Information on Students

Encourage students to apply for PLA where they can teach/guide fellow students.

This page contains information on various students including confirmed/contributing members, trials, etc.

By providing an experiential learning environment and opportunities to involved students, we can promote/ensure student success. Students involved in this project will have a comfortable environment where they can feel free to ask questions and engage with faculty members and other student members.

• David Seiden: 1st year graduate student. Evaluating models in educational setup. Educational analysis of the products.

• Aidan Bull: 3rd year astrophysics major, Remote Robotics & small Sat lab,
• Gioia Zincone: 3rd-yr astrophysics major (Storyboard creation on a single topic)
• Max Baxley: 4th yr, data science major. Compare most 3D modeling software.
• Ricky Correia
• Aiza Ahmad
• GSMST intern?
• James Armstrong: 2nd? year undergrad at Vanderbilt
• Michael Cai: 1st yr physics major. Blender simulation of the Celestial Sphere + python scripting.

• Robin Allen: Graduate student. Wrote an MS thesis.
• Emre: 1st yr engineering, Blender modeling of celestial bodies.
• Ridwan: 1st yr computer engineering. Same as the above with Blender.

• Here are AY2024 Spring CURO research award applications
  • Ridwan: haque_ridwan.pdf → Accepted
  • Emre: emre.pdf → Accepted
  • Gioia: gioia.pdf → Accepted
  • Maxwell: maxwell_.pdf → Accepted

• Gioia Zincone Gioia.Zincone@uga.edu: 2nd year astrophysics major. The following task was assigned to her on 09/28/2023. For “Origin of Seasonal Constellations”, we need to use Stellarium. By creating a script that control Stellarium, we can create a simulation that will help students' understanding of the concept on why (1) Seasons and (2) seasonal constellations. On 10/31/2023, IS/NW met with Gioia and asked for (1) selfie photo, (2) CURO application, (3) creating storyboard templates (1-scene & container), (4) updated storyboard with the new template and more added scenes. Why don't you try the following two tasks as a start?

    create a storyboard for your intended simulation content
    download Stellarium and learn about how to create a script to control its behavior

  A video created by Dr. Hall can be a good reference. See it from here. An email progress update from Gioia on Jan 6.

  I just wanted to send a progress update for the STEMin3D project from the past two weeks. I have been working on the tasks that I outlined in my last email. I have applied my previous script to the new PBS simulation, and it is working correctly to take an input latitude and date and convert these to the relevant celestial sphere orientation. The projected orientation in the simulation is very slightly off the expected results taken from Stellarium, but I will work on adjusting the script to correct this. I have also created a shader graph that uses the star map as the base layer and applies the celestial grid as a layer on top. I am currently working on figuring out how to apply this shader to a cube map, since only this shape can be used for the space background in the PBS. 
  
  My immediate next step is to modify this shader graph to enable additional toggleable layers in addition to the celestial grid. After this, I will work on adding a user interface that allows users to select a location and date as well as toggle which layers are visible. I will check in at the end of this week or early next week with another update.

• Ridwan Haque ridwan.haque@uga.edu: inquired on 08/186/2023. 1st year Mechanical Engineering major (may switch to Computer Engineering). Made a quick Blender preliminary result. blender movie
  • Apply texture (1) to the background sky, (2) surfaces of planets and Sun, (3) dynamic effects on the Sun (flares, prominence, etc.)?
  • Add hotkeys for changing key parameters (object sizes, orbit scale, lunar orbital inclination, etc.)
  • Investigate possible interfaces to VR environ. Any possibility to use OpenXR?
  • Check compatibility with other packages: import/export to Unreal Engine for example.
• Emre Aliya ealiya2018@gmail.com
  • good at programming.
  • Assigned Task: Utilize Ridwan's Eclipse Blender file as a starting point for creating Mars's retrograde motion. Then the Camera Angle controlling
• Max Baxley: 4th year Data Science major.
  • Assigned Task: (1) Inventory check of currently available 3D engine, (2) Create a table of characteristics of each engine (hardware/software requirements, pros, cons), (3) prepare for a report. As a start, for building a 3D simulation of Solar System asteroids (Near-Earth Asteroids, Potentially Hazardous Asteroids), compare each engine.
  • Next Task: NEXT LEVEL OF COMPARISON TO MAKE A GOOD DOCUMENTATION – Take Michael's Celestial Sphere Blender file and import it into each of the different engines he used in the previous task. Compare to identify which features are retained, what is missing, and note both the similarities and differences. Pay close attention to the capability of projecting the content onto a VR headset with each engine.
• Robin Allen: 4th year graduate student
  • Assigned Task: Paper preparation.
• Michael Cai: Simulation of Celestial Sphere (with projected coordinate grids) in Blender
• Ricky Correia : Try to implement a Blender simulation in a VR. We want him to be the expert in the VR implementation for the project. Suggested steps: (1) create a simple (rotating sphere) model in Blender, (2) import it to Unity, (3) Create a VR model via Unity, (4) Write a document, (5) convert one of “mature” simulation to a VR model, (6) explore Unreal Engine
  • Had a Zoom meeting on 03/28/2024 to discuss the progress update and the future direction. The meeting summary contains why he chose Unity VR over Blender VR.
    • He created a preliminary Solar System (not in scale) in Unity from the Blender model from Ridwan. He imported components such as meshes and textures from the Blender model, but he had to reconstruct each planet in Unity. He will try to export the Unity Solar System model into a VR headset. Then, write up a report.
    • He will apply for a CURO summer research award (\$1,000) with which he will try (1) update the Solar System model with realistic parameters (two scales [size and distance]) including true rotation rates, orbital motions, orbital inclinations and (2) creating a realistic star mapped background sky using NASA Deep Star Maps.
• Nicholas Linkowski (Nrl64126@uga.edu): Assigned a task (01/23/2024) =⇒ Create a rotating Sun in Blender with changing surface images to show (1) differential rotation of the Sun/Star and (2) magnetic activity cycle
  • The final form of the simulation has the following aspects/capabilities:
    • A spherical Sun with a real solar image added as a textured layer
    • Update the textured layer solar image periodically so that it can show a rotation and activity:
      • the update frequency can be chosen from two different ones: (1) about 1-day cycle to show the solar rotation and (2) a fraction of a year (up to 1.0 year) to show the 11-year activity cycle of the Sun.
      • add a button or any other user-selectable option to change the update frequency.
    • Lastly, add a real sky background image for an aesthetic appeal.
• Anna-Sophia Mehta: AnnaSophia.Mehta@uga.edu, 1st year Math and Astrophysics major. Had experience on astrophotography and high altitude balloon. Interested in the low-cost telescope project. Meeting her on Feb 13, 11:30 AM.
  • Tasks:
    • Using Celestron's FirstScope, perform a project of creating a beautiful astrophoto. Document all steps and develop a lesson plan of relevant astronomical concepts.
      • Selecting appropriate celestial objects (observabilities, angular sizes, brightness, etc.)
      • Actual usage of the telescope and smartphone (as a digital detector; right parameters in the app)
      • Creating a final photograph from a stack of images (image alignment, median combining, etc.)
    • Make a telescope from parts. Detailed documentation on each step of telescope assembly ⇒ Develop a lab manual of telescope making.
• Jack Armstrong (May 2):
  • Create a sphere (the Sun): Apply a set of texture images from one of NASA's missions on the created sphere. This set of images will clearly show solar rotation –> i.e., the sphere appears to be rotating even if it is not. the apparent rotation is due to the changes in the texture images.
  • Rotate the sphere with a range of different rotation speeds, and find the right speed (and direction) that makes the sphere stationary (i.e., non-rotating). This period is the Sun's rotation period.
  • In the previous step, you will recognize that features at different latitudes rotation at different speed which is due to the differential rotation of the Sun. You can try to “derotate” by focusing on (1) equatorial region, (2) mid-latitude, and (3) high latitude.
  • By comparing the timestamps in NASA images (date of observation for each NASA image) and Unity's internal speed, you can convert the Unity rotation speed to a physical rotation speed (i.e., how many days per rotation). You can obtain different rotation periods for each latitude region of the Sun.
  • You can find more information about this mini-project from https://stemin3d.net/topics/solar_cycle including the website where you can download NASA's solar images.

• Brianna Wong brianna.wong@uga.edu: A former PHYS1251 student. Interested in “storyboard” activity. NJW sent an email to Gioia asking them to collaborate (Mar 2).
  • Connect with Gioia and get familiar with the software she uses to create her storyboards and try it
  • Document the stuff you found reading the “Story Boards” in educational research
  • Next, check this video “https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xieq30VV3DM” as it relates to your project with storyboards

• Jake Haley Jake.Haley@uga.edu: 1st year UGA astrophysics major. inquired about the project on 08/18/2023.
• Aleksandra Voloschenko, “Sasha”: sashavoloshchenko@uga.edu, going through the 1st half of PHYS 8990 rotation.
  • Potential trial project can be: researching astronomy 3D environments, VR products, projects, publications, and simulations. Summarize findings and document limitations of existing resources. This will support our proposal by highlighting how our method will enhance learning. Results will showcase the current state of astronomy simulations, reinforcing the need for improved, immersive, accurate alternatives.
  • Some relevant STEM materials: PhET@Colorado, “MooMoo Science”, brainpop.com (not free).
  • Sasha's report: here
• Zeyu Tan: 1st-yr grad student signed up for a PHYS 8990 research rotation (after the meeting, it was clear that an education career is not in his mind. NJW and IS talked to him to withdraw from the trial).
• Zainil Charania: 3rd year graduate student. He read a couple of Weliweriya's papers. Then… what? Is he still in?
• Nirmal Thani: Setting up a meeting currently.

GSMST Outreach Coordinator: meg.scheid@gcpsk12.org

Mrs. Meg Scheid, Ed.S., LPC
Outreach Coordinator, Partnership Program
Dual Enrollment Coordinator
The Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science, & Technology
meg.scheid@gcpsk12.org
678-518-6697 (office)
https://meg-scheid.youcanbook.me

There are two pools (JFE: 05/30 - 07/19; SCE: Full year). See these two zip files.

• JFE list
• SCE list

From JFE applicants

• Adrienne Hyunh - Good, GPA=4.18, AP CS, many Game development experience
• Raghav Sharma - Good, GPA=4.1, AP CS, etc., Game development experience
• Sachit Raheja - high GPA=4.19, no real experience in 3-D programming
• Abhijeet Singh - Good, GPA=4.037/4.0, AP CS, Good 2D and 3D game development
• Nisa Charania - Good, GPA=4.03/4.0, AP CS, Game design classes, Familiar with Unity.
• Lucy Dong - GPA=4.037, some programming (Python, board game development)
• Jonathan So - GPA=3.7/4.0, no programming experience
• Daye Kebe - GPA=3.889, ample Unity experience
• Opeoluwa Oyerinde - so, so.

Seniors

• Abishek Prabakar - GPA=4.333, AP CS classes, Python/Java/C