Progress 01/01/16 to 12/31/19
Outputs
Target Audience:The primary audiences that were reached this reporting period included rural populations and small communities in western Kansas - the primary service population for Fort Hays State University, Emporia State University, and Hutchison Community College. The specific groups that were directly influenced by the resource support provided by the Capacity Building Grant were 1) undergraduate students pursuing degrees in Agriculture and Natural Resource Management, 2) K - 12 students and putative STEM secondary education majors, 3) an increasingly diverse group of university faculty and STEM Departments with interests in supporting rural economies, i.e., construction management (Applied Technology), energy development (Geosciences), marketing (Informatics), law enforcement (Criminal Justice), 4) regional professionals interested in understanding or incorporating UAS technology in agribusiness and related fields, and 5) utility companies and first responders supporting rural communities. We are confident that these groups will benefit from the expertise and curricular development and enhancements that are derived from this opportunity. Changes/Problems:The are really two significant or unexpected impacts that affected the grant schedule: 1) The changes and uncertainty associated with the regulation of UAS flight as administered through the Federal Aviation Administration. Although ultimately, this has been resolved to the benefit of higher education in general this initial lack of regulation or clear guidance delayed implementation and the ability to plan some activities for almost the first 2 years of the grant cycle. FHSU was delayed during by the Certificate of Authorization process and then later when the Part 107 of CFR 14 was established. This was just unfortunate timing and predicated by the unprecidented expansion of UAS available and rapid development of use cases. 2) We were surprised by the exceedingly rapid evolution of technology within the first 2 years of the grant cycle. The degree of platform stabilization, sensor miniturization, and software development was exponential and required rapid retraining and responsive professional development such that curricular development could not intially keep up or be considered in some cases. An additional challenge was the personnel turnover experienced at both HCC and to lesser extent at FHSU. There was definitely some loss of momentum with the loss of some of these key personnel. For these three reason we found it necessary to request and receive a one year no-cost extension on the grant schedule. The extra time has allowed us to better use resources and meet the objectives of the original proposal. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The grant opportunity has been invaluable in providing professional development opportunities at each of the three collaborating institutions - FHSU, ESU, and HCC. It has certainly been a gratifying experience to document the transformation of faculty and students from participants and learners of new technology, to to providers of both foundational and advanced or modified applications that have developed over the course of the life of the grant. Faculty at all institutions initially participated in five multi-day workshops that allowed faculty and students to become immersed in the discipline areas. These ranged in subject matter from flight and aerodynamics, to aspects of remote-sensing, data management, model development, software skills, and data interpretation. Initially these professional development opportunities were provided by Arrow LLC and APIS, LLC. Later in the grant cycle specific professional development was provided as part of the program at the Aviation Research Center at Kansas State Polytechnic in Salina, KS. Additional support was provided through collaboration with and participation in events promoted through the UAS Cluster Initiative. The networking opportunities at this series of annual meetings has proved invaluable in maintaining focus in this very rapidly evolving discipline. These opportunities certainly allowed us to move more rapidly into curriculum development and to provide student hands-on experiences using the technology in theses and other types of research projects. Perhaps most telling is that we now have the expertise and confidence to host similar types of events and regional conferences focused on the technology. Having developed courses in the discipline we have closed the circle and have become a content provider to our respective service areas. Our next challenges will focus on how to best deliver this content across a larger region. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Each institution has incorporated the knowledge base and technical skills into aspects of degree programs. This was a primary objective. As faculty and staff took advantage of professional development we were better equipped to determine how best to support and expand our individual programs. Emporia State University has sponsored workshops and provided technology demonstrations at regional scientific meetings. On campus they have focused on a broad approach of integrating UAS technology in existing courses rather than developing specialty courses. This has served their student body well. Hutchison has developed a course focused on remote pilot certification through the FAA which will be part of a certificate program in UAS applications. They have conducted some public outreach in collaboration with the Cosmosphere a local interactive science museum and in association with Ag Days. Fort Hays State University has hosted a number of workshops and a major regional conference - 'Getting Started in UAS in Western Kansas' where national, regional, and local ag professional present contemporary content to over 100 participants. In addition, faculty have supported elementary school Ag Days that served hundreds of elementary school children. Similar demonstrations were support through the Sternberg Museum of Natural History, Hays, KS, for elementary schools. However the primary focus has been in developing a curriculum that supports Precision Agriculture and related disciplines and is fully integrated into the University. Content in UAS technology has been offered in three successive semesters and the pass rate for the FAA certification test is 100%. What we learn from these experiences has resulted in the development of a nine credit hour transcript credential in UAS Applications for which there can be a variety of focal areas that constitute the final three hours of the credential. One of the areas is in Precision Agriculture were the advanced course in taught in the Department of Agriculture by Agronomy faculty. However this third course can be in construction management or any number of fields where specific applications, sensors, or software solutions best prepare students for a successful career that incorporates this technology in the regional rural economy of western Kansas. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Each of the three institutions were able to accomplish a great deal in developing student-centered opportunities with UAS technology that best fit the teaching model and objectives of the institution. However in each case the first step was to develop faculty expertise in this rapidly evolving field. Initially, faculty participated in workshops and short-courses to become familiar with technology options and to develop skills and a knowledge base that would be needed to become certified remote pilots through the FAA. The later testing protocol did not develop until later in the grant period and so considerable effort was expended in tracking the evolving regulation requirements to delivery UAS technology in the classroom. Essentially, for the first two years of the project we were limited to faculty development and demonstrations to student groups or work with more advanced students. As both technology advanced and FAA regulations stabilized, the collaborative group was able to deploy programs and provide more hands-on experiential learning opportunities, particularly at FHSU and ESU which hosted workshops, field trips, and conference events at state and regional levels. Repeated faculty turnover at HCC retarded progress, but ultimately developed into a stronger partnership with FHSU. As a result the relationship has facilitated a successful way forward and a more streamlined path for transfer of students, particularly those interested in precision agriculture. In addition to the development of faculty expertise, FHSU and ESU in particular explored a wide diversity of UAS platforms and sensor technology to best determine how the technology can be incorporated into post-secondary classrooms from freshmen level through advanced degrees. ESU has taken a smaller-group hands-on approach to incorporating technology in existing Earth Science and other courses in support of degrees that inform conditions in the Flint Hills region of Kansas. Similarly, FHSU integrated both UAS data capture technology and data products in the Agriculture curriculum. The first phases were demonstrations of the UAS platforms and sensor tools in lab components of Crop Science courses. Later interpretation of data in the form of Normalized Difference Vegetation Indices were evaluated as part of the course from fields that comprise the University Farm. As expertise developed, FHSU as the lead institution, developed a series of experimental courses in specific UAS technology that sought to provide pilot certification and develop skills in piloting, equipment management, data analysis and interpretation. After three semesters of offerings, the content has been formalized in a three course sequence that provides a transcript credential in UAS applications. Students earn a certification as a commercial pilot (RPIC) through the FAA testing protocol and have specific integrated knowledge incorporated from their major whether it be in Precision Agriculture, Natural Resources, or a number of other fields that increasingly demand this skill set, and in doing so, provide economic support for communities in rural western Kansas. In addition, HCC has developed a fifteen credit hour certificate program that includes UAS training and the inclusion of courses in videography and associated data management. This certificate program should have the necessary broader appeal needed to support enrollments to maintain the program at the community college while ensuring students have the foundational skill for seamless transfer. Collectively we are confident that we have both the expertise in faculty development and professional network support to maintain and expand the programs that the grant opportunities have established. Specifically, FHSU has a shared maintenance agreement with HCC to care for and provide more advanced classroom demonstrations in the Agriculture program. This will build increasingly stronger ties between the institutions and allow for a more efficient recruitment to FHSU to finish 4-year B.S. degrees in Agriculture. As a result of this grant opportunity FHSU will formalize a B.S. Degree option in Precision Agriculture in the coming year. Content and course sequences have been drafted and simply wait on administrative approval. As exciting and transformative as these accomplishments have been the potential moving forward is even greater. Because FHSU and HCC in particular have developed these content areas in precision agriculture a number of industry partners have come forward and are interested in supporting the expansion of a broader vision in workforce development. FHSU is currently collaborating with Precision Ag companies on curriculum development specific to the industry. Discussions center on using commercial data sets i.e., truly real-world examples from paid consultations provided by partners from areas around the Midwest and working with agronomy faculty to package contemporary lab materials that are level appropriate to high school, introductory B.S. and advanced B.S degrees. Technology advances have also facilitated these possibilities. FHSU is consulting with industry partners on how to develop interfaces that are both farmer and introductory student friendly. In exploring these 'win -win' opportunities industry partners have also come to the table with financial support for continuing program development and with Internship and seamless degree-to-employment opportunities for graduates. We are confident that the grant resources have not funded a single short-term opportunity, but given the development of these relationships, the grant has fostered the initiation of a longterm culture shift in the interaction of higher education and regional agriculture industry partners. Finally, all of these activities have not taken place in a vacuum and we have actively reached out to other education partners regarding the opportunities to both replicate this experience and other community colleges. FHSU is confident we can make the knowledge and skillset transfer much more efficiently than during this current grant period. We already have several eager potential partners that want to provide their student with the opportunities to explore precision ag technology but more importantly develop seamless articulation agreements to a 4 year institution for those students that want to continue. The demand is clear and as the result of this opportunity we are well positioned to meet that demand.
Publications
- Type:
Theses/Dissertations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Dylan Steffen. May 2019. Habitat characteristics of nesting-burrows of the Burrowing Owl as determined by sUAS remote-sensing techniques on the Smoky Valley Ranch, KS.
- Type:
Theses/Dissertations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2017
Citation:
Adam Rusk, May 2017. UAS-collected multispectral imagery for the identification of rangeland vegetation in a southern mixed-grass prairie.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
William J. Stark. Invited 2018. Big Data in Small Spaces. Workshop for High School Educators in Kansas. Focus on drone technology. FHSU.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Jared G. Engelbert, William J. Stark and David S. Spalsbury. 2019. A Comparison of Angling Pressure Estimates Generated from Traditional Creel Surveys and Unmanned Aerial Systems. Kansas Natural Resource Conference, Manhattan, KS
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Dylan Steffen and William J. Stark. 2019. The Effects of Vegetation Cover and Obstruction on Nest Burrow Selection by the Western Burrowing Owl: Comparing Traditional Data Collection to Imagery from Unmanned Aerial Systems. Kansas Natural Resource Conference, Manhattan, KS.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Dylan Steffen and William J. Stark. 2018. Effects of Vegetation Cover on Nest Burrow Selection by the Western Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia hypugaea) in western Kansas. Annual Meeting of the Kansas Ornithological Society Meeting.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
" Allison, A.J., and Pettit, C.M., The 19th C. Fruitland Schoolhouse: Using Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) Technology to Investigate and Document Archaeological Ruins at the Ross Natural History Reservation in Lyon County, Kansas , Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science, 122 (1-2) (2019) 69-85.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
" Crofoot, J.P., Allison, A.J., and Pettit, C.M., Interfacing a LiDAR Camera with an Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) for use in the Surveying of Topographical Features ESU Research and Creativity Day, April 24, 2019.
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Progress 01/01/18 to 12/31/18
Outputs
Target Audience:The primary audiences that were reached during this reporting period included 1) undergraduate students pursuing degrees in Agriculture and Natural Resource Mangement, 2) Regional professionals interested in understanding or incorporating UAS technology in agribusiness and related fields, 3) utility company personnel and first responders supporting rural communities, 4) K -12 students and putative STEM secondary education majors and 5) a small group of university professionals supporting the expansion of UAS technology across disciplines and institutions. Changes/Problems:There have been a number of personnel changes at both Hutchison Community College and Fort Hays State University that were the primary reason for our request for a no-cost extention. However, we are confident that we will meet all obligations with the personnel that have overtaken reponsibilities. They have only need a little extra time to get up to speed on the objectives of this project. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?We have have supported pilot certification through course work. Currently, we have 6 Part 107 certified pilots on the FHSU campus supporting outreach efforts. We worked with the staff at the Applied Aviation Research Center at Kansas State University in Salina, Kansas to bring bring an image and data analysis workshop to the FHSU campus for 8 participants. We also participated in a workshop on the KSU Salina campus focused on the integration of LiDAR technology in UAS systems. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Through workshops and a regional informational forum we have been disseminating the potential positive impact of UAS technolgy in precision agriculture and in support of rural economies. The initial acceptance has been slow but over the last year it seems the interest and our ability to support that interest has grown. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Having been granted an extention for an additional 12 months we are confident that we can use the remaining grant resources to expand training opportunities for the contributors at each institution and do a more extentive job of providing specialized training to the regional community. We have developed a positive working relationship with experts at the KSU Applied Aviation Research Center in Salina, KS. We plan on augmenting their short-term intensive workshops into formats that are more undergraduate appropriate. In addition we are negociating a share degree credential in UAS technology that will provide greater accessibility to expertise at KSU in the student-centered format that is more compatible with undergraduate degree programs in precision agriculture and natural resources.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
We have made a numbero important accomplishments over the previous. At Fort Hays State University we have developed and offered two courses in UAS technology in support of precision agriculture and natural resource management curricula. The course ensure students are prepared to successfully complete the Federal Aviation Administration 14 CFR part 107 Remote Pilot exam. Thus far the pass rate has been 100%. Enrollment was 20 students and the spring 2019 is at capacity. We conducted 3 - K-12 events reaching approximately 90 students. UAS technology was introduced as lab componets of a crop science course in both the Spring and Fall 2018 semesters. The course serves 48 undergraduate majors in Agriculture each semester. We worked closely with a group of STEM based student teachers to introduce the protential of UAS technolgy to a group of high school agriculture teachers. The same group of student teachers led a program for over 120 elementary students in support of outreach activity at the Sternberg Museum of Natural History, Hays Kansas. We organized a regional information forum focused on the role of UAS technology in supporting entreprenurial development of agribusiness in rural communities. Representatives from the FAA, Kansas Department of Transportation (UAS Division), and Applied Aviation Research Center at KSU were featured speakers as well as 10 experts from commerial and academic areas. The audience included regional econimic development directors, first responders, and area business professionals. In addition, Huchison Community College developed a course in UAS technology offered in Fall 2018. Cooperators at Emporia State University have been focused on developing a LiDAR system for use in undergraduate research projects. Initial work has involved undergraduates at all stages of development.
Publications
- Type:
Theses/Dissertations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Sean Rogers. 2018. An Aerial Perspective: Using Unmanned Aerial Systems to Predict Presence of Lesser Earless Lizards (Holbroookia maculata. Fort Hays State University.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Allison, A.J. and Pettit, C.M.. 2018. AERIAL INVESTIGATION OF THE 19TH C. FRUITLAND SCHOOLHOUSE RUINS USING UNMANNED AERIAL SYSTEMS (UAS), ROSS NATURAL HISTORY RESERVATION, LYON COUNTY, KANSAS. Kansas Academy of Science.
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Progress 01/01/17 to 12/31/17
Outputs
Target Audience:We reached a variety of audiences during the reporting period in an effort to build program capacity and expertise in unmanned aerial systems (UAS) Precision Agriculture in Western Kansas. (Total number of participants impacted = 866) I. Colleagues at Fort Hays State University, Emporia State University and Hutchison Community College (HCC) engaged in developing public presentations to specific college level courses, a professional workshop, elementary and high school groups, and the general public. Equipment and expertise were shared in two Agricultural Technology courses including an online version (48 undergraduates). The face to face courses included hands on lab demonstrations. This material represented about one-third of the course material in each course. Specialized lectures and data handling techniques focused on UAS were incorporated into three courses in biological sciences: Biogeography (16), Ecology(26), and Conservation Biology(26). At HCC UAS technology was incorporated into a Soils class(24) and Crop Science class(24). Faculty presented materials and demonstrations in UAS during the Kansas Academy of Science Field Day(18); Farm Bureau Kids Ag Day - Hays, KS (250); Farm Bureau Kids Ag Day - WaKeeny, KS (180); Boys and Girls Club, Hutchinson, KS (150); Wheatland High School Technology Day, Grainfield, KS, (80); UAS Workshop Hays, KS for graduate students and professionals (24). Changes/Problems:We have had some challenges in the last reporting year. Each of the three cooperating institutions have experienced a number of retirements and postion changes to personnel that were supporting the grant. The Chair of Agriculture Department at FHSU has retired and a new chair was recently hired. Hutchison Community College has experience personnel upheavel in the Ag division and has only recently been stablized. At Emporia there has been one key retirement and the search is on the replace that position. Nonetheless progess has been maintained. The biggest challenge in 2017 was the finalization of the FAA regulations. The uncertainty associated with these regulation in late 2016 and early 2017 with regard to legal interpretaiton retarded our timelines by at least 6 months. With the stability of establishing the commercial liscening requirements in Part 107 we can confidently move forward with formal class curricula in Spring 2018. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?We have had the opportunity to sponsor a UAS workshop targetted at professional development within the Werth College of Science Technolgy and Mathematic at FHSU. The workshop allowed us to reach out to local Agribusiness professional and faculty acrosss STM disciplines to build capacity in this technolgy. We participated in 4 additional workshops focused on data handling and manipulation protocols in an effort to prepare for curriculum development specific to UAS Precision Agriculture. One faculty member completed 2 courses in open source remote-sensing data analysis in preparation for curriculum development. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Much of this has been accomplished through outreach style events in kids farm days in which many elemetary children are exposed to technolgy but just as importantly we have an opportunity to interact with teachers and sponsors to encourage participation. We have reachout to local FFA chapters to begin developing a more well supported access to technology for them and the potential to recruit students interested in agriculture. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?We are confident that we now possess the expertise to offer specific and complete course work focused in UAS Preciion Agriculture technology and we will be offering three courses next calander year. We plan on have multiple workshop/summer camp style experiences for both middle school girls, advanced high school students, and for teachers to become Part 107 certified through the FAA. We feel strongly that this multi-teered approach will allow us to identify the individuals committed to promoting the value of the technology and thus help us to build a culture of capacity building in the agricultural landscape in western Kansas.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Each of the three institutions have made some positive steps to accomplishing the above goals. In this reporting year we have conducted more faculty training and have prepared materials to offer formal course work in the third and final year of the award. In addition, we have provided outreach activity at all societal levels to introduce the rural community to UAS technology. Undergraduate and graduate students have had specific and targeted content incorporated into existing courses that have enriched their education experience and have hopefully led some to consider careers in agriculture. Hands on experiences have been well received and again we believe will lead to greater opportunities for workforce development. Two graduate student projects have been completed at the data collection level in one and completion of the other. These accomplishment provided infectious enthusiasm for the advancing capabilities with the college at FHSU. Faculty and Emporia State University have had great success collaborating in Physic, Geosciences and Biology to apply UAS technology to rangeland challenges in the Flint Hills of Kansas. Currently they are working on the most advanced set of UAS sensors incorporated in a single platform among the groups. They hope to incoporate this cutting edge technology into a graduate thesis project as will as a number of lab components of undergraduate courses.
Publications
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2017
Citation:
Sean Rogers and William Stark 2017. An Aerial Perspective; Using Unmanned Aerial Systems to Identify Lizard Microhabitat. Kansas Herpetological Society Meeting.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2017
Citation:
Sean Rogers and William Stark. 2017 Utilization of Unmanned Aircraft Systems for Surveying Herpetofaunal Habitat. Kansas Natural Resource Conference, Wichita, KS
- Type:
Theses/Dissertations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2017
Citation:
Adam Rusk. 2017 UAS-Collected Multispectral Imagery for the Identification of Rangeland Vegetation in a Southern Mixed-Grass Prairie. Master's Thesis. Fort Hays State University.
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Progress 01/01/16 to 12/31/16
Outputs
Target Audience:Efforts to date were heavily focused in two areas: 1) on developing expertise in drone technology among scientists and graduate assistants. A series of workshops were held to facilitate a transfer of technical skills to collaborators at Fort Hays State University, Emporia State University and Hutchison Community College. Facilitators included consultants at Arrow LLC and APIS LLC that provide workshop and outreach services. 2) As the result of the above efforts key personnel were able to become involved and take the lead in providing educational opportunties to a series of groups interested in the use of drone technology in the support of agriculture and the agricultural economy. These groups included: elementary school "farm day" presentations, high school FFA groups, college student groups including a Hispanic Student Institute, public outreach at an education center associated with a wildlife management area, and several professional development opportunities with area farmers, ranchers, and Natural Resource Conservation Service personnel. Accordingly, we have made positive steps engage and recruit the next generation of agricultural professionals and transform the thinking of current professionals in working with the emerging remote-sensing technology that will support precision agriculture. Changes/Problems:Two changes occurred as the result of retirements this past year. 1) Dr. John Greathouse, chairman of the Department of Agriculture, FHSU retired: 2) Mr. Steve Sear, HCC also retired. Both institiutions are in the process of finalizing hires for those two positions and we anticipate that the replacements will join the project in similar supporting roles. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Five multi-day workshops conducted by Arrow LLC and APIS LLC were completed by an average of 15 persons that will be involved in curricular development and facilitation in the last year. Three were held at FHSU and two were conducted at ESU. Members of each institution attended each workshop to facilitate discussions in curricular development. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?A number of outreach events were conducted by key personnel to demonstrate the untility of UAS technology in support of Precision Agriculture. Target audiences ranged from elementary school children, general public (all ages), and natural resource professsions e.g. Natural Resource Conservation Service. All of these opportunities were requests that developed from word of mouth promotion of the program with the majority near the end of the calander year. We did not plan to actively advertise the program until the second year when technical skill levels were sufficient. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?In 2017, the three cooperating institutions will develop workshop or short course opportunities for June and July that will target specific high school and college aged students. These opportunities will be designed to recruit students to the agricultural and natural resource profession by introducing them to contemprorary technologies in a controlled environment. These opportunities will also allow faculty to evaluate teaching modules that will be incorporated in formal course work and program developemnt in the Fall 2017 semester. We plan course work to focus on 1) flight training, 2) legal standing and certification, 3) data acquistion and sensor technology, 4) data analysis and transformation to the operational level and 5) economic value and business application.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
In the first year we have laid the foundation to develop formalized curricular components to meet the needs for skill development in remote data access through Unmanned Aerial Systems or drone technology. This was a two part process 1) in workshop participation 2) technology acquisition and evaluation. Through workshops, we have developed technical skill levels that will allow the incorporation of this new technology in the precision agriculture programs of the three cooperating institutions. Fort Hays State University has four activity involved faculty, Emporia State University has four faculty and Huchison Community College has three faculty with skill development that will support the promotion of the program. In addition, each institution has invested in technology components and software that will provide the hands-on training of students and the upgrade of professional skills that will result from structured program development in the coming year. Some demonstration modules were added to course work in Fall 2016. Fort Hays State University has completed the bid process to provide a dedicated facility to UAS education as part of the Precision Agricultural and Natural Resource Management Programs.
Publications
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