Digital Commons Network^™

Using Advanced Machine Learning To Evaluate The Spatial And Temporal Patterns Of Human–Bear Interactions In Maryland, Usa, Katherine A. Kurth, Jonathan K. Trudeau

Human–Wildlife Interactions

American black bears (Ursus americanus) are highly adaptable to human-dominated areas, which can lead to interactions with humans. Managing these interactions is a priority for many wildlife agencies in North America. Climate-induced shortages in natural food can exacerbate human–bear interactions, as bears are driven to seek alternative food sources in human-dominated areas. However, few studies have investigated the impact of climate or weather on the frequency and severity of human–bear interactions. In Maryland, USA, no research has examined the anthropogenic or environmental factors contributing to human–bear interactions, even though reported interactions have consistently increased since the 1990s. Our …

Atms And Cris Geolocation, Mark Esplin, Kris Robinson, Ben Esplin, Nephi Grant, Deron Scott, Likun Wang

Space Dynamics Laboratory Publications

Contents

• Summary of Suomi NPP sensors CrIS, ATMS, and VIIRS 
• Geolocation methods 
• Software optimization
• CrIS geolocation results
• ATMS geolocation results
• Conclusions

Range Safety And Design For Launch, Space Dynamics Laboratory

Space Dynamics Laboratory Publications

Design to make licensing and launch easy

• Sometimes the most innovative or elegant solution isn’t the best one
• The less you have to prove, the better
• Don’t use novel materials
• Don’t use novel methods

Example: 3D printing is cool and reduces part count because you can design otherwise unmachinable parts

• Now you have to test, analyze, and prove to everyone that your part won’t fail
• If you machined the parts from AL 6061-T6 and bolted them together with stainless steel fasteners, nobody would have looked twice

Evaluation Of A Semiconductor Optical Amplifier For Free Space Optical Communication Applications, Charlotte K. Duda, Chadwick Lindstrom, Francisco Fonta, Ben Stuhl, Aaron Cross, Julie Smith

Space Dynamics Laboratory Publications

High-power semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs) are a promising alternative to erbium-doped fiber amplifiers (EDFAs), which are traditionally used for free-space optical communication (FSO). Here, we characterize the performance of a watt-class 1550 nm Aura^TM SOA for FSO applications. We demonstrate an open eye diagram for 26.8 dBm SOA output power using the Space Development Agency’s (SDA) tranche 1 protocol. We then show that despite some waveform distortions, frame error rates of 3.9 x 10^-4 are achieved for -28 dBm of received optical power with no forward error correction (FEC). Parameters of importance to optical communications such as signal …

Calibration And Systems Engineering Collaboration, John Wilson

Space Dynamics Laboratory Publications

Systems engineering and calibration engineering are critical to the efficient development, production, and operation of complex systems. Systems engineering provides the framework for the system lifecycle, ensuring stakeholder needs are met through integrated solutions. Calibration engineering ensures the accuracy, reliability, traceability of measurement, and compliance with standards. Coordination between system engineering and calibration ensures that instrumentation, control systems, and system performance are enabled. As the lifecycle coordinator, systems engineering relies on calibration engineers to reduce risks, optimize development, and ensure operational success.

However, the relationship between these disciplines is often poorly coordinated, as noted in tabletop discussions at CalCon 2024. …

Deriving Nonlinearity Coefficients From Changing Background, Mark Esplin, Deron Scott, Bryce Walker, Ben Esplin

Space Dynamics Laboratory Publications

Contents

• Quadric Nonlinearity
• Nonlinearity Model and Sensitivity Studies
• Application to CrIS Sensor
• Check Method with Stepped Blackbody Data
• Conclusions

Guidelines For Radiometric Calibration Of Electro-Optical Instruments For Remote Sensing, Utah State University Space Dynamics Laboratory

Space Dynamics Laboratory Publications

SDL Presentation on Radiometric Calibration of Electro-Optical Instruments for Remote Sensing

2. Leveraging Open Pedagogy To Create An Authentic And Renewable Curriculum, Erin Mckenney, Sam Winemiller, Hillary Fox, David Tully, Will Cross

Open Educational Resources For and As Assessment

The high cost of course materials is a barrier for many students, and traditional assessments often fail to inspire engagement. To address these challenges, NC State University Libraries promotes open course materials and open-enabled practices. Since 2014, the Alt-Textbook Project has helped faculty incorporate Open Educational Resources (OER) into their syllabi, reducing textbook costs and supporting innovative educational approaches. This effort was enhanced with the Open Pedagogy Incubator, a multi- semester program bringing together librarians and interdisciplinary faculty to redesign courses around open- pedagogical practices. Dr. McKenney, an incubator participant, redesigned her advanced undergraduate course on Applied Ecology (AEC 400) …

3. Checkit Oer Assessment Generator, Steven Clontz, Sharona Krinsky, Drew Lewis

Open Educational Resources For and As Assessment

The CheckIt framework is an open educational technology for authoring randomized exercises, banks, and assessments for mathematics. Technological means facilitate the easy sharing and modification of open-source templates and generators authored in the framework to be used both in classrooms as well as to support educational research; case studies in this paper illustrate its use in both contexts, and describe its use in both small and large classrooms.

6. Oer As Assessment; Assessment As Oer: Collaborative Oer Creation And Assessment In Language And Culture Courses, Michael Tadeusz Dabrowski, Angela George

Open Educational Resources For and As Assessment

This chapter describes the transformative integration of Open Educational Resources (OER) utilized as assessments in language courses at two distinguished Western Canadian universities. It explores how OER, underpinned by a commitment to collaborative learning and evaluation, reshape educational practices. Through collaborative maps, peer editing, and renewable assignments, educators and students collectively contribute to the creation of a repository of knowledge, embracing a pedagogical paradigm that values student engagement and deepens their understanding of OER. This process demonstrates the ability of OER to redefine academic assessment and collaboration, showcasing how OER can transform the educational experience into a more engaging, enriching, …

12. Teaching Excellence Plus: The Teaching Philosophy Statement As Creative Platform For Strategic Self-Promotion, Miranda Yaggi Rodak, Gabrielle Stecher Woodward

Documenting Teaching Excellence

Theoretically, the teaching philosophy statement (TPS) is a self-reflective document that articulates your core beliefs as an instructor about teaching and learning and explains your values, goals, and strategies for fostering student success. But let’s face it: the TPS can feel like the most awkward and performative of professional documents—an uncomfortable hurdle to jump with every application, annual review, and promotion, which makes many instructors, regardless of rank, dread writing (and rewriting) it. At its best, the TPS captures your authentic voice and professional identity, and it paints a clear picture of how you approach the classroom. Yet, in practice, …

8. Many Stories Matter, So Let Us Make Them Accessible: Transforming Student Literature And Essays To Open Anthologies, James Thibeault

Open Educational Resources For and As Assessment

This chapter delves into the concept of open literature, emphasizing the importance of creating accessible and diverse literary works through open pedagogy. It explores the definition of open literature, distinguishing it from analytical and instructional resources, and highlights current examples of open literature initiatives. Throughout the chapter, it outlines methods for designing open literature anthologies through classroom assignments, including the integration of auxiliary works and the selection of appropriate open licenses. Finally, it discusses various open publication options for these anthologies. Overall, the chapter aims to foster a more inclusive and representative literary landscape that benefits both current and future …

General Catalog 2025-2026, Utah State University

University Catalogs

This catalog contains information on the Academic Departments and Programs as well as Course Descriptions for the above school year at Utah State University.

Potential Of Using Trembling Aspen To Make Structural Engineered Wood Products, Dawei Wang

Aspen Bibliography

Trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides) is abundant in Canada but is widely considered an underutilized species. This study was aimed at evaluating the potential of using aspen lumber to produce cross-laminated timber (CLT), glued-laminated timber (glulam), and wood I-joists. The key mechanical properties of these engineered wood products, which were fabricated using a modified grading criterion, were examined. It was found that 1) The mean effective bending stiffness and characteristic bending moment resistance of 5-layer CLT specimens in the major-strength direction were 5,069x10⁹ N·mm²/m and 97.65x10⁶ N·mm/m; 2) The mean apparent MOE and characteristic modulus …

Immersive Modeling Of Water Banking Elicits Local Knowledge To Explore Strategies To Get More Water To Great Salt Lake, Hadia Akbar, David E. Rosenberg

Civil and Environmental Engineering Student Research

This study used immersive online collaborative modeling of water banking to explore strategies to get more water to the declining Great Salt Lake (GSL). In a model session, each collaborator immersed in a water user role. They articulated a strategy to consume and bank water. Then they adapted their strategy in response to their available water, others’ choices, and the real-time discussion of choices. Collaborators included 29 farmers, ranchers, practitioners, and experts. Collaborators who personified agricultural users had the most varied strategies. They balanced economic viability, long-term sustainability, and land preservation. Pricing water was challenging, with prices ranging from $15 …

Radiometric Sensor Level Calibration For Remote Sensing (Planning, Testing, And Operation), Joe Tansock

Space Dynamics Laboratory Publications

Contents

• What is Calibration and Why is it Important (example) 
• Remote Sensor Calibration Approaches
• Typical Space-based Sensor Lifecycle and Calibration Efforts at SDL
• EO Calibration Applications (example) 
• Example Calibrations at SDL
• Calibration Testing at SDL and example Calibration Equipment
• Calibration is Multi-Path
• Student Employment/Projects to Support SDL Calibration

Calibration For Small Satellite Payloads, Jason Knudsen, Christian Conkle, Alex Allgrunn, Deron Scott

Space Dynamics Laboratory Publications

SDL Presentation on Calibration for Small Satellite Payloads

Rbi Ground Calibration, Harri Latvakoski, Greg Cantwell, James Peterson, Joel Cardon

Space Dynamics Laboratory Publications

• RBI overview

• Ground calibration objectives

• Calibration configurations & chamber setup

• Calibration tests & equipment

Small Satellite Payload Calibration, Deron Scott, Cole Miller, Eli Salay, Shane Canfield, Scott Hansen, Matt Berghout, Jan Kunzler, Duane Miles

Space Dynamics Laboratory Publications

SmallSat missions have cost, time, and scale limitations. Calibration methods can be optimized to enable mission success at a low cost by providing customers the best “bang for their buck.”

Multi-Layered Security Approaches For A Modular Open Network Architecture-Based Satellite, Brandon Shirley, Quinn Young, Peter Wegner, Jacob Christensen, Jeffrey Janicik

Space Dynamics Laboratory Publications

Overview

• Introduction
• Open System Architecture (OSA) and Modular Open Network Architecture (MONA) background
• Security Challenges
• Security Principles
• Solutions

Generalized Reference Targeting For Spacecraft, David Geller, David Woffinden, Collin York

Space Dynamics Laboratory Publications

For spaceflight programs to achieve some of the aggressive exploration initiatives such as visiting and landing on other celestial bodies, rendezvousing with other orbiting vehicles, and ultimately returning crew safely to Earth, an assortment of targeting algorithms to compute the necessary burns to strategically maneuver a spacecraft to a variety of destinations are required. Numerous examples exist, but rather than creating and implementing multiple targeting solutions, is it possible to have a general targeting model that can accommodate a variety of applications? Originally motivated for mission design and analysis purposes, this paper outlines a generalized reference targeting algorithm for spaceflight …

Analyzing The Portrayal Of The Atomic Bombs Dropped On Hiroshima And Nagasaki In Textbooks And Non-Profit Curriculum Sources, Kason Kendall

Teacher Education and Leadership Student Research

Some veteran history teachers I have met over the years have explained that early in their careers they were encouraged to teach from the textbook. One teacher indicated this has been the dominant mode of teaching for the large portion of her career (J. Baker, personal communication, July 11, 2023). This can be problematic if textbooks do not contain multiple perspectives of events. Keith Crawford and Stuart Foster (2007) write that nations often do not tell the full truth about themselves. U.S. History curriculum is often missing a complete and accurate representation of historical events (Anyon, 1979). Textbooks often support …

Test And Integration Facilities And Equipment Eat, Utah State University Space Dynamics Laboratory

Space Dynamics Laboratory Publications

Agenda

• Hardware Protection

• Why, When and How

• Hardware protection breakdown

• ESD

• Cleanrooms

• Procedures

• Training

• Hardware Handling

• School Equipment Guidance

• Training References

Assembly, Integration And Test, Utah State University Space Dynamics Laboratory

Space Dynamics Laboratory Publications

What is “AI&T”

• A continuous, iterative process of turning low level components into the system of hardware, software and ground tools that meet YOUR mission

• Teaching the engineering team to UNDERSTAND the system they’ve built

• It does exactly what it was designed to do, now figure out what that was…

• Verifying mechanical, electrical, data and software interfaces

• Does it fit?
• Does it talk?
• Is it on?

F-Layer Parameters Derived By Airglow Emissions At Pituffik Sb, Greenland, Jessica Norrell, Ivana Molina, Michael Negale, Jeffrey Holmes

Space Dynamics Laboratory Publications

Atomic oxygen airglow has long been used as tracer for the peak height and electron density of the F-layer (e.g. Sahai et al., 1981). Tinsley and Bittencourt (1975) described a method by which OI airglow is used to determine F-layer parameters. They found that the square root of the column emission rate of an optically thin layer created by radiative recombination emission was proportional to the peak electron density of the F-layer.

An all-sky imager (ASI) was recently installed at Pituffik, Greenland (76.51˚N, 68.74˚W), with four filters relevant to this study: 5725, 6300, 7715 and 7774 Å. We have used …

100 Days, Phil Hale

Space Dynamics Laboratory Publications

Organizational Overview

Total Employees: 1367

Command & Data Handling, Firmware & Software, Utah State University Space Dynamics Laboratory

Space Dynamics Laboratory Publications

UNP Presentation on Command & Data Handling, Firmware & Software

Qualification Of Titanium 3d-Printed Volume-Optimized Propulsion Tanks For Small Satellites, Robert M. Fowler

Space Dynamics Laboratory Publications

SDL presentation on Titanium 3D-Printed Volume-Optimized Propulsion Tanks for Small Satellites

Time-To-Digital Conversion In The Lattice Certuspro Fpga For The Cape Instrument, Zakk B. Rhodes, James Cook, Cameron Weston, Daniel J. Gershman

Space Dynamics Laboratory Publications

A time-to-digital conversion (TDC) algorithm is implemented in a Lattice CertusPro FPGA to measure time differences between two incident pulses for science data acquisition in the CAPE instrument on NASA’s GDC mission. CertusPro provides sub-100 picosecond resolution with nearly linear results which is discussed with its other unique characteristics. Performance measurements and variation in timing due to parameters such as core voltage and temperature are presented.

Celis: Compact Eyesafe Lidar System, A Portable 1.5 Μm Elastic Lidar System For Rapid Aerosol Concentration Measurement: Part 2, Retrieval Of Particulate Matter Concentration, Kori D. Moore, Alan W. Bird, Michael D. Wojcik, Robert Lemon, Jerry L. Hatfield

Space Dynamics Laboratory Publications

SDL Poster on the CELiS Compact Eyesafe Lidar System