude that the SOC process must have an upper bound. Increasing the scope of the study to include data from other years and more instruments will increase the robustness of these results. This work was supported by the NSF-REU Solar Physics Program at SAO, grant number AGS 1263241, NASA Contract NAS8-03060 to the Chandra X-ray Center and by NASA Hinode/XRT contract NNM07AB07C to SAO

The C-MORE Scholars Program: Engaging minority students in STEM through undergraduate research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gibson, B. A.; Bruno, B. C.

2010-12-01

There have been several studies that show how undergraduate research experiences (REU) have a positive impact on a student’s academic studies and career path, including being a positive influence toward improving the student's lab skills and ability to work independently. Moreover, minority students appear to relate to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) concepts better when they are linked with (1) a service learning component, and (2) STEM courses that include a cultural and social aspect that engages the student in a way that does not distract from the student’s technical learning. It is also known that a “place-based” approach that incorporates traditional (indigenous) knowledge can help engage underrepresented minority groups in STEM disciplines and increase science literacy. Based on the methods and best practices used by other minority serving programs and described in the literature, the Center for Microbial Oceanography: Research and Education (C-MORE) has successfully developed an academic-year REU to engage and train the next generation of scientists. The C-MORE Scholars Program provides undergraduate students majoring in an ocean or earth science-related field, especially underrepresented students such as Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders, the opportunity to participate in unique and cutting edge hands-on research experiences. The program appoints awardees at one of three levels based on previous research and academic experience, and students can progress through the various tiers as their skills and STEM content knowledge develop. All awardees receive guidance on a research project from a mentor who is a scientist at the university and/or industry. A key component of the program is the inclusion of professional development activities to help the student continue towards post graduation education or prepare for career opportunities after they receive their undergraduate STEM degree.

Integrating Research and Education in NSF's Office of Polar Programs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wharton, R. A.; Crain, R. D.

2003-12-01

The National Science Foundation invests in activities that integrate research and education, and that develop reward systems to support teaching, mentoring and outreach. Effective integration of research and education at all levels can infuse learning with the excitement of discovery. It can also ensure that the findings and methods of research are quickly and effectively communicated in a broader context and to a larger audience. This strategy is vital to the accomplishment of NSF's strategic goals of ensuring a world-class science and engineering workforce, new knowledge across the frontiers of science and engineering, and the tools to get the job done efficiently and effectively. The NSF's Office of Polar Programs sponsors educational projects at all levels of learning, making full use of the variety of disciplinary and interdisciplinary studies in the polar regions to attract and invigorate students. An array of efforts from the Arctic and Antarctic scientific communities link research activities with education. There has been an advance from the beneficial but isolated impacts of individual researcher visits to K-12 classrooms to large-scale developments, such as field research experiences for teachers and undergraduate students, online sharing of polar field experiences with rural classrooms, the institution of interdisciplinary graduate research programs through NSF initiatives, and opportunities for minority and underrepresented groups in polar sciences. The NSF's criterion for evaluating proposals based upon the broader impacts of the research activity has strengthened efforts to link research and education, resulting in partnerships and innovations that infuse research into education from kindergarten through postdoctoral studies and reaching out to the general public. In addition, the Office of Polar Programs partners with other directorates at NSF to broaden OPP's efforts and benefit from resources and experience in the Education and Human Resources Directorate, the Geosciences Education program, the Environmental Research and Education program and others. This presentation will provide an overview of the direction of science education in the Office of Polar Programs and highlight some important and long-lasting ventures. It is intended to encourage the Arctic and Antarctic scientific communities to look for additional avenues to bridge their research with education.

From the NSF: The National Science Foundation's Investments in Broadening Participation in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Education through Research and Capacity Building

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

James, Sylvia M.; Singer, Susan R.

2016-01-01

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has a long history of investment in broadening participation (BP) in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. A review of past NSF BP efforts provides insights into how the portfolio of programs and activities has evolved and the broad array of innovative strategies that has been…

Report: NSF Instrumentation and Laboratory Improvement Grants in Chemistry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1997-01-01

The 1996 awards in chemistry under the Instrumentation and Laboratory Improvement Program (ILI) of the Division of Undergraduate Education (DUE) have been announced and are listed below. The ILI program provides matching funds in the range of 5,000 to 100,000 for purchasing equipment for laboratory improvement. Since the recipient institution must provide matching funds equaling or exceeding the NSF award, the supported projects range in cost from 10,000 to over 200,000. The 311 chemistry proposals requesting 13 million constituted 21% of the total number of proposals submitted to the ILI program. A total of 3.9 million was awarded in support of 110 projects in chemistry. The instruments requested most frequently were high field NMRs, GC/MS instruments, computers for data analysis, and FT-IRs; next most commonly requested were UV-vis spectrophotometers, followed by HPLCs, lasers, computers for molecular modeling, AAs, and GCs. In addition, one award was made this year in chemistry within the Leadership in Laboratory Development category. The next deadline for submission of ILI proposals is November 14, 1997. Guidelines for the preparation of proposals are found in the DUE Program Announcement (NSF 96-10), which may be obtained by calling (703) 306-1666 or by e-mail: undergrad@nsf.gov. Other information about DUE programs and activities and abstracts of the funded proposals can be found on the DUE Home Page at http://www.ehr.nsf.gov/EHR/DUE/start.htm. We thank Sandra D. Nelson, Science Education Analyst in DUE, for assistance in data gathering.

Year-Long Peer Mentoring Activity to Enhance the Retention of Freshmen STEM Students in a NSF Scholarship Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cutright, Teresa J.; Evans, Edward

2016-01-01

The last year of a National Science Foundation (NSF) funded scholarship program was used to provide pseudo-formal peer mentoring activities to engineering, mathematics, and science undergraduates. A one-credit class was used to afford time for peer mentors and mentees to interact. During the fall semester, seniors augmented each week's topics with…

The Svalbard REU Program: Undergraduates Pursuing Arctic Climate Change Research on Svalbard, Norway

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roof, S.; Werner, A.

2007-12-01

The Svalbard Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program sponsored by the Arctic Natural Sciences Program of the National Science Foundation has been successfully providing international field research experiences since 2004. Each year, 7-9 undergraduate students have participated in 4-5 weeks of glacial geology and climate change fieldwork on Spitsbergen in the Svalbard archipelago in the North Atlantic (76- 80° N lat.). While we continue to learn new and better ways to run our program, we have learned specific management and pedagogical strategies that allow us to streamline our logistics and to provide genuine, meaningful research opportunities to undergraduate students. We select student participants after extensive nationwide advertising and recruiting. Even before applying to the program, students understand that they will be doing meaningful climate change science, will take charge of their own project, and will be expected to continue their research at their home institution. We look for a strong commitment of support from a student's advisor at their home institution before accepting students into our program. We present clear information, including participant responsibilities, potential risks and hazards, application procedures, equipment needed, etc on our program website. The website also provides relevant research papers and data and results from previous years, so potential participants can see how their efforts will contribute to growing body of knowledge. New participants meet with the previous years' participants at a professional meeting (our "REUnion") before they start their field experience. During fieldwork, students are expected to develop research questions and test their own hypotheses while providing and responding to peer feedback. Professional assessment by an independent expert provides us with feedback that helps us improve logistical procedures and shape our educational strategies. The assessment also shows us how participant attitudes toward science and research evolved during their participation. Finally, close collaboration with a local institution, the Norwegian University System on Svalbard (UNIS), has not only been essential to the success of our program, but also highly rewarding.

Annual Report of the National Science Foundation on Contract NSF-C414 Task III July 1966 through June 1967.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

American Chemical Society, Columbus, OH. Chemical Abstracts Service.

This Annual Report describes in detail the work performed during the first year of Task III of Contract NSF-C414 and the present status of Task III work. The programs and achievements described constitute the first significant efforts to develop a user-oriented, cooperative program between major secondary scientific and technical information…

NSF Geosciences Committee Focuses on Program and Budget Issues

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Showstack, Randy

2014-04-01

The spring meeting of the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Advisory Committee for the Geosciences (AC GEO), held on 3-4 April, was filled with firsts. It was the first time that AC GEO met as a body after merging with NSF's polar advisory committee in 2012. In addition, it was the first time that France Córdova, sworn in as the new NSF director on 31 March and sworn in again during a special ceremony in the atrium at NSF headquarters on 3 April, met with AC GEO in her new capacity. Córdova, who is president emerita of Purdue University, previously was a distinguished professor of physics and astronomy at the University of California, Riverside, and NASA chief scientist.

Improving Undergraduate Research Experiences With An Intentional Mentoring Program: Lessons Learned Through Assessment of Keck Geology Consortium Programs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wirth, K. R.; Garver, J. I.; Greer, L.; Pollock, M.; Varga, R. J.; Davidson, C. M.; Frey, H. M.; Hubbard, D. K.; Peck, W. H.; Wobus, R. A.

2015-12-01

The Keck Geology Consortium, with support from the National Science Foundation (REU Program) and ExxonMobil, is a collaborative effort by 18 colleges to improve geoscience education through high-quality research experiences. Since its inception in 1987 more than 1350 undergraduate students and 145 faculty have been involved in 189 yearlong research projects. This non-traditional REU model offers exceptional opportunities for students to address research questions at a deep level, to learn and utilize sophisticated analytical methods, and to engage in authentic collaborative research that culminates in an undergraduate research symposium and published abstracts volume. The large numbers of student and faculty participants in Keck projects also affords a unique opportunity to study the impacts of program design on undergraduate research experiences in the geosciences. Students who participate in Keck projects generally report significant gains in personal and professional dimensions, as well as in clarification of educational and career goals. Survey data from student participants, project directors, and campus advisors identify mentoring as one of the most critical and challenging elements of successful undergraduate research experiences. Additional challenges arise from the distributed nature of Keck projects (i.e., participants, project directors, advisors, and other collaborators are at different institutions) and across the span of yearlong projects. In an endeavor to improve student learning about the nature and process of science, and to make mentoring practices more intentional, the Consortium has developed workshops and materials to support both project directors and campus research advisors (e.g., best practices for mentoring, teaching ethical professional conduct, benchmarks for progress, activities to support students during research process). The Consortium continues to evolve its practices to better support students from underrepresented groups.

Coronal Seismology: The Search for Propagating Waves in Coronal Loops

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schad, Thomas A.; Seeley, D.; Keil, S. L.; Tomczyk, S.

2007-05-01

We report on Doppler observations of the solar corona obtained in the Fe XeXIII 1074.7nm coronal emission line with the HAO Coronal Multi-Channel Polarimeter (CoMP) mounted on the NSO Coronal One Shot coronagraph located in the Hilltop Facility of NSO/Sacramento Peak. The COMP is a tunable filtergraph instrument that records the entire corona from the edge of the occulting disk at approximately 1.03 Rsun out to 1.4 Rsun with a spatial resolution of about 4” x 4”. COMP can be rapidly scanned through the spectral line while recording orthogonal states of linear and circular polarization. The two dimensional spatial resolution allows us to correlate temporal fluctuations observed in one part of the corona with those seen at other locations, in particular along coronal loops. Using cross spectral analysis we find that the observations reveal upward propagating waves that are characterized by Doppler shifts with rms velocities of 0.3 km/s, peak wave power in the 3-5 mHz frequency range, and phase speeds 1-3 Mm/s. The wave trajectories are consistent with the direction of the magnetic field inferred from the linear polarization measurements. We discuss the phase and coherence of these waves as a function of height in the corona and relate our findings to previous observations. The observed waves appear to be Alfvenic in character. "Thomas Schad was supported through the National Solar Observatory Research Experiences for Undergraduate (REU) site program, which is co-funded by the Department of Defense in partnership with the National Science Foundation REU Program." Daniel Seeley was supported through the National Solar Observatory Research Experience for Teachers (RET) site program, which is funded by the National Science Foundation RET program.

Applications of Molecular and Materials Modeling

DTIC Science & Technology

2002-01-01

MSI, GdR 12090). In principle, the NSF GOALI program facilitates exchanges of people, although the paperwork and difficulty of moving people with...industrial, and national-laboratory collaborations. The NSF GOALI program was seen as a step in the right direction, limited mostly by the difficulty...cyclododecane); methyl aluminoxane models (Simeral GOALI project at LSU with Randall Hall and NIST ATP project) Drs. Gary Zhao and Larry S. Simeral http

Assessing Student Outcomes of Undergraduate Research with URSSA, the Undergraduate Student Self-Assessment Instrument

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laursen, S. L.; Weston, T. J.; Thiry, H.

2012-12-01

URSSA is the Undergraduate Research Student Self-Assessment, an online survey instrument for programs and departments to use in assessing the student outcomes of undergraduate research (UR). URSSA focuses on what students learn from their UR experience, rather than whether they liked it. The online questionnaire includes both multiple-choice and open-ended items that focus on students' gains from undergraduate research. These gains include skills, knowledge, deeper understanding of the intellectual and practical work of science, growth in confidence, changes in identity, and career preparation. Other items probe students' participation in important research-related activities that lead to these gains (e.g. giving presentations, having responsibility for a project). These activities, and the gains themselves, are based in research and thus constitute a core set of items. Using these items as a group helps to align a particular program assessment with research-demonstrated outcomes. Optional items may be used to probe particular features that are augment the research experience (e.g. field trips, career seminars, housing arrangements). The URSSA items are based on extensive, interview-based research and evaluation work on undergraduate research by our group and others. This grounding in research means that URSSA measures what we know to be important about the UR experience The items were tested with students, revised and re-tested. Data from a large pilot sample of over 500 students enabled statistical testing of the items' validity and reliability. Optional items about UR program elements were developed in consultation with UR program developers and leaders. The resulting instrument is flexible. Users begin with a set of core items, then customize their survey with optional items to probe students' experiences of specific program elements. The online instrument is free and easy to use, with numeric results available as raw data, summary statistics, cross-tabs, and graphs, and as raw, downloadable data. Finally, URSSA has high content validity based on its research grounding and rigorous development. We will present examples of how URSSA has been used in evaluations of UR programs. A multi-year evaluation of a university-based UR program shows that URSSA items are sensitive to differences in students' prior level of experience with research. For example, experienced student researchers reported greater gains than did their peers new to UR in understanding the process of research and in coming to see themselves as scientists. These differences are consistent with interview data that suggest a developmental progression of gains as students pursue research and gain confidence in their ability to contribute meaningfully. A second example comes from a multi-site evaluation of sites funded by the National Science Foundation's Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program in Biology. This study acquired data from nearly 800 students at some 60 Bio REU sites in 2010 and 2011. Results reveal differences in gains among demographic groups, and the general strength of these well-planned programs relative to a comparison sample of UR programs that are not part of REU. Our presentation will demonstrate the evaluative use of URSSA and its potential applications to undergraduate research in the geosciences.

From the NSF: The National Science Foundation's Investments in Broadening Participation in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Education through Research and Capacity Building.

PubMed

James, Sylvia M; Singer, Susan R

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has a long history of investment in broadening participation (BP) in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. A review of past NSF BP efforts provides insights into how the portfolio of programs and activities has evolved and the broad array of innovative strategies that has been used to increase the participation of groups underrepresented in STEM, including women, minorities, and persons with disabilities. While many are familiar with these long-standing programmatic efforts, BP is also a key component of NSF's strategic plans, has been highlighted in National Science Board reports, and is the focus of ongoing outreach efforts. The majority of familiar BP programs, such as the Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation (now 25 years old), are housed in the Directorate for Education and Human Resources. However, fellowship programs such as the Graduate Research Fellowships and Postdoctoral Research Fellowships under the Directorate for Biological Sciences (and parallel directorates in other STEM disciplines) are frequently used to address underrepresentation in STEM disciplines. The FY2016 and FY2017 budget requests incorporate funding for NSF INCLUDES, a new cross-agency BP initiative that will build on prior successes while addressing national BP challenges. NSF INCLUDES invites the use of innovative approaches for taking evidence-based best practices to scale, ushering in a new era in NSF BP advancement. © 2016 S. M. James and S. R. Singer. CBE—Life Sciences Education © 2016 The American Society for Cell Biology. This article is distributed by The American Society for Cell Biology under license from the author(s). It is available to the public under an Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike 3.0 Unported Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0).

Pathways to URM Retention: IBP's Professional Development and Mentoring Activities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, A.; Williamson Whitney, V.; Ricciardi, L.; Detrick, L.; Siegfried, D.; Fauver, A.; Ithier-Guzman, W.; Thomas, S. H.; Valaitis, S.

2013-05-01

As a not for profit organization, the Institute for Broadening Participation (IBP) hosts a variety of initiatives designed to increase the retention of underrepresented minority (URM) students pursuing pathways in STEM. IBP also assists with formative program evaluation design and implementation to help strengthen URM recruitment and retention elements. Successful initiatives include virtual and face-to-face components that bring together URM students with established URM and other scientists in academia, government and industry. These connections provide URMs with mentoring, networking opportunities, and professional skill development contributing to an improved retention rate of URM students. IBP's initiatives include the NASA One Stop Shopping Initiative (NASA OSSI), Pathways to Ocean Science and Engineering, and the Minorities Striving and Pursuing Higher Degrees of Success (MS PHD'S) in Earth System Science (ESS) Professional Development Program. The NASA OSSI recruits and facilitates student engagement in NASA education and employment opportunities. Pathways to Ocean Science connects and supports URM students with Ocean Science REU programs and serves as a resource for REU program directors. Pathways to Engineering has synthesized mentoring resources into an online mentoring manual for URM students that has been extensively vetted by mentoring experts throughout the country. The mentoring manual, which is organized by roles, provides undergraduates, graduates, postdocs, faculty and project directors with valuable resources. MS PHD'S, one of IBP's longest running and most successful initiatives, focuses on increasing the retention rate of URM students receiving advanced degrees in ESS. The program addresses barriers to retention in ESS including isolation, lack of preparation and professional development, and lack of mentoring. Program activities center on peer-to-peer community building, professional development exercises, networking experiences, one-on-one mentoring, and a facilitated virtual community. MS PHD'S students report a reduced sense of isolation, an increased sense of community, and a higher level of confidence about their ability to succeed in their chosen field. 42 MS PHD'S alumni have completed their PhD and are actively engaged in the ESS workforce.

a History of Funding for WOMEN’S Programs at the National Science Foundation: from Individual Powre Approaches to the Advance of Institutional Approaches

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rosser, Sue V.; Lane, Eliesh O'neil

The biennial reports on women, minorities, and persons with disabilities produced by the National Science Foundation (NSF) because of congressional mandate laid the statistical foundation for NSF initiatives to redress the underrepresentation of these groups. Programs established in the 1980s such as Research Opportunities for Women, Visiting Professorships for Women, Graduate Fellowships for Women, and Career Advancement Awards provided support to individual women for their research. In the 1990s, the NSF also began to focus on systemic initiatives, creating the Program for Women and Girls, although it continued to address the problem through support of individual researchers in the newly created Professional Opportunities for Women in Research and Education (POWRE) initiative. The responses from more than 400 awardees during the 4 years of POWRE provide insights into the current issues these women perceive surrounding their grants, funding, and interactions with NSF bureaucracy and staff members. The results of the POWRE survey support the institutional, systemic thrust of the NSF’s new ADVANCE initiative to attempt to solve problems such as balancing career and family that cannot be addressed solely by supporting research projects of individual female scientists and engineers.

76 FR 6829 - National Science Board; Sunshine Act Meetings; Notice

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-02-08

... the National Science Board website www.nsf.gov/nsb for additional information and schedule updates... NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION National Science Board; Sunshine Act Meetings; Notice The National Science Board's Committee on Programs and Plans, pursuant to NSF regulations (45 CFR part 614), the...

Reagan: Maintain Antarctic program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Richman, Barbara T.

President Ronald Reagan has decided that the United States should maintain an ‘active and influential presence’ in Antarctica to support the nation's interests. Following a review of a study by the Antarctica Policy Group, Reagan issued a memorandum, dated February 5, to the heads of 14 government agencies, including the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Office of Science and Technology Policy, and the Office of Management and Budget.The U.S. presence in Antarctica ‘shall include the conduct of scientific activities in major disciplines; year-round occupation of the South Pole and two coastal stations; and availability of related necessary logistics support,’ wrote the President. In addition, NSF should continue to budget for the entire U.S. program in Antarctica. Short-term programs by other agencies require the recommendation of the Antarctica Policy Group and should be coordinated within the framework of NSF logistics support.

WIYN Open Cluster Study: Binary Orbits and Tidal Circularization in NGC 6819

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morscher, Meagan B.; Mathieu, R. D.; Kaeppler, S.; Hole, K. T.; Meibom, S.

2006-12-01

We are conducting a comprehensive stellar radial-velocity survey in NGC 6819, a rich, intermediate age ( 2.4 Gyr) open cluster with [Fe/H] -0.05. As of October 2006, we have obtained 7065 radial-velocity measurements of 1409 stars using the WIYN Hydra Multi-Object Spectrograph, with typical velocity measurement precisions of 0.4 km/s. Using an E/I criterion of 3, we have identified 282 velocity variables. In the past year we have expanded the number of final orbital solutions by 45 to a total of more than 80 solutions. In coeval stellar populations, circular binaries tend to have the shortest orbital periods, while longer period binaries show a distribution of non-zero eccentricities. The circularization of the shortest period orbits is the result of an exchange of stellar and orbital angular momentum due to tidal interactions. We defined a population’s tidal circularization period as the longest orbital period at which a binary of typical initial eccentricity has become circularized (e.g., has evolved to an eccentricity e = 0.01) over the lifetime of the cluster (Meibom & Mathieu, 2005, ApJ, 620, 970). We are studying the trend of increasing tidal circularization periods with population age. Preliminary results in NGC 6819 indicate a tidal circularization period of 7.5 days, which is consistent with this overall trend. We will recalculate the tidal circularization period in order to include the latest sample of orbital solutions. This comprehensive survey also allows us to investigate the relative spatial distributions of spectroscopic binaries and other constant-velocity cluster members of similar mass. We find the spectroscopic binaries to be more centrally concentrated at a statistically significant level, which we attribute to energy equipartition processes. MM was supported by REU NSF grant AST-0453442. RDM, SK, KTH, and SM were supported by NSF grant AST-0406615.

Drug Loading of Mesoporous Silicon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moffitt, Anne; Coffer, Jeff; Wang, Mengjia

2011-03-01

The nanostructuring of crystalline solids with low aqueous solubilities by their incorporation into mesoporous host materials is one route to improve the bioavailability of such solids. Earlier studies suggest that mesoporous Si (PSi), with pore widths in the range of 5-50 nm, is a candidate for such an approach. In this presentation, we describe efforts to load curcumin into free-standing microparticles of PSi. Curcumin is a compound extracted from turmeric root, which is an ingredient of curry. Curucmin has shown activity against selected cancer cell lines, bacteria, and other medical conditions. However, curcumin has a very low bioavailability due to its extremely low water solubility (0.6 μ g/mL). Incorporation of curcumin was achieved by straightforward loading of the molten solid at 185circ; C. Loading experiments were performed using PSi particles of two different size ranges, 45-75 μ m and 150-250 μ m. Longer loading times and ratio of curcumin to PSi leads to a higher percentage of loaded curcumin in both PSi particle sizes (as determined by weight difference). The extent of curcumin crystallinity was assessed by x-ray diffraction (XRD). The solubility and release kinetics of loaded curcumin from the PSi was determined by extraction into water at 37circ; C, with analysis using UV-VIS spectrometry. NSF-REU and TCU.

Roughness Effects on the Formation of a Leading Edge Vortex

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elliott, Cassidy; Lang, Amy; Wahidi, Redha; Wilroy, Jacob

2016-11-01

Microscopic scales cover the wings of Monarch butterflies, creating a patterned surface. This patterning is an important natural flow control mechanism that is thought to delay the growth of the leading edge vortex (LEV) produced by the flapping motion of a wing. The increased skin friction caused by the scales leads to a weaker LEV being shed into the butterfly's wake, lessening drag and increasing flight efficiency. To test this theory, a plate of random roughness was designed in SolidWorks and printed on the Objet 30 Pro 3D printer. A 2x3x5 cubic foot tow tank was used to test the rough plate at Reynold's numbers of 1500, 3000, and 6000 (velocities of 8, 16, and 32 mm/s) at an angle of attack of 45 degrees. Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) captured images of the LEV generated by the plate when towed upwards through the particle-seeded flow. Codes written in MatLab were used to automatically track and determine the strength of the LEV. Circulation values for the randomly-rough plate were then compared to the same values generated in a previous experiment that used a smooth plate and a grooved plate to determine the effect of the patterning on vortex development. Funding provided by NSF REU site Grant EEC 1358991 and CBET 1628600.

Testing Iodine as a New Fuel for Cathodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Glad, Harley; Branam, Richard; Rogers, Jim; Warren, Matthew; Burleson, Connor; Siy, Grace

2017-11-01

The objective of this research is to demonstrate the viability of using iodine as an alternative space propulsion propellant. The demonstration requires the testing of a cathode with xenon and then the desired element iodine. Currently, cathodes run on noble gases such as xenon which must be stored in high pressure canisters and is very expensive. These shortcomings have led to researching possible substitutes. Iodine was decided as a suitable candidate because it's cheaper, can be stored as a solid, and has similar mass properties as xenon. In this research, cathodes will be placed in a vacuum chamber and operated on both gases to observe their performance, allowing us to gain a better understanding of iodine's behavior. Several planned projects depend on the knowledge gained from this project, such as larger scaled tests and iodine fed hall thrusters. The tasks of this project included protecting the stainless-steel vacuum chamber by gold plating and Teflon® coating, building a stand to hold the cathode, creating an anode resistant to iodine, and testing the cathode once setup was complete. The successful operation of the cathode was demonstrated. However, the experimental setup proved ineffective at controlling the iodine flow. Current efforts are focused on this problem. REU Site: Fluid Mechanics with Analysis using Computations and Experiments NSF Grant EEC 1659710.

Observational Tracers of Hot and Cold Gas in Isolated Galaxy Simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brzycki, Bryan; Silvia, Devin

2018-01-01

We present results from an analysis comparing simulations of isolated spiral galaxies with recent observations of the circumgalactic medium (CGM). As the interface containing inflows and outflows between the interstellar and intergalactic media, the CGM plays an important role in the composition and evolution of galaxies. Using a set of isolated galaxy simulations over different initial conditions and star formation and feedback parameters, we investigate the evolution of CGM gas. Specifically, in light of recent observational studies, we compute the radial column density profiles and covering fractions of various observable ion species (H I, C IV, O VI, Mg II, Si III) for each simulated galaxy. Taking uniformly random sightlines through the CGM of each simulated galaxy, we find the abundance of gas absorbers and analyze their contribution to the overall column density along each sightline. By identifying the prevalence of high column density absorbers, we seek to characterize the distribution and evolution of observable ion species in the CGM. We also highlight a subset of our isolated galaxy simulations that produce and maintain a stable precipitating CGM that fuels high rates of sustained star formation. This project was supported in part by the NSF REU grant AST-1358980 and by the Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association.

Flexible Blades for Wind Turbines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Collins, Madeline Carlisle; Macphee, David; Harris, Caleb

2016-11-01

Previous research has shown that windmills with flexible blades are more efficient than those with rigid blades. Flexibility offers passive pitch control, preferable to active pitch control which is costly and requires maintenance. Flexible blades morph such that the blade more closely resembles its design point at part load and over load. The lift-to-drag ratios on individual blades was investigated. A mold was designed and machined from an acrylic slab for the casting of blades with a NACA 0012 cross section. A flexible blade was cast from silicone and a rigid blade was cast from polyurethane. Each of these blades was tested in a wind tunnel, cantilever mounted, spanning the whole test section. The angle of attack was varied by rotating the mount. All tests were performed at the same wind speed. A load cell within the mount measured forces on the blade, from which the lift and drag forces were calculated. The stall point for the flexible blade occurred later than for the rigid blade, which agrees with previous research. Lift-to-drag ratios were larger for the flexible blade at all angles of attack tested. Flexible blades seem to be a viable option for passive pitch control. Future research will include different airfoil cross sections, wind speeds, and blade materials. Funding from NSF REU site Grant EEC 1358991 is greatly appreciated.

Preparing ZEUS-2 for Observing Run at the APEX Telescope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dahlin, Patrick; Vishwas, Amit; Nikola, Thomas; Stacey, Gordon J.

2017-01-01

ZEUS-2 is a direct detection grating spectrometer that was designed to maximize sensitivity for the detection of the far-infrared fine-structure lines from distant star forming galaxies as they are redshifted into the short submillimeter windows. ZEUS-2 employs two NIST TES bolometer arrays as its detector: one tuned to 400 μm and the other that consists of two sub-arrays, one tuned to 215 μm and the other tuned to 645 μm. Therefore, by placing bandpass filters directly above the detector ZEUS-2 can address four telluric windows (200 μm, 350 μm, 450 μm, and 650 μm) simultaneously on extended objects, and two windows (200 and 650 μm, or 350 and 450 μm) simultaneously on point sources. ZEUS-2 has now been deployed four times on the APEX telescope in Chile and demonstrated background limited performance both at 350 and 450 μm. As part of my NSF REU experience at Cornell in the summer of 2016, I helped with testing of ZEUS-2 in the lab and improving components for its use on the telescope. This poster will cover the principles of the ZEUS-2 instrument and some of the recent scientific results.

Directory of Awards. FY 1986.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Science Foundation, Washington, DC. Directorate for Science and Engineering Education.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) provides awards for education and research in the sciences, mathematics, and engineering. This publication contains information on fiscal year 1986 awards. An introductory section reviews the goals of NSF's education program and the long-range goals of the Directorate for Science and Engineering Education.…

45 CFR 617.4 - General duties of recipients.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... subrecipients, and the instrument under which the Federal financial assistance is passed to the subrecipient... NONDISCRIMINATION ON THE BASIS OF AGE IN PROGRAMS OR ACTIVITIES RECEIVING FEDERAL FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FROM NSF § 617.4 General duties of recipients. Each recipient of Federal financial assistance from NSF shall...

Directory of Awards. Fiscal Years 1987 and 1988.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Science Foundation, Washington, DC. Directorate for Science and Engineering Education.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) provides awards for education and research in the sciences, mathematics, and engineering. This publication contains information about awards for the 1987 and 1988 fiscal years. An introductory section reviews the goals of NSF's education program and the long-range goals of the Directorate for Science and…

45 CFR 617.10 - Mediation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 45 Public Welfare 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Mediation. 617.10 Section 617.10 Public Welfare... OF AGE IN PROGRAMS OR ACTIVITIES RECEIVING FEDERAL FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FROM NSF § 617.10 Mediation. (a) NSF will refer to the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service all complaints that fall within...

The Evolving Evaluation Process for NSF Broader Impacts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Straub, J. A.; Lawrence, J. E.

2016-12-01

The National Science Foundation (NSF) supports basic research in all non-medical fields of fundamental science that benefit society. To pursue this goal, NSF uses two merit review criteria: intellectual merit and broader impacts. As defined by NSF, intellectual merit "encompasses the potential to advance knowledge," while broader impacts "encompasses the potential to benefit society and contribute to the achievement of specific, desired societal outcomes." Articulating compelling broader impacts is increasingly critical as limited available funding means that both sets of criteria will impact the final proposal outcome. Although societal relevance has been valued by NSF since the foundation was established, recent events have placed increased emphasis on its importance: the America COMPETES Act encouraged increased efforts across agencies in educating the future STEM workforce (2007); NSF prioritized broader STEM participation (2008); the Obama administration issued a memo on transparency and open government (2009); and the National Science Board revised the NSF merit review criteria to emphasize that the same five elements should be considered for both merit review criteria (2012). Principal Investigators, reviewers (including panelists), and Program Officers are being asked to justify how the broader impacts contribute significantly to the project. As broader impacts become increasingly emphasized in the merit review process, it is important to understand not only how Principal Investigators are responding, but how reviewers are evaluating this aspect of proposals. To examine how reviewers are responding to this change in NSF's evaluation policy, an assessment of broader impacts in the Division of Earth Sciences is being conducted. The data were analyzed to see how reviewers have shifted their feedback in the last ten years. Data so far suggest that policy changes to the Grant Proposal Guide in 2012 have caused a notable shift to reviewers being more evaluative of broader impacts, rather than descriptive, in their review of proposals in the core research programs.

Visiting Professorships

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Applications are now being accepted for the National Science Foundation (NSF) Visiting Professorships for Women Program. Under this program, women scientists and engineers from industry, government, and academia can be visiting professors at academic institutions in the United States.The program's objectives are to provide opportunities for women to advance their careers in the disciplines of science and engineering that are supported by NSF to provide greater visibility and wider opportunities for women scientists and engineers employed in industry, government, and academic institutions, and to provide encouragement for other women to pursue careers in science and engineering through the awardees' research, lecturing, counseling, and mentoring activities.

New Initiatives for a Successful Diversity Program at the University of New Orleans

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Serpa, L.; Hall, F.

2002-12-01

The Geoscience Program at the University of New Orleans has been actively working to increase diversity in the Geosciences since 1974 when Dr. Louis Fernandez (now at Cal State San Bernardino) initiated a summer field trip for local minority high school juniors and seniors. That early effort was funded with a grant from the National Science Foundation. After the NSF support ended, the department and local Petroleum companies maintained the program continuously to the present. The summer field trip has been a major source of minority geoscientists nationally and our minority enrollment has grown rapidly during the past approximately 5 years primarily as a result of significant additional scholarship support from industry. Based on our preliminary success, we decided to make a major effort to expand our program beyond the basic field trip and scholarships. In particular, with a grant from the National Science Foundation Geoscience Diversity program beginning this past year, we have 1) initiated a new summer field program for high school freshmen and sophomores that focus on our local environment, 2) created a summer field trip for K-12 science teachers, 3) developed a new program of independent research for our undergraduate students and 4) brought in our first two visiting professors. The new summer program involved 10 students in a 2-1/2 week series of classes, field trips and camping activities. In addition to studying the environment, students produced a movie about their experiences and a website. We anticipate a larger group of students in next year's program and that several of this past summer's participants will apply to go on our field trip for Juniors and Seniors when they are eligible. The first summer field trip for teachers focused on the area around the Teton Mountains and Yellowstone National park in Wyoming and Idaho. We devoted considerable time to learning basic geologic principles and collecting rock and fossil samples, outside of the national parks, for their classrooms. The teachers prepared material on our field trip stops and we videotaped their presentations at the outcrops for future use in the classroom. Seven undergraduate students conducted independent research as part of our new program. One participated in a REU project in Rhode Island and the other six conducted a variety of independent projects at UNO. Two of these projects have produced abstracts for national meetings and others are anticipated. Finally, we have supported two visiting faculty to provide role models and classes relevant to our minority students. It is too early to assess the full success of most of these new initiatives but the independent research has clearly given our students an improved attitude about themselves and what they want to do with their future.

Research posts for women

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is accepting proposals for its Visiting Professorships for Women (VPW) program. Under this program, female scientists and engineers who are experienced in independent research can undertake advanced research as visiting professors at universities or research institutions that have the necessary facilities. In addition to research, each visiting professor takes on lecturing, counseling, and “other interactive activities” intended to increase the visibility of female scientists at the host institution and to encourage other women to pursue careers in science and engineering, according to NSF.

Professional Development in Remote Sensing for Community College Instructors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Allen, J. E.; Cruz, C.

2014-11-01

The ingredients for the highly successful, ongoing educator professional development program, "Integrated Geospatial Education and Technology Training-Remote Sensing (iGETT-RS)" came into place in 2006 when representatives of public and private organizations convened a two-day workshop at the National Science Foundation (NSF) to explore issues around integrating remote sensing with Geographic Information Systems (GIS) instruction at two-year (community and Tribal) colleges. The results of that 2006 workshop informed the shape of a grant proposal, and two phases of iGETT-RS were funded by NSF's Advanced Technological Education Program (NSF DUE #0703185, 2007-2011, and NSF DUE #1205069, 2012-2015). 76 GIS instructors from all over the country have been served. Each of them has spent 18 months on the project, participating in monthly webinars and two Summer Institutes, and creating their own integrated geospatial exercises for the classroom. The project will be completed in June 2015. As the external evaluator for iGETT expressed it, the impact on participating instructors "can only be described as transformative." This paper describes how iGETT came about, how it was designed and implemented, how it affected participants and their programs, and what has been learned by the project staff about delivering professional development in geospatial technologies for workforce preparedness.

Doing science, technology and society in the National Science Foundation : commentary on: "Engaged, embedded, enjoined: science and technology studies in the National Science Foundation".

PubMed

Gorman, Michael E

2011-12-01

The author describes his efforts to become a participant observer while he was a Program Director at the NSF. He describes his plans for keeping track of his reflections and his goals before he arrived at NSF, then includes sections from his reflective diary and comments after he had completed his two-year rotation. The influx of rotators means the NSF has to be an adaptive, learning organization but there are bureaucratic obstacles in the way.

Current trends on 2D materials for photonics devices: an NSF perspective (Conference Presentation)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fallahi, Mahmoud

2017-05-01

Recent advancements in two-dimensional (2D) materials have opened significant research opportunities in optics and photonics. While the initial focus on 2D materials was on Graphene, new generation of 2D materials such as hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN), transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs), monolayer black phosphorous (BP) and other monolayer structures have shown unique electrical and optical properties. For example, h-BN is an insulator, while monolayers of some TMDCs such as MoS2 and WSe2 are direct band-gap semiconductors. Depending on the choice of material compositional and layer variations their optical properties can be engineered, making them particularly attractive as novel light sources, photodetectors, modulators and photovoltaic components, in particular for few photon applications. Plasmonic properties of 2D materials make them suitable for nanophotonics and monolithic integration with other conventional materials. The National Science Foundation (NSF) is a US federal agency dedicated to promote progress of science and engineering. NSF is the funding source for approximately 24 percent of all federally supported basic research conducted by America's colleges and universities. NSF has recently supported several initiatives related to novel 2D material and device research. In this talk, I will first give an overview of the NSF programs and funding opportunities. The second part of the talk will be focused on the programs related to 2D materials for photonic devices and program specific initiatives. Several highlights of the recent achievements and awards in the field of 2D materials for photonic devices will be presented.

Plasma Physics at the National Science Foundation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lukin, Vyacheslav

2017-10-01

The Town Meeting on Plasma Physics at the National Science Foundation will provide an opportunity for Q&A about the variety of NSF programs and solicitations relevant to a broad cross-section of the academic plasma science community, from graduating college seniors to senior leaders in the field, and from plasma astrophysics to basic physics to plasma engineering communities. We will discuss recent NSF-hosted events, research awards, and multi-agency partnerships aimed at enabling the progress of science in plasma science and engineering. Future outlook for plasma physics and broader plasma science support at NSF, with an emphasis on how you can help NSF to help the community, will be speculated upon within the uncertainty of the federal budgeting process.

Creation of a Multidisciplinary Curriculum for Hydrologic Literacy: An Applied Ethnography.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hancock, Elizabeth S.; Uyeda, Steven

Science programs funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) are increasingly involved in science education reform. Such entities are funded for science research and are expected to pursue educational activities with K-12 students and teachers. These efforts are often guided by ideas from current science education reform. The NSF Science and…

Community Colleges and Appropriate Technology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

American Association of Community and Junior Colleges, Washington, DC.

A roundtable on Appropriate Technology (AT) was sponsored by the American Association of Community and Junior Colleges (AACJC) and supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) as a result of a mandate from Congress to develop an AT program. The roundtable report first discusses the role of the NSF in including community colleges in the…

Cyberlearning Community Report: The State of Cyberlearning and The Future of Learning with Technology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ahn, June; Asbell-Clarke, Jodi; Berland, Matthew; Chase, Catherine; Enyedy, Noel; Fusco, Judith; Gardner, Shari; Grover, Shuchi; Halverson, Erica; Jona, Kemi; Lane, H. Chad; Martin, Wendy; Mercier, Emma; Moher, Tom; Ogan, Amy; Pinkard, Nichole; Polman, Joseph; Roschelle, Jeremy; Schank, Patricia; Taylor, Katie Headrick; Wilkerson, Michelle; Worsley, Marcelo

2017-01-01

Cyberlearning researchers envision and investigate the future of learning with technology. As of summer 2017, the Cyberlearning and Future Learning Technologies (CFTL) program of the National Science Foundation (NSF) had made 279 research grant awards. In addition, several hundred other NSF research projects have cyberlearning themes. Many of…

Crystal methamphetamine smoking among regular ecstasy users in Australia: increases in use and associations with harm.

PubMed

Kinner, Stuart A; Degenhardt, Louisa

2008-05-01

This study examined (a) changes in crystal methamphetamine use among regular ecstasy users (REU) in Australia and (b) associations of crystal use and smoking with demographics, drug use and harm. Cross-sectional surveys (2000-06) of REU in three Australian capital cities, and in 2006, 750 REU in all Australian capital cities. The interview included: demographics, drug use, risk behaviour, recent criminal activity and methamphetamine dependence using Severity of Dependence Scale. There was little change in overall methamphetamine use, but a marked increase in crystal methamphetamine smoking. Among recent methamphetamine users in 2006 (n = 606), crystal methamphetamine users (n = 364) reported more frequent methamphetamine use and higher levels of dependence. Compared with those who had used only other forms of methamphetamine, recent crystal methamphetamine users were more likely to 'binge' on drugs for > or = 48 hours, engage in crime and experience financial and legal problems related to drug use. Non-smoking crystal methamphetamine users (n = 78) more often reported recent injecting and heroin use. Recent smokers were more likely to have: greater polydrug use, recently overdosed on a 'party drug', and accessed medical services for their drug use. Many of these associations were accounted for by their injecting and heavier methamphetamine use, rather than smoking per se. Crystal methamphetamine smoking among REU has increased markedly and is associated with significant harm. This appears related to smokers' heavier levels of methamphetamine use. Effective harm reduction strategies should be tailored to these specific risks.

Bayesian Multiscale Analysis of X-Ray Jet Features in High Redshift Quasars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McKeough, Kathryn; Siemiginowska, A.; Kashyap, V.; Stein, N.

2014-01-01

X-ray emission of powerful quasar jets may be a result of the inverse Compton (IC) process in which the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) photons gain energy by interactions with the jet’s relativistic electrons. However, there is no definite evidence that IC/CMB process is responsible for the observed X-ray emission of large scale jets. A step toward understanding the X-ray emission process is to study the Radio and X-ray morphologies of the jet. We implement a sophisticated Bayesian image analysis program, Low-count Image Reconstruction and Analysis (LIRA) (Esch et al. 2004; Conners & van Dyk 2007), to analyze jet features in 11 Chandra images of high redshift quasars (z ~ 2 - 4.8). Out of the 36 regions where knots are visible in the radio jets, nine showed detectable X-ray emission. We measured the ratios of the X-ray and radio luminosities of the detected features and found that they are consistent with the CMB radiation relationship. We derived a range of the bulk lorentz factor (Γ) for detected jet features under the CMB jet emission model. There is no discernible trend of Γ with redshift within the sample. The efficiency of the X-ray emission between the detected jet feature and the corresponding quasar also shows no correlation with redshift. This work is supported in part by the National Science Foundation REU and the Department of Defense ASSURE programs under NSF Grant no.1262851 and by the Smithsonian Institution, and by NASA Contract NAS8-39073 to the Chandra X-ray Center (CXC). This research has made use of data obtained from the Chandra Data Archive and Chandra Source Catalog, and software provided by the CXC in the application packages CIAO, ChIPS, and Sherpa. We thank Teddy Cheung for providing the VLA radio images. Connors, A., & van Dyk, D. A. 2007, Statistical Challenges in Modern Astronomy IV, 371, 101 Esch, D. N., Connors, A., Karovska, M., & van Dyk, D. A. 2004, ApJ, 610, 1213

Dramatic Evolution of the Disk-Shaped Secondary in the Orion Trapezium Star θ1 Ori B1 (BM Ori): MOST Satellite Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Windemuth, Diana; Herbst, W.; Tingle, E. D.; Fuechsl, R.; Kilgard, R. E.; Pinette, M.; Templeton, M. R.; Henden, A. A.

2013-01-01

θ1 Orionis B1 (BM Ori), the faintest of four well-known Trapezium stars in Orion, is the youngest known eclipsing binary system with a contraction age < 105 years. While the primary is a B3 star, the secondary component 2M⊙ based on radial velocities) has eluded classification since the duration and shape of the eclipse do not conform to those of an ordinary star. We report nearly continuous photometric observations obtained with the Microvariability & Oscillations of STars (MOST) satellite over ~4 cycles of the 6.47d binary period, which contain both primary and secondary eclipses, as well as a clear reflection effect. We find that the shape of the primary light curve has evolved significantly over the past 40 years. While its overall duration and depth have remained constant, ingress and egress are notably shallower now, and the flat bottom that has distinguished BM Ori’s light curve in the past is ill defined or even absent in the most recent data. Furthermore, small perturbations, some of which are repeated over the four cycles monitored, indicate semi-stable structures outside the Robe lobe of the secondary. In addition, we re-examine data from the Chandra Orion Ultradeep Project (COUP) study and detect the primary eclipse at X-ray wavelengths. The optical light curve continues to be well modeled by a self-luminous and reflective disk-shaped object seen nearly edge-on, orbiting a normal ZAMS primary. We treat the change in shape over the past four decades as an opacity variation in a tenuous outer envelope or disk surrounding the secondary, perhaps related to the digestion of accreted matter over the last 50-100 years. This work was partially funded by the NASA ROSES program and NASA’s Origins of Solar Systems program. Undergraduate participation in this research was supported by NSF/REU grants in support of Wesleyan University as a part of the Keck Northeast Astronomy Consortium.

Methods of Estimating Initial Crater Depths on Icy Satellites using Stereo Topography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Persaud, D. M.; Phillips, C. B.

2014-12-01

Stereo topography, combined with models of viscous relaxation of impact craters, allows for the study of the rheology and thermal history of icy satellites. An important step in calculating relaxation of craters is determining the initial depths of craters before viscous relaxation. Two methods for estimating initial crater depths on the icy satellites of Saturn have been previously discussed. White and Schenk (2013) present the craters of Iapetus as relatively unrelaxed in modeling the relaxation of craters of Rhea. Phillips et al. (2013) assume that Herschel crater on Saturn's satellite Mimas is unrelaxed in relaxation calculations and models of Rhea and Dione. In the second method, the depth of Herschel crater is scaled based on the different crater diameters and the difference in surface gravity on the large moons to predict the initial crater depths for Rhea and Dione. In the first method, since Iapetus is of similar size to Dione and Rhea, no gravity scaling is necessary; craters of similar size on Iapetus were chosen and their depths measured to determine the appropriate initial crater depths for Rhea. We test these methods by first extracting topographic profiles of impact craters on Iapetus from digital elevation models (DEMs) constructed from stereo images from the Cassini ISS instrument. We determined depths from these profiles and used them to calculate initial crater depths and relaxation percentages for Rhea and Dione craters using the methods described above. We first assumed that craters on Iapetus were relaxed, and compared the results to previously calculated relaxation percentages for Rhea and Dione relative to Herschel crater (with appropriate scaling for gravity and crater diameter). We then tested the assumption that craters on Iapetus were unrelaxed and used our new measurements of crater depth to determine relaxation percentages for Dione and Rhea. We will present results and conclusions from both methods and discuss their efficacy for determining initial crater depth. References: Phillips, C.B., et al. (2013). Lunar Planet Sci. XLIV, abstract 2766. White, O.L., and P.L. Schenk. Icarus 23, 699-709, 2013. This work was supported by the NASA Outer Planets Research Program grant NNX10AQ09G and by the NSF REU Program.

Town Meeting on Plasma Physics at the National Science Foundation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2015-11-01

We invite you to the Town Meeting on the role of the National Science Foundation (NSF) in supporting basic and applied research in Plasma Physics in the U.S. The overarching goal of NSF is to promote the progress of science and to enable training of the next generation of scientists and engineers at US colleges and universities. In this context, the role of the NSF Physics Division in leading the nearly 20 year old NSF/DOE Partnership in Basic Plasma Science and Engineering serves as an example of the long history of NSF support for basic plasma physics research. Yet, the NSF interest in maintaining a healthy university research base in plasma sciences extends across the Foundation. A total of five NSF Divisions are participating in the most recent Partnership solicitation, and a host of other multi-disciplinary and core programs provide opportunities for scientists to perform research on applications of plasma physics to Space & Solar Physics, Astrophysics, Accelerator Science, Material Science, Plasma Medicine, and many sub-disciplines within Engineering. This Town Meeting will provide a chance to discuss the full range of relevant NSF funding opportunities, and to begin a conversation on the present and future role of NSF in stewarding basic plasma science and engineering research at US colleges and universities. We would like to particularly encourage early career scientists and graduate students to participate in this Town Meeting, though everyone is invited to join what we hope to be a lively discussion.

Sub-Ocean Drilling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1981-01-01

The National Science Foundation (NSF) initialized a new phase of exploration last year, a 10 year effort jointly funded by NSF and several major oil companies, known as the Ocean Margin Drilling Program (OMDP). The OMDP requires a ship with capabilities beyond existing drill ships; it must drill in 13,000 feet of water to a depth 20,000 feet below the ocean floor. To meet requirements, NSF is considering the conversion of the government-owned mining ship Glomar Explorer to a deep ocean drilling and coring vessel. Feasibility study performed by Donhaiser Marine, Inc. analyzed the ship's characteristics for suitability and evaluated conversion requirement. DMI utilized COSMIC's Ship Motion and Sea Load Computer program to perform analysis which could not be accomplished by other means. If approved for conversion, Glomar Explorer is expected to begin operations as a drillship in 1984.

Inciting High-School interest in physics.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Jiandi

2008-03-01

We report on our outreach effort on material-physics education program as one part of my NSF Career award project. This is a program incorporated with the NSF funded Physics Learning Center at FIU, focusing on the material physics enrichment both high school students and teachers. We particularly pay attention to minority students by taking the advantage of FIU's composition and location. The program offers a special/session-style workshop, demonstrations, research lab touring, as well as summer research activities. The goal is to enrich teacher's ability of instruction to their students and inspire students to pursue scientific careers. The detailed outreach activities will be discussed.

Top-Down, Routinized Reform in Low-Income, Rural Schools: NSF's Appalachian Rural Systemic Initiative.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bickel, Robert; Tomasek, Terry; Eagle, Teresa Hardman

2000-01-01

Describes and evaluates the Appalachian Rural Systemic Initiative, a six-state consortium for academic improvement supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF), that focuses on low-income rural schools. The 1-day, one-school site visits that constitute program reviews in this initiative are unlikely to enhance achievement in either science…

Presenting Bionic: Broader Impacts and Outreach Network for Institutional Collaboration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Storm, K.

2014-12-01

Broader Impact plans are required of all NSF proposals. In 2011 the National Science Board, which oversees NSF, reconfirmed NSF's commitment to Broader Impacts in its task force report on the merit review system. At many institutions there are professionals that focus their work on supporting the Broader Impact work of researchers. This session will share the Broader Impacts and Outreach Network for Institutional Collaboration (BIONIC) plan to create a professional network of individuals and offices committed to planning and carrying out effective Broader Impact programming. BIONIC is an NSF Research Coordination Network that is recommended for funding through the Biology Directorate. In this session we will share the goals of BIONIC, and the progress to date in reaching those goals (of which one aspect is the curating of effective Broader Impact initiatives).

LC21-Hopes and Cautions for the Library of Congress; The NSF National Science, Mathematics, Engineering, and Technology Education Digital Library (NSDL) Program: A Progress Report; A Grammar of Dublin Core; Measuring the Impact of an Electronic Journal Collection on Library Costs: A Framework and Preliminary Observations; Emulation As a Digital Preservation Strategy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Donnell, James J.; Zia, Lee L.; Baker, Thomas; Montgomery, Carol Hansen; Granger, Stewart

2000-01-01

Includes five articles: (1) discusses Library of Congress efforts to include digital materials; (2) describes the National Science Foundation (NSF) digital library program to improve science, math, engineering, and technology education; (3) explains Dublin Core grammar; (4) measures the impact of electronic journals on library costs; and (5)…

Wakimoto discusses role as NSF's incoming assistant director of geosciences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Showstack, Randy

2012-12-01

Roger Wakimoto's adrenaline “is starting to pump,” the incoming assistant director for geosciences (GEO) at the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) told Eos during an exclusive interview at this month's AGU Fall Meeting in San Francisco. Wakimoto, whose scientific expertise is in extreme weather, is scheduled to take charge as head of the NSF directorate for geosciences starting in February 2013. During his 4-year appointment at NSF, Wakimoto, 59 and an avowed workaholic, will head up the GEO directorate, which has about an $880 million annual funding portfolio and provides about 55% of federal funding for geosciences basic research at U.S. academic institutions. The directorate currently includes the divisions of atmospheric and geospace sciences, Earth sciences, and ocean sciences. In addition, NSF's Office of Polar Programs is slated to become a GEO division under a realignment plan announced on 7 September; Wakimoto said that shift had “no bearing” on his decision to accept the position.

Spectroscopic Observations of a Solar Flare and the Associated Coronal Mass Ejection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murray, S.; Tian, H.; McKillop, S.

2013-12-01

We used data from the EUV Imaging Spectrometer (EIS) on board Hinode to examine a coronal mass ejection and a preceding flare observed on 21 November 2012 between 15:00 and 17:00 UT. Images from the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly on the Solar Dynamics Observatory were used to align the data from EIS with specific events occurring. We analyzed spectra of a few emission lines at three locations on the flare site and one location in the erupting prominence. On the flare site, we found line profiles showing typical characteristics of chromospheric evaporation: downflows at cooler lines and upflows at hotter lines. At one particular location on the flare site, we clearly identified dominant downflows on the order of 100 km/s in lines through Fe VIII to Fe XVI. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that such strong high-speed downflows have been spectroscopically observed in the impulsive phase of solar flares. The profile of the Fe VIII 184.54 line reveals two peaks and we were able to use the double Gaussian fit to separate the rapid downflows of dense material from the nearly stationary coronal background emission. For the erupting prominence, we were able to analyze multiple lines, cooler and warmer, of interest using this double Gaussian fit to separate the background emission from the emission of the ejected material. Our results show that the LOS velocities of the ejected material are about 100 km/s in the lower corona. Additionally, in each region of interest, we used the ratio of the density-sensitive line pair FeXII 195/186 to determine the electron density. Our results clearly show that the coronal densities were greatly enhanced during the flare. The density of the ejected material is also much larger than the typical coronal density. This research was supported by the NSF grant for the Solar Physics REU Program at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (AGS-1263241).

How Complete is Mid-Infrared Selection of Active Galactic Nuclei?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grae Short, Miona; Diamond-Stanic, Aleks

2015-01-01

Essentially every galaxy hosts a supermassive black hole, and roughly 10% of those black holes are currently growing as active galactic nuclei (AGNs). Given the compelling evidence that galaxies and black holes co-evolve, there is strong motivation to study how black holes assemble their mass through cosmic time. However, this is challenging because a large fraction of black hole growth is enshrouded by gas and dust. Deep and wide surveys at X-ray and infrared wavelengths offer a powerful way to study the obscured AGN population, but an important caveat is that X-ray surveys are not complete for the most highly absorbed sources and infrared surveys are not able to distinguish low-luminosity AGNs from normal galaxies. To help address these outstanding issues and to analyze the completeness of mid-infrared AGN selection, we use Spitzer and WISE photometry to study the mid-infrared colors of a complete sample of local AGNs. The sample is drawn from the revised Shapley-Ames galaxy catalog and includes every galaxy in the sky brighter than B=13 that is known to host Seyfert activity. This sample is unique in its sensitivity to low-luminosity and highly obscured sources. Our main result is that most of these known AGNs would be classified as normal galaxies on the basis of their mid-infrared colors, implying that analogs to local Seyfert galaxies would not be identified as AGNs in existing surveys. We find that this a strong function of AGN luminosity, and we also present trends as a function of AGN obscuration, galaxy luminosity, and stellar mass. These results provide important insights into the AGN population that is missing from our census of black hole growth in the distant universe. This work was supported by the National Science Foundation's REU program through NSF Award AST-1004881. We also acknowledge support from The Grainger Foundation and from gifts made to the Department of Astronomy at UW-Madison.

Haser Scalelengths for Comet Hale--Bopp (1995 O1) Between 3.5 to 0.92 AU

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baugh, N. F.; Schleicher, D. G.

2003-05-01

During a four-year interval, more than 90 nights of narrowband photometry were obtained of Comet Hale--Bopp (1995 O1) from the Lowell and Perth Observatories. Because these observations cover an extremely large range of heliocentric distances (r), the variation of gas production rates with r can be used to probe each species' release from the nucleus as a function of solar illumination and temperature. Unfortunately, Hale-Bopp's very high total gas production when it was closer than about 2-3 AU from the Sun resulted in unusually high gas outflow velocities as compared to other comets. Therefore, canonical scalelengths do not adequately reproduce the spatial distribution of the observed gas species, OH, NH, CN, C2, and C3, at small r. Based on narrowband images obtained at perihelion, Schleicher et al. (1999, BAAS 31, 1128) determined that most species' parent and daughter Haser scalelengths needed to be increased by 2-3x the canonical values to reproduce the bulk radial fall-off for each gas species, yielding perihelion production rates 1.1-3.6x larger than otherwise calculated, with water exhibiting the largest correction. So that the entire Lowell/Perth dataset can be reduced to absolute production rates, we have now begun an effort to determine appropriate scalelengths for Hale-Bopp between about 3.5 AU and perihelion, which can be combined with the recently reported results from modeling spatial profiles beyond 2.8 AU by Rauer et al. (2003, A&A 397, 1109-1122). We anticipate reporting on preliminary findings of this investigation, including scalelengths and r-dependencies which can be used to accurately extrapolate aperture photometry measurements to total coma abundances, as well as resulting absolute gas production rates. This research is supported by NASA and the NSF REU program.

Exploring the Time Evolution of Cool Metallic Absorption Features in UV Burst Spectra

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Belmes, K.; Madsen, C. A.; DeLuca, E.

2017-12-01

UV bursts are compact brightenings in active regions that appear in UV images. They are identified through three spectroscopic features: (1) broadening and intensification of NUV/FUV emission lines, (2) the presence of optically thin Si IV emission, and (3) the presence of absorption features from cool metallic ions. Properties (2) and (3) imply that bursts exist at transition region temperatures (≥ 80,000 K) but are located in the cooler lower chromosphere ( 5,000 K). Their energetic and dynamical properties remain poorly constrained. Improving our understanding of this phenomena could help us further constrain the energetic and dynamical properties of the chromosphere, as well as give us insight into whether or not UV bursts contribute to chromospheric and/or coronal heating. We analyzed the time evolution of UV bursts using spectral data from the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS). We inspected Si IV 1393.8 Å line profiles for Ni II 1393.3 Å absorption features to look for signs of heating. Weakening of absorption features over time could indicate heating of the cool ions above the burst, implying that thermal energy from the burst could rapidly conduct upward through the chromosphere. To detect the spectral profiles corresponding to bursts, we applied a four-parameter Gaussian fit to every profile in each observation and took cuts in parameter space to isolate the bursts. We then manually reviewed the remaining profiles by looking for a statistically significant appearance of Ni II 1393.3 Å absorption. We quantified these absorption features by normalizing the Si IV 1393.8 Å emission profiles and measuring the maximum fractional extinction in each. Our preliminary results indicate that Ni II 1393.3 Å absorption may undergo a cycle of strengthening and weakening throughout a burst's lifetime. However, further investigation is needed for confirmation. This work is supported by the NSF-REU solar physics program at SAO, grant number AGS-1560313.

Luminosity Variations in Post-AGB Stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mesler, Robert; Henson, G.

2007-12-01

Although much is known about AGB stars and planetary nebulae, relatively little is known about the phase of a star's life in which it transitions between those two states. We have measured the variations in luminosity of a sample of known Post-AGB stars (as well as several candidates) relative to nearby, non-variable stars in order to compare them with theoretical models. The typical behavior of the observed variations is described and an attempt is made to discern whether any periodicity might be present. Luminosity variations were found to be on the order of a few hundredths to a few tenths of a magnitude for the stars that were surveyed, with occasional fluctuations of up to a magnitude. This agrees with current models of Post-AGB stars. Each star fell into one of three categories, which were termed groups 1, 2, and 3. Group 1 stars showed long term, non-periodic luminosity variations on the scale of weeks or longer and were most likely to display some sort of short term, coherent luminosity oscillation (each of which lasted for only a few cycles). Group 2 stars showed erratic, short-term magnitude variations occurring on scales of several days. Group 3 stars showed little or no variation in magnitude. Of the 27 Post-AGB stars that were sampled, five fell into group 1, fifteen fell into group 2, and seven fell into group 3. The luminosity variations tended to be color-independent, and occurred on timescales ranging nearly continuously from a few days to more than a year. No clear periodic behavior was found in any star in our sample. This project was funded by a partnership between the National Science Foundation (NSF AST-0552798), Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU), and the Department of Defense (DoD) ASSURE (Awards to Stimulate and Support Undergraduate Research Experiences) programs.

ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY VERIFICATION JOINT (NSF-EPA) VERIFICATION STATEMENT AND REPORT PERFORMANCE OF INDUCTION MIXERS FOR DISINFECTION OF WET WEATHER FLOWS, GAS MASTRRR SERIES 32 SUBMERSIBLE CHEMICAL INDUCTION MIXERS

EPA Science Inventory

The Wet-Weather Flow Technologies Pilot of the EPA's Environmental Technology Verification (ETV) Program under a partnership with NSF International has verified the performance of the GAS MASTRRR Series 32 Submersible Chemical Induction Mixers used for disinfection of wet-weather...

Federal Science and Engineering Support to Universities, Colleges, and Nonprofit Institutions: Fiscal Year 1996. Detailed Statistical Tables.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Science Foundation, Arlington, VA. Div. of Science Resources Studies.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) Act of 1950 stipulates that NSF must maintain a program for determining the total amount of money for scientific and engineering research received from federal agencies by each educational institution and appropriate nonprofit organization and to report these data annually to Congress and the President. NSF…

Exploration of NSF-ATE Projects Approaches in the Integration of Technology and Engineering Education at the K-12 Levels

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Strobel, Johannes; Mendoza Díaz, Noemi V.

2012-01-01

Access to post-secondary education, specifically in the technical, two-year institution area, is a topic of growing interest in the country. Funding agencies, such as NSF, via the Advanced Technological Education Program (ATE), are supporting initiatives and research aimed at increasing the number of technicians and engineers and improving…

Effective Professional Development for Teacher Leaders: Lessons Learned from K-6 Mathematics Teacher Enhancement Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Friel, Susan N.; Bright, George W.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has supported a wide variety of teacher enhancement projects in order to identify and explore strategies that are effective in bringing genuine, long-term teacher change, and, ultimately, long-term systemic change in schools. In November 1994, with funding provided from NSF (Grant Number ESI-9452859), a small,…

Reviews of Data on Science Resources, No. 29. Current and Future Utilization of Scientific and Technical Personnel in Energy-Related Activities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Science Foundation, Washington, DC. Div. of Science Resources Studies.

This National Science Foundation (NSF) bulletin summarizes the NSF program of energy manpower studies that assessed the impact of past energy developments and future options for scientific and technical manpower. This document summarizes the utilization of scientific personnel in energy-related activities in private industry in 1975 and shortages…

Myths in funding ocean research at the National Science Foundation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duce, Robert A.; Benoit-Bird, Kelly J.; Ortiz, Joseph; Woodgate, Rebecca A.; Bontempi, Paula; Delaney, Margaret; Gaines, Steven D.; Harper, Scott; Jones, Brandon; White, Lisa D.

2012-12-01

Every 3 years the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), through its Advisory Committee on Geosciences, forms a Committee of Visitors (COV) to review different aspects of the Directorate for Geosciences (GEO). This year a COV was formed to review the Biological Oceanography (BO), Chemical Oceanography (CO), and Physical Oceanography (PO) programs in the Ocean Section; the Marine Geology and Geophysics (MGG) and Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) science programs in the Marine Geosciences Section; and the Ocean Education and Ocean Technology and Interdisciplinary Coordination (OTIC) programs in the Integrative Programs Section of the Ocean Sciences Division (OCE). The 2012 COV assessed the proposal review process for fiscal year (FY) 2009-2011, when 3843 proposal actions were considered, resulting in 1141 awards. To do this, COV evaluated the documents associated with 206 projects that were randomly selected from the following categories: low-rated proposals that were funded, high-rated proposals that were funded, low-rated proposals that were declined, high-rated proposals that were declined, some in the middle (53 awarded, 106 declined), and all (47) proposals submitted to the Rapid Response Research (RAPID) funding mechanism. NSF provided additional data as requested by the COV in the form of graphs and tables. The full COV report, including graphs and tables, is available at http://www.nsf.gov/geo/acgeo_cov.jsp.

Reversing flow causes passive shark scale actuation in a separating turbulent boundary layer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lang, Amy; Gemmell, Bradford; Motta, Phil; Habegger, Laura; Du Clos, Kevin; Devey, Sean; Stanley, Caleb; Santos, Leo

2017-11-01

Control of flow separation by shortfin mako skin in experiments has been demonstrated, but the mechanism is still poorly understood yet must be to some extent Re independent. The hypothesized mechanisms inherent in the shark skin for controlling flow separation are: (1) the scales, which are capable of being bristled only by reversing flow, inhibit flow reversal events from further development into larger-scale separation and (2) the cavities formed when scales bristle induces mixing of high momentum flow towards the wall thus energizing the flow close to the surface. Two studies were carried out to measure passive scale actuation caused by reversing flow. A small flow channel induced an unsteady, wake flow over the scales prompting reversing flow events and scale actuation. To resolve the flow and scale movements simultaneously we used specialized optics at high magnification (1 mm field of view) at 50,000 fps. In another study, 3D printed models of shark scales, or microflaps (bristling capability up to 50 degrees), were set into a flat plate. Using a tripped, turbulent boundary layer grown over the long flat plate and a localized adverse pressure gradient, a separation bubble was generated within which the microflaps were placed. Passive flow actuation of both shark scales and microflaps by reversing flow was observed. Funding from Army Research Office and NSF REU site Grant.

2.1 meter (82 inch) Slip Ring By-Pass Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bryan, Corby B.

2006-12-01

2.1 meter (82 inch) Slip Ring By-Pass Project I will describe a project to bypass the old method of getting control communications above the rotation point of the McDonald Observatory 2.1 meter dome. The old method used slip rings that were implemented in the late 1930s. The new system uses wireless serial commands which allow the control lines to be taken off the slip rings, leaving only power and ground. I will describe how the concept was devised so the slip rings could be by-passed, what micro-controller system that was decided on and used, how the wireless units were set up and finally how the system was tested and put in place with only limited tasks to control. (I.E. the opening and closing of the shutters) We describe the advantages to making this upgrade and how it could benefit any telescope interested in upgrading its communication systems. This project was designed and tested in ten weeks during the McDonald Observatory REU and was supported under NSF AST-0243745. The system was designed so that it could be installed while running side by side with the current method of getting control to the above rotation point. The method is still in place being tested on the 2.1 meter telescope and will soon be fully implemented by the University of Texas McDonald Observatory OS staff.

Surface Patterning: Controlling Fluid Flow Through Dolphin and Shark Skin Biomimicry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gamble, Lawren; Lang, Amy; Bradshaw, Michael; McVay, Eric

2013-11-01

Dolphin skin is characterized by circumferential ridges, perpendicular to fluid flow, present from the crest of the head until the tail fluke. When observing a cross section of skin, the ridges have a sinusoidal pattern. Sinusoidal grooves have been proven to induce vortices in the cavities that can help control flow separation which can reduce pressure drag. Shark skin, however, is patterned with flexible scales that bristle up to 50 degrees with reversed flow. Both dolphin ridges and shark scales are thought to help control fluid flow and increase swimming efficiency by delaying the separation of the boundary layer. This study investigates how flow characteristics can be altered with bio-inspired surface patterning. A NACA 4412 hydrofoil was entirely patterned with transverse sinusoidal grooves, inspired by dolphin skin but scaled so the cavities on the model have the same Reynolds number as the cavities on a swimming shark. Static tests were conducted at a Reynolds number of approximately 100,000 and at varying angles of attack. The results were compared to the smooth hydrofoil case. The flow data was quantified using Digital Particle Image Velocimetry (DPIV). The results of this study demonstrated that the patterned hydrofoil experienced greater separation than the smooth hydrofoil. It is hypothesize that this could be remediated if the pattern was placed only after the maximum thickness of the hydrofoil. Funding through NSF REU grant 1062611 is gratefully acknowledged.

Airflow Actuation of Shortfin Mako Shark Denticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Devey, Sean; Hubner, Paul; Lang, Amy

2016-11-01

The shortfin mako shark is covered in microscopic scales called denticles, which may act as a mechanism for passive flow control. Recent research has investigated the theory that reversing flow could passively bristle these denticles, which could delay flow separation. Water tunnel studies have supported this theory, yet a wind tunnel study at a greater dynamic pressure found no significant differences between an airfoil covered with mako skin and a smooth airfoil. A likely cause is that surface tension between denticles, which must be wet to retain flexibility, prevented bristling. This would not be an issue in water. To determine what reverse airflow characteristics cause denticle bristling in air, a benchtop study was conducted in which a jet of air was impinged upon a sample of wet mako skin in the reverse flow direction. A microscope and camera captured video of the denticles under the air jet, and image analysis techniques were used to detect bristling. Analysis shows sporadic bristling around 16 m/s (q = 150 Pa) but full bristling does not occur until above 35 m/s (q = 740 Pa). The free stream velocities required to achieve such reversal speeds are much higher. For this reason, mechanical analogues will be used rather than real skin in future studies of this mechanism. Funding from Boeing and NSF REU site Grant EEC 1358991 is greatly appreciated.

Optical Thin Film Thickness Measurement for the Single Atom Microscope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nelson, Courtney; Frisbie, Dustin; Singh, Jaideep; Spinlab Team

2017-09-01

The Single Atom Microscope Project proposes an efficient, selective, and sensitive method to measure the 1022Ne+24 He ->1225 Mg + n reaction. This rare nuclear reaction is a source of neutrons for heavy element development through the slow neutron capture process. This method embeds Magnesium atoms in a solid neon film. The Magnesium atoms exhibit a shifted fluorescence spectrum allowing for the detection of individual fluorescence photons against the excitation light background. Currently, Ytterbium is used in place of Magnesium-25 because it has been more thoroughly studied than Magnesium and we expect it to have a brighter signal. To identify the signal emitted from the Ytterbium atoms, we need to quantify the amount of signal and background per atom in the neon film. We need to know the film thickness to find the number of atoms in the film to determine the amount of light emitted per atom. In preparation for the neon film measurement, I constructed an experiment to advance the understanding of what is required to optically measure a thin film by using a cover glass slide in place of the thin film. This preliminary experiment has determined a measurement method for finding the thickness of a neon thin film on a sapphire substrate. This work is supported by Michigan State University, U.S. National Science Foundation under Grant Number 1654610, and U.S. NSF REU.

Examining Dynamic Stall for an Oscillating NACA 4412 Hydrofoil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McVay, Eric; Lang, Amy; Gamble, Lawren; Bradshaw, Michael

2013-11-01

Dynamic stall is unsteady separation that occurs when a hydrofoil pitches through the static stall angle while simultaneously experiencing a rapid change in angle of attack. The NACA 4412 hydrofoil was selected for this research because it has strong trailing edge turbulent boundary layer separation characteristics. General dynamic stall angle of attack for approximately symmetric airfoils has been recorded to occur at 24 degrees, with separation beginning at about 16 degrees. It is predicted that the boundary layer will stay attached at a higher angle of attack because of the cambered geometry of the hydrofoil. It is also hypothesized that the boundary layer separation occurs closer to the trailing edge and that the dynamic stall angle of attack occurs somewhere between 24 and 28 degrees for the oscillating NACA 4412 hydrofoil. This research was conducted in a water tunnel facility using Time Resolved Digital Particle Image Velocimetry (TR-DPIV). The hydrofoil was pitched up from 0 to 30 degrees at Reynolds numbers of 60,000, 80,000 and 100,000. Flow characteristics, dynamic stall angles of attack, and points of boundary layer separation were compared at each velocity with both tripped and un-tripped surfaces. Follow-on research will be conducted using flow control techniques from sharks and dolphins to examine the potential benefits of these natural designs for separation control. Support for this research by NSF REU Grant #1062611 and CBET Grant #0932352 is gratefully acknowledged.

Increasing Access for Economically Disadvantaged Students: The NSF/CSEM & S-STEM Programs at Louisiana State University

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilson, Zakiya S.; Iyengar, Sitharama S.; Pang, Su-Seng; Warner, Isiah M.; Luces, Candace A.

2012-10-01

Increasing college degree attainment for students from disadvantaged backgrounds is a prominent component of numerous state and federal legislation focused on higher education. In 1999, the National Science Foundation (NSF) instituted the "Computer Science, Engineering, and Mathematics Scholarships" (CSEMS) program; this initiative was designed to provide greater access and support to academically talented students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Originally intended to provide financial support to lower income students, this NSF program also advocated that additional professional development and advising would be strategies to increase undergraduate persistence to graduation. This innovative program for economically disadvantaged students was extended in 2004 to include students from other disciplines including the physical and life sciences as well as the technology fields, and the new name of the program was Scholarships for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (S-STEM). The implementation of these two programs in Louisiana State University (LSU) has shown significant and measurable success since 2000, making LSU a Model University in providing support to economically disadvantaged students within the STEM disciplines. The achievement of these programs is evidenced by the graduation rates of its participants. This report provides details on the educational model employed through the CSEMS/S-STEM projects at LSU and provides a path to success for increasing student retention rates in STEM disciplines. While the LSU's experience is presented as a case study, the potential relevance of this innovative mentoring program in conjunction with the financial support system is discussed in detail.

Reynolds numbers and the elliptic approximation near the ultimate state of turbulent Rayleigh-Bénard convection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, Xiaozhou; van Gils, Dennis P. M.; Bodenschatz, Eberhard; Ahlers, Guenter

2015-06-01

We report results of Reynolds-number measurements, based on multi-point temperature measurements and the elliptic approximation (EA) of He and Zhang (2006 Phys. Rev. E 73 055303), Zhao and He (2009 Phys. Rev. E 79 046316) for turbulent Rayleigh-Bénard convection (RBC) over the Rayleigh-number range {10}11≲ {\\text{}}{Ra}≲ 2× {10}14 and for a Prandtl number Pr ≃ 0.8. The sample was a right-circular cylinder with the diameter D and the height L both equal to 112 cm. The Reynolds numbers ReU and ReV were obtained from the mean-flow velocity U and the root-mean-square fluctuation velocity V, respectively. Both were measured approximately at the mid-height of the sample and near (but not too near) the side wall close to a maximum of ReU. A detailed examination, based on several experimental tests, of the applicability of the EA to turbulent RBC in our parameter range is provided. The main contribution to ReU came from a large-scale circulation in the form of a single convection roll with the preferred azimuthal orientation of its down flow nearly coinciding with the location of the measurement probes. First we measured time sequences of ReU(t) and ReV(t) from short (10 s) segments which moved along much longer sequences of many hours. The corresponding probability distributions of ReU(t) and ReV(t) had single peaks and thus did not reveal significant flow reversals. The two averaged Reynolds numbers determined from the entire data sequences were of comparable size. For {\\text{}}{Ra}\\lt {\\text{}}{{Ra}}1*≃ 2× {10}13 both ReU and ReV could be described by a power-law dependence on Ra with an exponent ζ close to 0.44. This exponent is consistent with several other measurements for the classical RBC state at smaller Ra and larger Pr and with the Grossmann-Lohse (GL) prediction for ReU (Grossmann and Lohse 2000 J. Fluid. Mech. 407 27; Grossmann and Lohse 2001 86 3316; Grossmann and Lohse 2002 66 016305) but disagrees with the prediction \\zeta ≃ 0.33 by GL (Grossmann and Lohse 2004 Phys. Fluids 16 4462) for ReV. At {\\text{}}{Ra}={\\text{}}{{Ra}}2*≃ 7× {10}13 the dependence of ReV on Ra changed, and for larger Ra {\\text{}}{{Re}}V˜ {\\text{}}{{Ra}}0.50+/- 0.02, consistent with the prediction for ReU (Grossmann and Lohse 2000 J. Fluid. Mech. 407 27; Grossmann and Lohse Phys. Rev. Lett. 2001 86 3316; Grossmann and Lohse Phys. Rev. E 2002 66 016305; Grossmann and Lohse 2012 Phys. Fluids 24 125103) in the ultimate state of RBC.

STEM on the radio

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Showstack, Randy

2011-10-01

Looking for an Internet radio station focusing on programing about science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM)? The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) announced on 26 September the launch of Science360 Radio, which it says is the first Internet radio stream dedicated to STEM programing. Science360 includes more than 100 radio shows and podcasts that are available on the Web as well as on iPhone and Android devices. The shows originate from a variety of sources, including NSF, other U.S. government agencies, science organizations, universities, and media outlets. For more information, see http://science360.gov/files/.

Graduate Enrollment in Science and Engineering Grew Substantially in the Past Decade but Slowed in 2010. InfoBrief. NSF 12-317

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kang, Kelly

2012-01-01

Approximately 632,700 graduate students were enrolled in science, engineering, and health (SEH) programs in the United States as of fall 2010, a 30% increase from approximately 493,300 students in 2000, according to the National Science Foundation's (NSF's) Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering (GSS). The growth…

Vertical Temperature Simulation of Pegasus Runway, McMurdo Station, Antarctica

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-01-01

Report Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. Prepared for National Science Foundation , Division of Polar Programs, Antarctic...45 ERDC/CRREL TR-15-2 vii Preface This study was conducted for the National Science Foundation (NSF), Di- vision of Polar...Development Center GPR Ground-Penetrating Radar MIS McMurdo Ice Self NSF National Science Foundation PIR Precision Infrared Radiometer PLR Division of

Developing International Research Collaborations among Postdoctoral Fellows: Key Findings from the Evaluation of NSF's International Research Fellowship Program. GS-10F-0086K

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martinez, Alina; Epstein, Carter; Parsad, Amanda; Whittaker, Karla

2012-01-01

Over a decade ago, the National Science Board (NSB) highlighted the importance of international collaboration in its call for increased government commitment to promoting international science and engineering (S&E) research and education. The NSB also identified the National Science Foundation (NSF) as having an important leadership role in…

ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY VERIFICATION REPORT - ON-SITE GENERATION OF SODIUM HYPOCHLORITE CLORTEC, DIVISION OF CAPITAL CONTROLS, CLORTEC MODEL MC100 - NSF 00/16/EPADW395

EPA Science Inventory

THE EPA and NSF verified the performance of the ClorTec Model MC100 System under the EPA's ETV program. The concentrated hypochlorite generator stream from the treatment system underwent a twice-daily analysis from 3/8-4/6/00. The chlorine analyses were conducted onsite in United...

ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY VERIFICATION JOINT (NSF-EPA) VERIFICATION STATEMENT AND REPORT, PERFORMANCE OF INDUCTION MIXERS FOR DISINFECTION OF WET WEATHER FLOWS, US FILTER/STRANCO PRODUCTS WATER CHAMP R F SERIES CHEMICAL INDUCTION SYSTEM

EPA Science Inventory

The Wet-Weather Flow Technologies Pilot of the EPA's Technology Verification (ETV) Program under a partnership with NSF International has verified the performawnce of the USFilter/Stranco Products chemical induction mixer used for disinfection of wet-weather flows. The USFilter t...

A Legacy of Leadership and Lessons Learned: Results from the Rural Systemic Initiatives for Improving Mathematics and Science Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harmon, Hobart L.; Smith, Keith

2007-01-01

This report pays tribute to the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Rural Systemic Initiatives (RSIs), an investment of more than $140 million to improve mathematics and science education in some of rural America's most impoverished communities. The report illustrates the impact of NSF's RSI program on a national scale. Each RSI planned a project…

Master's Degree Programs for the Preparation of Secondary Earth Science Teachers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Passero, Richard Nicholas

Investigated were master's degree programs for the preparation of secondary school earth science teachers. Programs studied were classified as: (1) noninstitute college programs, and (2) National Science Foundation (NSF) institute programs. A total of 289 students enrolled in noninstitute programs contributed data by personal visits and…

Undergraduate Research in Geoscience with Students from Two-year Colleges: SAGE 2YC Resources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McDaris, J. R.; Hodder, J.; Macdonald, H.; Baer, E. M.; Blodgett, R. H.

2014-12-01

Undergraduate research experiences are important for the development of expertise in geoscience disciplines. These experiences have been shown to help students learn content and skills, promote students' cognitive and affective development, and develop students' sense of self. Early exposure to research experiences has shown to be effective in the recruitment of students, improved retention and persistence in degree programs, motivation for students to learn and increase self-efficacy, improved attitudes and values about science, and overall increased student success. Just as departments at four-year institutions (4YCs) are increasingly integrating research into their introductory courses, two-year college (2YC) geoscience faculty have a great opportunity to ground their students in authentic research. The Undergraduate Research with Two-year College Students website developed by SAGE 2YC: Supporting and Advancing Geoscience Education at Two-year Colleges provides ideas and advice for 2YC and 4YC faculty who want to get more 2YC students involved in research. The continuum of possibilities for faculty to explore includes things that can be done at 2YCs (eg. doing research as part of a regular course, developing a course specifically around research on a particular topic, or independent study), done in collaboration with other local institutions (eg. using their facilities, conducting joint class research, or using research to support transfer programs), and by involving students in the kind of organized Undergraduate Research programs run by a number of institutions and organizations. The website includes profiles illustrating how 2YC geoscience faculty have tackled these various models of research and addressed potential challenges such as lack of time, space, and funding as part of supporting the wide diversity of students that attend 2YCs, most of whom have less experience than that of rising seniors who are the traditional REU participant. The website also provides resources on effective strategies for developing REU programs for community college students, examples of successful multi-year programs, links to other projects working on undergraduate research in the first two years, and references for further reading. serc.carleton.edu/sage2yc/studentsuccess/ug-research/

Conference OKs science budgets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

With the budget process all but complete for next fiscal year, the National Science Foundation and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration observers were saying that science had not done that badly in Congress, for an election year. NSF got half the budget increase it requested, NASA two-thirds. The Space Station did well, at the expense of environmental and social programs, which are funded by Congress from the same pot of money as NASA and NSF.A House-Senate conference finished work on a $59 billion appropriations bill for the Department of Housing and Urban Development and independent agencies, including EPA, NASA, and NSF, in early August. The House and Senate then quickly passed the measure before their recess; the President is expected to sign it soon. Included in the Fiscal Year 1989 spending bill are $1,885 billion for NSF, a 9.8% increase over FY 1988, and $10.7 billion for NASA, 18.5% more than the year before.

Japan signs Ocean Agreement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

The Ocean Research Institute of the University of Tokyo and the National Science Foundation (NSF) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding for cooperation in the Ocean Drilling Program (ODP). The agreement calls for Japanese participation in ODP and an annual contribution of $2.5 million in U.S. currency for the project's 9 remaining years, according to NSF.ODP is an international project whose mission is to learn more about the formation and development of the earth through the collection and examination of core samples from beneath the ocean. The program uses the drillship JOIDES Resolution, which is equipped with laboratories and computer facilities. The Joint Oceanographic Institutions for Deep Earth Sampling (JOIDES), an international group of scientists, provides overall science planning and program advice regarding ODP's science goals and objectives.

The National Science Foundation and the History of Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rothenberg, Marc

2014-01-01

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is the major funder of the history of science in the United States. Between 1958 and 2010, the NSF program for the history of science has given 89 awards in the history of astronomy. This paper analyzes the award recipients and subject areas of the awards and notes significant shifts in the concentration of award recipients and the chronological focus of the research being funded.

76 FR 19793 - Advisory Committee for Polar Programs; Notice of Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-04-08

... presentations and discussion on opportunities and challenges for polar research, education and infrastructure; discussion of OPP Strategic Vision development; transformative research, ad hoc proposals & program... advise NSF on the impact of its policies, programs, and [[Page 19794

Low-Latitude Solar Coronal Hole Formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haislmaier, Karl; Petrie, G.

2013-01-01

Little is known about the origin of low-latitude solar coronal holes (CHs) and their relation to the magnetic flux distribution of the underlying Solar Photosphere. Two recent reports (Karachik et al. 2010, Wang et al. 2010) suggest that CH formation might be correlated with the decay of active regions (ARs) in the photosphere. In order to explore the nature and extent of such correlations, we surveyed GONG (Global Oscillations Network Group) synoptic magnetograms and STEREO (Solar TErrestrial RElations Observatory) synoptic extreme ultraviolet images of Carrington rotations 2047-2112. From these two data sets, 41 AR-CH pairs were identified, accounting for ~34% of all ARs that appeared during the surveyed rotations. Each of these AR-CH pairs fell into one of two general classes: 1) those where the CHs were associated with the leading polarity fluxes of decaying ARs whose lagging fluxes largely decayed away, and 2) those where the CHs were associated with the lagging fluxes of surviving ARs. Perhaps surprisingly, the positive and negative fluxes of the ARs generally remained well balanced after their CHs developed. Extrapolated coronal potential-field source-surface (PFSS) models linked the CH creation and development to changes in magnetic connectivity with the surroundings as the AR flux became more diffuse over time. These considerations lead us to conclude that CHs are associated with low intensity, unipolar magnetic flux regions in the photosphere, which are most readily created by the turbulent diffusion and decay of AR flux. This work is carried out through the National Solar Observatory Research Experiences for Undergraduate (REU) site program, which is co-funded by the Department of Defense in partnership with the National Science Foundation REU Program. The National Solar Observatory is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc. (AURA) under cooperative agreement with the National Science Foundation.

Research Experience for Undergraduates Program in Multidisciplinary Environmental Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, M. S.

2012-12-01

During summers 2011 and 12 Montclair State University hosted a Research Experience for Undergraduates Program (REU) in transdisciplinary, hands-on, field-oriented research in environmental sciences. Participants were housed at the Montclair State University's field station situated in the middle of 30,000 acres of mature forest, mountain ridges and freshwater streams and lakes within the Kittatinny Mountains of Northwest New Jersey, Program emphases were placed on development of project planning skills, analytical skills, creativity, critical thinking and scientific report preparation. Ten students were recruited in spring with special focus on recruiting students from underrepresented groups and community colleges. Students were matched with their individual research interests including hydrology, erosion and sedimentation, environmental chemistry, and ecology. In addition to research activities, lectures, educational and recreational field trips, and discussion on environmental ethics and social justice played an important part of the program. The ultimate goal of the program is to facilitate participants' professional growth and to stimulate the participants' interests in pursuing Earth Science as the future career of the participants.

78 FR 37590 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-06-21

...: Program Evaluation of the Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (S-STEM... Mathematics (S-STEM) Program, which operates within NSF's Division of Undergraduate Education. The evaluation...

Community input requested

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fine, Rana A.; Walker, Dan

In June 1996, the National Research Council (NRC) formed the Committee on Major U.S. Oceanographic Research Programs to foster coordination among the large programs (e.g., World Ocean Circulation Experiment, Ocean Drilling Program, Ridge Interdisciplinary Global Experiment, and others) and examine their role in ocean research. In particular, the committee is charged with (1) enhancing information sharing and the coordinated implementation of the research plans of the major ongoing and future programs; (2) assisting the federal agencies and ocean sciences community in identifying gaps, as well as appropriate followon activities to existing programs; (3) making recommendations on how future major ocean programs should be planned, structured and organized; and (4) evaluating the impact of major ocean programs on the understanding of the oceans, development of research facilities, education, and collegiality in the academic community. The activity was initiated at the request of the National Science Foundation (NSF) Division of Ocean Sciences, is overseen by the NRC's Ocean Studies Board (OSB), and is funded by both NSF and the Office of Naval Research.

REU Site: Yosemite Research Training in Environmental Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Conklin, M. H.; Dayrat, B.

2009-12-01

The Yosemite Research Training in Environmental Science offers undergraduate students a unique opportunity to actively experience field research in Environmental Science in a premier National Park, over a nine-week period in the summer. The Yosemite REU is a collaboration between three institutions: the University of California at Merced, Yosemite National Park, and the USGS Western Ecological Research Center. Student activities mainly consist of individual research projects, spanning a broad range of disciplines such as Ecology, Geosciences, Biodiversity, Conservation, Restoration, and Hydrology. All projects include a strong field component. Students are exposed to the benefits of multi-disciplinary research in weekly meetings in which all students talk about their most recent work. Students present their research in Yosemite Valley at the end of the program before a public audience (including visitors). Research training is provided by mentors from UC Merced (Schools of Natural Sciences, Engineering, and Social Sciences) and the USGS Western Ecological Research Center. In addition to their interactions with their mentors and other faculty, students have opportunities to meet with NPS professionals engaged in park-related activities, to learn more about the integration of science with resources management and about potential careers in research and science outside academia. Students also participate in field trips led by UCM, USGS, and NPS scientists, focusing on Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. Students attend a weekly seminar in Environmental Science with a broad diversity of speakers, including researchers as well as other science-related professionals, such as freelance science writers and illustrators, as well as NPS scientists and staff. Finally, student participants engage in several other activities, including outreach (e.g., a day-long meeting with high-school Central Valley students from underrepresented minorities). The Yosemite REU has already run for 2 years (with funds still available for another summer in 2010). Each year, eight students have been selected from a large pool of at least 150 complete applications, nationwide (with about 20 to 25% being students from under-represented minorities). Each year, five students out of eight have been from under-represented minorities.

Educational Outreach at CASPER

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hyde, Truell; Smith, Bernard; Carmona-Reyes, Jorge

2007-11-01

The CASPER Educational Outreach program with support from the Department of Education, the Department of Labor and the National Science Foundation advances physics education through a variety of avenues including CASPER's REU / RET program, High School Scholars Program, spiral curriculum development program and the CASPER Physics Circus. These programs impact K-12 teachers and students providing teachers with curriculum, supporting hands-on material and support for introducing plasma and basic physical science into the classroom. The most visible of the CASPER outreach programs is the Physics Circus, created during the 1999-2000 school year and funded since that time through two large grants from the Department of Education. The Physics Circus is part of GEAR UP Waco (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs) and was originally one of 185 grants awarded nationwide by the U. S. Department of Education in 1999 to help 200,000 disadvantaged children prepare for and gain a pathway to undergraduate programs. The CASPER Physics Circus is composed of intense science explorations, physics demonstrations, hands-on interactive displays, theatrical performances, and excellent teaching experiences. Examples and efficacy data from the above will be discussed.

War-gaming application for future space systems acquisition: MATLAB implementation of war-gaming acquisition models and simulation results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vienhage, Paul; Barcomb, Heather; Marshall, Karel; Black, William A.; Coons, Amanda; Tran, Hien T.; Nguyen, Tien M.; Guillen, Andy T.; Yoh, James; Kizer, Justin; Rogers, Blake A.

2017-05-01

The paper describes the MATLAB (MathWorks) programs that were developed during the REU workshop1 to implement The Aerospace Corporation developed Unified Game-based Acquisition Framework and Advanced Game - based Mathematical Framework (UGAF-AGMF) and its associated War-Gaming Engine (WGE) models. Each game can be played from the perspectives of the Department of Defense Acquisition Authority (DAA) or of an individual contractor (KTR). The programs also implement Aerospace's optimum "Program and Technical Baseline (PTB) and associated acquisition" strategy that combines low Total Ownership Cost (TOC) with innovative designs while still meeting warfighter needs. The paper also describes the Bayesian Acquisition War-Gaming approach using Monte Carlo simulations, a numerical analysis technique to account for uncertainty in decision making, which simulate the PTB development and acquisition processes and will detail the procedure of the implementation and the interactions between the games.

Final Project Report to NSF.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Inst. for Science Education, Madison, WI.

The National Institute for Science Education's (NISE) focused mission is to improve mathematics and science education from kindergarten through college. This document reports on NISE's research programs, dissemination programs, and organizational process programs. Contents include: (1) "Systemic Reform: Policy and Evaluation" (William H. Clune and…

The Biological and Chemical Oceanography Data Management Office

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Allison, M. D.; Chandler, C. L.; Groman, R. C.; Wiebe, P. H.; Glover, D. M.; Gegg, S. R.

2011-12-01

Oceanography and marine ecosystem research are inherently interdisciplinary fields of study that generate and require access to a wide variety of measurements. In late 2006 the Biological and Chemical Oceanography Sections of the National Science Foundation (NSF) Geosciences Directorate Division of Ocean Sciences (OCE) funded the Biological and Chemical Oceanography Data Management Office (BCO-DMO). In late 2010 additional funding was contributed to support management of research data from the NSF Office of Polar Programs Antarctic Organisms & Ecosystems Program. The BCO-DMO is recognized in the 2011 Division of Ocean Sciences Sample and Data Policy as one of several program specific data offices that support NSF OCE funded researchers. BCO-DMO staff members offer data management support throughout the project life cycle to investigators from large national programs and medium-sized collaborative research projects, as well as researchers from single investigator awards. The office manages and serves all types of oceanographic data and information generated during the research process and contributed by the originating investigators. BCO-DMO has built a data system that includes the legacy data from several large ocean research programs (e.g. United States Joint Global Ocean Flux Study and United States GLOBal Ocean ECosystems Dynamics), to which data have been contributed from recently granted NSF OCE and OPP awards. The BCO-DMO data system can accommodate many different types of data including: in situ and experimental biological, chemical, and physical measurements; modeling results and synthesis data products. The system enables reuse of oceanographic data for new research endeavors, supports synthesis and modeling activities, provides availability of "real data" for K-12 and college level use, and provides decision-support field data for policy-relevant investigations. We will present an overview of the data management system capabilities including: map-based and text-based data discovery and access systems; recent enhancements to data search tools; data export and download utilities; and strategic use of controlled vocabularies to facilitate data integration and to improve data system interoperability.

The National Science Foundation and the philosophy of chemistry.

PubMed

Seely, Bruce E

2003-05-01

Since its founding in 1950, the National Science Foundation has provided support for a variety of studies in history, philosophy, and social studies of science. The fact that a relatively small number of projects dealing with the philosophy of chemistry have received NSF support is due to the small number of such proposals that have been submitted. The NSF Science and Technology Studies Program (STS) welcomes proposals dealing with philosophy of chemistry.

Geoscience Education Programs in the NSF Division of Undergraduate Education: Different Acronyms with Similar Intent

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singer, J.; Ryan, J. G.

2014-12-01

For the past three decades, the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Division of Undergraduate Education (DUE) has administered a succession of programs intended to improve undergraduate STEM education for all students. The IUSE (Improving Undergraduate STEM Education) program is the latest program in this succession, and reflects an expanded, NSF-wide effort to make sustainable improvements in STEM education on a national scale. The origins and thinking behind IUSE can be in part traced back to precursor programs including: ILI (Instrumentation and Laboratory Improvement), CCD (Course and Curriculum Development), UFE (Undergraduate Faculty Enhancement), CCLI (Course, Curriculum and Laboratory Improvement), and TUES (Transforming Undergraduate Education in STEM), all of which sought to support faculty efforts to investigate and improve curriculum and instructional practice in undergraduate STEM education, and to disseminate effective STEM educational practices for broad adoption. IUSE, like its predecessor programs, is open to all STEM fields, and as such is intended to support improvements in geoscience education, spanning the atmospheric, ocean, and Earth sciences, as well as in environmental science, GIS science, climate change and sustainability/resilience. An emphasis on discipline-based research on learning that had origins in the CCLI and TUES programs is a new priority area in IUSE, with the ambition that projects will take advantage of the integrated expertise of domain scientists, educational practioners, and experts in learning science. We trace and describe the history of undergraduate education efforts with an emphasis placed on the recently introduced IUSE program. Understanding the origin of DUE's IUSE program can provide insights for faculty interested in developing proposals for submission and gain a greater appreciation of trends and priorities within the division.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Uhle, Maria

These funds were transferred from DOE to NSF as DOE's contribution to the U.S. Global Change Research Program in support of 4 internationalnactivities/programs as approved by the U.S. Global Change Research Program on 14 March 2014. The programs are the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme, the DIVERSITAS programme, and the World Climate Research Program. All program awards ended as of 09-23-2015.

On Achieving Transdisciplinary Outcomes from Synergistic Research Efforts in the Northern Gulf of Mexico

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hagen, S. C.

2017-12-01

Multiple federal initiatives aim to evaluate and enhance sustainability and resilience at the coastal-land margin. Progressive efforts undertaken in the northern Gulf of Mexico for more than ten years have resulted in synergistic research with multiple means of federal support. Major grants include the FEMA Flood Insurance Studies, the NOAA / NOS Ecological Effects of Sea Level Rise Program, as well as the NSF Coastal SEES Program. Through a careful development of a collective enterprise the results from these and other individual programs (e.g., NOAA Sea Grant College, DHS Center of Excellence, NSF Rapid Response) have been elevated to achieve transdisciplinary outcomes. A direct product of the synergy is a system of systems approach to bio-geophysical science with the inclusion of socioeconomic processes.

Improving Science Teacher Preparation through the APS PhysTEC and NSF Noyce Programs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Williams, Tasha; Tyler, Micheal; van Duzor, Andrea; Sabella, Mel

2013-03-01

Central to the recruitment of students into science teaching at a school like CSU, is a focus on the professional nature of teaching. The purpose of this focus is twofold: it serves to change student perceptions about teaching and it prepares students to become teachers who value continued professional development and value the science education research literature. The Noyce and PhysTEC programs at CSU place the professional nature of teaching front and center by involving students in education research projects, paid internships, attendance at conferences, and participation in a new Teacher Immersion Institute and a Science Education Journal Reading Class. This poster will focus on specific components of our teacher preparation program that were developed through these two programs. In addition we will describe how these new components provide students with diverse experiences in the teaching of science to students in the urban school district. Supported by the NSF Noyce Program (0833251) and the APS PhysTEC Program.

Research Experience for Undergraduates: A Non-Traditional Approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carrick, T. L.; Miller, K. C.; Hagedorn, E.; Velasco, A. A.

2012-12-01

Research experiences for undergraduates (REUs) have been documented to be an effective way to increase student retention in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) by exposing students to research. REUs typically run during the summer months, allowing students to travel to different universities away from their home institutions. We created an REU program, Pathways Research Experience for undergraduates Program (PREP) that ran during the fall and spring academic semesters and focused on the geosciences. These students were provided with a monthly stipend to work with a research mentor, and they were required to attend a weekly professional development meeting led by the Pathways PIs and the program coordinator. The weekly training program focused on research skills, presentation skills, and graduate school preparation. Since a majority of students at University of Texas at El Paso (a Hispanic Serving Institution with 70% Hispanic and 10% Mexican students) must work outside the university while attending college, the stipends enabled students to remain on campus to "work", with the hope that this may contribute to their overall academic success. By spending more time on campus, the participants were able to interact more with faculty and other students, both at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Participants were chosen on a basis of GPA and the contents of an application that included a statement of purpose, a resume, a transcript, and at least one letter of recommendation. Once the student was selected, they were required to find a mentor and research project. Through an analysis of surveys, we have found that participants enjoy the meetings, which gave them a sense of belonging to a group, and an additional source of academic support. Participants were also expected to take part in outreach activities as part of our goal to create a geosciences network in El Paso. With this REU approach, we believe that our success rate suggests that this approach works well in Hispanic Serving Institutions: 51% of our participants have gone on to graduate school, 22% are still undergraduates, 17% are unknown, 5% are in industry and 5% are teaching.

Volcanic and Tectonic Evolution of The Gulf of California Near Mulege, Baja California Sur: Results From Baja Basins NSF-REU (Research Experience for Undergraduates)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hutchinson, S. J.; Allard, J.; Acuna, N.; Graettinger, A. H.; Busby, C.

2017-12-01

Cenozoic volcanic rocks have been studied along many parts of the Gulf of California margin of Baja California because they provide a record of its volcano-tectonic evolution, from subduction (24-12 Ma), to rifting (<12 Ma). The 2015-2016 Baja Basins REU studied volcanic rocks around the Boleo basin, and used geochemistry and 40Ar/39AR geochronology to recognize a ca. 10-14 Ma calcalkaline subduction assemblage, and a 6.1 Ma magnesian andesite assemblage inferred to be related to the Boleo stratiform Cu-Co-Zn sulfides. However, volcanic rocks in a 5,000 km2 region between Santa Rosalia and Mulegé remain largely undivided. The 2017 volcanology group mapped a 390 km2 area inland from Mulegé. Geologic results are described here, while geochemical data used to divide the volcanic rocks into suites are described in an accompanying abstract1. We infer the following sequence of events: (1) A half graben filled with a >820 m thick red bed sequence, sourced to the east by andesitic volcanic rocks eroded from the footwall of a west-dipping normal fault. Proximal alluvial fan bajada deposits are debris-flow dominated, with angular clasts up to 1.3 m in size. Distal braided stream deposits have sandstones and cobble conglomerates, with abundant cut and fill structures and rounded clasts. Adakite trachyandesite block-and-ash-flow tuffs are interstratified with the proximal deposits, representing pyroclastic flows generated by collapse of lava domes plumbed up the basin-bounding fault to the east. (2) The redbeds were cut by a dike swarm that fed a field of lava shield volcanoes. The dikes and lava shields include calcalkaline basaltic andesite, andesite and dacite, as well as magnesian trachyandesite and basaltic andesite. (3) A N-S, subvertical fault stepped into the basin and dropped the lava shields down to the east, while they were eroded off the uplifted footwall to the west. (4) The footwall block was beveled and overlain by plateau-forming magnesian basaltic trachyandesite lavas. Basal clastic sequences in the Baja Gulf of California margin have been inferred to represent Oligocene forearc rocks, with overlying volcanic rocks recording westward sweep of the Miocene arc into the area. However, on the basis of our geochemistry, we infer that all of these rocks record post-subduction (<12 Ma) processes. 1 Acuna et al., this volume

Assessing ocean vertical mixing schemes for the study of climate change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Howard, A. M.; Lindo, F.; Fells, J.; Tulsee, V.; Cheng, Y.; Canuto, V.

2014-12-01

Climate change is a burning issue of our time. It is critical to know the consequences of choosing "business as usual" vs. mitigating our emissions for impacts e.g. ecosystem disruption, sea-level rise, floods and droughts. To make predictions we must model realistically each component of the climate system. The ocean must be modeled carefully as it plays a critical role, including transporting heat and storing heat and dissolved carbon dioxide. Modeling the ocean realistically in turn requires physically based parameterizations of key processes in it that cannot be explicitly represented in a global climate model. One such process is vertical mixing. The turbulence group at NASA-GISS has developed a comprehensive new vertical mixing scheme (GISSVM) based on turbulence theory, including surface convection and wind shear, interior waves and double-diffusion, and bottom tides. The GISSVM is tested in stand-alone ocean simulations before being used in coupled climate models. It is also being upgraded to more faithfully represent the physical processes. To help assess mixing schemes, students use data from NASA-GISS to create visualizations and calculate statistics including mean bias and rms differences and correlations of fields. These are created and programmed with MATLAB. Results with the commonly used KPP mixing scheme and the present GISSVM and candidate improved variants of GISSVM will be compared between stand-alone ocean models and coupled models and observations. This project introduces students to modeling of a complex system, an important theme in contemporary science and helps them gain a better appreciation of climate science and a new perspective on it. They also gain familiarity with MATLAB, a widely used tool, and develop skills in writing and understanding programs. Moreover they contribute to the advancement of science by providing information that will help guide the improvement of the GISSVM and hence of ocean and climate models and ultimately our understanding and prediction of climate. The PI is both a member of the turbulence group at NASA-GISS and an associate professor at Medgar Evers College of CUNY, a minority serving institution in an urban setting in central Brooklyn. This Project is supported by NSF award AGS-1359293 REU site: CUNY/GISS Center for Global Climate Research.

From Globular Clusters to Tidal Dwarfs: Structure Formation in Tidal Tails

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knierman, K.; Hunsberger, S.; Gallagher, S.; Charlton, J.; Whitmore, B.; Hibbard, J.; Kundu, A.; Zaritsky, D.

1999-12-01

Galaxy interactions trigger star formation in tidal debris. How does this star formation depend on the local and global physical conditions? Using WFPC2/HST images, we investigate the range of structure within tidal tails of four classic ``Toomre Sequence'' mergers: NGC 4038/9 (``Antennae''), NGC 7252 (``Atoms for Peace''), NGC 3921, and NGC 3256. These tails contain a variety of stellar associations with sizes from globular clusters up to dwarf Irregulars. We explore whether there is a continuum between the two extremes. Our eight fields sample seven tidal tails at a variety of stages in the evolutionary sequence. Some of these tails are rich in HI while others are HI poor. Large tidal dwarfs are embedded in three of the tails. Using V and I WFPC2 images, we measure luminosities and colors of substructures within the tidal tails. The properties of globular cluster candidates in the tails will be contrasted with those of the hundreds of young clusters in the central regions of these mergers. We address whether globular clusters form and survive in the tidal tails and whether tidal dwarfs are composed of only young stars. By comparing the properties of structures in the tails of the four mergers with different ages, we examine systematic evolution of structure along the evolutionary sequence and as a function of HI content. We acknowledge support from NASA through STScI, and from NSF for an REU supplement for Karen Knierman.

Light Collection Efficiency in Thin Strip Plastic Scintillator for the Study of ISGMR in Unstable Nuclei

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shafer, Jacob

2011-10-01

The compressibility of nuclear matter (KA) is one of the constituent of the equation of state for nuclear matter which is important in the study Neutron Stars and Super Novae. The KA is proportional to the Giant Monopole Resonance (GMR) energy and is related by the equation EGMR = (h2/mr2) 1/2 *(AKA)1/2 , where ``m'' is the mass of a nucleon and ``r'' is the radius of the nucleus. The GMR in unstable nuclei is important because the KA is related to the ratio of protons to neutrons. For this reason, it is desirable to study unstable nuclei as well as stable nuclei. The study of the GMR in unstable nuclei will be done using inverse kinematics on a target of Lithium (6Li). A detector composed of two layers of thin strip scintillators and one layer of large block scintillators has been designed and constructed to give adequate energy and angular distribution over a large portion of the solid angle where decay particles from the ISGMR can be found. Attenuation of the light signal in the strip scintillators was measured using an Americium (241Am) alpha source. Gains in light collection efficiency due to various wrapping techniques were also measured. The thin strip scintillators are connected to the photomultiplier tube (PMT) via bundles of optical fiber. Losses in light calculation efficiency due to fiber bundles were measured as well. Funded by DOE and NSF-REU.

Static and Alternating Field Magnetic Capture and Heating of Iron Oxide Nanoparticles in Simulated Blood Vessels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Joanne Haeun; Shah, Rhythm R.; Brazel, Christopher S.

2014-11-01

Targeted drug delivery and localized hyperthermia are being studied as alternatives to conventional cancer treatments, which can affect the whole body and indiscriminately kill healthy cells. Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) have potential as drug carriers that can be captured and trigger hyperthermia at the site of the tumor by applying an external magnetic field. This study focuses on comparing the capture efficiency of the magnetic field applied by a static magnet to an alternating current coil. The effect of particle size, degree of dispersion, and the frequency of the AC field on capture and heating were studied using 3 different dispersions: 16 nm maghemite in water, 50 nm maghemite in dopamine, and 20--30 nm magnetite in dimercaptosuccinic acid. A 480G static field captured more MNPs than a similar 480G AC field at either 194 or 428 kHz; however, the AC field also allowed heating. The MNPs in water had a lower capture and heating efficiency than the larger, dopamine-coated MNPs. This finding was supported by dynamic light scattering data showing the particle size distribution and vibrating sample magnetometry data showing that the larger MNPs in the dopamine solution have a higher field of coercivity, exhibit ferrimagnetism and allow for better capture while smaller (16 nm) MNPs exhibit superparamagnetism. The dispersions that captured the best also heated the best. NSF ECE Grant #1358991 supported the first author as an REU student.

76 FR 61757 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-10-05

... become K-12 mathematics and science teachers. The program provides funds to institutions of higher... Foundation's (NSF) Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship (Noyce) Program. Title of Collection: Evaluation of the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program. OMB Control No.: 3145-0217. Expiration Date of Approval: June...

Advancing Research in the National Science Foundation's Advanced Technological Education Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wingate, Lori A.

2017-01-01

Advanced Technological Education is distinct from typical National Science Foundation programs in that it is essentially a training--not research--program, and most grantees are located at technical and two-year colleges. This article presents empirical data on the status of research in the program, discusses the program's role in supporting NSF's…

Developing the Preparation in STEM Leadership Programs for Undergraduate Academic Peer Leaders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blackwell, Stacey; Katzen, Sari; Patel, Nipa; Sun, Yan; Emenike, Mary

2017-01-01

The authors introduce the Preparation in STEM Leadership Program at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. This NSF-Funded program and research study creates a centralized training program for peer leaders that includes a battery of assessments to evaluate peer leaders' content knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, communication skills, and…

Reflections on the development and implementation of an early warning system for ecstasy and related drug markets in Australia.

PubMed

Kinner, Stuart A; Degenhardt, Louisa

2006-09-01

Regular and systematic monitoring of drug markets provides the basis for evidence-based policy. In Australia, trends in ecstasy and related drug (ERD) markets have been monitored in selected jurisdictions since 2000 and nationally since 2003, by the Party Drugs Initiative (PDI). The PDI maximises the validity of conclusions by triangulating information from (a) interviews with regular ecstasy users (REU), (b) interviews with key experts and (c) indicator data. There is currently no other system in Australia for monitoring these markets systematically; however, the value of the PDI has been constrained by the quality of available data. Difficulties in recruiting and interviewing appropriate consumers (REU) and key experts have been experienced, but largely overcome. Limitations of available indicator data from both health and law enforcement continue to present challenges and there remains considerable scope for enhancing existing routine data collection systems, to facilitate monitoring of ERD markets. With an expanding market for ecstasy and related drugs in Australia, and in the context of indicator data that continue to be limited in scope and detail, there is a strong argument for the continued collection of annual, comparable data from a sentinel group of REU, such as those recruited for the PDI.

Knowledge Engineering for Young Scholars. Evaluation Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nye, Gloria T.

The Knowledge Engineering for Young Scholars (KEYS) Program was a National Science Foundation (NSF) program conducted at Louisiana State University during 1989 and 1990. The program's goals were to increase 8th-12th grade students' exposure to science, acquaint them with university research, stimulate interest in science, and build their…

NEWPATH: An Innovative Program to Nurture IT Entrepreneurs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Soundarajan, Neelam; Camp, Stephen M.; Lee, David; Ramnath, Rajiv; Weide, Bruce W.

2016-01-01

The number of freshmen interested in entrepreneurship has grown dramatically in the last few years. In response, many universities have created entrepreneurship programs, including ones focused on engineering entrepreneurship. In this paper, we report on NEWPATH, an innovative NSF-supported program at Ohio State, designed to nurture students to…

Advanced Technological Education Program Fact Sheet, June 2007

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ritchie, Liesel A.; Gullickson, Arlen R.; Wygant, Barbara

2007-01-01

This fact sheet summarizes data gathered in the 2007 annual survey for the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Advanced Technological Education (ATE) program. This was the eighth annual survey of ATE projects and centers conducted by The Evaluation Center at Western Michigan University. Included here are statistics about the program's grantees and…

1984 National Science Foundation Authorization. Hearings before the Subcommittee on Science, Research and Technology of the Committee on Science and Technology. U.S. House of Representatives, Ninety-Eighth Congress, First Session on H.R. 2066 (February 23,25; March 1,8,10, 1983). No. 21

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Congress of the U.S., Washington, DC. House Committee on Science and Technology.

These hearings focused on the National Science Foundation's (NSF) proposed program and budget. Testimony of witnesses, prepared statements, discussions, and supporting documentation (including hearings summary) are provided. Among the issues, areas, and topics addressed were: (1) relevance of NSF's mission to presidential goals; (2) science and…

NanTroSEIZE in 3-D: Creating a Virtual Research Experience in Undergraduate Geoscience Courses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reed, D. L.; Bangs, N. L.; Moore, G. F.; Tobin, H.

2009-12-01

Marine research programs, both large and small, have increasingly added a web-based component to facilitate outreach to K-12 and the public, in general. These efforts have included, among other activities, information-rich websites, ship-to-shore communication with scientists during expeditions, blogs at sea, clips on YouTube, and information about daily shipboard activities. Our objective was to leverage a portion of the vast collection of data acquired through the NSF-MARGINS program to create a learning tool with a long lifespan for use in undergraduate geoscience courses. We have developed a web-based virtual expedition, NanTroSEIZE in 3-D, based on a seismic survey associated with the NanTroSEIZE program of NSF-MARGINS and IODP to study the properties of the plate boundary fault system in the upper limit of the seismogenic zone off Japan. The virtual voyage can be used in undergraduate classes at anytime, since it is not directly tied to the finite duration of a specific seagoing project. The website combines text, graphics, audio and video to place learning in an experiential framework as students participate on the expedition and carry out research. Students learn about the scientific background of the program, especially the critical role of international collaboration, and meet the chief scientists before joining the sea-going expedition. Students are presented with the principles of 3-D seismic imaging, data processing and interpretation while mapping and identifying the active faults that were the likely sources of devastating earthquakes and tsunamis in Japan in 1944 and 1948. They also learn about IODP drilling that began in 2007 and will extend through much of the next decade. The website is being tested in undergraduate classes in fall 2009 and will be distributed through the NSF-MARGINS website (http://www.nsf-margins.org/) and the MARGINS Mini-lesson section of the Science Education Resource Center (SERC) (http://serc.carleton.edu/margins/collection.html) in early 2010.

CHEMICAL INDUCTION MIXER VERIFICATION - ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY VERIFICATION PROGRAM

EPA Science Inventory

The Wet-Weather Flow Technologies Pilot of the Environmental Technology Verification (ETV) Program, which is supported by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and facilitated by NSF International, has recently evaluated the performance of chemical induction mixers used for di...

Improved Access to NSF Funded Ocean Research Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chandler, C. L.; Groman, R. C.; Kinkade, D.; Shepherd, A.; Rauch, S.; Allison, M. D.; Gegg, S. R.; Wiebe, P. H.; Glover, D. M.

2015-12-01

Data from NSF-funded, hypothesis-driven research comprise an essential part of the research results upon which we base our knowledge and improved understanding of the impacts of climate change. Initially funded in 2006, the Biological and Chemical Oceanography Data Management Office (BCO-DMO) works with marine scientists to ensure that data from NSF-funded ocean research programs are fully documented and freely available for future use. BCO-DMO works in partnership with information technology professionals, other marine data repositories and national data archive centers to ensure long-term preservation of these valuable environmental research data. Data contributed to BCO-DMO by the original investigators are enhanced with sufficient discipline-specific documentation and published in a variety of standards-compliant forms designed to enable discovery and support accurate re-use.

Workforce Education Models for K-12 STEM Education Programs: Reflections On, and Implications For, the NSF ITEST Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reider, David; Knestis, Kirk; Malyn-Smith, Joyce

2016-01-01

This article proposes a STEM workforce education logic model, tailored to the particular context of the National Science Foundation's Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST) program. This model aims to help program designers and researchers address challenges particular to designing, implementing, and studying education…

The Impact of a "Framework"-Aligned Science Professional Development Program on Literacy and Mathematics Achievement of K-3 Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Paprzycki, Peter; Tuttle, Nicole; Czerniak, Charlene M.; Molitor, Scott; Kadervaek, Joan; Mendenhall, Robert

2017-01-01

This study investigates the effect of a Framework-aligned professional development program at the PreK-3 level. The NSF funded program integrated science with literacy and mathematics learning and provided teacher professional development, along with materials and programming for parents to encourage science investigations and discourse around…

Teacher Social Capital and Student Achievement: Impact of a Cyber-Enabled Teacher Professional Development Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liu, Wei

2012-01-01

This is an evaluative research study of a NSF-funded, DRK-12 cyber-enabled teacher professional development program in elementary engineering education. The finding shows the significant impact of the program on students' science and engineering knowledge in the second year of the program's implementation. However, student learning gain…

Impact of the Siena College Tech Valley Scholars Program on Student Outcomes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Medsker, Larry; Allard, Lee; Tucker, Lucas J.; O'Donnell, Jodi L.; Sterne-Marr, Rachel; Bannon, Jon; Finn, Rose; Weatherwax, Allan

2016-01-01

The Tech Valley Scholars (TVS) program included 38 students who joined this program over the course of three academic years, from 2009 to 2012. These students comprise the experimental group for this study to determine if participating in the NSF-funded Tech Valley Scholars program improved academic outcomes. The experimental group was compared to…

Commentary: The Course, Curriculum, and Laboratory Improvement (CCLI) Program: What's New about the Current Solicitation and Suggestions for the Geosciences' Community

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Singer, Jill

2009-01-01

The Course, Curriculum, and Laboratory Improvement (CCLI) program recently released the program guidelines (NSF 09-529) for the next round of the program. There are several changes to the CCLI program and a new program opportunity that invites proposals for projects that would provide leadership and contribute to transforming undergraduate STEM…

Re-Harnessing the Genie

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lagowski, J. J.

1996-06-01

Fifty years ago Vannevar Bush, with the aid of the Federal Government, released the academic research genie. It was argued at the time, and it still may be true, that only academic laboratories could provide the research and trained personnel needed to sustain American's scientific and technological needs. As history has shown, Bush's instinctive distrust of industrial laboratories as a potential training ground was basically correct. In those days, the country's needs were associated with warfare-the end of WWII and the collective hostile activities historically described as the "cold war." Today the country's needs derive from attempts to stay globally competitive. The government's decision to have universities turning out the bulk of the nation's basic research and to use those universities as a venue for developing research talent has created a network of more than 100 research-intensive universities, the output of which is the envy of the world. But, now there is another growing national need-improving the quality of science, mathematics, engineering, and technology (SMET) education throughout the educational system. The genie released 50 years ago, either has to go back into the bottle, or it needs to be re-purposed. The former is highly unlikely, which leaves only the latter as a viable strategy. Indeed, the National Science Foundation, which could be described as the master of the genie, is attempting to do just that. In the past several years, the budget for NSF's suite of "undergraduate" programs has grown to the point where the Foundation currently spends about $180 million on such projects. These programs represent initiatives at the pre-college and undergraduate college levels that are focused on instructional activities (teacher preparation, curriculum development, faculty enhancement, etc.) and research-oriented activities to compliment undergraduate education in a variety of traditional nonresearch environments. These programs are an attempt by NSF to start redressing the imbalance between research and teaching that the Foundation has actively promoted during most of its 50 years of existence. Now, the NSF strategy is to tell the scientists it has supported in the past, and those who will be supported in the future, that what they do in the classroom is as important as what they do in the laboratory; indeed, some would argue it is the most important activity that NSF has to sustain in the current environment. Since NSF is part of the problem, it has an obligation to be part of the solution, which is the essence of a report of an advisory panel. The draft report also has suggestions to universities on how to revise their approach to SMET teaching. It recommends that departments should set goals for what their students should learn, hold faculty members accountable for students' performance, change the academic reward system to incorporate good teaching, and give science faculty members a bigger role in the education of K-12 teachers. The basic problem is that 65% of all undergraduates, including many who will become the nation's precollege teachers, do not attend the more than 100 research intensive institutions that are so heavily supported by NSF's research efforts. In effect, those students have no access to SMET education in a world of growing technical complexity. The report suggests that NSF would do well to redress this imbalance by shifting more of its resources into undergraduate and precollege programs that focus on teaching. This point of view grows out of a 1986 review which centered on how NSF could help science majors. Now, the Foundation is being asked to address the SMET-related problems of all undergraduate students. Clearly, there is danger in attempting to use a system, the relatively meager resources of which have been aimed at about 10% of the population of undergraduates, to serve the entire population. Still, NSF can send a clear message that teaching is important in research-intensive universities. A message that might have a catalytic effect on all institutions. JJL

National Science Foundation Postdoctoral Research Mentoring Plan Requirement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lehr, Dana

2010-01-01

The National Science Foundation (NSF) Grant Proposal Guide (NSF 09-29) contains new guidance regarding compliance with the mentoring requirement of the America COMPETES Act. NSF Program Staff will review the Postdoctoral Researcher Mentoring Plan Requirement with regard to NSF proposal submissions. Each NSF proposal that requests funding to support postdoctoral researchers must include, as a supplementary document, a description of the mentoring activities that will be provided for such individuals. In no more than one page, the mentoring plan must describe the mentoring that will be provided to all postdoctoral researchers supported by the project, irrespective of whether they reside at the submitting organization, any subawardee organization, or at any organization participating in a simultaneously submitted collaborative project. Examples of mentoring activities include, but are not limited to: career counseling; training in preparation of grant proposals, publications and presentations; guidance on ways to improve teaching and mentoring skills; guidance on how to effectively collaborate with researchers from diverse backgrounds and disciplinary areas; and training in responsible professional practices. The proposed mentoring activities will be evaluated as part of the merit review process under the Foundation's broader impacts merit review criterion. Proposals that include funding to support postdoctoral researchers, and, do not include the requisite mentoring plan will be returned without review.

Unique educational opportunities at the Missouri University research reactor

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ketring, A.R.; Ross, F.K.; Spate, V.

1997-12-01

Since the Missouri University Research Reactor (MURR) went critical in 1966, it has been a center where students from many departments conduct their graduate research. In the past three decades, hundreds of graduate students from the MU departments of chemistry, physics, anthropology, nuclear engineering, etc., have received masters and doctoral degrees based on research using neutrons produced at MURR. More recently, the educational opportunities at MURR have been expanded to include undergraduate students and local high school students. Since 1989 MURR has participated in the National Science Foundation-funded Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program. As part of this program, undergraduatemore » students from universities and colleges throughout the United States come to MURR and get hands-on research experience during the summer. Another program, started in 1994 by the Nuclear Analysis Program at MURR, allows students from a local high school to conduct a neutron activation analysis (NAA) experiment. We also conduct tours of the center, where we describe the research and educational programs at MURR to groups of elementary school children, high school science teachers, state legislators, professional organizations, and many other groups.« less

Institutionalization and Sustainability of the National Science Foundation's Advanced Technological Education Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bailey, Thomas R.; Matsuzuka, Yukari; Jacobs, James; Morest, Vanessa Smith; Hughes, Katherine L.

This document reports on a study conducted by the National Science Foundation (NSF) that examines the Advanced Technological Education (ATE) program. ATE aims to promote systemic reform of the nation's science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. The study analyzed the influence of the ATE program on the nature of STEM…

Integration of Vocational and Academic Curricula through the NSF Advanced Technological Education Program (ATE).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bailey, Thomas R.; Matsuzuka, Yukari

A study examined the impact of the Advanced Technological Education (ATE) program on efforts in academic and vocational integration. A case study of 10 community colleges housing ATE-funded projects collected data through interviews with administrators, faculty, ATE program practitioners, and faculty and administrators at collaborating high…

Future Workforce: NSF's Advanced Technological Education Program Celebrates 20 Years of Connecting Students with STEM Careers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Patton, Madeline

2014-01-01

With the leadership of community college educators and their industry partners, the National Science Foundation's Advanced Technological Education (ATE) program has achieved an impressive record of incubating innovative science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) programs. ATE's mission to increase the quality of technicians working…

The United States Antarctic Program Data Center (USAP-DC): Recent Developments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nitsche, F. O.; Bauer, R.; Arko, R. A.; Shane, N.; Carbotte, S. M.; Scambos, T.

2017-12-01

Antarctic earth and environmental science data are highly valuable, often unique research assets. They are acquired with substantial and expensive logistical effort, frequently in areas that will not be re-visited for many years. The data acquired in support of Antarctic research span a wide range of disciplines. Historically, data management for the US Antarctic Program (USAP) has made use of existing disciplinary data centers, and the international Antarctic Master Directory (AMD) has served as a central metadata catalog linking to data files hosted in these external repositories. However, disciplinary repositories do not exist for all USAP-generated data types and often it is unclear what repositories are appropriate, leading to many datasets being served locally from scientist's websites or not available at all. The USAP Data Center (USAP-DC; www.usap-dc.org), operated as part of the Interdisciplinary Earth Data Alliance (IEDA), contributes to the broader preservation of research data acquired with funding from NSF's Office of Polar Programs by providing a repository for diverse data from the Antarctic region. USAP-DC hosts data that spans the range of Antarctic research from snow radar to volcano observatory imagery to penguin counts to meteorological model outputs. Data services include data documentation, long-term preservation, and web publication, as well as scientist support for registration of data descriptions into the AMD in fulfillment of US obligations under the International Antarctic Treaty. In Spring 2016, USAP-DC and the NSIDC began a new collaboration to consolidate data services for Antarctic investigators and to integrate the NSF-funded glaciology collection at NSIDC with the collection hosted by USAP-DC. Investigator submissions for NSF's Glaciology program now make use of USAP-DC's web submission tools, providing a uniform interface for Antarctic investigators. The tools have been redesigned to collect a broader range of metadata. Each data submission is reviewed and verified by a specialist from the USAP-DC/NSIDC team depending on disciplinary focus of the submission. A recently updated web search interface is available to search data by title, NSF program, award, dataset contributor, large scale project (e.g. WAIS Divide Ice Core) or by specifying an area in map view.

Sputnik and United States K-12 science education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hare, Donna Leigh

The intention of this study was to examine the relationships of the United States space program, education (especially science education), politics, and the National Science Foundation (NSF) to each other and the effects set in motion by the Russian's launch of Sputnik I upon those entities and their relationships. It provides a preliminary assessment of developments in United States rocket science as well as science education to the early 1950s. The scope of this investigation was confined to the historical development of four distinct yet related entities; (1) U.S. science education, (2) space exploration, (3) government and politics, and (4) the National Science Foundation. Its focus was on the years 1957 to 1966. The launch of Sputnik I in 1957, the passage of the National Defense Education Act (NDEA) in 1958, the Secondary Education Act in 1965 and the end of the Gemini program in 1966 represent the defining benchmarks for this study. 169 The most significant and durable outcomes of the Sputnik crisis in relation to science education were: (1) a formalized linkage between science education and national defense; (2) federal funding to education; (3) the passage of the NDEA with its entitlements; (4) the alignment of the NSF with precollege science education issues; (5) NSF Summer Institutes for Science Teachers and NSF Science Course Improvement Projects; and (6) the establishment of response to perceived threat to national defense as a legislative and funding support mechanism for science education.

Geoscience Workforce Development at UNAVCO: Leveraging the NSF GAGE Facility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morris, A. R.; Charlevoix, D. J.; Miller, M.

2013-12-01

Global economic development demands that the United States remain competitive in the STEM fields, and developing a forward-looking and well-trained geoscience workforce is imperative. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the geosciences will experience a growth of 19% by 2016. Fifty percent of the current geoscience workforce is within 10-15 years of retirement, and as a result, the U.S. is facing a gap between the supply of prepared geoscientists and the demand for well-trained labor. Barring aggressive intervention, the imbalance in the geoscience workforce will continue to grow, leaving the increased demand unmet. UNAVCO, Inc. is well situated to prepare undergraduate students for placement in geoscience technical positions and advanced graduate study. UNAVCO is a university-governed consortium facilitating research and education in the geosciences and in addition UNAVCO manages the NSF Geodesy Advancing Geosciences and EarthScope (GAGE) facility. The GAGE facility supports many facets of geoscience research including instrumentation and infrastructure, data analysis, cyberinfrastructure, and broader impacts. UNAVCO supports the Research Experiences in the Solid Earth Sciences for Students (RESESS), an NSF-funded multiyear geoscience research internship, community support, and professional development program. The primary goal of the RESESS program is to increase the number of historically underrepresented students entering graduate school in the geosciences. RESESS has met with high success in the first 9 years of the program, as more than 75% of RESESS alumni are currently in Master's and PhD programs across the U.S. Building upon the successes of RESESS, UNAVCO is launching a comprehensive workforce development program that will network underrepresented groups in the geosciences to research and opportunities throughout the geosciences. This presentation will focus on the successes of the RESESS program and plans to expand on this success with broader workforce development efforts.

Ten years of Developing International Volcanology Graduate Study Programs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rose, W. I.

2010-12-01

In 2000 I reported at this symposium about multi-institutional graduate field trips to IAVCEI events, such as the Bali meeting and its importance in building international collegiality and awareness among the volcanology doctoral students. NSF was an enthusiastic supporter of these field sessions and this support has continued through the highly successful Pucon and Reykjavik sessions. International volcanology graduate program development began with several exchange programs. EHaz was a highly successful program (McGill, Simon Fraser, Michigan Tech, Buffalo, UNAM and Universidad de Colima) funded by the Department of Education (FIPSE) that moved students across North America where dozens of graduate students spent semesters of their study abroad and shared annual field trips and online student led graduate seminar classes. Michigan Tech’s volcanology graduate program started a Masters International program that combined Peace Corps service with hazards mitigation graduate study and students were placed by Peace Corps in countries with prominent natural hazards. The new program funded 2 year residences in foreign environments, principally in Pacific Latin America. NSF strongly supported this program from its inception, and eventually it gained NSF PIRE support. Dozens of students have initiated the 3 year program (15 completed) to date. A similar PIRE developed at UAF with a link to volcanology in the Russian Far East. One gain is the development of many socially-conscious research selections. Beginning this year transatlantic dual degree masters programs in volcanology are being offered by a consortium of US and European volcanology programs (Michigan Tech, Buffalo, Clermont Ferrand and University of Milan Bicocca), again aided by FIPSE funding. Students have dual advisors on both sides of the Atlantic and spend about half of their two year programs in Europe and half in US. Faculty also travel in the program and the four campuses are increasingly linked by coursework and research networks. Because the international developments of volcanology programs address the need for more robust coursework and research choices for students than are possible on one campus, and because they lead to a diverse network of professional contacts , we think the next decade will bring many more multi-university volcanology programs linked to field sites all over the world.

LiDAR Mapping of Earthquake Uplifted Paleo-shorelines, Southern Wairarapa Coast, North Island, New Zealand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Valenciano, J.; Angenent, J.; Marshall, J. S.; Clark, K.; Litchfield, N. J.

2017-12-01

The Hikurangi subduction margin along the east coast of the North Island, New Zealand accommodates oblique convergence of the Pacific Plate westward beneath the Australian plate at 45 mm/yr. Pronounced forearc uplift occurs at the southern end of the margin along the Wairarapa coast, onshore of the subducting Hikurangi plateau. Along a narrow coastal lowland, a series of uplifted Holocene marine terraces and beach ridges preserve a geologic record of prehistoric coseismic uplift events. In January 2017, we participated in the Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program of the NSF SHIRE Project (Subduction at Hikurangi Integrated Research Experiment). We visited multiple coastal sites for reconnaissance fieldwork to select locations for future in-depth study. For the coastline between Flat Point and Te Kaukau Point, we used airborne LiDAR data provided by Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) to create ArcGIS digital terrain models for mapping and correlating uplifted paleo-shorelines. Terrace elevations derived from the LiDAR data were calibrated through the use of Real Time Kinematic (RTK) GPS surveying at one field site (Glenburn Station). Prior field mapping and radiocarbon dating results (Berryman et al., 2001; Litchfield and Clark, 2015) were used to guide our LiDAR mapping efforts. The resultant maps show between four and seven uplifted terraces and associated beach ridges along this coastal segment. At some sites, terrace mapping and lateral correlation are impeded by discontinuous exposures and the presence of landslide debris, alluvial fan deposits, and sand dunes. Tectonic uplift along the southern Hikurangi margin is generated by a complex interaction between deep megathrust slip and shallow upper-plate faulting. Each uplifted Holocene paleo-shoreline is interpreted to represent a single coseismic uplift event. Continued mapping, surveying, and age dating may help differentiate between very large margin-wide megathrust earthquakes (M8.0-9.0+) and smaller, more localized upper-plate thrust events (M7.0-8.0). Both of these earthquake types pose a significant seismic and tsunami hazard for New Zealand residents.

Trio of stellar occultations by Pluto One Year Prior to New Horizons' Arrival

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pasachoff, Jay M.; Person, Michael J.; Bosh, Amanda S.; Gulbis, Amanda A. S.; Zuluaga, Carlos A.; Levine, Stephen; Osip, David J.; Schiff, Adam R.; Seeger, Christina H.; Babcock, Bryce A.; Rojo, Patricio; Kosiarek, Molly R.; Servajean, Elise

2015-01-01

Our campaign in July 2014 yielded three successful stellar occultations (~m=15, 17, and 18) of Pluto (~m=14), observed from telescopes in New Zealand, Australia, and Chile. Telescopes involved included Chile: Magellan's Clay (6.5 m), SOAR (4.1 m), Carnegie's DuPont (2.4 m); Australia: AAT (4 m); and Canterbury's Mt. John McLellan (1-m); as well as various smaller telescopes in Australia and Chile. One of the events was also observed, with negative results, from GROND on La Silla (2.2 m) and SMARTS's ANDICAM at CTIO (1.3 m). Though our observations were coordinated across continents, each successfully observed event was seen from only one site because of bad weather at the other sites. Two of the events were uniquely observed from Mt. John (Pasachoff et al., DPS 2014) and one, with only Chile sites in the predicted path, from the Clay (Person et al., DPS 2014). This last event was expected to be of the brightest star with the largest telescope we have ever observed for a Pluto occultation, but clouds arrived at the 6.5-m Clay 90 s before the predicted time; a 1% occultation was nonetheless seen and eventually, confirmed by Keck AO observations, to be of a 15th magnitude star previously hidden in the brightness of the 12th mag star. Our scientific conclusion is that as of these observations, one year before New Horizons' passage of Pluto, the atmosphere of Pluto remained robust and of the same size. Details on our analysis of the three events will be presented.Acknowledgments: This work was supported in part by NASA Planetary Astronomy grants to Williams College (NNX12AJ29G) and to MIT (NNX10AB27G), as well as grants from USRA (#8500-98-003) and Ames Research (#NAS2-97-01) to Lowell Observatory. A.R.S. was supported by NSF grant AST-1005024 for the Keck Northeast Astronomy Consortium REU, with partial support from U.S. DoD's ASSURE program. P.R. acknowledges support from FONDECYT through grant 1120299. J.M.P. thanks Andrew Ingersoll and Caltech Planetary Astronomy for hospitality.

What Works! Encouraging Diversity in Science, Mathematics, Engineering, and Technology through Effective Mentoring. A 5-Year Overview of the Research Careers for Minority Scholars Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Science Foundation, Arlington, VA. Directorate for Education and Human Resources.

The National Science Foundation's (NSF) Research Careers for Minority Scholars (RCMS) program was initiated to encourage individuals from underrepresented groups in science, mathematics, engineering and technology (SMET) disciplines to complete undergraduate degree programs and matriculate to SMET graduate degree programs. This report describes…

Evaluation of the Initial Impacts of the National Science Foundation's Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship Program: Final Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carney, Jennifer; Chawla, Deepika; Wiley, Autumn; Young, Denise

2006-01-01

This report summarizes findings from an evaluation of the impacts of the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeships (IGERT) program. Through support of interdisciplinary graduate education programs in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, the IGERT program aims to educate U.S.…

Facilitating Classroom Innovation in the Geosciences Through the NSF Transforming Undergraduate Education in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (TUES) Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singer, J.; Ryan, J. G.

2012-12-01

The Transforming Undergraduate Education in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (TUES) program seeks to improve the quality of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education for all undergraduate students. Activities supported by the TUES program include the creation, adaptation, and dissemination of learning materials and teaching strategies, development of faculty expertise, implementation of educational innovations, and research on STEM teaching and learning. The TUES program especially encourages projects that have the potential to transform undergraduate STEM education and active dissemination and building a community of users are critical components of TUES projects. To raise awareness about the TUES program and increase both the quality and quantity of proposals submitted by geoscientists to the program, information sessions and proposal writing retreats are being conducted. Digital resources developed especially for the geosciences community are available at www.buffalostate.edu/RTUGeoEd to share information about the TUES program and the many ways this NSF program supports innovation in geoscience education. This presentation also addresses identified impediments to submitting a TUES proposal and strategies for overcoming reasons discouraging geoscientists from preparing a proposal and/or resubmitting a declined proposal.

Evaluation Report III: The Robert Noyce Scholarship Program at CSUB

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Jianjun

2013-01-01

California State University, Bakersfield (CSUB) received funding from National Science Foundation's (NSF) Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program to recruit Noyce Scholars from upper-division science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) majors, graduate students, and professionals switched to STEM teaching from other fields (NSF…

Resource Guide to Federal Funding for Technology in Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Department of Education, Washington, DC.

This guide provides information about funding resources available from the Federal government for programs involving educational technology. Funding programs are included for the following government agencies: U.S. Department of Education; Department of Commerce; National Science Foundation (NSF); Department of Energy (DOE); National Aeronautics…

NSF's Perspective on Space Weather Research for Building Forecasting Capabilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bisi, M. M.; Pulkkinen, A. A.; Bisi, M. M.; Pulkkinen, A. A.; Webb, D. F.; Oughton, E. J.; Azeem, S. I.

2017-12-01

Space weather research at the National Science Foundation (NSF) is focused on scientific discovery and on deepening knowledge of the Sun-Geospace system. The process of maturation of knowledge base is a requirement for the development of improved space weather forecast models and for the accurate assessment of potential mitigation strategies. Progress in space weather forecasting requires advancing in-depth understanding of the underlying physical processes, developing better instrumentation and measurement techniques, and capturing the advancements in understanding in large-scale physics based models that span the entire chain of events from the Sun to the Earth. This presentation will provide an overview of current and planned programs pertaining to space weather research at NSF and discuss the recommendations of the Geospace Section portfolio review panel within the context of space weather forecasting capabilities.

(3) He Spin Filter for Neutrons.

PubMed

Batz, M; Baeßler, S; Heil, W; Otten, E W; Rudersdorf, D; Schmiedeskamp, J; Sobolev, Y; Wolf, M

2005-01-01

The strongly spin-dependent absorption of neutrons in nuclear spin-polarized (3)He opens up the possibility of polarizing neutrons from reactors and spallation sources over the full kinematical range of cold, thermal and hot neutrons. This paper gives a report on the neutron spin filter (NSF) development program at Mainz. The polarization technique is based on direct optical pumping of metastable (3)He atoms combined with a polarization preserving mechanical compression of the gas up to a pressure of several bar, necessary to run a NSF. The concept of a remote type of operation using detachable NSF cells is presented which requires long nuclear spin relaxation times of order 100 hours. A short survey of their use under experimental conditions, e.g. large solid-angle polarization analysis, is given. In neutron particle physics NSFs are used in precision measurements to test fundamental symmetry concepts.

Administration, Best Practices, and Evaluation of the National Weather Center REU Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zaras, D. S.; Gonzalez-Espada, W.

2005-12-01

The National Weather Center Research Experiences for Undergraduates program in Norman, Oklahoma, is a unique undergraduate career exploration experience, drawing upon the resources available in the National Weather Center's (NWC) state, federal, and university groups. This program takes full advantage of our location by including a wide variety of professionals from throughout the NWC community as mentors and contributors of lectures, workshops, tours, field trips, and job shadow experiences to expose the students to a broad spectrum of research topics and careers in meteorology. Students actively practice good research methodology by being paired with mentors who are productive researchers. The program aims to provide a strong and transformative educational experience that models the life of a scientist. This presentation will include a brief overview of program administration, analysis of applicant characteristics, "best practices" learned since 2001, and new additions to the NWC program funded through a 2-Year Extension for Special Creativity. The presentation will conclude with a brief evaluation of how well the program meets its goals of helping students clarify graduate school and career plans, and build self-efficacy regarding their potential for a career in scientific research.

Recruiting and Supporting Diverse Geoscience and Environmental Science Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Doser, Diane I.; Manduca, Cathy; Rhodes, Dallas

2014-08-01

Producing a workforce that will be successful in meeting global environmental and resource challenges requires that we attract diverse students into the geosciences, support them fully in our programs, and assist them as they move into the profession. However, geoscience has the lowest ethnic and racial diversity of any of the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines (National Science Foundation (NSF), "Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in Science and Engineering," http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/wmpd/2013/start.cfm) and is often viewed as a difficult choice for students with physical disabilities.

Conformal Solid T-spline Construction from Boundary T-spline Representations

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-07-01

TITLE AND SUBTITLE Conformal Solid T-spline Construction from Boundary T-spline Representations 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM...Zhang’s ONR-YIP award N00014-10-1-0698 and an ONR Grant N00014-08-1-0653. The work of T. J.R. Hughes was supported by ONR Grant N00014-08-1-0992, NSF...GOALI CMI-0700807/0700204, NSF CMMI-1101007 and a SINTEF grant UTA10-000374. References 1. M. Aigner, C. Heinrich, B. Jüttler, E. Pilgerstorfer, B

Volumetric T-spline Construction Using Boolean Operations

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-07-01

SUBTITLE Volumetric T-spline Construction Using Boolean Operations 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR(S) 5d...Acknowledgements The work of L. Liu and Y. Zhang was supported by ONR-YIP award N00014- 10-1-0698 and an ONR Grant N00014-08-1-0653. T. J.R. Hughes was sup- 16...T-spline Construction Using Boolean Operations 17 ported by ONR Grant N00014-08-1-0992, NSF GOALI CMI-0700807/0700204, NSF CMMI-1101007 and a SINTEF

Solid T-spline Construction from Boundary Triangulations with Arbitrary Genus Topology

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-04-01

Topology 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR(S) 5d. PROJECT NUMBER 5e. TASK NUMBER 5f. WORK UNIT NUMBER 7...Acknowledgements Y. Zhang, W. Wang and L. Liu were supported in part by ONR Grant N00014-08-1-0653. T. J.R. Hughes was sup- ported by ONR Grant N00014-08-1-0992, NSF...blue) and one pillowed layer (magenta); and (h) the isogeometric analysis result. 11 0700807/0700204, NSF CMMI-1101007 and a grant from SINTEF. The

Joint Services Electronics Program for the Period 1 April 1990 Through 31 March 1991, (Coordinated Science Laboratory, University Illinois at Urbana-Champaign)

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-06-30

AND TITLES: 0. Arikan , Research Assistant I W. Chuang, Research Assistant A. Krone, Research Assistant M, Leung, Research Assistant I Y. Liu, Research...P. Willis and Y. Bresler, "Norm invariance of minimax-optimal interpolation," submitted to3 IEEE Trans. Inform. Theory. (JSEP/NSF) [5] 0. Arikan and...imaging of time varying distributions," in Proc. Int. Syrup. Circuits and Syst., Singapore, Jun. 1991 (to appear). (JSEP/NSF) [101 0. Arikan and 1). C

Monte Carlo simulation of a photodisintegration of 3 H experiment in Geant4

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gray, Isaiah

2013-10-01

An upcoming experiment involving photodisintegration of 3 H at the High Intensity Gamma-Ray Source facility at Duke University has been simulated in the software package Geant4. CAD models of silicon detectors and wire chambers were imported from Autodesk Inventor using the program FastRad and the Geant4 GDML importer. Sensitive detectors were associated with the appropriate logical volumes in the exported GDML file so that changes in detector geometry will be easily manifested in the simulation. Probability distribution functions for the energy and direction of outgoing protons were generated using numerical tables from previous theory, and energies and directions were sampled from these distributions using a rejection sampling algorithm. The simulation will be a useful tool to optimize detector geometry, estimate background rates, and test data analysis algorithms. This work was supported by the Triangle Universities Nuclear Laboratory REU program at Duke University.

Challenges and Opportunities in Interdisciplinary Materials Research Experiences for Undergraduates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vohra, Yogesh; Nordlund, Thomas

2009-03-01

The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) offer a broad range of interdisciplinary materials research experiences to undergraduate students with diverse backgrounds in physics, chemistry, applied mathematics, and engineering. The research projects offered cover a broad range of topics including high pressure physics, microelectronic materials, nano-materials, laser materials, bioceramics and biopolymers, cell-biomaterials interactions, planetary materials, and computer simulation of materials. The students welcome the opportunity to work with an interdisciplinary team of basic science, engineering, and biomedical faculty but the challenge is in learning the key vocabulary for interdisciplinary collaborations, experimental tools, and working in an independent capacity. The career development workshops dealing with the graduate school application process and the entrepreneurial business activities were found to be most effective. The interdisciplinary university wide poster session helped student broaden their horizons in research careers. The synergy of the REU program with other concurrently running high school summer programs on UAB campus will also be discussed.

Best Practices at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory (LDEO) REU Site

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abbott, D. H.

2014-12-01

At the LDEO REU site, we take student health and safety very seriously. In 2014, we gave the students training on laboratory safety, fire safety, and a Title IX orientation covering discrimination and sexual harassment. We also compile emergency contact information for all the students and distribute it to students, mentors and the administration. Students choose a research project and mentors then pick the best student for their project. Because the mentors choose the student, they are more invested in the student. Students and mentors are encouraged to interact before the program starts, both through discussions and assigned background reading. During these discussions, research projects are often modified to better-fit students interests and skill levels. During the program, we facilitate student-mentor interaction by conducting three research-focusing sessions with small groups of students. Students give 20-minute long oral presentations on the progress of their research and answer questions about their project. Mentors prepare the students for these sessions, thereby increasing student knowledge about their research project. Mid-way through the summer, students write a 3-page proposal about their research as part of a special seminar on scientific writing. The students also participate in a final poster session that is attended by the LDEO community. We maximize student engagement by giving students a choice of research projects that are specifically selected for their suitability for and interest among undergraduates. The track record of mentors is also considered. Mentors must be in residence at LDEO during most of the intern program and arrange a suitable co-mentor during any absences. Mentors must be individuals who are able to encourage the students while giving them constructive input on the progress of their research project. We also encourage students to present their research results at a national scientific meeting. Students and mentors are given a schedule at the start of the summer that includes the abstract deadlines for major national meetings. When it is possible, we fund each student's attendance of a national meeting. Enthusiastic students who wish to attend a second meeting are given information on how to apply for funding to support attendance.

Female Participation in ATE-Funded Programs: A Ten-Year Trend

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Westine, Carl D.; Gullickson, Arlen R.; Wingate, Lori A.

2010-01-01

It is widely known that women are generally underrepresented in STEM disciplines (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). The National Science Foundation (NSF) Advanced Technological Education (ATE) program has persistently worked to reduce this disparity. For example, the 2000 solicitation specified "increasing the participation of…

Diversifying the STEM Pipeline: The Model Replication Institutions Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cullinane, Jenna

2009-01-01

In 2006, the National Science Foundation (NSF) began funding the Model Replication Institutions (MRI) program, which sought to improve the quality, availability, and diversity of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. Faced with pressing national priorities in the STEM fields and chronic gaps in postsecondary…

Educational Outreach by the NSF Polymers Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lovinger, Andrew J.

2002-03-01

Education and outreach have been NSF priority areas over the last few years. Reviewers of all proposals are explicitly asked to evaluate not only the "intellectual merit" of a research proposal but also its "broader impacts", including specifically "integration of research and education". The NSF Polymers Program has strongly emphasized these areas and has initiated and supported a wide variety of outreach activities designed to bring out the importance of polymeric materials to diverse communities and to encourage young students to develop interests in this area. Specific activities have included: Workshops and their broad dissemination through the media; press releases on important polymer-related developments; interviews to the scientific and popular press; outreach to Congress; establishment of widely publicized and broadly attended lecture series; funding and support of conferences, symposia, and workshops aimed at students and teachers from kindergarten to graduate school; support of web-based educational projects aimed at the general public and schoolchildren; participation in web-based "ask-the-experts" resources to answer science questions from children or the general public; and personal outreach to middle- and high-schools through talks and demonstrations on polymers and plastics, participation at science fairs, career days, etc.

Students Are As Mayflies: Strategies For Building Institutional Relationships To Enhance Recruitment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Halpern, J. B.

2013-12-01

Students are like mayflies, they graduate. While undergraduate research programs, especially summer programs, may motivate individuals to take up science as a career, their impact is fleeting on the institutions that they come from. I will describe programs I created to meet this challenge. The NASA/Goddard Faculty and Student Team (FaST) grew out of the NASA Summer Faculty Fellowship Program. The Center selected a faculty based on a short research proposal, CV, and letters of recommendation. Those applying tended to come from primarily undergraduate or smaller universities where research opportunities were limited. The faculty member selected a student, who was also supported by FaST. Among the pleasant surprises was how this motivated the faculty to find funding for additional students. Another surprise was that the faculty member acted as a mentor to summer research students from other programs working in the same laboratory. This occurred because the visiting faculty were in the lab full time without administrative duties and they were used to working with and advising undergraduates. To build the relationship the program funded travel for the NASA colleague to the team's university in the Fall. The NSF sponsored Partnership for Research and Education in Materials is run by the Division of Materials Research. It links together research universities and minority serving institutions. Our PREM at Howard incorporated both Johns Hopkins and Prince Georges Community College. In the last two years, Gallaudet University, a university for the deaf, has become a partner. As part of the five years award renewal, our research university partner has changed and is now Cornell. The PREM runs a summer research program that supports undergraduates from Howard, PGCC and Gallaudet. Howard and PGCC students have spent summers at Hopkins or Cornell. PGCC students first spend a summer at Howard. The PGCC and Gallaudet faculty select their students who will participate in the research program as well as talking part in the work themselves. In addition to the summer program, PGCC has offered nanotechnology seminars in which Howard and Hopkins faculty talked as well as the PGCC students who were part of the summer research. Many of these students have gone on to be selected for REUs at other research universities, as well as to graduate with Bachelor's degrees. One of the community college students mentored in an earlier REU designed with the same principles, earned his PhD at UMBC, did a post doc at Harvard, and showed up this year as an Assistant Professor in Chemical Engineering at Howard. Along the way we have found a number of simple things that broaden the reach of the program, for example, mounting posters created by the research students at their institutions, running a nanotechnology seminar at PGCC during which Howard and JHU faculty spoke as well as the PGCC summer research students, joining in to group meetings at Cornell via webcasting, etc. As time permits some will be detailed. The emphasis has been to identify trustworthy long term faculty partners in institutions serving student populations that the programs are designed to serve and providing them support, professional development opportunities, input into the design of the overall program and control of the program at their institutions.

Leadership Education for Advancement and Promotion (LEAP)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rankin, Patricia

2004-05-01

A NSF ADVANCE Institutional Transformation award funds the Leadership Education for Advancement and Promotion (LEAP) project at the University of Colorado, Boulder (UCB). LEAP is the third year of a five-year program. The purpose of LEAP is to increase the number of women in leadership positions in the sciences and engineering. The author, who is PI of the project, will discuss what approaches the LEAP project is taking at UCB to improve faculty retention and to help faculty be more successful. Questions that will be addressed include 1) Is this a historic problem? 2) Is the playing field level? 3) Why are LEAP programs not aimed solely at women faculty? 4) What helps? 5) What is needed to change an institution? (The NSF (SBE-0123636) funds this work.)

From Globular Clusters to Tidal Dwarfs: Structure Formation in the Tidal Tails of Merging Pairs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knierman, K. A.; Gallagher, S. C.; Charlton, J. C.; Hunsberger, S. D.; Whitmore, B. C.; Kundu, A.; Hibbard, J. E.; Zaritsky, D. F.

2001-05-01

Using V and I images obtained with the Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 (WFPC2) of the Hubble Space Telescope, we investigate compact stellar structures within tidal tails. Six regions of tidal debris in the four classic ``Toomre Sequence'' mergers: NGC 4038/9 (``Antennae''), NGC 3256, NGC 3921, and NGC 7252 (``Atoms for Peace'') have been studied in order to explore how the star formation depends upon the local and global physical conditions. These mergers sample a range of stages in the evolutionary sequence, and include HI--rich and HI--poor environments. The six tails are found to contain a variety of stellar structures, with sizes ranging from those of globular clusters up to those of dwarf galaxies. From V and I WFPC2 images, we measure the luminosities and colors of the star clusters. NGC 3256 is found to have a large population of young clusters lying along both tails, similar to those found in the inner region of the merger. In contrast, NGC 4038/9 has no clusters in the observed region of the tail, only less luminous point sources likely to be individual stars. NGC 3921 and NGC 7252 have small populations of clusters that are concentrated in certain regions of the tail, and particularly in the prominent tidal dwarfs in the eastern and western tails of NGC 7252. The two cluster--rich tails of NGC 3256 are not distinguished from the others by their ages or by their total HI masses. We acknowledge support from NASA through STScI, and from NSF for an REU supplement for Karen Knierman.

Principle of Spacetime and Black Hole Equivalence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Tianxi

2016-06-01

Modelling the universe without relying on a set of hypothetical entities (HEs) to explain observations and overcome problems and difficulties is essential to developing a physical cosmology. The well-known big bang cosmology, widely accepted as the standard model, stands on two fundamentals, which are Einstein’s general relativity (GR) that describes the effect of matter on spacetime and the cosmological principle (CP) of spacetime isotropy and homogeneity. The field equation of GR along with the Friedmann-Lemaitre-Robertson-Walker (FLRW) metric of spacetime derived from CP generates the Friedmann equation (FE) that governs the development and dynamics of the universe. The big bang theory has made impressive successes in explaining the universe, but still has problems and solutions of them rely on an increasing number of HEs such as inflation, dark matter, dark energy, and so on. Recently, the author has developed a new cosmological model called black hole universe, which, instead of making many those hypotheses, only includes a new single postulate (or a new principle) to the cosmology - Principle of Spacetime and Black Hole Equivalence (SBHEP) - to explain all the existing observations of the universe and overcome all the existing problems in conventional cosmologies. This study thoroughly demonstrates how this newly developed black hole universe model, which therefore stands on the three fundamentals (GR, CP, and SBHEP), can fully explain the universe as well as easily conquer the difficulties according to the well-developed physics, thus, neither needing any other hypotheses nor existing any unsolved difficulties. This work was supported by NSF/REU (Grant #: PHY-1263253) at Alabama A & M University.

Modeling Plasma Formation in a Micro-gap at Microwave Frequency

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bowman, Arthur; Remillard, Stephen

2013-03-01

In the presence of a strong electric field, gas molecules become ionized, forming a plasma. The study of this dielectric breakdown at microwave frequency has important applications in improving the operation of radio frequency (RF) devices, where the high electric fields present in small gaps can easily ionize gases like air. A cone and tuner resonant structure was used to induce breakdown of diatomic Nitrogen in adjustable micro-gaps ranging from 13 to 1,156 μm. The electric field for plasma formation exhibited strong pressure dependence in the larger gap sizes, as predicted by previous theoretical and experimental work. Pressure is proportional to the frequency of collision between electrons and molecules, which increases with pressure when the gap is large, but levels off in the micro-gap region. A separate model of the breakdown electric field based on the characteristic diffusion length of the plasma also fit the data poorly for these smaller gap sizes. This may be explained by a hypothesis that dielectric breakdown at and below the 100 μm gap size occurs outside the gap, an argument that is supported by the observation of very high breakdown threshold electric fields in this region. Optical emissions revealed that vibrational and rotational molecular transitions of the first positive electronic system are suppressed in micro-gaps, indicating that transitions into the molecular ground state do not occur in micro-gap plasmas. Acknowledgements: National Science Foundation under NSF-REU Grant No. PHY/DMR-1004811, the Provost's Office of Hope College, and the Hope College Division of Natural and Applied Sciences.

Steps toward a Formative Evaluation of NSDL. Technical Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bikson, Tora K.; Kalra, Nidhi; Galway, Lionel A.; Agnew, Grace

2011-01-01

The National Science Foundation's (NSF) National Science Digital Library/Distributed Learning (NSDL) program turned 10 years old in 2010. This report presents results of a preliminary program evaluation carried out by RAND and is organized around three principal goals: (1) Provide an initial evaluation of NSDL based on existing information…

Advanced Technological Education Program 2008 Survey Fact Sheet

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gullickson, Arlen R.; Wingate, Lori A.

2008-01-01

This fact sheet summarizes data gathered in the 2008 survey of National Science Foundation (NSF) Advanced Technological Education (ATE) grant recipients. Conducted by The Evaluation Center at Western Michigan University, this was the ninth annual survey of ATE projects and centers. Included here are statistics about the program's grantees and…

Seeking Teachers for Underwater Robotics PD Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McGrath, Beth; Sayres, Jason

2012-01-01

With funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF), ITEEA members will contribute to the development of a hybrid professional development program designed to facilitate the scale-up of an innovative underwater robotics curriculum. WaterBotics[TM] is an underwater robotics curriculum that targets students in middle and high school classrooms…

Advanced Technological Education: An Overview and Profile of 11 National Centers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maricopa County Community Coll. District, Phoenix, AZ.

This booklet describes the Advanced Technological Education (ATE) program sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF). The ATE encourages improvements in advanced technological education at the national and regional levels using curriculum development and program improvement at the undergraduate and secondary school levels. The ATE not only…

77 FR 56876 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request: Office of Inspector General Review of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-09-14

... assistance from the Foundation for science and engineering research or education describe in its grant... Research Program AGENCY: National Science Foundation. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: The National Science... NSF's Requirement for a Responsible Conduct of Research Program. OMB Approval Number: 3145-NEW...

76 FR 5841 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-02-02

... renewal of program accountability and communication data collections (e.g., surveys, face-to-face and... Performance and Results Acts (GPRA) of 1993. Under this generic survey clearance (OMB 3145-0136), data from... descriptive information gathered from education and training projects that are funded by NSF. Most programs...

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Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-12-13

... system. The Noyce Program encourages talented science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM... introduction to a possible career in teaching. Under the NSF Teaching Fellowship and Master Teaching Fellowship...

Opportunities in cosmic-ray physics and astrophysics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1995-01-01

The Board on Physics and Astronomy of the National Research Council established the Committee on Cosmic-Ray Physics to prepare a review of the field that addresses both experimental and theoretical aspects of the origin of cosmic radiation from outside the heliosphere. The following recommendations are made: NASA should provide the opportunity to measure cosmic-ray electrons, positrons, ultraheavy nuclei, isotopes, and antiparticles in space; NASA, the National Science Foundation (NSF), and the Department of Energy (DOE) should facilitate direct and indirect measurement of the elemental composition to as high an energy as possible, for which the support of long-duration ballooning and hybrid ground arrays will be needed; NSF and DOE should support the new Fly's Eye and provide for U.S. participation in the big projects on the horizon, which include giant arrays, ground-based gamma-ray astronomy, and neutrino telescopes; and NASA, NSF, and DOE should support a strong program of relevant theoretical investigations.

3He Spin Filter for Neutrons

PubMed Central

Batz, M.; Baeßler, S.; Heil, W.; Otten, E. W.; Rudersdorf, D.; Schmiedeskamp, J.; Sobolev, Y.; Wolf, M.

2005-01-01

The strongly spin-dependent absorption of neutrons in nuclear spin-polarized 3He opens up the possibility of polarizing neutrons from reactors and spallation sources over the full kinematical range of cold, thermal and hot neutrons. This paper gives a report on the neutron spin filter (NSF) development program at Mainz. The polarization technique is based on direct optical pumping of metastable 3He atoms combined with a polarization preserving mechanical compression of the gas up to a pressure of several bar, necessary to run a NSF. The concept of a remote type of operation using detachable NSF cells is presented which requires long nuclear spin relaxation times of order 100 hours. A short survey of their use under experimental conditions, e.g. large solid-angle polarization analysis, is given. In neutron particle physics NSFs are used in precision measurements to test fundamental symmetry concepts. PMID:27308139

Detection of ionized gas molecules in air by graphene and carbon nanotube networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hao, Ji; Li, Bo; Yung, Hyun Young; Liu, Fangze; Hong, Sanghyung; Jung, Yung Joon; Kar, Swastik

The liquid phase ions sensing by graphene and carbon nanotube has been demonstrated in many publications due to the minimum gate voltage easily shift induced by ionic gating effect, but it is still unclear for vapor phase ions sensing. Here we want to report that the ionized gas molecules in air can be also very sensitively detected by graphene and carbon nanotube networks under very low applied voltage, which shows the very high charge to current amplification factor, the value can be up to 108 A/C, and the direction of current-change can be used to differentiate the positive and negative ions. In further, the field effect of graphene device induced by vapor phase ions was discussed. NSF ECCS 1202376, NSF ECCS CAREER 1351424 and NSF DMREF 1434824, a Northeastern University Provost's Tier-1 seed Grant for interdisciplinary research, Technology Innovation Program (10050481) from Ministry of Trade, Industry & Energy of Republic of Korea.

Roughness Effects on the Formation of a Leading Edge Vortex

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elliott, Cassidy; Lang, Amy; Wahidi, Redha; Wilroy, Jacob

2017-11-01

Microscopic scales cover the wings of Monarch butterflies, creating a patterned surface that acts as a natural energy capture mechanism. This patterning is thought to delay the growth of the leading edge vortex (LEV) produced by the flapping motion of a wing. Increased skin friction caused by the scales leads to a weaker LEV being shed into the butterfly's wake, lessening drag and increasing flight efficiency. To test how this roughness effects LEV formation, a plate of random roughness was designed in SolidWorks and printed on the Objet 30 Pro 3D printer. A 2x3x5 cubic foot tow tank was used to test the rough plate at Reynold's numbers of 1500, 3000, and 6000 (velocities of 8, 16, and 32 mm/s) at an angle of attack of 45 degrees. Images were captured of the LEV generated when the plate was towed upwards through the particle-seeded flow. These images were used to determine the XY velocity of the particles using a technique called Digital Particle Image Velocimetry (DPIV). Codes written in MATLAB were used to track and measure the strength of the LEV. Circulation values for the randomly-rough plate were then compared to the same values generated in a previous experiment that used a smooth plate and a grooved plate to determine the effect of the patterning on vortex development. Funding for this research project was provided by the National Science Foundation under the Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program (REU Supplement CBET 1628600 under CBET 1335848).

A Longitudinal Study of the Effectiveness of a K-12 Engagement Program on Graduate Student Learning Outcomes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weeks, Faith; Gong, Ruiyang; Harbor, Jon

2015-01-01

Programs that connect higher and K-12 education provide benefits to K-12 students, teachers, and higher education. The National Science Foundation (NSF) invested in programs connecting domestic STEM graduate students with K-12 education for over a decade (GK-12), intending that such engagement would help achieve graduate student learning outcomes…

Educational outreach at the NSF Engineering Research Center for Data Storage Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Williams, James E., Jr.

1996-07-01

An aspect of the National Science Foundation Engineering Research Center in Data Storage Systems (DSSC) program that is valued by our sponsors is the way we use our different educational programs to impact the data storage industry in a positive fashion. The most common way to teach data storage materials is in classes that are offered as part of the Carnegie Mellon curriculum. Another way the DSSC attempts to educate students is through outreach programs such as the NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates and Young Scholars programs, both of which have been very successful and place emphasis and including women, under represented minorities and disable d students. The Center has also established cooperative outreach partnerships which serve to both educate students and benefit the industry. One example is the cooperative program we have had with the Magnetics Technology Centre at the National University of Singapore to help strengthen their research and educational efforts to benefit U.S. data storage companies with plants in Singapore. In addition, the Center has started a program that will help train outstanding students from technical institutes to increase their value as technicians to the data storage industry when they graduate.

Building Bridges Between EPO Professionals Across Scientific Disciplines: Partnerships with NSF Centers (First Steps)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Steinberg, D.; Black, K.; Schultz, S.

2010-08-01

NASA, NSF and other funding organizations support science education and outreach to achieve their broader impact goals. Organizations like ASP and the NSF Research Centers Educators Network (NRCEN) are building networks of education and public outreach (EPO) professionals to enhance programmatic success in reaching these goals. As the professionals who provide these programs to the various scientific communities, we are often the key connectors between investigators at cutting-edge research centers, the education world and the public. However, our profession does not have strong ties for sharing best practices across the different scientific disciplines. To develop those ties, we need to identify our common interests and build on them by sharing lessons learned and best practices. We will use the technique of concept mapping to develop a schematic of how each of us addresses our broader impact goals and discuss the common and divergent features. We will also present the education and outreach logic model that was recently developed by the 27 Education Directors of NSF-funded Materials Research Science and Engineering Centers (MRSEC). Building on this information, we will collaboratively develop a list of key areas of similar interest between ASP and NRCEN EPO professionals.

In Referees We Trust? Controversies over Grant Peer Review in the Late Twentieth Century

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baldwin, Melinda

While many accounts of external refereeing assume that it has been a consistent part of science since the seventeenth century, the practice developed far more slowly and haphazardly than many observers realize, and it was not until after the Second World War that ''peer review'' became considered an essential part of scientific publishing or grant-making. This talk will explore refereeing procedures at American grant-giving organizations in the twentieth century, focusing especially on the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health. The creators of the NSF and the NIH put refereeing systems in place at their foundation. However, the form and function of these systems differed from modern ''peer review'' in several important ways. At the NSF the initial purpose of the referee process was to advise the NSF program directors, not to dictate funding decisions. At the NIH, small ''study sections'' devoted to particular subjects made recommendations to the NIH leadership, which rendered final judgments. However, beginning in the 1960s a series of controversies about NIH and NSF grants placed refereeing procedures at these organizations under more intense scrutiny. These debates culminated in six days of Special Oversight Hearings into the NSF's peer review process in the summer of 1975. Following the hearings, both the NSF and NIH reformed their review processes to place more emphasis on referees' opinions about grant proposals, making peer review increasingly responsible for decision-making. These controversies illustrate that refereeing continued to undergo significant changes in form and purpose throughout the twentieth century, and further suggest that both the scientific community and the public placed increased emphasis on the role of the referee during the late twentieth century.