Engineering Commons^™

When The Student Surpasses The Teacher: Better Generalization In Ai-Based Seismic Waveform Quality Assessment Using Knowledge Distillation, Ali Namin, F. Jalaeifar, A. Kottke, M. Zaker Esteghamati

Civil and Environmental Engineering Student Research

This paper presents a knowledge distillation (KD)-based approach to reduce computational expenses and improve the generalizability of deep learning-based models for quality assessment of seismic waveforms. Using two different waveform datasets, teacher models are distilled into lightweight student models from two families of time-series-based and image-based models. Models from both student families are trained on a development dataset and evaluated on the testing portion of the development dataset, as well as on an entirely different external testing dataset. Results indicate that KD can provide student models with substantially reduced size (5%-10% of the teacher model's size) and latency while preserving, …

Comment On The Draft Environmental Impact Statement For New Operations For Lake Powell And Lake Mead Post-2026, Bryan Williams, Caitlyn Andrus, Brittany Fager, Matthew Fugal, Parker Hansen, Ashley Jones, Shaun Joseph, Ashley Mcallister, Braden Wilding, David Rosenberg

Civil and Environmental Engineering Student Research

We appreciate the Bureau of Reclamation’s extensive effort in preparing the Post-2026 Draft Environmental Impact Statement (Draft EIS) for operational guidelines for Lake Powell, Lake Mead, and the Colorado River Basin. This commentary will address positives, questions, and concerns from the Draft EIS. We also share recommendations for consideration in the Final EIS.

On Signifiable Computability: Part Iii: A Note On Unnameable Functions On Natural Numbers, Vladimir A. Kulyukin

Computer Science Faculty and Staff Publications

A writing system 𝔚 on an alphabet 𝒜 is a tuple (ℜ,𝔐), where ℜ is a finite set of text formation rules and 𝔐 is a finite rule application mechanism that generates texts on 𝒜. A natural writing system forms natural language texts on an alphabet such as Sanskrit on Devanagari. An artificial writing system generates formal language texts on an alphabet such as Lisp on Unicode. Let ℕ ={0,1,2,…} be the set of natural numbers. A function on natural numbers 𝑓 :ℕ^𝑘 ↦ ℕ, 0 < 𝑘 ∈ ℕ, is nameable by a writing system on an alphabet if, and only if, the system can generate a text on the alphabet that names f and no other function. We show that there exist functions on natural numbers unnameable in principle in that they cannot be named by any writing system on any alphabet. Our results imply the following computability-theoretic hierarchy of functions on natural numbers: computable ⊊ partially computable ⊊ nameable ⊊ 𝔉, where 𝔉 is the set of functions on ℕ.

Utah’S Waste Glass Makes Concrete Stronger And Improves Durability, Rosemary Yahne

Research on Capitol Hill

Utah landfills receive thousands of tons of waste glass annually while our concrete industry relies on cement, one of the world's largest sources of CO₂ emissions.

We discovered that finely ground recycled glass can replace up to 30% of cement in concrete and improve performance.

This research tests whether Utah's waste-recycled glass can create stronger, more durable concrete for our roads, bridges, and buildings.

Nanoparticles May Improve How Antiviral Compounds Are Delivered For Herpes Virus 1, Emilia Huff

Research on Capitol Hill

HSV-1, a strain of herpes, infects the majority of adults in the US and has been linked to neurological damage.

Automated, High-Resolution, Three-Dimensional Pest Scouting In Orchards Using Aerial And Ground Vehicles, Sierra N. Young

Funded Research Records

No abstract provided.

A Closer Look At Shielding Gas In Laser Powder Bed Fusion: A Review, Tasrif Ul Anwar, Nadia Kouraytem

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Student Publications and Presentations

The ongoing advancement of additive manufacturing (AM) techniques, particularly in laser powder bed fusion (LPBF), is effectively bridging the knowledge gap between AM and conventional manufacturing methods. At present, most of the research is focused on optimizing key process parameters such as laser power, laser speed, hatch spacing, layer thickness, scan pattern, powder size distribution, and so on. These studies help improve the part density and refine the microstructure of LPBF components, thereby enhancing the mechanical properties. Despite these advancements, an area in LPBF that is receiving comparatively less attention is the shielding gas: its flow during the printing process, …

Raw Data Files Contributing To "Changes In Apoe And Timp-1 Expression Correlate With Outer Blood-Retinal Barrier Disruption In An In Vitro Model Of Retinal Aging", Elizabeth Vargis

Browse all Datasets

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of blindness worldwide. Unfortunately, the early stages of this disease are poorly understood, which has led to limited treatment options. Investigating normal changes in tissues eventually affected by AMD can further elucidate the mechanisms of disease progression and lead to novel therapeutic targets. The primary cell layer affected in AMD is the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), which forms the outer blood-retinal barrier (oBRB). Beneath the RPE lies Bruch’s membrane, a proteinaceous layer that naturally thickens and stiffens with age. These changes to Bruch’s membrane are also implicated in RPE dysfunction and AMD …

Simulation Study On Nh3 Combustion And NoX Emissions Under Gas Turbine-Relevant Conditions, Kumeesha Arumawadu, Braxton Wiggins, Ziyu Wang

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Student Publications and Presentations

Ammonia (NH₃) is a zero-carbon fuel and an attractive hydrogen (H₂) carrier for gas turbine power generation due to its high energy density, ease of storage, and transportation. This study numerically investigates NH₃/air combustion using a hybrid Well-Stirred Reactor (WSR) and Plug Flow Reactor (PFR) model in Cantera at pressures of 1–20 atm, temperatures of 1850–2150 K, and equivalence ratios (ϕ) of 0.7–1.2. The effects of pressure, equivalence ratio, and temperature on NH₃ conversion and NO formation are examined. Results show that NH₃ exhibits a non-monotonic conversion curve with pressure after the …

Exploring Runtime Sparsification Of Yolo Model Weights During Inference, Tanzeel-Ur-Rehman Khan, Sanghamitra Roy, Koushik Chakraborty

Electrical and Computer Engineering Student Research

In the pursuit of real-time object detection with constrained computational resources, the optimization of neural network architectures is paramount. We introduce novel sparsity induction methods within the YOLOv4-Tiny framework to significantly improve computational efficiency while maintaining high accuracy in pedestrian detection. We present three sparsification approaches: Homogeneous, Progressive, and Layer-Adaptive, each methodically reducing the model’s complexity without compromising its detection capability. Additionally, we refine the model’s output with a memory-efficient sliding window approach and a Bounding Box Sorting Algorithm, ensuring precise Intersection over Union (IoU) calculations. Our results demonstrate a substantial reduction in computational load by zeroing out over 50% …

A Suite Of Thermal Switches For Surviving Extreme Thermal Environments In Space, Matthew I. Ralphs, Matt Jensen, Alexis Eames, Matt Sinfield

Space Dynamics Laboratory Publications

Thermal switches are a key enabling technology for spacecraft operating in extreme thermal environments. Whether surviving the lunar night, managing intermittent high-power loads from deep space communication systems, or dealing with other extreme thermal environments, high-performance thermal switches allow critical missions to operate beyond conventional thermal design limits. This paper presents the development, testing, and performance of a suite of passive thermal switches designed for both spacecraft- and subsystem-level thermal control. The suite includes: (1) traditional in-line switch placed between sensitive components and radiators; (2) compact designs suitable for integration into standard bolted joint interfaces to modulate the conductance between …

An Investigation Of A Mach 15 Flow Over A Blunt Wedge Using First-Principles Potential Energy Surfaces: Influence Of Wall Temperature, Paolo Valentini, Zach Davis, Maninder S. Grover, Nicholas J. Bisek

Space Dynamics Laboratory Publications

The simulation of a Mach 15 air flow over a blunt wedge is conducted using the direct molecular simulation (DMS) method. Due to partial dissociation of the air mixture at the imposed free stream conditions, the shock layer contains N₂, O₂, NO, N, and O. All potential energy surfaces (PESs) used to model the various molecular interactions only describe electronic ground states energetics. Thus, no electronic excitation is modeled. An isothermal wall boundary condition is imposed, with full momentum and energy accommodation. Two wall temperatures are considered in this work, namely 1,000 K and 2,000 K. …

Hypersonic Non-Equilibrium Cfd And Dsmc Model Comparisons With The Varda Reentry Capsule, Jack D. Crespo, Paolo Valentini, Ashwin P. Rao, Zach S. Davis

Space Dynamics Laboratory Publications

Nonequilibrium aerothermodynamic modeling of the Varda hypersonic testbed capsule is conducted with direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) solvers. Flowfield properties at the 78 km reentry trajectory point are extracted to compute line of sight spectral radiance using two radiative emission codes, namely HARA and NEQAIR. Computed spectra are compared to spectral radiance measured by an in situ optical emission spectroscopy payload flown on Varda’s W-2 capsule in 2025. Model comparisons to the experimental data reveal discrepancies between the HARA and NEQAIR radiative emission predictions in both overall magnitude and qualitative behavior. NEQAIR was found to …

Atmospheric Waves Experiment (Awe) Thermal Control System: Review Of On-Orbit Performance, Matthew I. Ralphs, Mike Holt

Space Dynamics Laboratory Publications

This paper reviews the Atmospheric Waves Experiment (AWE) detector thermal control system’s (TCS) performance for over two years of operation on the Internation Space Station (ISS). The TCS employs active thermal control for the InGaAs detectors with thermoelectric coolers (TEC). Each of the four detectors are controlled by a dedicated TEC at a nominal setpoint of -30°C, with heat transported away via low-mass, high-conductance pyrolytic graphite sheet (PGS) thermal straps into a nickel-plated copper conductor bar. A bi-directional radiator with Silver Teflon ensures an unobstructed view that can radiate the heat away to space. Titanium isolators decouple the detectors from …

Preliminary Evaluation Of Remote Sensing Evapotranspiration Models For Field-Scale Agricultural Water Management In Arid Central Iran, Somayeh Sima, Iman Raissi Dehkordi, Mohammadhosein Taghikhani, Neamat Karimi

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Accurate estimation of actual evapotranspiration (ET_a) is crucial for effective water resource management and optimizing agricultural yields. While satellite-based surface energy balance ET_a models are widely adopted, their field-scale accuracy in under-researched regions, such as Iran, remains a critical knowledge gap. This study assesses five prominent models—PySEBAL, PyMETRIC, SSEBop, PyTSEB, and ETLook (from FAO’s WaPOR v.2, L1 product)—for daily ET_a estimation over an alfalfa field in the arid central part of Iran. Models were adjusted for the field using in situ weather data and Landsat-8 images, and validated against the scintillometer data. Results showed SSEBop provided …

Beyond The Honeypot: Increasing Adversarial Cognitive Load Through Interactionless Cyber Deception, Marcus Rozier, Connor Dedic, Ted Mcdaniel, Hadley Westover

Space Dynamics Laboratory Publications

Traditional cyber deception mechanisms, such as honeypots and honey-tokens, typically rely on adversary interaction to trigger alerts and provide defensive value. This paper introduces the concept of interactionless deception—a defensive paradigm focused on the strategic manipulation of the environment to disrupt the cyber kill chain without requiring direct engagement. By utilizing a greedy top-k selection method to analyze MITRE ATT&CK® data across 178 Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) groups, this research identifies seven high-frequency sub-techniques that represent common attacker behavior. To counter these, the authors developed a series of proof-of-concept tools, including deceptive web proxies, simulated command-and-control (C2) beacons, and …

A Low Noise, High Qe, Large Format Ccd Camera System For The Nasa Mighti Instrument, Jed Hancock, Joel Cardon, Mike Watson, James Cook, Mitch Whiteley, James Beukers, Chris Englert, Charlie Brown, John Harlander

Space Dynamics Laboratory Publications

Outline

• MIGHTI Instrument Overview and Configuration
• Camera System Block Diagram
• Flight Camera Heads, Electronics Box, and CCDs
• CCD Testing at e2v
• AI&T at the Space Dynamics Lab
• Electro-Optical Characterization and Performance Results
• Conclusions

Geolocation Algorithms And On-Orbit Calibration For Atmospheric Waves Experiment, Eric Mckinney, Keith Blonquist, Zack Hatfield, Connor Waite, Brooke Wursten, Pedro Sevilla, Ludger Scherliess, Harri Latvakoski, Greg Cantwell

Space Dynamics Laboratory Publications

1 - Overview

• Motivation: Atmospheric gravity waves can degrade navigation, tracking, communications, and geolocation system signals. They can also affect satellite/debris orbit and reentry predictions.
• NASA's Atmospheric Waves Experiment (AWE) is currently on ISS measuring atmospheric gravity waves in the OH airglow layer at ~87 km altitude
• Impact: Improved space weather understanding, estimation, and forecasting

Return Of Ospree: In Situ Spectroscopic Measurements During Atmospheric Reentry, Ashwin P. Rao, Jack D. Crespo, Paolo Valentini, Vanessa J. Murray, Erin I. Vaughan, Zach Davis, Robert Alviani, Marat Kulakhmetov

Space Dynamics Laboratory Publications

Optical emission spectroscopy (OES) measurements of the reentry shock layer can provide invaluable information about the dynamic aerothermal chemistry during atmospheric reentry and yield critical data needed to improve fluid dynamics modeling of reentry systems. On 28 February 2025, the Air Force Research Laboratory successfully executed the Optical Sensing of Plasmas in the ReEntry Environment (OSPREE) experiment using Varda Space Industries’ W-2 hypersonic test-bed vehicle, obtaining in situ shock-layer radiative emission measurements during reentry from an altitude of 105 km down through 50 km, encompassing a range of Mach numbers between 29.5 and 15.0. We present a summary of the …

Collaborative Research: Fair + R: Building The Future Of More Reproducible Water Research Through Community Best Practices, Software Tools, Cohort Building, And Policy Change., James H. Stagge, David E. Rosenberg, Sierra Young

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

This project aims to create a pathway towards a future, ten years from now, when a majority of published research across geosciences is not only FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable), but reproducible by a third party. Building on the Center for Open Science framework for cultural change, this project is organized around four scaffolded goals: improving infrastructure and tools, building community support, aligning incentives, and minimizing barriers to policy change. We will systematically analyze 300-500 publications from leading hydrology and water resources journal to quantify changes in reproducibility rates since 2017 and identify the tools and practices that best …

Space Agriculture: A Comprehensive Systems-Level Review Of Challenges And Opportunities, Hassan Fazayeli, Aaron Lee M. Daigh, Cassandra Palmer, Santosh Pitla, David Jones, Yufeng Ge

Biological Engineering Faculty Publications

As humanity prepares for prolonged space missions and future extraterrestrial settlements, developing reliable and resilient food-production systems is becoming a critical priority. Space agriculture, the cultivation of plants beyond Earth (particularly on the Moon and Mars), faces a constellation of interdependent environmental, biological, and engineering challenges. These include limited solar radiation, elevated ionizing radiation, large thermal variability, non-Earth atmospheric pressures, reduced gravity, regolith substrates with low nutrient-holding capacity, high-CO₂/low-O₂ atmospheres, pervasive dust, constrained water and nutrient availability, altered plant physiology, and the overarching need for closed-loop, resource-efficient systems. These stressors create an exceptionally challenging environment for plant …

Bcser: Learning Analytics For Process-Driven Computer Programming Assignments, Hamid Karimi

Funded Research Records

No abstract provided.

Improving Profitability Of Small And Medium Sized Farms Though Economic Optimization Of Wheel-Line Irrigation, John B. Barker, Ryan A. Larsen, Matt A. Yost

Funded Research Records

No abstract provided.

Nsf Engineering Research Center For Advancing Sustainability Through Powered Infrastructure For Roadway Electrification (Aspire), Regan Zane, Christopher Fawson, Antje Graul, Marvin W. Halling

Funded Research Records

No abstract provided.

Jer-2021 Assistance To The State Water Resources Research Institute Program (Year 1 Of 5) For The 104(B) Program, David Tarboton

Funded Research Records

No abstract provided.

Wg-2413 Remote Sensing Of Wine-Grapevine Transpiration For Improving Vine Water Status, Alfonso Faustino Torres

Funded Research Records

No abstract provided.

Career: Novel Direct Current Power Distribution For Large-Scale Electrified Transportation Charging, Hongjie Wang

Funded Research Records

No abstract provided.

Shine: Understanding The Relationships Of Photospheric Vector Magnetic Field Parameters In Solar Flare Occurrences Using Graph-Based Machine Learning Models, Shah Hamdi

Funded Research Records

No abstract provided.

Cfd Modeling Of Flows Measured At The West Crack Breach Of Great Salt Lake, Som Dutta

Funded Research Records

No abstract provided.

Collaborative Research Bpe Track 2: Disability Dcl - Capturing Narratives That Characterize Neurodivergent Strengths And Weaknesses, Marissa A. Tsugawa

Funded Research Records

No abstract provided.