April 2014 - Ese-faculty-list

End of Semester ESE Faculty and Student Gathering - FRIDAY May 2 4:30pm-6:30pm MANN HALL (Cash Bar Available)
by Lee, Linda S 25 Apr '14

25 Apr '14

End of Semester ESE Faculty and Student Gathering & the 2013 ESE Cohort Pyramid 2030 Project Poster Presentations Friday, May 2, 2014 4:30 - 6:30 PM MANN Hall Atriums We hope to see all of you to enjoy a time of collegial interactions! We will have some food available and per request, a Cash Bar will be Available (Beer and wine) Christal Musser Program Coordinator Ecological Sciences and Engineering Office of Interdisciplinary Graduate Programs The Purdue University Graduate School | Purdue University Ernest C. Young Hall, Room B-40 | 155 S. Grant Street | West Lafayette, IN 47907 Email: musser(a)purdue.edu<mailto:musser@purdue.edu> | Web: www.purdue.edu/ese<http://www.purdue.edu/ese> Phone: 765-494-2102 | Fax: 765-496-6271 Like us on Facebook<https://www.facebook.com/?sk=welcome#!/ESEatPurdue>

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Andy Martin's PhD Defense Announcement
by Musser, Christal A. 11 Apr '14

11 Apr '14

Andy Martin - PhD Defense Announcement Antimony (Sb) Environmental Interactions and Sequestration Associated with Amendments at Small Arms Firing Ranges Monday, April 14, 2014 10:45 AM LILLY Hall 2-425 Abstract There are over 12,000 private and military operated small arms firing ranges (SAFRs) located in the United States. The metalloid antimony (Sb) is used at 1 to 3 wt% as a hardening agent in lead (Pb)-Sb alloyed bullets; historically up to 600 tons have been used per year in the manufacture of such bullet. As bullets fragment and corrode in SAFR soils they can release Pb and Sb as leachate and runoff into the environment. The corrosion products often react differently in the environment where Pb typically sorbs to soil particles and the migration potential of Sb is not well understood. Best management practices (BMPs) to reduce the migration of Pb from SAFRs have been researched and developed by many, such as the U.S. Army Environmental Command (USAEC), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the Interstate Technology & Regulatory Council (ITRC). Their approach often avoided other components used in bullets such as Sb, copper, and zinc which were assumed to react similarly to Pb. Rapid and significant Sb migration from SAFRs was observed relative to Pb, Cu, and Zn, under dynamic loading conditions. Even with a Sb:Pb bullet weight percent ratio of 1:99 the observed soluble Sb concentration in the leachate from the SAFRs was significantly larger than the soluble Pb concentration in the leachate. The addition of a commercially available amendment significantly reduced the Sb migration from the SAFR while providing reasonable Freundlich (r2 ≥ 0.99) and linear (r2 ≥ 0.96) isotherm model fits for both Sb(III) and Sb(V). Christal Musser Program Coordinator Ecological Sciences and Engineering Office of Interdisciplinary Graduate Programs The Purdue University Graduate School | Purdue University Ernest C. Young Hall, Room B-40 | 155 S. Grant Street | West Lafayette, IN 47907 Email: musser(a)purdue.edu<mailto:musser@purdue.edu> | Web: www.purdue.edu/ese<http://www.purdue.edu/ese> Phone: 765-494-2102 | Fax: 765-496-6271 Like us on Facebook<https://www.facebook.com/?sk=welcome#!/ESEatPurdue>

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TODAY at 3:30 B071 Armstrong - Gina Svarovsky from the Science Museum of Minnesota
by Lee, Linda S 10 Apr '14

10 Apr '14

Please join Engineering Education today as they host Dr. Gina Navoa Svarovsky's seminar: 3:30-4:20pm in Armstrong Room B071 Exploring the Role of Museums in Broadening Participation in Engineering Dr. Gina Svarovsky, Senior Evaluation and Research Associate at the Science Museum of Minnesota As the nation continues to struggle with developing a talented and diverse STEM workforce, the persistent underrepresentation of women and people of color in engineering becomes an increasingly urgent challenge. Two decades of research suggests that museums and other informal learning environments can play a powerful role in cultivating early interest and understanding in science; thus, there is great potential for leveraging these settings for engaging children in meaningful and motivational engineering experiences that can potentially lead to broadening participation in engineering careers. This presentation will begin with an overview of current informal engineering learning experiences based in museums, and then focus on a series of studies exploring the learning outcomes and processes involved in these types of learning environments. Bio: Dr. Gina Navoa Svarovsky is a Senior Evaluation and Research Associate at the Science Museum of Minnesota. For over a decade, she has been interested in how young people - and in particular, girls and youth of color - learn science and engineering in both formal and informal learning environments. Her current research explores how pre-college youth develop engineering skills, knowledge, and ways of thinking as a result of participating in a range of engineering experiences within out-of-school settings. Since joining the Science Museum of Minnesota, Dr. Svarovsky has also led several studies focused on engaging the public in current science and engineering topics, including research and evaluation studies focused on examining the public impacts of the Nanoscale Informal Science Education Network (NISE Net). Dr. Svarovsky holds a BS in Chemical Engineering from the University of Notre Dame and a PhD in Educational Psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

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MS Defense Announcement - Tim Wright
by Musser, Christal A. 07 Apr '14

07 Apr '14

Timothy Wright - MS Defense Announcement Retrofitting LID Practices Into Existing Neighborhoods: Is It Worth It? Monday, April 14, 2014 1:30 p.m. ABE 301 Ecological Sciences and Engineering Agricultural and Biological Engineering Abstract: Low impact development (LID) practices are gaining popularity as a way to manage storm water close to the source. This reduces infrastructure requirements and helps maintain hydrologic processes close to predevelopment conditions. Studies have shown LID practices are effective in reducing runoff and improving water quality. However, little has been done to aid decision makers in selecting the most effective practices for their needs and budgets. To this end, the L-THIA LID model has been applied. Using readily available data sources, multiple scenarios can quickly be examined, and then analyzed to determine the cost of implementation and the approximate period needed to see a return on the investment. This has been demonstrated by modeling four neighborhoods in greater Lafayette, Indiana to estimate runoff reduction that could be achieved through retrofitting LID practices. Based on LID practice cost of implementation, the payback period was determined for each practice. Depending on the LID practice and adoption level, 10 to 70 percent reductions in runoff volumes could be achieved. Cost per cubic meter of runoff reduction was highly variable depending on the LID practice and the land use it was applied to, ranging from around $3.00 to almost $600.00. In some cases the savings from reduced runoff volumes paid back the LID practice cost with interest in less than 3 years, while in other cases it was not possible to generate a payback. This information can help decision makers establish realistic goals and make informed decisions regarding LID practices before moving into detailed designs, thereby saving time and resources. Application: This research is meant to provide information and methods that can be used by decision makers to make informed high level decisions about the costs, benefits, and performance of LID practices as an alternative to traditional storm water management methods. Christal Musser Program Coordinator Ecological Sciences and Engineering Office of Interdisciplinary Graduate Programs The Purdue University Graduate School | Purdue University Ernest C. Young Hall, Room B-40 | 155 S. Grant Street | West Lafayette, IN 47907 Email: musser(a)purdue.edu<mailto:musser@purdue.edu> | Web: www.purdue.edu/ese<http://www.purdue.edu/ese> Phone: 765-494-2102 | Fax: 765-496-6271 Like us on Facebook<https://www.facebook.com/?sk=welcome#!/ESEatPurdue>

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MS Defense Announcement - Nathan Shoaf
by Musser, Christal A. 07 Apr '14

07 Apr '14

Nathan Shoaf-MS Defense Announcement Biochar and Vermicompost Amendments in Vegetable Cropping Systems: Impacts on Soil Quality, Soil-Borne Pathogens and Crop Productivity April 11, 2014 11 a.m. HORT 222 Ecological Sciences & Engineering Horticultural and Landscape Architecture Abstract Amending soils with biochar and vermicompost has potential to provide multiple benefits for specialty crops including pathogen suppression and increased crop productivity. Oomycete pathogens such as Phytophthora capsici can devastate crop fields and they are difficult to control presenting significant management challenges for Midwestern growers. The objectives of the studies described in the following chapters were to 1) determine whether two commercially available biochar amendments could improve carrot performance in field trials, 2) determine whether two commercially available biochar amendments and vermicompost could alter soil quality, suppress oomycete pathogens and improve pepper performance in greenhouse trials, 3) determine whether combining vermicompost and biochar amendments provides any synergistic benefits for soil quality and pepper productivity, and 4) identify a virulent P. capsici isolate for use as an inoculum in future biocontrol studies. Soils amended with a microbially-inoculated softwood biochar increased carrot root growth relative to the control and corn stover biochar in 2011, while the corn stover biochar also increased carrot root growth relative to the control, but only in two varieties. Neither biochar treatment influenced carrot growth in 2012. In greenhouse trials, vermicompost amendments provided little nitrogen and pepper growth was reduced compared to treatments that received Osmocote fertilizer. We observed some evidence of nitrogen immobilization in response to both biochar amendments, though not enough to influence pepper productivity. Both biochar amendments increased soil pH relative to the control, and vermicompost increased soil pH relative to biochar treatments in all three soils tested. The softwood biochar amendment reduced FDA enzyme activity alone and in combination with the vermicompost relative to the control in all soils, which could have resulted from enzyme sorption. The softwood biochar increased shoot length and root dry weight relative to the control in soil P, but not in the other two soils. The microbially-inoculated softwood biochar reduced P. capsici soil populations in two of the three soils tested, and coupling this biochar with vermicompost resulted in reduced soil P. capsici populations in all three soils. The microbial-inoculated softwood biochar also decreased P. capsici root infection relative to the control in two of the three soils tested. Coupling biochar amendments with vermicompost also reduced P. capsici root infection in two soils, with the microbially-inoculated softwood biochar reducing infection in one soil, and the softwood biochar reducing infection in the other. These data suggest that biochar and vermicompost amendments can alter soil quality, suppress soil-borne pathogens and increase specialty crop productivity, but benefits depend on the type of biochar applied, and soil and environmental conditions. Further studies are recommended to determine the mechanisms responsible for improved crop growth and oomycete pathogen suppression in response to biochar and vermicompost amendments. Understanding how soil properties and plant-microbe interactions respond to biochar and vermicompost will provide greater insight into the mechanisms regulating these beneficial effects, and provide the knowledge needed to develop new management strategies for Indiana vegetable growers. Bioassays that identified a virulent P. capsici isolate will benefit future studies investigating biocontrol of this important oomycete pathogen. Christal Musser Program Coordinator Ecological Sciences and Engineering Office of Interdisciplinary Graduate Programs The Purdue University Graduate School | Purdue University Ernest C. Young Hall, Room B-40 | 155 S. Grant Street | West Lafayette, IN 47907 Email: musser(a)purdue.edu<mailto:musser@purdue.edu> | Web: www.purdue.edu/ese<http://www.purdue.edu/ese> Phone: 765-494-2102 | Fax: 765-496-6271 Like us on Facebook<https://www.facebook.com/?sk=welcome#!/ESEatPurdue>

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MS Defense Announcement - Daniel Newkirk
by Musser, Christal A. 03 Apr '14

03 Apr '14

Dan Newkirk - MS Defense Announcement Improving Indoor Air Quality through Botanical Air Filtration in Energy Efficient Residences April 9, 2014 3:15 PM Knoy 427 Ecological Sciences and Engineering Mechanical Engineering Technology Abstract According to the U.S. EPA, Americans spend 90 percent of their time indoors where indoor air is two to five times more polluted than outdoor air. Toxins in the built environment have been found to cause adverse physical and mental health effects on occupants and are estimated to cost the U.S. 125 billion dollar annually in lost productivity. As society attempts to reduce its energy consumption and avoid changes in the climate, energy efficient residences will become increasingly popular. Unfortunately these residences are sealed to reduce air leakage, which also decreases their natural ventilation. This can lead to problems in indoor air quality, and the typical solution of mechanically ventilating the residence is often energy intensive. Instead, it is proposed to "close the loop" on the system and filter the air naturally through the process of botanical air filtration. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of a botanical air filter on an energy efficient residence. The botanical air filter was designed and placed in an environmental chamber where temperature, relative humidity and toxin levels were monitored. A known amount of contaminant was introduced in to the chamber, with its decay monitored both with and without the filter. It was found that botanical air filters can have a positive impact on indoor air quality and also reduce energy use in energy efficient residences. Christal Musser Program Coordinator Ecological Sciences and Engineering Office of Interdisciplinary Graduate Programs The Purdue University Graduate School | Purdue University Ernest C. Young Hall, Room B-40 | 155 S. Grant Street | West Lafayette, IN 47907 Email: musser(a)purdue.edu<mailto:musser@purdue.edu> | Web: www.purdue.edu/ese<http://www.purdue.edu/ese> Phone: 765-494-2102 | Fax: 765-496-6271 Like us on Facebook<https://www.facebook.com/?sk=welcome#!/ESEatPurdue>

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