Mason scientist receives funding for bird safe glass contract service

Daniel Hanley, Assistant Professor, Biology, received $8,500 from the American Bird Conservancy, Inc., (ABC) for: "Bird safe glass – contract service." For this project, Hanley and his collaborators will provide careful spectral measurements to the ABC to aid in the production of bird-friendly glass. 

Specifically, the ABC will have their glass manufacturing partners ship Hanley and his collaborators glass that they will then measure. 

For each sample, the researchers will use a reflectance spectrometer to measure glass transmission. Then, they will place each piece of glass on a black aluminum sheet. 

The researchers will measure specular reflectance using a reflectance spectrometer. Then they will use a glossmeter to measure gloss at 20º, 60º, and 85º, distinctiveness of image (DOI), haze (haze C), peak specular reflectance, reflected image quality, and log haze C (often used to quantify surfaces). They will produce a report for each sample that contains the summary statistics as well as spectral measurements. They will then transmit those data to the ABC electronically and also store it on a dedicated hard drive. 

These measurements are vital as our municipalities begin to mandate that construction projects are "bird-safe." Hanley and colleagues work will help establish these limits, and ensure that new construction projects proceed in an ecologically conscious manner. 

Funding for this project began in Oct. 2022 and will end in late Dec. 2023.