AIM 2012 Conference

Nicki did a great job presenting her research at ASABE! Yeah Nicki! She presented her field study results and had good attendance.



 Likewise, Isaya gave an excellent presentation on his MODFLOW modeling. I was very proud of both of them and their hard work paid off!

 We ran into some old friends (Nicholas)!! Yes, we are in a limo!! And, made some new friends (Hebert).

 We also were super excited to have Kaileigh (2011 REU) with us at the conference. She presented her REU poster and it was very impressive!

I hope we all see each other again next year in Kansas City!

Summer 2012: Gametime!

I recently produced a video for Dr. Kati Migliaccio’s Water Resource Engineering Program at UF-TREC. This video summarizes the work of this summer’s Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) students: Evan Wesley and Jacob Powell.

Jacob & Evan: REU Poster Day, ABE Bldg Atrium, UF, Gainesville, FL

SouthEastern Conference v. EvapoTranspiration

 Snapper Creek Canal in Miami-Dade County

In the past, I’ve been able to develop the REU videos together with the students over the course of several production meetings before any filming ever took place. This year, however, production would formally begin only several hours following our only face-to-face planning meeting. Cause for concern? Perhaps. But then I met Evan and Jacob.

 Evan & Jacob: Holdin it down for the SEC

Prepared, collaborative and invested, there is no “trying” with these students; there is only “doing.” At their suggestion, we would not shoot two videos, one for each study; rather we would film only one, with the two investigations as narratives complementing each other - a bold choice, the first of many over our two-day shoot.

One-take wonders

 Jacob in the groves

So what do you get when you bring together two camera-ready dynamos and myself - eager to get back into short-form production after a five month hiatus? The result speaks for itself!

Evan & EddyCo 

We shot throughout TREC’s verdant expanse and on-location in the unforgiving sun at the shade-free Snapper Creek Research Area in the suburb of Kendall. Crane shots, tracking shots, zooming shots, odd angles, everything was on the menu with Jacob and Evan, and often executed successfully in one take!

Same time next year!

Evan Wesley: Estimating ET as a function of Photosynthetic Active Radiation (PAR)

My understanding is that the REU Program for Water Resources will not continue next year. If this is the case then this was a great pair of students with which to conclude. I am pleased with what we were able to produce and that the timing was ideal for a trip to South Florida to complete this work.

Jacob Powell: Use of Bowen Ratio to Estimate ET in Turfgrass

See the video here.

Holding court: Jacob schools his REU peers

See also:
REU 2011
REU 2010

NSF REU 2012

We were very happy to have had Jacob and Evan with us the past few weeks. They were a great addition to our team and will be missed. They both completed projects related to Snapper Creek and contributed to our understanding of that system and ET. We wish them all the best as they return to their universities and complete their undergraduate degrees! Please keep in touch!!

Variability in South Florida rainfall

Evidence of spatial variability in rainfall out at the C111 data site.

Nicki passed!

Please congratulate Nicki on passing her Master's defense. She is now gearing up to publish papers and start a PhD program! We wish her much success! Hopefully she keeps in touch and we get to hear about her PhD project and future endeavors.

Home is where I can wield a camera!

In late May I was given a sleek video camera and a task – get as many clips as possible of different types of irrigation heads and low-volume irrigation examples before June 1st. The objective: video content to illustrate different landscape irrigation options for a University of Florida (UF) installation in Washington, D.C.!

 In May, guesting with the UCU: great shot, lousy ET station location!

Folk it up!

The Smithsonian Folklife Festival begins next week and UF is one of several land-grant universities participating in the event.

UF's installation will highlight its sundry array of water-related work and research.

Have camera will travel

Well, if you know me you know I love visual media as much as I love getting dirty in the field with sprinklers! So I took the camera with me on home visits in Orlando to capture different heads in mild-mannered settings, and I also visited Orange County Extension and Alachua County Extension to shoot their amazing native and flower gardens.

At Alachua County Extension: a micro-spray in action

I soon compiled a hot clip collection to complement the UF media team’s existing bank of footage. In addition, the team loved a sequence from one of my Urban Conservation Unit videos so much, they snagged it right off the web!

Going FL-friendly: a shot so nice it's on the web...twice!

You can view videos of all the UF programs to be showcased in D.C. here. My contributions can be found in the Landscape Irrigation section: drip and microjets! I also generated the copy detailing each type of sprinkler.

Ready for your close-up?

I haven’t produced a formal video since February, but I hope to take my talents to South Florida in late July for some speedy production work. See you then!

Isaya Kisekka Award

Big congratulations to Isaya who recently presented his research at the FASABE meeting in Jupiter. The title of his presentation was Predicting Water Table Elevation Response to Proposed Operational Adjustments in C-111 Canal  Stage in Farmlands East Canal C-111 in Southern Florida. He won third place in the graduate student presentation competition. Great job Isaya! We are proud of you!