Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

A Data Analysis On Mass Shootings In Amercia, James Hinkle, Patrick Mccool

Capstone Showcase

Mass shootings in America have been a recurring issue for years. In this project, we examine mass shootings that have occurred in the United States from 1966 to 2022. Through exploratory data analyses, we explore patterns and trends in shooting events, as well as various patterns in shooters, such as their mental health status, relationship status, social media usage, evidence of trauma in adulthood, and ongoing stressors during the time of the shooting. We also utilize natural language processing (NLP) tools to analyze text information in the dataset, such as the shooters' school performance, community involvement, and past signs of …

Njit Makerspace For K-8, Joya Clark

STEM for Success Resources

Ideas for Cultivating a Makerspace Mindset in K-8 students, By Joya Clark; Curriculum Specialist, Robotics Coach, STEM teacher

From Computer Curriculum That Works For The Use Of Computer Intellignece Computer Science, Malachi B. Bacchus

Publications and Research

Computer interconnection can link different networks by using electrical artificial flow ways that can travel through different connections. these are called data network which travels through different sectors of the network simulation of service computer network using artificial intelligence to enhanced further understanding the computations, I've also demonstrated knowing by using the network to get better understanding of how ethical computing can be learned through universities and collegiate that can help established knowledge and healthy computer information. The main tools for the research are using data networking, ethical learning and translation towards different computer systems.

The Living Breakwaters Pdr Efforts Econcrete Resource Analysis, Guianina Ferrari, Shervon Stephens, Calvin O. Walters Jr.

Publications and Research

On October 29, 2012, Superstorm Sandy impacted 443,000 people and caused nearly $19 billion (about $58 per person in the US) worth of damage within New York City. As part of the New York City infrastructure reparation plan, the Living Breakwaters project in Tottenville addressed coastal resilience, allocating $100M of public funds to a series of artificial breakwaters by the southwest coast of Staten Island. Each breakwater is constructed and designed to mitigate water flow in storm events. ECOncrete, a primary element of the breakwater, is a specialty cast cementitious product that is marine organism-friendly that encourages biocalcification and photosynthesis. …

Evaluating Our Reliance On Rare Earth Minerals And Platinum Group Metals Over The Period Of 2012 To 2021, Ryan Smith

Spring Showcase for Research and Creative Inquiry

Rare Earth Elements (REE’s) are minerals used in our everyday lives. They can be found in our household appliances, phones, computers, cars, as part of wind turbines and solar panels. The US relies on imports of these rare earths from several other countries (e.g. China, Estonia, Malaysia, and Japan) as we cannot mine a majority of the minerals (e.g. cerium, lanthanum, europium, etc) domestically. Since the year 2012, the US has imported approximately 3,000 metric tons of rare earths, and in recent years, this number significantly increased. As of 2021, the US now imports approximately 43,000 metric tons of rare …

P-39 Interdisciplinary Diffusion Lab, Sable Canales, Chloe Gaban, Mickey Kutzner

Celebration of Research and Creative Scholarship

Diffusion is a principle in Physics, Chemistry, and Biology. The rate of diffusion is affected by temperature, particle size, concentration, and material type. Students can model the rate of diffusion based on particle size by contrasting blue and yellow dyes. Two petri dishes containing agar-agar receive a drop of dye at the center. The radius of expansion is recorded over time. The variance of the distribution grows as 𝜎2=4𝐷𝑡, where 𝜎2 is the variance, D is the diffusion constant, and t is time. Graphing variance versus time gives a slope of 4D. Diffusion constants vary by particle size, allowing for …

Determination Of Nitrate In Aqueous Media, Ebony Arauz Tellez, John Bohannon, Rebecca Mills, Virginia Tam, Isabelle Villarreal, Melissa C. Rhoten

Spring Showcase for Research and Creative Inquiry

Determining the amount of inorganic ions in aqueous media is important in the food industry and environmentally. In the environment high levels of ions like nitrate (NO₃^-), nitrite (NO2^-), and phosphate (PO₄^3-) can lead to unhealthy conditions for aquatic species. Similarly, high levels of nitrate and nitrite can cause health issues in humans. One method for determining nitrate levels in aqueous samples involves reducing the nitrate species to nitrite via a redox reaction with finely divided zinc powder followed by conversion to a diazonium salt and complexation with 1-napthylamine to form a …

Is It Useful? Orthophosphate Mapping Of An Excavated Cellar Of A Mid 1700’S Tavern In New London Va, Thomas M. Bender, Randy Lichtenberger

Faculty Publications and Presentations

The partially backfilled cellar of Mead’s Tavern (VDHR # 015-0120) a circa 1760’s building in New London Virginia, was studied by orthophosphate (PO₄³) mapping of the recently exposed, culturally sterile, subsoil floor. Prior studies of the cellar had exposed a hearth along with features that were speculated to be wall partitions for subdivision of the cellar. The full intended purpose for those exposed features is unknown. To further probe that exposed subsoil prior to a major engineering stabilization of the tavern’s foundation, a chemical mapping of surface PO₄^3- levels in the cellar was done. The …

Fluid Inclusion Analysis Of Halite: A Snapshot Of The Cambrian Explosion, Amy R.A. Lefebvre

Undergraduate Student Research Internships Conference

This research focused on obtaining a brief overview of information preserved within evaporite samples formed during the Early Cambrian. With the help of halite screening methods, fluid and gas analysis, through a micro thermometer and mass spectrometer, respectively, as well as trace element analysis conducted by Act Labs, results reflecting Earth's climate over 500 million years ago were obtained. These indicated the approximate weather conditions, and atmospheric composition, during this time period, within an intracontinental dessert location. Specifically, these results reflects a global warming period, with daily variations. Although much more research is needed in order to validate this summer's …

Uncovering The Mysteries Of Retention Ponds: Comparing The Abundance And Type Of Microplastics In Storm Water Ponds In London Ontario, Natalie Rose Minda

Undergraduate Student Research Internships Conference

Microplastics are plastics <5 mm (Liu, 2019; Arthur et al., 2009). They are created in two ways: Intentionally or from the fragmentation of larger pieces of plastic (National Ocean Service, 2021). They can negatively impact human, wildlife and ecosystem health in many ways depending on the exposure, type, size, and shape of the microplastic (Campanale, 2020). Retention ponds are often created in neighborhoods to collect water in order to prevent flooding. They also often serve as habitat for wildlife. Sediment samples were collected in two ponds in London Ontario both dredged in 2016. Samples were processed in the lab and further analyzed under the microscope to isolate the microplastics. Results have not been determined yet, but the abundance and type of microplastic varies in both ponds. Plastic pollution in retention ponds should be considered more, as it poses a threat to human and ecosystem health.

Using Stable-Isotopes To Determine The Effects Of Land-Use Change On Carbon Storage, Morgan Basile

Undergraduate Student Research Internships Conference

Over the last century, there has been drastic conversion of natural vegetation to agriculture. The decomposition of plant tissue is transformed into soil organic matter that is rich in carbon and stored within soil aggregates. This research examines the effects of land-use change on carbon storage by using stable-isotopes of organic matter. The stable-isotopes of organic matter within aggregates will be used to quantify the amount of carbon that has been added to the soil after a change in land-use (e.g. restoration of agricultural land to grassland).

Meteorite Investigation And Classification, Olivia N. Benest

Undergraduate Student Research Internships Conference

Several meteorites arrive on Earth every day, but only a small percentage of them are found. They are easiest to spot on deserts or frozen ice. Western has a large number of unclassified meteorites found in the Northwest Africa (NWA) and Oman deserts. These meteorites include chondrites, achondrites, irons, and even Lunar and Martian meteorites. Classifying a meteorite requires detailed examination by optical microscopy, as well as micro X-ray diffraction (µXRD), and Electron Probe Microanalysis (EPMA), to observe their mineralogy (metal, oxide, sulfide, and silicate mineral phases), textures (e.g. chondrules, CAIs) and composition, in order to classify their petrologic type …

Development Of High-Resolution Meteor Spectra Analysis, Zhangqing Yang

Undergraduate Student Research Internships Conference

Meteoroids are often billions of years old and as they ablate and ionize in the atmosphere, they give off light leaving us clues to the history of our solar system. In addition, their presence imposes serious risks to our equipment and astronauts in space. My research deals with analyzing High-Resolution Meteor Spectra, which are obtained by separating the light Meteors give off through a Diffraction Grating. Firstly, as the Meteor’s speed during ablation affects its spectrum, the position, speed, and trajectory of 40 well-tracked Meteors (picked from over 500) were determined using the programs Metal and Mirfit. Then, the spectra …

Simulating Salience: Developing A Model Of Choice In The Visual Coordination Game, Adib Sedig

Undergraduate Student Research Internships Conference

This project is primarily inspired by three papers: Colin Camerer and Xiaomin Li’s (2019 working paper)—Using Visual Salience in Empirical Game Theory, Ryan Oprea’s (2020)—What Makes a Rule Complex?, and Caplin et. al.’s (2011)—Search and Satisficing. Over the summer, I worked towards constructing a model of choice for the visual coordination game that can model player behavior more accurately than traditional game theoretic predictions. It attempts to do so by incorporating a degree of bias towards salience into a cellular automaton search algorithm and utilizing it alongside a sequential search mechanism of satisficing. This …

Code Cyber: A Curated Collection Of Cybersecurity Career Learning And Preparation Resources, Kazi Tasin, Ethan Pruzhansky, Jason Lin, Tanvir Rahman, Patrick J. Slattery

Publications and Research

Since we are living in a digital age, the need to protect ourselves and those who are vulnerable to cyber-attacks is paramount to prevent cyber attacks that steal information such as banking accounts and important sensitive information.

Our research team extensively investigated the five aspects of cybersecurity such as identity, protection, detection, and response. By conducting various interviews with cybersecurity professionals, we gathered information about these five aspects for example security intelligence or security operations and response, (thread hunting, response orchestration) identity access management, (identity management, and data protection), and risks (risk perspective). Our main goal is to look into …

The Living Breakwaters Pdr Efforts: Conceptual Scheduling, Calvin O. Walters Jr.

Publications and Research

On October 29, 2012, Superstorm Sandy caused nearly $19 billion in damages in New York City including 69,000 residential units across the five boroughs. This disaster precipitated a post-disaster-rebuilding (PDR) project including roughly $4.2 billion in a Community Development Block Grant allocated towards PDR projects. A portion of the grant was used to construct a living breakwater in Tottenville, Staten Island, consisting of a resiliency approach to risk reduction through erosion prevention, wave energy attenuation, and enhancement of ecosystems and social resiliency to improve resistance to storms for the community of Tottenville. The ridges of each breakwater are designed with …

Occurrence And Distribution Of Contaminants Of Emerging Concern In The Puget Sound Nearshore Using A Marine Mussel Monitoring Program, Mariko Langness

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

In a collaboration with the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) Mussel Watch Program (MWP), the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s (WDFW) Mussel Monitoring program conducted a survey to assess the occurrence and distribution of contaminants of emerging concern (CEC) in Puget Sound nearshore biota. In the winter of 2019/2020, caged bay mussels (Mytilus trossulus) were deployed to forty sites along the Puget Sound nearshore, with sampling locations representing a wide range of potential COC exposures. After a three-month exposure period, a comprehensive CEC analysis targeting over 330 chemicals was performed on mussel tissue composite samples. CEC classes …

Accelerating Fish Passage Restoration In King County, Washington, Evan Lewis

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

In 2018, King County launched development of a Fish Passage Restoration Program to address fish passage barriers owned by the County. Fish passage restoration helps King County meet obligations and commitments to honor tribal treaty rights. It also complements the county’s long-standing efforts to advance salmon habitat protection and restoration. In partnership with federal, tribal, state, and city officials, this program identifies barriers to salmon passage, coordinates with other protection and restoration actions in the county, prioritizes barrier remedies, and seeks funding to invest in projects that remove barriers that will allow the most salmon to swim to the best …

Makah First Foods Climate Action Plan, John Reamer, Natalie Lowell, Carol Reamer, Haley Kennard, Morgan Goodrich, Janine Ledford, Rebekah Monette, Laura Nelson, Melissa Poe, Jenna Rolf, Isabell Ides, Chazley Brown

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

First Foods are traditional foods eaten by indigenous communities since pre-contact and are particularly important for the Makah Tribe due to the remote location of the Makah Reservation and associated reliance on subsistence foods. Climate change is already affecting the quality, access, and abundance of Makah First Foods, with cascading effects on Makah livelihoods, harvesting practices, subsistence economy, knowledge transfer, and health. As part of a broader climate resilience strategy, the Makah Office of Marine Affairs/Port of Neah Bay, Sophie Trettevick Indian Health Center (STIHC), and the Makah Cultural and Research Center (MCRC) are assessing climate risk to key First …

Evaluating The Effects Of Southern Resident Orcas Recovery Actions And External Threats In The Marine Ecosystem Of Puget Sound, Dr. Hem Nalini Morzaria-Luna

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

We apply two ecosystem models, the Atlantis Model for Puget Sound and the Salish Sea Atlantis Model, to simulate the recommendations of the Southern Resident Orca Task Force for recovery of the endangered Southern Resident Killer Whales (“Southern Residents”) in the Salish Sea. The downturn of the Southern Residents has been attributed to multiple, co-occurring anthropogenic and ecological pressures that are being addressed through the recommendations of the Orca Task Force. Atlantis is a spatially-explicit ecosystem modeling platform that simulates oceanography and biochemistry, food-web interactions, fisheries, and dependence of species on biogenic and physical habitat. We are evaluating the ecosystem-level …

Building A Foundation For The Southern Bc Marine Spatial Planning Program, David Angus, Janine Beckett

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

“Building a Foundation for the Southern BC Marine Spatial Planning Program”. On the south coast of British Columbia (BC), impacts from climate change, pollution from industrial and urban development, and effects of resource extraction are impacting species and their habitat, affecting food security and cultural vitality for Indigenous peoples, and impacting employment in traditional coastal sectors such as fisheries and forestry. Marine spatial planning (MSP) is widely considered a viable strategy for balancing economic development and conservation, recognizing and considering cumulative impacts, and managing conflicts amongst uses. However, given the social and economic complexities of the south coast of BC, …

Coastal Restoration Toolkit - An Online Resource To Launch A Restoration Project In Your Community, Elsa Schwartz

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Staff at public agencies and non-profit organizations often receive phone calls or applications from individuals outside the professional restoration community (e.g. NGOs, municipalities, or individuals) who have a sincere desire to restore local habitats, but have difficulties figuring out where to begin. Restore America’s Estuaries has developed an online “Toolkit” (RestoreYourCoast.org) to support coastal residents and citizen scientists who identify problems with their local coastal environment and have an interest in transforming the idea into a project. The Toolkit enables community members who aspire to improve their local ecosystem, but who need the information and guidance to go from project …

Marine Species At Risk: A Salish Sea Transboundary Indicator With More Potential, Dr. Joseph Gaydos

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Species at risk are native species, sub-species or ecologically significant units that warrant special attention to ensure their conservation. The number of marine species at risk within the Salish Sea is used by the US Environmental Protection Agency and Environment and Climate Change Canada as one of ten transboundary ecosystem indicators. Four jurisdictions within the Salish Sea have formal listing processes for marine species: the Province of British Columbia, the State of Washington, the Canadian Federal Government, and the United States Federal Government. As of October 15, 2021, there were 135 species listed as at risk in the Salish Sea: …

Filling The Gap: An Analysis Of Stormwater Utility Fees In The Puget Sound Watershed, Washington, Usa, Raye Evrard

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

The Puget Sound region was an early adopter of funding local stormwater management programs via stormwater utility fees (SUFs). This paper presents a case study characterizing the use of SUFs in this rapidly growing watershed with over 5 million people. We systematically compiled and evaluated data on SUF rate structure for 124 jurisdictions and program budgets for 80 jurisdictions to describe the overall composition of revenues, the distribution of expenditures between capital and operating expenses, and the influence of National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) municipal stormwater permit status. We also calculated SUFs applied to individual parcels in 11 jurisdictions …

Assessment Of Vulnerabilities And Trade-Offs For Coordinated Investment In Regional Ecosystem Recovery And Flood Resilience, Nisqually Delta, Washington State, Usa, Dr. Eric Grossman

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Projected changes in coastal sediment dynamics and flood exposure in the coming decades have important implications for estuary ecosystem recovery strategies and principal barriers to their implementation, namely transportation and flood control infrastructure. A numerical sediment transport model was used to evaluate whether the flux of sediment from the Nisqually River to the 308-hectare 2009 Brown’s Farm restoration project is sufficient to recover 1–2 m of subsided marshes given projected sea level rise. The effectiveness of distributary channel restoration alternatives in rerouting and introducing Nisqually River sediment to the restoration area were also assessed. Model and measurements indicate that ~10% …

Spatial And Temporal Patterns Of Biofouling Aquatic Invasive Species In The Salish Sea, Katie Sp Gale, Brett R. Howard, Calley Wasser, Thomas W. Therriault

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Aquatic invasive species (AIS) have the potential to result in significant ecological and economic impacts. In the Salish Sea a number of primary and secondary invasion vectors exist including commercial shipping, recreational boating, and aquaculture-related movements that can introduce or spread AIS. An important subset of all AIS in this area are biofouling species, including tunicates and bryozoans, that can outcompete and displace native species. To better understand spatial and temporal patterns of biofouling AIS in the Salish Sea, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) has carried out a monitoring program since 2006 – a program that has expanded in scope …

Citizen Based Salmon Recovery In The Salish Sea, Rachel Vasak

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Citizen Based Salmon Recovery in the Salish Sea Since 1990, the Washington State Regional Fisheries Enhancement Groups (RFEGs) have been working to involve local communities, citizen volunteers, and landowners in salmon recovery e??orts in Washington State. The RFEGs strive to actively engage diverse communities across the state and provide meaningful ways for thousands of community members to take action to help salmon. The RFEG motto is, “Our program is statewide, our priorities are local.” Each of the state’s 14 RFEGs is an independent nonpro??t organization with a unique mission and specific goals driven by local salmon recovery priorities from habitat …

Mapping, Prioritizing, And Promoting The Removal Of The 15,564 Pilings In The Snohomish Estuary, Elisa Dawson

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

The Snohomish County Marine Resources Committee has been leading a multi-year project to promote the removal of pilings in the Snohomish River estuary that are not associated with a dock, marina, or bulkhead. Using a mapping technique and previous data, 15,564 pilings were identified in the Snohomish estuary downstream of Highway 2, many of these pilings are leftover from the logging industry and other previous infrastructure in the Snohomish Estuary. Field work was done to collect detailed ecosystem and feasibility data on the pilings to help evaluate and prioritize pilings for removal. Nearly 7,000 pilings were identified as high priority …

Community Education And Outreach Plans For Fecal Pollution Prevention Based On A Culturally Inclusive Approach In Poverty Bay Pollution Identification And Correction Program, Eunbi Lee

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Cultural diversity and inclusion have been core concepts when strategizing community engagement plans for fecal pollution prevention in the Poverty Bay Shellfish Protection District (SPD) in 2021. The King County Pollution Identification and Correction (PIC) program has incorporated culturally inclusive community outreach strategies to optimize community-rooted participation in pollution prevention campaigns. In this presentation, we will share about tools and approaches used to partner with diverse communities to promote pollution prevention by changing social norms. The Poverty Bay SPD outreach program has utilized translation, transcreation, and community-led outreach as core pillars to include as many diverse communities as possible. First, …

Beyond The Brochure: Using Social Science Research And Methods To Motivate Behavior Change, Justine Asohmbom

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Preventing water pollution and restoring the Salish Sea will require people across the region to adopt many new behaviors such as reducing garden chemicals, disconnecting downspouts, fixing car leaks, pumping out boat sewage and much more. Research underscores that simply providing information on why and how people should change their behavior rarely motivates change. Regionally and internationally, practitioners are using behavior change strategies to motivate people to voluntarily adopt practices benefiting our environment and communities. In its simplest form, behavior change applies social science principles to communicate effectively and motivate behavior. To most effectively motivate action, practitioners select a specific …