Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Click Reactions With Surface-Bound Phosphonate Films Toward An Electrocatalytic System For Carbon Dioxide Reduction, Iaroslavna Kovalenko, Emma J. Goehner, K. Nicole Crowder

Research and Creativity Symposium

One way to electrochemically reduce CO₂ is to use modified electrode surfaces with bound transition-metal electrocatalysts. Optimal conditions for modifying copper surfaces with a 1.0 mM solution of (2-azidoethyl) phosphonic acid in acetone have been identified, forming a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) via the tethering by aggregation and growth (T-BAG) method. The SAM protects the copper electrodes from oxidation or side reactions on the copper surface. The copper-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) click reaction between the terminal azide group on the phosphonate and the terpyridine ligand has been successfully carried out on the copper surface. This terpyridyl ligand was then used …

The Atmospheric Effects On The Extratropical Transition Of Hurricane Sandy, Natalie Paone

Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences Student Publications

• Hurricane Sandy formed in the Caribbean in late October 2012 and intensified to a Category 3 hurricane before making landfall in Cuba and later New Jersey (Blake et al., 2013). Sandy caused approximately $68.7 billion in damages and over 250 fatalities, making it one of the most impactful storms in U.S. history. 
• During extratropical transition (ET), tropical cyclones interact with midlatitude systems, leading to structural changes such as expansion of the wind field, development of frontal boundaries, and increased baroclinicity (Hart and Evans, 2001). Sandy is a key example of a hybrid cyclone where ET did not weaken impacts but …

Tiny Engineers: How Polycheateworms Can Extend Sedimentary Oxic Layers And Create Better Seagrass Habitats, Natalie Spohn

Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences Student Publications

The Indian River Lagoon (IRL) is a shallow, well mixed estuary on the East Coast of Florida. Presently, the IRL is suffering eutrophication due to a cycle of harmful algal blooms (HABs) that deplete the water column of oxygen (2,5). Deposition of organic matter from HABs in the sediment leads to reduced sedimentary oxygen, continuing to support the cycle of eutrophication through benthic-pelagic coupling (1,5). Anaerobic sedimentary conditions can increase concentrations of ammonium and sulfide, leading to seagrass loss (3,4,6,7,10). Bioturbation by infauna can extend the oxic layer of sediments, promoting aerobic processes and helping to remove nitrogen and sulfur …

Ontogeny Of Microbial Community Structure In Shoal Grass Grown In Biochar-Amended Sediments, Sajeda Slhoub, Nicole Katz, Joey Ciocher, Jack Denvir, Jenisse Louis, Katelynn Zagami

Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences Student Publications

The Indian River Lagoon (IRL) is one of the most biologically diverse estuaries in the United States and contributes over $55.4 billion annually to Florida’s economy. Since 2010, more than 52% of the IRL seagrass meadows have been lost, reducing both the ecological and the economic potential of this ecosystem. Biochar, a stable carbon material produced by pyrolysis, added to soil enhance organic productivity perhaps because of increased microbial activity in the soil (Lehmann et al., 2017). Our study evaluates the use of biochar to grow resilient strains of seagrass for ecosystem restoration in the IRL.

N.A.U.T.I.L.U.S.: Natural Aquaculture Using Technology In Living Underwater Systems, Joey Ciocher, Abby Vallejo, Will Marble, Martin Pham, Roger Jiang

Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences Student Publications

Marine protected areas (MPAs) are small subsets of marine ecosystems with limited to no access to exploitation to promote sustainability and growth of healthy populations of marine organisms. Factors that affect the performance of MPAs include Size, Age, Level of Protection, Enforcement and Compliance, Isolation and Connectivity, and Habitat Quality and Diversity.

Thermoelectric Migraine Cooling Cap, Emily Ralston

Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences Student Publications

Migraines affect millions of people and can cause serious pain and discomfort. Many people use ice packs or cooling wraps to try to reduce the pain, but these only stay cold for a short amount of time. Because of this, there is a need for a cooling system that can provide longer and more controlled cooling. This project focuses on designing and building a wearable cooling cap that uses thermoelectric cooling technology. The goal is to create a system that can cool the head while moving heat away toward the neck area and help reduce migraine discomfort.

Recycling Spent Brewing Yeast As A Shrimp Feed Supplement, John Denvir

Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences Student Publications

The aquaculture industry relies heavily on commercial fish feed, which accounts for over 50% of production costs and limits farm profitability worldwide[1]. Breweries generate about 3 gallons of high-strength wastewater per gallon of beer produced, much of it discarded as an oxygen-depleting pollutant from spent yeast[2]. Therefore, this project tests recycling spent brewer's yeast into a sustainable fish feed supplement to cut aquaculture costs and divert brewery waste from waterways, promoting circular food systems.

Factors Contributing To The Intensity Of Two 2022 Lake Effect Snowstorms At Lake Erie, Johnny Murray

Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences Student Publications

• Lake effect snow (LES) is a weather phenomenon in which cold mass air passes over relatively warm waters, forming localized bands of snowfall. (Niziol, 1987) 
• LES events are common during the winter months in Buffalo, NY due to the city’s location along the northeastern edge of Lake Erie.
• November 17-20 and December 23-27 in 2022 were two prominent LES events.
• Total maximum snowfall for the events were 81.2” in Nov and 51.9” in Dec. 
• High snowfall totals were in part due to the length of these events, being ~60 hours in Nov, and ~120 hours in Dec.

Correlation Between Particulate Matter And Aerosol Optical Depth Following The 2023 Wildfire Smoke Event In Nyc, Trinity Abraham

Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences Student Publications

• In June 2023, Canadian wildfires transported smoke into NE U.S., impacting air quality in places such as NYC (Figure 1)
• Climate change increases wildfire frequency and intensity, raising the likelihood of future longrange smoke transport events (NASA, 2025) 
• PM₂.₅ and PM₁₀ refers to the mixture of solid particles and liquid droplets in the air that can penetrate the respiratory system (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2025)
• AOD measures how light is affected by aerosols, with higher AOD indicating greater aerosol concentrations (NASA Earth Data)
• Investigating the relationship between AOD and surface PM concentrations can improve early warning systems to support preparedness …

Microgravity Simulator, Aruna Dookeran, Alexander Montano, Elias Orellana, Aiden Smart

Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences Student Publications

Microgravity significantly affects biological growth, but space-based experiments are costly and difficult to access. Ground-based systems provide an alternative; however, many require continuous manual supervision to maintain operating conditions.

Gamma Ray Burst Afterglow Slopes, Brian Robbins

Aerospace, Physics, and Space Science Student Publications

The standard models for gamma ray bursts (GRBs) typically assume that shockaccelerated electrons follow a power law distribution of energies. However, this behavior is not what some gamma ray bursts show. In this project, it is suggested that the presence of thermal electrons causes temporal and spectral structure across the afterglow, which is significantly different from models assuming a pure power-law distribution of electrons. To model the afterglows, we decide on a large number of samples of GRBs from the Swift database and obtain the temporal and spectral indices at arbitrary times. By finding the temporal and spectral indices at …

Dual-Lev: A Dual-Axis Ultrasonic Acoustic Levitator, Trevor Hennington, Alyx Mason

Aerospace, Physics, and Space Science Student Publications

sound waves to create a standing wave, where regions of high and low pressure form stable nodes that can trap small objects. The upward acoustic radiation force at these nodes balances gravity, allowing the object to float in midair. This technology is applicable in various fields such as chemistry, biological engineering, and sub-gravity simulation. It can also be used for drop dynamics studies, crystallization, and

Assessment Of Goose-Beaked Whale Responsesto Mid-Frequency Active Sonar Usinga Hierarchical Hidden Markov Model, Stacy L. De Ruiter, Erin A. Falcone, Shannon N. Coates, Brenda K. Rone, David A. Sweeney, Karin A. Dolan, Susan M. Jarvis, Russel D. Andrews, Stephanie L. Watwood, Gregory S. Schorr

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

Background

Acoustic disturbance is increasingly recognized as an ecological concern, particularly at sea. In light of marine mammal stranding events associated with use of naval mid-frequency active sonar (MFAS), which often involve goose-beaked whales (Ziphius cavirostris), research has sought to detect and characterize Ziphius behavioral responses to MFAS.

Methods

We deployed Sound and Motion Recording and Telemetry (SMRT) tags on 13 Ziphius in the Southern California Bight. The study area includes the United States Navy’s Southern California Anti-submarine Warfare Range (SOAR), and deployments overlapped temporally with training exercises including MFAS use. We used hierarchical hidden Markov models (HHMMs), which provided …

Photochemical Activation Of Cyanine-Based Nanogels For Controlled Drug Delivery, Presley Clary

Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Student Publications

Cyanines are highly conjugated molecules with useful properties, such as ease of aggregation and fluorescence. In this project, they were incorporated into an acrylamide-based nanogel made through organic synthesis to exploit these properties for controlled drug delivery. Exposing the nanogel to nearinfrared (NIR) light causes it to react with reactive oxygen species (ROS), forming an unstable intermediate. The intermediate splits into two fragments, releasing the nanogel's cargo.1 The cargo, temozolomide, is an alkylating agent which can be used to disrupt the DNA of cancer cells.

Electron Emission From Unactivated Gaas: Towards The Development Of Novel Sources Of Spin-Polarized Electrons, William Truslow Newman

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Spin-polarized electrons are commonly emitted from GaAs photocathodes with treated surfaces in a process called negative electron affinity activation. These sources require stringent vacuum conditions that are often hard to achieve and lead to significant downtimes in experiments. In this dissertation, I present new investigations of electron emission from unactivated GaAs towards the development of novel sources of spin-polarized electrons. The work entails two primary directions. The first is the investigation of electron emission using multiphoton ionization processes enhanced by nanoscale surface structures. We explore GaAs electron sources including, shards, nanotip arrays of pyramid structures, wedges, and ion-milled tips. The …

Worldview-Bench: A Benchmark For Evaluating Global Cultural Perspectives In Large Language Models, Abdullah Mushtaq, Imran Taj, Rafay Naeem, Ibrahim Ghaznavi, Junaid Qadir

All Works

Background: Large Language Models (LLMs) are predominantly trained and aligned in ways that reinforce Westerncentric epistemologies and socio-cultural norms, leading to cultural homogenization and limiting their ability to reflect global civilizational plurality. Existing benchmarking frameworks fail to adequately capture this bias, as they rely on rigid, closed-form assessments that overlook the complexity of cultural inclusivity. Objectives: To address this cultural bias problem, we introduce WorldView-Bench, a benchmark designed to evaluate Global Cultural Inclusivity (GCI) in LLMs by analyzing their ability to accommodate diverse worldviews. Methods: Our approach is grounded in the Multiplex Worldview proposed by Senturk et al., which distinguishes …

Repurposing An Old Pc Into A Self-Hosted Cloud And Media Server, Riley Biggins

Honors Theses

Commercial cloud platforms rely heavily on subscription models, so everyday users fall into a "cloud trap" summarized by perpetual fees, forfeited privacy, and a lack of true asset ownership. At the same time, functioning consumer electronics get discarded as e-waste when they fail to meet the hardware requirements of modern operating systems. This project presents a sustainable and cost-effective alternative to both issues by repurposing a 2017 HP Pavilion laptop into a personal cloud and media server.

Despite severe hardware constraints, my software architecture rivals the utility of paid services. By replacing Windows with a headless installation of Ubuntu Server, …

The Role Of Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence In Crewed Mars Missions, Jordan Neuman

Student Publications and Presentations

The suggestion of implementing Artificial Intelligence (AI) in crewed missions to the Martian surface can revolutionize mission operations, psychological support, and ethical decision‑making under challenging conditions. This study is a structured, qualitative literature review of current AI research for the future of human space exploration. It uses publicly available peer‑reviewed journal articles and NASA/ESA technical reports on AI for Mars missions. Using Perplexity, the researcher first prompted the AI tool to identify recurring topics across these sources and generate themes. The researcher independently reviewed all sources to confirm and refine those themes. Three themes—mission autonomy, local resource utilization and life‑support, …

Comparative Phytochemical And Antioxidant Analysis Of Acalypha Wilkesiana Extracts Using Different Solvents, Tj Cataloni, Victor Chibuzor Johnson, Gabrielle Depowski

Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Student Publications

Medicinal plants are a rich source of bioactive compounds with therapeutic potential. Antioxidants play a critical role in combating oxidative stress associated with chronic diseases. The extration of these compounds depends on solvent polarity, affecting yield and composition. Acalypha wilkesiana provides an excellent model for such studies. This work presents an evaluation of phytochemical content and antioxidant activity of A. wilkesiana extracts obtained using solvents of varying polarity.

Thiocoumarin As A Photocaging Scaffold: Synthesis And Light- Triggered Release, Angelina Gaffey, Gabrielle Depowski, Victor Johnson

Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Student Publications

Photocaging involves inhibiting a molecule’s function with a photolabile protecting group (PPG), allowing for precise spatiotemporal control and release of the molecule in vivo. Photocages which respond to UV light upon single photon irradiation have limited use in vivo due to cytotoxicity. Thiocoumarin is a promising photocage which absorbs in the visible light region and can cage multiple essential neurotransmitters, such as GABA and glutamate. In addition, thiocoumarin can be easily tracked through live cells due to its persistent fluorescence throughout the caging process. In this project, GABA was utilized to explore the properties of thiocoumarin as a light-triggered photocage.

Non-Isocyanate Polyurethanes From Kraft Lignin, Savannah Madairy, Ayden Weil, Eric Huynh, Elliott Bischof

Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Student Publications

Adhesives from isocyanate polyurethanes have strong bonding properties yet pose serious health risks in both production and daily life. Kraft Lignin, a common organic waste, contains the functional groups that can make a renewable alternative and replace isocyanate’s role in adhesives. Our production plant will be placed in Rome, Georgia attached to an existing paper mill with competitive pricing of 26.47$/kg. Our three-step process proposes a sustainable approach to producing polyurethane adhesives without incorporating isocyanates.

Sustainable Ethanol Production From Agricultural Waste, Eva Shealy, Bre Venditti, Muath Alharbi, Jacob Dymock

Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Student Publications

This project presents a commercial-scale process which converts waste corn stover into fuel grade ethanol through syngas fermentation. By integrating thermochemical conversion with microbial processing, the design explores an innovative pathway for ethanol production, resulting in a lower-impact alternative to traditional processes.

Photoswitchable Metal Chelators, Rhea Sharma

Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Student Publications

Develop a light-responsive chelator that switches between OFF and ON metal-binding states, enabling spatiotemporal control of metal coordination.

Reconstructing Nebraska’S Late Quaternary Paleoenvironment, Landscape Change, And Human–Environment Dynamics Using Diatoms And Optically Stimulated Luminescence Dating, Gosia Mahoney

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

This dissertation examines Holocene environmental change and human–environment interactions in the Nebraska Sand Hills by integrating geomorphic, paleoenvironmental, and geochronological data. It presents three complementary studies that together explore how climatic variability, local landscape processes, and human activity influenced environmental systems.

The first study reconstructs the early Holocene evolution of a dune-dammed valley in the central Sand Hills. Stratigraphic, sedimentological, and diatom evidence indicate that eolian activity resulted in a blocked fluvial system, leading to elevated groundwater levels and the formation of a wetland that later developed into a lake. Notably, this transformation occurred under relatively dry conditions, demonstrating that …

Visualization For Formal Languages, Chris Pinto-Font, Andrew Bastien, Vincent Borrelli, Keegan Mcnear

Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Student Publications

The primary goal is student comprehension of complex DFA concepts.

This project is important for students and professors because being able to visualize Deterministic Finite Automota (DFA) and how it is created and expressed can lead to better understanding of how parsing and computation works.

Student Code Online Review And Evaluation 2.0, Dorothy Ammons, Shamik Bera, Patrick Kelly, Rakan Alsharif

Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Student Publications

The goal of this second rendition to S.C.O.R.E is to enhance the application by adding features such as:

• Cheat detections
• Roster imports
• Grade exports
• Custom rubrics

Java Oo Visualizer, Darian Dean, Ashley Mckim, Simon Gardling, Josh Kalinsky

Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Student Publications

Current Challenge: Understanding the execution of an object-oriented program is challenging for students beginning their undergraduate CS degree

Common Issue: Students learn syntax but fail to see the underlying behavior of object creation, reference assignment, and method calls

Unified Solution: bridge the gap between abstract concepts and concrete understanding by animating the process of object instantiation, reference assignment, and results of method

Fit Ar Navigation App (Fitarna), Vincenzo Barager, Dathan Dixon, Jacob Hall-Burns, Ethan Wadley

Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Student Publications

Navigation Complexity: Large-scale academic facilities like the Evans Library present significant wayfinding challenges for new students and visitors.

GPS Limitations: Standard satellite-based navigation fails indoors due to signal attenuation and lack of floor-level granularity.

The Solution: FITARNA leverages Augmented Reality to provide intuitive, real-time visual guidance, bridging the gap between digital maps and the physical environment.

Panther Shuttle App, Joey Hilte, Chase Monigle, Tony Arrington, Jonathan Suo

Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Student Publications

Florida Tech students rely on the campus shuttle system to travel between dorms, classrooms, and nearby housing areas. However, existing tools do not provide reliable real-time tracking or notifications about delays.

The Panther Shuttle App provides students with live shuttle locations, schedules, and alerts to improve campus transportation and reduce wait times.

Hydrodynamic Response To Hurricane Forcing At Sebastian Inlet, Ava Russin

Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences Student Publications

Tidal inlets are influenced by tides, wind, and atmospheric forcing, which can be significantly altered during hurricanes. Using Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler observations, this study quantifies storm-driven changes in depth averaged velocity and residual circulation at Sebastain Inlet before, during, and after Hurrican Ian and Hurricane Nicole (2022).