Nebraska Acoustics Group (NAG)

The Nebraska Acoustics Group (NAG) continued to meet throughout spring 2019. At the Jan. 28 NAG meeting, Jenny Solheim presented on acoustic studies she had been pursuing using COMSOL. The acoustic nugget that was discussed focused on a UNL faculty member who has been writing a biography on Helmholtz!   The next monthly meeting on Feb. 25 featured visiting guest Erik Miller-Klein from A3 Acoustics who presented on “Acoustics in ASHRAE 189.1 ‘Standard for the Design of High-Performance Green Buildings’ and 2018 International Green Construction Code (IgCC)”.  In line with considering standards, the acoustic nugget at that meeting focused on “The Joy of Standards”; we also shared the recent ASA video produced on ASA Standards. Finally at the March 25 meeting,  Sam Underwood and Kieren Smith presented on work they had been doing for Opera Omaha.  Two acoustic nuggets were shared: interesting new developments on acoustic metamaterials, and one on Amazon Alexa using semi-supervised learning.

The Nebraska Acoustics Group (NAG) met regularly throughout fall 2018.  At the Aug. 31 NAG meeting, members shared information on their summer experiences. We also checked out a recent acoustic nugget on how “Pulses of light restored hearing in gerbils. Could that lead to higher-tech cochlear implants?” The next monthly meeting on Sept. 28 featured newly arrived graduate student, Will Spallino, presenting on his undergraduate senior project at Case Western.  The acoustic nugget at that meeting focused on “Using Acoustic Gunshot Localization to Curb Poaching”.  Finally at the Oct. 26 meeting,  Kieren Smith presented an update on the EPA Healthy Schools project.  The acoustic nugget involved news about a new concert hall: “Zaha Hadid Architects Reinterprets Sound Waves for the Sverdlovsk Philharmonic Concert Hall”!