Center for Sustainable Communities Receives NASA grant for Community-based Research Projects

Under the direction of HERCULES Stakeholder Advisory Board member, Garry Harris, the Center for Sustainable Communities (SMART Academy Center of Excellence) recently received a NASA grant for community-based research projects. The two projects are designed to assess air quality and heat island effect in the Atlanta area with direct implications for current and future exposome-related research projects.

Modeling the Heat Contribution to an Urban Environment

The project goal is to produce an interactive model to predict how new buildings may impact the Atlanta Heat Island. The project will support one graduate computer science student and one physics graduate student. Interpretation of satellite data will be provided by a GIS expert. The impacted educational institutions include Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse College, Washington High School in Atlanta, and the Marietta Center for Advanced Academics (Grades 3-5). Project results will be disseminated at professional meetings and in publications. 

Advanced Atmospheric Monitoring and Research and Development

This project is designed to instrument the Fernbank tower with slow-responses meteorological sensors; acquire and interpret the data from these sensors; begin development of a storage protocol, data management plan, and quality control plan; and involve students (above Grade 2) in project activities by way of on-site hands-on applications, field trips, and training at their educational institutions.