Integrating research and education through measurement and analysis

An observational facilities at Texas Tech University (TTU) have been expanded, integrating it into a classroom for the ongoing research efforts. This idea has been a driving force towards the development of a new laboratory and set of graduate courses. The new laboratory located at the Wind Science and Engineering (WISE) research facility was developed in 2002 with the financial help from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and TTU, as well as equipment donations from private corporations. The new laboratory is composed of classroom that maintains six individual system suites and an associated workroom that provides an open area for construction of new instrument platforms as well as testing and maintenance of existing systems. The room also features a stand-alone and PC-based test equipment such as oscilloscopes, wave-form generators, digital multimeters, power supplies, and a spectrum analyzer, as well as variety of hand and power tools, soldering and desoldering stations, and electronics supplies.