CSC News

November 30, 2006

Kang Involved in Earth System Research Collaboration

Dr. Jaewoo Kang, assistant professor of computer science, is collaborating with researchers from the department of Marine, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (MEAS) in NC State’s College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences on a significant research effort to develop an advanced Earth observing system to address specific concerns such as hurricanes, drought, tornadoes, and ecosystem degradation.
 
The National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) awarded a total of $12.5 million to fund the proposed Interdisciplinary Scientific Environmental Technology (ISET) Cooperative Research and Education Center at NC A&T State University, the overall lead institution.
 
The ISET Center is organized in five interrelated and united research themes and involves a wide and diverse range of scientists, engineers and educators from NC A&T, NC State, University of Minnesota, UNC–Pembroke, City University of New York, University of Alaska Southeast, California State University – Fresno, Fisk University and industrial, state and federal government partners.
 
NC State University is the lead university for the research component focused on the analysis of global observing systems that includes numerical and physical research and analysis of hurricanes. The other two research thrusts for ISET are, sensor science and sensor technology for oceanic and atmospheric applications; and information technology tools for data fusion, data mining, and geospatial modeling and analysis.
 
NC State’s share of the research funding is almost $1M.
 
Joining Kang on the NC State research team will be PI Dr. Fredrick Semazzi and co-PIs, Drs. Lian Xie, and Jingpu Liu, all of MEAS.
 
The award will run from September 1, 2006 through August 31, 2011.
 
Research Summary - The research themes have potential for making a significant impact on NOAA's "Scientific Environmental Technology." The themes support and complement each other to provide answers to the capstone issue of the century: Climate Change.
 
At the forefront of NOAA's effort to meet U.S. and global demand for environmental/ecological modeling and forecasting is the need to continue to develop more sophisticated integrated observation systems on multiple scales; urban, regional, national and global. The research topics in the Center address this need and others; including (1) fundamental studies on physical, chemical and biological processes in the atmosphere, space and sensor science, (2) sensors technology and development for oceanographic and atmospheric applications, (3) analysis of global observing systems; including numerical and physical research, GIS and analysis of hurricanes, and (4) information technology tools for data fusion mining and analysis.
 
The program will involve development of underrepresented minority students and faculty in NOAA core science areas.
 
The Center will provide unique and comprehensive opportunities for students to conduct degree research in specific areas across disciplines to produce optimal research outcomes. Collaborative faculty and student research studies will be conducted at NOAA labs. Thesis, dissertation or undergraduate capstone experience projects consisting of cross-cutting research emphasizing one or more research themes, with topics spanning from mitigation of climate variability, to basic science, sensor science in GHG, aerosols, sensor technology development, information technology in data mining, fusion and analysis will be developed. Other project areas of interest will emerge during the course of this project.
 
Finally, the Center has an optimal mix of ethnic and geographic distributions and links to prominent major institutions. The lead institution, NC A&T State University, is a research-intensive interdisciplinary university and the nation’s leading producer of African American scientists and engineers.

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