Nova Southeastern University Receives $3 Million Grant from U.S. Navy and NAVAIR

Program to Help Cultivate Next Generation of Scientists

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FORT LAUDERDALE/DAVIE, Fla. – Thanks to NAVAIR and the U.S. Navy, the next generation of specialists in science, math and technology are being trained right here at Nova Southeastern University (NSU.)

A $3 million grant is allowing students in NSU’s Halmos College of Natural Sciences and Oceanography to participate in the project as part of the Electromagnetic Observatory in the Straits of Florida.  Students from Florida Atlantic University SeaTech are also participating.

Members of the HCNSO Physical Oceanography Lab working with crew members aboard the M/V Richard L. Becker as part of the educational project funded by NAVAIR and the U.S. Navy

In this project, physical oceanography students are participating in field work and are trained in computational fluid dynamics for modeling the magnetic signature of oceanic processes. Students are also participating in lab experiments and are expected to report results at conferences and meetings and submit papers to peer-reviewed journals. According to Alexander Soloviev, Ph.D., an NSU professor and Principle Investigator on this project, the U.S. Navy is interested in the preparation of specialists in physical oceanography, magnetics of the ocean and other emerging areas of ocean science.

“Ocean water is an electrical conductor – when moving in the magnetic field of the Earth, it induces electrical fields according to Maxwell’s Law,” said Soloviev. “These electrical fields in turn produce secondary electrical currents and magnetic fluctuations. This results in the magnetic signature of ocean currents including fine-scale features. Magnetics potentially opens a new dimension in physical oceanography. “

As part of the project, in July 2016 students from the lab participated in a field campaign off the coast of Dania Beach aboard the M/V Richard L. Becker. The goal was to deploy a mooring array in the Straits of Florida to measure variability of the coastal circulation.

“We are grateful for the support from the NAVAIR allowing us to participate in such comprehensive research including field, theoretical, and state-of-the-art computational fluid dynamics methods,” said NSU doctoral student Cayla Dean. “This is a great opportunity for professional development and to establish working connections with leading researchers in this area of science.”

“This was the first time I had seen a mooring deployment,” said NSU graduate student Kathryn Howe. “So much of research is preparation and analysis. It was more than satisfying to see it all finally come together.”

In this project, students receive hands-on experience of working with top specialists in the field of ocean engineering. NSU research assistant and incoming doctoral student John Kluge assisted with storing and preparing equipment during the cruise and pre-cruise operations. He said the experience will help him in his future career in the field of oceanography.

“The entire process was very educational and allowed me to gain first-hand experience in the deployment of mooring systems,” Kluge said.

Soloviev is planning to incorporate some project results into class materials for his courses taught at NSU’s Halmos College.

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 About Nova Southeastern University (NSU): Located in beautiful Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Nova Southeastern University (NSU) is a dynamic research institution dedicated to providing high-quality educational programs at the undergraduate, graduate, and first-professional degree levels. A private, not-for-profit institution, NSU has campuses in Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Jacksonville, Miami, Miramar, Orlando, Palm Beach, and Tampa, Florida, as well as San Juan, Puerto Rico, while maintaining a presence online globally. For more than 50 years, NSU has been awarding degrees in a wide range of fields, while fostering groundbreaking research and an impactful commitment to community. Classified as a research university with “high research activity” by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, NSU is 1 of only 50 universities nationwide to also be awarded Carnegie’s Community Engagement Classification, and is also the largest private, not-for-profit institution in the United States that meets the U.S. Department of Education’s criteria as a Hispanic-serving Institution. Please visit www.nova.edu for more information about NSU and realizingpotential.nova.edu for more information on the largest fundraising campaign in NSU history.

November 21, 2016

Joe Donzelli | Office of Public Affairs
954-262-2159 (office) | 954-661-4571 (cell)
jdonzelli@nova.edu | www.nova.edu