Two UNM Grand Challenges teams will receive congressionally directed funds this year to complete research projects. Due in part to the efforts of Senators Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Luján, the Sustainable Space Research team and the Child Health team will each receive funding for their projects. These funds are facilitating education, community engagement, and workforce development, all important objectives of Grand Challenges research programs.
The Sustainable Space Research team, comprised of UNM Principal Investigator (PI) Louis Scuderi, David Hanson, and Stewart Copeland, will receive $840,000 for the project titled “Artemis in 3D STEAM Challenge and Training Program.” The project aims to attract, train, and retain students in high-tech 3D technologies with a focus on workforce needs in New Mexico. To accomplish this, researchers will acquire Virtual Reality (VR) equipment that allows users to interact with immersive environments such as the lunar and Martian surfaces.
“As part of the project we will develop databases for immersive experiences using data from NASA’s rovers (Curiosity and Perseverance) and orbital imaging of Mars, as well as imagery from past Apollo landing sites and lunar orbiters to create these immersive environments on these two bodies,” Scuderi explained.
The VR equipment will be installed in two laboratories on campus - the existing Newsom VR/MR Laboratory (NV/MRL), which can display 3D visualizations of Mars; and a new Community Immersive Technology Hub (CITH), which will be housed inside the ARTSLab and will focus on the development and display of immersive 3D visualizations of the moon and Mars.
“A primary goal of the project is to develop a pipeline of students, beginning in K-12 and extending through college, that learn how to code in this critical VR environment,” said Scuderi. “We recognize that VR has already become important in a number of fields and believe that encouraging and facilitating this type of learning in the next generation of students will be key to their future success.”
To accomplish this goal, the team plans to create an online portal with educational modules aiming to engage K-12 through post-secondary students and educators. This portal would include training materials on using VR equipment. Additionally, they plan to train K-12 and university-level instructors who would then teach their students how to use the equipment.
The team also plans to hold 3D challenges at UNM where students at all levels can work on identifying transformative solutions to major problems in various fields.
“We believe that the VR resources we develop and make accessible to the public in our two VR laboratories—and other researchers through software we develop—will mark the beginning of a new era of technological development with high-paying jobs as well as an informed public in New Mexico,” Scuderi noted.
PI Rebecca Girardet along with Gabriel Sanchez, Johnnye Lewis, and Sara Nozadi will receive $500,000 for their project titled “Measuring Child Maltreatment to Inform Prevention: A Path to Brighter Futures.” The team's diverse expertise spans pediatrics, political science, community-partnered research, and child psychology. Through a randomly drawn survey of young adults raised in New Mexico, they aim to understand child abuse's scope within the state. This data is intended to support families by identifying protective factors such as community or cultural support available within New Mexico.
“Currently available data on child abuse and neglect in New Mexico is limited to cases investigated by state authorities," said Girardet. "It does not include cases on federal lands or those never reported."
She added that understanding community practices could provide significant support avenues for children due to New Mexico's cultural diversity.
Earlier this year,the Child Health Grand Challenges team received a $300,000 grant from W.K. Kellogg Foundation for similar work.The project has been approved by UNM state tribal boards,and it is set launch soon.The survey may be reissued every five years so policymakers have metrics measuring changes over time.A multicultural advisory group guides their efforts ensuring representation across diverse communities.It oversaw protocol development,and it remains involved interpreting results culturally appropriately.“The topic child abuse sensitive one,"said Girardet."People different backgrounds varying perspectives define prevent it.Success depends incorporating perspectives engaging solutions together."
