Oklahoma-Lockheed Pact to Boost Weather Spotting Precision

The University of Oklahoma and Lockheed Martin Corp. signed a joint research agreement to develop radar technology that could triple the warning time for deadly weather and make it harder for dangerous storms to “sneak in under the radar.”

Lockheed Martin will fund University of Oklahoma research into which radar signals are best suited for a planned Multifunction Phased Array Radar (MPAR) that will provide more precise weather prediction and warning capabilities. Because of its increased power and accuracy, the new system will provide better coverage with fewer radar units.

The MPAR effort follows Lockheed Martin’s work with the university and the National Severe Storms Laboratory to install and test the SPY-1 radar – a phased array radar originally designed for air defense on Navy ships – as a weather radar. That radar, now called the National Weather Radar Testbed, is undergoing testing and promises a threefold increase in the time available to warn people of tornad'es and other potentially deadly weather events.

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Louisiana State U. Signs Agreement for I.D. Theft Protection

Louisiana State University signed an agreement with Equifax Consumer Services Inc. to provide identity theft protection services for students, faculty, and staff. “The problem of breaches of personal information is very acute at this moment across the country, especially in higher education,” said Harold Silverman, LSU’s incoming interim provost. “By taking this innovative approach LSU is working to be proactive in protecting the institution by protecting our community members.”

LSU said it is tightening its network and infrastructure security and working to eliminate the use of Social Security numbers as identifiers in its information systems. “LSU is making great strides in securing its information technology infrastructure and data repositories, but this new agreement gives us a way to proactively protect our community while we undertake the massive job of securing our environment,” said Brian Voss, LSU’s chief information officer.

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