Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP)
2013 Ocean Technology Challenge
Last year, COSEE-TEK worked with one of its foundational partners, the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP) program at the University of Connecticut to offer an “Ocean Science and Technology Institute” for the LSAMP undergraduate scholars. The goals of the Institute were to provide students an orientation to ocean science and technology, expose them to ocean science and technology careers, provide them the opportunity to work as a team to build ocean technology and conduct hands-on oceanographic sampling on board the Project Oceanology’s EnviroLab2 vessel. As a foray into DIY (do it yourself) ocean sensors, the students worked in teams to build hydrophones from the ground up using a design developed by COSEE-TEK during a spring, 2012 Teacher Technology Experience working with teachers from the American School for the Deaf in West Hartford, CT (
COSEE-TEK Build-a-Hydrophone Resource).
In Spring 2013, COSEE-TEK will broaden participation with LSAMP to UConn’s Northeast Alliance Partners; Worcester Polytechnic Institute, University of Rhode Island, Northeastern University and the University of Massachusetts. A team of students from each school will work together to design, build and field test a sensor or sampling device in Long Island Sound. COSEE-TEK is working with the Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection (DEEP) and one option will be for the students to test their devices at the New London Disposal Site. This site is an active open water dredged material disposal site located about 3 miles south of UConn’s Avery Point campus in Groton, CT.
Map of New London Disposal Site (USACE/DAMOS) |
For the Ocean Technology Challenge, a team of undergraduate science and engineering students from each institution will address a relevant environmental monitoring issue and design, build, and test a sensor or sampler during a two-day oceanographic field experience aboard Project Oceanology’s
EnviroLab2 Research Vessel.
The project kick-off will begin with the University of Connecticut Northeast LSAMP Alliance Winter Symposium planned for Friday January 25, 2013 from 2pm - 6pm at the South Campus Rome Ballroom on the Storrs Campus. COSEE-TEK staff will present a brief overview of coastal monitoring, present examples of oceanographic technology to address coastal monitoring and engage the students in a Q&A session to get their gears in motion. Stay tuned as the project gets underway. This website will also host an interactive blog to encourage collaboration between students, researchers, and universities.
Resources
USACE Dredged Material Management Program (http://www.nae.usace.army.mil/damos/pdf/dmmp.pdf)
USACE Disposal Area Monitoring System – New London Disposal Site (http://www.nae.usace.army.mil/damos/mapsinfo.asp?myname=NewLondon)
