NEMAC News

UNC-Asheville's NEMAC Hosts Chocolate Friday: GIS Day Celebration

2008-11-18T09:48:00.002-05:00

Chocolate Friday

Brought to you by UNC Asheville’s NEMAC

Everyone is welcome... interesting presentations, lively conversation and excellent chocolate...

November 21, 2008

Theme: GIS Celebration Day

3:00 – 5:00pm

New Venue: Chestnut Ridge Room, Reuter Center, UNC Asheville

A Community Collaborative Approach for Developing GIS Applications: The Steep Slope Calculator and mapWNC.org

Jason Mann, GIS and Application Services Manager, City of Asheville

Dave Michelson, GIS Analyst, City of Asheville

Gene Hume, GIS Coordinator, Buncombe County

Vicki Magnis, GIS Developer/Analyst, Buncombe County

Greg Dobson, GIS Coordinator, UNC Asheville’s NEMAC

The City of Asheville, Buncombe County, and RENCI – UNC Asheville have successfully partnered to produce an online community tool in response to local "steep slope" ordinances. Given that the ordinances require slope to be calculated by parcel boundaries, a traditional GIS overlay district could not feasibly be used due to the fact that parcel boundaries change frequently (thus the overlay district would have to be continuously updated). The proposed alternative was to create a method by which government staff, developers, and private citizens could, in real time, evaluate a given parcel and dynamically analyze the slope to determine if ordinance restrictions apply. The “Steep Slope Calculator” has become part of mapWNC.org, an effort to provide innovative web-based mapping solutions to address issues that affect our region. This presentation will discuss technical lessons learned from developing the tool, and the nature of the collaboration and mapWNC.org.

GIS Technology and Its Applications: Bridging the Gap

Clay Tabor, UNC Asheville Student and NEMAC GIS Student Researcher

Geographic Information System (GIS) is a dynamic and evolving field that combines various computer technologies to manage, display, and analyze spatially referenced data. From its roots in geographic research, the use GIS technologies are quickly expanding to a variety of fields. With such demand, the number of GIS programs and features are rapidly increasing. However, as the integration of GIS into various fields increases, so has the integration between GIS applications. This integration between applications as well as the response to the needs of specific research has allowed GIS technologies to flourish. The presentation will attempt to illustrate the process, work involved, and results of working with these various GIS applications. Using specific examples from summer research with NEMAC, the presentation will provide a glimpse into the potential of GIS integration with other technologies. These examples will come from the field of atmospheric sciences, which is still in its early stages of GIS embrace. Included will be the work done for the Greenville-Spartanburg national weather service office and the various geospatial web applications. These projects demonstrate the unique challenges and benefits of working with GIS. The results convey the promise of this new field as a means for analysis and display of data throughout many domains.

Multigraph: A New Tool for Viewing Historical Weather Records in a Geographic Context

Mark Phillips, Research Scientist, UNC Asheville’s NEMAC / NCDC

This will be an informal demonstration of new software that is being developed at NEMAC and NCDC for viewing time series data such as historical temperature and precipitation records in a geographic context. The software runs in a web browser and can be used in combination with web mapping tools such as Google Maps.

UNCA's NEMAC Hosts Chocolate Friday on Climate Change

2008-09-04T09:45:00.005-04:00

Chocolate Friday is a research and idea-sharing event sponsored by the University of North Carolina at Asheville's National Environmental Modeling and Analysis Center (NEMAC). Typically, each Chocolate Friday features presentations from NEMAC staff, UNCA faculty, student researchers, and visiting professionals. The event is open to anyone who is interested. This academic year, Chocolate Fridays are scheduled to be held from 3:00 to 5:00 at the Chestnut Ridge Room, Reuter Center, UNC Asheville. The spring schedule includes a variety of themes, and will attract individuals from our greater community.

And yes, chocolate is served!

October 3, 2008

Theme: Climate Change

3:00 – 5:00pm

New Venue: Chestnut Ridge Room, Reuter Center, UNC Asheville

Planning for Climate Change: A Handbook for Rural and Urban Area Planners

Joan M. Walker, CERO Summer Intern, NEMAC/NCDC

Climate change is a global problem that will be solved largely at the local level. The ways in which communities plan for the future will determine not only their impact on climate change, but also how resilient these communities will be to the effects of climate change. "Planning for Climate Change,” a cooperative effort by the National Environmental Modeling Center, National Climatic Data Center, and the Environmental Quality Institute, and is geared towards preparing local planners for the effects that climate change will have on their communities, ways that they can adapt to these impacts, as well as outlining strategies for mitigating green house gas emissions at the local level.

Joan M. Walker is a recent graduate of the Environmental Studies Department at UNCA. Her degree concentration is Environmental Management and Policy, and she also holds a minor in Economics. Along with several other dedicated students, Joan participated in acquiring the student Green Fee, the first student fee specifically intended for sustainability projects on campus, co-founded the Student Environmental Center at UNCA, where she served as research assistant and director. Joan is currently working at the Land of Sky Regional Council as part of Americorps' Project Conserve.

Climate Change and the Local Economy

Scott Shuford, President, Shuford Planning Services; author of Planning for Climate Change: A Handbook for Urban and Rural Area Planners

Economic development impacts resulting from climate change may well prove to be one of the most significant issues of concern for local economic development in the future. Industries and people have always migrated because of climate. Water supply problems, difficulties in finding affordable insurance, availability of cheaper shipping, and other factors affected by climate change may cause businesses and industries to relocate to more advantageous places. Migration, therefore, has enormous implications for local economies, creating different issues depending upon whether business is moving in or is moving out. Additionally, the dependence of much of our local economy on global economic conditions increases our vulnerability to changing markets, resource limitations, social unrest, and other global factors that may also be strongly influenced by climate change.

Scott Shuford worked in a variety of local government planning programs for over 25 years before starting his planning consulting firm, Shuford Planning Services, in 2007. He has worked in senior planning positions in Asheville (where he served as Planning and Development Director for the eight years prior to establishing Shuford Planning Services), in the cities of St. Petersburg and Clearwater in Florida, in Brevard County, Florida, and in Wilmington and Carolina Beach in North Carolina. His experience in a wide range of local government settings attracted the attention of UNC Asheville’s NEMAC and NOAA's National Climatic Data Center, leading to a collaborative project designed to bring climate change science to urban and rural areas through the creation of a practical handbook for professional planners. Scott received his Master of Regional Planning degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1981. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners.

The Climate Crisis: Turning Information into Action

Mary Lynn Manns, Associate Professor, Management and Accountancy, UNC Asheville

Most people will agree that climate change is an important issue and it is a good idea to take actions that will have a positive effect on the environment. But “good” ideas often fail. Even when people nod their heads to convincing information, it can be difficult to persuade them to take action. Mary Lynn Manns will discuss why the climate crisis is a unique and challenging problem in “change.” She will present the relevant issues in “change theory” and suggest strategies that scientists and other communicators can use to encourage the general public to make lifestyle choices and persuade decision and policy makers to support climate change initiatives.

Mary Lynn Manns is an Associate Professor in the Management and Accountancy department at UNCA. Her concentration in management information systems includes a specialty in change leadership. She is co-author of the popular book, Fearless Change: Patterns for Introducing New Ideas and does many presentations on this topic.

For more information on Chocolate Fridays:

http://orgs.unca.edu/nemac/

Did you know…

UNC Asheville's NEMAC engages students in paid undergraduate research and community internship projects year round. NEMAC is always on the lookout for faculty in various departments who are willing to serve as mentors for these students. For further information please contact Susan Weatherford at sweather@unca.edu.

UNCA's NEMAC Hosts Chocolate Friday on Land Use Planning

2008-04-18T12:11:00.005-04:00

Chocolate Friday is a research and idea-sharing event sponsored by the University of North Carolina at Asheville's National Environmental Modeling and Analysis Center (NEMAC). Typically, each Chocolate Friday features presentations from NEMAC staff, UNCA faculty, student researchers, and visiting professionals. The event is open to anyone who is interested. This academic year, Chocolate Fridays are scheduled to be held from 3:00 to 5:00 at the Asheville Chamber of Commerce in their Board Room, located on Montford Ave. The spring schedule includes a variety of themes, and will attract individuals from our greater community.

And yes, chocolate is served!

The fourth Chocolate Friday of Spring 2008 is April 25 and features three presentations on Land Use Planning.

Beaches vs. Buildings: Coastal Management in North Carolina

Andy Coburn, Assoc. Director, Program for the Study of Developed Shorelines, Western Carolina University

Andy’s presentation will focus on coastal development, beach erosion and how North Carolina manages its developed shorelines. He will discuss coastal storm impacts (including Katrina), structural and nonstructural coastal management alternatives, sea level rise, good and bad state coastal policies (more bad than good), current pressures and anticipated problems and issues. Andy will also discuss the PSDS (Program for the Study of Developed Shorelines), what we do and why a coastal science and policy center at WCU makes sense.

GIS in Support of Regional Planning

Tom Tribble, Manager, Asheville Field Office, NC Center for Geographic Information & Analysis (CGIA)

GIS and Geospatial Imaging Technology support a broad range of applications. This presentation will describe two applications by CGIA, the State’s lead agency for GIS. One is a joint project with NCDOT and USGS to map land cover to support water quality and transportation planning in the Upper French Broad river basin. The second describes GIS support to the Sustainable Sandhills initiative, an EPA funded effort to support sustainability planning in an eleven-county region including Fort Bragg.

A Hedonic Valuation of Open Space in Buncombe County

Christie Gonzales, UNC Asheville Math Major and Farmland Values Project Undergraduate Research Student

This research examines the value of open space to property owners in Buncombe County, North Carolina. A hedonic model is used to estimate the many factors that influence residential property values, including open space. This method can improve understanding of how differing types of open space, such as protected areas, farmland, and golf courses, affect the market value of neighboring homes. This research builds on open space variables from previous literature while also determining those factors that are important to the mountainous region of Western North Carolina. The results are useful for estimating the value of open space preservation.

Stay tuned for more Chocolate Fridays in fall 2008!

WHERE: The Chamber of Commerce
36 Montford Ave , Asheville 28801

WHEN: 3:00-5:00 pm

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Contact Susan Weatherford (250-3890)

UNCA's NEMAC Hosts Chocolate Friday on Water Resources

2008-03-25T16:38:00.003-04:00

Chocolate Friday is a research and idea-sharing event sponsored by the University of North Carolina at Asheville's National Environmental Modeling and Analysis Center (NEMAC). Typically, each Chocolate Friday features presentations from NEMAC staff, UNCA faculty, student researchers, and visiting professionals. The event is open to anyone who is interested. This academic year, Chocolate Fridays are scheduled to be held from 3:00 to 5:00 at the Asheville Chamber of Commerce in their Board Room, located on Montford Ave. The spring schedule includes a variety of themes, and will attract individuals from our greater community.

And yes, chocolate is served!

The third Chocolate Friday of 2008 is March 28 and features four presentations on Water Resources.

Water Quality Trends in Buncombe County Streams

Marilyn Westphal, Volunteer Water Information Network (VWIN) Coordinator, Environmental Quality Institute, UNC Asheville

The Volunteer Water Information Network of the Environmental Quality Institute has been monitoring Buncombe County streams monthly for over fifteen years. Samples are analyzed for stream sedimentation and water clarity, nutrients, and heavy metals. Over the period of analysis, water quality trends related to stream flow, time, season, and land use have become evident. This presentation will discuss some of these trends, as well as other water quality trends that are evident throughout the mountain region.

Watershed Assessment and Restoration: An Overview of Typical State-Level Programs

Barry Evans, Penn State Institutes of Energy and the Environment (PSIE)

An overview will be provided of typical, federally-mandated state-level programs that are driven by the requirements of the national Clean Water Act. The focus will be on the process of how “impaired waters” are identified, how water quality problems are quantified, and how watershed restoration efforts are undertaken. Material and examples will be drawn primarily from state agency programs in Pennsylvania and North Carolina.

Challenges of Water Resource Management: A Regulator’s Perspective

G. Landon Davidson, NCDENR – Division of Water Quality, Aquifer Protection Section

North Carolina’s natural resources provide the foundation of our economy. Perhaps more importantly, these very resources are what make North Carolina a desirable place to live, a place to explore our heritage and build on our future. However, sustainable management of our natural resources, such as water, is a monumental challenge. The water resource has quickly moved from an assumed promise to a questionable and dubious prospect. From the regulators’ perspectives, we are facing an ever-increasing and often daunting task. We are now aware that our current approach to managing the water resource is highly stressed and very likely not sustainable given the projected population growth and the associated environmental stressors. Natural resource stressors such as drought only exacerbate the issues. Therein, we’ve now recognized that broadening of our perspective through collaboration and through innovative approaches is no longer a vague option but a specific mandate. To simply maintain our current level of regulated oversight, with the increasing demands on our water resource, will require advanced planning, implementation of new technologies, and expanded partnering with a variety of stakeholders. Understanding and fully appreciating the necessity of technical fieldwork while acknowledging the value and expanded scale environmental modeling provides, requires a balance of internal resources and focus. To move beyond our current level of water resource management will require substantial vision coupled with a commitment on all levels by resource users. In-depth assessment of the resource itself followed by expanded support for implementing sustainable measures by all of us is a necessity.

Models for Management, the Owasco Lake Watershed View

Bob Brower, CEO and Chair, Institute for the Application of Geospatial Technology (IAGT), Cayuga Community College

This presentation will demonstrate a viewer, a geospatial information tool that is intended to provide local decision-makers and watershed advocates with a “bridge” to the science of watershed management, including nutrient transport models. The presentation will include a brief description of the tool’s development and use, and will advocate for the value of three-dimensional visualization as the foundation of the bridge. Reference will also be included to the related deployment of a lake monitoring buoy in Owasco Lake.

Stay tuned for more Chocolate Fridays in 2008!

April 25: Land Use Planning

WHERE: The Chamber of Commerce

36 Montford Ave , Asheville 28801

WHEN: 3:00-5:00 on Fridays
(check the schedule for upcoming days)

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Contact Susan Weatherford (250-3890)

UNCA's NEMAC Hosts Chocolate Friday Bonus Session on Improving Science and Math Education

2008-02-19T15:11:00.008-05:00

And yes, chocolate is served!

A bonus Chocolate Friday event "Improving Science and Math Education" will be held April 4th in the Chestnut Ridge Room in the UNCA Reuter Center . America struggles with science and math education as well as technical literacy; too many students are deficient and too many teachers not well qualified. At the same time, schools are increasingly challenged; almost half the public school students in the South are now in poverty. As a result, American innovation and competitiveness is weakened. In Asheville and Buncombe County, employers -- such as Mission Hospital -- struggle to find mathematically competent employees and thus weaken our own innovation and competitiveness.

These talks demonstrate three approaches taken by UNC Asheville to address those challenges: a community-campus project, programs to improve the K-12 to campus linkage, and an innovative mathematics program for college students.

Civil Rights and the Algebra Project
Janet Moore, Director of Community Relations and Marketing, Mission Hospitals
Harry Harrison, Executive Director YMI Cultural Center; Former CEO, African American Museum of Philadelphia; VP Museum of African American History in Detroit.
An innovative approach to combining civil rights and numeracy was pioneered by Robert Moses, a civil rights veteran and organizer of "The Algebra Project." The Algebra Project seeks to impact the struggle for citizenship and equality by assisting students in the inner city and rural areas to achieve mathematics literacy. The project has successfully engaged students in higher order thinking and problem solving; as a result, the Project has spread through many states. On February 27, Mission Hospital funding and strong community support brought Robert Moses for a day and half of workshops and presentations. This presentation describes how this approach developed in the US and the potential application of similar numeracy initiatives here.

Improving STEM Education at UNC Asheville
Sam Kaplan, Associate Professor Mathematics
The National Academy of Science Committee on Science, Engineering and Public Policy has determined that improving mathematics and science education would vastly improve the pool of students interested in pursuing STEM disciplines at advanced levels and entering math and science related Þelds. Preparing the workforce for the 21st century is one of the NSF's 2008 budget priorities including programs that encourage student interest in STEM Þelds at all grade levels as well as programs that build bridges between PÐ12 and higher education.
This presentation describes ongoing efforts of the UNC Asheville Mathematics Department to work with the Asheville City and Buncombe County School systems to improve the problem-solving skills of its teaching staff, increase the number of UNC Asheville Math majors serving the schools and tutors, and bolster the math literacy of the Asheville area workforce.

NSF REU Students at UNC Asheville Perform Original Research in Mathematics
Patrick Bahls, Assistant Professor Mathematics
The UNC Asheville Mathematics Department is home to an NSF-sponsored Research Experience for Undergraduates summer site program. During the summer of 2007, eight undergraduate Mathematics majors from various colleges and universities nationwide came to UNC Asheville to perform original research in mathematics. Having been provided the opportunity to explore unsolved mathematical problems early in their academic careers, these students have been given a head start as researchers, fortifying their interest and proficiency in math research and giving them an edge in obtaining competitive offers from graduate schools. Moreover, they are now well on their way to joining in the international community of scholars in their field. This presentation describes the structure of the program and examines the experience of the first cohort of students to take part in it.

Stay tuned for more Chocolate Fridays in 2008!

March 28: Water Resources

April 25: Land Use Planning

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Contact Susan Weatherford (250-3890)

UNCA's NEMAC Hosts Chocolate Friday on Urban Sustainability

2008-02-15T10:49:00.007-05:00

Chocolate Friday is a research and idea-sharing event sponsored by the University of North Carolina at Asheville's National Environmental Modeling and Analysis Center (NEMAC). Typically, each Chocolate Friday features presentations from NEMAC staff, UNCA faculty, student researchers, and visiting professionals. The event is open to anyone who is interested. This academic year, Chocolate Fridays are scheduled to be held from 3:00 to 5:00 at the Asheville Chamber of Commerce in their Board Room, located on Montford Ave. The spring schedule includes a variety of themes, and will attract individuals from our greater community.

And yes, chocolate is served!

The second Chocolate Friday of 2008 is February 22 and features four presentations on Urban Sustainability: The Built Environment:

Sustainability in Asheville Policy Making

Robin Cape, Asheville City Council
How does a local city council member use sustainability as a decision making model for her votes on local policies? What does sustainability look like through the political lens?

The Contribution of Eco-Neighborhoods to Urban Sustainability
Bill Fleming, Westwood Cohousing Community
This presentation will focus on a path toward sustainability. Bill will discuss eco-neighborhoods and eco-villages as paradigm-shifting interventions in response to climate, energy, and water limits to growth.

Adding Up the Built Environment
Joe Minicozzi, Projects Director, Public Interest Projects
In assessing the built environment, especially with an eye toward sustainability, one has to be cognizant of the current practice of urban design and what one is shooting for in the built environment. Does policy and practice of city making meet the goals of the Asheville community and is it sustainable? Joe will present the work of the Asheville Design Center in addition to other works of planning and design to highlight the current practice of urbanism in the context of sustainability.

The Youth Climate Movement: Mobilizing for the 21st Century and Beyond
Ellie Johnston, Co-Chair of Active Students for a Healthy Environment (ASHE)
The youth of our nation are quickly becoming organized and stepping up to the challenge of global climate change. In the past year alone youth have mobilized in unprecedented numbers to fight against climate change and for a sustainable future. This presentation will overview the dynamics of the growing Youth Climate Movement as well as review some of its milestones at the national and state level, as well as on UNC Asheville's campus.

Stay tuned for more Chocolate Fridays in 2008!

March 28: Water Resources

April 25: Land Use Planning

WHERE: The Chamber of Commerce

36 Montford Ave , Asheville 28801

WHEN: 3:00-5:00 on Fridays
(check the schedule for upcoming days)

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Contact Susan Weatherford (250-3890)

NEMAC Hosts Chocolate Friday on Climate

2008-02-05T11:54:00.000-05:00

Chocolate Friday is a research and idea-sharing event sponsored by the National Environmental Modeling and Analysis Center (NEMAC). Typically, each Chocolate Friday features presentations from NEMAC staff, UNCA faculty, student researchers, and visiting professionals. The event is open to anyone who is interested. This academic year, Chocolate Fridays are scheduled to be held from 3:00 to 5:00 at the Asheville Chamber of Commerce in their Board Room, located on Montford Ave. The spring schedule includes a variety of themes, and will attract individuals from our greater community.

And yes, chocolate is served!

The first Chocolate Friday of 2008 is February 8 and features four presentations on Climate in Asheville:

A Vision for Asheville's National Leadership in Climate for the Public Good

Ron Gordon, Director for Economic Development, North Carolina Arboretum and Program Manager, Centers for Environmental and Climatic Interaction

The Centers for Environmental and Climate Interaction (CECI) is an emerging non-profit partnership between government, academia, and commerce that leverages the extraordinary assets of the Asheville region in translating the results of scientific observation and assessment into useful public tools for mitigating or adapting to predicted climate change. CECI seeks to create the resources and collaborative alliances needed to promote the critical mission of the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC), to act as an honest broker of scientific information, and to influence the course of the national response to the emerging grand challenge of Climate Change Management. CECI is a HUB Alliance sponsored initiative that enjoys growing support from many government, academic and commercial partners to include NCDC, ORNL, UNCA (RENCI/NEMAC), TNCA, IGES, the Nicholas School (Duke), and John Hopkins Center for Genetics & Public Policy.

NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center – Climate Services and Drought

Tim Owen, Educative Officer, NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center (NCDC)

From its roots as the nation's official archive for climate information, NOAA's National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) has emerged as a national leader in supporting climate services to a broad community of users and stakeholders. This presentation will outline the Center's current emphasis on climate monitoring, product delivery through web services, and its role in climate assessments at the national and international levels. NOAA's lead role in the National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) will also be discussed.

Climate Change and Society Masters Program: An Asheville Graduate Center Update on the UNC Office of the President Planning Grant

Sandra Byrd, Assistant Provost for Graduate and Continuing Education and Associate Professor of Education, UNC Asheville

Dr. Byrd will lead an informal presentation and Q&A on the who, what, where and when of a future masters program on Climate Change and Society in Asheville.

A Most Convenient Truth: As global attention focuses on climate change, Asheville continues its efforts to attract weather, climate, and environmental technology companies to the area

Pamela McCown, Director of Marketing, Education and Research Services

The timing could not be better – Buncombe County and local leaders are actively marketing Asheville as the prime location for companies that wish to venture into the emerging climate-related business sector. As the home to NOAA's National Climatic Data Center, Asheville is positioned to be a prime location for companies that will develop products and services based on the data archived at NCDC. Education Research Services, the Buncombe County Economic Development Commission and others are working together to build the collaborations necessary to support such an economic base and to make Asheville attractive to relevant companies and government agencies.

Stay tuned for more Chocolate Fridays in 2008!

February 22: Urban Sustainability: The Built Environment

March 28: Water Resources

April 25: Land Use Planning

WHERE: The Chamber of Commerce

36 Montford Ave , Asheville 28801

WHEN: 3:00-5:00 on Fridays
(check the schedule for upcoming days)

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Contact Susan Weatherford (250-3890)
Here's a flyer you can download and hang in your office.

NEMAC Hosts Chocolate Friday on the Biosphere

2007-11-29T15:03:00.000-05:00

Chocolate Friday is a bi-weekly research and idea sharing event. Each week features presentations from NEMAC staff, University faculty, student researchers, and visiting professionals. The event is open to anyone who is interested in NEMAC and the topics.

And yes, chocolate is served!

The sixth Chocolate Friday is December 7 and features four presentations on The Biosphere:

No more magic bullets? Try the magic shotgun! ... the Bent Creek Institute's unique approach to developing next-generation treatments for human disease
Jeffrey D. Schmitt, PhD, Bent Creek Institute
Combination therapy refers to the simultaneous use of two or more methods to treat a given disease. The purview of combinatorial therapy now captures allopathic medicines and treatments as well as alternative medicines and treatments. Combinatorial therapy has been successful in treating numerous diseases such as cancer, tuberculosis, leprosy, malaria, HIV/AIDS and diabetes (type II). The scientific literature is now replete with examples of the advantages provided by combinatorial therapies compared to mono-therapy; these advantages include: lower failure rates; lower case-fatality ratios; slower development of resistance in the case of cancer and infectious disease; and reduced acute toxicity, because the synergistic action of combined medicines frequently allows lower dosing regimens. The Bent Creek Institute is embarking on exciting initiatives to develop new ways to explore and create novel combination therapies to treat human disease.

The NC Arboretum: Tapping Regional Uniqueness and Opportunity
George Briggs, Executive Director, The NC Arboretum
Located in the Southern Appalachian mountains, The North Carolina Arboretum emerges as a new institution of the University of North Carolina system in a region possessing a rich cultural heritage, great botanical diversity and noted landscape beauty. In addition to these natural assets, our mountain region and the State as a whole are experiencing substantial shifts in economic patterns, environmental trends and land use. This presentation will describe the current status of development, programs and strategies in aligning the Arboretum's priorities with the challenges and opportunities confronting North Carolina.

Monitoring invasive exotic plant species in the National Forests of the Southern Appalachians
Andy Brown, President of Equinox Environmental
Invasive species have been cited by the Chief of the US Forest Service as being one of the top four threats to the health and sustainability of America’s national forests. Yet we know relatively little of the science behind the risk of alien plant invasions and the associated impacts on native species in forest ecosystems. Efficient invasion management requires that we learn more about these issues. The primary purpose of this study is to assess the circumstances and conditions of alien plant invasions in southern Appalachian National Forests so they might be predicted and managed more effectively.

Dissection of a Molecular Communication Pathway in Cancer Cells
Thomas E. Meigs Assistant Professor of Biology UNC Asheville
A typical human cell contains thousands of different proteins, and a small but growing number of these proteins have been suggested to play important roles in cancer progression. G{alpha}12 is an intracellular protein that has been demonstrated to drive cells toward cancerous proliferation (uncontrolled cell division) and metastasis (invasion of cancer cells into other areas of the body). The molecular mechanism of G{alpha}12 action in cells is not well understood; however, in the past several years approximately twenty different proteins have been identified as directly interacting with G{alpha}12. My laboratory has developed an experimental system for identifying the specific regions of G{alpha}12 critical for interaction with each of these proteins; our ongoing studies should reveal protein-protein interactions that are important for cancerous progression in human cells. Our hope is that the structural information garnered from these studies will aid the design and development of novel anti-tumor drugs.

Stay tuned for more Chocolate Fridays in 2008!

WHERE: The Chamber of Commerce

36 Montford Ave , Asheville 28801

WHEN: 3:00-5:00 on Fridays
(check the schedule for upcoming days)

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Contact Susan Weatherford (250-3890)
Here's a flyer you can download and hang in your office.

NEMAC Hosts Chocolate Friday on GIS

2007-11-12T09:08:00.002-05:00

The fifth Chocolate Friday is November 16 and features four presentations on GIS:

Mapping the Past: GIS Use by the Warren Wilson College Archaeology Crew
David Moore, Archaeology Faculty, Warren Wilson College
Andrea Glenn, Archaeology Student, Warren Wilson College
The Warren Wilson College Archaeology Crew has been using GIS for several years to help catalog artifacts, analyze artifact distribution, and document site activities. Specifically, the Crew is using GIS at the Berry Site, a large Native American town that was occupied from about A.D. 1400-1600 and the location of a Spanish fort. The Crew is also using GIS at the Warren Wilson dig site on campus. Come hear how GIS use today can help gain better understanding of the past.

Geo 101, is it GIS or Geospatial?
J. Greg Dobson, GIS Research Associate, NEMAC
In recent years, the term Geographical Information System (GIS) has become a more common term to people outside of the typical GIS crowd. This in part has been due to other technologies such as Global Positioning Systems (GPS) and Google Earth gaining national headline news. However, another term, Geospatial, or Geospatial Technologies, is also becoming more common. With the advent of multiple Geo applications, software, and file formats, traditional GIS is changing, which will inevitably change the way GIS is learned and taught. The challenge now is how to best prepare students for the increasingly dynamic world of GIS and Geospatial Technologies. Here, a look at these synonymous terms, what they mean, and how Intro to GIS may change, is presented.

Integrating GIS and Multimedia
Egg Davis, UNC-Asheville Student / NEMAC Research Student
Traditionally the fields of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and Multimedia have been separate fields of study, but with the emergence of new GIS, Geospatial, and Multimedia software products, as well as new file formats, the integration of GIS with Multimedia has become much more transparent and common. GIS data, which has become much more readily accessible, is now being utilized by more people and disciplines than ever before. However, a recent trend has become to export GIS data from common GIS packages and visualize it through common Multimedia packages to produce such products as 2D and 3D maps, movies, interactive/online applications, and integrating many of these with gaming engines. This presentation will highlight a survey of many of these software packages and discuss their strengths and weaknesses.

Mashing Up GIS in the World of Web 2.0
Todd M. Pierce, Research Scientist, NEMAC
With the emergence of Web 2.0, users can create and modify content on the web both collaboratively and individually - allowing for a personalized web experience through wikis, blogs, podcasts, photo sharing, and other technologies. GIS and mapping applications have both benefited from and contributed to Web 2.0. Come learn about map mash-ups, geotags, geoblogs, geowikis, Google MyMaps, Yahoo! Pipes, and GeoRSS feeds. These spatially aware applications require no or little programming expertise, showing that with Web 2.0, it's all about location, location, location.

Future Chocolate Fridays will cover other topics:

December 7 Biosphere

WHERE: The Chamber of Commerce

36 Montford Ave , Asheville 28801

WHEN: 3:00-5:00 on Fridays
(check the schedule for upcoming days)

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Contact Susan Weatherford (250-3890)
Here's a flyer you can download and hang in your office.

NEMAC Hosts Chocolate Friday on Atmospheric Sciences

2007-10-22T12:38:00.000-04:00

The fourth Chocolate Friday is October 26 and features three presentations on The Day After Yesterday: A Look at Different Aspects of Weather:

Observing Hurricane Winds from Space
Christopher C. Hennon, Assistant Professor, UNCA Department of Atmospheric Sciences
An accurate knowledge of the spatial distribution and magnitude of hurricane winds saves lives by improving forecasts and narrowing warning and evacuation areas. Acquiring such knowledge is a challenge, since hurricanes by nature occur over data-sparse oceans. This presentation will introduce recent developments in space-borne instrumentation and post-processing techniques. These tools are beginning to provide forecasters with a comprehensive and accurate look inside the hurricane wind field.

If a raindrop falls in the middle of Haywood County, does it make a splash?
Douglas K. Miller, Associate Professor and Chairperson
UNCA Atmospheric Sciences Department
Student and faculty researchers in the Atmospheric Sciences Department at UNC Asheville are partnering with Dr. Ana Barros of Duke University to study high elevation rainfall patterns in Haywood County to better understand the hydrological cycle in mountainous terrain. Most operational rain gauges in the vicinity of mountains are located in easy access areas, typically in valleys near roads. This has the potential of biasing our understanding of rainfall in these regions and has proven challenging for methods attempting to estimate rainfall via remote systems (e.g. satellite or radar). A NASA-funded study was started this past summer with the installation of rain gauges at high elevation locations in the Pigeon River Basin in an effort to better understand rainfall patterns for both warm and cold season precipitating weather events. This presentation will focus on the scientific questions being addressed by the study, the challenges in establishing a weather observation network in western North Carolina, and some preliminary results.

Impact of the Southern Appalachian Mountains on the SEMPE IOP-4 event
Christopher McCall Majoring in Atmospheric Science, UNCA
The emphasis of this study is to compare an analysis of the 1 February 2007 storm using operational and SEMPE observations to RUC, NAM, and GFS forecasts produced within 24 hours of the storm passing over Asheville. In particular, the comparison focuses on the role of the nearby mountains in modifying the storm such that the actual total accumulations were much less than anticipated. Radar imagery from this event indicated a distinct dry "wedge" downstream of the Appalachian Mountains that failed to erode completely as the storm moved through the region. This study will analyze the source of the drying and seek to explain why the operational model forecasts were unable to predict the observed dry wedge.

Future Chocolate Fridays will cover other topics:

November 16 GIS Day: A Local Celebration

December 7 Biosphere

WHERE: The Chamber of Commerce

36 Montford Ave , Asheville 28801

WHEN: 3:00-5:00 on Fridays
(check the schedule for upcoming days)

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Contact Susan Weatherford (250-3890)
Here's a flyer you can download and hang in your office.

NEMAC Research Featured in The Mountain Express

2007-10-11T15:42:00.001-04:00

NEMAC was featured in this week's edition of the Mountain Express for its research related to the 2004 floods in Biltmore Village and the Swannanoa Watershed. To read the complete story, and see a 3D GIS movie animation of a flood simulation in Biltmore Village, click here:

http://www.mountainx.com/news/2007/101007flood

NEMAC Hosts Chocolate Friday on the Arts Scene

2007-09-24T08:54:00.000-04:00

The third Chocolate Friday is September 28 and features three presentations on the Arts Scene:

State of the arts in Asheville: arts as a local asset
Adrienne Crowther, Executive Director of Asheville Area Arts Council
An overview of the arts in our community, from grassroots to established organizations as well as individual artists...the strengths, challenges, and opportunities.

Creation of UNCA's Interdisciplinary Craft Campus
Brent Skidmore, Director of UNCA Craft Campus, and Jon Keenan, Assoc. Director of UNCA Craft Campus
The University of North Carolina at Asheville is creating an interdisciplinary ‘Craft Campus’ featuring studios in wood, metal, ceramics, and hot glass. The campus will be located at the former Buncombe county landfill, utilizing the methane fuel as an energy source to power kilns, furnaces, forges, and other critical infrastructure. The facility will include alternative energy sources and integrate studio offerings with other academic disciplines on campus while creating a model for others in sustainability, collaboration and renewal. Brent Skidmore and Jon Keenan will present on the current thinking and vision for this innovative project.

The Economic Impact of the Arts
Jenny Moore, Associate Director of Handmade in America
While it is generally accepted that the arts add to the quality of life of a community, the economic impact in real dollars is less well known. In this presentation, Jenny Moore will site statistics from research ranging from HandMade in America’s seminal study in 1996 to the 2006 surveys by Americans for the Arts—all making the case for tangible economic benefits that the arts bring to our state and the nation. Sprinkled through the statistics Moore will tell heart-warming success stories of regional artists and show examples of some of the extraordinary work that gives Western NC its nationwide reputation for fine craft.

A Dynamic Performance Center's Impact on the Regional Arts Scene
Carol A. McCollum, Active Community Volunteer
Most people know the significant role the arts play in drawing national attention to our region. Imagine a performance center, a work of art itself, attracting millions of visitors and providing an appropriate showcase for the area's magnificent indigenous talent. Imagine an education center for students of all ages, serving also as an incubator for a multiplicity of arts and arts-related activities and a performance space that attracts the best national and international entertainment to this region. This is the vision!

Future Chocolate Fridays will cover other topics:

October 26 The Day After Yesterday: A Look at Different Aspects of Weather

November 16 GIS Day: A Local Celebration

December 7 Biosphere

WHERE: The Chamber of Commerce

36 Montford Ave , Asheville 28801

WHEN: 3:00-5:00 on Fridays
(check the schedule for upcoming days)

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Contact Susan Weatherford (250-3890)
Here's a flyer you can download and hang in your office.

NEMAC Research Students Compete in National Google Sketchup Competition - Follow Up

2007-09-07T14:21:00.000-04:00

The 3D Campus Models that the NEMAC Research Students submitted last spring were not selected as winners, but they will be made available to the public via Google's 3D Warehouse. A list of all entries can be seen here:

http://contest.sketchup.com/schools.php

In addition, the students have also been working on models of Biltmore Village, and some of them have been uploaded to the Google 3D Warehouse. Users can then download the models in Google Earth or Google SketchUp. However, recently Google selected a few of these models to be included in their "Best of 3D Warehouse" link that allows the models to appear when the link is active. To view these models, zoom into Google Earth and turn on the link in the table of contents.

View Larger Map

NEMAC Hosts Chocolate Friday on Cutting Edge Visualization

2007-09-06T16:46:00.000-04:00

The second Chocolate Friday is September 14 and features three presentations on Cutting Edge Visualization:

Interactive Visualization Techniques
Mark Phillips, Research Scientist NEMAC and NCDC

Displaying the Brain's Fiber Tracts
David C. Banks, UT/ORNL Joint Institute for Computational Sciences

Radar Data Visualization and Interoperability Tools at NOAA's NCDC
Steve Del Greco, Data Processing Branch Chief/NEXRAD Program Manager

Future Chocolate Fridays will cover other topics:

September 28 Arts Scene

October 26 The Day After Yesterday: A Look at Different Aspects of Weather

November 16 GIS Day: A Local Celebration

December 7 Biosphere

WHERE: The Chamber of Commerce

36 Montford Ave , Asheville 28801

WHEN: 3:00-5:00 on Fridays
(check the schedule for upcoming days)

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Contact Susan Weatherford (250-3890)
Here's a flyer you can download and hang in your office.

NEMAC's Jim Fox Presents Before Buncombe County Commissioners

2007-09-05T14:30:00.001-04:00

NEMAC's Director of Operations and Research Associate, Jim Fox, made a presentation to the Buncombe County Commissioners on Tuesday, September 4th. For the past year, Jim has been a member of the Floodplain Damage Reduction Taskforce, a committee organized by the City Mayor to analyze ways in which Asheville could reduce the amount of damage caused by floods in the City's floodplain. The group was made up of local Businessmen, City Engineers, the French Broad Riverkeeper, and many others from Asheville and the Town of Black Mountain. For the past year, this group has met most Friday mornings to discuss the issues. NEMAC has also supported this effort by providing many maps and graphics that the group was able to use as resources to base many of their decisions. On June 12th, the group made their final recommendations to Asheville City Council. The recommendations were presented to Buncombe County Commissioners on September 4th. The presentation was made by Jim Fox and Mary Leonard White, Alderwoman, Town of Black Mountain. Click here to view the presentation:

http://www.buncombecounty.org/governing/commissioners/ArchivedAgenda/20070904/web_PDF/FloodTaskForceforCounty.pdf

NEMAC Hosts Presentation on GIS and Water Resource Protection

2007-09-04T17:00:00.000-04:00

On Tuesday September 4th, NEMAC hosted a presentation on GIS and water resource protection. The presentation, "Practical Integration of GIS Technology to Support Statewide Water Resource Protection Efforts", was given by Dr. Barry Evans. Dr. Evans is a Senior Research Associate at the Penn State Institutes of Energy and the Environment (PSIEE) and is Director of the GIS Support Center at PSIEE. An abstract of this presentation is given here:

Over the last decade, the use of GIS technology has moved from an “experiment and demonstration” phase to a “practical application” phase that has led to the integration of this technology into statewide regulatory environments. This is evidenced by the fact that many states successfully use this technology to support EPA- mandated water quality protection initiatives. In this presentation, examples will be given on how program managers within the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection are using customized GIS applications on a daily basis to perform activities in support of the state’s obligations to address federally-mandated requirements of the Clean Water Act. Emphasis will be placed on activities related to watershed assessment (as part of the TMDL process), watershed restoration, and the protection of potable water supplies (commonly referred to as source water protection).

NEMAC Hosts First Chocolate Friday

2007-08-24T12:56:00.000-04:00

The first Chocolate Friday is August 24 and features three presentations on Sustainability:

Sustainability at UNCA: Opportunities for synergies among education, finance, community, and improved campus environmental performance
Dee Eggers, UNCA Faculty, Environmental Studies

A Report Card on Sustainability
Susan Fox, US Forest Service, Southern Research Station

The Sustainability Tsunami
Steve Cochran, Sustainability Strategies

Future Chocolate Fridays will cover other topics:

September 14 Cutting Edge Visualization

September 28 Arts Scene

October 26 The Day After Yesterday: A Look at Different Aspects of Weather

November 16 GIS Day: A Local Celebration

December 7 Biosphere

WHERE: The Chamber of Commerce

36 Montford Ave , Asheville 28801

WHEN: 3:00-5:00 on Fridays
(check the schedule for upcoming days)

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Contact Susan Weatherford (250-3890)
Here's a flyer you can download and hang in your office.

NEMAC Shows Renci-Asheville Site for Visualization

2007-08-23T10:00:00.000-04:00

On August 22, NEMAC employees showcased the high-tech visualization tools available at the Renci-Asheville engagement site located on the AB-Tech campus in Enka, NC. The tools were presented as part of an event sponsored by the Community Foundation of Western North Carolina.

One tool shown was an Applied Visualization Wall. This wall is a giant 'movie screen' measuring 15 feet long by 7.5 feet wide. The wall uses two rear projectors to display multiple applications, data sources, and web pages. The wall is a powerful tool for decision makes to lay out and view more information than can be shown on a standard PC screen. The VizWall is shown below; click the image to expand.

Another tool highlighted was an Immersive Dome. The dome is an inflatable, portable projection environment providing an 180 degrees view. The dome display mimics the human 3D, peripheral vision, creating a 'you are there' experience. The dome is a valuable tool for visualizing the human impact on landscapes and for displaying what-if scenarios for use in land use planning and natural hazard response and mitigation. The Dome is shown below; click the image to expand.

NEMAC's Jim Fox to Present Before City Council

2007-06-10T22:19:00.000-04:00

NEMAC's Director of Operations and Research Associate, Jim Fox, will be making a presentation to the Asheville City Council on Tuesday, June 12th. For the past year, Jim has been a member of the Floodplain Damage Reduction Taskforce, a committee organized by the City Mayor to analyze ways in which Asheville could reduce the amount of damage caused by floods in the City's floodplain. The group was made up of local Businessmen, City Engineers, the French Broad Riverkeeper, and many others from Asheville and the Town of Black Mountain. For the past year, this group has met most Friday mornings to discuss the issues. NEMAC has also supported this effort by providing many maps and graphics that the group was able to use as resources to base many of their decisions. On June 12th, they will make their final recommendations to City Council. Click here to view the presentation:

http://www.ashevillenc.gov/WorkArea/showcontent.aspx?id=7980

NEMAC to Serve GIS Data Via Gaming Engines

2007-06-08T14:44:00.000-04:00

As a part of its RENCI mission, NEMAC has begun research that will place real GIS data into game engines. Game engines have the advantage of rendering nearly three orders of magnitude faster than such specialized tools as Visual Nature Studio, and at nearly the same level of realism. In addition, game engines potentially allow for multiple users at different locations to interact in the same virtual environment via the internet. For more information about this effort, please visit the following link to a Wiki created by a NEMAC student:

http://gis-game.pbwiki.com/

NEMAC Research Students Compete in National Google Sketchup Competition

2007-06-07T14:00:00.000-04:00

During the 2007 spring semester, two NEMAC Research Students have prepared UNCA Campus 3D models for submission to Google's "Build Your Campus in 3D Competition" (http://contest.sketchup.com/entry.php?rules=1). Egg Davis, a Computer Science and Multi-Media Major, and Lisa Schleicher, an Environmental Studies Major and UNCA 2007 graduate, have built the models for the competition. This work was completed as a prototype and in addition to similar work that the students have done for the Biltmore Village area using Google's Sketchup software. All of this work has been in support of the RENCI mission. By learning how to build 3D models such as these, community planners, decision makers, and emergency responders can all gain a different view of the built environment and potential hazards to this environment, such as floods. For campus, having 3D models such as these could better enable transportation and other planning issues to be addressed. The models the students have built could eventually be visible in GoogleEarth, and should the students place within the top 7, they will win a 3-day trip to Colorado to tour Google and participate in several modeling workshops.

NEMAC/UNCA/RENCI Sponsored Research Featured in the Citizen-Times

2007-06-06T14:51:00.000-04:00

Research that has taken place as a part of the UNCA RENCI effort was featured on the front page of the Business Section in Wednesday's Asheville Citizen-Times paper:

http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=200770605113

The article focuses on NEMAC collaborators such as MAP and their efforts to create multimedia presentations for an inflatable GeoDome. NEMAC was responsible for creating and providing many of the dataset content for the GeoDome.

NEMAC Visual Content Seen at The 5th International Symposium on Digital Earth

2007-06-04T12:14:00.000-04:00

GIS Visualizations created by NEMAC staff and students through its RENCI mission have been converted into "Dome" content through various MAP collaborators and will be presented at the 5th International Symposium on Digital Earth June 5-9 in San Fransisco http://www.isde5.org/index.htm. (Read the Press Release: http://www.appliedvis.org/pdf/ISDE5_news_release.pdf.) This effort represents some of the latest technology in 3D Visualization. To see some sample clips of what will be shown, click here: http://www.appliedvis.org/.

NEMAC Featured on the Sunday Front Page

2007-06-04T09:42:00.000-04:00

The Asheville Citizen-Times featured a story on the front page of the Sunday, June 3rd edition titled "Tools could lessen hurricane flooding", which talked about efforts that NEMAC and its collaborators are undertaking to help plan and prepare for future floods. The article can be viewed online at http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=200770602050. Be sure to check the online version for a link to one of NEMAC's latest 3D Visualization prototypes.

NEMAC Student Wins Local Map Competition

2007-06-01T10:30:00.000-04:00

Josh O'Conner, a recent graduate of UNCA and a NEMAC Research Student, who is now working as a NEMAC contractor, recently submitted one of the map prototypes that he has been working on that will serve as an update to the current UCNA campus map to a local map competition. The competition was through The Western North Carolina GIS Users Group http://wncgis.blogspot.com/ and was sponsored by Mallaprops Bookstore. Congratulations Josh!

NEMAC Welcomes New Employees

2007-05-20T13:22:00.000-04:00

Two new employees have recently joined the NEMAC team. Dr. Mark Phillips, a former contractor for NCDC, will be working for NEMAC through its RENCI mission and will focus on accessing weather and climate products from NCDC and integrating those products into various models and "decision theaters". Dr. Phillips will actually be located at NCDC.

Dr. Todd Pierce, a former GIS Consultant, will also be working with NEMAC through its RENCI and EFETAC missions. Dr. Pierce has a broad background in database development and programming and will focus on developing data integration methods and server technologies.

Former NEMAC Student Recieves Computer Science Award

2007-05-18T08:59:00.000-04:00

Ken Roberts, a former NEMAC Research Student and a December 2006 graduate from UNCA with a degree in Computer Science, was selected by UNCA's Department of Computer Science to receive the 2006/2007 Tackett Award, an annual award given by the Department to an outstanding student. During his time with NEMAC, Ken played a critical role in database and Wiki development. Ken is now employed as Programmer for a contractor at NCDC.

NEMAC Graphics Appearing Before Congress, and in Brazil

2007-05-15T08:15:00.000-04:00

Two recent presentations given by Dr. Tom Karl and Marjorie McGuirk, NEMAC collaborators at NCDC, have included GIS/3D visuals created by NEMAC. Dr. Karl, the Director of NCDC, used the graphics in a presentation that he made to members of Congress. Ms. McGuirk, a Meteorologist at NCDC, used the graphics in a presentation she gave at a Workshop on Scientific Information in Latin America in Atibaia, SP, Brazil.

NEMAC Research Students Graduate from UNCA

2007-05-11T16:41:00.000-04:00

A total of five NEMAC Research Students are graduating from UNCA this May. Each of these students have played an integral part in research related activities here at NEMAC over the last year. Their research focuses have included atmospheric modeling, GIS / mapping, database development, 3D visualization, and forest threat studies. Several of these students will be continuing their education by pursuing graduate degrees, while others have decided to join the workforce. The NEMAC Staff would like to wish all of these students good luck!

NEMAC Bids Farewell to Employee

2007-05-11T13:12:00.000-04:00

Stewart Dickson, a Research Associate with NEMAC for over two years, has recently accepted a new position with the Breckman Institute in Champaign, Illinois. We wish him the best in his new endeavors.

NEMAC Research Students Present at UNCA Spring Symposium

2007-03-27T22:14:00.000-04:00

Two NEMAC Research Students, Egg Davis and Lisa Schleicher, took part in the UNCA 2007 Spring Symposium by presenting a poster which high-lighted some of their latest work. The poster focused on their work to create 3D Models of the Biltmore Village area and the UNCA campus. This research is in support of of NEMAC's RENCI mission.

NEMAC Employees Help with Science Olympiad at UNCA

2007-03-20T08:27:00.000-04:00

Science Olympiad was once again held at UNCA on March 17th. NEMAC employees sponsored two events. Jim Fox, Bridget O'Hara, and Karin Lichtenstein ran the Awesome Aquifer Event, a middle school level event. Jim Fox and Greg Dobson ran the Remote Sensing of Mars event, a high school level event. Both events were a real success. Also participating in Science Olympiad this year was RENCI. Three representatives form RENCI Chapel Hill were here with their Experimental Disaster Research (EDR) Vehicle and Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). Erik Scott, a RENCI team member, launched weather balloons with some of the students participating in Science Olympiad. Also on hand to assist were several NEMAC Research students.

NEMAC Student Recieves Award at State GIS Conference

2007-03-07T12:51:00.000-05:00

Jeff Hicks, a NEMAC Research Student and a major in UNCA's Environmental Studies Program, represented UNCA and NEMAC at the 2007 North Carolina GIS Conference, March 1-2, 2007: http://www.cgia.state.nc.us/Default.aspx?alias=www.cgia.state.nc.us/ncgis2007. Jeff's presentation, "Integrating Bayesian Belief Networks into a GIS: A Forest Composition Example" represented some of his work with NEMAC. For his efforts, Jeff received the G. Herbert Stout Student Award. Jeff was the first UNCA student to represent UNCA at this conference, and thus the first to win this award. NEMAC's Greg Dobson and UNCA's Dr. Brandie Fariss nominated Jeff for the award.

NEMAC to Assist with Updating UNCA Campus Map

2007-02-19T08:40:00.000-05:00

The current UNCA Campus Map is in major need of an update. Greg Dobson, a NEMAC GIS Research Associate and Josh O'Conner, a NEMAC Research Student, will be working with UNCA's Transportation Planner, Yuri Kosslen, on the project. While the basic map needs to be updated, other plans may include creating a variety of maps for different purposes, having more online maps, as well as online interactive/GIS maps.

NEMAC Students and Staff Present at USDA Interagency Conference in Annapolis, MD

2007-01-19T10:03:00.000-05:00

April Pallette and Jeff Hicks, both UNCA Environmental Studies majors, and Jim Fox and Karin Lichtenstein, both staff at NEMAC, presented at the 18th Annual USDA Interagency Research Forum on Invasive Species in Annapolis, MD on January 9-12, 2007. The poster, titled "Exploring Ways to Serve your Science: Providing Forest Threat Information to a Variey of Audiences", is part of their work with the Eastern Forest Environmental Threat Assessment Center (EFETAC) project with the US Forest Service and NEMAC. The poster highlighted the students involvement in the development of advanced tools and technologies that support integrated environmental threat assessments.