Achievement

A new WISeNet core course, "Optimal Environmental Sensing", was developed and co-taught fall 2012 by Co-PIs Gabriel Katul and John Albertson at Duke. Students learn how to model sensor-environment interaction in soils, plants, and the lower atmosphere, through a systematic process that begins by defining environmental state variables of interest, biological and physical controls, and the physical interaction with sensor physics. Students are introduced to signal processing concepts and applications, and study instrumentation theory and practice. The need for this course stems from the fact that many environmental time series (e.g. rainfall) are inherently intermittent, and often characterized by active phases, with a short, yet random, duration, separated by longer passive phases. Ten IGERT Trainees or Associates enrolled representing Computer Science, Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science, Civil & Environmental Engineering, Electrical & Computer Engineering and Biology.