Xavier’s Department of Physics and Engineering professors Dr. Morewell Gasseller, Dr. Shafiqul Islam and Dr. Freddie Landry received a National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) award to fund their university research for five years. The award will support the project “XULA Surface-Based Measurement Initiative for Environmental/Air Quality Monitoring,” which addresses air quality conditions in communities around Xavier. As air pollution poses significant risks to personal and environmental health, the professors’ award supports environmental education and future health outcomes.
Xavier will also receive three NASA instruments to support the professors’ research. AERONET measures atmospheric aerosols and will be used by Xavier and surrounding schools for atmospheric research. Global Precipitation Monitoring (GPM) measures and reports rainfall and will also be utilized for classroom activities. The PANDORA telescope will allow the professors to characterize atmospheric pollution, focusing on gaseous air pollutants: ozone, nitrogen dioxide, and formaldehyde. The research aims to expose Xavier’s undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) majors to NASA’s Surface-Based Measurement Network and the possibilities of Earth science systems research careers. It also seeks to leverage Xavier’s existing outreach activities to develop community awareness of NASA’s networks and use NASA’s networks to complement Xavier’s Environmental Computing and Community Engagement in Undergraduate STEM Education (ECOSTEM) project.
ECOSTEM, Xavier’s three-year project funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), was established in 2021 to develop microcontroller-based systems for collecting environmental data and deploying systems around New Orleans. Through summer teacher teaching training workshops, ECOSTEM engages Xavier undergraduates to collaborate with public school teachers, students, and government agencies to expand STEM education and apply STEM methods to environmental problems.
“One of the top environmental justice issues affecting this whole region is air quality. NASA’s award will complement ECOSTEM and support measures we are undertaking to monitor air quality,” said Dr. Gasseller. “It will also raise the community awareness of air quality and pollution monitoring issues affecting them.”
Dr. Gasseller is dedicated to innovative research, providing education on environmental monitoring issues and their impact on public health. Dr. Landry has vast experience leading NASA-funded projects and will assist with the selection, training, advising, and mentoring of research students. Dr. Islam, the coordinator of Xavier’s Robotics and Mechatronics Engineering program, has extensive expertise in robotics, mechatronics and autonomous systems. He will supervise the development of the remotely operated environmental air quality monitoring and control systems. Projects in the robotics program will utilize NASA’s instruments, and the professors will also redesign Xavier’s Integrated Physical Science (IPSC) courses to incorporate NASA technology.
The professors were excited to receive the award as they were selected based on their research’s intrinsic merit, relevance, and responsiveness to earth science goals and objectives. They are thankful to Xavier’s pre-award team for helping throughout the submission process and look forward to the impact the award will have on Xavierites.
“Receiving this award meant a lot because of the opportunities that it will give to Xavier students,” said Dr. Gasseller. “It will also give exposure to local high school students that we work with in other programs.” The commitment of Xavier’s faculty and their impactful work will raise environmental awareness and work to solve air pollution issues to create a healthier and habitable environment for all.
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