News

CAP LTER is one of several ASU NSF-sponsored STEM education initiatives that have combined their energy and expertise to develop The Modeling Institute, a groundbreaking project that was recently funded through a five-year, $1.25 million NSF Institutional Integration (I3) grant.

The Modeling Institute aims to produce a community of highly-qualified middle school math and science teachers through "modeling instruction," a highly successful teaching method used in many high school physics classrooms and increasing in popularity in chemistry and mathematics classrooms as well.

Monica Elser (bio), CAP LTER’s Education Manager, will collaborate with colleagues from across the university on this initiative.

The LTER All Scientists Meeting brings together scientists from a range of disciplines every three years to share research findings and collaborate on cross-LTER site projects.

In September 2009, CAP LTER scientists, staff, and students traveled to Estes Park, Colorado for this event, which involved plenary sessions, workshops, poster sessions, and ample opportunities for networking.

CAP scientists organized workshops on a range of topics including land fragmentation, integrative science, use of social networking media, and residential landscapes. The program from this meeting details these and other events held during the four-day event.

Summer heat in the Valley of the Sun is almost legendary with temperatures soaring well above 100 degrees Fahrenheit. However, the impact of this heat on people is variable across the Valley. Poor neighborhoods with sparse vegetation and a preponderance of asphalt and concrete surfaces suffer the most while higher-income neighborhoods with lush, mesic vegetation can be several degrees cooler.

CAP scientist Sharon Harlan and a team of faculty and students are investigating human vulnerability to urban heat through a CAP-leveraged and National Science Foundation-funded project, Urban Vulnerability to Climate Change. Building on results from the Phoenix Area Social Survey and a previous grant, this initiative will provide important insights into understanding climate vulnerability at a metropolitan scale. As a recent article in The Arizona Republic indicates, urban heat is a critical public health issue in the Valley.