SEU Summer Research Opportunities

Greetings Natural Sciences and Math majors!
 
The School of Natural Sciences is pleased to announce the availability of summer 2017 undergraduate research positions for students doing collaborative research with St. Edward’s science and mathematics faculty. Any current St. Edward’s student with a declared major in the School of Natural Sciences is eligible to apply for a research position if you will be enrolled as an undergraduate at St. Edward’s for the fall semester of 2017.  

Two options will be offered, a one-week group research project targeted primarily to first year students that will be performed May 15-19 and a 6-9 week project targeted primarily to students who have completed more than one year of study at SEU beginning around May 22 (dates are variable depending on the supervisor).  The one-week option does not provide a stipend, but it does cover housing on campus during this period.

Students participating in the 6-9 week projects will be awarded stipends of  $1500 to $3150 (determined by class standing, research period length, and prior research experience) paid in equal increments twice monthly for full-time research done over six to nine weeks. The stipend payments will begin in mid-June, contingent upon satisfactory progress. In addition, a housing support stipend may also be paid dependent on your housing status.  This program is supported in part by the Welch Foundation, the National Science Foundation, the Jean McKemie Endowment, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, and the Brother Romard Barthel/J.D. Lewis Summer Research Funds. 

Students opting for the one-week group research project format need not contact the instructor, but they should read the articles recommended by the selected research supervisor.  Students who completed more than one year of study at SEU and excelled in their classes and who have research interests that overlap or complement those of one of the participating supervisors are preferred for the 6-9 week projects.  A student should approach a potential faculty mentor with a specific research topic in mind, or may ask a potential faculty mentor to suggest possible research projects that would be appropriate. In either case, priority for the 6-9 weeks projects will be given to students who have conferred with a potential faculty mentor and formulated general project goals prior to submission of this application. Final awards are contingent on available funds and the merit of the applicant.
 
Application Submission Deadline: March 9  
Notification: Monday, April 3
 
Questions?  Please contact the Director of NSCI Undergraduate Research.
 
Link to Summer Research Student Application: https://stedwards.co1.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_cLUAZ1rKpT2Vrut
For more information email me.
Richard L. Kopec, Ph.D.
Associate Dean, NSCI Faculty Development
Director, NSCI Undergraduate Research
Professor, Chemistry/Computer Science
St. Edward’s University
JBWS 386 
(512) 448-8464 (V)
(512) 448-8482 (FAX)

Internships at the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) – Due 3/10

Here’s a link to the Mickey Leyland Environmental Internship Program at the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.  If you’re interested in environmental science research and policy, take a few minutes to learn more from their website.

Apply here.

More info email here.

Applications are open now through March 10th.

First Weather Balloon Launch from the Hilltop!

Preparing to release the balloon in front of Main Building with Austin in the background.

Preparing to release the balloon in front of Main Building with Austin in the background on Saturday, 30 July 2016 – the first flight from St. Edward’s University.

The Tropospheric Ozone Pollution Project (TOPP) has come to the Hilltop!  The project, started by Dean of Natural Sciences Gary A. Morris in Houston in 2004, has since coordinated >750 flights  from Beaumont, College Station, Ft. Worth, Galveston, and Nacodoches in Texas; Valparaiso and Ft. Wayne in Indiana; University Park, PA; Cumberland, MD; St. Louis, MO, and Hastings, MI, as well as Las Tablas, Panama; San Jose, Costa Rica, and Sapporo, Japan.

Now we add Austin, Texas to the list.  With funding from the Capital Area Council of Governments (CAPCOG) and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), the St. Edward’s University team will fly 16 weather balloons to measure ozone along with meteorological data over the next two ozone seasons (2016 and 2017).

Ace Manning (SEU undergraduate) prepares an ozonesonde for flight while Physics Professor Paul Walter supervises.

Ace Manning (SEU undergraduate) prepares an ozonesonde for flight while Physics Professor Paul Walter supervises.

The project’s initial Austin flight occurred on Saturday, 30 July.  The launch team prepped and calibrated the instrument in the John Brooks Williams South Building, then assembled in front of historic Main Building to fill and release the balloon around 2:15 pm CDT.  The balloon ascended past 30 km at a rate of ~ 5 m/s before popping.  Members of the launch team were able to see the balloon (a small white dot) overhead for the entirety of the ascending portion of the flight.

The balloon came down near Spicewood, TX about 2 and a half hours later.  The initial ozone profiles can be found on the project website.

The second weather balloon launch has been scheduled in conjunction with the Austin Area STEM Conference for Thursday, 4 August at around 1:30 pm CDT, weather permitting.  Given the start of the construction project at Main Building, our next launch will occur on the North side of the Mary Moody Northen Theatre Building.  All are welcome to come watch.

Filling the balloon with Austin in the background

Filling the balloon with Austin in the background

Filling the balloon with historic Main Building of St. Edward's University in the background.

Filling the balloon with historic Main Building of St. Edward’s University in the background.

Flight trajectory based on GPS data for 30 July 2016 ozonesonde from St. Edward's University. Map courtesy Google Earth.

Flight trajectory based on GPS data for 30 July 2016 ozonesonde from St. Edward’s University. Map courtesy Google Earth.

Initial ozone (blue), temperature (red), and potential temperature (orange) data over Austin, Texas from ozonesonde flight of 30 July 2016.

Initial ozone (blue), temperature (red), and potential temperature (orange) data over Austin, Texas from ozonesonde flight of 30 July 2016.  The ozone layer is visible near 25 km (the peak of the blue curve), while the tropopause appears near 15 km (minimum of the red temperature curve).

Weather and Air Quality Data from St. Edward’s

You can now with find our air quality data from JBWS as reported to TCEQ.  While we’re not “on the map” yet, you can retrieve all of our data from CAMS1605 – St. Edward’s University at:

http://www.tceq.state.tx.us/cgi-bin/compliance/monops/daily_summary.pl?cams=1605

The met station on the roof of JBWS reports to TCEQ — these are high quality measurements.

We’re also now on Weather Underground – St. Edward’s University Station – KTXAUSTI815:

https://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/findweather/getForecast?query=pws:KTXAUSTI815

The meteorological measurements from the WU site are from the cheaper instrument deployed at the ozone garden.

These go along with our live weather cameras:

http://ir.stedwards.edu/images/downtown_current.jpg

http://ir.stedwards.edu/images/sky_current.jpg

and archive at:

http://ir.stedwards.edu/camera/

Thought you might like to know!  Please share with others who might have an interest!