Kansas NSF EPSCoR has announced a request for proposals for First Awards.
Download and read the full RFP at http://www.nsfepscor.ku.edu/funding.html.
Kansas NSF EPSCoR (KNE) helps Kansas build its research capacity and
competitiveness in science and technology. The First Award program
helps early career faculty become competitive for funding from the
research directorates at the National Science Foundation by: 1)
encouraging early career faculty to submit proposals to the NSF (or
other federal funding agency) as soon as possible after their first
faculty appointment, and 2) by accelerating the pace of their research
and the quality of their subsequent proposals.
Only projects with research in areas that are related to the
current Kansas NSF EPSCoR initiatives of Climate or Energy Research (http://www.nsfepscor.ku.edu/ph6.html) or Atomic/Molecular/Optical Science (http://www.nsfepscor.ku.edu/rii_t2_2014.html) are eligible for First Awards. Other eligibility requirements apply so please read the RFP carefully.
Submission Deadlines:
Letter of Intent Due by 5:00 PM MONDAY, September 8, 2014.
Final Proposal Due by 5:00 PM MONDAY, October 27, 2014.
Archived news highlights and announcements from Kansas NSF EPSCoR
Monday, August 25, 2014
Wednesday, August 13, 2014
NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) application period is now open!
The NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) application period is now open! NSF is soliciting applications for the GRFP until the posted deadlines in late October and early November 2014. Since 1952, GRFP has provided Fellowships to individuals selected early in their graduate careers based on their demonstrated potential for significant achievements in science and engineering. Three years of support is provided by the program for graduate study in science or engineering and leads to a research-based master's or doctoral degree. The NSF expects to award 2,000 Graduate Research Fellowships under this program solicitation pending availability of funds: Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) PROGRAM SOLICITATION (NSF 14-590)
http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2014/nsf14590/nsf14590.pdf
GRFP is also soliciting reviewers for the GRFP applications. Disciplinary and interdisciplinary scientists and engineers, and other professionals with science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) graduate education expertise, are invited to serve as reviewers for the Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP). This opportunity is described in a Dear Colleague Letter:
Dear Colleague Letter - NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program - Invitation for Reviewers (NSF 14-107)
http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2014/nsf14107/nsf14107.pdf
Friday, August 8, 2014
Ultrafast laser technology research in Kansas, Nebraska receives NSF EPSCoR Track 2 grant
How light interacts with matter is one of the grand challenges of atomic, molecular and optical research. A Kansas and Nebraska consortium led by university researchers has received a three-year, $6 million award to understand ultrafast molecular processes on the order of a millionth of a billionth second, or one femtosecond. The award is divided equally between the two states.
Research activities in the two states involve 30 people and are led by Anthony Starace, professor of physics at UN-L, and Itzik Ben-Itzhak, university distinguished professor of physics at Kansas State University.
 |
| Diocles Extreme Light Laboratory at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Image courtesy of the Communications Department of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. |
See more at: http://news.ku.edu/2014/08/08/ultrafast-laser-technology-research-kansas-nebraska-receives-federal-grant
and: http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=132269&org=NSF&from=news
Wednesday, August 6, 2014
Calling all Scientists and Engineers... Announcing The Vizzies!
From NSF: Do you love animating data, creating science apps, or taking macrophotographs? In the 2014 Visualization Challenge, sponsored by the National Science Foundation and Popular Science, your handiwork can receive its due glory and win you cash prizes.
For more information visit http://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/scivis/index.jsp.
For more information visit http://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/scivis/index.jsp.
Monday, June 2, 2014
Early-Career Faculty Receive First Awards Building on Climate and Energy Research
Building research capacity in Kansas involves many tactics, one of which is bolstering the talent of it's young, up-and-coming university faculty members. This is what the Kansas NSF EPSCoR (KNE) First Award program does.
Each year KNE solicits transformational research proposals from early-career faculty members at Kansas' Regents Universities. These newly appointed assistant professors are eager to begin their research programs with funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF) or other federal funding agencies. KNE helps by jump starting their research with a First Award that will hopefully lead to a successful NSF proposal.
This year, KNE awarded nine First Awards in the areas of Climate and Energy research.
James Beck, Assistant Professor, Biological Sciences, Wichita State University
Despite their immense value (forage, biofuel, ecosystem services) and vulnerability to climate change, we currently lack even a basic picture of how genetic diversity is arrayed across Great Plains grasslands. The proposed research has two main goals: 1) document genomic and cytological diversity across the ranges of ten dominant Great Plains grass species by analyzing DNA extracted from thousands of museum specimens; and 2) predict potential loss of such diversity under numerous climate change scenarios. Critically, our novel use of museum DNA eliminates the need for extremely time consuming fieldwork, allowing us to understand the genetics of these species at an unprecedented depth and scale. This work has clear relevance to the KNE Climate Change and Energy initiative. Specifically, its combination of cutting-edge genomic and climate modeling techniques to predict the effects of climate change on grassland genetic resources sits squarely within the Climate Change and Mitigation sub-project.
Matthew Kirk , Assistant Professor, Geology, Kansas State University
The objective of the research is to test the hypothesis that an increase in CO2 abundance can stimulate microbial iron reduction, leading to a decrease in the rate of sulfate reduction or methanogenesis, where those groups compete with iron reducers for electron donors. Results from a preliminary set of experiments are consistent with the hypothesis (Kirk et al., 2013); additional experiments and numerical modeling are needed to examine sulfate-deficient systems, the sensitivity of the relationships, and mechanisms.
The proposed research is related to climate change. In response to warming, rates of organic matter degradation are expected to increase in many soils, elevating the flux of CO2 into the subsurface. Geochemical evidence indicates that this effect is already occurring, including a study at the Konza Prairie. Understanding how this increase will affect subsurface microbiology is important because microbial populations strongly influence water quality and carbon storage in the subsurface.
Bin Li, Assistant Professor, Mechanical Engineering, Wichita State University
Solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) are ideal replacement of prevailing liquid dominated electrolytes for new generation lithium batteries (LBs), due to superior stability and safety, and sufficient mechanical strength of polymers. Meanwhile, their excellent shapability and conformability promise the development of energy and electronic devices with complex 3D configurations.
The proposed research will attempt to resolve two critical issues of current SPEs, that is, low room temperature ionic conductivity and high SPE/electrode interfacial resistance, by means of recent successful synthesis of novel imide polymers by PI.
The new polymers possess several advantages which do not commonly exist in reported SPEs: (1) simultaneously high density of hetero elements and amorphous structures for high ionic conductivity; (2) remarkably high modulus and good adhesion with electrodes, which are essential to low interfacial resistance and high interfacial stability, suggesting their great potential as SPE hosts for high efficiency and reliable energy applications of LBs
Fengjun Li, Assistant Professor, Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, University of Kansas
Smart grid is identified as the national science and engineering grand challenge areas in the United States. It integrates existing power grids with modern information infrastructure to achieve “smart” generation, distribution, management and consumption of electric power. Two critical SG components are Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) for two-way connectivity and smart grid applications such as demand-response and outage management that utilize the real-time metering data for “smart” management and control. However, data collection and management are often considered as two orthogonal processes where raw meter data measurements using different information models are collected in various AMIs and then processed at the meter data management systems (MDMSs) to support upper-layer applications. This not only results in inefficient data collection but also faces various security and privacy problems intrinsic in AMI data collection (e.g., false data injection, consumer data privacy, etc.) To tackle the problems, I propose to develop a comprehensive data collection and management framework to integrate trustworthy and privacy-preserving data collection in AMIs and efficient data management for smart grid applications. The proposed project will include a series of cryptographic techniques for data confidentiality and authentication, outlier detection and distributed incremental verification, privacy-preserving data aggregation, and adaptive data collection based on user privacy attribute configuration.
Bin Liu, Assistant Professor, Chemical Engineering, Kansas State University
This study is motivated by the development of an alternative more energy efficient methanol production process utilizing the abundant natural gas resource and the Cu/Fe modified ZSM-5 catalyst to replace the current two-step reaction pathways. The investigation will be carried out from a theoretical perspective using first-principles calculations. The detailed molecular modeling shall examine several key factors that is believed to govern the zeolites catalytic properties relevant to methane oxidation: (1) the geometry of the active sites, (2) the metal ion oxidation state, (3) size and shape effects of zeolite cavities, and (4) thermodynamics/kinetics of methane oxidation pathways. The broader impact of this modeling study will help: (i) design novel catalyst materials tailored for active and selective methane oxidation and (ii) offer insight in alternative solutions to produce chemicals in more energy efficient and environmental friendly manner.
Eduardo Santos, Assistant Professor, Agronomy, Kansas State University
A better understanding of the biophysical mechanisms controlling soil and plant CO2 exchange in ecosystems is needed to improve our current knowledge of the carbon cycle and predictions of future climate scenarios. Stable isotopes of carbon and oxygen (13CO2 and C18OO) are powerful tools for studying the exchange of CO2 between land and the atmosphere across a range of spatial scales (from single-leaf to global scales). New optical sensors have allowed continuous and accurate stable isotope atmospheric concentration measurements under field conditions. These measurements can be combined with existing micrometeorological techniques to study gas exchange at the ecosystem scale. I propose the use of a novel approach that combines an analytical Lagrangian dispersion analysis and concentration profiles of stable isotopes in the air for determining isotope signatures of soil and plant flux components and partitioning the contributions of soil and plants to the CO2 flux in a tall-grass prairie ecosystem.
Yi Song, Assistant Professor, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Wichita State University
The research objective of this proposal is to design, analyze, and evaluate an energy-efficient learning and adaptation framework for cognitive radio networks (CRNs). Cognitive radio has recently emerged as a promising technology to overcome the imbalance between the increase in spectrum access demand and the inefficiency in spectrum usage. A “cognitive radio” is a radio that can change its transmitter parameters to opportunistically exploit the unused spectrum without causing harmful interference to incumbent users. Learning and adaptation capabilities are the two distinct features of CR devices to detect the unused spectrum and adjust the transmitter parameters based on the learning information. These two capabilities are crucial for the success of CRNs. However, both the learning and adaptation operations are energy intensive, and can quickly drain the batteries of CR devices if not managed efficiently. This issue is currently unexplored in the literature and requires significant research efforts to save energy.
Lisa R. Wilken, Assistant Professor, Biological and Agricultural Engineering, Kansas State University
The goal of the proposed research is to design an integrated process for protein and oil fractionation to reduce costs of bioenergy production. Aqueous enzymatic oil extraction (AEOE), a non-solvent and environmentally friendly method, will be developed to co-extract oil and protein from microalgae biomass. AEOE uses mild processing conditions that preserve protein activity and functionality necessary for sustainable food and pharmaceutical applications. Critical process parameters that will be investigated include enzyme classes and activities, dosage, incubation conditions, and protein/oil separation and refining methods. In the future, the integrated process is expected to be applicable to metabolically- and genetically-engineered biomass.
Lydia Zeglin, Assistant Professor, Division of Biology, Kansas State University
In Kansas grassland soils, after periods of drying, soil microbiota exhibit multiple strategies of response to rainfall that support greater soil C storage. These strategies include decreased carbon dioxide efflux, decreased enzymatic potential for soil organic matter decomposition and increased microbial C use efficiency. However, it is not clear which subset of cells mediates these shifts in situ, how widespread these strategies are (including prevalence in grazed or cultivated soils), or whether these climate-soil feedbacks are mediated by plant responses. This project will evaluate the distribution and operation of microbial drought tolerance mechanisms in Kansas grassland soils with contrasting plant communities, moisture regimes and management histories. Many soil microbes are well-adapted to drought; however the severity of drought events is predicted to increase in Great Plains grasslands. Data from this project will help define the potential for grassland soil C sequestration under future climate change and land management scenarios.
To learn about past KNE First Awardees please visit http://www.nsfepscor.ku.edu/first-awards-yr4.html
Each year KNE solicits transformational research proposals from early-career faculty members at Kansas' Regents Universities. These newly appointed assistant professors are eager to begin their research programs with funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF) or other federal funding agencies. KNE helps by jump starting their research with a First Award that will hopefully lead to a successful NSF proposal.
This year, KNE awarded nine First Awards in the areas of Climate and Energy research.
Our Children's Grasslands: Understanding Present and Predicting Future Diversity of Dominant Great Plains Grasses
James Beck, Assistant Professor, Biological Sciences, Wichita State University
Despite their immense value (forage, biofuel, ecosystem services) and vulnerability to climate change, we currently lack even a basic picture of how genetic diversity is arrayed across Great Plains grasslands. The proposed research has two main goals: 1) document genomic and cytological diversity across the ranges of ten dominant Great Plains grass species by analyzing DNA extracted from thousands of museum specimens; and 2) predict potential loss of such diversity under numerous climate change scenarios. Critically, our novel use of museum DNA eliminates the need for extremely time consuming fieldwork, allowing us to understand the genetics of these species at an unprecedented depth and scale. This work has clear relevance to the KNE Climate Change and Energy initiative. Specifically, its combination of cutting-edge genomic and climate modeling techniques to predict the effects of climate change on grassland genetic resources sits squarely within the Climate Change and Mitigation sub-project.
Experimental and Modeling Analysis of CO2 as a Control on Microbial Activity in Anoxic Environments
Matthew Kirk , Assistant Professor, Geology, Kansas State University
The objective of the research is to test the hypothesis that an increase in CO2 abundance can stimulate microbial iron reduction, leading to a decrease in the rate of sulfate reduction or methanogenesis, where those groups compete with iron reducers for electron donors. Results from a preliminary set of experiments are consistent with the hypothesis (Kirk et al., 2013); additional experiments and numerical modeling are needed to examine sulfate-deficient systems, the sensitivity of the relationships, and mechanisms.
The proposed research is related to climate change. In response to warming, rates of organic matter degradation are expected to increase in many soils, elevating the flux of CO2 into the subsurface. Geochemical evidence indicates that this effect is already occurring, including a study at the Konza Prairie. Understanding how this increase will affect subsurface microbiology is important because microbial populations strongly influence water quality and carbon storage in the subsurface.
New Solid Polymer Electrolyte Materials for Next Generation Lithium Batteries
Bin Li, Assistant Professor, Mechanical Engineering, Wichita State University
Solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) are ideal replacement of prevailing liquid dominated electrolytes for new generation lithium batteries (LBs), due to superior stability and safety, and sufficient mechanical strength of polymers. Meanwhile, their excellent shapability and conformability promise the development of energy and electronic devices with complex 3D configurations.
The proposed research will attempt to resolve two critical issues of current SPEs, that is, low room temperature ionic conductivity and high SPE/electrode interfacial resistance, by means of recent successful synthesis of novel imide polymers by PI.
The new polymers possess several advantages which do not commonly exist in reported SPEs: (1) simultaneously high density of hetero elements and amorphous structures for high ionic conductivity; (2) remarkably high modulus and good adhesion with electrodes, which are essential to low interfacial resistance and high interfacial stability, suggesting their great potential as SPE hosts for high efficiency and reliable energy applications of LBs
Trustworthy and Privacy-Preserving Data Management in Smart Grid
Fengjun Li, Assistant Professor, Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, University of Kansas
Smart grid is identified as the national science and engineering grand challenge areas in the United States. It integrates existing power grids with modern information infrastructure to achieve “smart” generation, distribution, management and consumption of electric power. Two critical SG components are Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) for two-way connectivity and smart grid applications such as demand-response and outage management that utilize the real-time metering data for “smart” management and control. However, data collection and management are often considered as two orthogonal processes where raw meter data measurements using different information models are collected in various AMIs and then processed at the meter data management systems (MDMSs) to support upper-layer applications. This not only results in inefficient data collection but also faces various security and privacy problems intrinsic in AMI data collection (e.g., false data injection, consumer data privacy, etc.) To tackle the problems, I propose to develop a comprehensive data collection and management framework to integrate trustworthy and privacy-preserving data collection in AMIs and efficient data management for smart grid applications. The proposed project will include a series of cryptographic techniques for data confidentiality and authentication, outlier detection and distributed incremental verification, privacy-preserving data aggregation, and adaptive data collection based on user privacy attribute configuration.
Determination of the molecular structures of Cu/Fe-modified ZSM-5 catalysts for methane-to-methanol conversions from first-principles method
Determination of the molecular structures of Cu/Fe-modified ZSM-5 catalysts for methane-to-methanol conversions from first-principles methodBin Liu, Assistant Professor, Chemical Engineering, Kansas State University
This study is motivated by the development of an alternative more energy efficient methanol production process utilizing the abundant natural gas resource and the Cu/Fe modified ZSM-5 catalyst to replace the current two-step reaction pathways. The investigation will be carried out from a theoretical perspective using first-principles calculations. The detailed molecular modeling shall examine several key factors that is believed to govern the zeolites catalytic properties relevant to methane oxidation: (1) the geometry of the active sites, (2) the metal ion oxidation state, (3) size and shape effects of zeolite cavities, and (4) thermodynamics/kinetics of methane oxidation pathways. The broader impact of this modeling study will help: (i) design novel catalyst materials tailored for active and selective methane oxidation and (ii) offer insight in alternative solutions to produce chemicals in more energy efficient and environmental friendly manner.
Investigating the CO2 Exchange in a Tall-Grass Prairie Ecosystem using an Analytical Lagrangian Dispersion Analysis and Stable Isotopes
Eduardo Santos, Assistant Professor, Agronomy, Kansas State University
A better understanding of the biophysical mechanisms controlling soil and plant CO2 exchange in ecosystems is needed to improve our current knowledge of the carbon cycle and predictions of future climate scenarios. Stable isotopes of carbon and oxygen (13CO2 and C18OO) are powerful tools for studying the exchange of CO2 between land and the atmosphere across a range of spatial scales (from single-leaf to global scales). New optical sensors have allowed continuous and accurate stable isotope atmospheric concentration measurements under field conditions. These measurements can be combined with existing micrometeorological techniques to study gas exchange at the ecosystem scale. I propose the use of a novel approach that combines an analytical Lagrangian dispersion analysis and concentration profiles of stable isotopes in the air for determining isotope signatures of soil and plant flux components and partitioning the contributions of soil and plants to the CO2 flux in a tall-grass prairie ecosystem.
Towards Energy Efficient Learning and Adaptation in Cognitive Radio Wireless Networks
Yi Song, Assistant Professor, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Wichita State University
The research objective of this proposal is to design, analyze, and evaluate an energy-efficient learning and adaptation framework for cognitive radio networks (CRNs). Cognitive radio has recently emerged as a promising technology to overcome the imbalance between the increase in spectrum access demand and the inefficiency in spectrum usage. A “cognitive radio” is a radio that can change its transmitter parameters to opportunistically exploit the unused spectrum without causing harmful interference to incumbent users. Learning and adaptation capabilities are the two distinct features of CR devices to detect the unused spectrum and adjust the transmitter parameters based on the learning information. These two capabilities are crucial for the success of CRNs. However, both the learning and adaptation operations are energy intensive, and can quickly drain the batteries of CR devices if not managed efficiently. This issue is currently unexplored in the literature and requires significant research efforts to save energy.
Integrated Process Development for Protein and Oil Recovery from Microalgae Biomass
Lisa R. Wilken, Assistant Professor, Biological and Agricultural Engineering, Kansas State University
The goal of the proposed research is to design an integrated process for protein and oil fractionation to reduce costs of bioenergy production. Aqueous enzymatic oil extraction (AEOE), a non-solvent and environmentally friendly method, will be developed to co-extract oil and protein from microalgae biomass. AEOE uses mild processing conditions that preserve protein activity and functionality necessary for sustainable food and pharmaceutical applications. Critical process parameters that will be investigated include enzyme classes and activities, dosage, incubation conditions, and protein/oil separation and refining methods. In the future, the integrated process is expected to be applicable to metabolically- and genetically-engineered biomass.
Microbial mechanisms of drought tolerance and the implications for grassland soil carbon storage
Lydia Zeglin, Assistant Professor, Division of Biology, Kansas State University
In Kansas grassland soils, after periods of drying, soil microbiota exhibit multiple strategies of response to rainfall that support greater soil C storage. These strategies include decreased carbon dioxide efflux, decreased enzymatic potential for soil organic matter decomposition and increased microbial C use efficiency. However, it is not clear which subset of cells mediates these shifts in situ, how widespread these strategies are (including prevalence in grazed or cultivated soils), or whether these climate-soil feedbacks are mediated by plant responses. This project will evaluate the distribution and operation of microbial drought tolerance mechanisms in Kansas grassland soils with contrasting plant communities, moisture regimes and management histories. Many soil microbes are well-adapted to drought; however the severity of drought events is predicted to increase in Great Plains grasslands. Data from this project will help define the potential for grassland soil C sequestration under future climate change and land management scenarios.
To learn about past KNE First Awardees please visit http://www.nsfepscor.ku.edu/first-awards-yr4.html
Friday, May 9, 2014
Climate and Energy: Education Outreach Activities Summer 2014
Engaging a broad spectrum of the education continuum in Kansas on the importance of STEM research (particularly climate and energy) is one of KNE's goals. To advance this goal KNE provided funding for Education and Diversity Grants that take a wide range of approaches, many of which involve summer workshops and symposia for students and teachers in the state. A description these events are below.
July 7-9, 2014 - ESU Summer Scholars Program (Emporia State University, Emporia, KS) run by Elizabeth Yanik, Professor of Mathematics, Computer Science, and Economics.
The Emporia State Summer Scholar program is a three day summer program targeted toward Hispanic middle school students. This program will extend the STEM outreach work already underway at ESU. The focus of this program will be mathematical modeling where students will work in teams learning how to use functions on a graphing calculator. The will then be asked to create simple mathematical models to analyze various situations. Such a model could be used for studying the effects of global climate change on Kansas agriculture. One example might be to select variables such as moisture level, temperature, and rainfalls and relate these to differences in crop yields. Each team will make a presentation of their modeling efforts and summarize their conclusions at the end of the program.
The objectives of the program as a whole are to: increase Hispanic youth’s interest in science and mathematics, foster awareness of career opportunities in mathematics and science-related fields, and provide Hispanic youth with an opportunity to meet and form personal contacts with professionals working in mathematics and science-related careers.
Summer of 2014 - Increasing Energy Education in Grades 5-12 for Rural School Teachers (Fort Hays State University, Hays, KS) run by Paul Adams, Anschutz Endowed Professor of Teacher Education.
Energy education is critical to the economic future of the United States. Knowledgeable teachers are essential to provide this education. While opportunities exist for teachers to become knowledgeable in this area, underrepresented groups such as those in geographically underserved locales have few opportunities to participate in professional development programs. The project addresses this lack by offering a professional development model that will improve STEM education by enhancing teachers’ knowledge of energy. This is being accomplished over a two-year period as the teachers participate in learning that blends virtual and face-to-face experiences.
For more information about any of these programs please visit http://www.nsfepscor.ku.edu/EducationDiversity2012.html or contact Doug Byers at dbyers@ku.edu.
July 7-9, 2014 - ESU Summer Scholars Program (Emporia State University, Emporia, KS) run by Elizabeth Yanik, Professor of Mathematics, Computer Science, and Economics.
The objectives of the program as a whole are to: increase Hispanic youth’s interest in science and mathematics, foster awareness of career opportunities in mathematics and science-related fields, and provide Hispanic youth with an opportunity to meet and form personal contacts with professionals working in mathematics and science-related careers.
Summer of 2014 - Increasing Energy Education in Grades 5-12 for Rural School Teachers (Fort Hays State University, Hays, KS) run by Paul Adams, Anschutz Endowed Professor of Teacher Education.
Energy education is critical to the economic future of the United States. Knowledgeable teachers are essential to provide this education. While opportunities exist for teachers to become knowledgeable in this area, underrepresented groups such as those in geographically underserved locales have few opportunities to participate in professional development programs. The project addresses this lack by offering a professional development model that will improve STEM education by enhancing teachers’ knowledge of energy. This is being accomplished over a two-year period as the teachers participate in learning that blends virtual and face-to-face experiences.
For more information about any of these programs please visit http://www.nsfepscor.ku.edu/EducationDiversity2012.html or contact Doug Byers at dbyers@ku.edu.
Tuesday, May 6, 2014
Student's Research SOARS to New Level
Summertime is often a busy time for students preparing for careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. When properly leveraged, opportunities are abound for students to develop research skills and projects that will advance them to the next level. This is exactly what Eugene Cody has done.
Cody, an undergraduate American Indian Studies major at Haskell Indian Nations University (and enrolled member in the Hopi tribe), was recruited to participate in the summer of 2013 Haskell Environmental Research Studies (HERS) Institute. During this time he developed a research project examining the air quality associated with the burning of coal in the homes of the native Hopi people in northern Arizona and to identify solutions to the resulting problems (air quality, climate change, water use, and human health).As a follow-on to his research project Cody and his cohort of HERS interns took a one-week field trip to the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder, Colorado where they conducted experiments in air quality testing. They followed up the research by presenting their findings to the NCAR community.
At the conclusion of the trip, Cody was invited to apply as a protégé to the Significant Opportunities in Atmospheric Research and Science (SOARS) program conducted through NCAR. "My time at NCAR was very fulfilling and I applied" he explained.
Cody was accepted as to the 2014 SOARS summer program and will spend ten weeks conducting original research at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) or at laboratories of other SOARS sponsors. By the end of the summer, protégés will prepare scientific papers and present their research at a colloquium. To help protégés succeed academically and professionally, SOARS offers each protégé up to five mentors: a research mentor, a writing mentor, a computing mentor, a coach, and a peer mentor. Research shows that this comprehensive, multi-dimensional mentoring is a key contributor to the continued success of SOARS protégés.
Cody's upcoming SOARS internship will take his air quality research to the next level. He will be working with the Institute for Mathematics Applied to Geosciences (IMAGe) at NCAR where his project will consist of using atmospheric inverse modeling to apply to carbon flux estimation problems.
Kansas NSF EPSCoR would like to congratulate Mr. Cody for the success he has leveraged from his opportunity at the HERS Institute.
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