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Ferris Receives NGA Research Grant

Yaron Felus explains the principles of 3-D data collection from satellite images to Ferris surveying students. Robert Burtch (without glasses) is in back.

   Ferris is one of nine U.S. colleges and universities conducting research in basic geospatial intelligence topics as recipients of nearly $4 million in total grants from the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. Begun in 1997, the NGA mounts an annual solicitation for research proposals in geospatial intelligence disciplines from U.S. academic institutions.
  Dr. Yaron Felus and Prof. Robert Burtch from the Surveying Engineering Department of the College of Technology, received NGA funding for a project entitled “Multisources Data Fusion, a Mathematical and Computational Approach.”
  The proposed research objective is to develop methods to integrate data from the rapidly expanding array of collection sensors, including satellite, airborne, marine-and land-based platforms, in an accurate manner in order to make inferences about a physical event, activity or situation.
  The research will be a collaborative effort making use of datasets from the U. S. Geological Survey’s Earth Resources Observation Systems and some essential tools and results already developed as part of a joint USGS-National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration project.
  “The underlying theory of the proposed research was developed and published as part of research conducted at Ohio State University,” explains Felus. “Senior students at Ferris from the Surveying Engineering department will develop ways to test its performance with respect to accuracy and computational efficiency. Apart from the scientific and technical merits of the proposal, it will encourage top undergraduate students to continue their education in graduate school, and pursue a career in research and development within NGA.”
  Applications include updating USGS bathymetric data in the Atlantic Ocean, and improving the accuracy of the National Evalution Dataset in problematic areas, such as the Transantarctic Mountain of West Antarctica, by conflating laser-collected datasets with existing digital elevation models.
   Other schools receiving NGA funding include Purdue University, Ohio State University, University of California-Santa Barbara, George Mason University, Georgetown University and the University of Minnesota.
   The NGA is a Department of Defense agency and a member of the National Intelligence Community whose mission is to provide geospatial intelligence in support of national security.
   Additional information about the NGA Academic Research Program can be found at www.nga.mil/narp.

Ferris HVACR Teams Win and Place at ASHRAE

Ray Wrobel (left) and Joe Borders, who were part of the team that designed an award-winning HVAC system, calibrate a Johnson Controls Metasys system in the Granger Center for Construction and HVACR.

   Two teams of Ferris students in Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration were awarded honors in an annual competition sponsored by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers.
   For a record fifth year in a row, a Ferris team consisting of Trevor Fink, Brad Green, Joe Borders, Ray Wrobel, Bhushan Jhoshi, John Lindman and Faculty Advisor Doug Zentz came out on top in the HVAC System Design category. The win also gave the Ferris design team its sixth first-place finish in the last seven years.
   The team chose a geothermal water source heat pump system with a dedicated outdoor air system. Geothermal systems typically last longer than conventional systems because they are protected from the harsh outdoor environment, according to the team.
   “Our geothermal system has better temperature control, causes less of an environmental impact, and is more efficient than conventional systems,” the team noted. “Many electrical and rural electric cooperatives are offering monetary incentives for installing geothermal systems because the geothermal system’s peak demand curve flattens out over time.”
   Ferris’ Granger Center for Construction and HVACR boasts a number of heating and cooling systems, including geothermal, on which students learn real-world applications.
   Second place in the HVACR System Selection category, also advised by Zentz, was awarded to Nick Coggins, Jamie Dorland, Craig Feldpausch, Andy Lemanczyk and Eric Cass. A Ferris selection team has taken first place three of the last five years, finishing second in 2003 and 2004.
   Undergraduate students were challenged to design an educational dramatic arts studio in Denver, Colo. Projects are evaluated on anticipated operating costs, environmental impact, comfort, health, creativity and communication of results.
   The international competition is held each year to recognize outstanding student design projects, to encourage undergraduate students to become involved in the profession, to apply their knowledge of practical design and to promote teamwork.
   First-place teams in each category will receive $1,500 and transportation and lodging costs for a representative to attend ASHRAE’s 2005 Winter Meeting Feb. 5-9 in Orlando, Fla., to receive their awards.

Hoerter Receives Skin Cancer Research Award

Prof. Jim Hoerter’s work in the field of skin cancer provides Biology students at Ferris with the opportunity to work in a research lab, where they learn valuable skills for future employment.

   Jim Hoerter, Biological Sciences department head, recently received a three-year, $188,700 cancer research award from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. Hoerter is investigating the impact of normal solar radiation exposure on healthy skin cells that have been previously subjected to the ultraviolet radiation of tanning beds.
   “We are very interested in determining how the normal defense and repair mechanisms operating in human skin cells are affected when these cells have also been exposed to increased levels of radiation normally found in tanning beds,” says Hoerter.
   Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States, with more than one million new cases diagnosed each year. Hoerter’s findings may lay the foundation for a whole new avenue of research into sunscreens that will protect against damaging ultraviolet light by increasing the cell’s normal defense and repair mechanisms.
   “We are trying to unravel the complex cellular mechanisms caused by exposure to sunlight, which leads to the formation of free radicals that damage DNA, defense enzymes and membranes,” says Dr. Hoerter. “The cell has evolved some very elaborate ways to cope with stress resulting from increased exposure to solar radiation. We are now looking for ways to heighten these responses to improve protection.”
   On average, more than one million Americans a day visit tanning salons and expose themselves to radiation ten times higher than certain wavelengths of normal sunlight – a fact that concerns Hoerter.
   “Studies show a connection between the increased use of tanning beds and a higher incidence of skin cancer,” he says. “Our lab is now focusing on how the combination of sunlight and tanning bed radiation interact and impact repair and defense pathways.”
   What can people do to prevent skin cancer? “Wear ample amounts of sunscreen, and avoid excessive exposure to the sun,” says Hoerter. “However, recent data suggests that unprotected skin needs at least 10 minutes of normal solar exposure to make vitamin D, which is now showing to be very important in protection against all types of cancer. So being out in the sun is not all bad, but moderation is the key.”

Ferris Students Participate in International Cleanup

Ferris students Kendra Zuiderveen and Andrea Fuller collected and recorded the trash along the Muskegon River.

   This past September, Ferris students joined thousands of other volunteers who participated in the International Coastal Cleanup.
   ICC is sponsored by the Ocean Conservancy and is the oldest waterway cleanup and data collection program. West Michigan efforts are coordinated through the Lake Michigan Federation, with the Mecosta County cleanup coordinated by the Muskegon River Watershed Assembly. In Michigan, the event is supported with funds from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality Coastal Management Program, and the L.C. and Margaret Walker Foundation.
   Sixteen Ferris students participated in the event, under the direction of Cindy Fitzwilliams-Heck, a Biology department faculty member. Students cleaned a three-quarter mile stretch of the Muskegon River as well as drains on the Ferris campus. They collected 400 pounds of trash while recording each piece, including a toilet seat, steering wheel and three sets of clothing almost completely buried in one spot.
   “People should be more concerned with what they do with their garbage,” said Ferris student Andrea Fuller after seeing the amount and variety of collected trash.
   The MRWA is a non-profit organization whose mission is to “preserve, protect and enhance the natural, historic and cultural resources of the Muskegon River Watershed.” Ferris partners with the MRWA through an agreement that provides the organization with office space on the Ferris campus. To learn more, visit www.mrwa.org.