Every two weeks, Highlander Highlights shares with readers some of the extraordinary research and accomplishments happening on and off campus through the tireless work and curiosity of our students and faculty.
Radford students present at 鈥榳orld鈥檚 largest gathering of Earth and space scientists鈥�
This week, a small group of 澳门老奇人论坛 students and faculty attended and presented their research at the uber-prestigious American Geophysical Union (AGU) annual conference in Washington, D.C.
Among them were five physics majors, a geology major and an alumnus who spoke about the research they carried out this past February and March during the Arctic Geophysics Research trip to Utqiagvik, Alaska. In addition, two students from Southwest Virginia Governor鈥檚 School (Em Paul and Weston Smith), who were enrolled in Radford鈥檚 Arctic Geophysics research course and made the research trip to Alaska, presented at the conference.
AGU is an international, nonprofit scientific association with a mission to promote discovery in Earth and space science for the benefit of humanity. Its annual meeting is the largest gathering, the organization says, of Earth and space scientists, with more than 25,000 people from more than 100 countries attending.
鈥淪cientists, educators, policymakers, journalists and communicators attend AGU24,鈥� the organization says, 鈥渢o better understand our planet and environment, opening pathways to discovery, opening greater awareness to address climate change, opening greater collaborations to lead to solutions and opening the fields and professions of science to a whole new age of justice equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging.鈥�
Presenting at the conference gives Radford鈥檚 student researchers 鈥渧alidation that this entire one-and-a-half-year effort has all been to reach this pinnacle and show the world what they and Radford can do,鈥� said Radford Professor of Physics Rhett Herman, speaking of the time frame in which students begin their Arctic research in the classroom, trek to the bitter temperatures in Utqiagvik and subsequently present at the AGU conference.
In Alaska, junior Athena Smith measured wind speeds on the Arctic Sea ice using load cells and anemometers. Ten months later, at AGU, she had scientists approach her, saying, 鈥淭hey have been searching for a way to make a 3D anemometer, and they would like to reference my work in their own projects,鈥� explained the physics major from Arlington, Virginia. 鈥淭his is a main reason I was eager to present at the AGU conference because I wanted to be able to share what I have spent so many hours on and have people incorporate this new idea into their own projects.鈥�
Many conference attendees who spoke with Radford鈥檚 students at AGU 鈥渉ave been amazed at what our students are doing, almost always mistaking each of them for graduate students,鈥� Herman said. 鈥淪ome of our students have had people from major research universities simply tell them to apply for summer research or scientific work positions at their institutions.鈥�
Herman organized a special session at the AGU meeting titled 鈥淭he MacGyver Session: The Place for Novel, Exciting, Self-Made, Hacked or Improved Sensors and Software Solutions to Understand the Near-Surface Environment.鈥� He, too, finds AGU to be a terrific learning and networking opportunity.
鈥淚 get invaluable networking from this for both Alaska and the 澳门老奇人论坛 Planetarium,鈥� he said. 鈥淚鈥檒l go back to Radford from this meeting with so many ideas for both.鈥�
Below is a list of Radford students who presented, along with the names of their research projects:
- Michael Ziegenfus 鈥� 鈥淒etermining Light Extinction Through Arctic Sea Ice Using a Self-Built Device,鈥�
- Bryce Pappas 鈥� 鈥淓xploring Atmospheric Light Attenuation with Two Self-Built Multi-Wavelength Sensors,鈥�
- Athena Smith 鈥� 鈥淢easuring 3D Wind Velocity Using a Self-Built Load Cell Anemometer,鈥�
- Em Paul (Southwest Virginia Governor鈥檚 School student) 鈥� 鈥淢easuring Carbon Dioxide Efflux From Arctic Environments During the Non-Growing Season,鈥�
- Eniko Szabad and Em Stipes 鈥� 鈥淩aspberry Pi Based Studies of Data from the Global Navigation Satellite Systems,鈥�
- Garrett O'Hara 鈥�24 鈥� 鈥淪ea Ice Seismicity Near Utqia摹vik, Alaska, Using an Inexpensive Triaxial Seismic Sensor,鈥� and
- Weston Smith (Southwest Virginia Governor鈥檚 School student) 鈥� 鈥淭he Influence of UV-A & Infrared Exposure on the Reproductive Capabilities of Polar & Mid-Latitudinal Cyanobacteria.鈥�
Attending AGU 鈥渨as a phenomenal way to end my Arctic research experience, said Paul, a Blacksburg High School and Governor鈥檚 School student. 鈥淚 was able to stand next to my peers and proudly present my research, and I got the chance to speak with people from Belgium, France, Germany and China and world-renowned universities like Caltech and MIT. I was able to receive feedback from professionals from across the world in high school, and that is invaluable.鈥�
Radford faculty presented at AGU, too
In addition to Herman, three Radford faculty members presented their research at AGU. Those included:
- Assistant Professor of Geospatial Science Naveen Joseph 鈥� 鈥淓valuating the Associations between Environmental Contaminants, Socioeconomic Factors and Adverse Human Health Outcomes in a Changing Climate,鈥�
- Assistant Professor of Geology Hannah Krueger 鈥� 鈥淗igh and Low Shear Velocity Layering In The Cratonic Lithosphere,鈥� and
- Associate Professor of Geology Ryan Sincavage 鈥� 鈥淎n Exhumed Corrugated Extensional Detachment and the Boundary-Parallel Kinematics of the Accretion Complex in the Calabria-Apulia Collision.鈥�
Joseph鈥檚 research focuses on food insecurity, he explained, which is a serious concern in the United States as around 33 million people in the nation are food insecure.
鈥淢oreover, food insecurity has led to negative health outcomes, including diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.鈥� His research aims to evaluate the relationships between food insecurity, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.
鈥淚 have used the data sets from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the United States Department of Agriculture for the analysis,鈥� Joseph explained. 鈥淭he results showed that both diabetes and cardiovascular diseases are closely associated with food insecurity in the United States.鈥�
AGU is the destination for many scientists in Joseph鈥檚 field, geohealth, he said, with 435 abstract submissions this year. 鈥淭his is a great place to connect and interact with many scientists across the field of geohealth and to kickstart multiple collaborations for the students at 澳门老奇人论坛.鈥�
There was more undergrad research to see at Winter CARD
Washington, D.C., wasn鈥檛 the only place to learn about the research Radford undergraduate students are delving into. The Office of Undergraduate Research and Scholarship (OURS) hosted its sixth annual Winter CARD (Creative Activities and Research Days) Dec. 4-5, giving hundreds of Radford undergrads an opportunity to present their research to the Highlander community.
鈥淲inter CARD is a great opportunity for Radford students to get the chance to participate in a conference without the cost of traveling,鈥� said OURS Director Joe Wirgau. 鈥淚t also provides an opportunity for our students to explain the relevance and key outcomes of their work to a general audience.鈥�
This year, 378 students participated, as did 47 faculty, representing all seven of the university鈥檚 undergraduate colleges.
The two-day event showcased a variety of topics 鈥� art, biology, chemistry, psychology and gender studies, to name a few. Winter CARD 鈥渋s open to all students presenting the creation of their new knowledge at 澳门老奇人论坛 under the mentorship of faculty,鈥� Wirgau said.