The Shenandoah Valley Air Quality Initiative
Education - Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM)
JMU Courses
Faculty members are incorporating inquiry-based activities and emerging data visualization methods for a variety of student audiences ranging from general education students, to pre- and in-service teachers, to science students. Examples of these activities include:
GLOBE
For three years JMU has been a partner with the Global Learning
and Observations to Benefit the Environment
(GLOBE) program. GLOBE is a worldwide
hands-on, primary and secondary school-based
science and education program that
trains teachers to help students improve their
achievement in science and math, and in the
use of computer and network technology by
involving them in performing real science – taking
measurements, analyzing data, and participating in research in collaboration
with scientists. JMU has trained more than 30 faculty and teachers
in GLOBE protocols.
Science on a Sphere
JMU is the first university to acquire Science on a
Sphere (SOS) – a sphere-shaped, data visualization
tool developed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA). SOS uses four projectors
to project onto the entire surface of a six foot
diameter sphere. Many of the current images for SOS
use processed satellite data so the observer has the
illusion of seeing Earth from an astronaut’s perspective
in space. The tool is currently being piloted with
faculty members from different disciplines and is used in faculty research, JMU classes, and K-12 science education.
Undergraduate Research Opportunities
Undergraduate research opportunites are available through JMU faculty
projects as well as via collaborations with other universities, non-profit organizations,
and agencies. Student research is frequently conducted in small
teams over summers or as part of the capstone project. Students involvement is a key component of nearly all SHENAIR projects.
Environmental and Sustainability Education
JMU staff provides environmental
and sustainability education to K-12 teachers
and students, as well as to civic clubs and
organizations. JMU offers professional development
workshops to help Valley teachers incorporate
atmospheric lessons into the teaching
curriculum. Additionally, JMU has partnered with the American Lung Association and the
Department of Environmental Quality to complete
the Clean Air Champions (CAC) module which incorporates proper car
maintenance into the Virginia high school driver’s education curriculum.
