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1. Virtual Field Studies, Simulations and Role Play Resources: The Role Bivalves Play in Sustaining Local Watershed Ecosystems.

   Byers, A; Edmondson, E; Vonesh, J; Garman, G (December 2023, The Earth scientist)

   The Virginia Commonwealth University’s (VCU) three-year National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) grant worked with four school districts along the James River in Virginia helped teachers and the students they serve understand the role bivalves play in sustaining local watershed ecosystems. Two colleges across three centers at VCU contributed to the grant, which include the School of Education Center for Innovation in STEM Education, and VCU Life Sciences that included the VCU Rice Rivers Center and the Center for Environmental Studies. External partners included the Harrison Lake National Fish Hatchery-US Fish and Wildlife Service, the James River Association and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation to help deliver a comprehensive program. Students shared their stewardship efforts at the Virginia State Capitol. Five free environmental science modules (a collection of thematic lessons coupled with digital media) developed through this NOAA grant are housed at the the Virginia Department of Education “Go OpenVA” education portal. The modules present lessons in the following areas: a) virtual field studies for mussels and oysters, b) online role-play experiences for mussels and oysters, and c) an online simulation integrating the impact and sustainability of mussels in an agricultural environment. 

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2. Oyster fauna lengths, counts, and biomass from restored and reference reefs in Virginia coastal bays, 2005-2023

   https://doi.org/10.6073/pasta/d68de69f29cee5f737313a07f813f245  

   Lusk, Bo; Smith, Rachel; Castorani, Max_C N (January 2024, Environmental Data Initiative)

   Oyster reef fauna counts and lengths were sampled at natural "reference" reefs and restored shell plant reefs located in the Virginia Coast Reserve. Overfishing and disease decimated oyster reefs in the Virginia Coast Reserve in the 1900s. Reference reefs were defined as remnant reefs that naturally recovered in the early 2000s to develop the pronounced vertical structure and multiple oyster size classes that represent the desired endpoint of restoration efforts. Nearly every year since 2003, The Nature Conservancy and Virginia Marine Resource Commission have constructed oyster reefs in intertidal areas in the VCR. To construct the restored reefs, practitioners launched dredged, fossilized oyster shell from barges to intertidal locations chosen for their bottom stability and accessibility (locations lacked oysters prior to construction). Whelk shell supplemented the oyster shell at some of the restored reefs. TNC practitioners monitor select restored and reference reefs annually for adult and spat live oysters, adult and spat box oysters, mud crabs, mud snails, oyster drills, live clams, and mussels. 

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3. Board 226: Building Data Center Career Pathways Through K-12 Industry Externships

   https://doi.org/10.18260/1-2--42661  

   Labrie, Josh; Russell, Christopher; Kaur, Antarjot (June 2023, ASEE Conferences)

   Data centers are large, centralized clusters of computing hardware. Enterprise and economic activities that rely on internet services (e.g., cloud-based computing, online commerce, video and audio streaming) require significant data center infrastructure to ensure continuity of services. To provide these services, data centers require significant capital investment, ongoing operational maintenance, and the engineering workforce capacity to support these. Nationally, increasing reliance on distributed computing and off-site data storage has caused a boom in data center construction in multiple key markets nationwide. Additionally, shifts towards telecommuting and spikes in internet demand due to the COVID-19 pandemic have spurred increased demand for fast and reliable access to remote computing infrastructure (Miller, 2020). Northern Virginia has the largest and fastest growing market for data center capacity in the US (JLARC, 2019). Data center capacity is forecasted to double in Virginia during the next 10 years, with most of that growth concentrated in regions of Loudoun County and Manassas (Miller, 2018). The jobs created as a result of these investments offer high salaries for entry level technicians, especially compared with other regional opportunities to 2-year degree holders (Patil, 2019; Schneider & Vivari, 2012). Despite this rapid growth, data center pathways remain underdeveloped in Northern Virginia. Student and teacher awareness of data centers is low, with the sector operating almost invisibly to the education system (Magnolia Consulting, 2022). This project attempts to improve regional awareness of data center careers through an industry externship targeted to high school counselors from Virginia districts with highly concentrated data center industries. During their externships, educators attended structured tours of Micron Technology and Stack Infrastructure, participated in networking sessions at NOVA campuses, and developed an action plan to bring awareness of data center careers to their institutions. Using pre- and post-surveys, focus groups, and content analysis of action plans, this paper investigates the extent to which participation in externship activities improves educator awareness and knowledge of the data center industry, knowledge of regional career pathways, and intentions to change professional practice. The results are generalized to provide recommendations for practitioners seeking to increase awareness of emerging technological fields within the K-12 education system. 

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4. Evaluation of Virtual Reality Based Learning Materials as a Supplement to the Undergraduate Mechanical Engineering Laboratory Experience

   Syed, Zaker A; Trabookis, Zachary; Bertrand, Jeffrey; Chalil Madathil, Kapil; Hartley, Rebecca S; Frady, Kristin K; Wagner, John R; Gramopadhye, Anand K (January 2019, International journal of engineering education)

   Virtual reality offers vast possibilities to enhance the conventional approach for delivering engineering education. The introduction of virtual reality technology into teaching can improve the undergraduate mechanical engineering curriculum by supplementing the traditional learning experience with outside-the-classroom materials. The Center for Aviation and Automotive Technological Education using Virtual E-Schools (CA2VES), in collaboration with the Clemson University Center for Workforce Development (CUCWD), has developed a comprehensive virtual reality-based learning system. The available e-learning materials include eBooks, mini-video lectures, three-dimensional virtual reality technologies, and online assessments. Select VR-based materials were introduced to students in a sophomore level mechanical engineering laboratory course via fourteen online course modules during a four-semester period. To evaluate the material, a comparison of student performance with and without the material, along with instructor feedback, was completed. Feedback from the instructor and the teaching assistant revealed that the material was effective in improving the laboratory safety and boosted student’s confidence in handling engineering tools. 

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5. AI-Driven Mussel Behavior Monitoring Using An Accessible 3D Imaging System

   Snap, M; Badalamenti, A; Ayyappan, D; Banerjee, S; Urieta, DM; Cooper, C; Daniele, M; Reynolds, J; Levine, J; Bozkurt, A; et al (June 2025, 2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Montreal, Canada.)

   Freshwater mussels are essential parts of our ecosystems to reduce water pollution. As natural bio-filters, they deactivate pollutants such as heavy metals, providing a sustainable method for water decontamination. This project will enable the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to monitor mussel behavior, particularly their gaping activity, to use them as bio-indicators for early detection of water contamination. In this paper, we employ advanced 3D reconstruction techniques to create detailed models of mussels to improve the accuracy of AI-based analysis. Specifically, we use a state-of-the-art 3D reconstruction tool, Neural Radiance Fields (NeRF), to create 3D models of mussel valve configurations and behavioral patterns. NeRF enables 3D reconstruction of scenes and objects from a sparse set of 2D images. To capture these images, we developed a data collection system capable of imaging mussels from multiple viewpoints. The system featured a turntable made of foam board with markers around the edges and a designated space in the center for mounting the mussels. The turntable was attached to a servo motor controlled by an ESP32 microcontroller. It rotated in a few degree increments, with the ESP32 camera capturing an image at each step. The images, along with degree information and timestamps, are stored on a Secure Digital (SD) memory card. Several components, such as the camera holder and turntable base, are 3D printed. These images are used to train a NeRF model using the Python-based Nerfstudio framework, and the resulting 3D models were viewed via the Nerfstudio API. The setup was designed to be user-friendly, making it easy for educational outreach engagements and to involve secondary education by replicating and operating 3D reconstructions of their chosen objects. We validated the accessibility and the impact of this platform in a STEM education summer program. A team of high school students from the Juntos Summer Academy at NC State University worked on this platform, gaining hands-on experience in embedded hardware development, basic machine learning principles, and 3D reconstruction from 2D images. We also report on their feedback on the activity. 

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