PHYS 1002ID: An Introduction to the Physics of Natural Disasters
Professor Abdou Bah
This geophysics course for non-science majors focuses on natural disasters and the dynamic Earth processes that control them. It integrates the principles of geology, meteorology, climatology, oceanography, and astronomy to provide rudimentary understanding of geophysics. Students learn about the nature, causes, risks, impacts, and prediction of natural disasters including hurricanes, earthquakes, volcanoes, tsunamis, and climate change.
The important points of this poster are to inform those about the general overview of hurricanes, as well as a detailed look on how hurricanes Katrina and Sandy affected the cities struck by the hurricanes. The general overview answers the simple question, “What is a hurricane” to get started, then goes into detail on how they are formed as well as the types of categories hurricanes can be. Knowing this information is critical so you are informed about when a hurricane is about to form, so then you can be prepared for what comes next.
The objective of this poster is to address climate change issues globally, and how developed countries like the United States can play a significant role to mitigate this climate change issue. The United States is one of the major countries that contribute more carbon emissions to our climate, and it is not only affecting the developing countries like Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar but also affecting the United States’ own climate. Last decade, we have seen temperature increases in different regions in the United States. Our research also found that if this process continues then glaciers will be melting rapidly and the sea levels will rise up to 8-9inches which will impact the coastal areas of the United States. Besides that, we have also found some hope regarding the climate change issue and how we can mitigate this problem. The United States government is spending billions of dollars on the innovative research program which will help to apply new technology so we can reduce the carbon emissions rate gradually. Our main goal is to create a global awareness to face climate change challenges as a real threat.
The objective of this research project is to create an earthquake evacuation plan tailored towards NYC public schools. The probability of an earthquake in NYC has increased due to climate change, growing infrastructure, and population density. Buildings and soil surface data were collected. Existing seismic regulations on NYC building codes were studied; then compared to California and Japan’s seismic public-school codes. California’s Field Act requires high structural integrity when building public schools. Most NYC schools are not seismic resistant and sit on soft soil. California’s Field Act requires higher structural integrity. Thus, we created a NYC public school evacuation objective.
BIO 1201ID: Biology II
Professor Tatiana Voza
This is a continuation of the Biology I (BIO1101) course, focusing on the basic description of living organisms ranging from Prokaryotes to higher Eukaryotes. Topics covered also include animal organization and description of their main organ systems, with a particular attention to how such systems work in humans. Throughout the curriculum, interdisciplinary topics, centered around 4 major themes, “History & Scientific Discoveries”, “Biology & Industry”, “Disease Impact & Public Health Policies”, “Science & Race, Gender & Social Status”, will be discussed, providing social, historical and economical contexts and connections to biology.
What are OERs? What do students expect from them? You have probably used OERs! OERs stands for (open educational resources.) These are cost-free and openly licensed educational materials, such as texts, websites and videos, that can be used for teaching, research, and any other educational purposes. Aside from general format and affordability, we could not find any studies focusing on the student side of OERs: what they want and like. Therefore, we designed and distributed a survey to fellow City Tech students. Among other findings, we discovered that the majority preferred OERs over traditional textbooks, and thought OERs could replace other resources as they made studying easier. Organizing OERs along the course syllabus, including chapter reviews and practice questions appeared as very important to students. Hopefully, all the data we collected should help design and improve OERs by better responding to students needs and expectations.
