Kyle Bunds

Development of a spatio-temporal mapping platform producing a time-series (1990 - 2020) golf course value proposition for Wake County, NC, and Los Angeles County, CA

KABOOM! and NC State propose to conduct a comprehensive, cross-system map of playspace inequities that exist within three locally-focused communities to illuminate gaps in access to safe, quality places to play. This data-driven, community-informed approach will ultimately help catalyze equitable and inclusive playspace investments that help address the gaps identified through this project.

Abstract College sport provides an interesting context to study the work-life balance of employees due to the competitive nature of the industry, long, nontraditional work hours, frequent travel, lack of time-off, and pressure to succeed. Previous research has examined the experiences of coaches, athletic administrators, and support staff finding high levels of work-life conflict, burnout, and work addiction. However, limited research has looked at (a) the impact of organizational culture on levels of work-life balance and (b) examined the impact on the employee������������������s family members. A mixed method approach will be utilized to capture data from athletic department employees and their partners. The results from surveys and interviews will be used to disseminate strategies for navigating work-life imbalance and practical solutions to improve organizational culture throughout the ACC.

The GAPS (Geospatial Applications for Problem Solving) for Hi-Tech Teens program is a collaborative effort between NC State University, Wade Edwards Learning Lab (WELL), and RTI International. The program is designed to introduce high school students to Geospatial science, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and advanced geovisualization technologies through an intensive after-school STEM learning experience. The GAPS for Hi-Tech Teens program will consist of 2 unique 8-week cohorts (20 students) during the academic year, including 2 mandatory contact hours per week, plus a 2-hour open lab where students can work with mentors on project activities, for a potential of 64 contact hours. The program will also include a 1-week summer program focused on college and career preparedness. The four primary goals of the program are to 1) engage students in community-focused decision making using Geospatial science, 2) increase student capacity for creating and using interactive geovisualization technologies, 3) expose students to GIS-STEM related college programs and careers, and 4) support students with tutoring in mathematics and science. Another mission of the program is to reach historically underserved populations in STEM fields, including African Americans, Hispanics, American Indian, and female students. Therefore, we will utilize WELL������������������s experience and established relationships with several Wake County schools to provide a diverse base of possible participants in the GAPS for Hi-Tech Teens program, with a goal of at least 60% of participants being minority. To achieve goal 1 the curriculum will be designed around an 8-week project activity that focuses on relevant community topics. Students will work in pairs to identify a spatial topic, acquire the necessary data, develop relevant geospatial models (through student-built tangible landscape systems), analyze and visualize their results, and communicate findings to peers and the public. To achieve goal 2 students will design and build their own tangible landscape system coupled with GIS. Students will also learn how to map using GIS software. In addition, each cohort will participate in a technology field trip to NC State������������������s Geovisualization Lab where they will interact with advanced geospatial technologies, including Virtual Reality, GazeGIS, SimTable sandbox models, 3-D glasses, GigaPan cameras, and GPS units. To achieve goal 3 students will interact and observe geospatial professionals through an expert panel, and college and career field trips during the 1-week summer program. The semester cohorts will also be mentored by our professional collaborators at RTI International and NC State, community partners, as well as the graduate and undergraduate assistants. To achieve goal 4 students will have access to a dedicated mathematics and science tutor at the WELL for 6 hrs/week outside of the regular program activities.

The use of geospatial science and technologies in formal high school classroom settings has thus far been inhibited by a lack of fundamental geospatial knowledge and awareness by teachers. Teachers are often reluctant to introduce new technologies they are not comfortable with. Therefore, the goal of this project is to develop a summer professional development workshop focused on helping teachers gain familiarity with geospatial science and technology concepts that can easily be integrated into their existing curriculums in the classroom. The workshop will introduce high school teachers to geospatial concepts, geospatial technologies that are readily available, and provide an opportunity to develop pilot lesson plans for deployment in their classrooms.

The aims of this project are to demonstrate a method for quantification of spatial and temporal variability in real world air pollutant exposure concentrations, activity patterns, and potential dose. New technologies are emerging for portable and, in some cases, ����������������low cost,��������������� sensing of air quality at the point of contact with humans or other receptors. However, the development of methods for in-use measurement of exposure concentrations is an emerging area and requires research to tailor the measurement methodology to health-relevant metrics of exposure, such as potential dose. The method will be demonstrated by application to an exemplary case study for exposure to air pollution in an urban ����������������green��������������� environment by persons engaged in various levels of activity and exercise, including pedestrians and bicyclists. The methodological approach includes: (a) development of a study design that accounts for choices of study routes, transport modes (pedestrian, cycle), and activity patterns; (b) selection, assembly, and deployment of a portable exposure concentration monitoring instrument package; (c) field data collection of exposure concentrations for the selected study design; (d) quantification of surrogate indicators of ventilation (breathing); (e) data processing; (f) geospatial data analysis to identify locations associated with high exposure and high dose; (g) temporal analysis to determine peak times for exposure and dose; and (h) evaluation of the approach and development of recommendations for improved methods and additional applications. This pilot work will result in a peer-reviewed archival journal paper and serve as the foundation for a larger grant application at a later time.

This project investigates the microenvironment around a college football game. The purpose of this research is to understand what pollutants game attendees are exposed to on game days (before, during, and after the game). We will measure the Ozone, CO, PM, temperature, and relative humidity at the stadium and tailgating lots three hours before, during, and after NC State home football games in fall 2015. We will conduct both mobile and stationary measurements. The purpose of the mobile measurement will be to quantify spatial variability based on “transects” through the stadium parking lots and to quantify boundary conditions at both the upwind and downwind edges of the stadium property. The latter will enable quantification of the incremental increase in air quality associated with emissions-generating activities on the stadium property. The mobile measurements will be made with Dr. Frey’s Comparison of Air Pollution in Transportation Environments (CAPTEN) Instrument Package (See Figure 1). Monies received from this funding will allow for the purchase of four stationary low-cost PM sensors to be placed at the North, South, East, and West ends of the stadium tailgating lots (See Figure 2). The purpose of the stationary measurements is to obtain a consistent time series of data at the same locations, to quantify background concentration based on sensors located in the upwind direction, and to quantify the incremental contribution to reduced air quality based on comparison of the downwind to upwind sensors. We will support one graduate student on an hourly basis to help observe variations in air pollution. We will use project funds to disseminate our results at the largest international sport conference, to be held in Summer 2016. The results of this study will produce a new methodology for examining sporting event microenvironments and enable development of empirical pilot data. The results of these measurements will provide the foundational “proof-of-concept” necessary to demonstrate the viability of and insights from the methodology, which in turn will enable us to pursue funding to examine the air quality impact of major sporting and entertainment events on a broader scale.