2025 Award Recipients

Designed to Crash, Built to Survive: An Additive Manufacturing Approach

Abstract:

Protecting fragile payloads during high-impact landings is a critical challenge in planetary exploration. Inspired by NASA's Mars Sample Return (MSR) mission, the Pixy Stix Return (PSR) Challenge in EDSGN 562: Design for Additive Manufacturing – DfAM (24/SP) set teams with designing an impact-resistant, additively manufactured container capable of surviving a 100-foot freefall onto concrete without a parachute. This project aimed to develop a lightweight, structurally optimized solution that balances impact resistance, manufacturability, and aerospace engineering constraints. Integrating bio-inspired elements for impact absorption and descent control, the final design comprises a multi-component system.

The base container, incorporating a body-centered cubic (BCC) lattice, mimics natural cellular frameworks to dissipate impact forces while maintaining minimal weight. A detachable lid secures the payload, while aerodynamic propellers, inspired by seed dispersal mechanisms, generate drag to reduce freefall velocity. Gradient-density lattice structures further increase strength while simultaneously reducing mass, resulting in a total weight of 300.3 grams—40% below the 500-gram limit of the challenge.

A prototype was 3D-printed using polylactic acid (PLA) and fused deposition modeling (FDM) to validate the design. The prototype was then subjected to drop tests. The findings validated that the lattice structure efficiently absorbed impact, whilst the propellers facilitated descent control.

Anticipated small failures in the PLA prototype guided enhancements for manufacturing in high-strength metal alloys (AlSi10Mg, Ti6Al4V, or Inconel 718). This project showcases the aerospace applications' potential for bio-inspired additive manufacturing (AM) by providing solutions for high-performance impact mitigation, crash-resistant enclosures, and sample return systems.

Only Funny Business: Designing the Costumes for "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying"

Abstract:

Some people say that laughter is the best medicine and I would wholeheartedly agree. As a costume designer, I get the opportunity to tell funny stories through clothing while also looking back at history and commenting on where we are as a society. Through the costume design of "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying," I wanted to poke fun at the world of business much like the plot of the show. Written by Abe Burrows, Jack Weinstock, and Willie Gilbert, this musical is set in the early 1960s when the fashion of the earlier decade starts to change. J. Pierrepont Finch is an up and coming man of business and rockets up the ranks in a manner of days with the help of a book that lays out the simple steps on How to Succeed in Business. From Window Washer to Chairman of the Board, we see his ambitious rise in the World Wide Wicket Company and meet Rosemary - a secretary who falls instantly in love with Finch, Bud Frump - the boss's arrogant and lazy nephew, and Hedy LaRue - the boss's mistress. Through color and whimsy, I dabbled in the world of business and made fun of how some companies run ambitiously on lies, exaggerations, and fake money. Although it was initially performed in 1961, it still feels timely today as big businesses run around like children who haven't had their coffee and break rules for monetary gain.

Humanistic and AI-Assisted Design of a Learning Platform

Abstract:

This design project presents PathQuester, a humanistic and AI-assisted learning platform aimed at transforming career exploration for high school students and their families. The project seeks to merge AI-assisted capabilities, learning principles, and the human component to create an inclusive, data-driven career guidance system. Through an iterative, human-centered design process, PathQuester integrates machine learning and natural language processing to provide personalized career insights, predictive roadmaps, and expert-led courses.

A core focus of this project is addressing the systemic barriers that limit access to career exploration resources, particularly for students from underserved communities. PathQuester prioritizes accessibility, digital literacy, and equity by simplifying career discovery and offering pathways tailored to diverse socioeconomic backgrounds. The iterative design approach ensures continuous refinement based on user feedback, expert insights, and evolving workforce demands. By leveraging AI in a way that amplifies, not replaces, the human experience, this project aims to foster agency, resilience, and informed decision-making in career development. PathQuester exemplifies how technology, when designed with intentionality and inclusivity, can bridge opportunity gaps and empower individuals in their educational and professional journeys.

Urnong - a cycle of folksongs from the Philippines’ Bicol Region

Abstract:

Urnong is a cycle of three folksongs from the Bicol region in the Philippines. Bicol is located at the southeastern part of Luzon, and inhabited by the fifth largest Filipino ethnolinguistic group. The people and the language are referred to as Bicolano. This region is known chiefly for the following: its coconut and chili based spicy cuisine, the almost perfect-cone shaped volcano named Mayon, and for being one of the most
typhoon-ravaged areas in the country, averaging at least fifteen per year. These songs preserve the stories of the people that have often been diminished by poverty and calamity. They give us a snapshot of their simple life, values and culture especially those in the coastal areas where fishing influences daily living. The cycle was arranged by Eudenice Palaruan a Filipino composer, conductor, and music educator who obtained his music studies from the Berliner Kirchenmusikschule in Germany.

Beethoven Sonata No. 4 in A minor Movement 1. Presto

Abstract:

I, along with my pianist Yirui Ma, will perform and present information about the first movement of Beethoven's violin sonata in a minor. During our performance, we will demonstrate the knowledge of Beethoven’s style that we’ve gained through our mutual exploration of the piece. Also, both of our professors have provided invaluable guidance towards us successfully rendering this sonata. Beethoven marks a transitional period between the classical and romantic era of music. Our research into the style has made us carefully consider every detail of the piece. We’ve had to evaluate the difference between fortepianos versus sforzandos, or what the tempo should be, or what articulation is appropriate for the style. Our goal is to deepen the understanding the audience has for Beethoven and this sonata in particular.

Clementi's Piano Sonata in B-flat Major, Op. 24, No. 2

Abstract:

Muzio Clementi was active during a transitional period in keyboard music, transitioning from older instruments. Often called "the father of the pianoforte," Clementi composed his Piano Sonata Op. 2 in 1773. This work is considered the first composition fully suited to the style and capabilities of the pianoforte. Clementi’s musical style ranges from the Galant style to the early stages of Romanticism. His final Piano Sonata in G Major, Op. 50, No. 3, “Didone Abbandonata” (1821), shows dramatic expressiveness. This expressiveness is reminiscent of Beethoven’s style. In the 1781 competition with Mozart in Vienna, Clementi played his Piano Sonata in B-flat Major, Op. 24, No. 2. In this particular sonata, the emphasis is on clarity and simplicity, rather than virtuosity. It follows the standard Classical sonata structure of fast-slow-fast. Interestingly, ten years later, Mozart incorporated the main motive from the first movement of Clementi’s sonata into the overture of The Magic Flute (Die Zauberflöte), K. 620, composed in 1791.

Latin American Music in Modern Double Bass

Abstract:

This performance explores the technical and interpretative demands of Andrés Martin’s Double Bass Concerto No. 1 (2012), highlighting both the technical challenges and the interpretative approaches required to bring the work to life. This piece exceptionally embodies the developments made on the double bass in the 20th century, expanding the horizons of what is considered standard technique and raising the technical demands on the performer. Despite being relatively recent, it has already become part of the audition and competition repertoire in prestigious settings.

An Argentine composer, Martin—much like Astor Piazzolla (1921-92)—draws on the musicality of tango to craft both the melodies and the specific technical characteristics of the double bass in this style. The result is an energetic, intense sound that challenges the performer to capture its boldness. Extended pizzicato passages and the use of harmonics in pizzicato are highly unconventional, presenting significant technical challenges for the performer. The phrases have irregular meter and make extensive use of polyrhythms between the soloist and the accompaniment, giving even recurring motifs a fresh and unpredictable quality.

In my performance, I aim to express the contrasts and tonal colors of the composition, prompting a fresh exploration of the double bass and the subtlety often not required in more traditional repertoire.

The People's Choice Award is sponsored by the Graduate and Professional Student Association.

Arbiters of the Borderlands: Warlords, Municipalities, and State-Making in Sino-Tibet, 1905-1955

Abstract:

Historians of the Republic of China (1911-1949) have adopted an eastern-China-centric view of the era, casting areas outside of its political umbrella as deviant, divided, and under the chaotic governance of warlords (military men with local authority and own armies) who hinder modernization efforts. My project challenges this traditional telling of Chinese history by inverting our lens to the far western regions that sit between China and Tibet. I look at three urban centers in western China: Kunming, Yunnan Province; Kangding, Xikang Province; Xining, Qinghai Province. Within these urban centers, my project analyzes the ways warlords interacted with local institutions: Indigenous Headmen (Chieftains), Tibetan Buddhist Monasteries, Regional Banks, and Transregional Merchants, so that they could put forward unique policies and vision for a “modern” Chinese state.

My poster presents some of my project’s interventions that argue 1) China’s western regional governments were not “peripheral” but directly a part of making a “modern” China. 2) The local ethnic minority (non-Han Chinese) communities of western China leveraged their religious, cultural, and political power to limit and shape the reach of the Chinese state. Through my research, I have visited archives in China, Taiwan, Japan, India, and the United States to use Chinese, English, and Tibetan language newspapers, government correspondence, diaries, local chronicles, missionary photo collections. My research concludes that local Indigenous communities of western China were essential to the modernization changes in global trade, multilingual education reform, military modernization, infrastructure, and renewable energy that occurs in western China in the twentieth century.

Thinking with(in) the Hold: The Slave Ship & Its Afterlives in Nineteenth-Century Black Literary and Print Reproduction

Abstract:

My research focuses on the afterlives of slavery in African American literature and print culture. In my current work, I argue that nineteenth-century Black editors, writers, and readers used the iconic figure of the slave ship to imagine counter-intuitive yet liberatory forms of Black diasporic identities and communities. Although the icon of the slave ship was often associated with white-led abolitionist movements, I have tracked a vast and varied body of writing and print culture in Black newspapers, narratives, and conventions that drew on the slave ship as a device to challenge nationalist myths and to seek prohibited forms of diasporic belonging. My work spans some of the most well-known writers, such as Frederick Douglass, Sojourner Truth, and Harriet Jacobs, along with vital writers such as William Still, Hannah Crafts, Henry Box Brown, and more. These writers saw the holds of slave ships persisting in other confined spaces such as boxes, closets, and attics and used these spaces to experiment with alternative modes of self-fashioning and rebirth. Those modes would become foundational themes in African American literary history.

Architecture Education Under the Iron Fist. The Pinochet Dictatorship and the Depoliticization of Chile's Architecture Schools, 1973 - 1990

Abstract:

In 1973, Chile underwent a major crisis and democratic upheaval due to a violent coup d'état led by General Augusto Pinochet. After ousting President Allende's government, Pinochet and the military held power for seventeen years. The regime is famous for massive human rights violations committed by the military against opponents and striking workers. It also aggressively promoted private development and a neoliberal economic model, significantly impacting urban planning. One critical area of intervention during this time was education: the military took control of all Chilean universities following the coup. This study aims to assess the primary effects of the Pinochet dictatorship on the country’s five existing architecture schools at that time. It addresses the lack of archival resources by examining previously unseen administrative documents and interviewing former students and faculty. It identifies three main forms of depoliticization in architecture education. The first is through direct military action, including the dismissal, detention, or disappearance of students and faculty who were allegedly opposed to the regime. The second involves suppressing any political engagement within schools in a social context characterized by mutual mistrust and paranoia among faculty and students. The third form consisted of designing curricula that abandoned the social objectives of the 1960s and focused instead on methodological approaches rooted in phenomenology, the development of private projects, and debates centered around aesthetics. This authoritarian framework not only affected the schools themselves but also influenced how new graduates thought and transformed the city from the professional realm.

Harmonizing Operational Model Deployment with a Model-agnostic Differentiable Modeling Machine-learning Framework

Abstract:

Many numerical modeling services use standardized, model-independent interfaces for seamless integration into data pipelines. However, these standards can limit newer methodologies. For instance, the CSDMS Basic Model Interface (BMI) used in NOAA’s NextGen National water model faces two key challenges: 1) transitioning high-concurrency ML and physics-informed (“differentiable”) ML models to NextGen is cumbersome and cannot be done in a uniform way, and 2) gradient-based optimization, crucial for improving forecast accuracy, is unsupported. To address these gaps, we introduce dMG, a domain-agnostic, PyTorch-based differentiable modeling framework designed to bridge research and operations. This framework enables large-scale, gradient-based optimization, allowing process-based equations and neural networks to be trained together on big data using GPUs. dMG’s core innovation is a Model Handler, an immutable wrapper that integrates models into operational environments like NextGen without refactoring or performance loss, ensuring seamless transitions between development and deployment. dMG standardizes differentiable modeling to support advanced features such as multimodeling (ensemble weighting, model averaging, mosaics), surrogate modeling, and online training with transformers. Its versatility is demonstrated across applications including lumped conceptual models (e.g., HBV), high-resolution multiscale continental/global simulations, water quality modeling, and ecosystem simulations. By harmonizing research capabilities with operational requirements, dMG provides a flexible, scalable, and standardized solution that accelerates the adoption of differentiable modeling while unlocking new possibilities for model deployment and optimization.

Safety Performance of Passing Zone Segments on Two-lane Rural Highways in Pennsylvania: Comparing Crash Modification Factors using Causal Inference and Unobserved Heterogeneity Models

Abstract:

Passing zones on two-lane rural highways are marked based on minimum passing sight distance criteria associated with the 85th-percentile speed or posted speed limit along the roadway segment. Although passing-related crashes account for a relatively small proportion of total reported crashes on two-lane rural highways, past research suggests that they tend to result in more severe injuries than non-passing-related crashes. However, the safety performance of roadway segments with passing zones has not been quantified or compared to segments with no passing zones. The purpose of this paper is to use data from Pennsylvania to compare the safety performance of two-lane rural highways with and without the presence of passing zone markings. Total crashes, fatal plus injury crashes, and target crashes are used to estimate crash modification factors (CMFs) for the presence of passing zones. A second objective of the paper is to compare the CMFs developed using two different methodological approaches – the propensity scores-potential outcomes causal inference framework and unobserved heterogeneity (random parameters) models. The results indicate that the CMFs developed using these two approaches are similar, although the CMFs from the unobserved heterogeneity models tended to estimate slightly fewer expected crashes in passing zone segments than the causal inference method. When compared to road segments without passing zones, those with passing zones experienced fewer total crashes, fatal and injury crashes, and head-on plus sideswipe crashes by 11.2%, 12.2%, and 10.6%, respectively, based on the causal inference method.

A Comparative Study on the Graphitization Behavior of Waste Plastics using Templating Agent

Abstract:

This study investigates the upcycling of single-use plastic waste into high-quality synthetic graphite addressing both the growing plastic pollution crisis and increasing graphite demand for clean energy technologies. We examined the graphitization behavior of common waste plastics (polyethylene (PE), high-density polyethylene (HDPE), and polypropylene (PP)) with and without graphene oxide (GO) as a templating agent. Waste plastics were carbonized at 600°C under autogenic pressure and subsequently graphitized at 2500°C. Our results demonstrate that GO addition increased carbon yield across all precursors. High-Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (HRTEM) and Selected Area Electron Diffraction (SAED) analyses revealed pronounced differences in nanostructure development, with PP+GO exhibiting superior graphitic quality followed by HDPE+GO. XRD analysis revealed that PE+GO and HDPE+GO composites have crystallite parameters similar to their polymer counterparts, while HRTEM imaging and SAED pattern definition identified significant differences in nanostructure arrangements. This finding emphasizes the importance of employing complementary analytical techniques when evaluating 2D graphitic materials beyond the standard graphitization index.

From Reproduction to Aging: Investigating the Physiological Roles of NAD+ Metabolism and Signaling

Abstract:

Promoting healthy aging has been a key focus of research, with nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) playing a central role in cellular metabolism. NAD+ is involved in critical redox reactions like glycolysis, the TCA cycle, and oxidative phosphorylation, and also serves as a co-substrate for signaling enzymes such as PARPs, NADases, and Sirtuins. These functions regulate essential cellular processes, making NAD+ vital for aging and metabolic health.

A decline in NAD+ levels with age is a hallmark of metabolic aging and is linked to various disorders. Traditionally, this decline was thought to result from reduced synthesis or increased degradation. However, recent studies in aged mice have shown that NAD+ synthesis remains stable, and the decline is not due to a lack of precursors. Instead, it appears to be driven by increased NAD+ consumption.

This study aimed to explore the role of NAD+-consuming and signaling enzymes in age-related NAD+ decline. Using a combination of genetic and molecular biology approaches and HPLC-MS for precise metabolite quantification in C. elegans, we identified novel reproductive and aging phenotypes linked to the loss of these enzymes. Mutants with defective NAD+-consuming enzymes showed significantly reduced progeny numbers and lifespan. HPLC-MS analysis revealed dynamic shifts in metabolites, confirmed by quantitative PCR of NAD+ synthesis and consuming genes. These findings uncover a previously unrecognized connection between NAD+ degradation and reproductive aging, highlighting the importance of NAD+ metabolism in maintaining reproductive health and lifespan

A scoping review of research validating precision wearable sensors for monitoring dairy cattle behavior

Abstract:

For our scoping review, we assessed validation research that used precision wearable technology to record dairy cattle behavior to 1) quantify common statistical criteria used, and 2) set validity criteria and compare the literature to our standards. We used the PICO method to create a search method. Keywords were extracted from PubMed and Web of Science; 101 articles were sifted from 2955 articles. We assessed the literature using Power BI to extract precision, accuracy, bias, reproducibility (sample size, sensor type), and comparison method. Recorded dairy cattle behavior was sorted into 10 categories for consistency. We considered a study to have validity if there was high precision 85%, they reported no bias, there was reproducibility, a comparison method, and behavior was defined. One researcher manually reviewed papers that were reported as lacking bias measurements because multiple statistical techniques were used to assess bias. We found a very high reproducibility 93% (94/101) among studies. Activity behavior (61/101), feeding behavior (59/101), and resting (55/101) were commonly validated with wearables in dairy cattle. However, precision was rarely calculated 40% (40/101) among studies. For studies that reported precision, 90% (36/40) met our criteria for reproducibility. However, we observed that many precise studies failed to report a measurement for bias, 35% (14/40). Thus, a negligible level of research met our validity criteria 14% (14/101). We suggest that wearable validation studies for dairy cattle behavior need to measure precision, bias, and be reproducible to be considered valid.

Everything That Kills Me Makes Me Feel Alive: The Paradox of Plant Defense and Insect Preference

Abstract:

Plants are the primary source of energy on land, serving as food for many organisms, including insects. However, they don’t simply allow themselves to be eaten without a fight. Plants have ways to defend themselves from insects that eat them. These defenses come in two types: some directly harm the insects, while others attract predators that eat the insects. However, making these defenses takes a lot of energy, so plants only produce them when needed.

Insects need plants for food, but they also have to deal with these defenses. This creates a tricky situation where an insect must decide whether a plant is a good meal based on both how nutritious it is and how strong its defenses are. We don’t fully understand which factor—nutrition or defense—matters more to insects when they pick a plant to eat.

To figure this out, we studied how insects choose plants by testing their preferences and growth on plants grown in different soil nutrition conditions. We expected insects to prefer plants with weaker defenses and thought plants with fewer nutrients would also have weaker defenses. Surprisingly, we found that plants in nutrient-rich soil had stronger defenses, but insects still preferred them and even grew better on them! This suggests that when insects choose which plant to eat, nutrition may be more important than defense.

Ambient-Processed Semitransparent Perovskite Solar Cells from Environmentally Benign Solvents

Abstract:

Interest in metal halide perovskite photovoltaics (MHP-PVs) has surged due to their potential for next-generation solar energy technologies. MHPs exhibit exceptional optical and electronic properties like tunable bandgaps and high power conversion efficiencies (PCE), but challenges such as instability and toxicity (Lead & hazardous Solvents) hinder commercialization. N, N dimethylformamide (DMF) in combination with dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) has been the most widely used solvent system for fabricating high-efficiency perovskite devices. However, DMF is toxic and has been banned in some regions, making it imperative to explore safer alternatives. This work investigates DMSO as a standalone solvent for perovskite thin film deposition using ambient processing – a challenging but crucial step toward scalable, cost-effective fabrication. We utilized isopropanol (IPA) as an anti-solvent to improve film formation. While DMSO-based devices achieved lower power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) compared to DMF:DMSO devices (14.7% vs. 21.3%), they exhibited superior light utilization efficiency (LUE) values, reaching 4.03 in the best-performing DMSO-only device. This enhanced LUE, underscores the potential of DMSO-only devices for semitransparent applications such as agrivoltaics, building-integrated photovoltaics and self-powered electronics. By combining enhanced optical performance with the sustainable advantage of DMSO, this study presents a viable path toward environmentally friendly PSCs for next-generation energy solutions.

Upside-Down Adsorption: The Counterintuitive Influences of Surface Entropy and Surface Hydroxyl Density on Hydrogen Spillover

Abstract:

Although hydrogen spillover is often invoked to explain anomalies in catalysis, spillover remains a poorly understood phenomenon. Hydrogen spillover (H*) is described as highly mobile H atom equivalents that arise when H2 migrates from a metal nanoparticle to an oxide or carbon support. In the 60 years since its discovery, few methods have become available to quantify or characterize H*-support interactions. We recently showed in-situ infrared spectroscopy and volumetric chemisorption can quantify reversible H2 adsorption on Au/TiO2 catalysts, where adsorbed hydrogen exists as H* and interacts with titania surface hydroxyl (TiOH) groups. Here, we report parallel thermogravimetric analysis and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy methods for systematically manipulating the surface TiOH density. We examine the role of surface hydroxylation on spillover thermodynamics using van't Hoff studies to determine apparent adsorption enthalpies and entropies at constant H* coverage, which is necessary to maintain constant H* translational entropy. Although surface TiOH groups are the likely adsorption sites, the data show removing hydroxyl groups increases spillover. This surprising findingthat adsorption increases as the adsorption site density decreasesis associated with improved thermodynamics on dehydroxylated surfaces. A strong adsorption enthalpy–entropy correlation implicates the changing surface entropy of the titania support itself (i.e., an initial state effect) is deeply intertwined with the H* configurational entropy. These effects are surprising and should apply to all low-coverage adsorbates where entropy terms dominate more traditional enthalpic considerations. Moreover, this study points toward a kinetic test for invoking spillover in a reaction mechanism: namely, in situ dehydroxylation should enhance spillover processes.

Low-latency Detection of Gravitational Wave Signals

Abstract:

The LIGO/Virgo/KAGRA ground-based detectors are capable of detecting gravitational waves from the merger of black holes and neutron stars. Studying gravitational wave signals tells us the properties of the source objects, confirmation of the existence of sources, and the population and merger rates. Low-latency detection pipelines like GstLAL, send alerts to the public within O(10) seconds after receiving data from the detectors. The alerts contain information that assists follow-up observations of electromagnetically bright events, thus, making multi-messenger astrophysics with gravitational waves possible. The GstLAL pipeline correlates simulated gravitational wave signals, i.e., templates, with data to detect gravitational wave event candidates and assigns significance to the event candidates based on statistics that are gathered during the observation and before the observation. For the ongoing fourth observing run (O4), templates were generated with a computationally efficient binary-tree approach. The GstLAL pipeline runs multiple analyses using different template banks, depending on the targeted search parameter space. Such analyses are IMBH (intermediate-mass black hole), AllSky (black holes and neutron star mergers), Early Warning (events with neutron stars), and sub-solar masses searches. As of 01/22/24, the LIGO/Virgo/KAGRA collaboration has detected over 270 gravitational waves since its first observing run in 2015. In O4, we have detected over 180 event candidates, including 1 neutron star-black hole merger. GstLAL contributed significantly to these detections, as a third of the O4 events were solely detected by GstLAL. The growing catalog of events will deepen our understanding of the population of gravitational wave sources.

Connected by moods: The influence of individual mood, mood similarity, and mood convergence in supportive interactions

Abstract:

The goal of this project is to compare three models for examining the influence of moods in supportive interactions – the affect interdependence model, the affect similarity model, and the affect convergence model. Participants (N =134) reported to a research laboratory with a friend or a romantic partner. Both participants and their partners completed recall tasks to induce experiences of either happy or sad moods. Participants and their partners then engaged in a supportive interaction, in which one person was assigned to be a support receiver while the other person was a support provider. Both people then completed a post-interaction survey. Preliminary results suggest that only receivers’ moods and not providers’ moods exerted influence in supportive interactions. Greater similarity in sad moods between providers and receivers was detrimental for the outcomes of supportive interactions. Greater mood convergence, regardless of valance (i.e., convergence towards negative or positive mood), generally promoted more favorable outcomes for both partners. Taken together, the different models for examining the influence of affect appears to produce different conclusions about the role of moods in supportive interactions. These findings provide a more nuanced and multi-faceted understanding of the role of moods elicited by external events in supportive interactions. Findings also provide practical implications for supportive interactions.

Comparing Oyster Harvesting Practices over a 500-Year Period on Ossabaw Island, Georgia, USA

Abstract:

Since arriving on Ossabaw Island ca. 5,000 years ago, Indigenous Guale communities have been embedded in complex estuarine socioecological systems. One of the most conspicuous manifestations of these human-ecosystem dynamics in the archaeological and modern ecological records are the large quantities of eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) consumed and deposited by these Indigenous communities. Guale people living at the town at Middle Place (9CH158) on Ossabaw Island, Georgia, ca. 500 – 1000 years ago, consumed and deposited oyster refuse en masse across the site. This research leverages data from 25 archaeological contexts of deposited shell associated with the Indigenous occupation of the town (e.g., household refuse from daily life) to illuminate long-term shellfishing practices and human-ecosystem dynamics through time and space across the history of single community. More specifically, using evidence of the presence and abundance of epibiont/parasitic activity (i.e. boring sponge and polychaeta worm) damage to shells recovered from the archaeological record, trends are evaluated related to the habitats and ecological conditions from which oysters were harvested. This study finds that evidence of boring sponge damage on oysters collected by Indigenous inhabitants increased over the 500-year occupation of the town, while the polychaeta worm damage slightly decreased. Given the specific environmental conditions within which these parasites are active in estuarine ecosystems, these datasets provide insight into shifting human uses of oyster beds across the estuarine system. Interpretations of these results serve as a proxy for understanding changes in human-ecosystem dynamics, especially in the context of both environmental and demographic change.

Casual Competition by Design

Abstract:

Competitive gaming is a strategic activity where players compete to achieve specific goals. In team-based competitive games, scholars have criticized the overemphasis on competition and achievement, often at the expense of collaboration, leading to issues such as player anxiety and toxicity. To address these unintended consequences, game designers have explored alternative design approaches. One such example is the All Random All Mid (ARAM) mode in League of Legends (LoL), which introduces casual elements into competitive play. To examine how players experience the seemingly contradictory notions of casualness and competitiveness, we conducted an interview study with ARAM players and did a reflexive thematic analysis based on the interview data. Our study shows that casual competitive gaming in ARAM is enacted through both conscious design consideration and player agency in three primary ways: First, classic competitive gaming elements like achievements are still present but decentered from PX, overshadowed by other sources of gratifications such as randomness and game process. Second, players’ interpersonal dynamics with both teammates and opponents are diversified in various playful ways. Third, players actively arrange their ARAM play to fill gaps between their needs for casual gaming and competitive gaming in their everyday gaming practices. These findings enable us to discuss the nature and characteristics of casual competitive gaming as an intermediate form between casual gaming and competitive gaming, reflect on key aspects of competitive gaming design such as diversity and fairness, and provide implications for competitive gaming design, which may help combat toxicity.

Increasing Physical Activity among LGBTQ+ Adults: A Socio-Ecological Approach

Abstract:

Background: lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, other (LGBTQ+) adults continue to report high rates of chronic condition incidence and prevalence, and reduced rates of physical activity (PA). However, interventions tailored to LGBTQ+ individuals remain limited. This study sought to determine the magnitude of effect at each level of socio-ecological model (e.g., individual, social, community/institution, environment) associated with meeting PA guidelines to inform intervention approaches. Methods: Participants (n=300, non-Hispanic White (69.7%), cis-gendered women (40.7%), queer (38.3%), 18 – 34 years old (70.7%)) self-reported their current PA levels and PA correlates at each level of the SEM using multiple validated survey instruments via an online, anonymous survey. Level-specific survey instruments were combined to create a composite score for analyses. A hierarchical logistic regression was used to predict likelihood of meeting PA guidelines with each additional step adding a level of the SEM. Race/ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, and income served as confounders. Results: Each step in the model was significant; the level-specific correlates were significant predictors of meeting PA guidelines. In the final model (²(16) = 74.13, p<0.001, R2 = 0.303), and across each model, general (B = 0.148, p<0.001, odds ratio = 1.16) correlates at the individual level were significant predictors of higher odds of meeting PA guidelines. Conclusion: Tailored PA interventions should emphasize individual correlates of PA, in tandem with other SEM levels of influence to promote effective behavior change. Without intervention, LGBTQ+ individuals may continue to experience chronic conditions at a higher rate compared to their peers.

Exploring the Effectiveness of Captioned and Non-Captioned Video Homework Assignments on Second Language Phonological Acquisition

Abstract:

Phonological acquisition in second language (L2) learning presents challenges, particularly when learners encounter sounds that exist in both their first and second language but are pronounced differently. These incongruent grapheme-phoneme correspondences (GPCs) can interfere with pronunciation and perception, yet research on effective instructional methods remains limited. This study examines the role of captioned and non-captioned videos in supporting pronunciation learning among beginner L2 German learners.

Over five weeks, 51 first-semester German learners at two U.S. universities completed six interactive video assignments on the educational platform EdPuzzle. Classes were randomly assigned to a captioned (CG) or non-captioned (NCG) video group. Both groups engaged in structured dual-viewing activities, first focusing on content comprehension and then on pronunciation, with interactive questions guiding their attention to target pronunciation features. Post-viewing, learners recorded themselves reading aloud and compared their pronunciation to a native speaker.

Perception and production skills were assessed in weeks two, eight, and thirteen using a word-audio matching task, a word-reading task, and a sentence-reading task. Comprehensibility ratings from 13 native German speakers shed light on learners’ pronunciation gains.

Results showed significant improvements in both groups, with no major differences between CG and NCG. Learners in both groups reported increased confidence in both their production and perception following the intervention. They particularly emphasized the value of listening to L1 German speakers in real-world contexts.

This study highlights interactive audiovisual assignments as an effective pedagogical approach for pronunciation instruction, offering insights into how L2 learners can overcome L1 orthographic interference through structured audiovisual input.

Development of Solid Phase Extraction Process for Selective Separation of Scandium and Iron from Aqueous solutions

Abstract:

Scandium (Sc) is a critical rare earth element vital for aerospace, fuel cells, and advanced technologies. With limited primary sources, it is often recovered from secondary resources such as waste streams from titanium, aluminum, and nickel production. However, these sources contain high levels of impurities, particularly iron (Fe), which shares similar chemical behavior with Sc in aqueous solutions, making selective separation challenging. Conventional methods like solvent extraction and precipitation are not only chemically intensive but also struggle with selectivity, highlighting the need for more efficient and sustainable recovery techniques.

This study explores sustainable solid-phase extraction (SPE) using anion exchange resins (MTA 5011, MTA 1930) with quaternary and tertiary amine groups to selectively adsorb Fe complexes (FeCl4) while Sc remains as ScCl2. The difference in Fe and Sc speciation, created by adding excess chloride ligands to the solution and confirmed by spectroscopy and modeling, drives selectivity. Kinetic studies show Fe adsorption is chemically controlled, with resins demonstrating high capacities (125 mg/g for MTA 5011, 105 mg/g for MTA 1930).

Optimized conditions yield selectivity factor values of 1300 for Fe over Sc and 90% desorption efficiency in two cycles with deionized water. Resins retain performance over multiple cycles, highlighting their industrial potential for Sc separation and broader rare earth element applications. This approach offers a greener, more efficient alternative to traditional Sc extraction methods, addressing sustainability challenges in critical element recovery.

"Don't Blink"

Abstract:

Resilience is a trait that everybody possesses no matter their age, gender or race. I strongly believe it can manifest in the human face. Through dry media, my work captures the physical likeness of each subject with whom I have interacted and shared profound stories of resilience in overcoming hardship. These stories often transcend cultural boundaries, resonating universally with audiences, thereby fostering empathy and understanding. Therefore, my goal is to illuminate the power of personal narratives through portraits, showcasing how experiences of struggle and perseverance shape identity and strength.

My process of retrieving reference photos involved in-depth interactions with subjects, allowing me to gain insight into their life stories, challenges, and triumphs. Each portrait serves as a unique narrative, reflecting the resilience of its subject within the broader context of human experience. My work is rendered using traditional media (graphite, charcoal, colored pencils, and pastels) to create mostly larger than life size confrontational renderings that convey both the external features and the emotional depth of the subjects.

After personally engaging with my subjects and listening to their lived experiences, I communicate their strength and perseverance through my portraits. The intended result of my work is to celebrate their individual journeys by engaging viewers in a greater discourse on resilience, cultural, environmental and economic disparities. Through this work, I hope to inspire appreciation for the strength found in adversity. Ultimately, this project aspires to encourage viewers to see the beauty in the harsh experiences that shape who we are.

Fashion Accessories: Tokmeh Couture

Abstract:

Tokmeh Couture is a design project that explores the intersection of Iranian architectural ornaments and contemporary fashion through the creation of intricate buttons. Drawing inspiration from the geometric and ornamental patterns found in Iranian architecture and art, this project translates traditional motifs into a modern design context. As a graphic design master’s student, my objective is to preserve and reinterpret these artistic influences through innovative material applications and production techniques.

The design process involves an in-depth study of traditional motifs and ornaments, carefully adapting their visual language into small-scale, wearable forms. Using advanced fabrication methods, the project transforms these motifs into buttons that serve both decorative and functional purposes.

Beyond the product itself, the project includes the development of a cohesive brand identity inspired by the structural elegance of tessellation. This concept informs the design of the logo, packaging, and promotional materials, reinforcing the precision and refinement found in both the buttons and their historical references.

Tokmeh Couture demonstrates how fashion can serve as a medium for cultural preservation and reinterpretation. By bridging the past and present, this project contributes to the ongoing dialogue on the role of heritage in contemporary design, offering a renewed perspective on traditional Iranian artistry.

The Women Who Keep History Alive

Abstract:

In this photomontage, I aimed to demonstrate historical moments of women's presence throughout generations. By merging an old portrait documented by an unknown photographer in 1960 with a contemporary photograph I documented in 2024, I try to showcase the intersection of the past and present. Regardless of their historical context, I also emphasize how women have preserved, transmitted, and reinterpreted history.

The old image includes the name of the studio and a handwritten note by my mother—both on the back of the photograph. I brought these elements to the foreground in the editing process to make them visible, emphasizing the essential role of women in preserving history.
It also represents two layers of generational distinction: the old photo depicts a woman from the Silent Generation, while the new image represents a girl from Generation Z. Moreover, I planned to underline two invisible figures: my mother, who preserved the old photograph, and myself, as the artist attempting to keep this cycle alive. This artwork mirrors a traditional practice of women who protect collective memory.

The methodology involves deciding on an archival photo, portraying a contemporary photograph, and creating a photomontage. This work contributes to photography as a historical record that brings women to the foreground. I aim to reclaim women's visibility in history. History has often been shaped by dominant power structures marginalizing or erasing women's roles. By visually layering multiple generations, I challenge that omission and highlight how women have always been central to the preservation and reinterpretation of history.

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

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

See abstract above under Visual Arts.

Concordance Between Minoritized Status and Identity Importance: Relationship with Life Satisfaction and Depression

Abstract:

Objectives: While individuals may claim several minoritized identities, the extent to which these identities are important to their self-concept can vary considerably. Whether or not individuals reflect a concordance between these aspects of their identity (claiming a specific minoritized status(es) and indicating that same status(es) as important to how one views themselves and/or how others view them), may have meaningful consequences for psychological outcomes.

Methods: To test this notion, we examined differences in life satisfaction and depression among those with concordant/discordant identities across two different studies with racially, sexually, and gender minoritized participants (NStudy1a = 419, NStudy1b = 303).

Results: Results found that racially minoritized individuals with concordant identities have greater life satisfaction than those with discordant identities, while sexually minoritized, as well as sexually and gender minoritized individuals with concordant identities, have worse life satisfaction and are more depression than those with discordant identities.

Conclusions: This study offers initial evidence of the role that identity concordance can play in life satisfaction and depression outcomes as well as how this role may differ depending on whether the stigmatized identities are concealable (sexually and gender minoritized individuals) versus non-concealable (racially minoritized individuals).

The impact of salinity on plant-insect interactions

Abstract:

The progressive salinization of cultivable land, an abiotic stress, poses a major problem for tomato production. Additional pressures by a biotic stress - insect herbivory by caterpillars, can cause further yield losses. A huge body of literature details the negative effects of salt stress and insect herbivory on plants. But how are insect herbivores affected by the rising salinity? My research aims to investigate the effects of salt on the tomato fruitworm Helicoverpa zea, its parasitoid wasp Microplitis croceipes, and the predatory ladybeetle Harmonia axyridis. We find that H. zea moths lay fewer eggs on salt-treated plants while H. zea larval growth rate decreases in a dose-dependent manner with increasing salt concentration. We also find that the effects of salt stress can cascade across trophic levels negatively impacting insect herbivores as well as their natural enemies. More specifically, parasitoid wasps show delayed development in salt-treated larvae or"salty" larvae, whereas predatory ladybugs prefer to consume more salty larvae than non-salty larvae. Our research provides essential information to help devise IPM strategies in areas affected by abiotic and biotic stresses.

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

Energy Dispatch Optimization for Controlled Environment Agriculture with Combined Heat and Power

Abstract:

Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) offers sustainable solutions for the agriculture and food industries but faces significant financial and environmental challenges due to high energy demands. Combined Heat and Power (CHP) systems, complimented by technologies like thermal and battery storage, absorption cooling, and carbon capture, can improve efficiency and performance of CEA facilities while providing resilient and reliable power. The role of CHP as a dual source of energy and CO2 in CEA remains underexplored, particularly in terms of optimizing energy dispatch with multiple storage and utilization technologies to balance operational costs and environmental impacts. This research presents a multi-objective mixed-integer linear program for CEA sites, optimizing energy procurement and management to minimize cost and emissions. Additionally, the synergetic benefits of co-locating CEA sites with data centers for increased energy utilization and waste heat recovery are investigated. The model is an adaptable optimization tool capable of evaluating and comparing scenarios across various technology portfolios, facility types, operational goals, and grid-connectivity types. Results from a case study of a simulated 25-acre tomato greenhouse in State College, PA demonstrate the value of the model. CHP and auxiliary technologies are shown to significantly improve operational outcomes compared to the baseline scenario. Financial and environmental tradeoffs are evaluated with a pareto front developed by varying the respective objective weights for costs and emissions. Finally, simulations for a combined greenhouse and data center facility show cost and emissions reductions attributed to co-location with an integrated energy system.