Progress 08/15/10 to 08/14/13
Outputs
Target Audience: Our target audiences were undergraduate and graduate students. With the goal of emphasizing exposure to geo-spatial technologies, we achieved increasing the number of trained students, particularly minority students and women in geospatial technology applications. Over 25 undergraduate students and about 10 graduate students took advantage of the resources become available to them via the program activities. Of these total, 2 students were NOAA-LMRCSC Program funded students, 1 student was a fellow for NOAA-ECSC Program. We also provided supplemental training and knowledge to the professional staff members and junior faculty in geo-spatial technologies, conducted several workshops in DSU, VSU, MSU and ECSU campuses. Dr. Gulnihal Ozbay served as the principal investigator for the project and had overseen all the program related activities. A post-doctoral fellow hired to help the principal investigator, Dr. Ozbay related teaching activities (two courses in geospatial technologies), the development of the mobile geospatial lab, and student research (two graduate students, Brian Reckenbeil and Kris Roeske and 5 other undergraduate students’ short term research projects). In addition to the primary program personnel (Drs. Ozbay and Augustine), faculty members; Dr. Mingxin Guo (Professor in Agriculture), Dr. Christopher Heckscher (Associate Professor in Natural Resources) and Dr. Sathya Elavarthi (Assistant Professor in Agriculture) utilized some of the resources (i.e. software, computer, GPS Units) provided by this program. Some of the student research projects completed utilized the resources provided with this program in oyster restoration, forestry, wildlife habitat and wildlife ecology and wetlands. The mobile geospatial lab has allowed flexibility for the resources such as computers and associated software to be utilized by other faculty in other programs. Software (i.e. ArcGIS) purchased was shared with other users on campus (Dr. Gupta at Public Health and Dr. Viswanathan at Business) and College of Agriculture and Related Sciences Cooperative Extension. Changes/Problems: The major change in this program was an unexpected personnel change among the program coordinators. As a result of this personnel change, a post-doctoral fellow was hired to assume the duties set forth by the principal investigator related to teaching (two courses in geospatial technologies), the development of the mobile geospatial lab, and student research. Additional modification was made to establish mobile geospatial lab due to limited power line capability and space to accommodate all the tools and computers purchased via this grant activities. Additional projector, display panel, and water quality monitoring tools were purchased for the program. Water quality monitoring tools were used for the undergraduate students’ research projects and allowed them to work with the data they collected and present their research on the maps. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? A post-doctoral fellow was hired to assist the principal investigator related to teaching (two courses in geospatial technologies), the development of the geospatial lab, and student research. Already, syllabi for undergraduate and graduate courses in GIS and application were developed and these two courses were offered during the project duration (Spring 2012 and Fall 2012), and entitled as Introduction to Geographic Information Systems and GIS Application in Natural Resources. The focuses of these courses were on providing and basic knowledge in GIS theory and applications as well as hands-on training in ESRI ArcGIS software. Resources acquired through this project increased the available departmental capabilities in geospatial technologies. Updated software and increased licenses enabled the possibility for increased enrollment and exposure to geospatial technology. Mobile geospatial lab computers improved overall workflow efficiencies and provided flexibilities in their uses by not only the faculty members but also by the extension staff. Added GPS technology has enabled faculty and students to integrate geospatial analysis within different research projects including the mapping of high accuracy dense forestry research, the impact of urban forestry on the Delaware State University campus, the location and mapping of particular bird species, blue crab population dynamics in relation to invasive Phargmites as well as the impact of oyster habitat restoration. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Yes, establishment of the mobile geospatail lab and enhancement of the GIS and REmote Sensing courses allowed more students and faculty to take advantage of the resources and engage them better in research and summer internships opportunities in GIS and Remote Sending related areas. More faculty members have been actively using GPS Units and ArcGIS software for their research and teaching efforts. Over 40 students directly benefited from the capabilities avail to them by the program resources. Since our main target audience was students in this program, we reached over 25% of the total students in the Department of Agriculture & Natural Resources. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
By the end of the project duration, we accomplished towards meeting our proposed primary objectives. First, improvements were made regarding the infrastructure in geospatial technologies at Delaware State University. Geographic Information Systems software was upgraded to version 10 of ESRI ArcGIS and provided to the students, staff and faculty throughout the project duration. Furthermore, the overall number of licenses or seats available to students was increased to 24 with the leverage funding from NSF DE EPSCOR Program. In addition, extension software, such as Statistical Analyst and Tracking Analyst, were installed and made available to students for improved geospatial analysis capabilities. Over 10 graduate students and 25 undergraduate students have used the software every semester. Along with updated software offerings, laboratory computer equipment were delivered during the spring semester and installation of all software were completed in those new computers by early summer. Total of 12 computers by this funding and additional 4 computers by the NSF DSU EPSCOR Program funding made possible for faculty, staff and students to use for their classes and research projects. Due to issues with the power lines capability and limited additional space to accommodate all the computers and related supplies, with the decision of the advisory board member for this program, mobile GIS lab was established and currently in use in the department for the classes. Improvements in computer hardware are evident by faster processor speeds, increased memory, and advanced graphics display capabilities that become very important for the student interns involved in GIS internship program in Alaska during the summer 2013 and 2 graduate student research projects; one completed and another is in progress. This improved infrastructure has led to advancements in meeting our second primary objective of increasing the pool of well-trained agriculture students. Mostly minority students studying various disciplines in the College of Agriculture and Related Sciences enrolled for the undergraduate GIS course that enrollment exceeded the maximum class capacities of 12. Three students from DSU selected to involve in the 2 week internship program after 1.5 weeks of training workshop during late summer 2013 at the University of Alaska at Fairbanks and utilized the GPS Units and computer and the software purchased by the grant funding. The website was developed for the summer 2013 workshop at UAF: http://www2.gi.alaska.edu/~prakash/usda_gis_workshop/participants.html. Two graduate students utilized all the resources (GPS Unit, Field Monitoring Equipment, Computer, GIS Software and Field Survey Tools) for their research projects (one graduate student graduated on August 2013 and second one’s research is in progress) provided by the program including their participation during the workshops offered on GIS and Remote Sensing. In the spring 2012, NTRS 200 Introduction to Geographic Information Systems and in the fall 2012, a course entitled NTRS 604 GIS Applications in Natural Resources were offered initially second course limited to graduate students; however, the installation of additional computers and updated ArcGIS software has made it possible for undergraduate students to have the opportunity to enroll as well. This opportunity undoubtedly better prepared students for working with geospatial technologies. Our third objective of exposing students to geospatial technologies has been addressed partly due to the increased enrollment in the spring and fall GIS courses. Although, additional exposure made possible through the introduction of a Trimble GPS receiver with mapping grade accuracy, this unit has already enabled students to participate in research involving field work which requires the students to collect feature data in the field and then later map and analyze the data upon return to campus. These students first hand learned to work with the data they collected and applied on the maps.
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2013
Citation:
Ozbay, G., Augustine, A. and Fletcher, R. 2013. Remote Sensing of Phragmites australis Invasion in Delaware Tidal Marsh Zones: Issues to Consider. Journal of Geophysics and Remote Sensing. Editorial Article. DOI: 10.4172/2169-0049.100e107.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2013
Citation:
Foster, K., Taylor, S., Fleming, B. and Ozbay, G. (2013). Overview on Sustainable Animal Farming in Relationship to Climate Change in Delmarva. Journal of Earth Science and Climatic Change. Accepted for Publication.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Under Review
Year Published:
2013
Citation:
Ferguson, A., Khatiwada, R. and Ozbay, G. 2013. The Effect of a Small Ruminant Farm Operation and Sustainable Farm Practices: Soil Quality and Run-off at the University Hickory Hill Farm, Delaware. POW Journal.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2013
Citation:
Foster, K. , Starkenberg, D., Prakash, A. and Ozbay, G. 2013. Biological Impacts of Global Atmospheric Circulation and Water Availability. August 16, 2013. University of Alaska, Geophysics Institute, Fairbanks, AK, USA. Oral Presentation.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2013
Citation:
Ferguson, A., Waigl, C., Prakash, A. and Ozbay, G. 2013. Re-investigating the Rex Creek Fire in Interior Alaska. August 16, 2013. University of Alaska, Geophysics Institute, Fairbanks, AK, USA. Oral Presentation.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2013
Citation:
Kluge, A., Chittambakkam, A., Prakash, A. and Ozbay, G. 2013. Geothermal Exploration in the State of Alaska using Remote Sensing and GIS. University of Alaska, Geophysics Institute, Fairbanks, AK, USA. Oral Presentation.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2013
Citation:
Cook, S., Balazs, M., Prakash, A., Sriharan, S. and Ozbay, G. 2013. Land Cover Classification of Selected Fjords in South-Central Alaska. University of Alaska, Geophysics Institute, Fairbanks, AK, USA. Oral Presentation.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2013
Citation:
Stilson, K., Waigl, C., Prakash, A., SanJuan, F. and Ozbay, G. 2013. Investigating an Oil Shale Fire with Remote Sensing and GIS. University of Alaska, Geophysics Institute, Fairbanks, AK, USA. Oral Presentation.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2013
Citation:
Cannon, A. and Ozbay, G. 2013. Climate Change Effects on Aquatic Organisms and the Environment. Climate Change Symposium, Delaware State University. January 31, 2012. Oral Presentation
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2012
Citation:
Cannon, A., Smith, S.L., Khatiwada, R. and Ozbay, G. Wastewater Discharge in Delaware Inland Bays Tidal Canal: A Case Study on Heavy Metal Contaminants, Atlantic Estuarine Research Society Meeting, Chincoteague, Virginia, November 11-13, 2012. Oral Presentation
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2012
Citation:
Cannon, A., Stampul, P., Pelz-Butler, K., Warrick, R. and Ozbay, G. Climate Change Adaptation: An Example in The Ministry of The Halava Islands, Atlantic Estuarine Research Society Meeting, Chincoteague, Virginia, November 11-13, 2012. Poster Presentation
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2013
Citation:
Reckenbeil, B.* and G. Ozbay. August 2, 2013. Delaware Oysters: Potential to Purify Provide and Protect. Remote Sensing & GIS Workshop, Fairbanks, Alaska.
- Type:
Theses/Dissertations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2013
Citation:
Assessment of Oyster Restoration Along Human Altered Shorelines in the Delaware Inland Bays: An Examination of Riprap stocked with the Eastern Oyster (Crassostrea virginica)
- Type:
Websites
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2013
Citation:
http://www2.gi.alaska.edu/~prakash/usda_gis_workshop/participants.html.
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Progress 08/15/10 to 08/14/11
Outputs
OUTPUTS: By the end of year one of this project, we have made progress towards meeting our proposed primary objectives. First, improvements have been made regarding the infrastructure in geospatial technologies at Delaware State University. Geographic Information Systems software has been upgraded to version 10 of ESRI ArcGIS. Furthermore, the overall number of licenses or seats available to students has been increased. In addition, extension software, such as Statistical Analyst and Tracking Analyst, has been installed and made available to students for improved geospatial analysis capabilities. Along with updated software offerings, laboratory computer equipment has been processed and awaiting delivery during the fall semester. Improvements in computer hardware will be evident by faster processor speeds, increased memory, and advanced graphics display capabilities. This improved infrastructure has led to advancements in meeting our second primary objective of increasing the pool of well trained agriculture students. In the fall semester, a course entitled GIS Applications in Natural Resources was initially limited to graduate students; however, the installation of additional computers and updated ArcGIS software has made it possible for undergraduate students to have the opportunity to enroll as well. This opportunity will undoubtedly better prepare students for working with geospatial technologies. Our third objective of exposing students to geospatial technologies has been addressed partly due to the increased enrollment in the fall GIS course. Although, additional exposure has been made possible through the introduction of a Trimble GPS receiver with mapping grade accuracy. This unit has already enabled students to participate in research involving field work which requires the students to collect feature data in the field and then later map and analyze the data upon return to campus. PARTICIPANTS: Dr. Gulnihal Ozbay serves as the principal investigator for the project and has overseen all the program related activities. Much of the progress in this first year has been limited by the occurrence of an unexpected personnel change among the program coordinators. As a result of this personnel change, a post-doctoral fellow has been hired to assume the duties set forth by the principal investigator related to teaching (two courses in geospatial technologies), the development of the geospatial lab, and student research. In addition to the primary program personnel (Drs. Ozbay & Augustine), faculty members; Dr. Mingxin Guo, Dr. Christopher Heckscher and Dr. Sathya Elavarthi have been currently utilizing some of the resources provided by this program. Some of the student research projects are currently undertaken in oyster restoration, forestry, wildlife habitat and wildlife ecology and wetlands. TARGET AUDIENCES: Our target audiences are undergraduate and graduate students. With the goal of emphasizing exposure to geo-spatial technologies, we will be increasing the number of trained students, particulary minority students and women. We also provide supplemental training and knowledge to the professional staff members and junior faculty in geo-spatial technologies. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: The major change in this program is an unexpected personnel change among the program coordinators. As a result of this personnel change, a post-doctoral fellow has been hired to assume the duties set forth by the principal investigator related to teaching (two courses in geospatial technologies), the development of the geospatial lab, and student research.
Impacts
Much of the progress in this first year has been hindered by the occurrence of an unexpected personnel change among the program coordinators. As a result of this personnel change, administrative delays prevented the hiring of a suitable replacement in a timely manner. However, a post-doctoral fellow has been hired to assume the duties set forth by the principal investigator related to teaching (two courses in geospatial technologies), the development of the geospatial lab, and student research. Already, a syllabus and course outline have been developed for a course entitled Introduction to Geographic Information Systems and is awaiting university approval. The focus of this course will be on providing basic knowledge in GIS theory and applications as well as hands-on training in ESRI ArcGIS software. Resources acquired through this project have increased the available departmental capabilities in geospatial technologies. Updated software and increased licenses enabled the possibility for increased enrollment and exposure to geospatial technology. Update modern laboratory computer hardware improves overall workflow efficiencies. Added GPS technology has enabled faculty and students to integrate geospatial analysis within different research projects including the mapping of high accuracy dense forestry research, the impact of urban forestry on the Delaware State University campus, the location and mapping of particular bird species, as well as the impact of oyster habitat restoration.
Publications
- 2) Sriharan, S., Jones, D., Sutphin, D., Thomas, V., San Juan, F. and Ozbay, G. 2010. Collaborative Project on Training Students to Develop Communications on Global Issues: Writing Case Studies by Faculty, Reflections on Case Studies by Students and Exchanging their Viewpoints via Discussion Board and Videoconferencing. USDA Project Directors Conference, December 1-3, 2010, Washington D.C., USA. Poster Presentation.
- 3) Sriharan, S., Ghariban, N., Ozbay, G., Hayden, L., Fletcher, R. and Everitt, J. 2010. Geographic Information System (GIS) and Remote Sensing (RS): Curriculum Design, Faculty Development, Undergraduate Student Training, and Pre-College Program (Students and Teachers). USDA Project Directors Conference, December 1-3, 2010, Washington D.C., USA. Poster Presentation.
- 1) Ozbay, G., Clendaniel, J., Sriharan, S., Khan, A., San Juan, F. and Prakash, A. 2010. Enhancing Geographic Information System Education and Delivery through Collaboration: Curricula Design, Faculty, Staff and Student Training. USDA Project Directors Conference, December 1-3, 2010, Washington D.C., USA. Poster Presentation.
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