The Leading Edge
Ogden College of Science and Engineering
Agriculture Research
and Education Complex
(January—July 2009)
July 2009
Issue 18
WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY
IN THE NEWS
Director:
Linda Gonzales
EST 237, 270-745-3151
linda.gonzales@wku.edu
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8 Undergraduate students on the Soil Judging Team competed in Spring 2009 at Ohio State University, under supervision of Dr. Becky Gilfillen
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45 Undergraduate students accompanied Dr. Gordon Jones on the Animal Science Industry Tour
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Undergraduate and graduate students accompanied by Mr. Roger Dennis, Agriculture faculty, Master Florist and Floral Designer, participated in the creation of two floral masterpieces as part of the floats at the Rose Parade in California.
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Several students are working on research projects: Amanda Swift, Sarah Thomas, Zheng Wang, Will Galbreath, Claudia Stetter Applied
Physics Institute
Architectural and
Manufacturing Science
Institute
Director:
Alex Barzilov
TCCW 214, 270-745-5484
alexander.barzilov@wku.edu
Director:
Neal Downing
EST222, 270-745-6302
neal.downing@wku.edu
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Beginning in June of 2009, API added 11 new students, and six students returned for the summer from the previous semester
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9 students employed for 'Real­World' applications
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Mobile unit for Unexploded Ordinance (UXO) confirmation, used to segregate UXO and inert items by interrogating them with a neutron generator and measuring its elemental content via wavelet­based spectral analysis of induced gamma rays.
22 Active Design Projects on the Drawing Board
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8 Design Projects under Construction
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AMSI surpassed $12 million in Construction Value for Built Works to date
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AMSI established collaborative w/ WKU Bookstore to produce laser etched memorabilia ·
Waterborne Threat Interdiction (WTI) system, used to deter underwater threats
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Neutron­based system for underwater threat detection and
identification
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Portable Community Infrastructure Resiliency System (PCIRS), used for rapid response to a crisis in electrical­energy infrastructure Bioinformatics &
Information
Science Center
Center for
Biodiversity Studies
Biotechnology
Center
Director:
Scott Grubbs
TCNW 107, 270-745-5048
scott.grubbs@wku.edu
Director:
Nancy Rice
TCNW 201, 270-745-5995
nancy.rice@wku.edu
Director:
Claire Rinehart
TCNW 121, 270-745-5997
claire.rinehart@wku.edu
Director:
Andrew Ernest
TCCW 105, 270-745-8895
andrew.ernest@wku.edu
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Meredith Bartley, 2009 graduate is currently spending ten weeks at Oregon State University's H. J. Andrews Biological Station with the prestigious Ecosystem Informatics Summer Institute
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Dr. Jeff Marcus published two papers, one on the upper Green River Barcode of Life Project and another on Transposon Mapping Exercises in an Undergraduate Genetics Course.
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Awarded 3­year NSF Advanced Technological Education grant for the Water and Wastewater Technician Training Institute (WTTI).
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The Upper Green River Biological Preserve in Hart County recently acquired an additional 270 acres with funds provided by the Kentucky Heritage Land Conservation Fund
Dr. Zhonghang Xia published a paper on "Finding Significantly Expressed genes from time­course expression profiles."
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Presentations were made by Sailaja Marpuri, Jennifer Forbes­Stovall, Chia­Hui Lin, Julie Schuck and Christa Gaskill presented posters at the UT­ ORNL­KBRIN Bioinformatics Summit, Mar. 20­22, 2009.
Received MOA through the KY Energy and Environment Cabinet to maintain the KY WARN website, which is used by utilities to initiate mutual assistance in the event of an emergency.
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Seven platform presentations and one poster presentation were accepted at KY Water Resources Research Institute’s annual conference in March 2009.
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Rick Fowler established a collaboration with BISC Director to propel the development of new mathematical model for Microbial Source Tracking (MST) by Gatton Academy student Kevin Andrew.
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Rick Fowler was invited speaker at 17 th Karstological School held June 14­20 in Postojna, Slovenia. ·
This summer Dr. Michael Stokes led students through his annual African Wildlife Ecology and Management course experiences in South Africa and Kenya
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Miller Jarrell and Mary Penick, both graduate students, presented at the 2009 North American Benthological Society meeting in Grand Rapids, Michigan in May
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Dr. Albert Meier presented an update on WKU's continued involvement in the Kentucky Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program at the 2009 Ecological Society of America meeting in Albuquerque in August ·
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Bonnie McCullagh, a junior majoring in Biology and History, spent 10 weeks this summer working in Dr. Johnathan Whetstine's laboratory at Harvard University
Bonnie was nominated for this opportunity by her faculty research mentor, Dr. Jeff Marcus in the spring. Dr. Whetstine is a WKU alumna whose lab studies the impact of histone methylation and acetylation dynamics on development and cancer pathology
Dr. Whetstine was enthusiastic about supporting his alma mater with this opportunity for a WKU Biology student
This summer research experience at Harvard was made possible through support from the Dean of Ogden College, Dr. Blaine Ferrell ·
Presentations were made by LiPeng Bi,Brian Groce, Justin Padgett, Kristina Tackett, and Sanjay Varikuti presented at the Annual Meeting of Southeastern Society of Parasitologists, 2009. Center for Water Resource
Studies
Feature Article
Agriculture Research
and Education Complex — AREC The Agriculture Research and Education Center (AREC) has been a part of the ARTP program of distinction since its inception. Like most of the centers in the ARTP, it existed and provided essential experiences and services to the science and practice of this discipline long before it was formalized into the program of distinction. Still commonly referred to as “the farm,” this Center is the site of research and demonstration experiments for the benefit of scholars and local industry. Students are involved in all aspects of these activities. The AREC is a critical component of their education as a site for gaining experience, conducting research and trying new enterprises and techniques. There are 780 acres with corn, soybeans, wheat, grass for hay and alfalfa growing, as well as supporting the livestock for beef backgrounding and dairy, beef, swine, equine and goat enterprises and experiments. In addition, AREC is the site of the USDA Agriculture Research Service’s Animal Waste Management Re­ search Unit. Together with WKU AREC faculty and students, they strive to solve problems associated with animal waste in an environmentally sound manner with consideration for the unique problems associated with the geological karst topography of the region. There have been several experiments with chicken manure in response to the boom in broiler houses in Kentucky. Recent work involves an entrepreneurial spirit as the research leads to products that can have “value­added” by proc­ essing after harvest. Grape research leads to wine­making experimentation and demonstration, just as milking the dairy cattle naturally brings us to cheese production. A partnership with the Department of Engineering is making it possible to convert used cooking oil from cam­ pus to diesel fuel to power the farm and research machinery of AREC. Another experiment that focuses on energy from biofuels involves using the heat from mulch production to heat a greenhouse and using solar panels too. The Live Animal Evaluation facility opened in 2006. It was constructed to conduct practical research and to demonstrate methods to enhance profitability of weaned calves through preconditioning and development during the stock phase. Currently, nearly 1,200 head/year are backgrounded, providing important data for Ken­ tucky beef producers. Many other research efforts are under­ way. Animal scientists conduct nutrition, breeding and management experiments. The Turf Manage­ ment program evaluates species and varieties of golf­course grasses, looking at disease and insect susceptibility and use potential. Agriculture Me­ chanics specialists and Agriculture Economists evaluate structures and machines and the cost­ effectiveness. Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 1. Mr. Roger Dennis, Instructor in the Department of Agriculture, walks the newly estab­ lished gardens with graduate student, Will Galbreath. Figure 2. Undergraduate and graduate student workers tend the vineyard and take data at AREC. Dr. Todd Willian, weed science specialist, directs the Master’s Thesis of Will Galbreath entitled “Influence of various weed management Figure 3
practices on growth and winter hardiness of two grape cultivars.” Galbreath is one of the several graduate students partially supported by the pro­ gram of distinction funds. Figure 3. Undergraduate student worker takes soil samples for the project “Influence of Tillage and Fertilizer Regime on Soil Nutrient Accumula­ tions and Corn Grain Yield”. Principal investigator is Dr. Becky Gilfillen and the project is funded by the USDA­ARS. Student experience is aug­ mented by the program of distinction funds by providing the capacity for students to participate in professional meetings to present research and to compete in intercollegiate soil judging. Feature Article
Applied Physics Institute — API Beginning in June of 2009, API added 11 new students; Gordon Gameson, Travis Morrison, Sean Hamlet, Alex Berry, Jonathan Craft, Kate Gordon, Mayme Van Meveren, Jacob Baxley, Kolton Jones, Sarah Huey, and Aaron Bell; to their team of researchers and assistants. Six students returned for the summer from the previous semester: Seth Hulsey, Mike Gorski, Brian Cooper, DeWayne Sowell, Mike Simpson, and Kendra Miller. Along with the new student staff, the Applied Physics Institute made a big change as their previous direc­ tor handed his position over to a colleague and left the team. Director Dr. Phillip Womble left API on Au­ gust 1, to manage the NACMAST Enterprise contract for EWA, and Dr. Alexander Barzilov, took over the position as the new Director of API. With their new team, students and staff will begin the new school year by continuing work on projects that began at the beginning of the summer. Although some of the projects originated before many of the students began their jobs at API, their individual work on them did not start until June of 2009. The research projects conducted at API are in areas of nuclear physics and engineering, mate­ rial science, electronics and wireless data communication, and homeland security. All research performed here is hands­on and provides real world learning opportunities for students. Currently, several students are working on the mobile unit for Unexploded Ordinance (UXO) con­ firmation. The project began in the spring of 2008. Once completed, the unit will be used to segregate UXO and inert items by interrogating them with a neutron generator and measuring its elemental content via wavelet­based spectral analysis of induced gamma rays. In addition, students are continuing work on the remotely controlled platform for radiation­based analysis and imaging systems. Other projects that are in progress at API include the Waterborne Threat Interdiction (WTI) sys­ tem being developed to deter underwater threats, the Portable Community Infrastructure Resiliency Sys­ tem (PCIRS) for rapid response to a crisis in electrical­energy infrastructure, and the neutron­based sys­ tem for underwater threat detection and identification. API continues the team work with UK researchers on milk transport safety system, which will secure milk delivery safety from the farm to a processing plant. Biomedical applications of science and engineering are also an important direction of API re­ search. The wireless EKG system, which is currently under development, will allow doctors to conduct sleep studies remotely from their offices on patients at home. The radiation biophysics studies include computational brachytherapy and small dose effects. With continuing past projects, as well as the beginning of new ones, students at API will remain busy this fall semester with their research. The Applied Physics Institute is excited to have new members on their team of researchers, in addition to returning students, to continue moving forward in developing new applied solutions and innovative ideas. Figure 1: Travis Morrison, Sean Hamlet (Students using neutron interro­ gation to analyze the chemical make­up of “unknown” substances) Figure 2: Michael Simpson, Sean Hamlet, Travis Morrison and Alex Berry ( Students standing in front of the autonomous ATV project de­ signed to utilize a mobile neutron interrogation method)
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ARTP Office
Ogden College of Science
and Engineering
TCCW 100
1906 College Heights Blvd.
Engineering
Services Center
Hoffman Environmental
Research Institute
Institute for
Astrophysics and Space
Director:
Kevin Schmaltz
EBS 2210, 270-745-8859
kevin.schmaltz@wku.edu
Director:
Chris Groves
EST 401, 270-745-5201
chris.groves@wku.edu
Director:
Michael Carini
TCCW 229, 270-745-6198
mike.carini@wku.edu
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ME Senior awarded Governor's Innovation Award at Idea State University
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EE senior projects: Void Detection Robot, Web Accessible Robotic Device, hybrid electrical bicycle, remote underwater search­and­ rescue device
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ME seniors projects: vision­based quality control, military vehicle enhanced cooling, biodiesel facility and novel residential roof cooling
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Engineering students competed at ASCE, IEEE, ASME and SAE competition
Bowling Green, KY 42101
270-745-8892
270-745-8893 Fax
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Blaine Ferrell
Director, Dean OCSE
TCCW 105
270-745-4448
blaine.ferrell@wku.edu
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Shivendra Sahi
Assistant Director
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TCNW 105
270-745-6012
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EE students working on Campus Navigation Communication Device and electronic bike rack
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ME students completed phase II of a human powered water purification system shiv.sahi@wku.edu
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Marilyn Anderson
Engineering faculty/students ran elementary/middle school LEGO competition
Assistant to the Dean
TCCW 100A
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The UNESCO Project "Global Study of Karst Aquifers and Water Resources," Directed by the Hoffman Institute’s Chris Groves, got an "Excellent" rating by a United Nations review panel in Paris, France
Assistant
TCCW 100D
270-745-8890
cindy.graham@wku.edu
Shavonna Smith
Research Coordinator
TCCW 100C
270-745-2761
Institute for Combustion
Science and Environmental
Technology
Director:
Wei-Ping Pan
2413 Nashville Rd.,
270-745-2272
wei-ping.pan@wku.edu
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ICSET is studying the removal of CO2 emissions from coal­fired power plant emissions without excessive energy costs associated with current methods
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ICSET is in the process of establishing a theoretical frame for reaction enthalpy, chemical equilibrium and chemical reaction kinetics for methanol synthesis and bio­oil transestrification
shavonna.smith@wku.edu
Wanda Johnson
Operations Specialist
TCCW 100B
270-745-8894
wanda.johnson@wku.edu
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Lisa Haynes
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Office Coordinator
EST 438
270-745-3252
lisa.haynes@wku.edu
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The IASS welcomes the new Observatory Education Scientist, Dr. Rachel Campbell
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IASS faculty made several visits to local schools in support of overall STEM education improvements in the WKU service region
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IASS faculty and staff organized and participated in the Physics Olympics Competition and continued their heavy involvement in the Kentucky Science Olympiad State tournament
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Dr. Michael Carini, IASS Director, assumed the Directorship of the Kentucky Space Grant Consortium and NASA EPSCoR program, replacing Dr. Karen Hackney who retired from WKU in June after more than 30 years of dedicated service to WKU Cindy Graham
Administrative Research
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A team from the Institute's Crawford Hydrology lab traveled to Jamaica to assist the Jamaican Water Resources Authority in groundwater management planning
A CEHP team traveled to Yunnan Province China to film a project documentary and to prepare for an August training workshop for Chinese government hydrologists
marilyn.anderson@wku.edu
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The Vietnam Education Foundation awarded full support for a Vietnamese post­doctoral research scientist to work at the Hoffman Institute for one year starting in October 2009
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270-745-8891
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In collaboration with partners the Institute's China Environmental Health Project (CEHP) installed water treatment systems providing pure water to 35 government­run orphanages in China's Hunan Province
Sharon McGowan
Office Associate
TCCW 100B
270-745-8892
sharon.mcgowan@wku.edu
Website:
http://www.wku.edu/artp
Feedback:
lisa.haynes@wku.edu
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Studying the partitioning of mercury, arsenic, selenium, boron, and chloride in a full­scale coal combustion process equipped with selective catalytic reduction, electrostatic precipitation, and flue gas desulfurization system
Measurement of vapor phase mercury emissions at coal­fired power plants using regular and speciating sorbent traps with in­stack and out­of­stack sampling methods Kentucky
Climate Center
Advanced Materials
Institute
Director:
Stuart Foster
EST 304, 270-745-5983
stuart.foster@wku.edu
Director:
Darwin Dahl
TCNW 300/301, 270-780-2568
darwin.dahl@wku.edu
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The Materials Characterization Center (MCC) has a new name: Advanced Materials Institute (AMI) (to be made official after Board of Reagents Approval)
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AMI has made a successful move this summer from South Campus to TCNW 300 and 301
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The TCNW home is temporary until the proposed new facility within ICSET is complete
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A restructuring coupled with a new mission involving multiple departments is being developed
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AMI is part of a 4.5 million dollar grant proposal (NSF MRI­R2) submitted August 2009 to initiate this change ·
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The KCC released a new web­ based product that highlights patterns of climate variability and change in Kentucky. Users can explore historical trends of temperature and precipitation on an annual, seasonal, and monthly basis
Jane Marie Wix and Danny Gant, both junior meteorology majors and student research assistants in the KCC, were awarded a highly competitive 2009 Student Career Experience Program internship from the National Weather Service.
Astrid González, a junior meteorology major and student research assistant in the KCC, was awarded a research internship at the National Weather Center in Norman, Oklahoma. She was one of 10 students chosen from a pool of 80 for the National Science Foundation summer research experience for undergraduates
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The KY Mesonet statewide network of automated weather and climate monitoring stations includes 33 operational stations as of mid August.
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6 papers were published