Title: The Use of Math Sprint in a Tutorial Program for Seventh Grade Students to Improve End of Grade Test Scores

Team Members: Autumn Luke, Jean Bevins, Joyce Bevins, Malcom Mcconner
Team Mentors: Dr. Darnell Johnson, Cedric Hall
Key Terms: Math Sprint, EOG, Competencies

Abstract
A “Math Sprint tutorial model” was used to improve the End of Grade (EOG) test scores on seventh grade students at Elizabeth City Middle School in Elizabeth City, North Carolina. This unique learning technique, developed at Elizabeth City State University, was used during a four-week study group composed of seventh grade students to enhance EOG test scores. The pre-test questions covered topics from the “North Carolina Mathematics Standard Course of Study” which consisted of five competencies: number and operations, measurement, geometry, algebra, and data analysis and probability. The North Carolina Mathematics Standard Course of Study is based on a philosophy of teaching and learning mathematics that is consistent with the current research, exemplary practices, and national standards. A diagnostic exam, corrective instruction, Math Sprints, and a post test were used to assist students with understanding of seventh grade math. The results of the pre and post exams showed student improvement in understanding seventh grade math.

Team Members: Jean Bevins, Michael Austin
Team Mentor: Xiaoming Gao
Key Terms: Cloud, Blob storage, Cloudberry

Abstract
The primary focus of this research project was to test cloud computer services using Windows Azure. Windows Azure is a Microsoft cloud platform used to host, shape and balance web applications through Microsoft datacenters. Clouds are machines that are accessed via internet to either store or compute files. Cloudberry Explorer manages the files in the Microsoft Azure Blob Storage. The clouds efficiency and effectiveness was tested by sending and receiving data at peak and off peak times. The type of files tested consisted of txt, jpeg, music, video, and software. The upload and download of the files were recorded along with the speed and size.

Title: A Study on the Viability of Hadoop Usage on the Umfort Cluster for the Processing and Storage of CReSIS Polar Data.

Team Members: Jean Bevins, Cedric Hall, JerNettie Burney
Team Mentor: Je'aime Powell
Key Terms: Hadoop, NameNode, MapReduce, Hive, HBase, HDFS, Zookeeper, JobTracker

Abstract
The primary focus of this research was to explore the capabilities of Hadoop as a software package to process, store and manage CReSIS polar data in a clustered environment. The investigation involved Hadoop functionality and usage through reviewed publications. The team’s research was aimed at determining if Hadoop was a viable software package to implement on the Elizabeth City State University (ECSU) Umfort computing cluster. Utilizing case studies processing, storage, management, and job distribution methods were compared. A final determination of the benefits of Hadoop for the storing and processing of data on the Umfort cluster was then made. 

Title: Creating a Security Model for the SALSA HPC Portal

Team Members: Jean Bevins, Courtnie Wright
Team Mentors: Adam Hughes, Saliya Ekanayake
Key Terms: Portal, Use Case, OOAD, ASP.Net

(click here for poster)
Abstract
The Primary Focus of this research project was to create a security model for the Service Aggregated Linked Sequential Activities (SALSA) HPC Portal, by using ASP.net, in conjunction with Microsoft SQL. The SALSA group members examine new programming models, involving parallel algorithms, applications, and libraries. The SALSA portal provides data-parallel algorithms running on a wide range of High Performance Computing (HPC) platforms. It allows users to carry out actions such as resource discovery, job submission and control, and data retrieval by abstracting much of the tedium involved in managing HPC jobs. This allows them to focus more on solving and developing software tools to address scientific computational problems. In the planning and implementation of the research project, a security case, and various use cases were conducted. These cases helped form the procedures for the overall research project. There were two primary aspects making up the Portal, which were creating the database and creating the actual security model.

Title: The Effects of Sea Surface Temperature on the Wind Speeds of Major Hurricanes of the 2005 Atlantic Region, a Reexamination of Satellite Remote Sensing Data and Research.

Team Members: Cedric Hall, Jean Bevins, Nicolas Tabron, Ashley Basnight
Team Mentor: Dr. Jinchun Yuan
Key Terms: Sea Surface Temperatue, Wind Speed

(website)
Abstract: The primary focus of this research was to study the effects of Sea Surface Temperature (SST) on the Wind Speeds of Major Hurricanes of the 2005 Atlantic Hurricane Season. By this, reexaminations of Satellite Remote Sensing Data and previously recorded research had to be considered. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) provided a precise account of Physical Oceanography Data, taken by remotely sensed instruments during Hurricanes, Tropical Storms, and Depressions of the 2005 Atlantic region. The Oceanography team reviewed publications, in which similar research was conducted to empathize with the controversial debate to which scientist have argued over what actually causes Hurricane intensity. Several theoretical notions were produced from the data and research reviewed.

Thus, we conducted our own research and analysis on Sea Surface Temperature in regards to Wind Speed.We expected to either disprove or prove the ongoing contentious arguments by seeking precise results. We used Microsoft Excel to find correlations between Sea Surface Temperature and Wind Speed to accumulate our final results.

Title: Creating Social Networking Application for Polargrid while applying Facebook Applicatin Programming Interface (API), and filtering Ice Sheet data from Greenland.

Team Members: Jean Bevins, Joyce Bevins
Team Mentor: Marlon Pierce
Key Words: XML, PHP, MySQL, Apache, API.

Abstract
One primary focus of this study was to create a social networking application for PolarGrid by using Facebook Application Programming Interface (API). In completing such, our involvement consisted of a research project to learn the usage of web technologies to provide a way for collaborators to access PolarGrid data and apply simple filters. PolarGrid, a research project and partnership that seek into the depths of computing infrastructure used to study that of glacial melting, and CReSIS (The Center for Remote Sensing of Ice Sheets), a Science and Technology Center, work hand to hand together. CReSIS does the physical work by going out to the fields collecting ice sheet radar data through remote sensing. PolarGrid provides computer support for the field operations and also supports large-scale analysis of the data after it is returned from the field. Facebook API is the foundation for building applications on a Facebook platform. Found on the Facebook Developers community page, users have the option of creating or altering an application. This Social Networking Application also contained data such ice sheet data taken from Greenland from the PolarGrid project. The subglacial terrain images give out ice sheet thickness and the details of internal ice layers over vast areas from both the surface and the air. The purpose of filtering the images is to remove disfigure noise, which usually appears as random grainy patterns. Applying proper filters will enhance the image quality and improve the understanding of subglacial structures. 

Title: Evaluation and Implementation of Web 2.0 Technologies in Support of CReSIS Polar and Cyberinfrastructure Research Projects at Elizabeth City State University 

Team Members: Michael Austin, Trevin Baskerville, Jean Bevins, Joyce Bevins, Robyn Evans
Team Mentor: Jeff Wood
Key Words: Web 2.0, Drupal, Joomla, WordPress, MediaWiki, Content Management System, CReSIS, Polar Research

Abstract The primary focus of this research project was to study the implementation of Web 2.0 technologies to support scientific research and provide educational resources. Web 2.0 technologies include social networking, text and data mining, knowledge incorporation environments, tagging, visualization, and mashups. These technologies are widely used in popular sites such as MySpace, Facebook, and iGoogle. Various research and government organizations such as NASA, Harvard's Science and Engineering department, and the Technology Student Association have also implemented these technologies. The 2008-2009 Multimedia Team focused on specific server software packages to execute Content Management Systems (CMS) for future inclusion in several ongoing projects under the Center of Excellence in Remote Sensing and Education (CERSER) umbrella. Four open source software packages were evaluated, installed, and documented as models for future installations. These software packages were Joomla, WordPress, Drupal, and MediaWiki. http://nia.ecsu.edu/ur/0809/teams/mmt/index.html