Outreach & Collaborations

Chalcatzingo, Morelos, Mexico

Our participation in the "Connected Classrooms" concept and collaboration with Mexican National Institute of Anthropology and History site director Mario Córdova Tello and site archaeologist Carolina Meza Rodríguez allowed us to document, in 3D, 2700-3000 year old monumental stone sculptures. These irreplaceable cultural resources are severely threatened by human and natural threats. Ongoing terrestrial LiDAR, photogrammetry and 3D documentation work has enabled the management, protection, repair, and replication of the monuments, and the development of museum visualizations and interpretation concepts for the site. Archaeologists from the site have participated in classroom lectures on 3D technologies and museum applications, with Google hangouts, FaceTime lectures, and social media classroom integration.

Guatemala City, Guatemala, C.A.

We are currently developing working relationships with a non-profit educational group (the Universidad del Valle de Guatemala, Universidad Galileo, and Universidad Francisco Marroquin) in order to generate cooperative and collaborative 3D spatial and documentation projects to record and preserve the cultural heritage and national patrimony of Guatemala utilizing the latest in 3D data capture and imaging techniques, GPS, and GIS applications.

Pinellas County, Florida

Based on our NASA funded research project, the School of Geosciences collaborated with Pinellas County Department of Environment Management and participated in a workshop sponsored by Tampa Bay Estuary Program (TBEP, established by three counties and three cities in Tampa Bay area) on Sept 18, 2012. We presented a talk entitled: “Mapping and Assessing Seagrass Abundance along the Coast of Pinellas County, FL, USA Using Landsat TM and EO-1 ALI/Hyperion Images.” This was an informational workshop with of approximately 50 people. We used this venue to discuss the methods used and the results obtained and answered questions from the audience.

United States National Park Service

Through the National Park Service Archaeology Program, Heritage Preservation and Terrestrial Laser Scanning, we are able to rapidly and accurately document the world and share data that is revolutionizing archaeology and museum sciences. Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TLS) combined with spatial imaging, and visualization tools enhance archaeological and heritage research and workflows. These projects bring national parks to the classroom and change the way we teach, learn, and interact with our past.