ECSU NRTS Background Information
Dr. Linda Hayden, Principal Investigator
The NRTS at Elizabeth
City State University (ECSU) was established to serve Northeastern North Carolina
and Eastern Virginia.
The NRTS at ECSU is providing network training and is facilitating network opportunities
in research and education for mathematics, science, engineering, and technology
faculty and students for teachers of predominantly minority attended elementary
and secondary schools. ECSU concentrates on technology investments that will lead
to advancement in Earth Systems Science Education and research as well as High-Performance
Networking.
ECSU has developed a tier-based technology training program for its K-12 partners
and provides technology grants to its University and College partners. Teachers
and executive officers are trained in technlogy concepts to help their institutions
implement science education reform. The training helps integrate computers into
the classrooms. Summer workshops expose educators to Internet and connectivity
concepts. Participants learn to navigate the Internet and design World Wide Web
pages that display each school's mission, programs, and activities.
Not only do university partners participate in technology and curriculum development
workshops, but they also meet regularly to discuss the latest announcements of
opportunity for funded research. This consortium is active in teaming for proposals
for funded research.
The Great Dismal Swamp is within ECSU's geographical domain. It contains 639 acres
of unspoiled fresh water wetlands. ECSU has developed an Earth Systems Science
Academy to study and promote the crucial role played by wetlands in the coastal
plain biome.
The Earth Systems Science Academy is a collaboration between ECSU, university
partners, K-12 institutions, the North Carolina Division of Coastal Management,
the Remote Sensing Public Access Center, and industry partners.
A curriculum development partnership has been established with the University
Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) SkyMath program, which strengthens
weather-related concepts for middle schools.
The NRTS implemented Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) infrastructure to support
the workshop demands and the growing campus demands for bandwidth. This positions
the university to participate in next-generation networking collaborations.
ECSU Expert Institute Concept:Earth
Systems Science Ecucation and Research: Primary Goals
To engage talented undergraduate
students in Earth System Science techniques enabling them to make informed
and objective decisions about the future of the earth.
To nurture partnerships with faculty,
state and local agencies, and NASA Centers to facilitate the transition from
undergraudate work to graduate studies in Mission-to-Planet-Earth-related
areas.
Advanced Network Technology: Primary
Goals
To perform research for collaborating
with public network initiatives and to ensure compatibility with long-term
national and international network standards, especially those associated
with ATM.
To develop workshops for the MU-SPIN
community for understadning and implementing advanced networking technologies
such as ATM.
To develop a high performance
infrastructure testbed for joint research in high data rate connectivity.
Emphasis will be on early experimental ATM trials linking MU-SPIN backbone
sites and selected user sites.
For further information contact:
ECSU NRTS
Box 672, 1704 Weeksville Road
Elizabeth City, NC 27909
(252)335-3696 voice 335-3790 fax
