Progress Report

UNLV’s nationally recognized department of educational psychology, housed within the College of Education, has made remarkable strides recently

Shadow Lane Campus

UNLV has developed a new campus that has emerged as a leading facility for health, biomedical, and biotechnological research

Adapting to the Desert

UNLV researchers explore how inhabitants of arid lands are able not only to survive but thrive in one of the most hostile, extraordinary landscapes on Earth

In Print

UNLV faculty authors shed light on medieval science, airfi eld pavements, and juvenile justice

Enhancing Research

UNLV’s National Supercomputing Center provides research support

UNLV Highlights

UNLV is a doctoral-degree-granting institution with more than 27,000 students, 5,500 of whom are graduate/professional students. The university is ranked in the category of Doctoral/Research Universities-Intensive by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. More than 100 graduate degree programs are offered, including 34 doctoral and professional degrees. Widely known for its prestigious William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration, its research programs in energy and materials science, and its International Institute of Modern Letters, UNLV offers a broad range of respected academic programs and is increasingly recognized as a premier metropolitan research university

Measurement of disruption forces in JET using fiber-optic sensors

Monitoring the forces induced on the vacuum vessel when a disruption occurs is essential for the protection of the machine. Since divertor coils have been installed in JET, during disruptions a significant difference between the forces measured on the top and the bottom of the machine has been observed. In order to investigate these further, optical fiber transducers FBGs (Fiber Bragg Gratings) were installed in addition to the currently used strain gauges. During VDE (Vertical Displacement Event) tests, these new transducers were used to measure different level of disruptions ranging from 80T up to 230T vertical forces. The results were then compared with the strain gauges. The FBG measurement was carried out using a broadband light source illuminating an array of 4 FBGs through a combination of directional couplers, connectors and fiber-optic cable. The forces measured both by FBG and by the strain gauges are within the same range, except for the initial swing where large random differences are observed. The tests have demonstrated that the FBG-based force measurement system has adequate resolution (±1.52strain corresponding to a force of 4kN due to the geometry of the leg) and measurement range (50002strain or 13000kN) for this application

Soil Science

Objectives: Understand that soil is composed of inorganic and organic solid material, water, and air.·Investigate the properties of the inorganic solid components of soil: sand, silt, and clay. Recognize that varying proportions of sand, silt, and clay in a soil impact the soil’s ability to hold and transmit water. Experimentally determine the soil texture of a local soil sample. Determine the chemical composition of a local soil sample for pH, nitrate, phosphorus, and potassium levels. Analyze a given soil’s ability to support crops such as corn, soybeans, wheat, and oats. Provide recommendations for amending a given soil to support the needs of various crop plants.https://digitalcommons.imsa.edu/urban_agriculture/1002/thumbnail.jp

Row Spacing Models

Objectives: Identify multiple row spacing models used by soybean farmers and determine how these planting arrangements impact crop yield. Explore how row spacing influences the amount of access that a plant has to the natural resources it needs to grow. Recommend a row spacing model that considers overall yield, economic efficiency, and potential environmental threats for a hypothetical farmer.https://digitalcommons.imsa.edu/urban_agriculture/1001/thumbnail.jp

Biological Variation

Objectives: Identify different phenotypes of corn (maize) kernels. Use ratios and sampling to determine which of two different ears of corn is most likely to have produced a given sample of kernels. Use Punnett Squares to determine the genotypes of the “parents” that produced the different kernel samples. Compare and contrast traditional selective breeding techniques with genetically engineering a desired trait in corn. Model the regulation of gene expression in a hypothetical cell. Discuss the potential role that epigentic variation may play in improving corn crops of the future.https://digitalcommons.imsa.edu/urban_agriculture/1000/thumbnail.jp