Meet IISG grad student scholar, Wei Wu! Wei is a Ph.D. student at Purdue University focused on building AI-powered tools for coastal resilience. His research interests are combining drone sensing, 3D modeling, and immersive visualization to make environmental change more visible and measurable. Through IISG-supported research, he is advancing innovative approaches to monitor and strengthen communities along Southern Lake Michigan.

Full story at the link in bio.

Interested in becoming an IISG grad student scholar? Learn more: https://iiseagrant.org/its-time-to-apply-for-the-2026-iisg-graduate-scholars-program/

With spring around the corner, are you curious how this year’s ice cover on Lake Michigan compares to past years? @noaa.glerl has got you covered with the data. Then you can borrow our Great Lakes Basin floor map to help students visualize the data.

View the data: https://www.glerl.noaa.gov/data/ice/

Request to borrow the map: https://iiseagrant.org/education/loanable-kits/

#TeachingTuesday
#GreatLakes

Satellite Photo: February 12, 2023, MODIS satellite imagery indicates below-average ice cover on the Great Lakes for this time of year. (Credit: NOAA GLERL / NOAA Great Lakes CoastWatch Node)

Since January, we’ve been busy helping students and educators dive deeper into hands‑on science! This winter, our team supported community engagement at the Step N2 STEM event, the Annual HASTI Conference, at Decatur Classical School, and at the Chicago River Student Congress.

Educators and students joined us to:
🔍 Explored macroinvertebrates up close
🌊 Learned about watersheds through an interactive game
🔬 Investigated plankton under a microscope
🦠 Engineered and raced plankton in the Great Plankton Race

#TeachingTuesday