The iSchool at Drexel Congratulates Research Day Award Winners

Congratulations to iSchool doctoral student Fangwu Wei, who received a University Award in the Humanities & Social Sciences Category at Drexel University's 2012 Research Day. The winning poster, entitled “A Spatial Analysis: Essential Air Service Airports,” was co-authored and advised by iSchool Associate Professor Tony Grubesic. The award marks the second year in a row that a first-year iSchool doctoral student has been awarded by Drexel University at Research Day.

Abstract:

Fangwu Wei

Poster: “A Spatial Analysis: Essential Air Service Airports”
Co-Author: Tony H. Grubesic
Advisor: Tony H. Grubesic

Essential Air Service (EAS) is a federally subsidized program in the United States that provides air transport connections to rural and remote locations.  Critics suggest that EAS is too expensive and that many of its airports are underutilized.  Proponents of the program argue that connections between rural locales and larger urban hubs help maintain local economic activity.  The purpose of this paper is to examine the variations in local geographic markets and their impacts on service levels.  Specifically, we use statistical approaches combined with spatial analysis to examine the geographic, demographic, socio-economic and local business determinants that contribute to commercial flight activity from EAS airports. Results suggest that geographic proximity to larger hubs, subsidy levels and the local population of the EAS catchment area are critical factors in flight activity at EAS airports. 

The following iSchool doctoral students received the Dean’s Award in the Humanities & Social Sciences Category:

Alan Black

Poster: “Twitter Zombie: Architecture for Capturing, Socially Transforming and Analyzing the Twittersphere”

Co-Author: Christopher Mascaro, Sean Goggins

Advisor: Jason Li

Diana Kusunoki

Poster: “More Monitors? Supporting Situation Awareness in the Emergency Room”

Co-Author: Zhan Zhang

Advisor: Aleksandra Sarcevic

The following iSchool doctoral students received the Dean’s Honorable Mention:

Michelle Purcell

Poster: “An Approach for Evaluating Open Source Projects for Student Participation”

Co-Authors: Gregory W. Hislop, Heidi J.C. Ellis, Alan Black

Advisor: Gregory W. Hislop

Tim Schultz

Poster: “Visualizing the Trails of a Lead Candidate Selection Process in a Compound Space”

Co-Authors: Chaomei Chen, Jared Milbank, Alan Mathiowetz, Bruce Lefker

Advisor: Michelle Rogers