The department recently organized or contributed to two public engagement events. The first activity is the “Green Line” Event lead by Professor Tom Allen on April 18th. This initiative was built from the previous “Blue Line” project, and it examines coastal squeeze, indicating the loss of natural habitat, e.g., wetlands with rising sea levels. Port Norfolk was chosen as the natural laboratory of the project with its historical process of industrialization. The project outlined predicted retreat in 2040, 2060, 2080, and 2100. The initiative offers student researchers opportunities to apply their geospatial technologies in coastal study and to gain valuable field experience. It also helps to increase public awareness of wetlands loss in coastal Virginia.
The second public event was the Earth Day Celebration on April 25th. This annual program welcomes everyone in the Hampton Roads community to celebrate Earth Day on the ODU campus. Professors Tom Allen and Hua Liu, along with colleagues from ODU Center for Geospatial Science, Education and Analytics (GeoSEA), hosted a drone booth to demonstrate how drones can be used in environmental studies. A station was set up for those interested to experience a drone flight simulation. Stereoscopes were also provided for audiences to experience a traditional method of aerial photo interpretation in comparison to state-of-the-art technology in geospatial technologies. The booth attracted people of all ages, from elementary school students to college students and adults.
