MTSU Mondays: Geosciences heats up climate research; Daniels Center honors 9/11 survivor grad

Here's the latest news from Middle Tennessee State University.

Middle Tennessee State University geosciences faculty recently landed a National Science Foundation grant to make the critical, yet sometimes overwhelming issue of climate change more concrete and relatable to their undergraduate students.

Alisa Hass, assistant professor, collaborated with Mark Abolins, professor, to win the $260,000 NSF grant and develop the research project involving around 300 students wearing iButton temperature and humidity sensors, known academically as “hygrochrons,” and analyzing the resulting data of their climates.

“Climate change is something that affects all of us, and this student population represents the people who are going to be dealing with it and hopefully helping to solve it,” said Hass, who has an extensive background in researching the effects of heat on different groups. “It can feel like such an intangible, big topic, so we came up with the temperature sensor project to help them see how they’re being directly affected by their personal climates.”

Abolins, whose background is in caves, first learned about the grant and brought it to Hass, sparked by his additional interest in undergraduate education innovation.

“It seemed like a great fit and opportunity to get her (Hass) and her climate research work more support,” Abolins said. “She’s done a lot of this heat impact work with a smaller sample size (on average about 30 participants), and this was an opportunity to not only get a large number of MTSU students involved for their own educational benefit, but it also intersected with furthering the understanding of climate, heat and humidity and how people experience them.”

Additionally, Hass and Abolins tapped colleagues Brittany Price, assistant professor, and Jeremy Aber, professor, to conduct the project with their general education science students as well, plus the grant offered the opportunity to bring on a graduate research assistant. Hass added Sean Sanders, a geoscience master’s student, to their team.

“This project is helping me gain relevant work experience because my main job doesn’t involve research,” Sanders said. “Now I can say I’ve used industry-specific programs, and I’m part of a project that can help these students see what types of climates they are exposed to and how it can affect their physical health.”

Hass said the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs helped the team with grant submissions and negotiations, and that the team’s project rollout this spring and initial responses from students capturing and observing their “microclimate” data have been going well so far.

Hass and her team will repeat the activity with their students next fall and spring semesters and plan to launch the project in local community colleges next year as well.

Learn more about opportunities at the Department of Geosciences at https://mtsu.edu/geosciences/. Learn more about the opportunities and support at the Office of Sponsored and Research Programs at https://mtsu.edu/research/.

9/11 Pentagon survivor, hero earns Daniels Center leadership award

U.S. Air Force veteran Bill Lickman not only survived the 9/11 terrorist attack on the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., his actions led thousands of Pentagon staff members to safety, and he later received a Purple Heart for injuries he received that day.

Nearly 23 years later, the Murfreesboro resident graduated from MTSU with a bachelor’s in video and film production and received the Veteran Leadership Award recently during the spring Graduating Veterans Stole Ceremony at Miller Education Center.

Stole ceremonies have become a tradition for the Charlie and Hazel Daniels Veterans and Military Family Center. Fifty student veterans attended the recent ceremony, where they received special red stoles to wear during May 3-4 commencement ceremonies in Murphy Center.

“It’s appreciated,” Lickman, 45, said of the award given to a graduating student veteran who has demonstrated superior leadership, academic achievement and selfless service to MTSU and the Daniels Center community. “I’ve tried to make a point to not just be a student that goes to class and then goes home. I engage in community. I understand the importance of community and networking.”

Lickman has been totally immersed at MTSU: production manager and highlight camera operator for MTSU’s ESPN+ sports broadcasts, a photographer for Sidelines, the student newspaper, social media manager for MTSU’s student-run television production company and Student Government Association veteran senator.

Retiring after 23 years in the Air Force, Lickman was one of four USAF Joint Staff Military Security Forces members on duty during the 9/11 attack. After helping people evacuate, he returned to the burning building to protect critical facilities and senior Department of Defense leadership including Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld.

MTSU Mondays content is provided by submissions from MTSU News and Media Relations.

This article originally appeared on Murfreesboro Daily News Journal: MTSU Mondays: Climate research heats up; 9/11 survivor honored