2009 Thacher Scholar Awards 
Entries Received by April 6, 2009

Winners Announced!

First Place: Akshar Wunnava of Chantilly, VA, for "The Effect of Increasing Aerosol Aerodynamics Diameter on Relative Contribution to Extinction at 500 nm"

Second Place: Gwyneth Glissman of Boulder, CO, for "Analyzing Arctic Solar Flux and Ice Extent Loss Projections"

Third Place: Alex Heeb of Chaffee, MO, for "Geospatial Tools and Data in the Determination of Health Impact of Burning Agricultural Crop Stubble"

* * *

The Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) announces the 2009 Thacher Scholars Award. This national competition for secondary school students was founded in honor of former IGES board member Peter Thacher, who died in 1999. Peter Thacher was former deputy executive director of the United Nations Environment Program, NASA advisor, and, at the time of his death, president of the Earth Council Foundation/U.S. He was a leader in promoting the use of satellite remote sensing. Read about the 2008 Thacher Scholars winners.

The 2009 Thacher Scholars Awards will be given to secondary school students (grades 9-12) demonstrating the best use of geospatial technologies or data to study Earth. Eligible geospatial tools and data include satellite remote sensing, aerial photography, geographic information systems (GIS), and Global Positioning System (GPS). The main focus of the project must be on the application of the geospatial tool(s) or data to study a problem related to Earth's environment.

Geospatial technologies and data have numerous uses in science research, ranging from climate prediction to archaeology. They can be used to improve our understanding of the Earth system, including interactions among the atmosphere, biosphere, geosphere and hydrosphere. They can also be used to improve the quality of our lives by supporting weather prediction, natural hazards monitoring, agriculture, land-use planning, coastal management, transportation, public health and emergency response.

Awards 

Student Awards: Three cash awards will be given -- 1st place - $2,000, 2nd place - $1,000 and 3rd place - $500. Cash awards for team entries will be split among the winning team members.

Teacher Awards: In addition to prizes for the winning students, the teachers of the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place students/teams will receive a $200 amazon.com gift card. If the student's participation is part of an after-school club or other activity independent of school, the student can identify on his or her entry form an adult "coach" who would be eligible for this award (e.g., a parent, club leader, etc.). Only one teacher or coach recognition award will be provided for each 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place entry.

Eligibility

1. Any student who is enrolled in and attending secondary school (grades     9-12 - public, private, parochial, Native American reservation, or home     school) in the United States or U.S. territories; or

2. Any student who is a United States citizen and enrolled in a secondary     school (grades 9-12) attending:

3. Entries can be submitted by individuals or teams. In the case of team     entries, the cash award will be split equally among the winning team     members. All team members must meet eligibility requirements.

Back to Top

Deadline 

Entries must be postmarked April 6, 2009. IGES plans to announce the winning entries by May 12, 2009.

Contest Rules

Back to Top

Judging 

Entries will be judged by IGES staff based on the following criteria: scientific/technical accuracy; creativity/originality; quality of presentation; thoroughness of research/methods/procedures; quality of conclusions; and demonstration of knowledge gained.

Judging Rubrics

Criteria What judges are looking for:
Scientific/Technical Accuracy · The question/problem being studied is stated clearly and    unambiguously.
· Scientific and/or technical facts and principles are correct and    stated accurately throughout.
· All measurements/mathematical calculations are correct.
Creativity/Originality The project showed originality/creative ability in:
· The question asked/problem studied.
· The approach to solving the problem.
· The interpretation of the data.
· Presentation of results.
Quality of Presentation · Well written and engaging, with no spelling or grammatical    errors.
· Clearly focused with well-organized beginning, middle, and    ending.
· Presentation style well-suited to the type of project.
· References are provided for all sources.
· Graphics, images, charts/tables are all clearly labeled and    units of measurement identified.
· Consistent style throughout - e.g., how references are cited,    punctuation.
Thoroughness of Research/Methods/Procedures · Adequate data were collected to support the conclusions.
· Where appropriate, conclusions are based upon multiple    trials or replications.
· The student is aware of other theories or approaches.
· Conclusions and/or data analysis describe possible errors or    flaws.
· The student allowed himself or herself enough time to perform    a thorough investigation.
Quality of Conclusions · Data and results are clearly stated.
· Conclusions are insightful, clearly stated and flow logically    from the data presented.
· The reason for studying the problem and/ or significance of    findings is explained.

Submit Entries to

Email PDF entries (by 11:59 p.m. entrant's local time, April 6, 2009) to: ThacherScholars@strategies.org

Or send two sets of the entry (one original and one copy) to:

Institute for Global Environmental Strategies
Attention: Thacher Scholars Award
1600 Wilson Blvd., Suite 901
Arlington, VA 22209
703-312-0823
or submit your entry as a PDF file by emailing it to: ThacherScholars@strategies.org

Back to Top

Guiding Questions  

Following are suggestions for questions that will help guide student projects.

Back to Top

Resources 

Earth Observatory
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov

NASA's Earth Observatory is an interactive Web-based magazine where the public can obtain new satellite imagery and scientific information about our home planet. Visit the Earth Observatory to read feature articles on wide-ranging Earth system science topics, download datasets and images for analysis, read breaking news, learn about current and planned Earth missions, search an online library for reference materials, track natural hazards around the world in near-real time, and access interactive experiments and classroom activities.

Visible Earth
http://visibleearth.nasa.gov

This companion site to the NASA Earth Observatory is a comprehensive image gallery for access to NASA Earth science images, animations and data visualizations. Most resources are available digitally at multiple resolutions, with captions and metadata.

NASA Landsat Website
http://landsat.gsfc.nasa.gov

The Landsat Program is a series of Earth-observing satellite missions jointly managed by NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey. Landsat satellites have taken specialized digital photographs of Earth's continents and surrounding coastal regions for over three decades, enabling people to study many aspects of our planet and to evaluate the dynamic changes caused by both natural processes and human practices.

U.S. Geological Survey Landsat Website
http://landsat.usgs.gov/

Landsat-7 Datasets: LAN Files for Use with MultiSpec
http://l7downloads.gsfc.nasa.gov/index.htm

This site provides a number of Landsat 7 scene subsets as LAN files that are intended for use with Purdue University's MultiSpec software. Users also have the option of downloading the Landsat images as TIFF files in four different band combinations. Links are included to download Multi-Spec, a MultiSpec tutorial, and an introduction to remote-sensing PowerPoint presentation with detailed notes.

NOAA National Weather Service
http://www.nws.noaa.gov/

The Satellite section shows the most recent image of the United States, taken from NOAA geostationary satellites, as well as 24-, 12-, 6-, and 3-hour loops.

NOAA Geostationary Satellite Server
http://www.goes.noaa.gov/

MY NASA DATA
http://mynasadata.larc.nasa.gov/

MY NASA DATA is a project to enable K-12 teachers and students, as well as citizen scientists, to explore the large volumes of data that NASA collects about the Earth from space. Students use scientific inquiry and math skills as they access and display microsets of the Earth System. MY NASA DATA microsets are primarily made from data holdings of the Atmospheric Science Data Center (ASDC) at NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, VA, and other sources. While the primary focus of these data is the Earth's atmosphere, some information on the Earth's surface and land cover is also available. Most of the data are global at a typical resolution of 1 degree in latitude and longitude.

Giovanni
http://daac.gsfc.nasa.gov/techlab/giovanni/

This Web-based application developed by NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and provides the means to visualize, analyze, and access vast amounts of Earth science remote-sensing data without having to download the data. Data from various instruments on NASA satellites can be displayed in a variety of formats, including area plots, time series, meridional averages, zonal averages and vertical profiles, among others. Animations and numerical outputs are also available.

The Giovanni Web site provides various resources for educators and users, including an online user manual and pages that describe the available data interfaces and plot types. A Giovanni-NASA Earth Observations Instructional Cookbook is available at: http://disc.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/oceancolor/locus/Giovanni_NEO_cookbook_Introduction.shtml

ESRI
ESRI designs and develops the world's leading geographic information system (GIS) technology. Visit the following ESRI websites for resources on using GIS:

Google Earth
http://earth.google.com/

Terra Server
Online database of aerial photos, satellite images and USGS topo maps. Free to search and display lower resolution images; to access/download full resolution requires subscription. http://www.terraserver.com/

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)
The USGS "serves the Nation by providing reliable scientific information to describe and understand the Earth; minimize loss of life and property from natural disasters; manage water, biological, energy, and mineral resources; and enhance and protect our quality of life." Visit the following USGS Websites to learn more about resources that are available.

Back to Top

Checklist 

Entry form is completed.
Entry form is signed by student and a teacher, parent, or coach.
Title page includes the following information: project title, student's    name and contact information, teacher/coach name and contact    information.
Abstract is included that is no longer than 300 words.
8 Ω x 11" single-sided paper, 1-inch margins (top, bottom, and sides),    12 point font and double spacing.
References are provided for all sources (including websites). The    reference should be complete enough for a judge to locate the source.    Students may use the style guide of their choice.
Entries can be submitted either as (a) hard copies or (b) emailed as PDF files to ThacherScholars@strategies.org. If you are submitting your entry in hard copy, please include two sets of the entire entry (1 original and 1 copy), including entry    form, are submitted to IGES.
Keep one complete copy for your records.
Complete entries must be postmarked April 6, 2009 and sent to:    Institute for Global Environmental Strategies, Attention: Thacher    Scholarship, 1600 Wilson Blvd., Suite 901, Arlington, VA 22209;
   (703) 312-0823

Back to Top

contact usinfo@strategies.org