Seven faculty-led research projects that involve creative collaboration and support Oklahoma State University’s land-grant mission have been approved for a total of $250,000 in funding through OSU’s Interdisciplinary Creative Planning Grant Program.
“The projects funded in this third year of grants are visionary as well as practical in their integration of at least two academic disciplines and from two or more OSU colleges or academic units,” said Pamela Fry, interim provost and senior vice president in the Division of Academic Affairs. “We congratulate the winners and thank them for their commitment to OSU’s land-grant mission of teaching, research and outreach.”
By the end of August 2014, the researchers will submit reports summarizing their activities and outcomes, a description of how they serve the land-grant mission, and progress in identifying sustainable external funding sources.
The following are the seven projects that received 2013 Interdisciplinary Grant Awards for the year ahead:
3-D Indoor Digitization System for Emergency Response and Management
PI: Weihua Sheng, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, CEAT
Co-PI: Tingguang Ma, Department of Fire Protection and Safety Technology, CEAT
Co-PI: Hongbo Yu, Department of Geography, CAS
Abstract: In this project, the PIs will work together to develop a 3D digitization system to map large buildings and label critical components for emergency response and management purpose. The resulting map will be BIM (Building Information Modeling) compatible and can assist Incident Command System (ICS) to better plan, organize, monitor and control emergency operations, therefore increasing the safety of emergency responders and operational effectiveness. It can also be used for life-safety analysis, risk assessment, fire safety evaluation, fire investigation and modeling, as well as smoke control system design. This one-year project will lay the foundation for the PIs to build a cross-disciplinary research and education program in an area of critical importance to the OSU land grant mission.
Regenerative Medicine at OSU
PI: Lin Liu, Physiological Sciences, CVHS
Co-PI: Kenneth Miller, Anatomy and Cell Biology, CHS
Co-PI: William Picking, Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, CAS
Abstract: Regenerative Medicine offers the great promise to cure human and animal diseases. It is an exciting and emerging research field that requires efforts from scientists from multi-disciplines including human and veterinary medicine, biology, and engineering and material sciences. The objectives of the Program are to enhance collaborations in regenerative medicine research across campus, attract additional faculty into this research area, and eventually establish a self-sustained center of research excellence through extramural funding. The goals will be accomplished by 5 approaches: (1) Bring everyone together through regular meetings, (2) Perform national program survey, (3) Recruit external consultants, (4) Promote proposal submissions in regenerative medicine through pilot projects, and (5) Market the program by developing a program website. Creation of the interdisciplinary program in regenerative medicine will provide a bridge for investigators across different disciplines and serves a focus point for research collaborations and educational and training opportunities to students.
Discover Architecture
PI: Suzanne Bilbeisi, Architecture, CEAT
Co-PI: Steven O’Hara, Architectural Engineering, CEAT
Co-PI: Mohammed Bilbeisi, Architecture, CEAT
Co-PI: Heather Yates, Construction Management Technology, CEAT
Co-PI: Nick Nelson, Landscape Architecture, CASNR
Abstract: The “Discover Architecture” workshop is a week-long career orientation summer program for high school students. The faculty of this program would like to explore the possibility of expanding the academic content of the workshop to include the allied disciplines of landscape architecture and construction management. We believe this will provide a more complete exploration of the various professions involved in the building arts, and help us achieve a broader freshman recruitment for the university. The Discover Architecture program upholds the land grant mission of OSU, through outreach to the high school community. The workshop will create a unique interdisciplinary educational opportunity utilizing the framework of the building arts, and make it available to the next generation of college students from across the state and nation.
Grain Handling and Storage Safety and Rescue Research and Education
PI: Carol Jones, Biosystems and Ag Engineering, CASNR
Co-PI: Ed Kirtley, Fire Services Training, CEAT
Co-PI: Steve Edwards, Applied Health, COE
Co-PI: Brian Adam, Ag Economics, CASNR
Co-PI: Jason Louthan, Fire Services Training, CEAT
Abstract: Grain industry accidents have risen 92 percent since 2002 in the USA. Many times firefighters responding to these accidents become victims. Examples in Oklahoma include the recent death of one firefighter and severe injuries to four more. This project will establish a team to plan, conduct, and extend research and training to protect firefighters, workers, and first responders working and responding to the environment of the grain storage and handling industry. The outcomes will be proposals ready for a FEMA grant opportunity in the fall of 2014, baseline force data for equipment design and comparison, economic information about the costs of grain industry accidents, information about the physiological and psychological impact of working in the severe conditions of bulk grain, and foundational training material to extend the above knowledge to firefighters and the grain industry.
OSU Center for Natural History Collections
PI: Karen McBee, Department of Zoology, CAS
Co-PI: Mark Fishbein, Department of Botany, CAS
Co-PI: Jeffrey Byrnes, Geology, CAS
Co-PI: David Peters, Special Collections & University Archives, Library
Co-PI: Astri Wayadande, Entomology & Plant Pathology, CASNR
Co-PI: Julie Thomas, Teaching & Curriculum Leadership, COE
Abstract: Our goal is to develop a collaborative center, the OSU Center for Natural History Collections (CNHC), consisting of members from the colleges of Arts & Sciences, Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Education, and Edmon Low Library to: 1) assess current holdings and conditions of OSU’s natural history collections, 2) build comprehensive protocols for conservation and appropriate use of specimens, 3) develop a strategy to improve data management and access through a shared web site, 4) establish coordinated outreach programs for K-12 education, and, 5) enhance efforts in obtaining external funding for collections.
Future Flexible and Secure Communication Paradigm for Public Safety
PI: Qi Cheng, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, CEAT
Co-PI: Eric Chan-Tin, Department of Computer Science, CAS
Co-PI: Michael Wieder, Fire Protection Publications, CEAT
Co-PI: Nancy Trench, Fire Protection Publications, CEAT
Abstract: The existing licensed spectrum allocation approach for public safety communication is regarded as old fashioned and inefficient due to 1) the non-uniformity in the occupancy duty cycles across the allocated channels and 2) lack of interoperability in large-scale incidents. The need for reconfigurable communication solutions for emergency scenarios in order to ensure reliability, coverage, robustness, and security has motivated us to explore new approaches, technologies, and policies for public safety communication. In this research program, we propose an infrastructure-free, cost-effective and secure cognitive radio network solution to address the unique challenges and requirements in emergency service operations. Research priorities include 1) achieving maximum spectrum availability awareness with minimum sensing resources; 2) efficient spectrum sharing to accommodate various types of data and various transmission needs; 3) solving emerging security challenges on a cognitive radio network; 4) engaging end users and policy makers in this program. This program aligns with NSF highlighted research areas.
Smart Hygiene Compliance Monitoring for Safe Food Handling and Professing
PI: Ning Wang, Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering, CASNR
Co-PI: Weihua Sheng, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, CEAT
Co-PI: Tim Bowser, Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering, CASNR
Abstract: Motivation and monitoring of food handling and processing employees to comply with required hygiene practices is a large part of the equation in reducing health associated infections (HAIs). In the U.S., improper food handler practices contributed to approximately 97 percent of foodborne illnesses during food-handling and processing at food processing facilities. The ultimate goal of this proposal will be to establish an interdisciplinary research group to develop innovative, systematic approaches based on networked monitoring devices and data management tools to leverage the expertise in food safety employee training and understand the complex interaction of factors that motivate employees on hygiene compliance behaviors. The developed system will integrate the low cost, state of art technologies, including Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), 3D cameras, image processing, wireless communication networks, and data analysis, to provide the food industry a management tool to improve hygiene compliance.
