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Posted at 3:56pm on October 2, 2024.
4 NC Space Grants awarded to App State students, professor for aerospace and aviation research
“I know that the research those before me have done, the research I am doing now and the work to be done will be vitally important to scientists, government leaders and everyday people when understanding our atmosphere and future climate.”
Ethan Barber, senior physics major
“In class, we solve problems that can sometimes be a bit abstract. Research has given me the opportunity to work on real-world problems on a regular basis, which allows me to feel more confident and knowledgeable about the field I am studying.”
Samuel DeMay, engineering physics graduate student
By Lauren Andersen
Posted Oct. 24, 2022 at 11:40 a.m.
BOONE, N.C. — Three Appalachian State University students and a faculty member received 2022–23 NASA-funded North Carolina Space Grants to conduct research relating to aerospace and aviation fields. These students will participate in pertinent research as they work toward future scientific and technological breakthroughs.
“I know that the research those before me have done, the research I am doing now and the work to be done will be vitally important to scientists, government leaders and everyday people when understanding our atmosphere and future climate.”
Ethan Barber, senior physics major
Each year, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) awards funds to higher education institutions, industries, government entities, educational programs and nonprofit partners across the state through the North Carolina Space Grant. The program, administered by North Carolina State University and operating for over three decades, aims to support aeronautics and space-related science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education.
Of the 22 recipients of the 2022–23 Undergraduate Research Scholarships and Graduate Research Fellowships awarded to students, three are students in App State’s Department of Physics and Astronomy. App State physics and astronomy professor Dr. James Sherman was one of four recipients of the NC Space Grant Faculty Research Grant.
The North Carolina Space Grant’s student awards provide one year of funds to supplement and enhance research, culminating in a final report and poster presentation at the North Carolina Space Grant Symposium in spring 2023.
“In class, we solve problems that can sometimes be a bit abstract. Research has given me the opportunity to work on real-world problems on a regular basis, which allows me to feel more confident and knowledgeable about the field I am studying.”
Samuel DeMay, engineering physics graduate student
Dr. James Sherman, physics and astronomy professor
Department of Physics and Astronomy professor Dr. James Sherman received the Faculty Research Grant to support his project “Initial Closure Studies of Atmospheric Aerosol Hygroscopicity and Cloud Condensation Nuclei at the Appalachian Atmospheric Interdisciplinary Research Facilities (AppalAIR).” Established in 2009, AppalAIR is a research cluster of five faculty members from App State’s College of Arts and Sciences. Sherman serves as the cluster’s senior research scientist and leader of the Atmospheric Aerosols Group, studying the effects of atmospheric aerosols such as haze, smoke and dust on climate change in the Southeastern United States.
The AppalAIR facilities at App State are home to the only co-located National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Global Monitoring Division, NASA Aerosol Robotic Network and NASA Micro-Pulse Lidar Network aerosol monitoring sites in the U.S., housing a variety of NASA and NOAA instruments maintained by Sherman and his research students. In collaboration with researchers from Georgia Tech and New Mexico Tech, Sherman’s North Carolina Space Grant project will tackle climate uncertainties by exploring aerosol–cloud interactions using data collected at AppalAIR facilities.
Sherman collaborates with both undergraduate and graduate students, providing them with a holistic experience in cutting-edge climate science research — ranging from data acquisition, to instrument maintenance/calibration, to modeling and developing software for data analysis, to developing presentations based on project results.
Ethan Barber, senior physics major
This year, two students involved in Sherman’s project were awarded funds from the North Carolina Space Grant, including Ethan Barber, a senior physics major from Durham.
Barber’s research project, “Atmospheric Aerosol Hygroscopicity and CCN Number Concentrations Affect on Climate Model Uncertainty Used to Predict Future Temperatures,” aims to understand how atmospheric aerosol concentrations, measured by AppalAIR, impact future climate change models.
“My everyday tasks include making sure our instruments are up and running, performing daily or weekly maintenance and analyzing data. This can range from changing a filter, to writing code, to plotting histogram data of aerosol size distribution data,” explained Barber.
Barber became involved in research after attending an extra credit seminar by Sherman. Interested in what Sherman was researching, Barber asked to join his research group.
“I love working and learning with others. I have grown both as a student and a scientist because of the people I have worked with,” said Barber. “Everyone in our small but impactful group has taught me different things and has given me an insight into how a scientist operates in the real world.”
Pursuing the professional science master’s in instrumentation and automation, Barber regularly collaborates with Isaac Critcher and Patrick Richardson in the College of Arts and Sciences Machine Shop for assistance with the instruments located at the College Street Parking Deck next to Belk Library and Information Commons and App State’s future Innovation District on Bodenheimer Drive.
“I know that the research those before me have done, the research I am doing now and the work to be done will be vitally important to scientists, government leaders and everyday people when understanding our atmosphere and future climate,” said Barber.
Matthew Allen, engineering physics graduate student
Allen, a second-year graduate student from Chapel Hill pursuing a Master of Science in engineering physics, is also a student in Sherman’s lab. Allen became interested in research while enrolled in Sherman’s Environmental Physics course as an undergraduate student at App State.
Allen received a North Carolina Space Grant Graduate Research Fellowship award to support his project “Newest-generation Handheld Sunphotometer for Validation of Satellite-Measured Aerosol Optical Depth and Air Quality Studies by Citizen Scientists.” The goal of the project is to develop a reliable and inexpensive handheld sunphotometer instrument that could be used by both professional and amateur scientists to measure aerosols such as haze, smoke and dust.
“I really enjoy the process of working on a challenging project that I feel will have a positive impact on our environment,” said Allen.
Samuel DeMay, engineering physics graduate student
Pursuing a Master of Science in engineering physics, with a professional science master’s in instrumentation and automation concentration, Samuel DeMay, a second-year graduate student from Charlotte, received a North Carolina Space Grant Graduate Research Fellowship award to support his project “Characterizing a Near-IR Spectrometer and Automating the Harvard-SAO Electron Beam Ion Trap for Laboratory Astrophysics.”
DeMay’s research is in the field of optical physics, or the study of light and its interaction with matter. Specifically, he is exploring the infrared emissions of highly charged heavy elements to improve understanding of the conditions within astral bodies.
Like Allen, DeMay enjoys the problem-solving aspect of research.
“In class, we solve problems that can sometimes be a bit abstract. Research has given me the opportunity to work on real-world problems on a regular basis, which allows me to feel more confident and knowledgeable about the field I am studying,” he said.
DeMay’s research is guided by Dr. Roshani Silwal, an assistant professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy. DeMay said he became interested in research at App State after learning about Silwal’s research as an undergraduate student in a Medical Physics course taught by Dr. Anthony Calamai, a professor in the Physics and Astronomy department.
“She and Dr. Calamai work closely, and after learning more about their research, I asked if she had any available positions,” he explained. Silwal’s research specialties include the trapping of highly charged ions using devices called ion traps, which DeMay is using for his study.
The Appalachian Atmospheric Interdisciplinary Research (AppalAIR) Program was initiated to better understand changing regional meteorology and air quality and their impacts on climate change and ecosystem health.
The AppalAIR facilities at App State are home to the only co-located NOAA Global Monitoring Division, NASA Aerosol Robotic Network and NASA Micro-Pulse Lidar Network aerosol monitoring sites in the U.S. Additionally, AppalAIR member Dr. Baker Perry operates an on-campus meteorological station that monitors weather, precipitation and snowfall. AppalAIR is uniquely positioned to improve understanding of regional pollution transport and the interactions between air quality, meteorology and climate change.
The AppalAIR sites are unique in that students play major roles in data collection, instrument maintenance and analysis of scientific data.
Applied physics major Kara Snow excels in North Carolina Space Grant internship at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences and intends to dedicate her life to astrophysics research.
A campus tour as a prospective student led Appalachian junior Nathaniel Scott — a physics major with a concentration in applied physics and a minor in mathematics — to research opportunities.
Jordan Greene, a former marketing analyst from Boone, returned to college to pursue a mathematics degree. While at Appalachian, he has earned a North Carolina Space Grant Scholarship to study scientific data.
The Department of Physics and Astronomy’s curriculum has an applied nature that includes a core of fundamental physics courses and laboratory experiences. The department prepares graduates for a variety of scientific, teaching or engineering professions, as well as future educational endeavors. Learn more at https://physics.appstate.edu.
About the College of Arts and Sciences
The College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) at Appalachian State University is home to 17 academic departments, two centers and one residential college. These units span the humanities and the social, mathematical and natural sciences. CAS aims to develop a distinctive identity built upon our university's strengths, traditions and locations. The college’s values lie not only in service to the university and local community, but through inspiring, training, educating and sustaining the development of its students as global citizens. More than 6,800 student majors are enrolled in the college. As the college is also largely responsible for implementing App State’s general education curriculum, it is heavily involved in the education of all students at the university, including those pursuing majors in other colleges. Learn more at https://cas.appstate.edu.
About Appalachian State University
As a premier public institution, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives. App State is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System, with a national reputation for innovative teaching and opening access to a high-quality, affordable education for all. The university enrolls more than 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and 80 graduate majors at its Boone and Hickory campuses and through App State Online. Learn more at https://www.appstate.edu.
“I know that the research those before me have done, the research I am doing now and the work to be done will be vitally important to scientists, government leaders and everyday people when understanding our atmosphere and future climate.”
Ethan Barber, senior physics major
“In class, we solve problems that can sometimes be a bit abstract. Research has given me the opportunity to work on real-world problems on a regular basis, which allows me to feel more confident and knowledgeable about the field I am studying.”
Samuel DeMay, engineering physics graduate student
The Appalachian Atmospheric Interdisciplinary Research (AppalAIR) Program was initiated to better understand changing regional meteorology and air quality and their impacts on climate change and ecosystem health.
The AppalAIR facilities at App State are home to the only co-located NOAA Global Monitoring Division, NASA Aerosol Robotic Network and NASA Micro-Pulse Lidar Network aerosol monitoring sites in the U.S. Additionally, AppalAIR member Dr. Baker Perry operates an on-campus meteorological station that monitors weather, precipitation and snowfall. AppalAIR is uniquely positioned to improve understanding of regional pollution transport and the interactions between air quality, meteorology and climate change.
The AppalAIR sites are unique in that students play major roles in data collection, instrument maintenance and analysis of scientific data.
Applied physics major Kara Snow excels in North Carolina Space Grant internship at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences and intends to dedicate her life to astrophysics research.
A campus tour as a prospective student led Appalachian junior Nathaniel Scott — a physics major with a concentration in applied physics and a minor in mathematics — to research opportunities.
Jordan Greene, a former marketing analyst from Boone, returned to college to pursue a mathematics degree. While at Appalachian, he has earned a North Carolina Space Grant Scholarship to study scientific data.
Appalachian Today is an online publication of Appalachian State University. This website consolidates university news, feature stories, events, photo galleries, videos and podcasts.
The migration of materials from other sites is still incomplete, so if you cannot find what you're looking for here, please refer to the following sources:
Appalachian Today is an online publication of Appalachian State University. This website consolidates university news, feature stories, events, photo galleries, videos and podcasts.
The migration of materials from other sites is still incomplete, so if you cannot find what you're looking for here, please refer to the following sources: