Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Do Tropical Storms Have An Effect On Water Quality In Nacogdoches?, Emmie Schubert, Breanna Duran, Jaqui Murguia, Amy Rambo, Paige Graham

Undergraduate Research Conference

The purpose of this research was to determine the effects tropical storms had on the water quality of water in Nacogdoches. This research investigated if rainwater distributed during the storms affected the levels of pH, nitrate, nitrite, phosphorous, alkalinity, turbidity, and total dissolved solids (TDS). Sampling was conducted on three water bodies before and after the storms. Measurements were taken with LaMotte kit to measure alkalinity, turbidity tube to measure turbidity, Colorimeter to test the nutrient levels, and Multi-Parameter Tester to measure TDS and pH. The results showed that Laura had a greater impact than Beta. Tropical storms are unforeseeable, …

Possible Mechanisms Behind Impaired Glucose Metabolism In Niacin-Deficient Mice, Sierra Lopez

Student Research Symposium

Niacin, a component of vitamin B3, is necessary for the synthesis of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD). NAD is an essential coenzyme in many biologic functions, including a number of metabolic processes that regulate glucose and fat homeostasis. Humans obtain niacin in its dietary form, common in meats, nuts, legumes and some leafy vegetables. While severe niacin deficiency, or pellagra, has been drastically reduced in the United States, some populations remain vulnerable to deficiency, particularly pregnant women, cancer patients, the elderly and alcoholics. Age-related NAD deficiency is emerging as being positively correlated with cognitive decline and impaired dermal repair.. At the …

Biometrics And The Public Realm: Urban Sustainability During The Covid Pandemic, Justin B. Hollander

Sustainability Seminar Series

Prof. Hollander will speak about the ways that sustainability scholars and professionals need to approach the design of the public realm differently today. These new requirements are due to social distancing requirements of the pandemic and in light of recent advances in psychology and neuroscience that help us understand better how people experience urban space. Professor Hollander will discuss some of the key findings from his forthcoming book on these topics, co-edited with Ann Sussman: Urban Experience and Design: Contemporary Perspectives on Improving the Public Realm (Routledge, 2021).

Indoor Vertical Farming Potential Solution To Long-Term Global Food Security Issues, Natalie Rigby

Student Research Symposium

Indoor vertical farming may be a solution for global food security issues, especially those driven by climate change, supply chain disruptions, environmental decline, and urban sprawl. This method of cultivation has numerous benefits and drawbacks dependent on the different options used. This presentation will use resilience frameworks developed by USU's Center for Anticipatory Intelligence to help identify these threats facing global food systems and how they may be mitigated by indoor vertical farms. In the coming years, rapid climate change issues are predicted to play an important role in agriculture around the world. The world currently faces a number of …

Revegetation Of Native Plant Communities In Great Salt Lake Wetlands: The Effects Of Native Seed Mix Composition And Sowing Density, Laura Beck

Student Research Symposium

One of the threats currently facing Great Salt Lake wetlands is Phragmites australis. Its rapid expansion since 1987 has displaced native vegetation and changed the composition of plant communities. Removal is very costly and takes multiple years of different treatments like herbicide, mowing, and flooding. To ensure Phragmites australis does not return, native seeds will need to be sown. This experiment is to determine the best seed composition and sowing density. In the USU greenhouse, I will sow four different native seed mixes: 100% desirable perennial natives, 75% perennial natives and 25% fast growing natives, 50% perennial natives and 50% …

The Amungme And The Environment: Environmental Justice History And Consumerism, Kole A. Dawson

Phi Alpha Theta Pacific Northwest Regional Conference

The Amungme are one of hundreds of Papuan people groups who lived in the Indonesian province in New Guinea for thousands of years. This group subsisted in their environment by hunting, cultivation of small crops, and practicing pig husbandry. In the late 1960s, seeking foreign capital to boost the nation’s economy, the president of Indonesia signed a contract with Freeport McMoRan Copper and Gold. Freeport began mining in the early 1970s, eventually opening one of the world’s largest gold mines. Excavating sacred Amungme sites, Freeport’s massive pollution to the land and water destroyed the indigenous people’s environment both spiritually and …

Propagation, Upkeep, And Impact On Mental Health And Classroom/Workplace Success Of Dracaena Trifasciata, Chlorophytum Comosum, And Philodendron Hederaceum, Ivan Korostenskij

Showcase of Osprey Advancements in Research and Scholarship (SOARS)

Honorable Mention Winner

Environmental Center Leadership Program Project

Greenery and plant life has been shown to increase quality of life and overall wellness in classroom and work environments (Erzsebet et al. 7; Pitts 2). Specifically, many ornamental plants have unique roles in filtering toxic chemicals from ambient air (Erzsebet et al. 3). With a recent push to increase student involvement in a greener environment, in conjunction with the University of North Florida’s Ogier Gardens, we focus here to determine and describe the most optimal plants to propagate and increase student engagement with. We chose Dracaena trifasciata, Chlorophytum comosum, and Philodendron …

The Varying Effects Of Accessing High-Speed Rail System On China’S County Development: A Geographically Weighted Panel Regression Analysis, Danlin Yu

Sustainability Seminar Series

The construction of high-speed rail in China was initiated to answer increasing demand for fast and convenient transportation systems connecting large economic centers. It is commonly understood that access to HSR will have significant impact on economic development. It is, however, also quite possible that the benefits to economic development brought by HSR will have a diminishing marginal effect. With data of HSR stations distribution and a set of panel data of socioeconomic information at county-level from 2008 – 2015 in China, this study applies advanced spatiotemporal data analysis techniques to investigate the impact of HSR. Our results suggest that …

Pakistan's Ordeal Against Climate Change: The Main Contributors And The Way Forward, Fasih Zulfiqar

CBER Conference

This poster takes a detour through the challenges facing Pakistan in tackling climate change and progress hitherto. It analyzes the main culprits of air pollution in Pakistan and where Pakistan stands relative to other developing nations. The poster concludes on a hopeful note, given the recent government initiatives.

Tourism And Sustainability: Tourism, Economics And Policy, Eshal Arooj, Hijab Bano

CBER Conference

The main purpose of this research was to examine the relationship between tourism and economic development in Pakistan. After using multiple secondary resources the conclusion to be drawn is that Tourism and Economic development are positively correlated meaning that if we work on our potential in tourism industry; Pakistan can witness huge change in its economic development and growth.

Elemental Hyper-Accumulation In Mushrooms With A Focus On Arsenic, Walter Goessler

Sustainability Seminar Series

Mushrooms play an important role in the biogeochemical cycling of trace elements. They do neither belong to plants nor to animals but form their own kingdom. Some mushrooms live in symbiosis with plants or as parasites on other living organisms. Mushrooms are abundant worldwide. Although omnipresent, they only become noticeable when fruiting bodies are produced. Mushrooms are becoming a more important part of our diet and are used in various aspects of our life. They are used for antibiotics production, in the food industry(wine, cheese...) but also as biological pesticides. New applications cover plastics degradation and use as a leather …

Seeking Sustainability For Computing, Stefan A. Robila

Sustainability Seminar Series

The talk will provide two perspectives on how sustainability is considered in computing. First, the impact computing has on energy consumption and on the environment will be discussed through the prism of past and prior research projects. Computing currently drives advances in all areas of science and engineering, generates efficiencies in industries, and dominates the creation and delivery of entertainment. Computing is also a significant consumer of energy accounting for 3% of the global usage. Data centers account of a third of this consumption, yet also provide a case where efficiencies in system design have limited the energy use increase …

Primate Conservation & Endangered Species Hunting In Madagascar, Cortni Borgerson

Sustainability Seminar Series

Ever wonder, “Who hunts endangered species and why?” Borgerson’s research demonstrates the importance of understanding human incentives when designing conservation action. Dr. Cortni Borgerson is excited to share with us her efforts working with local communities to better understand and improve food security in areas of high biodiversity, so that we may simultaneously support forests and the people who live within them.

What Can History Tell Us About The Future? Using Recent Observations And Paleoclimate Proxies To Constrain Equilibrium Climate Sensitivity, Kate Marvel

Sustainability Seminar Series

Despite improvements in computing power, climate modeling, and basic theoretical understanding, the Earth’s physical response to a doubling of atmospheric carbon dioxide remains uncertain. Can observations be useful in constraining this theoretical quantity? We have high-­‐quality information on recent trends: greenhouse gas concentrations have increased since the industrial revolution, and the planet has warmed in response. But I will argue that this recent history provides only weak constraints on the eventual climate sensitivity: observations of a transient climate are poor predictors of a future equilibrium state. Reconstructions of past equilibria both colder (the Last Glacial Maximum) and warmer (the mid-­‐Pliocene) …

Wetlands Now! What Are Wetlands And What Does Usepa Region 2 Do To Protect Them?, Marco Finocchiaro

Sustainability Seminar Series

Wetlands are important features in the landscape that provide numerous benefits for people and for fish and wildlife. Some of these benefits include protecting and improving water quality, providing fish and wildlife habitats, sustaining cultural uses, and storing floodwaters. In this presentation, Marco Finocchiaro will introduce us to how USEPA Region 2 accomplishes national wetland program goals, including increasing the quantity and quality of these valuable resources, through establishing standards for reviewing discharges that affect wetlands, conserving and restoring wetland acreage, and improving wetland condition in partnership with other federal agencies, as well as states, tribes, local governments.

Lean Six Sigma & Sustainability, Brion Hurley

Sustainability Seminar Series

Lean and Six Sigma are improvement methodologies that have helped organizations and businesses save money, improve delivery performance, reduce inventory and improve quality for decades. These techniques can also be used to help reduce negative impacts on the environment (energy, waste and landfill usage), and improve government agencies, education systems, nonprofits, healthcare, and more.