Saturday, October 11, 2008

Tech sees stars with fed funding

Funds to benefit school's astronomy, disaster handling training programs

Argen Duncan El Defensor Chieftain Reporter, aduncan@dchieftain.com

New Mexico Tech's endeavors in astronomy and training in handling disasters are getting a boost from the federal government.

The appropriations bill that President George W. Bush signed Sept. 30 earmarked more than $37 million for several projects at Tech, according to a university news release.

Tech President Dr. Daniel H. López said he expects to see an increase in federal funding from both Congress and various agencies this year as compared to last year when the university closes the books to end the fiscal year.

Magdalena Ridge Observa-tory is receiving $7 million for "smart instrumentation," said Vice President of Research and Economic Development Van Romero.

"The vast majority of it will go to the interferometer, but there's instrumentation for the single telescope as well," he said.

The observatory's 2.4-meter telescope has been operating for some time. The interferometer — planned to eventually be 10 smaller telescopes whose images are combined — is under construction.

With the funds, the 2.4-meter telescope is getting a spectrometer, which allows researchers to analyze the wavelength of light that comes in through the lens.

"The single telescope has been very successful in getting funding now that it's operational," Romero said.

The telescope needs the spectrometer to continue to bring in funding.

As for the interferometer, the federal funds will help the university keep working to install the necessary optical equipment.

"Without these optics, it would not be functional," Romero said.

In addition, the Playas Training Center is receiving $4.8 million of Department of Defense money. Energetic Materials Research and Testing Center Director John Meason, who oversees Playas, said the Joint Forces Command would provide the money for Tech to continue developing training exercises and training experiments.

In a training exercise, students follow a script. In a training experiment, planners develop training protocols and then test them to see if they teach what they're intended to.

The training would target National Guardsmen, Reserve units, interdepartmental efforts and work between different levels of government.

"The focus is on being able to train jointly," Meason said.

If personnel from different agencies respond to the same problem, he said, they must know how to communicate with each other and what procedures the other organization has in order to respond successfully. That situation is happening more and more.

Playas trains an average of about 200 people a month, Meason said.

For its first-responder training in handling bombing incidents, Tech is receiving $23 million of Department of Homeland Security money. EMRTC conducts the training as part of the National Domestic Preparedness Consortium.

López said the funds pay for transportation and housing of students, instructors, facilities and other expenses.

"It's a whole host of costs that goes into delivering that program, and that's what that appropriation is used for," he said.

First responders don't pay for the training.

López said costs, including food and transportation, have risen recently.

The university has three courses for first-responders, the police, firefighters, Emergency Medical Technicians and others who come to the scene of a disaster first.

The class on response to terrorist bombings, set in Socorro, has taught almost 220,600 students since its inception about 10 years ago. The prevention and response to suicide bombing course in Playas has served about 57,000 first responders during its approximately five years in existence.

The online class Understanding and Planning for School Bombing Incidents has graduated about 10,000 students in the past few years.

Meason said all training programs EMRTC conducts are vital to state and national security.

"It prepares the participants of these classes to understand how to respond to an incident and the procedures to be followed once they have responded," he said.

Meason hopes the knowledge will save lives and increase awareness in order to prevent terrorist bombings.

Finally, the bill provides $3.2 million for the Gold Team of the University Strategic Partnership, of which Tech is a member. The Defense Threat Reduction Agency established the partnership, and the Gold Team consists of Tech, the University of New Mexico and New Mexico State University.

When they get the funding, planners will determine what research is most urgent and ask the universities to respond, Meason said.

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