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A piston bully pulls sleds conducting surface-based radar measurements near the West Antarctic Ice Sheet Divide. CReSIS, a National Science Foundation center based at the University recently published research on glacial topography.
BREAKING THE ICE
CReSIS releases research on glaciers in Antarctica, Greenland
CHANDLER BOESE
@ChandlerBoese
Recently, the Center for the Remote Sensing of Ice Sheets, or CReSIS, a National Science Foundation center based at the University of Kansas, published an article in the Journal of Glaciology about its recent findings in the topography of two glaciers in Antarctica and Greenland.
CReSIS, established in 2005 as part of NSF's Science and Technology program, is led by the University of Kansas, according to the CReSIS website, but also includes Elizabeth City State University,
Indiana University, University of Washington, Pennsylvania State University, Los Alamos National Laboratory, and the Association of Computer and Information Science Engineering Departments at Minority Institutions.
"Our overarching goal is to be able to provide the science community with the instrumentation and methods to evaluate sea level rise, focused specifically on the ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica," said graduate research assistant Cameron Lewis, a PhD student from Lawrence.
As the hub of the program,
the University's part of CReSIS focuses on the actual radars and other instruments used to measure the melting of these glaciers.
"It's a unique experience. When you're a GRA involved in one of these larger science centers, there's a lot more opportunities ... "
CAMERON LEWIS PhD student from Lawrence
"Here in Nichols Hall, we're all electrical engineers," Lewis
said. "Our focus is designing the actual physical radars, buildingthem,troubleshooting them,operating them in the field to collect the data. Then we provide the information to the science community at large."
In the article, CReSIS said they are planning on deploying a number of unmanned small aerial systems, which will allow them to sense more about the topography of the ice underneath the surface clutter.
As an institution, CReSIS involves a large number of faculty, staff, graduates and undergraduates. Gogineni said from 1998 to 2013, CReSIS employed 206 undergraduates and 184 graduates from the universities involved in the center.
The research that was published in the Journal of Glaciology, CReSIS director Prasad Gogineni said, tells the science community that the bed topography of the glaciers, specifically Jakobshavn Isbrae, a large Greenland glacier, and the Byrd glacier, located in Antarctica, is very complex.
data near the calving front to make a more accurate assessment," Goginnii said.
"It's a unique experience," Lewis said. "When you're a GRA involved in one of these larger science centers, there's a lot more opportunities available for you for what you're going to do."
Lewis has been working with CReSIS since it was established in 2005.
"As discussed in the paper, we need much finer resolution
For the past seven years, Lewis has been working on an accumulation radar for the center. Taking ownership of this project, seeing the development and operation of a physical item, is a great experience, he said.
- Edited by Logan Schlossberg
GEORGE MULLINIX/KANSAN
United States Senate Canidate Greg Orman speaks to a group of 19 University students and Lawrence community members Tuesday inside the ECM. His main focus was college tuition.
Greg Orman talks college affordability
ALLISON KITE
@Allie Kite
Senate candidate Greg Orman's new plan regarding college affordability revolves around holding universities accountable for the rising cost of higher education and increasing transparency to give students more power in taking out loans.
The six-part plan, which Orman presented to about 30 students and community members at Ecumenical Campus ministries, outlines
"If you receive tax payer dollars, you should sign on to the goal of making it more affordable," Orman said in his speech on campus Tuesday.
plans to keep tuition low, reduce interest rates on student loans, increase students' understanding of loans, reform collection practices and protect military members from predatory loans.
One provision of Orman's plan will require universities to keep tuition increases consistent with inflation levels. Should universities choose not to do this, he said they would not receive taxpayer money. The plan does not provide suggestions for how universities would make up the lost revenue. Orman cited two main reasons for the increasing cost of higher education: larger
"They want to make grander universities," he said. "They want to have more diverse programs. They want to ultimately emulate that. There are lots of examples that have made other decisions not to emulate the Harvards of the world and are ultimately delivering high-quality education at a lower cost. In everything I've looked at, the real driver of cost is this decision to try to make these institutions significantly grander without really looking at the underlying quality of the education."
numbers of administrators and universities' tendency to emulate Harvard.
In addition to holding
universities accountable, the plan emphasizes the importance of student knowledge of student loans and transparency on the part of loaners. The plan cites the CARD act, which required credit card companies to explain in simpler terms how long a bill will take to pay off and the interest that would be paid over that time. The plan suggests similar requirements for student loans.
In his speech, Orman also suggested more resources to help students make the right decision about school. He said the biggest student loan victims are students who go to universities unprepared and drop out. Those students
still have to pay off their loans without the benefit of having received a degree. He suggested helping students pick the right form of higher education for their skills and preparedness.
"One of the things we need to do a better job of is helping kids make higher education decisions," he said. "Helping them decide, 'Do I actually want to go to community college? Do I want to go straight to a four-year university? Should I go to a trade school?' "
The Kansan is waiting to hear back from Senator Pat Roberts regarding the plan.
Edited by Lyndsey Havens
Chancellor's task force: Some of the sexual assault recommendations submitted to the Chancellor's email and webpage have been given to the task force. It is currently undertaking research and soliciting feedback from members of the University community. Members will make further recommendations this spring and deliver a report to the chancellor by the end of April 2015. The task force website is now live at sataskforce.ku.edu. The task force will meet again Oct. 24 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Regents Room of Strong Hall.
Index CLASSIFIEDS 7 CRYPTOQUIP 6 SPORTS 8 CROSSWORD 6 OPINION 4 SUDOKU 6
kappa Sigma investigation: Kappa Sigma fraternity will remain suspended until Oct. 31. At the conclusion of the suspension, the University can decide whether to extend the suspension and continue the investigation or set a hearing date for the organization where sanctions will be decided.
SEE CASES PAGE 2
Hashinger case: William McCoy and John Jossie, the student and man each charged Oct. 9 with a felony count of rape in Hashinger Hall, have been released from jail on bond. They are scheduled to appear in preliminary hearings at the Douglas County Courthouse on Nov. 4. The date is subject to change.
AMELIA ARVESEN
@AmeliaArvesen
Sexual assault updates
Don't Forget
MCKENNA HARFORD
@McKennaHarfod
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