2026 Graduate Exhibition Award Recipients

Designing the Unsettling: A Set and Puppet Design for Rhinoceros

Abstract:

Manifesting Memory: The Scenic Design of A MORRIS AND ESSEX LINE

Abstract:

THE MORRIS AND ESSEX LINE follows Carter Callahan, a mom, wife, friend, executive, neighbor, commuter, all-around mess, as she tumbles through the past year of her life, exploring questions of what could have been, what already is, and what yet may be. As Carter takes audiences from one crevice of her mind to another, she struggles to stay afloat within the vast ocean that is her life.

In order to bring this story to the stage, we had to answer a big question: What does a memory look like? I found that when thinking back on past events, there is often a haze over what would have been the true reality of the moment. It’s what causes us to romanticize the good and let the bad disappear into the fog of our minds. As I searched through the memory of Carter, I found that this haze was often fractured and interrupted by vignettes of reality that crept in and disrupted the romantic nature of recollecting the past.

The set design features the expansive, yet cluttered boardwalk of Asbury Park, NJ, which is not only a significant location in Carter’s journey, but also a relevant metaphor for what we might see if we were to peek into her mind. This setting also gives us room to introduce reality into the space. By using specially curated furniture that coincides with signage in the air, we're allowed to break free from the confines of the boardwalk and explore new corners of Carter’s mind.

Traditional Vs. Transgender Tailoring: Proportional Drafting Systems and Gender-Queer Individuals

Abstract:

Beginning in 1589 with Alcega’s “The Practice of Tailoring, Measuring and Marking Out,” men’s tailoring has relied upon proportional systems of drafting to create patterns for menswear. Modern tailors continue this practice and use these systems to extrapolate patterns based on a few, simple measurements and the standard proportions of the male body. However, cracks in these systems can be seen when tailoring for a body that deviates from these proportions on a fundamental level, such as in the case of gender non-conforming people. Individuals who are Assigned Female at Birth (AFAB) or are on Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT), for example, are often not well accounted for in these traditional systems. I created three menswear ensembles for models of various gender identities and proportions, to explore the limits of these systems and to develop solutions to their deficits. I utilized “The Sartor System” by Robert W Trump as a common starting point. I then created ‘mock-ups’ of these initial patterns that could be fit on my models and would allow me to document any inaccuracies. Using the information from these fittings, I was able to correct my patterns and create well-fitting final garments. In each case, the sartor system held up generally, though consistently faltered with several of the derived measurements and proportions. As gender-queer tailoring continues to become more common, these systems will need to adapt to the shifting modern audience and aesthetic that is more often treading a more gender ambiguous line.

Saint Saens- Introduction & Rondo Capriccioso op. 28- Performed on the Mandolin

Abstract:

Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso, Op. 28 (1863) is one of the most celebrated virtuoso showpieces for violin and orchestra. It was written for the great Spanish violinist and composer Pablo de Sarasate.
The piece combines melodic phrases with virtuosic writing for the violin and is flavored with Spanish rhythms and character.

Camille Saint-Saens (1835-1921) was one of the most prominent French composers, pianists, and organists of the 19th and early 20th centuries.
Among his most famous compositions are:
The Carnival of the Animals
Violin Concerto no. 3
Piano Concerto no. 2
Danse Macabre
Symphony No. 3 “Organ Symphony”
Samson et Dalila

Melody of Liberation: Integrating History and Modernity in Korean Art Song

Abstract:

This performance explores the connection between history and music through an analysis of the Korean art song The Wilderness. The piece is based on a famous poem by Yuksa Yi (1904–1944), a key figure in the Korean independence movement. Yi used his prison inmate number, 264 (pronounced Ee-Yuk-Sa in Korean), as his pen name. By doing this, he turned a symbol of oppression into a name of pride and resistance.

Composed in 2024 by Hyejeong Ji (b. 1992), this work brings Yi’s spirit into a modern musical style. My research focuses on how the composer uses a four-part structure (A-B-C-D) to follow the emotional journey of the poem: starting from the silent birth of the nation, moving through the melodies of struggle, and ending with a strong vision of freedom.

By looking at how Yi’s powerful words and Ji’s modern music come together, this performance shows how art songs can preserve cultural memory. This study suggests that music acts as a bridge across time, making the voices of historical figures like Yuksa Yi louder and clearer for today’s audience.

Ultimately, I want to show that these stories of justice and resilience are not just old history, but living inspirations that belong on the global stage.

First Movement of Brahms’s Piano Quintet in F Minor, Op. 34

Abstract:

This presentation explores the first movement of Johannes Brahms’s Piano Quintet in F minor, Op. 34, one of the most powerful works in the chamber music repertoire. Originally conceived in another form before reaching its final scoring for piano and string quartet, the quintet reflects Brahms’s careful craftsmanship and his search for a rich, symphonic chamber style.

Focusing on the opening movement, this project examines how Brahms combines sonata form, tonal contrast, and thematic development to create a sense of drama and instability. The movement begins with a forceful unison statement, immediately establishing a dark and urgent character. Its harmonic design is especially striking, as the exposition moves toward D-flat major rather than a more expected key area, giving the music a distinctive expressive tension. In the recapitulation and coda, Brahms further reshapes earlier material, intensifying the emotional and structural trajectory of the movement.

Through score study and performance preparation, this presentation highlights the relationship between formal design and expressive interpretation. Particular attention is given to texture, ensemble balance, and the equal partnership between piano and strings. By presenting both analytical and performative perspectives, this project shows how Brahms transforms classical formal principles into a deeply dramatic and emotionally charged chamber work.

See abstract above. The People's Choice award is sponsored by the Graduate and Professional Student Association.

Navigating Civic Deserts through an Alternative Form of Civic Education

Abstract:

This research seeks to improve civic engagement for Pennsylvania youth, as several youth face barriers to civic opportunities. Researchers identified Pennsylvania 4-H as the primary beneficiary, as PA 4-H provides ample opportunities for learning and youth development. Using a formative and ongoing approach, researchers conducted surveys to determine the overall effectiveness of an alternative civic education route via Pennsylvania 4-H. The Pennsylvania 4-H Civic Education Leadership Program will establish content areas that are important to PA 4-Hers, determine gaps in 4-H leaders’ knowledge, increase teaching efficacy for 4-H leaders, and establish a core civic education curriculum. These efforts will strengthen civic education for PA 4-Hers.

An Enliven'd Isle: Politics, Class, and Empire, in Edinburgh's New Town, 1752-1802

Abstract:

Edinburgh's eighteenth-century New Town is at once a representation of Scotland's position within Great Britain, as well as a demonstration of Scotland's participation in the British Empire. Through an examination of city maps, extant buildings, and the built environment, this dissertation argues that the changing nature of the city can be understood through its relationship to the growing British empire. While the New Town planned by the Edinburgh Town Council represents Edinburgh as the "Capital of North Britain," the built environment of the city is shaped by competing political interests, class-based concerns, and the Scottish involvement in the British East India Company. Existing studies on the relationship between architecture and empire has traditionally looked to former colonies like India. Instead, this project questions the manifestations of that relationship within the metropole through an interdisciplinary approach to New Imperial History, combining art history and material culture with sociology/social archaeology, identity studies, and landscape architecture. In two thematic parts, this dissertation examines the effects of empire both internally, through the imposition of an overarching British identity, and externally, through the accumulation of colonial wealth. Using the specific case studies of James Craig's New Town plan, Sir Lawrence Dundas's mansion, the Edinburgh Botanical Gardens, and the public buildings of the New Town Church and the Assembly Rooms, this study addresses the manifestations of empire, colonialism, and imperialism in the eighteenth-century development of Scotland's capital city.

Tailoring Post-Consumer Clothing Waste to Fit Earthbag Construction: Domestic Sewing Practices as Circular Construction Methodology

Abstract:

Earthbag construction is a historically humanitarian and handcraft-centered building method that draws upon its strengths of easy-to-teach practices and low-cost practicality. Bags are conventionally filled with earth, stacked and tamped on top of each other and builders do not need prior construction skill. Outside of natural earth materials, barbed wire, cement stabilizers, and non-biodegradable bag materials are also used in earthbag construction, which are not sustainable. The research addressing these contradictions frames earthbag construction within the context of a larger environmental issue: fast fashion waste. Injecting earthbag construction within the context of a larger environmental issue, the research aims to verify whether post-consumer clothing waste can replace polypropylene, a nonrenewable material, in earthbag construction and evaluate its adaptability to the University Park context in Pennsylvania. The research used a mixed methods approach that combined qualitative interviews to identify local clothing circular streams, local material typologies, and design-as-research methodology to iterate earthbag containers from clothes using the domestic sewing machine. A literature review of conventional earthbag geometries and functions and building practice informed the application of post-consumer clothing during the wall assembly process. A preliminary wall prototype that followed the conventional assembly process informed the design of an improved earthbag wall to be built in University Park, including considerations for material, earth in-fill, and climate.

Axonal Transport of Nanoplastics by Kinesin

Abstract:

Nanoplastics (NPs, diameter < 1000 nm) are a growing concern for human health. Several studies report NP accumulation in the brains of humans, fish and rodents; and NP exposure has been linked to neurodegeneration. Given our increasing exposure and the potential toxicity of NPs, understanding their transport inside the brain is vital.
Kinesin-1, 2 and 3 are fast axonal transport motors, and their tail domains allow specific cargo binding. We hypothesize that these inherently “sticky” tails enable NPs to bind kinesins and hijack the intracellular transport system. This would allow internalized NPs to be rapidly transported along axons to vital parts of the brain.

To test this hypothesis, we incubated 50-nm diameter fluorescent plastic nanospheres with Drosophila kinesin-1 and visualized motility along microtubules in vitro. We found that kinesin-1 binds and transports polystyrene (PS), carboxylated-polystyrene (c-PS), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and polyethylene (PE) nanoparticles at speeds between 200-900 nm/s, close to wild-type speeds. Dynamic light scattering measurements revealed variable kinesin adsorption on the NPs, which may be due to differences in surface chemistry. c-PS particles bind more kinesin-1 compared to PS particles, which we hypothesize is due to electrostatic interactions between the positively charged kinesin tail and negatively charged carboxyl group. PS, PET, PVC and PE particles, which are more hydrophobic, adsorb relatively less kinesin.

Our results suggest that kinesin-based cytoskeletal transport may allow NPs to spread through the brain. Because kinesin-based transport exists in all cells, our results can be generalized to other systems in the body.

Critical mineral extraction from high-temperature geothermal brine

Abstract:

Manganese (Mn) is a critical material for battery cathodes, yet its sustainable sourcing remains a challenge. This study presents a scalable approach for Mn recovery from post-condensation geothermal brines from the Salton Sea, which contain >1200ppm Mn and high total dissolved solids. Using oxidative precipitation with persulfates at near-native brine conditions (pH ~5.5), >99% Mn was selectively removed. The precipitate was further processed to battery-grade Mn through targeted leaching and impurity separation. The product’s composition and morphology were confirmed by ICP, XRD, and SEM-EDX. This method advances geothermal brines as a viable domestic Mn resource for clean energy technologies.

Intersection Crash Frequency Analysis via Bayesian Beta-Mixture Negative Binomial Models

Abstract:

Intersection crashes account for around 40% of the annual total crashes and over 50% of the annual combined fatal and injury crashes in the US. To address this nationwide concern, it is important to apply the most state-of-the-art statistical methods in transportation safety analysis and identify critical crash contributing factors and potential safety countermeasures. This study proposes a novel Bayesian Beta-mixture Negative Binomial (BBNB) model to predict and make causal inference of crash frequency data at intersections. This model restricts the crash occurrence probability in the negative binomial process by a Beta distribution, allowing the model to handle tail heaviness and extreme crash count values. The performance of the BBNB model was evaluated and compared with conventional Negative Binomial (NB) models which are widely utilized by the US standards, e.g., Highway Safety Manual (HSM). For this purpose, historical crash data were retrieved for four-leg signalized intersections in Pennsylvania with 10,585 observations between 2010-14. The results indicate that the BBNB model outperforms the NB model in terms of both goodness-of-fit and interpretability (statistical significance). The BBNB model also signifies the critical roles of crash exposure (average annual daily traffic), posted speed limit, and presence of exclusive right and left turn lanes in the number of annual crash events at the signalized intersections throughout the Pennsylvania state.

Acute Kidney Injury Results in Sex-Specific Disruptions in NAD+ Metabolism and Signaling

Abstract:

Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) is a rapidly escalating global health crisis, affecting over 850 million people. The prevalence has been reported to be higher in females than males. Despite its high disease burden-impacting about 1 in 5 people globally, there are currently no effective treatments, only limited supportive care. Central to the metabolic disturbances in AKI is Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide (NAD+), a crucial co-factor for over 500 enzymatic reactions, including cellular respiration, DNA repair, and mitochondrial function. NAD+ also serves as a co-substrate for key regulatory enzymes such as sirtuins, poly-ADP-ribose polymerases (PARPs), and CD38, making it indispensable for maintaining metabolic homeostasis. Notably, AKI is one of the few diseases that directly correlate with disrupted NAD+ homeostasis. Previous studies in both human and animal models have shown that renal NAD+ levels decline in ischemic, septic, and chemo toxic AKI. Hence, my overarching question is whether this NAD+ depletion in AKI is driven by impaired production or excessive consumption, leading to imbalances in flux and homeostasis. I hypothesize that NAD+ metabolism is dysregulated in a sex-specific manner due to both impaired synthesis and excessive consumption during AKI. To answer this question, we employ a cisplatin-induced AKI mouse model to examine systemic NAD+ and metabolite flux changes. Using stable isotope tracing with labeled nicotinamide (NAM) and tryptophan (Trp), coupled with liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS), we measure both steady-state metabolite levels and whole-body NAD+ metabolic turnover and flux. Our data reveal that AKI disrupts NAD+ metabolism across multiple tissues in both males and females, creating an imbalance in NAM homeostasis due to the accumulation of toxic catabolites, N-Me-6PY and N-Me-4PY, and impaired NAD+ biosynthesis under AKI conditions. Isotope tracing with NAM indicates that NAD+ production via the salvage pathway is dysregulated in the spleen in males, however females were unaffected. Preliminary data from tryptophan tracing demonstrates higher concentration of NAD+ [M+6] in the liver of both male and female AKI mice. However, AKI also resulted in higher levels of NAM [M+6] in all three metabolically active tissues in the female- kidney, liver and spleen compared to only liver in the males. This could be indicative of increased NAD+ synthesis and release of NAM into the circulation to compensate for disrupted Salvage synthesis across tissues. Additionally, genomic analysis reveals an upregulation of NAD+ consumers in the females with kidney injury, which could contribute to excessive consumption resulting in further decline in renal NAD+ levels. Collectively, these findings underscore the need for sex-specific approaches to therapeutically target NAD+ homeostasis to normalize flux and restore renal function under AKI.

Evaluation of Chemical Frost Protection Products for Reducing Spring Freeze Damage in Peach Buds

Abstract:

Late spring frost events pose a serious and growing threat to peach production in the northeastern United States, where erratic temperature fluctuations during bloom can cause severe yield losses. While wind machines and overhead irrigation are effective, their high costs limit adoption among small and mid-sized growers. Affordable sprayable frost protectants represent a promising alternative, yet field evidence of their efficacy remains limited. A field trial was conducted in April 2025 at Harner’s Orchard (State College, PA) to evaluate four treatments DiKap (4 lbs/acre), Parka (1% v/v), micro-fibrillated cellulose (MFC; 2% w/v), and an untreated control, on bud survival and fruit set of ‘Redhaven’ peach on GF667 rootstock. The experiment used a randomized complete block design with four replicates. Treatments were applied 48 hours before a natural frost event on April 9, 2025 (minimum 19°F). Bud survival did not differ significantly among treatments (Control: 86%; DiKap: 96%; Parka: 91%; MFC: 90%; p=0.24). DiKap showed notably greater limb growth than the control (39.5 vs. 30.7 cm; p=0.16) but significantly fewer fruits per meter (15.8 vs. 21.6; p=0.009). Average fruit weight did not differ (~148-153 g). The lack of bud survival differences likely reflects bud developmental stage at frost timing. The unexpected reduction in fruit set with DiKap warrants further mechanistic investigation. Multi-year, multi-stage evaluations are needed to clarify treatment efficacy and inform cost-effective frost management for Pennsylvania peach growers.

Defective but promising: evaluating the utility of currently available bioinformatic pipelines for detecting defective viral genomes in RNA-Seq data

Abstract:

Defective viral genomes (DVGs) affect viral dynamics, pathogenicity and evolution, have been found in many in vivo viral infections, and in theory can be detected from sequencing data. We explored the utility of the currently available bioinformatic programs ViReMa, DI-tector, DVGfinder, DG-Seq and VODKA2 for identifying junction points in plant virus high-throughput sequencing data, looking at whether the outputs from these bioinformatic tools generally agree and exploring the possibility of using these tools to help us understand whether DVGs are consistently generated and maintained in a specific virus-host combination. We conducted a meta-analysis of eight previously published RNA sequencing datasets utilizing all five programs and compared the degree of output overlap, the most common junctions present in each output and whether these junctions match previously reported junctions for that virus. Our results demonstrate a low degree of agreement regarding identified junctions between programs, including the most frequently identified one, although the most frequently identified junctions typically corresponded to large, disruptive deletions. We found preliminary support for our prevalence hypothesis, although we ultimately conclude that a more robust dataset generated expressly for testing this hypothesis will be required for a convincing answer. Finally, we suggest that when using bioinformatic programs to search for DVGs, it is best to run the same dataset through multiple programs and look at the overlap to inform decisions on downstream characterization.

Interparticle Crosslinked Ion-responsive Microgels for 3D and 4D (Bio)printing Applications

Abstract:

Microgels offer unique advantages over bulk hydrogels due to their improved diffusion limits for oxygen and nutrients. Particularly, stimuli-responsive microgels with inherently bioactive and self-supporting properties emerge as highly promising biomaterials. This study unveils the development of interparticle-crosslinked, self-supporting, ion-responsive microgels tailored for 3D and 4D (bio)printing applications. A novel strategy is proposed to develop microgels that enabled interparticle crosslinking, eliminating the need for filler hydrogels and preserving essential microscale void spaces to support cell migration and vascularization. Additionally, these microgels possessed unique, ion-responsive shrinking behavior primarily by the Hofmeister effect, reversible upon the removal of the stimulus. Two types of microgels, spherical (µS) and random-shaped (µR), were fabricated, with µR exhibiting superior mechanical properties and higher packing density. Fabricated microgel-based constructs supported angiogenesis with tunable vessel size based-on interstitial void spaces while demonstrating excellent shear-thinning, self-healing properties and high print fidelity. Various bioprinting techniques are employed and validated using these microgels, including extrusion-based, embedded, intraembedded, and aspiration-assisted bioprinting, facilitating the biofabrication of scalable constructs. Multi-material 4D printing is achieved by combining ion-responsive microgels with non-responsive microgels, enabling programmable shape transformations upon exposure to ionic solutions. Utilizing 4D printing, complex, dynamic structures are generated such as coiling filaments, grippers, and folding sheets, providing a foundation for the development of advanced tissue models and devices for regenerative medicine and soft-robotics, respectively.

Shapeshifting Ligands Mask Lewis Acidity of Dicationic Palladium (II)

Abstract:

Lewis acidic palladium(II) complexes are useful for activating olefinic substrates. This mode of activation is a key step in industrially relevant catalytic reactions such as olefin isomerization, oligomerization and polymerization. However, for polar olefinic substrates, catalytic activity can be inhibited or quenched by deleterious Lewis acid-base interactions between the metal and polar group. This incompatibility limits the substrate scope and, in some cases, the utility of these catalysts.

A common strategy for mitigating this limitation is to design supporting ligands which reduce the Lewis acidity of the metal. Generally, a necessary consequence of this approach is reduced catalytic performance. Advancements in catalyst design have thus focused primarily on balancing catalytic activity and polar/protic functional group tolerance.

Here, we present an alternative approach to designing Lewis acidic complexes. We synthesized a series of Pd(II) complexes bearing “shapeshifting” ligands, which can bifurcate between two different coordination modes via structural rearrangements. This process imbues the complexes with two distinct electronic states – one which is highly Lewis acidic, and one which temporarily masks the metal’s Lewis acidity.

We will present structural and spectroscopic data which describe the electronic features of each state, as well as evidence that suggests these two states equilibrate in solution. We will also present a comparison of the catalytic activity of our complexes vs. known Lewis acidic Pd(II) catalysts for olefin isomerization. Despite reacting like strong Lewis acids, our complexes are tolerant of polar/protic functional groups, which we attribute to the incorporation of a “masked” Lewis acidic state.

The Milky Way Imposters: Binary Stars Mimic Massive Black Hole Systems

Abstract:

The Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) is a space-based mission that will launch in 2035 to detect gravitational waves, or measurable ripples in spacetime. A primary science target for LISA are massive black hole binaries consisting of two black holes that weigh thousands to hundreds of thousands of times the mass of our Sun. These black holes are also expected to produce light, so astronomers are preparing to search for it. This motivates the need for an informed strategy to find the light from the massive black holes, which includes characterizing the objects that produce light resembling what is expected from the massive black holes. I will present the framework for my project that begins with using an existing code to simulate the binary stars in our Galaxy. It is expected that the frequency of light from massive black hole binaries is related to the frequency that the black holes orbit each other. Thus, any binary star with an orbital frequency consistent with that of the massive black hole binary is considered a potential confusion source, or “imposter”. However, many of these “imposters” are too faint to be seen. The final step in the framework includes the brightness of the “imposters” and the dust throughout the Galaxy that blocks our view of them. Our preliminary findings indicate that of the hundreds of thousands of potential “imposters” in our Galaxy, on the order of 10% are observable and should be considered more carefully in strategies searching for massive black holes.

Expected Pressing Success

Abstract:

Pressing in football has evolved significantly from the unstructured ’Total Pressing’ of the 1970s Dutch teams to the more systematic ’Gegenpressing’ of the modern era. Balancing aggressive pressure with defensive restraint has presented a critical challenge for today’s coaches. Our research has sought to identify the key indicators of successful pressing and has explored how visual maps and predictive models can enhance the execution of pressing strategies. We have investigated situational and spatiotemporal factors such as available passing channels, distance from the goal, player movement, and pressing intensity to evaluate the effectiveness of pressing actions. The core objective of our study has been to address the optimal balance between pressing and defensive posture based on the style of play of the opponent. We have created a classification model to identify the expected pressing success of a pressing event in terms of forcing a pass backward or handing possession. Based on the prediction values of this spatiotemporal model, we have applied prescriptive analysis to create a value between [0,1] indicating (0, no press) and (1, press) at each interval of the game based on the risk and return value of the situation. We have achieved a ROC AUC of 0.702 for our Gradient Boosting Classifier model on a dataset of more than 30,000 pressured passing events from Statsbomb’s Open 360 data from EURO 2024.

A Geo-Spatial Health Equity Decision Intelligence Dashboard for Pennsylvania Hospitals

Abstract:

Hospitals are increasingly expected to improve health equity, yet leadership teams often lack transparent and defensible methods for converting broad equity goals into actionable geographic priorities. This project develops and evaluates a geo-spatial health equity decision intelligence dashboard for Pennsylvania hospitals to support outreach strategy, service planning, and Community Health Needs Assessment workflows.

The dashboard integrates three public datasets harmonized at the county level using FIPS identifiers: County Health Rankings domain Z-scores to construct a Community Need Index, the CDC Social Vulnerability Index overall percentile to derive a Social Vulnerability Score, and CMS hospital registry data to estimate service coverage. These components are scaled from 0 to 100 and combined into a decomposable Priority Opportunity Score that captures community need, structural vulnerability, and inferred coverage gaps.

Across Pennsylvania’s 67 counties, integrated prioritization meaningfully reorders executive target lists relative to need-only ranking. Including vulnerability and coverage signals elevates several counties into higher priority tiers, demonstrating that burden alone may overlook communities facing structural barriers to accessing care. Sensitivity testing with alternative weighting strategies shows high ranking stability, supporting governance transparency and decision robustness.

The resulting system includes a validated analytic dataset, documented scoring pipeline, and Power BI–ready schema designed for executive use. Rather than replacing judgment, the dashboard functions as a transparent triage mechanism that enables hospital leaders to justify geographic priorities and align interventions with measurable drivers of health inequity.

Population Aging and Hospital Quality: Evidence from Medicare

Abstract:

How will population aging affect hospital quality of care and patient welfare in the US? I study this question by presenting a structural model with endogenous quality and bargaining between hospitals and insurers over commercial rates. In this model, hospitals have incentives to improve quality in order to negotiate higher commercial rates with insurers and attract additional patients. Because Medicare (the US public health insurance program for those over 65) rates are lower than commercial rates and less responsive to quality improvements, a decrease in the share of commercially insured patients reduces hospitals’ incentives to provide quality. I test this prediction using variation in population aging across US counties, instrumenting the Medicare-eligible share with its predetermined (migration-free) component. Hospitals facing aging populations significantly reduce expenditures per patient, staffing levels, nurse skill mix, and patient satisfaction scores. To project how future demographic shifts will affect quality, I estimate the model in two steps: (1) separate discrete choice demand models showing that both Medicare and commercially insured patients strongly prefer higher-quality hospitals, and (2) a joint GMM estimator that uses the equilibrium conditions from the bargaining and quality-choice problems to recover the hospital cost function and bargaining parameters, revealing that quality improvements substantially increase marginal costs.

Informality, Governance, and Environmental Harm in Bogotá’s Leather Manufacturing Industry

Abstract:

Leather manufacturing in Bogotá’s San Benito district operates largely through informal production systems that exist outside consistent regulatory oversight, despite generating significant environmental externalities. This paper examines how informality shapes environmental governance outcomes in the district, with particular attention to water pollution and waste management. Drawing on qualitative interviews with leather producers, distributors, and local stakeholders, alongside field observations and policy analysis, the study documents how informal status limits access to infrastructure, technological upgrading, and compliance pathways, while simultaneously enabling the persistence of environmentally harmful practices in this market. The analysis situates informality within broader institutional gaps between national environmental standards, market-based certification regimes, and local governance capacity. The findings demonstrate that environmental harm in the district is not solely a function of production scale or intent, but of fragmented institutional integration that displaces environmental responsibility onto informal actors without providing viable mechanisms for compliance. By highlighting the political and economic conditions that sustain informal industrial production, this paper contributes to scholarship on market failure, environmental externalities, and governance in peripheral urban market contexts.

Teen Vigilance: Navigating Risky Social Interactions on Discord

Abstract:

Teenagers are avid users of Discord, a fast-growing platform for synchronous communication where they often interact with strangers. Because Discord combines private DMs, semi-private voice channels, and public servers in one place, it creates a hybrid environment that can produce complex—and underexplored—safety risks for teenagers. Drawing on 16 interviews with teenage Discord users, this study examines their strategies for navigating risky social interactions in the platform. Our findings reveal that when teenagers encounter risks during social interactions, they exercise vigilance by evaluating suspicious interactions before forming friendships, using safety tools, and engaging in controlled risk-taking to safeguard their privacy and security. At the community level, they mitigate risks through selective participation in servers, a practice supported by vigilant governance structures. We discuss how vigilance enables teenagers to act during risky encounters to protect themselves, advancing understanding of teenagers’ agency in risk navigation and informing teen-centered designs for safer online environments.

Comprehensive Material Characterization of Synthetic Graphite from Plastic Waste Using Graphenic Additives

Abstract:

Waste plastics such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polystyrene (PS), and low-density polyethylene (LDPE) represent abundant and underutilized carbon sources that contribute heavily to global plastic pollution. This study establishes a unified, catalyst-free approach for upcycling these waste plastics into high-crystallinity graphitic carbon through a two-step thermal process including carbonization at 600 °C and graphitization at 2500 °C. Graphene oxide (GO) and graphene (Gr) were employed as structural templating additives to direct carbon ordering and promote lattice alignment. This approach reduces the purification steps required by conventional catalytic approaches when metals are used for initiating graphitic structures. The templating mechanism leverages reactive edge oxygen functionalities in GO and p–p interactions in Gr to facilitate both in-plane crystallite development (La) and vertical stacking (Lc).

Comprehensive characterization techniques using coupled TGA–FTIR, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (HRTEM), Selected Area Electron Diffraction (SAED), Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), and Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) reveal the transformation mechanism of PET, PS, and LDPE from polymeric structures to carbonaceous and ultimately graphitic carbon. Thermal analyses reveal decomposition pathways and additive–polymer interactions that guide structural evolution, while spectroscopic and microscopic techniques confirm progressive ordering, crystallite growth, and layer alignment induced by GO and Gr templating.

This upcycling strategy delivers substantial environmental and economic benefits by diverting plastic wastes from landfills and oceans, reducing CO2 emissions relative to conventional graphite manufacturing, and producing high-quality graphitic materials for next-generation energy storage and clean technology applications.

How Materials Science Reveals the Hidden Side of Climate Change

Abstract:

Permafrost - ground that remains frozen ( 0 °C) for at least two consecutive years - supports Arctic ecosystems and stores nearly 1,500 billion tons of carbon, almost twice the amount currently in Earth’s atmosphere. Rapid Arctic warming destabilizes this frozen reservoir; thaw releases greenhouse gases that further accelerate warming. Because permafrost spans vast and remote regions, monitoring relies on electromagnetic remote sensing methods such as ground-penetrating radar and synthetic aperture radar. However, accurate detection of subsurface water and ice is constrained by limited knowledge of the frequency-dependent dielectric properties of frozen soils. Laboratory measurements under controlled freeze–thaw conditions are therefore essential.

In this study, permafrost was treated as a multiphase material. Laboratory analogues were prepared from controlled mixtures of sand, silt, clay, peat, and water, with water content varying from low to full saturation. Broadband dielectric measurements were conducted from 50 MHz to 35 GHz during repeated freeze–thaw cycles. Scanning electron microscopy and micro-computed tomography (20 µm resolution) characterized particle size, texture, and pore structure, enabling direct correlation between microstructure and electromagnetic response.

A double-Debye model separated low-frequency bound-water relaxation from high-frequency bulk-water relaxation. Bound-water fractions increased from sand to clay and peat due to greater surface area and porosity. Permittivity exhibited nonlinear increases with water content, reflecting a transition from disconnected water films to connected pore networks, confirmed by micro-CT imaging. This integrated approach improves dielectric mixing models and strengthens remote sensing interpretation of rapidly changing Arctic permafrost.

Chinese Art en route: Reconstructing Global Knowledge of China in the Art Markets, 1900-1949

Abstract:

This project examines how the global trade of Chinese objects facilitated the reconfiguration of Chinese art in the first half of the twentieth century through the lens of hitherto neglected networks of cross-cultural agents. Revolving around the art dealing practices and social connections of four seemingly unrelated historical figures—Chinese scholar-painter Huang Binhong (1865-1955), American federal administrator Edward B. Bruce (1879-1943), Francophone antique dealer Paul Houo (1880-?), and German-Chinese art collector Abel William Bahr (1877-1959)—this project explores how their multifaceted interactions within the international art markets facilitated both the global translocation of Chinese objects and the contested (re)construction of the modern contour of Chinese art in the early twentieth century. Although recognized as prominent figures in their respective fields, the interconnected networks around these four individuals have never been studied in the context of the global art trade. This project employs the digital tools of Social Network Analysis to trace and reconstruct how the local networks around the four individuals developed into global ones within a broader landscape of Sino-foreign interactions. This project draws on unpublished and largely neglected archival materials preserved in China, the United States, England, and France. Highlighting the polycentric, collective, and transnational nature of early-twentieth-century Chinese art trade, I argue such tangled transactions played a critical role in shaping modern China into a cosmopolitan yet consumable presence on the international stage.

Ya Te Cargo el Payaso / Catch of The Day

Abstract:

Meximalism is the everyday maximalism embedded in Mexican visual culture, ideology, and history. Within my practice, I use folkloric elements found in Mexican culture to process and digest the current border politics affecting myself and my community. Border theory continues to shift as technology advances, creating an ever-greater divide, manifesting as a "movable border" that fractures belonging and identity. By creating paintings that highlight my own lived experiences, I aim to foster curiosity for viewers to delve deeper in their understanding of border and immigration.

I was born in Ciudad Juárez, and was raised crossing daily into El Paso, Texas. Two sister cities once defined by fluid movement and not borders, I witnessed how recent political shifts have transformed migration into a target of fear and vilification. By researching the historic works of contemporary Mexican artists and their political defiance and narrative, I have developed a body of work that speaks directly to my lived experiences as part of a diasporic community. Mexican art, such as muralism and painting, have demonstrated that cultural identity can be both a form of resistance and a source of collective healing, and it is from this foundation that my practice grows.

The painting “Ya Te Cargo el Payaso / Catch of The Day” was created as a way to digest the current ongoing conversation surrounding immigration. As both an artist and an activist, I use painting to assert narrative control, centering the stories of my hometown and surrounding communities.

A Complex Identity Within A Simple System

Abstract:

Hero application

Abstract:

End of the World

Abstract:

End of the World is a mixed-media collage composed of archival war photographs arranged within a laser-cut world map. By assembling fragments of images from different wars across history, the artwork visually compresses multiple moments of conflict into a single global landscape. The project investigates collage as a narrative method that combines disparate materials, photographs, paper, etc., to create a unified yet fractured visual battle.

The methodology involves collecting historical images of warfare from various sources and integrating them through a process of selection, layering, and composition. A laser-cut map structure functions as the formal framework within which photographic fragments are inserted and arranged based on instinct and not based on corresponding with the geography of the continents, as the artist believes that one war in the world affects the world around. This process transforms documentary images into a new visual composition that merges historical documentation with artistic interpretation.
Rather than presenting an explicit political argument, the collage focuses on the visual and emotional presence of war within the global landscape. By placing scenes of conflict inside the recognizable shape of the world map, the work emphasizes the recurring and widespread nature of war throughout history. The piece invites viewers to consider how historical images, when recontextualized through collage, can construct a broader reflection on violence and the visual record of human conflict.

See abstract above. The People's Choice award is sponsored by the Graduate and Professional Student Association.

Guiding Nitrogen Application in Corn Using Soil Nitrogen Status, Crop and Weather Data

Abstract:

Corn occupies nearly 90 million acres in the United States and uses more nitrogen (N) fertilizer than any other crop, yet N use efficiency remains below 40% because of weather-driven losses and variable soil N supply. Improving sidedress N decisions is therefore essential for increasing fertilizer efficiency and reducing environmental losses. The pre-sidedress soil nitrate test (PSNT) is commonly used to estimate in-season N mineralization, but it remains limited by sensitivity to rainfall-induced N losses and insufficient representation of within-field variability. This study develops an integrated sidedress N recommendation framework that combines PSNT measurements, weather variables (cumulative rainfall and growing degree days), and drone-based multispectral reflectance data collected prior to sidedressing. The objective was to evaluate whether a combined reflectance–weather–soil model can generate more accurate sidedress N recommendations than a model based solely on PSNT. Field data were obtained from multiple N-rate trials across Pennsylvania to determine the economically optimum N rate for each field. Models were developed using pre-sidedress reflectance indices, measured soil nitrate, and weather records, and their performance was assessed relative to known optimum N rates. Integrated models incorporating crop, soil, and weather data improved prediction accuracy by capturing spatial and temporal variability in N dynamics more effectively than soil-based models alone. These findings indicate that sensor-driven, scalable N management tools can enhance nitrogen use efficiency and contribute to more sustainable corn production systems.

See abstract above under Research Poster, Health and Life Sciences.