Elon University senior environmental studies major Sam Shoge received a statewide award for innovative undergraduate research using Geographic Information Systems at the 2011 North Carolina GIS conference held this month at the Raleigh Convention Center.
His paper, “The Impacts of Impervious Surface Change on Water Quality in Alamance County: 1984-2010,” used aerial photographs and satellite imagery to evaluate growth in impervious surfaces, such as building and roads, and estimated the potential decline in water quality based on this expansion in the built environment.
He received a cash prize along with the award, which was announced during the Feb. 16-18 conference.
The research was conducted during the 2010 Summer Undergraduate Research Experience.