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The successful implementation of vision-based navigation in agricultural fields hinges upon two critical components: 1) the accurate identification of key components within the scene, and 2) the identification of lanes through the detection of boundary lines that separate the crops from the traversable ground. We propose Agronav, an end-to-end vision-based autonomous navigation framework, which outputs the centerline from the input image by sequentially processing it through semantic segmentation and semantic line detection models. We also present Agroscapes, a pixel-level annotated dataset collected across six different crops, captured from varying heights and angles. This ensures that the framework trained on Agroscapes is generalizable across both ground and aerial robotic platforms. Codes, models and dataset will be publicly released. 

The document includes a summary of the AGET project background including the process of forming the Executive Advisory Board. In addition, a diagram of the curriculum structure is provided to demonstrate use of modular and stackable credentials. Semi-structured interviews were used to identify and classify lessons learned and results from these semi-structured interviews with AGET team members and project collaborators are provided. Lastly, teaching resources include samples of course syllabi, surveying and geomatics educational materials, and GIS lab exercises. 

The National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded a three-year, $609,739 grant (#1700568) to the University of North Georgia’s Lewis F. Rogers Institute for Environmental and Spatial Analysis (IESA) for a project entitled, "Applying Geospatial and Engineering Technology (AGET). A goal of the project was to meet the demand for highly skilled and educated technicians in the burgeoning field of geospatial and environmental technologies to prepare them for careers in fields such as hydrology, land-use planning, flood-plain mapping, environmental protection, land surveying, precision farming and water resource management. Courses developed led to a new associate of science degree in Environmental, Earth & World Studies, Spatial Science & Engineering plus an undergraduate Land Surveying Certificate. Associated courses build progressive steps in understanding engineering, hydrology, CAD, surveying, GST and applied environmental skills via directed emphasis areas for specific science and engineering careers. These stackable courses and credentials may also articulate with baccalaureate programs to meet workforce needs at multiple levels. Courses developed included Physical Environmental Science, Environmental Management & Sustainability, Surveying I and II, Legal Aspects of Surveying, and Professional Practice of Surveying. In addition to introductory hydrologic concepts in these courses, a newly planned undergraduate certificate in hydrology is planned to meet workforce requirements or licensing benchmarks for environmental scientists and professional land surveyors. 

Students engage with technical geospatial methods while learning essential water resources concepts. 

The AGET project's goal is to improve the education of undergraduate technicians at UNG. Curriculum development, workforce development, and dissemination objectives were accomplished. An associate degree and certificate program in geospatial engineering technology (GET) were developed. An executive advisory board was formed with the support of local industry and government to support graduating students' transition to the workforce. Practicum development and presentation to local schools advanced GET knowledge and recruitment. An external evaluation supported and guided the project's success. 

Science-based educational research increasingly supports the high value of active learning. The geospatial sciences incorporate active learning strategies such as field observation, experimental methods, hands-on learning, and the use of technology in the classroom. This session will demonstrate implementation of experiential learning methods such as field-based inquiry, metacognition, retrieval practice, and storytelling to promote comprehensive understanding and long-term learning in geoscience. 

The session will share the University of North Georgia’s Applying Geospatial and Engineering Technology (AGET) project experiences and developments associated with modular and stackable credentials in land surveying and geospatial engineering technology. The project developed and implemented a new Land Surveying Certificate and Associate of Science pathway in Geospatial Engineering Technology containing several tracks with modular and stackable credentialing options for students. 

Context. The Southern Photometric Local Universe Survey (S-PLUS) is a project to map ~9300 sq deg of the sky using twelve bands (seven narrow and five broadbands). Observations are performed with the T80-South telescope, a robotic telescope located at the Cerro Tololo Observatory in Chile. The survey footprint consists of several large contiguous areas, including fields at high and low galactic latitudes, and towards the Magellanic Clouds. S-PLUS uses fixed exposure times to reach point source depths of about 21 mag in the 𝑔riɀ and 20 mag in theuand the narrow filters. Aims. This paper describes the S-PLUS Data Release 4 (DR4), which includes calibrated images and derived catalogues for over 3000 sq deg, covering the aforementioned area. The catalogues provide multi-band photometry performed with the toolsDoPHOTandSExtractor– point spread function (PSF) and aperture photometry, respectively. In addition to the characterization, we also present the scientific potential of the data. Methods. We use statistical tools to present and compare the photometry obtained through different methods. Overall we find good agreement between the different methods, with a slight systematic offset of 0.05 mag between ourPSFand aperture photometry. We show that the astrometry accuracy is equivalent to that obtained in previous S-PLUS data releases, even in very crowded fields where photometric extraction is challenging. The depths of main survey (MS) photometry for a minimum signal-to-noise ratioS/N= 3 reach from ~19.5 for the bluer bands to ~21.5 mag on the red. The range of magnitudes over which accuratePSFphotometry is obtained is shallower, reaching ~19 to ~20.5 mag depending on the filter. Based on these photometric data, we provide star-galaxy-quasar classification and photometric redshift for millions of objects. Results. We demonstrate the versatility of the data by presenting the results of a project to identify members of four Abell galaxy clusters in the Local Universe. The S-PLUS DR4 data allow for a reliable assessment of cluster membership out to a large radius corresponding to 5 ×r₂₀₀. The S-PLUS DR4 can be accessed through the survey data portal. All the software used to generate the catalogues for this release and the scientific investigation presented is available in the collaboration GitHub repository. Conclusions. The S-PLUS DR4 consists of a large, calibrated public dataset, providing powerful ways for studying Galactic and extra-galactic objects through an extensive set of (broad and narrow) filters. 

Permafrost is ground that remains frozen year-round due to a cold climate; the active layer is the ground above the permafrost that thaws and re-freezes each year. Nearly 40 million acres of National Park Service (NPS) land in Alaska, similar to the size of Florida, lie within the zone of continuous or discontinuous permafrost. Permafrost can be classified as continuous (>90% of land area underlain by permafrost), discontinuous (90%-50%), sporadic (50%-10%), or isolated (<10%; Ferrians 1965). Permafrost is most vulnerable to climatic warming when its temperature is within a few degrees of thawing. Large-scale permafrost thawing would lead to a major reconfiguration of the landscape through the development of thermokarst (irregular topography resulting from ground ice melting).