Renovation of South Dakota State University's Data Center

South Dakota State University, Brookings SD

Investigators

Abstract

This proposal will be awarded using funds made available by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). The growth of South Dakota State University's (SDSU's) research portfolio places high demands on SDSU's cyberinfrastructure. This project will renovate the campus data center. The work will involve the following: (1) upgrading the electrical power and cooling systems; (2) reconfiguring the physical space; and (3) upgrading the local area network (LAN) core distribution infrastructure. The research topics that would benefit from this renovation include global fire monitoring, global deforestation mapping, US crop mapping, disease early warning systems in the Northern Great Plains (West Nile virus) and the Ethiopian Highlands (epidemic malaria), disturbance effects on biodiversity in Amazonia, modeling the effects of changing phenologies on regional weather, disease detection, prevention and prediction using climate models and disease trends, climate impacts on bird migratory patterns, global warming, climate pattern and its impact on agriculture, agricultural meteorology and yield assessment research, drought monitoring, wind resource assessment research, and photovoltaics. SDSU scientists and student researchers will have local access to a world-class research facility that helps ensure a more stable economic base for the state. The project will allow SDSU scientists to partner with the fledgling research park, the SDSU Innovation Campus, which is a joint effort between the local community, the state, and the University which is intended to foster research partnerships between private industry and University scientists. In addition, the research capability of the SDSU researchers will be enhanced by real-time integration of full data sets with the National Weather Services' climate products. An outcome will be more accurate products depicting the extent of hail, wind and rain events so that when local governments and farmers /ranchers assess disaster or livestock/crop damage they will have the best information possible.