Digital Commons Network^™

Inferring Properties Of Binary Black Hole Mergers From The Ringdown, Serena R. Fink

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

The effect of progenitor masses and spins on the inspiral phase of a gravitational wave signal from a binary black hole merger is relatively well understood for the case where spins are aligned with the orbital angular momentum. Less is known about how progenitor properties -- especially misaligned spins -- impact the ringdown. The accuracy and precision with which inspiral parameters (component masses and spins) can be inferred from the ringdown alone remains an open question. As several high-mass (most ringdown-dominated) systems observed by the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) have misaligned spins, the ability to predict inspiral properties from …

Analyzing The Slurm Scheduler Fairshare Scoring, Nathaniel T. Adams

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

Slurm is a workload manager widely used in university research clusters and High-Performance Computing (HPC) environments to allocate computational resources in multi-user systems. Its primary function is to schedule submitted jobs efficiently while ensuring equitable access to shared infrastructure. To achieve this, Slurm assigns each job a priority score, which is influenced by several factors, including a “Fairshare” score. Fairshare is designed to balance resource usage over time by prioritizing users or groups who have consumed fewer computational resources relative to their allocated share. There are two algorithms that make up Fairshare, there is the classic algorithm that was previously …

Graph Colorings Up To Symmetries, Stone Cj Cook

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

The infamous four-color problem (4CP) dates back to 1852 and asks whether four colors suffice to color a map so that countries sharing a border receive distinct colors. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the problem's resolution. The 4CP inspired a bountiful collection of mathematics in the subject now known as "graph theory." A graph models any sort of network such as the Internet, transportation systems, and the neural networks that underpin modern AI. Graphs consist of two components: "vertices" and "edges." We visualize the vertices as dots on a page and the edges as lines connecting pairs of …

Computing The Tree Packing Conjecture, Nathaniel T. Adams

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

The Gyárfás tree packing conjecture [1] states that any collection of trees (T1, T2, . . . , Ti) on 1, 2, . . . n vertices can be edge-disjointly packed into a complete graph on n vertices. Alternatively, this conjecture states that such a family of trees can be “glued” together to produce a complete graph on n vertices. Although many partial results are known (See Cisiński and Zak [2], Janzer and Montgomery [3], Balogh and Palmer [4]), ˙ the conjecture has remained open since 1970. This conjecture is computationally challenging, naively requiring superexponential number of computations. This paper …

Mighty Mobile Microgrids, Nathaniel T. Adams, Charlie F. Marten, Delia J. Schmidt, Buddy G. Wilson, Oliver A. Suhrbier, Katherine B. Labuda

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

A microgrid is a collection of power-generating devices that boost power from the primary electrical grid or serve as a backup when the grid cannot provide sufficient power. Microgrid systems are used where primary grid connectivity can be unreliable due to remote location or natural disasters, serving as renewable alternatives to traditional fossil fuel power production. Recent innovations have given rise to new microgrid technology that can be conveniently deployed in times of need. Mobile microgrids– often in the form of trailers covered in solar arrays– are being used increasingly as tools in disaster response and community grid support. This …

The Role Of The Context For Pupils’ Choice Of Solution Strategies And Representations When Working With Combinatorial Problems, Frode Rønning

The Mathematics Enthusiast

This paper reports on a study based on two classroom sessions in a Norwegian school where pupils in Grade 4 (age 9) worked on two combinatorial problems. Data were collected by video-recording two pairs of pupils collaborating in each session, as well as a whole-class session at the end of the second session. The pupils’ written work during the sessions was also collected as data. The classroom sessions were designed based on principles from the Theory of Didactical Situations. Data were analysed using a dialogical approach and based on theory for multiplicative structures and semiotic representations. The study shows that …

Learning About Human Mathematical Dialogue From Dialogue With Chatbots: Babbling, Gargling And Funnelling, Ingólfur Gíslason

The Mathematics Enthusiast

In this study, I explore mathematics teaching-learning dialogues between preservice teachers and a chatbot (ChatGPT) with the aim of increasing our understanding of human mathematics teaching-learning dialogues. The dialogues contain wrong solutions (as determined by the preservice teachers), and the teachers try to get the chatbot to reconsider its answers without giving away the answer. The chatbot’s solution attempts are interpreted through and against the concepts of babbling (imperfect efforts to express thought) and gargling (imitation of surface form of expressions), and the dialogues are analyzed by considering whether and how the preservice teacher and the chatbot reach joint attention. …

Department Of Mathematical Sciences Newsletter, Spring 2026, University Of Montana--Missoula. Department Of Mathematical Sciences

Newsletters from the Department of Mathematical Sciences at UM

Alumni Profile: Dr. Frank Gilfeather / John Bardsley -- Does Distance from Treatment Centers Impact Cancer Survival in Montana? / Hanna Antonsen -- Notes from the Chair / John Bardsley -- Math Department Cultivates New Perspectives with Indigenous STEM Course / Frederick Peck -- Mary Kay Kriley, 1942-2025 -- Michael O'Lear, 1947-2025 -- Photos from the 2026 Pi Day "Mathathon" -- Donations to the Math Department -- Degree Recipients 2025-2026 -- Spring 2026 Scholarships & Awards -- Analyzing High School Districts Through Redistricting: An Undergraduate Research Project

Mathematics In Maltese: The Compilation Of A Bilingual English-Maltese Glossary To Support Mathematics Teaching And Learning In Malta, Marie Theresa Farrugia, Lara Ann Vella, David Muscat, Melanie Casha Sammut

The Mathematics Enthusiast

In Malta, mathematics education is accessed bilingually through Maltese and English. While Maltese is often used for verbal interaction, English is the language of written texts, including assessments. Consequently, switches between the languages is a common feature of Maltese mathematics classrooms. Anecdotal and research evidence indicate that Maltese students benefit from the use of their home language. However, to date, there is no recognised and standardised Maltese bank of mathematics Our project aims to address this lacuna. In this article, we outline the process of compiling a bilingual glossary of mathematics terms intended for kindergarten and elementary school levels in …

Trialoguing About Engaging With Communication And Language In Relation To Mathematics And Its Education, David Pimm, Jenni Ingram, Núria Planas

The Mathematics Enthusiast

This is our introduction to the series of eight articles in the first part of the double special issue on the challenges of ‘Engaging with communication and language in relation to mathematics and its education’. In the current article, we think together about ‘communication’ and ‘language’ in relation to mathematics and its education, by turning to reflections and examples from our decades of work as researchers and teacher educators, and in response to the articles in this first part. Following the preamble, most reflections are presented in the form of a fresh trialogue, through which we share some perspectives and …

Equals In The Wild: How Mathematical Equality Is Talked About In Lessons, Robert Ward-Penny, Jenni Ingram, Kirstin Erath, Elizabeth Kimber, Núria Planas

The Mathematics Enthusiast

Equality is a nuanced concept in mathematics, and the equals sign is used and interpreted in different ways. During professional development in language-responsive teaching, a group of teachers discussed the use of ‘equals’ in algebra lessons. This article considers how three of these teachers went on to invoke equality in their classroom interactions when teaching other topics. The cases observed suggest constructive resonances between conceptions of ‘equals’ and geometric relationships, and include examples of teachers balancing precision with fluency. We argue that attention to language in one mathematical topic may extend helpfully to other topics, but this is not automatic.

A Prospective Mathematics Teacher’S Shifts In Tone Of Language From Ineffective To Effective Written Feedback On A Pupil’S Project, Samet Okumus

The Mathematics Enthusiast

In the present study, I analyze data from a prospective mathematics teacher, Oya, and her shift in the tone of language used in self-perceived ineffective and effective written feedback on a real pupil’s mathematics project. The results indicate that, in her ineffective feedback, Oya primarily provides neutral and negative responses, often highlighting the pupil’s mistakes in a harsh and judgmental manner. In contrast, her effective feedback demonstrates a wider range of tones, including a substantial amount of neutral feedback as well as solution-oriented comments. The study underscores the importance of tone in feedback, emphasizing how different language use and word …

An Operational Framework For Integrating Content, Cognition And Language Into Planning For Aen Mathematics Learners Within A Clil Context, Máire Ní Ríordáin, Craig Neville

The Mathematics Enthusiast

The growing diversity in Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) classrooms, particularly the inclusion of Additional Educational Needs (AEN) learners, highlights an urgent need for research addressing their unique challenges. These students often face compounded difficulties, navigating the dual demands of mastering subject content and developing proficiency in the instructional language, with limited frameworks to support their needs. This article presents an operational framework for integrating content, cognition, and language into planning mathematics education for AEN learners. Grounded in theoretical approaches such as communicative competence, CAPA, and pluriliteracies, the framework addresses key challenges in developing mathematical literacy. The framework provides …

Teaching Talk Moves To Support The Discussion Of Divisibility Content In A Trilingual Classroom, Miquel Morell, Núria Planas

The Mathematics Enthusiast

In this article, we present our study of teaching talk moves and translanguaging practices used to support the discussion of divisibility in a Catalan–Spanish–English trilingual classroom of a secondary school. We examined a sequence of eleven lessons with a focus on seven talk moves – Switching languages, Revoicing, Recapping, Adding on, Focusing, Funneling and Eliciting. Through this we were able to identify some teaching episodes in which the attention was given to discussing specific mathematical–linguistic challenges involved in the learning and understanding of divisibility content. We illustrate this finding using an episode around the least common multiple and how interconnected …

Genre-Based Socialization Practices In Teaching And Learning Of Geometric Proof In Language Diverse Classrooms, Rabih El Mouhayar, Richard Barwell

The Mathematics Enthusiast

The present study reports on analysis of how two teachers in Lebanon, and their students navigated the learning and teaching of geometric proof in English, in a context in which Lebanese Arabic is the language of home and wider society. One of the teachers taught in a public school, the other in a private school. The study focuses on language socialization practices in the two grade-seven classrooms, in relation to the specific genre of geometric proof. The focus is not directly on proving as a cognitive process; rather, the study explores the interactional process of interpreting and constructing geometric proofs …

April 2026 News Releases, University Of Montana--Missoula. Office Of University Relations

University of Montana News Releases, 1928, 1956-present

No abstract provided.

Integrating Hippotherapy Into Interprofessional Stroke Rehabilitation For Aphasia: A Feasibility Pilot Study, Bethany H. Wenger, Catherine Off, Julia E. Mazzarella, Laurie Slovarp, Leah J. Meloy

UM Graduate Student Research Conference (GradCon)

Stroke is a leading cause of global disability, with approximately 94 million people living with the effects of stroke worldwide, impacting over 2.5 million individuals annually (Feigin et al., 2025). Stroke-related motor and communication deficits often co-occur, increasing challenges for recovery and increasing social isolation, depression, and dependency (Mitchell et al., 2021). Hippotherapy, the therapeutic use of equine movement, has emerged as a novel treatment approach for neurorehabilitation; however, its integration within interprofessional stroke rehabilitation targeting motor and communication impairments is limited (Koca, 2016; Viruega et al., 2022). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility, fidelity, and …

Identification And Management Of Necrotizing Fasciitis In A College Football Player: A Level Iv Case Study, Sarah Greene

UM Graduate Student Research Conference (GradCon)

An 18-year-old, male football player presented to urgent care with erythema and edema from his calf down to his right foot, with large hemorrhagic bullae on his anterior mid foot and an abrasion to the medial right hallux. Upon admission to the emergency department, the patient was diagnosed with necrotizing fasciitis and was treated for the condition. The patient underwent three surgical irrigation and debridement’s, was placed on broad-spectrum antibiotics until cultures were confirmed for a tailored approach, and received a skin graft from his anterior lateral thigh. This case involved a multidisciplinary team including trauma surgeons, orthopedic surgeons, physician …

Risk Of Factors Associated With Female Athlete Triad In Rowers: A Systematic Review, Lillian Scully

UM Graduate Student Research Conference (GradCon)

Objective: Rowing is an endurance sport requiring athletes to optimally fuel their bodies to be able to perform at their highest capacity.  Coupled high stress activity with nutrient deficiency can lead to increased risk of injury and illness. The combination of low energy deficit, menstrual dysfunction, and altered bone mineral density is known as female athlete triad.  Any singular part of the triad can affect performance, but all three can lead to drastic performance deficits for athletes. The purpose of this study was to explore risk factors leading to diagnosis of female athlete triad in female rowers.

Data sources:  PubMed …

Exogenous Carbohydrate Form During Low Muscle Glycogen Conditions Has Minimal Impact On Cycling Performance, Ian R. Matthews, Alejandro M. Rosales Phd, Josey K. Walker, Noah B. Wilfong, Rachel E. Perez, Brent C. Ruby Phd, Dustin R. Slivka Phd

UM Graduate Student Research Conference (GradCon)

Background: Skeletal muscle recovery is improved with immediate post-exercise carbohydrate feeding. Little is known regarding muscle recovery and performance when feeding is delayed between exercise bouts. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of varying forms of exogenous carbohydrate on skeletal muscle glycogen recovery and cycling performance with delayed feedings and low skeletal muscle glycogen. Methods: Following 60 minutes of cycling at 65% W_MAX and an overnight fast (12.1±0.4 hours), participants consumed 2.10±0.13 g·kg-1 bodyweight carbohydrate of one of the following: whole potatoes (POT), cooked pasta (PAS), energy gel (GEL), or remained fasted (control, …

Total Energy Expenditure And Water Turnover During A 335 Km Mountain Ultramarathon, Alejandro Rosales, Brooke Stayner, Dustin Slivka, Dale Schoeller, Timothy Shriver, Michele Ravelli, Brent Ruby

UM Graduate Student Research Conference (GradCon)

Among the highest empirically reported doubly labeled water (DLW) derived total energy expenditure (TEE) and water turnover (rH2O) values occur during 161km (100-mile) ultra-endurance events. TEE and rH2O of ultra-endurance events surpassing 161km present an anomalous physiological stressor to further detail human endurance limits. PURPOSE: To quantify TEE and rH2O during a multi-day ultra-endurance event. METHODS: Two runners (female [R1], male [R2]) completed 322 km following DLW (2H218O) consumption. Urinary isotopic elimination rates were used to calculate TEE and rH2O. Race-provided GPS monitors measured duration, moving time, and non-activity time. RESULTS: R1 finished in 73.6h (50.3h moving, 23.3h resting) at …

Evaluation Of Silk Textile Waste As An Alternative Source Of Silk Fibroin For Biotechnological Applications, Ndiana-Abasi Sunday, Bogdan Serban, Hayden Scoular

UM Graduate Student Research Conference (GradCon)

Silk fibroin (SF) is a structural protein with good mechanical properties, allowing its processing into scaffolds, including films and hydrogels for biotechnological applications. SF is traditionally sourced from Bombyx mori silkworm cocoons and silk textile yarn—sources also relied upon by the textile industry for fabrics. This shared dependence creates high demand for cocoons and yarn, which is met through large-scale silkworm rearing and cocoon harvesting. These practices are associated with environmental and ethical concerns, including a heavy carbon footprint and silkworm killing, necessitating the search for alternative SF sources for biotechnology purposes.

Silk textile waste (STW), with over 11 million …

Functional Neuroarchitecture Of Brain Activation And Network Organization In Bilinguals During Native And Second Language Processing, Onila Rasanjala Narayana Mudalige Don

UM Graduate Student Research Conference (GradCon)

Bilingual language processing requires the coordinated engagement of large-scale brain networks, yet how these networks dynamically reorganize across native (L1) and second language (L2) use—and how this reorganization depends on language proficiency—remains poorly understood. Traditional fMRI studies often characterize brain connectivity as static, overlooking moment-to-moment fluctuations in network interactions that may be critical for successful second-language processing.

In this study, we investigated dynamic brain network organization in Spanish–Basque bilinguals performing a semantic animacy judgment task in their native (Spanish) and second (Basque) language. Using Independent Component Analysis (ICA), we identified large-scale functional networks engaged during L1 and L2 processing and …

Musculoskeletal Injury Risk In Collegiate Football Players Following Concussion, Elizabeth J. Mangen

UM Graduate Student Research Conference (GradCon)

Musculoskeletal Injury Risk in Collegiate Football Players Following Concussion

Context: Concussions are among the most common injuries in collegiate football, with the sport demonstrating one of the highest concussion incidence rates (6.71 per 10,000 athlete exposures). Following a concussion, athletes may experience lingering neurophysiological impairments that affect neuromuscular control, balance, postural stability, reaction time, and cognitive-motor integration. Although athletes may report symptom resolution, growing evidence suggests that these deficits can persist beyond clinical recovery. Such impairments may alter movement patterns and delay muscular responses, increasing the risk of subsequent musculoskeletal injury. Athletes with a history of concussion have been shown …

Lower Extremity Neuropraxia In A High School Football Player: A Case Report, Briiahna Kc Staker, Valerie Moody

UM Graduate Student Research Conference (GradCon)

Background: Traumatic nerve injuries occur at a rate of approximately 350,000 cases per year, with 74% affecting males; only 2.4% are sport related. In athletics, acute peripheral nerve injuries (PNI) usually result from compressive forces, stretching, traction, or lacerations and are most common in high-contact sports. Although PNIs are uncommon, 71.3% of nerve injuries in high school sports occur in football, with nearly half of affected athletes missing about one week of participation.

Patient: A 16-year-old male varsity football player was evaluated on the sideline after hyperextending his right knee while twisting his upper body. He reported severe pain and …

Valgus Extension Overload Injury In A Professional Baseball Pitcher: A Case Report, Reegan Rakel Walsh, Valerie J. Moody

UM Graduate Student Research Conference (GradCon)

Valgus Extension Overload Injury in a Professional Baseball Pitcher: A Case Report

Walsh, R, Moody, VJ, University of Montana

Background: Baseball has one of the highest incidences of injury to the elbow as it is most vulnerable during the late cocking phase of throwing. Throwing creates an abutment of the olecranon into the olecranon fossa, leading to valgus extension overload (VEO).  These stresses cause a tensile force upon the elbow, which may lead to cartilaginous degeneration, loose bodies, and many other pathologies.

Patient:  A 22-year-old male professional league baseball pitcher, diagnosed with valgus extension overload, with associated triceps …

An Exploratory Analysis Of The Role Of Sex In Load Carriage, Rachel E. Perez, Brooke E. Stayner, Dustin R. Slivka

UM Graduate Student Research Conference (GradCon)

Axially loaded weight may impose a metabolic demand equivalent to that of fat mass (FM). As males (M) typically have a lower body fat percentage than females (F), differences in the metabolic demand of load carriage may be resolved by accounting for FM in pack loads. PURPOSE: To determine whether normalizing pack load to FM will equalize metabolic cost across sex during load carriage. METHODS: Twenty-eight participants (14M, 23±5 y, 1.81±0.07 m, 78.7±10.0 kg, 12.7±5.4% body fat, VO₂peak 4.18±0.54 L·min^-1; 14F, 22±4 y, 1.68±0.07 m, 63.7±8.1 kg, 22.6±5.2% body fat, VO₂peak 2.76±0.47 L·min^{-1 …}

Sex Differences In Bone Metabolism Biomarkers Due To Prolonged Daily Load Carriage, Josey K. Walker, Alejandro M. Rosales, Walter S. Hailes, Brent C. Ruby, Dustin R. Slivka

UM Graduate Student Research Conference (GradCon)

Load carriage transiently stimulates bone metabolism biomarkers, but impact by sex is unclear. Males (M) generally exhibit higher circulating bone metabolism biomarkers than females (F). Sclerostin (SOST) inhibits a key formation pathway. Human procollagen type 1 N-terminal propetide (P1NP) is a formation byproduct. C-Terminal Telopeptide of Type 1 Collagen (CTX1) is a resorption byproduct.

PURPOSE: Investigate sex differences in bone metabolism following 5 days of load carriage.

METHODS:  12M (29±9 y, 54.6±8.2 mL∙kg^-1∙min^-1) and 20F (27±5 y, 43.4±4.9 mL∙kg^-1∙min^-1) completed the protocol. Each day consisted of two 1-hour ascents separated by a …

Epigenetic Constraint Landscapes And Repair-Mediated Genome Evolution In Human Lineages, Jaymes Mozingo

UM Graduate Student Research Conference (GradCon)

Evolutionary change is often framed primarily in terms of mutation and selection, yet this perspective overlooks a prior, testable question: which genetic changes are permitted to persist within the genome at all. This project presents a methods-driven pilot analysis that examines whether epigenetic regulation of DNA repair context constrains the retention of rare genomic variants, leaving a falsifiable signature in population-level data. The study uses de-identified, consented high-coverage Y-chromosome sequencing data and public phylogenies (e.g., FamilyTreeDNA, YFull). An explicit, a priori variant-selection rule is applied to define a class of rare lineage-discordant SNP states arising within a specified downstream phylogenetic …

Reversible O-O Bond Activation And Formation On Dinuclear Cobalt Complexes, Wenting He, Yan Li, Dong Wang

UM Graduate Student Research Conference (GradCon)

Dinuclear metal-peroxo species have been proposed as key intermediates in the dioxygen activation pathway for a number of nonheme diiron and dicopper enzymes such as soluble methane monooxygenase (sMMO). A key step in the O activation is the cleavage of the metal-peroxo O-O bond to form higher-valent metal-oxo species. Meanwhile, the reverse O–O bond formation process catalyzed by the Oxygen-Evolving Complex (OEC) in natural Photosystem II is a pivotal step in the conversion of water into molecular oxygen during photosynthesis. In synthetic chemistry, compared to the diiron and dicopper complexes, dicobalt peroxo complexes are relatively less studied. Furthermore, none of …