Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Symposium · the newly-formed National High Magnetic...

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ResearchExperiencesforUndergraduates(REU)

SymposiumJuly30,2019

TheNittanyLionInn

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SCHEDULEATAGLANCE9:00 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. Welcome and Continental Breakfast 9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. Poster Session 1 10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. Poster Session 2 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Lunch and Keynote - Dean Justin Schwartz 1:15 p.m. - 2:15 p.m. Poster Session 3 2:15 p.m. - 3:15 p.m. Poster Session 4 3:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Awards & Program Conclusion

KEYNOTESPEAKER

Justin Schwartz, Harold and Inge Marcus Dean of Engineering Penn State College of Engineering

Dr. Justin Schwartz received a B.S. with Highest Honors from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. After serving

as one of the first Science and Technology Agency of Japan Fellows at the National Research Institute for Metals, Japan, he joined the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign as an Assistant Professor. In 1993, he joined the newly-formed National High Magnetic Field Laboratory and the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Florida State University, where he served as the Leader of the HTS Magnets and Materials Group. In 2003, his research group, in collaboration with Oxford Instruments, established the world record for magnetic field generation by a superconducting material. In 2009, Professor Schwartz joined North Carolina State University as the Kobe Steel Distinguished Professor and Head of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering. In this role he led the rapid expansion of his department, guiding them upwards

in the national rankings from 31st to 15th, while more than doubling the research portfolio and endowment. His research interests include superconducting, magnetic and multiferroic materials and the systems they enable. Professor Schwartz has published over 240 peer-reviewed journal articles and has graduated 44 Ph.D. and M.S. students in six academic disciplines, including fifteen female, six underrepresented minorities. Professor Schwartz is a Fellow of the IEEE, AAAS and ASM. In August 2017, Professor Schwartz began his tenure as the Harold and Inge Marcus Dean of Engineering at The Pennsylvania State University

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PROGRAMINFORMATIONDrawdownScholarsResearchExperienceforUndergraduatesProgramPenn State partnered with Project Drawdown to explore and enhance “the most comprehensive plan ever proposed to reverse global warming.” The Drawdown mission seeks to clarify a positive solutions-oriented path ahead for action on climate change. By working with researchers from across the world, the team has already identified, researched, and modeled the 100 most substantive, existing solutions to address climate change. These solutions exist in Materials, Electricity Generation, Food, Women and Girls, Transportation, Buildings and Cities, and Land Use. In an eight-week timeline, the program hosted 55 Drawdown Scholars at the University Park, Harrisburg, and Brandywine campuses.

KAUSTGiftedScholarsResearchExperienceforUndergraduatesProgramThe KAUST program is designed to provide research experience for rising sophomore students currently enrolled at Penn State University sponsored by the Kaust Gifted Student Program (KGSP). The goals of the program are to promote students participating in research early in their academic careers to broaden their education, connect and collaborate with a faculty mentor and research team, and expose students to various aspects of research for science inquiry. Six students participate in a six-week program based at the University Park campus.

Multi-CampusResearchExperienceforUndergraduatesProgramThe Penn State MC REU program supports Penn State undergraduate students who conduct research with Penn State faculty. Students complete their proposed engineering research project in conjunction with two Penn State faculty members — one from the student’s home campus and one based at University Park. The objectives of the MC REU are to promote undergraduate students participating in research early in their academic program to broaden their education and increase their chances of entering graduate studies, and to promote mutual awareness and collaboration among faculty across the Commonwealth. In the five years of the program it has served more than 300 students. The 2019 MC REU includes 80 students from 15 unique campuses participating in a 10-week REU.

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POSTERSESSION1-9:30a.m.-10:30a.m.Student Name Project Title Poster

Session Table

number Serenah Pauliuc Fabrication and Testing of Bio-Composites 1 4 Jung Eun Park Fabrication and Testing of Feasible Martian Concrete 1 6

Yuhan Dong Determining Strength, Fit and Printing Speed of 3D Printed Lower Extremity Prosthetic Sockets 1 7

Manuel Roshardt Determining Strength, Fit and Printing Speed of 3D Printed Lower Extremity Prosthetic Sockets. 1 7

Jonathan Ehring Study of Electroless Deposition of Nickel Nanoparticles onto Carbon Fiber Reinforcement within a Hybrid Aluminum Matrix Composite

1 10

Himaja Kakumani The Role of Deep Learning and Data Mining Solutions in Radiology 1 12

Dakota Hetrick Experimental Testing of 3D Printed Continuous Carbon Fiber Composites 1 18

Aaron Dominick Applying Additional Texture to the Fingertips of 3D Printed Prosthetic Hands 1 19

Hanna Drozynski The Effect of Strain Rate on Tensile Properties of Injection Molded Multiwall Carbon Nanotube Reinforced Nylon 1 21

Nicholas Chiappazzi Injection-Molding Electrically Conductive Polymers for PEMFCs 1 24 Chadwick Kypta Injection-Molding Electrically Conductive Polymers for PEMFCs 1 24 Lukas Hoffman Electrification of Composite Laminates for Defect Detection 1 26

Hunter Di Domizio Effect of Support Properties on CO2 Capture over Molecular Basket Sorbent: Surface Area and Surface Modification 1 27

Cooper Kovar Lietz Hydrodynamics of Flapping Foils 1 29

Linsea Paradis Electroless Deposition of Copper and Silver Powders for use in Electrical Contacts 1 31

Tesla (Yinsen) Zhang Integrating First-Class Cases with Dependent Types 1 35 Tyler Barry Measuring Surface Water Quality with the AWQUA 1 36 Jackson Buchko Measuring Surface Water Quality with the AWQUA 1 36 Alexander Van Hulten Measuring Surface Water Quality with the AWQUA 1 36 Nicholas Tomblin Electroless Deposition of Copper on Iron Powder Particles 1 40

Makarand Wadagave Degradation study of WSe2 via Raman Spectroscopy and Photoluminescence Imaging 1 42

Kiana Rolli Anne Montes

Improving the Spinel Crack Healing Behavior by Utilizing the Recycled Fluorescent Lamp Glass 1 43

Vennila Pugazhenthi Improving the Spinel Crack Healing Behavior by Utilizing the Recycled Fluorescent Lamp Glass 1 43

Gregory Carroll Warm Compaction of Nickel Phosphorus Metals 1 44

Jason Novillo Implementing a Covariance Matrix Adaptation Evolutionary Strategy (CMA-ES) Approach to Optimize Bacterial Foraging Optimization (BFO) for the Hohmann Transfer Problem

1 46

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Student Name Project Title Poster Session

Table number

Leon Yang Modeling the Correlation Between Size Distribution and Photoluminescence in Graphene Quantum Dots 1 47

Andrew Dauby Rocket Propulsion: How Nozzle Geometry Affects Thrust 1 50 Nicholas Lawton Rocket Propulsion: How Nozzle Geometry Affects Thrust 1 50

Kyle Robertson Cold Sintering Process for Production of Soft Magnetic Materials 1 51

Margot Yuan Matrix Lie groups 1 51

Zhiqing Lu Mechanical properties of injectable bone cements to repair crashed bone loss 1 55

Larry Covington Analyzing the Axial Distance of “Swirl Effect” in a Hybrid Rocket 1 57

Safinaz Elhadary Improving global supply chain for commercial aircraft using six sigma principles 1 59

POSTERSESSION2-10:30a.m.-11:30a.m.


Table number

Jack Lattimore Flood and Soil Property Impacts on Crop Yields: Where Perennial Buffers may make sense financially within Pennsylvania watersheds

2 2

Mohammed Bin Ahmed An Optimization Model to Evaluate Manual Assembly of Car Toys 2 5

Alison McClure An Optimization Model to Evaluate Manual Assembly of Car Toys 2 5

Nicole Angel Revamping ME300- Engineering Thermodynamics 2 8

Natalie Neptune Estimating Energy Savings and Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction through Substitution of Penn State Harrisburg's Water Source

2 9

Josh Wagner Investigating the Impact of Green Roofing Carbon Sequestration with GHG Emissions in Structural Reinforcement Production

2 10

Franz Chee Modeling the Energy Yield of Microtracking CPV Technology 2 13

Benedicte Adair Proposing Smart Piezoelectric Sensor Networks for Sustainability Research 2 14

Kurt Diehl A Study of the Effect on Mechanical Properties of Direct Phosphorous Addition to an Iron-based Powder. 2 18

Victor Ficarra Utilizing Machine Learning to Predict Fantasy Football Player Performance 2 19

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Table number

Cezary Krysztofiak CubeSat Prototype Studies: CNC Machining of Aluminum Structure, Low-Temperature Testing, and High-Altitude Flight Demonstration via Weather Balloon

2 21

Lingqi Li CubeSat Prototype Studies: CNC Machining of Aluminum Structure, Low-Temperature Testing, and High-Altitude Flight Demonstration via Weather Balloon

2 21

Jonathan Diller Load Leveling Trainer For A Physical Microgrid 2 23 Ryan Cassidy Combined Heat and Power 2 25

Kenjiro Lay Arduino Measurements and APRS-Based GPS Tracking for CubeSat Prototypes: Year-2 Results from High-Altitude Testing via Weather Balloon

2 28

Jacob Karnick Matrix Rigidity Regulates Acetylation of Histone H3 During TGFβ1-Induced Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition 2 29

Saira Hussain Dynamic-Haptic Robotic Trainer Performance Feedback for Lung Needle Biopsies 2 30

Valerie Doornbos Curriculum Design for an Inclusive, Interdisciplinary Collegiate Wind Competition Course 2 32

Benjamin Pascal Capacity for Li-Ion batteries in Solar Energy distribution and home energy storage 2 33

Sean McNally Identification of Landslides from Google Earth Satellite Data 2 35

Emmeline Evans Feasibility Assessment of Electric Bicycles in Centre Region, Pennsylvania 2 37

Gabriel Batista Forest Carbon Uptake Over 22 Years in a Northeastern U.S. Temperate Forest 2 38

Emma Lancaster Forest Carbon Uptake Over 22 Years in a Northeastern U.S. Temperate Forest 2 38

Bailey Klein Antimicrobial Peptide as a Novel Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Treatment 2 42

Christopher Contos Emissions Abatement via Implementation of Electrocaloric Cooling in Residential Air Conditioning 2 45

Pablo A Franco Almonte The Effects of a Soft Slat Modification on Thin Airfoils 2 46

Mira Baum Cultural Context for the Implementation of Integrated Pest Management on Mushroom Farms in Pennsylvania: Perceived Control Matters

2 49

Hayley Furman Integrated Pest Management Reduces Greenhouse Gas Emissions: The Case of Pennsylvania Mushroom Farms 2 52

Matthew Capuano FPGA-based Pulse Oximetry and Heart Rate Monitoring Device 2 53

Rohan Bhatt Wind Velocity and Analysis 2 55

Erik Christensen Investigating Mechanical Properties of 3D Printed PLA at Different Infill Percentages 2 57

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POSTERSESSION3–1:15p.m.–2:15p.m.Student Name Project Title Poster

Session Table

number Hassan Alqaffas “Coffee Can” Integrable Inexpensive Radar System 3 1

Baqer Al Salman Stoichiometric ratios in synthesis of SiO and how they affect Lithium-Silicon Batteries 3 4

Fred Jin Drone Optimization: Increasing Hover Time and Structural Stability of Package Carrying Drones With Lithium-Ion Batteries

3 5

Grace Trott Drone Optimization: Increasing Hover Time and Structural Stability of Package Carrying Drones With Lithium-Ion Batteries

3 5

Nicole Angel Material & Energy Waste during Turbine Blade Replacement 3 8

Risa Lewis Adapting Agricultural Anaerobic Digestion to Human Behavior: Factors of Adoption in Pennsylvania and Beyond 3 11

Allison Saunders From Food to Power in Pittsburgh: A Financial and Policy Analysis of Industrial Food Waste as an Anaerobic Digester Feedstock

3 12

Joey Zamora Simulating Building - Level Carbon Capture Systems 3 14

Zachary Gabel Improving Lean Manufacturing Education through Online Multi-player Simulation 3 16

Saaman Khalilollahi Improving Lean Manufacturing Education through Online Multi-player Simulation 3 16

Georgia Christopoulos Full-Circle Nutrient Management Using an Aquatic Biomass for Regenerative Agriculture in the State of Pennsylvania

3 17

Ashleigh Henry Full-Circle Nutrient Management Using an Aquatic Biomass for Regenerative Agriculture in the State of Pennsylvania

3 17

Jordan Porter Back to the Basics: Improve Building Performance Using Vegetation 3 20

George Issa Lithium Ion Battery Feasibility Study 3 22

Jiafu Chen Review of research and development in self-healing materials 3 23

Connor Haney Modeling CPV Solar Panels 3 26 Mohammed Buhlaigah Mechanosensory Influences on Gaze Stabilization in Flies 3 30

Fatima Althunayan Investigating The Effect Of Adding ILs To Ponatinib And Blincyto On T-Cell Activity 3 31

Ali Alkhater Functionalizing Benzotriazole as an Initiator in Kumada Coupling 3 32

Anna Nguyen Producing Pennsylvania-themed Podcasts for Project Drawdown 3 33

Maxwell Goodman Quantifying the Impact of Albedo-Warming from Afforestation: Looking to the Future 3 38

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Table number

James Sanders Quantifying the Impact of Albedo-Warming from Afforestation: A Historical Case Study 3 39

Andrew Miles Improving the genetic transformation efficiency of Brachypodium distachyon for the incorporation of value-added traits using plant-based expression vectors

3 40

Emmett Meinzer Natural Language Processing of Social Media Data to Drive Experiential Redesign 3 41

Sarah Schanwald Apples to Energy: Achieving Pittsburgh, PA’s Climate Action Goals Using Food Waste as a Feedstock for Anaerobic Digestion

3 44

Whitney Ashead Does Tillage Depth of Cover Crops and Manure Impact Nitrous Oxide Emissions? 3 45

Jessica Chou Can nitrous oxide emissions be reduced by changing the application timing of dairy manure fertilizer and amount of total nitrogen input to crops?

3 48

Benjamin Sheldon A Small-scale Cost Analysis of a Solar Power Installation 3 50

Amanda Liebhardt Winter Rye: Energy Potential of Cover Crops with Anaerobic Digestion and Uses for Solid Digestate 3 53

Matthew Arenas Biogas Cleaning and Optimization of Biomethane Transportation in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania 3 54

Selena Tan Green Retrofit Design of a Single-Family House in Severe Cold Climate in Harbin, China 3 56

Laura Rodriguez Alvarez Environmental Prospects of Carbon Dioxide Sequestration and Utilization in Pennsylvania’s Industrial and Agricultural Sectors

3 58

POSTERSESSION4–2:15p.m.–3:15p.m.


Table number

Eduardo Granata-Rodriguez

Enhancing the impact of Gen Ed-level environmental science at Penn State using Drawdown solutions

4 1

Demi Amideneau The Effects of Climate Variability on Fertility in Sub-Saharan Africa 4 6

Anna Armao The Effects of Climate Variability on Fertility in Sub-Saharan Africa 4 6

Katrina Burka The Effects of Climate Variability on Fertility in Sub-Saharan Africa 4 6

Sara Ronnkvist The Effects of Climate Variability on Fertility in Sub-Saharan Africa 4 6

Nina Dupes Reshaping the Netload of Buildings with PV Considering Ramping and Carbon 4 9

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Table number

Sidney Hopson Virtual Reality Education for Undergraduate Engineers 4 11

Hector Rios-Jaime Virtual Reality Education for Undergraduate Engineers 4 11

Colton Schlauderaff Development of Distributed Control Methods for Distributed Storage Devices in Microgrids 4 13

Anuja Oke Clayey Soils and Waste Brick Powder for Partial Cement Replacement 4 15

Andrew Bardone Removal of Ferritic Soil through Heavy Liquid Density Separation 4 17

Corey Scamman Feasibility Analysis of Electric Vehicles in Pennsylvania 4 20

Corrin Collins Engineering Ethics for First Year Seminar Courses 4 22

Zerui Li An overview of general reward system in reinforcement learning 4 24

Dharma Santos-Santiago Developing wind energy curriculum for First Year Engineering Seminars 4 25

Dalton Nycz Battery health assessment using ultrasonic testing 4 27

Gabbie Batzko Sustainable Development Goal Curriculum Modules For Engineering First-Year Seminars 4 28

Xing Chen Optical Coherence Tomography 3D Scanning Stage 4 34 Darlene In Optical Coherence Tomography 3D Scanning Stage 4 34 Disha Patel Optical Coherence Tomography 3D Scanning Stage 4 34 Nathan Sylvain Optical Coherence Tomography 3D Scanning Stage 4 34

Colin Miller Exploring New Methods to Visualize Eye Tracking Data 4 36

Stephanie Tsopanidis Simulating Energy Saving and Carbon Reducing Building Strategies For Residential Buildings in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil

4 37

Lindsey Sutton Investigation of the nano-texturing of the back- contact for a solar cell with different perovskite chemistries

4 39

Garrett Sutton A Study on the Light Absorption of Perovskite Solar Cells with Embedded Lead Sulfide Quantum Dots 4 39

Jason Kepner Integrating Immersive Videos into Surveying Engineering Education 4 41

Courtney Barber Integrating Holistic Thinking into Cornerstone Engineering Curriculum 4 43

Clara Bardot Integrating Holistic Thinking into Cornerstone Engineering Curriculum 4 43

Benjamin Sekely Impact of Bioplastic Use on Greenhouse Gas Emissions 2 47

Chenzhang Zhou Fano Effect in Transition Metal Dichalcogenides 4 48 Yujing Wang Intelligent Automated Visual Inspection System 4 49

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Table number

Adrian Keisuke Kato Developing and Testing a Virtual Reality Module to Teach Manufacturing Systems Concepts 4 51

Shuoqiu Yang Developing and Testing a Virtual Reality Module to Teach Manufacturing Systems Concepts 4 51

Joshua Mathews Developing and Testing a Virtual Reality Module to Teach Manufacturing Systems Concepts 4 51

Johnathan Tielsch Predicting the Future Performance of Additive Manufacturing Technologies 4 52

Madeline Weikel Framework for Assessing Climate Change Implications of Green Stormwater Infrastructure 4 54

Caroline Tevnan The Unintended Congestion Cost and Greenhouse Gas Emissions Impacts of Solar Policies in California 4 56

Maya Zambrano-Lee Refrigerant Management: Financial Analysis of Reducing Greenhouse Gases through the Montreal Protocol

4 58

Nebraska Hernandez Women Smallholders 4 59 Autumn Moore Women Smallholders 4 59 Isabela Schultz Women Smallholders 4 59 Kirsten Taylor Women Smallholders 4 59

Acknowledgements

The Office of Student Research and Graduate Equity would like to thank our partners in funding and running these REUs: Nick Jones, executive vice president and provost of Penn State; Madelyn Hanes, the vice president for Commonwealth Campuses; Tom Richard, the director of the Institutes of Energy; Chad Frischmann, the vice president and research director of Project Drawdown; and all of the faculty and staff across the University who have made these programs successful.

A special thank you to the faculty mentors and their research teams for creating the rewarding research experiences for all participants. Your strong support and generous donations of time and materials have made this summer a success.

Thank you to the College of Engineering staff—especially our colleagues in the Dean’s Office and in the Center for Engineering Outreach and Inclusion. Without your support and time, the program would not stand as strong as it does today. We would also like to thank Associate Dean for Equity and Inclusion Tonya Peeples for her program oversight and guidance.

Finally, a big thank you to the students for their hard work and determination—we wish you well in your next endeavors (and don’t forget us when you are famous)!

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ABSTRACTS–DRAWDOWNSCHOLARSREUBenedicte Adair Session 2, Table 14 Home Institution: Rochester Institute of Technology Major: Chemical Engineering Anticipated Graduation Date: May 2022 Faculty Mentor: Tom Richard (College of Agricultural Sciences) Drawdown Solution Sector: Buildings and Cities Drawdown Project Type: Modeling Project Title: Proposing Smart Piezoelectric Sensor Networks for Sustainability Research Energy efficiency has long been heralded as one of the easiest and most effective ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Yet despite being a good financial investment, the practice of using smart networks of piezoelectric sensors on factory floors is rarely connected to sustainability. Known as preventative maintenance, these easy steps are well known to reduce energy demand and extend the lifespan of industrial equipment – factors with significant emissions costs. This project seeks to identify existing gaps in current preventative maintenance research regarding potential sustainability benefits. As such, initial connections have been made between established preventative maintenance impacts and their associated climate change effects. These connections indicate the potential for significant reduction in greenhouse gases that warrant future research. Demi Amideneau Session 4, Table 6 Home Institution: Florida International University Major: Sustainability and the Environment Anticipated Graduation Date: May 2020 Faculty Mentor: Brian Thiede (College of Agricultural Sciences) Project Partner(s): Anna Armao, Katrina Burka and Sara Ronnkvist Drawdown Solution Sector: Women and Girls (Family Planning) Drawdown Project Type(s): Modeling and Feasibility Assessment Project Title: The Effects of Climate Variability on Fertility in Sub-Saharan Africa Previous literature has predicted that population levels will continue to rise throughout the upcoming century, raising questions about Earth’s carrying capacity. The UN has predicted that by 2100 the African continent will account for one third of the world’s population, posing a unique opportunity to study population dynamics in the region which has not neatly fit into traditional demographic transition models. Project Drawdown predicts that family planning and increased education for girls will lead to a decrease in population size, mitigating CO2 emissions globally under the assumption that fertility rates work independently of climate. However, recent demographic literature suggests that households adapt to climatic variability through a range of demographic processes, such as by migrating or modifying reproductive behaviors. Relatively few studies have addressed the latter. This project examines the empirical relationship between climatic changes and fertility rates in 26 sub-Saharan African countries. We link and analyze historical climate records from the Climate Research Unit Time Series and demographic data from 77 samples of the Demographic and Health Survey (DHS). Using these data, we construct a person-year dataset of women’s climate exposures and birth histories that spans 33 years, from 1984 to 2017. We examine the relationship between exposure to temperature and precipitation anomalies and the likelihood of subsequent childbearing, producing descriptive statistics and estimating multivariate regression models. Our results will allow us to assess the presence of feedbacks between climate and fertility. This evidence will

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help to improve projections of population growth under the “business-as-usual” scenarios used to quantify the benefits of Project Drawdown interventions, and to better understand climate adaptation more broadly. Nicole Angel Session 2, Table 8 Home Institution: University of Alabama Major: Mechanical Engineering Anticipated Graduation Date: Spring 2021 Faculty Mentor: Amrita Basak (College of Engineering) Drawdown Solution Sector: Electricity Generation Drawdown Project Type: Curriculum Development First Project Title: Revamping ME300- Engineering Thermodynamics This study seeks to develop new curriculum for the ME300- Engineering Thermodynamics course at Penn State. This newly developed curriculum will incorporate Drawdown concepts regarding renewable energy and electricity generation into the current thermodynamics syllabus. Current curriculum focuses on electricity generation using cycles driven by refrigerants and fossil-based fuels. Both of these are damaging to the environment. When considering the environmental impact of these two materials in correlation with the current climate crisis, switching to renewable energy sources becomes a necessity. Therefore, it is of the utmost importance to teach students how to analyze and use renewable energy as well as how to be environmentally conscious. Thermodynamics is an ideal class to accomplish this goal because it analyzes different forms of energy. By designing projects and homework assignments for students to do, students will learn about how electricity is generated via renewable energy as well as how to bring that concept outside the classroom and into the real world. Homework problems will accomplish the former while projects will accomplish the latter. Although there is no clear way to quantify the impact of a better education, better education leads to more informed citizens and workers who are then able to make more well informed decisions in both their daily lives and careers. Thanks to this revamped curriculum, Penn State’s engineering students will be more environmentally conscious and able to help lead the way into a greener and cleaner world. Session 3, Table 8 Drawdown Solution Sector: Materials Drawdown Project Type: Modeling Second Project Title: Material & Energy Waste during Turbine Blade Replacement Aircraft propulsion belongs to a critical industrial segment with the blades inside the gas turbines representing one of the most aggressive applications of high-temperature materials. Traditionally, turbine blades are manufactured using conventional methods, such as investment casting. However, investment casting, especially single crystal (SX) casting, is expensive and consumes a high amount of energy. In addition, hot-section components, such as these blades, have a limited operating life due to their rotational motions and high thermal stress which cause material losses from abrasion, oxidation, and corrosion attack through worn protective coatings. Currently, there is no way to repair these blades to their original integrity. Therefore, there is a high amount of material waste and energy use associated with the overhaul of a plane engine due to both the discarding of worn turbine blades as well as the production of new turbine blades to replace the discarded ones. For example, one Boeing 787-9 plane uses a GEnx-1b74/75 engine which contains two high pressure turbines (HPT) with 62 SX blades each. These blades have a life of approximately 25,000 hours. After this time, all 124 SX blades will be discarded and replaced. When blades are discarded, they will either be scraped or reverted. Reverting is a process that seeks to reclaim the superalloy components of the blade. However, this method is imperfect, so there will always be some material lost. Because one of the key components of most turbine blade superalloys, rhenium, has a low crustal abundance, it is important to limit material waste in order to conserve it. By analyzing current and predicting future material waste and energy consumption used in the production of replacement blades, we can quantify the environmental and energy benefits of developing repair processes suitable for turbine blades

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Matthew Arenas Session 3, Table 54 Home Institution: Penn State University Park Major: Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering Anticipated Graduation Date: May 2021 Faculty Mentor: Tom Richard (College of Agricultural Sciences) Project Partners: Amanda Liebhardt, Risa Lewis, Allison Saunders and Sarah Schanwald Drawdown Solution Sector: Electricity Generation (Methane Digesters) Drawdown Project Type: Feasibility Analysis Project Title: Biogas Cleaning and Optimization of Biomethane Transportation in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Anaerobic digestion is the process in which biological material is naturally broken down by bacteria in an oxygen deprived environment to produce a biogas composed of 55% - 70% methane and 30%-45% carbon dioxide (CO2). Through a cleaning process, the methane can be extracted and hold properties similar to natural gas; referred to as biomethane. This creates the potential for injection of biomethane into the existing natural gas pipeline. Biomethane can also be deployed as a compressed or liquid gas and be used to fuel compressed natural gas or liquid natural gas vehicles. There is also a lucrative business in the carbon capture storage of the separated CO2, in which currently the rate is $25-30 per ton stored. In this study, a feasibility analysis is conducted for the state of Pennsylvania to determine optimal transportation and injection of biomethane into the natural gas pipeline as well as the future transportation of carbon dioxide for carbon capture storage. This study was conducted by using modeling based on current literature available and information from AgStar. The results showed 7 of 23 anaerobic digestion sites having a positive yearly revenue stream. 5 sites were $30,000 away from breaking even. The total amount of natural gas produced would fulfill .0005% of Pennsylvania’s natural gas use, however the state is the 5th largest user of natural gas in the US. 32 million gallons of CO2 would be separated and available for geological sequestration if Pennsylvania decides to invest in the practice. Moving forward, this model can be modified to reach greater optimization and revenue from geological sequestration can be calculated. Data calculated can be made available for consumers, farmers, investors, and government officials to make decisions on anaerobic digestion and investing in environmentally sustainable energy production. Anna Armao Session 4, Table 6 Home Institution: University of Cincinnati Major: Economics Anticipated Graduation Date: December 2019 Faculty Mentor: Brian Thiede (College of Agricultural Sciences) Project Partners: Demi Amideneau, Katrina Burka and Sara Ronnkvist Drawdown Solution Sector: Women and Girls (Family Planning) Drawdown Project Types: Modeling and Feasibility Assessment Project Title: The Effects of Climate Variability on Fertility in Sub-Saharan Africa Previous literature has predicted that population levels will continue to rise throughout the upcoming century, raising questions about Earth’s carrying capacity. The UN has predicted that by 2100 the African continent will account for one third of the world’s population, posing a unique opportunity to study population dynamics in the region which has not neatly fit into traditional demographic transition models. Project Drawdown predicts that family planning and increased education for girls will lead to a decrease in population size, mitigating CO2 emissions globally under the assumption that fertility rates work independently of climate. However, recent demographic literature suggests that households adapt to climatic variability through a range of demographic processes, such as by migrating or modifying reproductive behaviors. Relatively few studies have addressed the latter. This project examines the empirical relationship between climatic changes and fertility rates in 26 sub-Saharan African countries. We link and analyze historical climate records from the Climate Research Unit Time Series and demographic data from 77 samples of the Demographic and Health Survey (DHS).

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Using these data, we construct a person-year dataset of women’s climate exposures and birth histories that spans 33 years, from 1984 to 2017. We examine the relationship between exposure to temperature and precipitation anomalies and the likelihood of subsequent childbearing, producing descriptive statistics and estimating multivariate regression models. Our results will allow us to assess the presence of feedbacks between climate and fertility. This evidence will help to improve projections of population growth under the “business-as-usual” scenarios used to quantify the benefits of Project Drawdown interventions, and to better understand climate adaptation more broadly. Whitney Ashead Session 3, Table 45 Home Institution: Penn State University Park Major: Agricultural Sciences and Geography Anticipated Graduation Date: May 2020 Faculty Mentor: Armen Kemanian (College of Agricultural Sciences) Drawdown Solution Sectors: Food (Nutrient Management, Sustainable Agriculture and Regenerative Agriculture) Drawdown Project Type: Modeling Project Title: Does Tillage Depth of Cover Crops and Manure Impact Nitrous Oxide Emissions? Nitrous oxide is a greenhouse gas with 298 times more warming potential than carbon dioxide, causing it to be a major contributor to global warming and depletion of the stratospheric ozone. A large portion of nitrous oxide emissions occur in agriculture, primarily in saturated or low-oxygen soil conditions with excess nitrogen. Nitrous oxide is challenging to measure and there is little data that illustrates the effects of cover crops and livestock manure on nitrous oxide emissions. To study this, we used a computer simulation model, Cycles, that generates nitrous oxide outputs dependent on the soil, crop, climate, tillage, or season inputs. Using the model, we virtually planted cover crops, applied manure, and then changed the depth at which both were tilled into the soil. The simulation ran for 37 years in Pennsylvania conditions with historic weather data and Hagerstown soils. We found that shallower tillage of crimson clover cover crops and livestock manure reduced the nitrous oxide outputs without changes to the yield. It is important to note that there is also a potential for high nitrous oxide emissions that the Cycles model is unable to detect. With these results, we can assess minimum tillage for improved nitrogen management and reduction of nitrous oxide emissions. Claire Barber Session 4, Table 43 Home Institution: Colorado College Major: Environmental Studies (Film Studies Minor) Anticipated Graduation Date: May 2022 Faculty Mentor: Sarah Ritter (College of Engineering) and Sven Bilén (College of Engineering) Project Partner: Clara Bardot Drawdown Solution Sectors: Food, Electricity Generation, Women and Girls, Buildings and Cities, Land Use, Transportation, Materials Drawdown Project Type: Curriculum Development Project Title: Integrating Holistic Thinking into Cornerstone Engineering Curriculum Engineering Design 100 (EDSGN 100) is the cornerstone course taken by nearly all first-year Penn State engineering students. One of the course’s emphases is the importance of systems thinking in the engineering design process. Through relevant and engaging materials, our work aims to increase consideration of a holistic framework, specifically incorporating socioeconomics, policy, health, and the environment, which previously had not been deliberately considered within design projects in EDSGN 100. Due to the significant reach of the course, increasing students’ literacy of these aspects is crucial for preparing engineers to excel in their future careers. Our curriculum development centered on augmenting two educational modules currently used within the course—“Seeing the Big Picture” and “Goals for Change”—to strengthen the connection between holistic thinking and the engineering design process as applied during student design projects. In approaching “Seeing the Big Picture,” we identified opportunities for activities to engage students and developed materials that clearly emphasized the need to consider environmental, policy, social, health,

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and economic factors in the design process. We created several new interactive activities centered on systems thinking, life-cycle analysis, and root cause analysis. Additionally, “Goals for Change” was completely re-designed to emphasize the interdependencies between global challenges put forth by the United Nations and the National Academy of Engineering, while connecting to Project Drawdown climate change solutions through a project-based, student-led approach. Ultimately, we hope to make the resources, which are broadly applicable to many fields, both technical and non-technical, available online for educators to use around the country. In emphasizing the importance of systems thinking in EDSGN 100 and making the resources accessible, we hope to further help people consider holistic frameworks behind global issues across disciplines. Clara Bardot Session 4, Table 43 Home Institution: Columbia University Major: Sustainable Development Anticipated Graduation Date: Spring 2021 Faculty Mentors: Sarah Ritter (College of Engineering) and Sven Bilén (College of Engineering) Project Partner: Claire Barber Drawdown Solution Sectors: Food, Electricity Generation, Women and Girls, Buildings and Cities, Land Use, Transportation, Materials Drawdown Project Type: Curriculum Development Project Title: Integrating Holistic Thinking into Cornerstone Engineering Curriculum Engineering Design 100 (EDSGN 100) is the cornerstone course taken by nearly all first-year Penn State engineering students. One of the course’s emphases is the importance of systems thinking in the engineering design process. Through relevant and engaging materials, our work aims to increase consideration of a holistic framework, specifically incorporating socioeconomics, policy, health, and the environment, which previously had not been deliberately considered within design projects in EDSGN 100. Due to the significant reach of the course, increasing students’ literacy of these aspects is crucial for preparing engineers to excel in their future careers. Our curriculum development centered on augmenting two educational modules currently used within the course—“Seeing the Big Picture” and “Goals for Change”—to strengthen the connection between holistic thinking and the engineering design process as applied during student design projects. In approaching “Seeing the Big Picture,” we identified opportunities for activities to engage students and developed materials that clearly emphasized the need to consider environmental, policy, social, health, and economic factors in the design process. We created several new interactive activities centered on systems thinking, life-cycle analysis, and root cause analysis. Additionally, “Goals for Change” was completely re-designed to emphasize the interdependencies between global challenges put forth by the United Nations and the National Academy of Engineering, while connecting to Project Drawdown climate change solutions through a project-based, student-led approach. Ultimately, we hope to make the resources, which are broadly applicable to many fields, both technical and non-technical, available online for educators to use around the country. In emphasizing the importance of systems thinking in EDSGN 100 and making the resources accessible, we hope to further help people consider holistic frameworks behind global issues across disciplines. Gabriel Batista Session 2, Table 38 Home Institution: Florida International University Major: Biology Anticipated Graduation Date: December 2019 Faculty Mentor: Margot Kaye (College of Agricultural Sciences) Project Partner: Emma Lancaster Drawdown Solution Sector: Land Use Drawdown Project Types: Feasibility Analysis and Modeling Project Title: Forest Carbon Uptake Over 22 Years in a Northeastern U.S. Temperate Forest

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Temperate forests play an important role in the global carbon cycle by sequestering atmospheric carbon dioxide and storing above-ground and below-ground carbon. Quantifying these carbon (C) pools and fluxes is critical in understanding temperate forests’ relevance in reversing global warming. As forests age, tree growth is one of the primary ways in which carbon accumulates. Therefore, by measuring tree growth, an increase in forest carbon stock over time can be evaluated. The changes in C stocks were calculated over 22 years in 20 study plots located in the Pennsylvania Game Commission Lands 176. The 20 plots were measured with identical surveying techniques in 1997 and 2019 to compare the change in above-ground C over the last 22 years. Trees with greater than 11 cm diameter at breast height (DBH) were used in allometric equations to estimate above-ground wood carbon (Chojnacky et al 2013). Tree stem carbon estimates and leaf litter values from similar forest sites (Aber 1993) were added to yield an estimated Above-ground Net Primary Productivity (ANPP) for each site. As a result, an average ANPP value of 0.540 kg/m2/yr predicts the forests’ tree growth and subsequent increase in C stock since 1997. In addition, plots 16,17,and 18 were surveyed in 2019 to estimate the forests’ current below-ground C stock. An average carbon per unit area of the O-Horizon and A-Horizon soil layers were estimated at 1.88 kg/m2. However, these values are a small representation of the forest carbon cycle in Northeastern U.S. Temperate Forests. Significant forest C datum is missing within the scientific community, therefore further research must be conducted to establish a proper assessment of the US regional carbon cycle. Since forests serve as large carbon sinks, estimating the most accurate total carbon sequestration in temperate forests is essential in reversing global warming. Gabbie Batzko Session 4, Table 28 Home Institution: Appalachian State University Major: Sustainable Technology and Sustainable Development Anticipated Graduation Date: May 2020 Faculty Mentor: Andy Lau (College of Engineering) Drawdown Solution Sectors: Transportation, Land Use and Electricity Generation Drawdown Project Type: Curriculum Development Project Title: Sustainable Development Goal Curriculum Modules For Engineering First-Year Seminars The Pennsylvania State University is updating engineering first-year seminars (FYS) to include ethics and humanities by incorporating more sustainability and human rights concepts. My research with Penn State’s Drawdown centered around creating new curriculum for Penn State FYS that incorporates the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Lesson plans were created over the course of eight weeks and include information received from Penn State faculty and students, as well as the experiences I’ve had throughout my own academic career. The lessons cover a variety of topics including the SDGs, Rooftop Solar, Farmland Irrigation and Architecture, and EBikes and Biking Infrastructure from the following sources: the College of Engineering at Penn State, the UN’s SDGs, and Project Drawdown research. FYS students will develop their skills in sustainability through projects and assignments that help students work creatively on solving issues related to energy use, climate change mitigation, Penn State infrastructure design, etc. Faculty and students participated in a focus-group, interviews, and projects on what they find socially and academically beneficial to a course, which helped shape the format/structure/content of the curriculum. The National Council for Science and the Environment hopes to utilize this curriculum and shape it to fit the needs of other schools in the future. Mira Baum Session 2, Table 49 Home Institution: Columbia University Major: Anthropology, Special Concentration: Sustainable Development Anticipated Graduation Date: May 2020 Faculty Mentor: Amy Snipes (College of Health and Human Development) Project Partner: Hayley Allison Furman Drawdown Solution Sector: Food Drawdown Project Type: Feasibility Analysis

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Project Title: Cultural Context for the Implementation of Integrated Pest Management on Mushroom Farms in Pennsylvania: Perceived Control Matters Integrated Pest Management (IPM) includes exclusion, biological, and chemical controls that aim to reduce the spread of pests and pathogens. When successful, IPM helps reduce reliance on pesticides to control pests. However, the extent to which IPM is implemented on commercial mushroom farms in Pennsylvania is unknown. Moreover, over 90% of the agricultural mushroom workforce in Pennsylvania is Latino. Relationships between nativity and IPM implementation have not yet been studied. This study examines IPM implementation among Latino mushroom farmworkers. Relationships between IPM implementation and perceived control are also assessed. Finally, this study examines whether these relationships could be explained by workers’ birthplace. Survey data from 105 Latino mushroom farmworkers in Pennsylvania were used to determine demographic attributes, IPM implementation behaviors, and perceived control. Summary statistics and chi-square tests were used to analyze relationships. Results suggest that there is a statistically significant relationship between IPM implementation and perceived control among Latino mushroom farmworkers (χ2 =12.28, p = 0.015). However, there was no significant relationship between perceived control and farmworkers’ birthplace. The relationship between perceived control and IPM implementation cannot be explained by differences in workers’ birthplace. Katrina Burka Session 4, Table 6 Home Institution: Penn State University Park Major: International Affairs (M.A.)/Advertising and Political Science (B.A.) Anticipated Graduation Date: May 2020 Faculty Mentor: Brian Thiede (College of Agricultural Sciences) Project Partners: Demi Amideneau, Anna Armao and Sara Ronnkvist Drawdown Solution Sector: Women and Girls (Family Planning) Drawdown Project Types: Modeling and Feasibility Assessment Project Title: The Effects of Climate Variability on Fertility in Sub-Saharan Africa Previous literature has predicted that population levels will continue to rise throughout the upcoming century, raising questions about Earth’s carrying capacity. The UN has predicted that by 2100 the African continent will account for one third of the world’s population, posing a unique opportunity to study population dynamics in the region which has not neatly fit into traditional demographic transition models. Project Drawdown predicts that family planning and increased education for girls will lead to a decrease in population size, mitigating CO2 emissions globally under the assumption that fertility rates work independently of climate. However, recent demographic literature suggests that households adapt to climatic variability through a range of demographic processes, such as by migrating or modifying reproductive behaviors. Relatively few studies have addressed the latter. This project examines the empirical relationship between climatic changes and fertility rates in 26 sub-Saharan African countries. We link and analyze historical climate records from the Climate Research Unit Time Series and demographic data from 77 samples of the Demographic and Health Survey (DHS). Using these data, we construct a person-year dataset of women’s climate exposures and birth histories that spans 33 years, from 1984 to 2017. We examine the relationship between exposure to temperature and precipitation anomalies and the likelihood of subsequent childbearing, producing descriptive statistics and estimating multivariate regression models. Our results will allow us to assess the presence of feedbacks between climate and fertility. This evidence will help to improve projections of population growth under the “business-as-usual” scenarios used to quantify the benefits of Project Drawdown interventions, and to better understand climate adaptation more broadly.

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Franz Chee Session 2, Table 13 Home Institution: Swarthmore College Major: General Engineering (Environmental Studies Minor) Anticipated Graduation Date: May 2021 Faculty Mentor: Chris Giebink (College of Engineering) Drawdown Solution Sector: Electricity Generation (Rooftop Solar/CSP) Drawdown Project Type: Modeling Project Title: Modeling the Energy Yield of Microtracking CPV Technology Solar photovoltaic(PV) performance models have been instrumental in the renewable energy sector as they can predict annual and lifetime energy yields of a given PV system and location. Current models used in the residential/rooftop scale are based on commercially available silicon solar panels. New performance models must be developed for emerging PV cell technologies as they become commercially viable over the next decade. This research project aims to develop a usable performance model for one such technology - microtracking multijunction concentrating photovoltaics (µCPV) - that has the potential to significantly increase the efficiency of rooftop solar power. Our model uses functions contained within the PV_Lib Toolbox developed by Sandia National Libraries and performance data collected by PSU researchers for a prototype µCPV cell. The model is used to assess the potential energy yield of this technology when deployed in different locations around the world. Our findings show that µCPV technology could improve energy yield in locations with a high annual fraction of direct sunlight but would fail to match the output of traditional silicon solar panels in cloudy locations where direct sunlight is reduced. Jessica Chou Session 3, Table 48 Home Institution: Penn State University Park Major: Environmental Resource Management Anticipated Graduation Date: May 2020 Faculty Mentor: Heather Karsten (College of Agricultural Sciences) Drawdown Solution Sector: Food Drawdown Project Type: Modeling Project Title: Can nitrous oxide emissions be reduced by changing the application timing of dairy manure fertilizer and amount of total nitrogen input to crops? A portion of animal manure and inorganic urea ammonium nitrate (UAN) fertilizer applied to farmland as fertilizer can emit as the greenhouse gas, nitrous oxide (N2O), which has a warming potential 298 times greater than carbon dioxide. A potential opportunity to reduce nitrogen losses to the environment is improving the application timing and amount of fertilizers. In northeastern U.S., livestock manure is typically applied prior to corn planting in spring, making manure nutrients vulnerable to environmental losses. Recent innovations in manure application technology allow for manure application in early stages of corn growth. Research focused on this improved synchronization of manure fertilizer application with crop uptake to reduce N2O emissions is limited. In this study, we used Cycles, an agro-ecosystem computer model, to simulate the N2O emissions from a continuous corn field managed with different fertilizer application scenarios in Rock Springs, Pennsylvania. The model uses historical weather data from 1980 to 2016 and Hagerstown soil. We found that splitting manure into two applications and lowering total nitrogen inputs reduced N2O emissions. When half of the manure was applied prior to planting and half applied as sidedress manure without sidedress UAN fertilizer, annual cumulative N2O emissions reduced by 27% while achieving similar corn yields. In addition, applying 50% more manure N at planting emitted 47% greater annual cumulative emissions. These results can encourage more manure application technological innovations, financial incentives to promote adoption of sidedressing manure, and discourage manure and nitrogen applications that exceed crop N requirements to reduce N2O emissions.

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Georgia Christopoulos Session 3, Table 17 Home Institution: University of Florida Major: Sustainability Studies Anticipated Graduation Date: Fall 2019 Faculty Mentor: Rachel Brennan (College of Engineering) Project Partner: Ashleigh Henry Drawdown Solution Sector: Food (Regenerative Agriculture and Nutrient Management) Drawdown Project Types: Feasibility Analysis and Curriculum Development Project Title: Full-Circle Nutrient Management Using an Aquatic Biomass for Regenerative Agriculture in the State of Pennsylvania Nitrogen and phosphorus pollution from agricultural runoff is the leading cause of eutrophication in the Chesapeake Bay, followed by discharges from wastewater treatment plants. This project evaluates the feasibility of full-circle nutrient management by using duckweed to absorb nutrients from wastewater effluents and agricultural runoff. Duckweed can then be applied as a sustainable soil amendment to support regenerative agriculture. This approach reduces nutrient loading from wastewater effluent and fertilizer runoff into receiving waters; decreases energy demands for water treatment and fertilizer production; and can easily be applied in local communities with limited resources that may need to improve water quality and crop production. The feasibility of this approach will be measured using Project Drawdown’s models of these solutions to understand the emissions reduction capabilities, financial productivity, and adoption potential in the state of Pennsylvania. Our secondary goal is to create educational material on regenerative agriculture and nutrient management for the public. Although the basic technical feasibility of this solution has been demonstrated in Dr. Brennan’s lab, this project will investigate these opportunities for a local watershed by conducting a thorough techno-economic analysis using Project Drawdown’s models. Fast growing aquatic plants like duckweed have the potential to enable local communities to simultaneously treat their wastewater and retain critical nutrients that are fundamental to agriculture. Producing soil amendments near the point of use reduces energy consumption that would otherwise be required for synthetic fertilizer production and transportation, and the retention of nutrients in soils increases soil fertility, reduces eutrophication, and contributes to global ecosystem health. This full-circle approach represents a new paradigm for wastewater treatment which could help decrease the severity of the looming food-energy-water crisis by making ecological wastewater treatment and sustainable crop production more practical. Corrin Collins Session 4, Table 22 Home Institution: SUNY Environmental Science and Forestry Major: Sustainable Energy Management Anticipated Graduation Date: May 2020 Faculty Mentor: Andy Lau (College of Engineering) Drawdown Solution Sectors: Transport, Buildings, Electricity Generation and Materials Drawdown Project Type: Curriculum Development Project Title: Engineering Ethics for First Year Seminar Courses Engineers develop advanced technology that benefits society. Engineers’ ethics focus on human well-being, health, and safety that are essential to provide an improved quality life for individuals, society, and our planet. Climate change is a societal issue that encompasses these three ethical focuses. Therefore, climate change topics should be included in the engineering students’ curriculum. Penn State’s First Year Engineering Seminar course introduces a variety of engineering topics for students to learn skills, different frameworks of thinking, and information that are designed to help students to decide on a major. This project develops a four-day curriculum module that addresses personal and professional climate change ethics, as well as climate change solutions. The module includes “The Drowning Child and the Expanding Circle” by Peter Singer, “Time-Sharing Space” engineering case studies, “Rise: From One Island to Another” by Kalaallit Nunarr and Aka Nivana, videos of the Marshall Islands, and Drawdown solutions happening at Penn State. Within his engineering ethics module, there are pre-readings and reflection, group and class discussions, and a creative project.

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The outcome of this module is to ensure first year engineering students have ethical skills. Students’ ethical choices are essential for society to move forward with climate change issues. Christopher Contos Session 2, Table 45 Home Institution: Rowan University Major: Electrical and Computer Engineering Anticipated Graduation Date: May 2021 Faculty Mentors: Qiming Zhang (College of Engineering) and Susan Trolier-McKinstry (College of Earth and Mineral Sciences) Drawdown Solution Sector: Materials (Refrigerant Management and Heat Pumps) Drawdown Project Types: Modeling and Feasibility Analysis Project Title: Emissions Abatement via Implementation of Electrocaloric Cooling in Residential Air Conditioning Air conditioning systems negatively affect the environment; their electrical consumption and leakage of the refrigerant required to run them contribute to global warming. As the planet warms and global GDP increases, the demand for these systems will rise world-wide, stressing energy grids beyond capacity and preventing compliance with global refrigerant and emissions reduction goals. This study provides a quantitative assessment of the impact of scaling electrocaloric (EC) cooling which is estimated to increase energy efficiency by 25% and eliminate the use of refrigerants. The emissions abatement is modeled on a global scale between 2015 and 2050. Using a Life Cycle Climate Performance (LCCP) evaluation, the emissions of one residential or commercial air conditioning unit per region were modeled. The emissions from the individual units were then extrapolated with respect to the residential or commercial AC unit stock within each region to arrive at total regional emissions. The results from each region were then summed to arrive at global emissions for scenarios with and without the adoption of EC cooling. The difference between the two scenarios revealed the emissions abatement. The use of different refrigerants for non-EC units as well as various adoption cases and efficiencies for EC units were investigated. It was found that an emissions abatement of 57.8 – 230.4 GT CO2e can be achieved by commercializing EC cooling by 2029 with global residential adoption between 2030 and 2050. The global commercial adoption of EC cooling can result in an emissions abatement of 194.7 – 265.5 GT CO2e. In addition to providing extensive emissions abatement, electrocaloric cooling systems will reduce energy demand and refrigerant bank growth. Future work will focus on the benefits of implementing EC cooling in mobile vehicles, data centers, and vaccine transportation and storage. Jonathan Diller Session 2, Table 23 Home Institution: Penn State Harrisburg Major: Computer Science Anticipated Graduation Date: May 2020 Faculty Mentor: Peter Idowu (School of Science, Engineering, and Technology) Drawdown Solution Sector: Electricity Generation Drawdown Project Type: Modeling Project Title: Load Leveling Trainer For A Physical Microgrid Improving the reliability and efficiency of microgrids to handle diverse load types will lead to more dependable electrical grids in small communities, which can reduce costs, for both consumers and utility companies, and reduce carbon emissions by decreasing reliance on traditional energy sources, such as burning coal. Better demand side management (DSM) has been proposed as a solution to creating more efficient microgrids as well as preventing the need to increase power generation capacity and transmission. In this research, various algorithms for achieving better DSM through load leveling have been explored, adapted to a physical 45kW microgrid, and evaluated in order to create a load leveling trainer. A simulated case study, based on the electrical load needs of small communities in Bangladesh, was ran and has shown that the load leveling trainer can be used to better balance electrical load demands. This research can be expanded on in future work by adding renewable energy sources and energy storage to the microgrid’s profile, in

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addition to providing a foundation for continuing to develop more advanced algorithms for load leveling through optimization techniques. The load leveling trainer can also be reapplied in more case studies based on different small communities with different load types, which will broaden our understanding of how to implement DSM as it is applied to varying grid needs. Valerie Doornbos Session 2, Table 32 Home Institution: Ripon College Major: Environmental Studies and History Anticipated Graduation Date: May 2021 Faculty Mentor: Susan Stewart (College of Engineering) Drawdown Solution Sectors: Electricity Generation (Wind Turbines) and Women and Girls (Education) Drawdown Project Type: Curriculum Development Project Title: Curriculum Design for an Inclusive, Interdisciplinary Collegiate Wind Competition Course The motivation of this research project was to design curriculum for an interdisciplinary and inclusive wind energy course, which would prepare students to attend the U.S. Department of Energy’s Collegiate Wind Competition (CWC). The CWC is attended by Penn State students every year and allows for many personal and professional development opportunities. A student wind energy club already exists at Penn State, but the gender diversity has historically trailed off throughout the year. There is a desire to engage a broader group of students in the competition and make the environment more inclusive for this group. Therefore, by incorporating student “funds of knowledge,” we designed a curriculum to attract students of all backgrounds, genders, disciplines, and cultures. The resulting 3-credit class will be held Tuesdays and Thursdays in Fall 2019. The course structure is based on information from a variety of sources, including the 2017 Wind Technologies Market Report and the Project Drawdown Onshore Wind Energy Literature Review, and is as follows. Students begin with an introductory module, which will introduce them to wind energy and the societal impacts of wind turbines, among many other concepts. Students will then have the opportunity to select from tracks which will focus on different skill sets and will enable them to learn in an area which best suits them. These tracks include: Project Development, Generator, Aerodynamics, and Electrical/Controls. There are also many optional activities related to Finance/Business, Communications, and several Online Learning modules to help round out their experience. The course will then culminate in a final project, which will require the different sections to come together to produce a report to be used in the competition. By designing this curriculum, we hope to both increase the environmental literacy of all students and help to provide a memorable and inclusive classroom experience. Nina Dupes Session 4, Table 9 Home Institution: Penn State University Park Major: Industrial Engineering Anticipated Graduation Date: May 2021 Faculty Mentor: Gregory Pavlak (College of Engineering) Drawdown Solution Sectors: Electricity Generation and Buildings Drawdown Project Type: Modeling Project Title: Reshaping the Netload of Buildings with PV Considering Ramping and Carbon This research modeled and analyzed the total change in CO2 emissions of a medium sized commercial office building under varying weather conditions, solar energy levels, and subject to optimal control of HVAC systems. Data from previous research provided load profiles for the building under various weather conditions including sunny, cloudy, ramp-up, and ramp-down weather days; these variations included solar photovoltaic (PV) penetration levels of 0, 50, 100, 150, and 200 percent of the building peak load. Changes in the hourly load as a result of additional solar energy or optimization were calculated by comparing the following: a building with no solar energy and no optimization to one with varied levels of solar energy and no optimization, and buildings with the same solar energy level with optimization to those without optimization. The differences in the load profile can be multiplied by hourly summer marginal emission

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factor estimates to determine the total changes in emissions for each condition. Results showed that the addition of solar panels reduced the amount of CO2 emissions when compared to the load profile of a building without solar energy. However, when a building utilizes solar energy and is optimized, the amount of CO2 emissions increases when compared to the load profile of a building with the same amount of solar energy. Though, the decrease in emissions due to solar energy use is consistently more than the increase in emissions due to optimization. Understanding how these emission levels are affected by these variables allows for more informed decisions regarding the use of solar panels and building controls to minimize CO2 emissions. Emmeline Evans Session 2, Table 37 Home Institution: Penn State University Park Major: Mechanical Engineering Anticipated Graduation Date: May 2021 Faculty Mentor: Elizabeth Traut (College of Engineering) Drawdown Solution Sector: Transportation Drawdown Project Type: Feasibility Analysis Project Title: Feasibility Assessment of Electric Bicycles in Centre Region, Pennsylvania In the search for lower-emissions alternatives to internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, electric bicycles, or e-bikes, have emerged as a popular option due to their ease of use, comparatively low cost, and extended range when compared with manual bicycles. This study develops a framework for performing a community level feasibility assessment for the adoption and use of e-bikes, particularly as a mode shift away from ICE vehicles. This work assesses the factors of local and state policy, cyclist safety, costs to households, available infrastructure, and costs to the local municipalities, with additional consideration given to the lifecycle of an e-bike and the potential benefits of use to user health through physical activity. We present a case study for Centre Region, Pennsylvania, which includes the Penn State University Park Campus and immediately surrounding municipalities. Findings suggest that the Centre Region is a strong candidate to adopt e-bikes due to planned and recently made improvements to bicycle infrastructure, the low rates of bicycle crashes and related fatalities, and a population largely earning incomes high enough that purchasing an e-bike is not prohibitively expensive. Hayley Furman Session 2, Table 52 Home Institution: Stetson University Major: Environmental Science Anticipated Graduation Date: Spring 2021 Faculty Mentors: Amy Snipes (College of Health and Human Development) and Tom Richard (College of Agricultural Sciences) Project Partner: Mira Baum Drawdown Solution Sector: Food Drawdown Project Type: Modeling Project Title: Integrated Pest Management Reduces Greenhouse Gas Emissions: The Case of Pennsylvania Mushroom Farms Pennsylvania (PA) is the leader of mushroom production in the U.S.; 63% of all mushrooms in the U.S. are produced in PA. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is heavily implemented on commercial mushroom farms, and is employed via exclusionary, behavioral, and biological methods of pest control, leaving chemical pesticide use as a last resort for eradication of pests. This is critical, since pesticides may contribute to the anthropogenic impact on the planet’s climate. Although IPM is well documented as a tool that can reduce pesticide use in agriculture, the impact of IPM implementation on reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in the mushroom industry is unknown. This study estimates carbon dioxide equivalent emissions (CO2e) from pesticides used in the mushroom industry. We also forecast the potential reduction in CO2e given IPM implementation in commercial mushroom production in PA. CO2e emissions were

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calculated using estimates from the active ingredient of 11 pesticides approved for use in commercial mushroom production, each pesticide’s dilution rate, and the application rates. IPM implementation on commercial mushroom farms in PA reduce CO2e emissions by 1.9 metric tons from 6.2 metric tons to 4.3 metric tons. The CO2e impact of pesticide use in commercial mushroom farms in PA is substantially lowered through the implementation of IPM. Max Goodman Session 3, Table 38 Home Institution: Columbia University Major: Sustainable Development Anticipated Graduation Date: May 2020 Faculty Mentors: Ken Davis (College of Earth and Mineral Sciences), Chris Forest (College of Earth and Mineral Sciences) and Jose Fuentes (College of Earth and Mineral Sciences) Project Partner: James Sanders Drawdown Solution Sector: Land Use (Afforestation) Drawdown Project Type: Modeling Project Title: Quantifying the Impact of Albedo-Warming from Afforestation: Looking to the Future The IPCC’s 2018 special report emphasizes the necessity of large-scale biological carbon sequestration, in addition to rapid emissions reductions, to restrain global warming to 1.5 ֯ Celsius. While afforestation is a popular, scalable, and cost-effective biosequestration strategy, it also reduces the earth’s overall shortwave albedo (reflectivity). The magnitude of afforestation’s albedo-warming effect varies by location, potentially offsetting some or all of the cooling from CO2 sequestration (several earth system model experiments have indicated that high-latitude afforestation could even lead to accelerated global warming). Project Drawdown’s methodology does not yet account for these spatially variable albedo effects, and therefore runs the risk of significantly overestimating the global cooling potential of afforestation. Using global snow cover, irradiance, and land surface data derived from NASA and NOAA radiometric sensing, we map the estimated albedo-derived radiative forcing potential of a hypothetical shift from degraded cropland to forest plantations across the earth’s surface. These values are then time-integrated to 2050 and converted to equivalent CO2 emissions. Finally, using ArcMap’s zonal statistics tool, in conjunction with regional carbon sequestration rates, we produce a table of “albedo takeback” coefficients for afforestation’s 2050 cooling effect in each of Project Drawdown’s thermo-moisture zones. While this analysis fails to account for future changes in cloud and snow cover, it serves as a methodological proof-of-concept for future efforts to integrate the albedo effects of land use change into Project Drawdown’s analysis. Eduardo Granata-Rodriguez Session 4, Table 1 Home Institution: Penn State University Park Major: Energy Engineering Anticipated Graduation Date: Fall 2019 Faculty Mentor: John Hooker (College of Earth and Mineral Sciences) Drawdown Solution Sectors: Land Use, Electricity Generation, Buildings & Cities, Materials, Food, and Transport Drawdown Project Type: Curriculum Development Project Title: Enhancing the impact of Gen Ed-level environmental science at Penn State using Drawdown solutions With the goal of improving understanding of carbon cycling to a non-STEM, collegiate-level audience, we have developed an interactive video series to explain the impact of Drawdown solutions in local to regional-scale communities. Initial development is aimed at students of EARTH 100, a Gen-Ed level environmental science course at Penn State University. Students will be able to navigate through the series whilst making decisions as to what solution categories and solutions they would like to implement. Currently, students can choose to make authoritative decisions either at the campus scale, as President of Penn State, or at the state scale, as Governor of Pennsylvania. For both decision pathways students attempt to meet a specific greenhouse gas reduction whilst staying within an allotted budget, and so optimizing tradeoffs between economic and environmental priorities. Furthermore, the timescale of

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carbon reduction is tracked and contrasted with a four-year election cycle, over which results are demanded by university stakeholders and voters, respectively. Students can use any combination of the following incorporated solutions: Smart Thermostats, Insulation, LED Lighting, Solar Farms, Methane Digesters, Cogeneration, Geothermal, Reduced Food Waste, Composting, Bioplastics, Afforestation, Bamboo, Perennial Biomass, Trains, Mass Transit, and Electric Vehicles. Success is achieved once the minimum level of reduction is met within the allotted budget. With this series, we will enhance the undergraduate curriculum at Penn State using a student-driven learning approach that will serve as a template to analogous exercises at any location. Ashleigh Henry Session 3, Table 17 Home Institution: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Major: Environmental Health Anticipated Graduation Date: Spring 2022 Faculty Mentor: Rachel Brennan (College of Engineering) Project Partner: Georgia Christopoulos Drawdown Solution Sector: Food (Regenerative Agriculture and Nutrient Management) Drawdown Project Types: Feasibility Analysis and Curriculum Development Project Title: Full-Circle Nutrient Management Using an Aquatic Biomass for Regenerative Agriculture in the State of Pennsylvania Nitrogen and phosphorus pollution from agricultural runoff is the leading cause of eutrophication in the Chesapeake Bay, followed by discharges from wastewater treatment plants. This project evaluates the feasibility of full-circle nutrient management by using duckweed to absorb nutrients from wastewater effluents and agricultural runoff. Duckweed can then be applied as a sustainable soil amendment to support regenerative agriculture. This approach reduces nutrient loading from wastewater effluent and fertilizer runoff into receiving waters; decreases energy demands for water treatment and fertilizer production; and can easily be applied in local communities with limited resources that may need to improve water quality and crop production. The feasibility of this approach will be measured using Project Drawdown’s models of these solutions to understand the emissions reduction capabilities, financial productivity, and adoption potential in the state of Pennsylvania. Our secondary goal is to create educational material on regenerative agriculture and nutrient management for the public. Although the basic technical feasibility of this solution has been demonstrated in Dr. Brennan’s lab, this project will investigate these opportunities for a local watershed by conducting a thorough techno-economic analysis using Project Drawdown’s models. Fast growing aquatic plants like duckweed have the potential to enable local communities to simultaneously treat their wastewater and retain critical nutrients that are fundamental to agriculture. Producing soil amendments near the point of use reduces energy consumption that would otherwise be required for synthetic fertilizer production and transportation, and the retention of nutrients in soils increases soil fertility, reduces eutrophication, and contributes to global ecosystem health. This full-circle approach represents a new paradigm for wastewater treatment which could help decrease the severity of the looming food-energy-water crisis by making ecological wastewater treatment and sustainable crop production more practical. Nebraska Hernandez Session 4, Table 59 Home Institution: Penn State University Park Major: Geography Anticipated Graduation Date: May 2021 Faculty Mentor: Kathleen Sexsmith (College of Agricultural Sciences) Project Partners: Autumn Moore, Isabela Schultz and Kirsten Taylor Drawdown Solution Sectors: Women and Land Use Drawdown Project Types: Policy Brief and Curriculum Development Project Title: Women Smallholders

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Drawdown’s Women Smallholder solution proposes that empowering smallholder women farmers through improved credit access will allow them to implement nutrient management and drip irrigation, forms of sustainable agriculture that contribute to the drawdown of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Inherent in Drawdown’s model are optimistic assumptions about cultural and societal systems in which women smallholders exist. We identified these assumptions and examined their validity through a comprehensive literature review, in order to improve the accuracy of the Drawdown women smallholders model. Our research asked: 1) What are the barriers to women smallholders’ access to credit? 2) How do women tend to use loans, and to what extent do they have control over their loans? 3) What barriers prevent rural women from gaining land ownership rights, and to what extent does women’s land ownership also imply decision-making authority over the uses of their land? 4) What obstacles do smallholder women face in adopting nutrient management techniques? Our research led to the following key recommendations: Drawdown should give more weight to the persistence and pervasiveness of discriminatory gender norms in their existing models; Drawdown’s references and models should be centered on rural women as individuals, not the household; improved access to credit alone is insufficient to achieve the model’s predicted outcomes; and that Drawdown should be cautious not to instrumentalize women as a solution to climate change. These recommendations will facilitate Drawdown and decision makers’ generation of accurate models and sensitive policies related to women smallholders and reversing climate change. Emma Lancaster Session 2, Table 38 Home Institution: University of Cincinnati Major: Biology and Environmental Science Anticipated Graduation Date: December 2019 Faculty Mentor: Margot Kaye (College of Agricultural Sciences) Project Partner: Gabriel Batista Drawdown Solution Sector: Land Use Drawdown Project Types: Feasibility Analysis and Modeling Project Title: Forest Carbon Uptake Over 22 Years in a Northeastern U.S. Temperate Forest Temperate forests play an important role in the global carbon cycle by sequestering atmospheric carbon dioxide and storing above-ground and below-ground carbon. Quantifying these carbon (C) pools and fluxes is critical in understanding temperate forests’ relevance in reversing global warming. As forests age, tree growth is one of the primary ways in which carbon accumulates. Therefore, by measuring tree growth, an increase in forest carbon stock over time can be evaluated. The changes in C stocks were calculated over 22 years in 20 study plots located in the Pennsylvania Game Commission Lands 176. The 20 plots were measured with identical surveying techniques in 1997 and 2019 to compare the change in above-ground C over the last 22 years. Trees with greater than 11 cm diameter at breast height (DBH) were used in allometric equations to estimate above-ground wood carbon (Chojnacky et al 2013). Tree stem carbon estimates and leaf litter values from similar forest sites (Aber 1993) were added to yield an estimated Above-ground Net Primary Productivity (ANPP) for each site. As a result, an average ANPP value of 0.540 kg/m2/yr predicts the forests’ tree growth and subsequent increase in C stock since 1997. In addition, plots 16,17,and 18 were surveyed in 2019 to estimate the forests’ current below-ground C stock. An average carbon per unit area of the O-Horizon and A-Horizon soil layers were estimated at 1.88 kg/m2. However, these values are a small representation of the forest carbon cycle in Northeastern U.S. Temperate Forests. Significant forest C datum is missing within the scientific community, therefore further research must be conducted to establish a proper assessment of the US regional carbon cycle. Since forests serve as large carbon sinks, estimating the most accurate total carbon sequestration in temperate forests is essential in reversing global warming.

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Jack Lattimore Session 2, Table 2 Home Institution: Yale University Major: Statistics and Data Science Anticipated Graduation Date: May 2020 Faculty Mentor: Tom Richard (College of Agricultural Sciences) Drawdown Solution Sectors: Food and Land Use Drawdown Project Types: Modeling and Feasibility Analysis Project Title: Flood and Soil Property Impacts on Crop Yields: Where Perennial Buffers may make sense financially within Pennsylvania watersheds Flooding can lower annual cash crop yields and threaten the economic prosperity of farmers. As flooding events become more intense, frequent, and long-lasting due to the effects of climate change, more consideration is needed for which crops to place in high-risk areas. Previous studies have examined the broad impacts of weather events such as flooding or drought on crop yield and farmers’ revenue using long-term averages. This work expands on previous research by taking a case study approach to examine two Pennsylvania watersheds—Beaver Branch and Halfmoon Creek—and analyzes the impact of soil properties while considering the potential effects of extreme weather events such as flooding. We predict soil property impacts on crop yields and return on investment by combining predicted crop yields with other terrain and biophysical properties and applying machine learning techniques such as LASSO, principal components analysis, and random forests. The results indicate a statistically significant negative return on investment for corn, likely due to flooding, and that soil properties such as available water storage and soil organic carbon have large impacts on return on investment. This analysis will help farmers and other stakeholders identify fields that may benefit from flood-resistant crops and perennial cropping systems like riparian buffers, thus establishing a more resilient and sustainable farming operation. Risa Lewis Session 3, Table 11 Home Institution: University of Connecticut Major: Applied and Resource Economics Anticipated Graduation Date: May 2020 Faculty Mentor: Tom Richard (College of Agricultural Sciences) Drawdown Solution Sector: Electricity Generation (Methane Digesters) Drawdown Project Type: Feasibility Analysis Project Title: Adapting Agricultural Anaerobic Digestion to Human Behavior: Factors of Adoption in Pennsylvania and Beyond Recent federal policy changes have allowed captured methane from anaerobic digesters (AD) to help ethanol meet the Renewable Fuel Standard’s national goals. Agriculture generates almost a tenth of US carbon emissions, and agricultural AD has emission reduction potential far greater than ethanol, especially when the biogas generated is upgraded to Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) for pipeline injection or vehicle use. However, American investment in agricultural AD has grown slowly compared to the European Union due to differences in energy security and environmental stewardship. Research is scarce on farmer decision-making when investing in AD, resulting in a lack of understanding on how best to support farmer adoption. This study reviewed the literature and the AgStar Livestock Anaerobic Digester Database in order to understand the current feasibility of agricultural AD investment in the US and specific to Pennsylvania. A set of discussions with farmers and industry experts will also provide an accepted list of factors most important to AD investment decision-making in preparation for a choice study. The future choice study will measure tradeoffs between investment factors in order to best inform policy to improve and increase farmer adoption of AD in New England. So far, the key factors are: Environmental Stewardship, Grant Amount, Project & Permit Consultant, Return on Investment, Risk Tolerance, and Odor Control.

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Policy recommendations include: AD developer review forum, standardized state ombudsman programs, streamlined permitting processes, a stable economic credit similar to Germany’s feed-in tariff, and state mediation programs for utility interconnection and net metering. A greater understanding of the political, economic, and social factors impacting investment in agricultural AD can significantly reduce national carbon emissions and provide the basis for future negative carbon energy with RNG. Amanda Liebhardt Session 3, Table 53 Home Institution: Penn State University Park Major: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Anticipated Graduation Date: May 2021 Faculty Mentor: Tom Richard (College of Agricultural Sciences) Drawdown Solution Sector: Electricity Generation (Methane Digesters) Drawdown Project Type: Feasibility Analysis Project Title: Winter Rye: Energy Potential of Cover Crops with Anaerobic Digestion and Uses for Solid Digestate Anaerobic digestion is a process that harnesses the metabolic potential of bacteria to produce methane from biomass, like crop residues and manure. This methane can be compressed further to produce heat, electricity, or fuel. Biogas production via anaerobic digestion can be used as an alternative for fossil fuels and has the potential to significantly reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Additionally, diverting crop residue to anaerobic digesters (ADs) would harness the methane for power rather than emitting methane during decomposition, a GHG with roughly 23-34 times more heat trapping potential than carbon dioxide. A barrier to adopting ADs on farms is high upfront costs for equipment and construction. In Pennsylvania, the average dairy farm size is significantly smaller than most farms with anaerobic digesters. As a consequence, many farmers do not have enough animal waste to consistently produce enough methane to make the investment of an AD realistic. Including crop residues as well as animal waste in ADs could make the investment more economically viable. Using data from potential winter rye yields on corn and soy fields in PA, the total biogas and energy potential of winter rye was calculated. Winter rye can potentially to produce up to 3.05 trillion BTU annually accounting for 100% of the addressable market [6,7]. Additionally, the solid digestate from the AD can be used as a fertilizer due to the high ammonium content. As Pennsylvania is agriculturally bountiful, more ADs installed on farms have the potential to significantly reduce methane emissions from unprocessed decomposing waste while producing renewable energy. Autumn Moore Session 4, Table 59 Home Institution: Columbia University Major: Sustainable Development Anticipated Graduation Date: Spring 2022 Faculty Mentor: Kathleen Sexsmith (College of Agricultural Sciences) Project Partners: Isabela Schultz, Nebraska Hernandez and Kirsten Taylor Drawdown Solution Sectors: Women and Land Use Drawdown Project Types: Policy Brief and Curriculum Development Project Title: Women Smallholders Drawdown’s Women Smallholder solution proposes that empowering smallholder women farmers through improved credit access will allow them to implement nutrient management and drip irrigation, forms of sustainable agriculture that contribute to the drawdown of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Inherent in Drawdown’s model are optimistic assumptions about cultural and societal systems in which women smallholders exist. We identified these assumptions and examined their validity through a comprehensive literature review, in order to improve the accuracy of the Drawdown women smallholders model. Our research asked: 1) What are the barriers to women smallholders’ access to credit? 2) How do women tend to use loans, and to what extent do they have control over their loans? 3) What barriers

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prevent rural women from gaining land ownership rights, and to what extent does women’s land ownership also imply decision-making authority over the uses of their land? 4) What obstacles do smallholder women face in adopting nutrient management techniques? Our research led to the following key recommendations: Drawdown should give more weight to the persistence and pervasiveness of discriminatory gender norms in their existing models; Drawdown’s references and models should be centered on rural women as individuals, not the household; improved access to credit alone is insufficient to achieve the model’s predicted outcomes; and that Drawdown should be cautious not to instrumentalize women as a solution to climate change. These recommendations will facilitate Drawdown and decision makers’ generation of accurate models and sensitive policies related to women smallholders and reversing climate change. Natalie Neptune Session 2, Table 9 Home Institution: Penn State Harrisburg Major: Civil Engineering Anticipated Graduation Date: May 2022 Faculty Mentors: Shirley Clark (School of Science, Engineering, and Technology) and Faegheh Moazeni (School of Science, Engineering, and Technology) Project Partner: Joshua Wagner Drawdown Solution Sector: Buildings and Cities Drawdown Project Types: Feasibility Analysis and Modeling Project Title: Estimating Energy Savings and Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction through Substitution of Penn State Harrisburg's Water Source Project Drawdown highlighted the energy required to distribute water from a source to the people and noted that improvements to the water distribution system could reduce this energy. Rainwater and condensate harvesting, e.g., replacing non-potable use water from a distant treatment plant with locally harvested rainwater or condensate, has the potential the energy required for treating water and pumping it to the campus. This feasibility study assesses the potential of water capture and reuse at Penn State Harrisburg, based on potential end uses of the harvested rainwater and needed levels of treatment. Currently, the study of implementing water capture and reuse with buildings in Pennsylvania are few, especially in regard to Penn State Harrisburg’s campus. No studies to date have been conducted that determine the quantity of harvestable water that is produced on campus in comparison to water needs on campus, nor has the energy cost of transport been addressed. By analyzing different nonpotable water uses on campus, the feasibility analysis addresses the question of whether water capture and reuse can reduce carbon emissions on campus when compared to pumping potable water several miles for non-potable & potable campus uses. The feasibility analysis using estimated water usage suggest that the benefits of implementing rainwater harvesting and condensate harvesting do not justify the cost. For rainwater harvesting, it is estimated that 9,250 lbs. of carbon dioxide are saved through this process. Condensate harvesting may have a negative carbon cost of estimated 9,397.63 lbs. of carbon dioxide. However, while rainwater harvesting has a positive carbon return, the financial cost of a second piping system, plus the carbon cost of any required treatment may offset the savings. Based on these results, rainwater harvesting provides less benefit because it is not needed for landscape irrigation and the campus piping system is already in place. A better cost-benefit analysis may occur when implemented on new construction, such as with the new academic learning center being proposed. Also, it is important to note that higher-end uses require more treatment which results in more carbon emissions and less of a regional benefit. Future research will expand this study to find the feasibility of implementing a few above-ground tanks at specific locations around Penn State Harrisburg’s campus in areas where non-potable water is needed and currently being supplied by city water.

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Anna Nguyen Session 3, Table 33 Home Institution: Penn State Brandywine Major: Food Science Anticipated Graduation Date: May 2022 Faculty Mentor: Laura Guertin (Science) Drawdown Solution Sectors: Buildings and Cities, Electricity Generation, Food, Land Use, Materials, Oceans, Transportation and Women and Girls Drawdown Project Type: Curriculum Development Project Title: Producing Pennsylvania-themed Podcasts for Project Drawdown Podcasts have become popular as an educational tool in recent years, but there is still a lack of podcasts that focus on climate change, specifically ones that address efforts to reverse global warming in Pennsylvania. The goal of this project is to create a series of audio files that address the Project Drawdown solutions in Pennsylvania. In order to create the podcasts, various individuals from different academic institutions, businesses, and non-profit organizations were identified and interviewed. The end result is ten podcasts, in which eight of them represent the eight Drawdown sectors and the remaining two will serve as the introduction and conclusion. The collection of podcasts will be published online on a website (https://sites.psu.edu/drawingdownpa/), together with their corresponding transcripts and supplemental materials. The collection will be called “Drawing Down in Pennsylvania” and it will be shared on environmental/sustainability higher education listservs in the state as well as listservs in Pennsylvania for K-12 science and public libraries. Dalton Nycz Session 4, Table 27 Home Institution: The University of Alabama Major: Physics and Math Anticipated Graduation Date: May 2020 Faculty Mentor: Andrea Argüelles (College of Engineering) Drawdown Solution Sector: Electricity Generation (Battery Storage) Drawdown Project Type: Modeling Project Title: Battery health assessment using ultrasonic testing Batteries are used throughout many sectors for energy storage, but issues with degradation related to both use and time can affect their efficiency. As the world depends more and more on batteries for uses like electronics, electric vehicles, and storing renewable sources of energy, assessing the health of these batteries is increasingly relevant. Current methods to check battery health rely on checking the voltage or current and using state-estimation software. These methods fail to account for mechanical and chemical changes in the battery as it ages. Our research consists of using ultrasonic testing to assess battery health. We tested new and old iPhone 6 Li-ion batteries to detect structural differences due to degradation. We found that the old battery had more structural imperfections which correlated with how well the batteries held a charge. The results suggest ultrasonic modeling and testing can give a picture of the current structure of the battery, leading to better diagnosis of battery health. Furthermore, this approach for real-time battery health monitoring can lead to more efficient design and management of energy storage grids. Anuja Oke Session 4, Table 15 Home Institution: The University of Arizona Major: Chemical Engineering Anticipated Graduation Date: May 2020 Faculty Mentor: Esther Obonyo (College of Engineering) Drawdown Solution Sectors: Materials, Buildings and Transportation Drawdown Project Type: Feasibility Analysis

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Project Title: Clayey Soils and Waste Brick Powder for Partial Cement Replacement This research is an exploration of materials that can be used as partial replacement of cement in mortar or concrete. According to the International Energy Agency, cement production accounts for 7% of industrial carbon dioxide emissions and one of the key areas of reducing these emissions is increasing the use of blended cements. Efforts directed at blended cements have focused mostly on materials such as fly ash, and challenges that have been identified with blended cement include low regional availability of materials as well as inferior mechanical strength in comparison to non-blended cement. This exploratory research is directed at generating additional empirical data that can be used to advance the use of locally available clayey soils and powder from waste bricks in blended cement. To generate empirical data, mortar cubes using waste brick powder were prepared and tested for compressive strength, and X-Ray Diffraction was used to characterize the properties of the waste brick powder at the microstructural level. From regional soil data analysis, preliminary findings indicate that there is widespread availability of clayey soils in State College, Pennsylvania. While the mortar cubes with the highest amount of waste brick powder had 7% lower compressive strength than mortar cubes containing only cement, microstructural analysis suggests that the brick powder has pozzolanic characteristics. Further experimental work is needed, specifically with compressive testing at higher curing ages to provide a more accurate representation of mechanical properties. Benjamin Pascal Session 2, Table 33 Home Institution: City College of New York Major: Mechanical Engineering Anticipated Graduation Date: May 2021 Faculty Mentor: Chris Rahn (College of Engineering) Drawdown Solution Sectors: Electricity Generation (Rooftop Solar and Battery Storage) Drawdown Project Types: Modeling and Feasibility Analysis Project Title: Capacity for Li-Ion batteries in Solar Energy distribution and home energy storage Renewable energy is becoming a more mainstream source of electricity that combats climate change with clean energy. Though many difficulties arise with implementation, the storage of such energy which would be essential still needs to be developed. Lithium ion batteries are a growing source of energy storage in homes. Consumer products such as the Tesla Powerwall are being marketed and sold to homeowners who are looking for increased resiliency to grid failures, energy independence, and cost savings from limits on net metering. Batteries are expensive, but are expected to decrease in the coming years, especially when their limited life is factored in. This project will research battery models that are currently being used, improve the aging prediction capability using literature degradation mechanisms, and provide a cost/benefit analysis for houses which use solar energy and Li ion batteries for storing the excess generated energy. These results may help to guide the future of the energy sector and provide better integration into society. Jordan Porter Session 3, Table 20 Home Institution: Oregon State University Major: Ecological and Architectural Engineering Anticipated Graduation Date: Spring 2022 Faculty Mentor: Sez Atamturktur (College of Engineering), Somayeh Asadi (College of Engineering) and Melika Sharifironizi (College of Engineering) Drawdown Solution Sector: Buildings and Cities Drawdown Project Type: Modeling Project Title: Back to the Basics: Improve Building Performance Using Vegetation Atmospheric CO2 concentrations have reached 416 ppm, surpassing the highest known concentration in the last 400,000 years by over 38%. The United States is the second largest CO2 emitter in the world,

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with residential electricity use accounting for 20% of the total emissions. Therefore, a radical reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from the housing sector is necessary to mitigate the consequential effects of global warming. Studies on housing retrofits focus on improving the energy efficiency of buildings, but do not address the potential for bio-sequestration. In this report, vegetation-based retrofit strategies were studied for their potential impacts on building energy efficiency, as well as, their potential to sequester carbon. A base model for a single-family home was constructed using DesignBuilder software. Climate data from Phoenix, AZ was applied to simulate energy performance and equivalent CO2 emissions for ten retrofit scenarios. During each simulation, only one material was altered in order to understand the impact of individual materials. Clay and earthen materials were added to the exterior walls and roof to mimic that of a vertical garden and green roof, shading was included to mimic the impacts of climbing vegetation. Results showed that soil based vertical gardens and green roofs save between 1,200 and 3,000 kWh per year, while the associated equivalent carbon emissions increased up to 1,400 kg CO2. Shading did not significantly impact energy efficiency or equivalent carbon emissions. The simulation, however, did not account for the cooling effects of evapotranspiration that may be associated with plants. Based on literature review, retrofitting with algae photobioreactor facades shows promising potential for bio-sequestration while also providing an insulative barrier for the buildings. By furthering research on living building systems, it is possible for buildings to become energy producers rather than environmental energy consumers. Laura Rodriguez Alvarez Session 3, Table 58 Home Institution: University of Wisconsin - Madison Major: Biological Systems Engineering Anticipated Graduation Date: May 2021 Faculty Mentor: Tom Richard (College of Agricultural Sciences) Drawdown Solution Sector: Electricity Generation (Methane Digesters) Drawdown Project Type: Feasibility Analysis Project Title: Environmental Prospects of Carbon Dioxide Sequestration and Utilization in Pennsylvania’s Industrial and Agricultural Sectors To achieve future climate goals, reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) levels in the atmosphere is imperative as this greenhouse gas (GHG) amplifies and accelerates global warming, causing disruption in all ecosystems. According to Project Drawdown, the power sector is the largest emitter of GHGs, contributing approximately 40% of total annual GHG emissions. CO2 enhancement of anaerobic digesters (ADs) and geologic sequestration of CO2 are innovative technologies capable of reducing GHGs within this sector. Optimizing ADs using CO2 enhancement involves inputting CO2 into the initial AD phase in order to maximize methane production. This could decrease CO2 emissions by 3-8% and increase biomethane production by 11-96% depending on the digester feedstock. This study analyzed agricultural ADs in Pennsylvania (PA), finding that CO2 in biogas can be re-looped into ADs to create more methane, enabling an increase of about 4,174,931 kWh/year in renewable energy production with a CO2 reduction of 1,707 metric tons/day. Geologic sequestration of this gas was also analyzed in PA; examining the potential to store CO2 in places such as saline formations, oil and gas reservoirs and unmineable coal areas. Through the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, it was found that CO2 sequestration can permit PA to store 88.5 billion metric tons of CO2/year, equivalent to 300 years of the state’s total emissions. As this process is costly, a feasible way to implement this technology involved locating areas that presently have transportation and storage systems. Ultimately, CO2 enhancement and geologic sequestration are valuable resources in drawing down GHG emissions.

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Sara Ronnkvist Session 4, Table 6 Home Institution: Iowa State University Major: Statistics Anticipated Graduation Date: May 2020 Faculty Mentor: Brian Thiede (College of Agricultural Sciences) Project Partners: Demi Amideneau, Anna Armao, and Katrina Burka Drawdown Solution Sector: Women and Girls (Family Planning) Drawdown Project Types: Modeling and Feasibility Assessment Project Title: The Effects of Climate Variability on Fertility in Sub-Saharan Africa Previous literature has predicted that population levels will continue to rise throughout the upcoming century, raising questions about Earth’s carrying capacity. The UN has predicted that by 2100 the African continent will account for one third of the world’s population, posing a unique opportunity to study population dynamics in the region which has not neatly fit into traditional demographic transition models. Project Drawdown predicts that family planning and increased education for girls will lead to a decrease in population size, mitigating CO2 emissions globally under the assumption that fertility rates work independently of climate. However, recent demographic literature suggests that households adapt to climatic variability through a range of demographic processes, such as by migrating or modifying reproductive behaviors. Relatively few studies have addressed the latter. This project examines the empirical relationship between climatic changes and fertility rates in 26 sub-Saharan African countries. We link and analyze historical climate records from the Climate Research Unit Time Series and demographic data from 77 samples of the Demographic and Health Survey (DHS). Using these data, we construct a person-year dataset of women’s climate exposures and birth histories that spans 33 years, from 1984 to 2017. We examine the relationship between exposure to temperature and precipitation anomalies and the likelihood of subsequent childbearing, producing descriptive statistics and estimating multivariate regression models. Our results will allow us to assess the presence of feedbacks between climate and fertility. This evidence will help to improve projections of population growth under the “business-as-usual” scenarios used to quantify the benefits of Project Drawdown interventions, and to better understand climate adaptation more broadly. James Sanders Session 3, Table 39 Home Institution: Rice University Major: Applied Mathematics Anticipated Graduation Date: May 2022 Faculty Mentors: Jose Fuentes (College of Earth and Mineral Sciences), Chris Forest (College of Earth and Mineral Sciences) and Alfonso Mejia (College of Engineering) Project Partner: Max Goodman Drawdown Solution Sector: Land Use (Afforestation) Drawdown Project Type: Modeling Project Title: Quantifying the Impact of Albedo-Warming from Afforestation: A Historical Case Study Recent IPCC analysis has demonstrated the necessity of large-scale carbon sequestration as a supplement to emissions reductions if global warming is to remain below 1.5 degrees Celsius. While afforestation is a cost-effective carbon sequestration strategy, the change in surface cover also reduces the Earth’s overall albedo (reflectivity). A lower albedo reflects less solar radiation back into space, leading to a warming effect that can offset some or all of the cooling from CO2 sequestration. Project Drawdown’s methodology does not yet account for these albedo effects, and therefore runs the risk of significantly overestimating the global cooling potential of afforestation. This study looks at the mid-Atlantic region of the US in order to analyze these albedo warming effects. Up through the late 19th century, much of the forests throughout this region were cut down for their wood and to make space for crops; however, the region has since experienced significant forest regrowth. This study uses historical surface data in order to look at yearly percentages of different types of vegetation cover, allowing us to estimate the change in albedo from these regrown forests. Then, we use a forest canopy model to simulate the specific variety of trees within these new forests in order to get a yearly CO2

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sequestration rate. Finally, we convert the change in albedo to an equivalent CO2 forcing. This allows us to compare the net effective carbon drawdown from the afforestation in the Mid-Atlantic by subtracting the overall warming effect of albedo from the cooling effect of CO2 sequestration. By showing how the cooling effect from afforestation can be substantially reduced, this analysis highlights the importance of consideration of albedo warming effects when implementing afforestation projects in order to reduce global warming. Dharma Santos-Santiago Session 4, Table 25 Home Institution: University of Florida Major: Environmental Science Anticipated Graduation Date: Spring 2020 Faculty Mentor: Andrew Lau (College of Engineering) Drawdown Solution Sector: Electricity Generation Drawdown Project Type: Curriculum Development Project Title: Developing wind energy curriculum for First Year Engineering Seminars In the midst of a climate crisis, it is imperative that Penn State as an institution educates students to be aware and critical of the context and impact of their professional work. This means rooting the College of Engineering curriculum in sustainability and ethics. To accomplish this, we have developed wind energy curriculum for Penn State’s First Year Engineering Seminars (FYS). Based on surveys sent out to faculty and engineering students, we generated a list of Drawdown solutions that the participants had the most interest in. We have worked collaboratively with other scholars and prominent faculty at the university to create a bank of dynamic lessons that integrate these popular Drawdown solutions into FYS, including onshore wind, offshore wind, and the future of micro wind. Furthermore, the curriculum includes a set of activities that range from collaborative, hands-on projects to case study discussions. The wind energy lessons accommodate a variety learning styles and are focused on the social, environmental, and economic implications of wind energy development. The purpose of the curriculum is to produce the next generation of well-rounded engineers that can create a sustainable world for all. In the upcoming school year, we will evaluate the success of this new curriculum by measuring engagement with the lessons amongst faculty and students through online questionnaires. Allison Saunders Session 3, Table 12 Home Institution: Seattle University Major: Business Economics Anticipated Graduation Date: June 2020 Faculty Mentor: Tom Richard (College of Agricultural Sciences) Project Partners: Matthew Arenas, Risa Lewis, Amanda Liebhardt, Laura Rodriguez, and Sarah Schanwald Drawdown Solution Sector: Electricity Generation (Methane Digesters) Drawdown Project Type: Feasibility Analysis Project Title: From Food to Power in Pittsburgh: A Financial and Policy Analysis of Industrial Food Waste as an Anaerobic Digester Feedstock Anaerobic Digestion (AD) is a process under which microorganisms break down organic matter to create biogas. Biogas, composed of 60% methane and 40% carbon dioxide, can be used to generate electricity, heat, or compressed for vehicle fuel. This process prevents methane emissions, a potent greenhouse gas with roughly 23-34 times more heating potential than carbon dioxide, through the decomposition process. AD technology is widely implemented in Pennsylvania in agricultural and wastewater treatment plants because livestock manure and crop residuals serve as high energy value feedstocks. However, food waste is not commonly used as a primary feedstock in Pennsylvania AD facilities despite its high energy content and quantity. Pittsburgh, PA has identified AD as an important technology to help the city achieve its goals of an 80% reduction of 2020 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050 and a diversion of 90% of organic waste from landfills by 2030, as laid out by its 2017 Climate Action Plan. This feasibility study identifies sources

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of post-consumer industrial food waste and the financial and logistical challenges in the collection of these wastes in an urban setting. Policy incentives and barriers to collection within the city were also determined. Using case studies of AD in other cities, it was found that stricter policies which regulate organic waste streams can divert food waste from landfills. Transportation infrastructure works best when privatized, with the largest diversion incentive being if waste haulers offer lower tipping fees than landfill haulers. The cost of transportation to an AD is fairly comparable to the cost of hauling to a landfill, but businesses must be willing to make an initial investment in technology needed to salvage food waste for renewable energy production. Ultimately, Pittsburgh can use food waste as a feedstock for an AD to meet its climate action plan goals. Corey Scamman Session 4, Table 20 Home Institution: Bucknell University Major: Computer Science Engineering and Economics Anticipated Graduation Date: May 2021 Faculty Mentor: Elizabeth Traut (College of Engineering) Drawdown Solution Sector: Transportation Drawdown Project Type: Feasibility Analysis Project Title: Feasibility Analysis of Electric Vehicles in Pennsylvania There are 12 million cars in Pennsylvania and 99% of those are conventional vehicles which emit greenhouse gases. Collectively, these cars emit an estimated annual 55 million metric tons of CO# and other harmful gases. The wide scale electrification of passenger vehicles in our society is a promising solution to reduce these emissions. This study presents a state level feasibility assessment framework that can be applied to all states and a case study focusing on Pennsylvania. We analyze barriers to the mainstream adoption of electric vehicles and identify solutions to circumvent these obstacles in areas such as government policy, public perception, financial cost, and the market. Moving forward, there are multiple possible scenarios of implementation dependent upon the cooperation of the government and the free market. Assuming the number of cars stays constant, if EVs can make up 50% of all passenger vehicles by 2040, we can reduce annual greenhouse gas emissions to 27.7 million metric tons. Should electric vehicles become the standard for passenger vehicles in combination with increasing green energy production, our society will take a significant step toward sustainability. Sarah Schanwald Session 3, Table 44 Home Institution: Penn State University Park Major: Environmental Resource Management Anticipated Graduation Date: May 2020 Faculty Mentor: Tom Richard (College of Agricultural Sciences) Drawdown Solution Sector: Electricity Generation (Methane Digesters) Drawdown Project Type: Feasibility Analysis Project Title: Apples to Energy: Achieving Pittsburgh, PA’s Climate Action Goals Using Food Waste as a Feedstock for Anaerobic Digestion Anaerobic digestion utilizes biomass feedstocks from farms, wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), landfills, and municipalities to generate biogas, which contains methane, a potent greenhouse gas (GHG). Because methane has ~34x the heat-trapping potential of carbon dioxide, it is necessary to manage the methane produced through anaerobic digestion by harnessing the gas for energy as heat and electricity. Pennsylvania generates 1.1 million tons of food waste per year, which could be used to generate a significant amount of methane. Pittsburgh’s Climate Action Plan includes goals to install 200MW of renewable energy by 2030 and to have an 80% GHG reduction from 2003 levels by 2050.

Implementing anaerobic digesters (ADs) would help Pittsburgh meet some of these goals. However, the city does not currently have any ADs, and there have not been estimates regarding the total amount of feedstocks that could be used to generate energy. In this study, average US Census data from restaurants, nursing homes, hospitals, grocery stores,

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food manufacturers, and universities were obtained to estimate the total amount of recoverable pre- and post-consumer food waste in Pittsburgh. This data was used to estimate the total amount of energy that could be generated for the city as well as the possible GHG reductions by comparing CO2 and CH4 production in three possible food waste scenarios (landfill to flare, landfill to electricity generation, and AD to renewable natural gas & carbon capture and storage). Pittsburgh could achieve a significant amount of their GHG reduction goals & produce a significant amount of energy based on feedstock estimates. Thus, Pittsburgh should consider implementing ADs. Colton Schlauderaff Session 4, Table 13 Home Institution: Penn State Harrisburg Major: Electrical Engineering Anticipated Graduation Date: May 2020 Faculty Mentor: Javad Khazaei (School of Science, Engineering, and Technology) Drawdown Solution Sector: Electricity Generation (Energy Storage) Drawdown Project Types: Modeling and Feasibility Analysis Project Title: Development of Distributed Control Methods for Distributed Storage Devices in Microgrids The current state of the national power grid does not accommodate for the rapid growth of energy demand. In order to better meet this demand, the Department of Energy aims to implement a microgrid system, which incorporates both renewable energy sources and energy storage devices in localized areas. Energy storage devices are normally installed in a centralized manner and help to better equate real-time supply with demand but can suffer from single point of failure as well as burden the system financially. To address these concerns, this research proposes how microgrids can save CO2 emissions by application of distributed energy storage. The proposed microgrid system includes a 400kW diesel generator, a 200kW solar panel, fixed and variable loads, and four 50kW battery energy storage devices. This research studies the control of energy sources in the proposed microgrid in order to reduce CO2 emissions in increments from 10 to 100% for a 24-hour operating period as well as a detailed cost analysis for implementing batteries and solar panels of different capacities. Energy storage devices still fail to be cost-competitive with the fossil fuel industry but are a notable investment today to offset greenhouse gas emissions when used with renewable energy. Isabela Schultz Session 4, Table 59 Home Institution: University of Massachusetts Amherst Major: Environmental Sociology Anticipated Graduation Date: Spring 2020 Faculty Mentor: Kathleen Sexsmith (College of Agricultural Sciences) Project Partners: Autumn Moore, Nebraska Hernandez, and Kirsten Taylor Drawdown Solution Sectors: Women and Land Use Drawdown Project Types: Policy Brief and Curriculum Development Project Title: Women Smallholders Drawdown’s Women Smallholder solution proposes that empowering smallholder women farmers through improved credit access will allow them to implement nutrient management and drip irrigation, forms of sustainable agriculture that contribute to the drawdown of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Inherent in Drawdown’s model are optimistic assumptions about cultural and societal systems in which women smallholders exist. We identified these assumptions and examined their validity through a comprehensive literature review, in order to improve the accuracy of the Drawdown women smallholders model. Our research asked: 1) What are the barriers to women smallholders’ access to credit? 2) How do women tend to use loans, and to what extent do they have control over their loans? 3) What barriers prevent rural women from gaining land ownership rights, and to what extent does women’s land ownership also imply decision-making authority over the uses of their land? 4) What obstacles do smallholder women face in adopting nutrient management techniques? Our research led to the following key recommendations: Drawdown should give more weight to the persistence and pervasiveness of discriminatory gender norms in their existing models; Drawdown’s

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references and models should be centered on rural women as individuals, not the household; improved access to credit alone is insufficient to achieve the model’s predicted outcomes; and that Drawdown should be cautious not to instrumentalize women as a solution to climate change. These recommendations will facilitate Drawdown and decision makers’ generation of accurate models and sensitive policies related to women smallholders and reversing climate change. Benjamin Sekely Session 2, Table 47 Home Institution: Penn State University Park Major: Chemical Engineering Anticipated Graduation Date: May 2020 Faculty Mentor: Enrique Gomez (College of Engineering) Drawdown Solution Sector: Materials (Bioplastics) Drawdown Project Type: Feasibility Analysis Project Title: Impact of Bioplastic Use on Greenhouse Gas Emissions Throughout the past several years, researchers have been trying to understand the positive and negative effects of the implementation of bioplastics into an industrial and commercial setting. The analysis of greenhouse gas emissions of bioplastics compared to oil-based plastics will help to determine if a conversion is necessary to draw down greenhouse gases. This study investigates the life-cycle assessment (LCA) of bioplastics and oil-based plastics and the emissions associated with the production and degradation processes. Life-cycle assessments were compiled from published literature using online resources. Researchers have reported that bioplastics produce fewer carbon-based greenhouse gas emissions than any currently-used plastic when looking at production and degradation cycles. However, when looking at the amount of carbon-based emissions to provide materials for feedstock, carbon-based emissions are significantly increased. Additionally, bioplastics have been reported to have larger impacts on acidification and eutrophication, resulting in negative impacts on the environment. Future use of bioplastics should consider these tradeoffs in environmental impact. For future analysis, an experiment could be designed to analyze the full degradation cycles of bioplastics and oil-based plastics to determine the total amount of emissions each material gives off during degradation. Selena Tan Session 3, Table 56 Home Institution: Columbia University Major: Civil Engineering Anticipated Graduation Date: May 2022 Faculty Mentors: Sez Atamturktur (College of Engineering), Somayeh Asadi (College of Engineering) and Melika Sharifironizi (College of Engineering) Drawdown Solution Sector: Buildings and Cities Drawdown Project Type: Modeling Project Title: Green Retrofit Design of a Single-Family House in Severe Cold Climate in Harbin, China China is the world’s leading emitter of greenhouse gases and consumer of coal, but it is optimistic to peak CO2 emissions and lower the carbon intensity of gross domestic product by 60% to 65% below 2005 levels by 2030. However, the country has grand urbanization plans—by 2030, 60% of the country’s population, 880 million people, will live in urban areas. Indoor thermal control of residential buildings consumes large quantities of energy and is responsible for significant CO2 emissions. This is especially true in severe cold cities because of the large contrast between outdoor and indoor temperatures. Existing studies on residential retrofits examine the effects of implementing only one green retrofit practice at a time primarily for mid- and high-rise buildings. In this work, we conducted a series of commonly-examined retrofit scenarios to identify the most effective combination of strategies that can reduce the heating demand of an existing single-family house in Harbin, the representative city of

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China’s severe cold region. This study was conducted in DesignBuilder, a modeling and simulation tool used to analyze a building’s energy performance and total equivalent CO2. Life-cycle analyses were conducted for the base model and fifteen retrofit scenarios. The results show that a combination of envelope retrofits—specifically, insulation of the walls, roof, floors, and windows—lowered the house’s heating demand by 27.04%, thereby reducing overall energy consumption by 23.92%. The retrofit practices also significantly reduced the structure’s total equivalent CO2 by 72.77%. Authorities in Harbin may use the results of this study to subsidize effective retrofitting practices of single-family dwellings. This may help the country reach its climate goals by 2030. Leaders of severe cold regions in other parts of the world—including several states in the U.S.—may be inclined to follow China’s lead to collectively improve environmental, economic, and human health. Kirsten Taylor Session 4, Table 59 Home Institution: Case Western Reserve University Major: Chemical Biology and Environmental Studies Anticipated Graduation Date: Spring 2020 Faculty Mentor: Kathleen Sexsmith (College of Agricultural Sciences) Project Partners: Autumn Moore, Isabela Schultz, and Nebraska Hernandez Drawdown Solution Sectors: Women and Land Use Drawdown Project Types: Policy Brief and Curriculum Development Project Title: Women Smallholders Drawdown’s Women Smallholder solution proposes that empowering smallholder women farmers through improved credit access will allow them to implement nutrient management and drip irrigation, forms of sustainable agriculture that contribute to the drawdown of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Inherent in Drawdown’s model are optimistic assumptions about cultural and societal systems in which women smallholders exist. We identified these assumptions and examined their validity through a comprehensive literature review, in order to improve the accuracy of the Drawdown women smallholders model. Our research asked: 1) What are the barriers to women smallholders’ access to credit? 2) How do women tend to use loans, and to what extent do they have control over their loans? 3) What barriers prevent rural women from gaining land ownership rights, and to what extent does women’s land ownership also imply decision-making authority over the uses of their land? 4) What obstacles do smallholder women face in adopting nutrient management techniques? Our research led to the following key recommendations: Drawdown should give more weight to the persistence and pervasiveness of discriminatory gender norms in their existing models; Drawdown’s references and models should be centered on rural women as individuals, not the household; improved access to credit alone is insufficient to achieve the model’s predicted outcomes; and that Drawdown should be cautious not to instrumentalize women as a solution to climate change. These recommendations will facilitate Drawdown and decision makers’ generation of accurate models and sensitive policies related to women smallholders and reversing climate change. Caroline Tevnan Session 4, Table 56 Home Institution: Macalester College Major: Economics Anticipated Graduation Date: May 2021 Faculty Mentor: Joel Landry (College of Earth and Mineral Sciences) Drawdown Solution Sector: Electricity Generation Drawdown Project Type: Modeling Project Title: The Unintended Congestion Cost and Greenhouse Gas Emissions Impacts of Solar Policies in California California’s public policy efforts to incentivize the expansion of solar rooftop photovoltaic (PV) systems in the California wholesale electricity market have led to a tripling of PV capacity between 2013 and 2017 (CAISOMM, 2016). However,

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this unprecedented expansion has contributed to significant network congestion, entailing significant economic costs and affecting greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel generation technologies that PV generation is expected to displace. If this unprecedented expansion continues--as it is widely projected to--PV expansion could have profound unexpected impacts on network congestion and greenhouse gas emissions. My research focuses on the first phase of this project, which involves using non-parametric machine learning models to predict PV solar generation for the entire population of installed PV systems in California. This information will be used in the second phase of the project to infer the impact of new PV expansion on congestion costs and displaced emissions from existing fossil fuel generation. Stephanie Tsopanidis Session 4, Table 37 Home Institution: New York University Major: Environmental Studies & Urban Design and Architecture Anticipated Graduation Date: May 2021 Faculty Mentors: Sez Atamturktur (College of Engineering), Somayeh Asadi (College of Engineering), Melika Sharifironizi (College of Engineering) Drawdown Solution Sector: Buildings and Cities (Ultra-High Efficiency Buildings) Drawdown Project Type: Modeling Project Title: Simulating Energy Saving and Carbon Reducing Building Strategies For Residential Buildings in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil Around 40% of global energy consumption can be contributed to buildings.1 By evaluating the materials with which we construct our buildings, we can determine how to reduce their energy consumption and related carbon emissions. This study will focus on simulating the energy consumption, embodied carbon, and monetary cost of a single-family home in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. A knowledge gap exists concerning sustainable construction strategies in countries with hot-humid climates, such as Brazil. The simulations were performed using the DesignBuilder software to model the monetary cost, energy consumption, and embodied CO2 of eleven building scenarios in the selected climate. One base model was created based on average construction practices from the region, and 10 scenarios were modeled to variate the building’s envelope by changing the materials of its roof, exterior walls, and floors. Installing a terra cotta roof, applying a white paint/plaster over the base model’s roof, and replacing the base model’s floor with linoleum and concrete resulted in best optimizing the building’s embodied carbon, energy consumption, and monetary cost, respectively. Changing the roof led to a 96.63% reduction in embodied CO2, while adding a layer of paint to the roof resulted in a 9.71% decrease in energy consumption, and a 10.58% monetary reduction was produced by replacing the floor. These scenarios have the potential to be combined to produce an optimal building model. The results can be used to expand the knowledge surrounding sustainable building practices in hot-humid climates. Encouraging and implementing sustainable building practices can contribute to reducing embodied CO2, energy consumption, and costs for residents and building managers. Joshua Wagner Session 2, Table 12 Home Institution: Penn State Harrisburg Major: Structural Design/Construction Engineering Anticipated Graduation Date: May 2021 Faculty Mentors: Faegheh Moazeni (School of Science, Engineering, and Technology), Shirley Clark (School of Science, Engineering, and Technology), Grady Mathews (School of Science, Engineering, and Technology) Project Partner: Natalie Neptune Drawdown Solution Sector: Built Environment Drawdown Project Type: Feasibility Analysis Project Title: Investigating the Impact of Green Roofing Carbon Sequestration with GHG Emissions in Structural Reinforcement Production

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In order to achieve proper carbon sequestration, it is estimated by Project Drawdown that as much as thirty percent of worldwide roofing area (136B Sq. ft.) be converted to green roofing. In newly built structures, green roofing is accounted for before construction by reinforcing the structural design of the building. However, in order to achieve thirty percent green roofing space worldwide, it is necessary to convert older structures as well. This brings about a new issue: whether the carbon consuming benefits of green roofing is outweighed by the carbon emissions of producing structural reinforcements for older structures. This project outlines the feasibility of green roofing reinforcement technologies on a smaller scale- the Penn State Harrisburg Campus. The original roofing structures of the campus Science and Technology Building was analyzed for maximum loading capacity. A theoretical weight of 50 pounds per square foot, that of an extensive vegetated roof, was then added to this load. Required reinforcement methods were determined. Lastly, the materials and processes used to implement these reinforcements were analyzed for GHG emissive values. To determine the prerequisite for reinforcement, the weakest component of the roofing was tested; A structural analysis of the open-web joists was performed with added loads from a hypothetical green roof. The conclusion of which shows that the moment of inertia of the joist type 30K8, totaling 428 in4, was incapable of resisting the deflective values of 618 in4. Suggestions for reinforcement and their carbon emissive effects were then determined. The impact of this project gives multinational consumers a guide to the secondary effects of green roofing reinforcement on the environment. These small-scale findings provide a foundation and forum into future expansion on a global scale. Madeline Weikel Session 4, Table 54 Home Institution: New York University Major: Sociology and Environmental Studies Anticipated Graduation Date: Spring 2020 Faculty Mentor: Wu Hong (College of Arts and Architecture) Drawdown Solution Sector: Buildings and Cities Drawdown Project Type: Curriculum Development Project Title: Framework for Assessing Climate Change Implications of Green Stormwater Infrastructure Because wet weather events have been increasingly overwhelming urban stormwater management systems, cities have been turning to green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) to relieve pressure on existing stormwater systems. Vegetated GSI strategies, including bioretention cells and rain gardens, provide additional, nature-based tools to slow, disperse, and/or infiltrate polluted runoff before it reaches local waterways. While the many environmental and social benefits of GSI strategies have been well-researched, life cycle assessments (LCAs) of GSI greenhouse gas emissions impacts is lacking due to inconsistencies in measurement frameworks and difficulty assessing certain carbon footprint components (e.g., emission/sequestration by vegetation). GSI strategies have been tentatively found to have lower emissions impacts than their grey counterparts, and as GSI technologies subsequently become an increasingly more integral part of urban fabrics, it is important to make an effort to choose strategies with the lowest carbon emissions impact in the interest of the future implications on the climate. Synthesizing emissions-driving actions relating to the implementation and maintenance of GSI strategies also provides valuable feedback to landscape architects and engineers as they continuously update and improve GSI designs. Through a review of current limited literature measuring GSI LCAs and/or greenhouse gas emissions impacts of vegetated GSI strategies, we suggest a standardized set of guidelines or assumptions about what to include in LCAs of GSI greenhouse gas emissions. We also identify critical gaps in measurement of certain carbon footprint components (e.g., vegetation emissions from tree stems), and synthesize GSI design and management implications based on existing literature. With a standardized set of guidelines, groups can enact further studies, strengthen the knowledge about GSI emissions, and eventually guide policymakers in their decisions to more responsibly include GSI in their city climate action plans.

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Maya Zambrano-Lee Session 4, Table 58 Home Institution: University of Maryland, College Park Major: Environmental Science and Policy (Spanish Minor) Anticipated Graduation Date: May 2020 Faculty Mentor: Caitlin Grady (College of Engineering) Drawdown Solution Sector: Materials (Refrigerant Management) Drawdown Project Type: Modeling Project Title: Refrigerant Management: Financial Analysis of Reducing Greenhouse Gases through the Montreal Protocol The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer is an international environmental treaty that has enabled an international reduction of ozone-depleting chemicals, such as hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs). However, this transition away from ozone depleting chemicals has led to the widespread use of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), notably for refrigeration and air conditioning. Many HCFC and HFC chemicals have 1,000 times the global warming potential of carbon dioxide. To curb further global warming, parties to the Montreal Protocol adopted the Kigali Amendment in 2016. This legally binding agreement will incrementally phase out HFC production and consumption over the coming decades while continuing to phase out HCFCs, contributing to Project Drawdown’s goal of sustainably managing refrigerants. Under the Montreal Protocol, wealthy countries including the United States are responsible for paying into the Multilateral Fund (MLF), which provides finances to countries in need of assistance for transitioning away from chemicals regulated by the treaty. The goals of this research are to investigate and determine future projected costs of the Montreal Protocol and its Multilateral Fund. To enable this goal, we analyzed MLF documents to update spending patterns and assumptions in a cost model to predict future costs. We have found a steady increase in standard costs of the MLF, inflated budget predictions during MLF replenishment years, and steady spending on HCFCs. We note the need for further research to overcome challenges associated with accurately predicting spending, such as delays in funding disbursements. Governments will be able to utilize this model to simplify annual funding negotiations at future meetings for the MLF. Using the refined cost model, we can also calculate the costs per environmental benefit, allowing for these actions to be compared to other climate mitigation efforts. By managing HFCs under the Kigali Amendment, up to 0.5°C of warming can be avoided by the end of the century. Joey Zamora Session 3, Table 14 Home Institution: The University of Texas at El Paso Major: Mechanical Engineering Anticipated Graduation Date: Spring 2020 Faculty Mentor: Donghyun Rim (College of Engineering) Drawdown Solution Sector: Buildings and Cities (Direct Air Capture) Drawdown Project Types: Feasibility Analysis and Modeling Project Title: Simulating Building - Level Carbon Capture Systems There are compelling studies that display the danger of metabolic CO2 and fossil fuel CO2 while entrapped in the buildings many people occupy. In fact, productivity amongst workers and students can be increased by minimizing CO2 concentrations at building-level. Current direct air capture (DAC) systems are massive and have been developed to sequester carbon dioxide, created from the ignition of fossil fuels, directly from the air at 400 ppm. Simulation of building-level carbon capture devices requires retrofitting these DAC systems into commercial building Air Handling Units. Most if not all CO2 capturing devices function with a sorbent element that bonds with the CO2 as a fan guides it through the reaction chamber. An ideal sorbent is should be low costing and have low regeneration energy. This research aims to simulate various sorbent performances on the removal of carbon dioxide in commercial buildings using the U.S. Department of Energy reference buildings. Specifically, the research will reference a large office building, a medium office building, a primary school, and a secondary school for simulations. A feasibility analysis is needed to understand the cost and energy consumption of selected sorbents. Through careful analysis of the carbon dioxide properties, building circumstances, ventilation techniques, and various carbon dioxide capturing sorbents we can

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successfully model a DAC building. Among the four sorbents studied the zeolite 13x coupled with electric swing adsorption (ESA) proved to be the most efficient in terms of regeneration energy and costs. Although the promising capabilities, more experimental research is needed to justify the prominence of electric swing adsorption as a regenerative process.

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ABSTRACTS-KAUSTGIFTEDSCHOLARSPROGRAMBaqer Al Salman Session 3, Table 4 Home Institution: University of California, San Diego Major: Chemical Engineering Anticipated Graduation Date: Spring 2022 Faculty Mentor: Donghai Wang Project Title: Stoichiometric ratios in synthesis of SiO and how they affect Lithium-Silicon Batteries Lithium-Silicon batteries have been an interest of scientists since the 1980s because of their high potential capacity. However, the development of this technology faced many obstacles, such as, cracking in the Silicon crystal structure due to its volume change, which greatly decreases the capacity of the cell. Fortunately, many materials have the potential to overcome those challenges. In this research, we are going to address how the stoichiometric ratios in the synthesis of Silicon Monoxide as an anode affect the performance of a Lithium-Silicon battery. Two samples with different stoichiometric ratios of SiO2:Si (1.08:1, 1:1.08) were synthesized into SiO. The collected samples were ground and mixed with conductive carbon black and a binder and mixed to a slurry-like consistency. The slurry was deposited on thin Copper sheets and the binder was activated using heat. The coin cells were assembled and tested. Further analysis of the data is needed to determine if there is an apparent difference in battery performance. Ali Alkhater Session 2, Table 32 Home Institution: University of Delaware Major: Chemical Engineering Anticipated Graduation Date: Spring 2021 Faculty Mentor: Enrique Gomez Project Title: Functionalizing Benzotriazole as an Initiator in Kumada Coupling Worldwide Photovoltaic manufacturing demands are expected to surpass 125.5 GWp in 2019 having an annual increase of 15.99%. However, the cell efficiencies for most of this manufactured output remain in the 10-18% range. Solar cells are mostly made from conjugated organic molecules which tend to have narrow absorption bandwidths, leading to losses from some combination of excitonic thermalization or sub-bandgap transmission. To address the problem, poly(3-hexlthiophene) (P3HT) was attached to the polymer leading it to cover more visible spectrum. In order to introduce (P3HT), the macromonomer need to undergo a boronic-esterification via Kumada coupling. Subsequently, this molecule can be further functionalized for polymerization in a Suzuki coupling reaction to form a new fully conjugated bottlebrush polymer. The longer the (P3HT) chain length, the broader the absorption if bandwidths, which ultimately leads to increase the efficiency of solar cell. Hassan Alqaffas Session 3, Table 1 Home Institution: University of Minnesota, Twin Cities Major: Electrical Engineering Anticipated Graduation Date: Spring 2022 Faculty Mentor: Julio Urbina (College of Engineering) Project Title: “Coffee Can” Integrable Inexpensive Radar System The radar was invented 110 years ago. Nowadays radars found everywhere through several applications, from space and military missiles to breast cancer detectors and self-driving cars. With all of these numerous advanced technologies,

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however radar system technologies did not improve like communications or other similar technologies in the previous 20 years. For example, there are drawbacks with the conventional methods are used in scanning radars. They are either mechanically inefficient and slow or electronically expensive. On this project our work was inspired by constructing a radar system based on the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) OpenCourseWare (OCW) online material. It is an inexpensive and small size radar that can be integrated into applications such as light drones and pave the road to many projects. We assembled a multi-function radar with an easily obtainable Radio Frequency (RF) components, 2.4-GHz Antenna Coffee cans, Ramp Generator and Low Pass Filter circuits installed on a small inexpensive printed circuit board (PCB) that we designed, so we can record our data and analyze it through MatLabTm provided code. This radar allows students and non-specialist to obtain experiments and tests for learning, it can assemble a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) image, measure position, velocity and acceleration. Also it could lead the way to develop the future cost reduced and efficiency increased smart radar technologies. Fatima Althunayan Session 3, Table 31 Home Institution: Penn State University Park Major: Biomedical Engineering Anticipated Graduation Date: Spring 2022 Faculty Mentor: Cheng Dong (College of Engineering) Project Title: Investigating The Effect Of Adding ILs To Ponatinib And Blincyto On T-Cell Activity We are conducting this research to make the process of significantly decreasing Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) activity for cancer patients. There are two main solutions to this problem that are already available and they are using Blincyto, which is a bispecific antibody that attaches itself to CD3 which is the T-Cell antigen and to CD19 which is the B-Cell antigen. By doing so the T-Cells are guided to attack the B-Cells and so destruct them. The other solution for treating ALL is using Ponatinib in order to block tumor cell growth in a number of ways including being a Tyrosine Kinase inhibitor. By inhibiting the Tyrosine Kinase that is on the surface of the cancer cells it causes the cancer to shrink. When using both methodologies simultaneously, Ponatinib seems to cancel out the effect on the Blincyto and so not being able to guide the T-Cells towards attacking the B-Cells. We have a hypothesis that adding a mixture of different Interleukins (ILs) seems to rescue the level of activity in the T-Cells and so make using both Ponatinib, Blincyto, and the mixture of ILs simultaneously more advantageous than just using one of them by itself. First we had to make sure that we can recognize the T-Cells from the B-cells and that is by constructing an experiment with live, fixed, fixed and permeabilized Jurkats (T-Cells) and BV173 (B-Cells). After doing so and making sure that we can distinguish the Jurkat cells we went ahead and tested having the mixture of cells with only Blincyto, Blincyto and Ponatinib, Blincyto Ponatinib and IL cocktail. We expect that the addition of the IL cocktail tends to increase the cell activity in Jurkat cells by increasing the Cytotoxicity Proliferation Cytokine Secretion. By finding out how the addition of the IL cocktail affects the T-Cell activity and help shrink cancer cells our findings could increase the lifespan of people of cancer patients and help them fight it with more effective ways. Mohammed Buhlaigah Session 3, Table 30 Home Institution: Penn State University Park Major: Mechanical Engineering Anticipated Graduation Date: Spring 2022 Faculty Mentor: Jean-Michel Mongeau (College of Engineering) Project Title: Mechanosensory Influences on Gaze Stabilization in Flies Flying insects can generate aerial acrobatics that robots cannot yet match. For example, fruit flies use head movements to rapidly stabilize gaze in flight, a critical requirement for detecting visual features. An important factor that affects head movement is the passive dynamics of the neck joint. With recent experiments in our lab, we discovered that the passive neck joint of a fruit fly behaves as a high-pass filter with a cut off frequency of around 150 Hz. In contrast, we found that a blind but active fly can control its head movement when subjected to thorax acceleration of 5gs. Since blind

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flies have no visual feedback, we suspect the presence of another sensory input contributes to head control. We hypothesize that this can be partly due to feedback from the halteres which are mechanosensory organs that sense gyroscopic forces. To test this hypothesis, the current project aims to fix the halteres in order to eliminate their effect. We performed vibration analysis in tethered fruit flies using a shaker with frequencies ranging from 20 to 500Hz. The shaker frequency linearly changes with time, and a high-speed camera is used to capture the head movement of the flies. The head angles relative to the body were then extracted from the captured videos using a combination of image registration and a machine vision software Kinefly. After quantifying head angles, we generated frequency response plots to analyze the head gain across intact- and fixed-halteres flies. Compared to the passive response of the flies, we observed active head stabilization in awake flies. Fixing the halteres tended to increase the gains indicating a critical role for mechanosensory input in active head stabilization. With a more detailed analysis, our observations can provide critical inputs for the design of stable visual systems in aerial robots. Additional Project: Tariq Alnizami Home Institution: Penn State Major: Biomedical Engineering Anticipated Graduation Date: Spring 2022 Faculty Mentor: Ibrahim Ozoblat (College of Engineering) Project Title: Digitally controlled nozzle array platform

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ABSTRACTS-MULTI-CAMPUSREU Andrew Bardone Session 4, Table 17 Major: Civil Engineering Anticipated Graduation Date: Spring 2020 Faculty Mentors: Grady Mathews (Harrisburg), Shelley Stoffels (University Park) Project Title: Removal of Ferritic Soil through Heavy Liquid Density Separation Each year more than 28 million tons of waste is incinerated in the U.S., producing approximately 5 million tons of ash that is disposed of. Of this material nearly 25% of it is ferritic soil containing magnetite, a key mineral used in iron production. Current industry removal processing uses an eddy-current separation technique which only reclaims approximately 2% of the ferritic soils less than 4.75mm in size. This paper focuses on the analysis of ferritic soils as well as a procedure for removing these soils from waste incinerator ash. Physical properties of the ferritic soils were studied through specific gravity, absorption, and gradations. X-ray fluorescence and X-ray diffraction were also utilized to better understand what types of materials were present within the ferritic material. Once the soil was analyzed and prepared, a density separation technique using heavy liquids was applied to remove the ferritic soil from the non-ferritic component so that it can be recycled. This will allow for iron recovery, and it will reduce the burden this material creates within landfills. The goal of this project is to use heavy liquid density separation to increase the amount of ferritic soil recovered. Upon testing the material, it was found that approximately 67% of the ferritic soil, of particle size less than 4.75mm, was able to be reclaimed, a significant increase over the current removal process. Additionally, an ideal density was determined that yielded the greatest amount of recovery, knowing this density will help refine future separation procedures. Tyler Barry Session 1, Table 36 Major: Civil Engineering Anticipated Graduation Date: Spring 2022 Faculty Mentors: Alandra Kahl (Greater Allegheny), Nathaniel Warner (University Park) Project Partners: Jackson Buchko, Alex Van Hulten Project Title: Measuring Surface Water Quality with the AWQUA The growing importance of water quality monitoring has increased the demand for cost effective water monitoring devices. As the global population grows and societies continue to develop, phosphate and suspended solids such as salt are contaminating surface waterways. Currently, the high cost of water monitoring devices hinders environmental scientists from gathering the data they need. High cost also prevents the use of citizen science to collect data from the smaller tributaries and creeks that separate from larger waterways. As a solution to this problem, a cost-effective water quality device was designed that can accurately measure water quality. 3D printing was used to create an easily accessible housing unit for maintenance. We created hardware for these devices using Arduino nano boards and Arduino software, as these are relatively inexpensive. The devices measure temperature, conductivity, and turbidity to measure water quality. Temperature is measured as this affects both conductivity and turbidity. Measuring conductivity is a method for detecting the amount of salt in the water, and turbidity is used for general suspended solids and phosphorous. There is a lot of research that already shows the link between conductivity and salinity, as well as the link between turbidity, suspended solids, and phosphorous. The production of cost-effective water monitoring devices will allow for the use of citizen science to collect the data we are currently lacking.

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Rohan Bhatt Session 2, Table 55 Major: Mechanical Engineering Anticipated Graduation Date: Spring 2021 Faculty Mentors: Azar Eslam Panah (Berks), Bo Cheng (University Park) Project Title: Wind Velocity and Analysis Wind velocity is a vital aspect for mapping how various configuration consisting of multiple buildings can affect pedestrian level comfort. The purpose of this research is to study the flow pattern of the fluid around the buildings and find a configuration consisting a complex of buildings favorable. Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) is a method of visualizing the flow by seeding the fluid with small particles which have similar properties and motion of flow with the fluid. Using this method, the wake shape and low velocity regions were found behind the buildings. Tracking and mapping of the fluid around the buildings can help architects and engineers to decide which configuration should be the best possible one for low wind velocity comfort levels around the buildings. Mohammed Bin Ahmed Session 2, Table 5 Major: Industrial Engineering Anticipated Graduation Date: Fall 2019 Faculty Mentors: Faisal Aqlan (Behrend), Andris Freivalds (University Park) Project Partner: Alison McLure Project Title: An Optimization Model to Evaluate Manual Assembly of Car Toys Kitting is a method that entails creating a group of components in specific containers to be employed in assembly operations for a selected product. For manual assembly processes, kitting promotes a more time-efficient and error-free method to produce a mass amount of complex assemblies. Although already used in industry for this purpose, there is limited literature concerning optimization models and ergonomic assessment of the kitting process. This research develops an optimization model for the assembly process of a car toy. The optimization model is set up such that a set of components, container locations, and customer orders are defined. In addition, parameters such as material cost and component weight are considered. First, we use develop physical simulations to collect data about assembly time and the building process of the car toy. Functional and vehicle requirements are enforced to serve as the customer requirements during the simulation activities. Then, we use the collected data to build an optimization model with the objective of minimizing the total cost of the car toy and the number of moves required to assemble the car. Results show reduction in cost and time as well as improving the production. Jackson Buchko Session 1, Table 36 Major: Nuclear Engineering Anticipated Graduation Date: Spring 2021 Faculty Mentors: Alandra Kahl (Greater Allegheny), Nathaniel Warner (University Park) Project Partners: Tyler Barry, Alex Van Hulten Project Title: Measuring Surface Water Quality with the AWQUA The growing importance of water quality monitoring has increased the demand for cost effective water monitoring devices. As the global population grows and societies continue to develop, phosphate and suspended solids such as salt are contaminating surface waterways. Currently, the high cost of water monitoring devices hinders environmental scientists from gathering the data they need. High cost also prevents the use of citizen science to collect data from the smaller tributaries and creeks that separate from larger waterways. As a solution to this problem, a cost-effective water quality device was designed that can accurately measure water quality. 3D printing was used to create an easily accessible housing unit for maintenance. We created hardware for these devices using Arduino nano boards and Arduino software, as these are relatively inexpensive. The devices measure temperature, conductivity, and turbidity to

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measure water quality. Temperature is measured as this affects both conductivity and turbidity. Measuring conductivity is a method for detecting the amount of salt in the water, and turbidity is used for general suspended solids and phosphorous. There is a lot of research that already shows the link between conductivity and salinity, as well as the link between turbidity, suspended solids, and phosphorous. The production of cost-effective water monitoring devices will allow for the use of citizen science to collect the data we are currently lacking. Matthew Capuano Session 2, Table 53 Major: Electrical Engineering Anticipated Graduation Date: Spring 2020 Faculty Mentors: Nashwa Elaraby (Harrisburg), Bruce Gluckman (University Park) Project Title: FPGA-based Pulse Oximetry and Heart Rate Monitoring Device The design and of an embedded system for pulse oximetry and heart rate monitoring using Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) as the main controller is introduced. The main motivation for this design project is to create a pulse oximetry system that integrates into a complete brain-machine interface (BMI) device which monitors heart and brain measurements and processes them in real time. FPGA’s can be used as an alternative to microprocessors in many embedded applications, biomedical included. Doing so usually increases the processing speed and capabilities of the embedded system due to the FPGA’s ability to provide the parallel processing seen in hardware with the flexibility seen in software, all within a small chip. This project involved designing an FPGA that interfaced with a Texas Instruments AFE4490, a front-end pulse oximetry data acquisition device. The main aspects of the design involved data transfer, real-time DSP, and communication protocols. The system was designed and simulated using Intel Quartus Prime, and ModelSim was used for functional verification. The design was then implemented and tested using Intel Max10 and TI AFE4490 breakout boards. As both a baseline and comparison system for the FPGA design, an Arduino-based design was applied, analyzed, and compared to the FPGA system in order to conclude on the functionality and feasibility of an FPGA-based embedded design. Gregory Carroll Session 1, Table 44 Major: Material Science and Engineering Anticipated Graduation Date: Spring 2020 Faculty Mentors: Ram Rajagopalan (University Park), Daudi Waroba (DuBois) Project Title: Warm Compaction of Nickel Phosphorus Metals Powder Metals (PM) involves compacting metals in a very fine powder form at high pressures to form a desired shape so it can then be placed into a high temperature oven (sintering) to achieve the materials highest mechanical properties. However, these mechanical properties can be tampered with through different processes to increase the overall strength and performance of the material. Compacting these fine powders at a temperature higher than room temperature but below the hot-forging range (50 °C – 150 °C) is known to show an increase in the overall strength of the metals. In this work, nickel powder with an addition of phosphoric acid before compaction to affect the porosity after sintering. Small, pure nickel, cylindrical parts were compacted at 140 °C with a small addition of phosphoric acid and sintered at 1175 °C. The parts are observed under a SEM microscope to observe the grain growth, the grain boundaries, and an elemental analysis is performed as well as microhardness on a Vickers hardness tester. Results from metallography showed improved spherical pores, excellent grain growth, and a good dispersion of phosphorus in the sample. These results show a potential for an increase in the overall strength of the nickel samples and have a wider range of application of these parts.

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Ryan Cassidy Session 2, Table 25 Major: Electrical Engineering Anticipated Graduation Date: Spring 2022 Faculty Mentors: Tracy Carbonetto (Lehigh Valley), Someyah Asadi (University Park) Project Title: Combined Heat and Power In this fast paced, modern world, energy is a very precious commodity and is needed almost everywhere. The progression for newer and more efficient technology is always happening and many people are looking to upgrade whenever possible. Combined Heat and Power, or CHP, is an energy production method that is starting to become more prevalent. CHP uses cogeneration to power a facility. Cogeneration is the generation of electricity and other energy jointly, especially the utilization of the steam left over from electricity generation to produce heat. This method of energy production has been proven to be more reliable, clean and cost effective than the more traditional ways of acquiring energy. Through this research, I would like to determine if converting to CHP is a feasible option for my home campus, Penn State Lehigh Valley. Using different online sources and documents from groups, such as the U.S. Department of Energy, I can investigate the statistics of usage from other peoples and companies as well as the pros and cons of the CHP. This conversion in theory would help to reduce the funding needed for Penn State Lehigh Valley’s energy consumption as well as provide a cleaner and reliable method of acquiring energy. Jiafu Chen Session 3, Table 23 Major: Electrical Engineering Anticipated Graduation Date: Spring 2021 Faculty Mentors: Anwar Sohail (Altoona), David Lyons (University Park) Project Title: Review of research and development in self-healing materials Things break, and constantly replacing a broken object can sometimes be frustrating and costly. Over the past few decades, scientists have been conducting theoretical and experimental research in different disciplinary areas to create self-healing materials with a focus on cost reduction and efficiency improvement. Self-healing materials are artificial or synthetically created substances that can automatically recover damage without any external diagnosis of the problem or human intervention. While the current stage of technology can produce auto repair polymers, they require certain conditions such as temperature or pressure to reach self-reconstruction state. This article describes the current state of research pertaining to the development of self-healing materials. This paper also presents an overview of how self-healing materials can be improved in the future. The goal of research related to self-healing products is to create materials that can eventually repair themselves under different circumstances without external factors. Xing Chen Session 4, Table 34 Major: Computer Science Anticipated Graduation Date: Spring 2021 Faculty Mentors: Yi Yang (Abington), Sean Brennan (University Park) Project Partners: Darlene In, Disha Patel, Nathan Sylvain Project Title: Optical Coherence Tomography 3D Scanning Stage Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT), is a scanning device designed for art perseverance purposes. The 3D scanning stage makes the OCT mobile enough to perform the task. The stage moves every millimeter(mm) while the OCT is attached to it. Every mm that it moves, the device captures an image and is examined to detect damages that may not be visible to the naked human eye. Without the stage, the OCT must be operated manually which opens room for human error. The stage is intended to aid with collecting data with accuracy. However, the results are inconclusive regarding the performance of the stage. In future, the stage along with the OCT scanner will help artists obtain detailed understanding of the painting, the damages that occur within quickly enough for them to fix it and perpetuate it.

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Nicholas Chiappazzi Session 1, Table 24 Major: Mechanical Engineering Anticipated Graduation Date: Spring 2020 Faculty Mentors: Adam Hollinger (Behrend), Michael Hickner (University Park) Project Partner: Chadwick Kypta Project Title: Injection-Molding Electrically Conductive Polymers for PEMFCs With the rising demand for green energy, further development of clean energy sources is necessary. Hydrogen fuel cells can provide a clean source of energy conversion technology for vehicles as well as other forms of transportation. The bipolar plates of hydrogen fuel cells are commonly made of graphite, a relatively heavy and difficult to machine material, making them expensive. This limitation reduces the potential of hydrogen fuel cells in terms of cost and efficiency. An alternative to graphite would be an injection-molded polymer composite with sufficient electrical conductivity. Each material sample was created by adding carbon fiber of different lengths, as well as carbon nanotubes, to the base material, Nylon-6,6, through the process of injection molding. Samples were then tested by using the four-point-probe method to determine if their conductivity met the U.S. Department of Energy technical target of 100 S/cm. Filler dispersion was analyzed via SEM imaging. Post-processing attempts at increasing the conductivity will be made by dissolving the outer nylon layer with acids before retesting. By developing such a composite, a cheaper and lighter substitute for graphite can be used for mass production of hydrogen fuel cells. Erik Christensen Session 2, Table 57 Major: Mechanical Engineering Anticipated Graduation Date: Spring 2020 Faculty Mentors: Brian Maicke (Harrisburg), Paris Von Lockette (University Park) Project Title: Investigating Mechanical Properties of 3D Printed PLA at Different Infill Percentages The purpose of this research is to observe differences in mechanical properties of 3D printed polylactic acid (PLA) at different infill percentages, as well as comparing the results to injection molded PLA. Since additive manufacturing is becoming more widely used for functional parts, it is important to understand how infill will affect mechanical properties. Tensile and 4-point bending tests will be implemented on 10 different infill percentages: 10% to 100% with 10% increments. Previous research done in similar areas was done with fewer infill samples and with different materials. From both tests done, mechanical strength will gradually increase as infill increases. 90% - 100% had the largest increase in strength between both tests. Even at 100% infill, 3D printed objects were found to not be as strong as injection molded objects. This research will allow engineers to use 3D printed functional parts at sufficient strength without increasing material usage and manufacturing time. Larry Covington Session 1, Table 57 Major: Mechanical Engineering Technology Anticipated Graduation Date: Spring 2021 Faculty Mentors: Brian A. Maicke (Harrisburg), David L. Lyons (University Park) Project Title: Analyzing the Axial Distance of “Swirl Effect” in a Hybrid Rocket The main objective of this research is to address the difficulty of generating large thrust in a hybrid rocket by producing a swirl effect inside the fuel chamber. Theoretically, the solid fuel would burn more efficiently with a swirl effect than a traditional hybrid rocket. This would be caused by having swirl injectors in specific placements to allow the liquid oxidizer to swirl around the solid fuel in a cylindrical chamber. However, the boundary layer thickness of the velocity will cause the swirl velocity to slow down. Because of this, swirl injectors will likely need to be placed along the cylindrical chamber to keep the developed velocity constant along the axial distance. The axial distance of the swirl effect was

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calculated to determine if additional swirl injectors are required along the axial distance and the exact point, they should be placed at to maximize the swirl effect. The flow through the cylinder was modeled using Converge computational fluid dynamics (CFD) in the laminar flow regime. Swirl effect is the combination of the equations, swirl number (SN) and swirl angle (SA), which were used to validate the CFD models. Andrew Dauby Session 1, Table 50 Major: Aerospace Engineering Anticipated Graduation Date: Spring 2021 Faculty Mentors: Joan Kowalski (New Kensington), Michael Micci (University Park) Project Partner: Nick Lawton Project Title: Rocket Propulsion: How Nozzle Geometry Affects Thrust An experimental test was conducted on a small rocket engine to directly compare thrust produced by standard conical rocket nozzles with that produced by bell shaped nozzles created using the method of parabolic approximation. It has been shown empirically that bell shaped nozzles outperform conical nozzles of the same size in large rockets, however, the results are not quite as clear for small rocket engines. The rocket nozzles analyzed were standard converging-diverging nozzles. The shape and angle of the converging section were kept constant while the diverging section was conical or bell shaped and had a half-angle of either 12,15, or 18 degrees. The next step is to measure the thrust using a load cell and compare results. All 3 bell shaped nozzles are expected to perform the best with minimal real-world differences between them. The conical nozzles are expected to be slightly less powerful. Hunter Di Domizio (Altoona) Session 1, Table 27 Major: Energy Engineering Anticipated Graduation Date: Spring 2021 Faculty Mentor: Xiaoxing Wang (University Park) Project Title: Effect of Support Properties on CO2 Capture over Molecular Basket Sorbent: Surface Area and Surface Modification The primary objective of this research is to improve our fundamental knowledge on the CO2 sorption performance of molecular basket sorbent (MBS) with different composition for CO2 capture from a simulated flue gas. Selective sorption of CO2 from flue gas is extremely important in order to mitigate the greenhouse gas emissions and remediate the global climate change. It is also a crucial step for CO2 utilization. The latest technology uses the chemical absorption processes of liquid amine aqueous solutions commercially implemented in industry. However, this method requires more energy for regeneration and suffers high viscosity, low absorption rate and equipment corrosion. Therefore, new approaches for more energy-efficient and cost-effective CO2 capture are highly desired. One of the promising methods is using MBS, which have shown several potential advantages for CO2 capture including high capacity, high selectivity, suitable operation temperatures, positive moisture effect, good regenerability, and stability. In this research, a series of sorbent materials using silica support with different surface area and surface modification at different amine loading have been prepared and evaluated for CO2 capture by TGA. The sorption data will be collected and analyzed. Based on the results, it was found the surface area of the support plays an important role to achieve high CO2 sorption capacity. The higher surface area, the better CO2 sorption capacity. Using a fumed silica with the surface area of 300 m2/g, the CO2 capacity can reach as high as 9.96%. The surface modification of silica support can further improve CO2 sorption capacity of MBS. With the addition of APTMS, the capacity increased to 10.75%. We also notice that the amine structure of APTMS, i.e., primary, secondary and tertiary amine also influences the improvement in the sorption capacity. Tertiary amine is better than secondary amine and secondary amine is better than primary amine. It probably is because tertiary amine could help open PEI intermolecula spaces for CO2 capture with its branched structure, resulting in more accessible sites for CO2, thus leading to higher CO2 sorption capacity.

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Kurt Diehl Session 2, Table 18 Major: B.S. in General Engineering-Applied Materials Track Anticipated Graduation Date: Spring 2020 Faculty Mentors: Ram Rajagopalan (University Park), Daudi Waroba (DuBois) Project Title: A Study of the Effect on Mechanical Properties of Direct Phosphorous Addition to anIron-based Powder. The Powder Metal (PM) manufacturing process is a process by which a metal powder is compacted and heated to convert the powder to a solid metal part. The powder is first compacted to the desired shape and then a process known as sintering is used to heat the compact to a temperature that is below the melting point of the metal, but is high enough to allow the metal molecules to diffuse into each other and form solid metal bonds. Compaction pressure and sintering temperature are varied to obtain the desired mechanical properties. The resultant parts are net shape and possess near identical mechanical properties as traditional wrought machined parts. Iron and carbon, as well as alloying agents such as molybdenum, manganese, copper, and phosphorous, are used to form high strength steels. In this study, we explore the effect of direct phosphorous addition on the mechanical properties of sintered steel. This is accomplished by directly mixing phosphoric acid into the metal powder prior to compaction. The mechanical properties were determined by measuring green strength of the unsintered compact, as well as the transverse rupture strength using 3-point bending analysis. The effect on green and sintered densities was also analyzed. Optical and SEM microstructural analysis were used to visually see the impact on the metal structure of the addition of phosphorous in steel. Aaron Dominick Session 1, Table 19 Major: Engineering Science Anticipated Graduation Date: Spring 2021 Faculty Mentors: Christopher Kube (University Park), Adam Zottola (New Kensington) Project Title: Applying Additional Texture to the Fingertips of 3D Printed Prosthetic Hands The 3D printing of prosthetics increasingly shows itself to be the best way to provide cheap and easy to replace prosthetics to populations in need. When 80% of the world’s disabled population lives in a developing country without access to a good healthcare system, it is important to maximize the abilities of the hand without increasing cost. Current open source prosthetic hand designs that are available often fore go the addition of any added 3D printed texture to the fingers and instead opt for the use of gel fingertip grips. In developing countries, it is often difficult to get niche items cheaply, so a 3D printed option would be beneficial. To see if there is any additional benefit to an added 3D printed texture, the base finger and a newly designed finger were tested using a combination of common grips and a force sensor to see if there is any significant difference in maximum static friction when gripping a cup. The modified hand saw a 30% increase for the medium wrap grasp, a 40% increase for the disk grasp, and a 36% increase for the thumb-index finger grasp compared to the standard hand. The results show that the added texture does provide some extra grip strength. With further research into the optimal design of the fingertip texture, the new addition may prove to be a beneficial option to increase the efficiency of the prosthetic hand for populations in developing countries. Yuhan Dong Session 1, Table 7 Major: Mechanical Engineering Anticipated Graduation Date: Spring 2021 Faculty Mentors: Mukul Talaty (Abington), Jessica Menold (University Park), Anne Martin (University Park) Project Partner: Manuel Roshardt Project Title: Determining Strength, Fit and Printing Speed of 3D Printed Lower Extremity Prosthetic Sockets According to the National Limb Loss Information Center, there are approximately 1.7 million people living with limb loss in the United States. Lower extremity prosthetics allow amputees regain their abilities to walk and positive outlook

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associated with the independence this engenders [1]. For a trans-tibial amputee, a complete prosthesis consists of a socket, pylon, and a foot. The socket is particularly important as it connects the other components to the body and transmits all the forces between the body and the prosthesis through the residual limb skin. The conventional method of producing a socket heavily relies on technicians’ skills and experiences and is messy and time consuming. As a result, sockets produced may not fit properly, and may require revision without which discomfort, pain, and occasionally residual limb skin breakdown can occur. To make the process of producing sockets more exact and cost and time efficient, 3D printing technology has recently been explored. This approach could significantly reduce the possibility of making human errors as well as the manufacturing time. Neither the methodology for this process nor the impact of methodological variation in the fabrication on the mechanical properties of the resulting socket have been well described – if at all – in scientific literature. Our goals in this work were to refine and finalize a method to create a CAD model of a socket from a scan of a patient’s residual limb, to prototype and fabricate testing jigs to allow strength testing of sockets, to use those jigs to test sockets in a material testing machine, to develop a protocol to assess the goodness of the fit of the 3D printed socket, and to explore how various 3D printing parameter choices affect print times. To date, we have refined the modeling protocol using the software Mesh mixer, allowing the creation of the socket from a scan of a residual limb and have printed numerous sockets. We have benchmarked the effect of numerous printing parameters and determined that layer height has one of the most significant impacts on print speed. Also, we are evaluating a variety of approaches to quantify how closely the modeled and printed socket fits the initial residual limb from which it was created. Initial gross and qualitative evaluation indicated the fit of a 3D printed socket was “very good” (based on visual destructive inspection by an experienced prosthetist). As means to further evaluate this objectively and quantitatively, we are exploring using a laser scanner, resistive thin-film sensor and a rapidly solidifying liquid to mold the space between the socket and limb model. For strength testing, jigs to allow proper loading to be applied to the socket through our material testing machine were finalized and have been submitted for fabrication out of stainless steel at a local shop. Several design iterations were created, rapid porotype by additive manufacturing to ensure proper fit and functionality, allow a range of loads to be applied – simulating those applied during walking and subsequently to simplify the machining process. The jigs were also printed at full density (100% infill) and tried for actual strength testing. This testing is currently underway. These outcomes will provide important framework and objective guidance to the field as it moves forward with involving 3D printing in socket fabrication practices. Hanna Drozynski Session 1, Table 21 Major: Biomedical Engineering Anticipated Graduation Date: Spring 2022 Faculty Mentors: Seyed Hamid Sanei (Behrend), Charles Bakis (University Park) Project Title: The Effect of Strain Rate on Tensile Properties of Injection Molded Multiwall Carbon Nanotube Reinforced Nylon Strain rate can affect the yield strength, ultimate strength, stiffness and elongation of carbon nanotube (CNT) composites. As tensile samples get pulled at different rates, the chain mobility of the polymers is varied. Different engineering applications have different strain rates which change the characteristics of the material. There is no research done on strain rate with injection molded composites of high CNT content. In this research, mini-tensile samples were injection molded with CNT content of 0-15wt%, strain rates of .0006, .0013, .0019 and .0025 s-1 were tested. It was found that as strain rate increased, the ultimate strength and stiffness of the tensile specimens increased. Moreover, as CNT content increased, the elongation of the tensile specimens decreased. Jonathan Ehring Session 1, Table 10 Major: Mechanical Engineering Anticipated Graduation Date: Spring 2020 Faculty Mentors: Esfakur Rahman (Harrisburg), Robert Hickey (University Park) Project Title: Study of Electroless Deposition of Nickel Nanoparticles onto Carbon Fiber Reinforcement within a Hybrid Aluminum Matrix Composite

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Hybrid aluminum matrix composites (HAMCs) consist of two or more reinforcing materials homogeneously distributed within an aluminum matrix. A hard ceramic such as aluminum oxide or silicon carbide is typically chosen in combination with a high tensile material, such as carbon fiber, in order to increase the composite strength. Once dispersed within the matrix, the carbon fibers carry much of the stress applied to the composite. HAMCs are researched for their applications in automotive and aerospace industries, whose strength to weight ratios increase overall fuel efficiency and performance. In recent attempts, the carbon fibers did not bond well with the aluminum matrix, due to the large difference in the coefficient of thermal expansion between the fibers and aluminum, causing the fibers to slip. However, coating the fiber surface with nickel nanoparticles has been suggested by current authors to effectively bond the fibers with the surrounding matrix. The carbon fibers were coated with nickel nanoparticles using an electroless bath with varied levels of acid and fiber concentrations. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and x-ray dispersive spectroscopy (XDS) were used to qualitatively characterize the fibers, while thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) was used to quantitatively characterize the fibers, whose weight percent nickel coating ranged from 0%-12.7%. Continuum shear lag and modified shear lag models were used to predict the mechanical properties of the composite. Safinaz Elhadary Session 1, Table 59 Major: Industrial Engineering, Minor: Operations and Supply Chain Management Anticipated Graduation Date: Spring 2020 Faculty Mentors: Omar Ashour (Behrend), Eunhye Song (University Park) Project Title: Improving global supply chain for commercial aircraft using six sigma principles Air transport passenger numbers are predicted to double by 2037, as a result, the demand for new commercial aircraft has reached historic records. The global commercial aircraft fleet is said to increase by around 10k aircraft in the next 10 years, as the industry ramps up to keep up with the demand. Top-tier suppliers of aircraft engine parts are distributed over various countries in Asia and the Middle East, and later shipped to the United States to be assembled. When a part is critical to the production line, it is flagged and put on a priority list to alert the supplier that this part needs to be shipped on the next flight out (NFO). If an NFO shipment does not arrive in the US within 3 days, production lines may shut down, which results in unfulfilled demands because of the absence of that part. This can cause the aircraft engine provider to pay millions of dollars in compensation. It was found that about 60% of NFO shipments have a transit time of 4 days or more. The purpose of this research paper is to investigate the supply chain in order to decrease the transit time of NFO shipments using six-sigma principles. To achieve this, different variables will be tested to see their impact on transit time. Some of these variables are carriers, day of the week, lanes, port of entry, destination, and origins. Interviews were conducted to get some further insight on these variables. Decreasing the transit time will not only result in saving millions of dollars, but it will also increase the production rate. This research paper is going to be from the point of view of the fourth party logistics company that is hired by the aircraft engine provider to manage the supply chain operations, including international and domestic freight forwarders and carriers, vendor factories, and customs brokers. Victor Ficarra (Brandywine) Session 2, Table 19 Major: Business, Accounting Concentration Anticipated Graduation Date: May 2021 Faculty Mentors: Joseph M. Mahoney (Berks), Patrick McDaniel (University Park) Project Title: Utilizing Machine Learning to Predict Fantasy Football Player Performance Despite how often a stochastic resource allocation problem arises, researchers across a range of disciplines have conceded that they are extremely difficult to solve. In its most general form, the stochastic knapsack problem (SKP) addresses how best to maximize the total value of items of uncertain value within a specified volume. Daily Fantasy Sports can be posed as an SKP. This research utilized machine learning (ML) in Python to predict NFL player performance in an upcoming game. The features for each player are put into the ML and through linear regression, conclusions can be

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made as to which features are helpful in predicting player performance, and which can be pruned to improve the ML. By analyzing prior work seeking to predict player performance in other sports, a model was created that could more accurately predict player performance than the previous model. While previous work suggested that covariance and team-based statistics could lead to more accurate predictions of player performance, individual player-based statistics can greatly improve this ML moving forward. This research is significant as it illustrates how feature engineering can be applied to sports analytics and provides precedence as to how ML can be utilized to solve SKPs in the future. Pablo A Franco-Almonte Session 2, Table 46 Major: Aerospace Engineering Anticipated Graduation Date: Spring 2022 Faculty Mentors: Timothy Sichler (Wilkes-Barre), Richard Auhl (University Park), Susan Stewart (University Park) Project Title: The Effects of a Soft Slat Modification on Thin Airfoils Soft slat modifications or jibs have been used on sail boats for years and has been proven to increase lift generated allowing the boat to go faster. If a similar style modification can be made on the blades of a wind turbine, there could be increases in energy captured from the wind. Also, if a combination of a soft thin airfoil and a soft slat can be found to be as efficient as a regular blade airfoil, there could be a reduction in manufacturing cost. Other research into fabric wind turbines has focused on small diameter slow speed torque producing rotor designs, which either operate on drag or don't take advantage of the effects of a slat modification. For the investigation, fabric mainsail and jib models where made and were held in the wind tunnel by a custom frame. Four configurations were tested at varying angles of attack: mainsail only, parallel, positive, and negative angled jib. Both parallel and negative showed improvement, but the negative had the most impressive results. The positive configuration had a decrease in lift for all values. The negative configuration was tested in two other variations, no increase in lift, but useful behaviors were identified. A mainsail and jib configuration produce greater lift over a wider span of angle of attack than a mainsail alone. These results have the potential to improve wind turbines in three ways: making power generation in turbulent locations a possibility, allowing wind turbines to make less adjustments to their angle of attack in varying wind conditions, and allowing for greater power to be extracted from slow wind conditions. Zachary Gabel Session 3, Table 16 Major: Software Engineering Anticipated Graduation Date: Spring 2020 Faculty Mentors: Faisal Aqlan (Behrend), Hui Yang (University Park) Project Partner: Saaman Khalilollahi Project Title: Improving Lean Manufacturing Education through Online Multi-player Simulation The use of simulation games to study engineering problem-solving has become a commonly recommended pedagogical approach. Simulation games provide opportunities for feedback and learning and can promote interdisciplinary and collaborative working styles. In this research, we discuss our development of an online 4-player simulation game to teach manufacturing concepts using virtual toy cars; the game represents a simplified supply chain that consists of a customer, a manufacturer, a builder, and a supplier. The simulation game software is structured into three different parts: the backend server that handles all of the logic, the client server that takes user input, and the database which stores user input. Results from the online simulation are compared to those obtained from analogous physical simulations.

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Connor Haney (Lehigh Valley, University Park) Session 2, Table 26 Major: Electrical Engineering Anticipated Graduation Date: Fall 2021 Faculty Mentor: Christopher Giebink (University Park) Project Title: Modeling CPV Solar Panels Investigating concentrating photovoltaic panels (CPV) implemented on residential and commercial rooftops in comparison with conventional solar panel arrays could further support CPV viability in certain regions of the world. This comparison will primarily focus on the efficiency of both types of panels in different locations in the world over the course of an entire year. First, efficiency research will focus on the United States, then expand after further refinement to testing parameters. Data from NREL’s PVWatts energy production calculator and MIDC solar angle calculator will be used to obtain general parameters for conditions and the performance of the conventional solar panels. General conditions will then be input into a MATLAB program constructed from tools created by the PV Performance Modeling Collaborative at Sandia National Lab (https://pvpmc.sandia.gov/) to calculate the efficiency of the CPV panels based on local weather conditions, solar path, and the efficiency parameters of the system. The program will output the energy yield for each location over a typical meteorological year. This data will then serve as the basis for an economic model developed by our collaborators at the University of Toronto to determine whether rooftop CPV can be cost-competitive with traditional PV. Dakota Hetrick Session 1, Table 18 Major: Mechanical Engineering Anticipated Graduation Date: Spring 2020 Faculty Mentors: Seyed Hamid Sanei (Behrend), Charles Bakis (University Park) Project Title: Experimental Testing of 3D Printed Continuous Carbon Fiber Composites Additive Manufacturing (AM) is a powerful manufacturing method that can produce complex geometries and little waste, does not require post processing, and have a low cost. By producing 3D printed composites, parts that would otherwise be too complex or cost too much would be easy to manufacture and be used in various industries, such as aerospace and automotive. Currently only unidirectional longitudinal continuous fiber reinforcement has been studied. In this study tension coupons were printed using a Markforged Mark Two 3D Printer with unidirectional continuous carbon fiber. Specimen with longitudinal, transverse and off-axis fiber (45°) were used and various fiber volume fractions were produced for each fiber orientation. The specimen were pulled in tension to ultimate failure and strain was measured with either a laser extensometer or a pair of strain gauges. This study focuses on the relationship between fiber volume fraction and both moduli and strength using various approaches with Rule of Mixtures (RoM). The longitudinal tensile modulus (E1), transverse tensile modulus (E2), and the shear modulus (G12) were observed. E1, E2, and G12 can be predicted by the Reuss Model, Halpin-Tsai, and Voigt Model respectively. Longitudinal strength (𝑆%

(')), transverse strength (𝑆)

(')), and shear strength (SLT) were also compared. 𝑆%(') and SLT can be predicted with the Reuss

Model and Voigt Model, but 𝑆)(') is much more difficult to predict and does not show a consistent trend. With these

findings the properties of these 3D printed continuous fiber reinforced composites can be more accurately understood and modeled. Lukas Hoffman Session 1, Table 26 Major: Mechanical Engineering Anticipated Graduation Date: Summer 2020 Faculty Mentors: Amir Barakati (Berks), Charles Bakis (University Park) Project Title: Electrification of Composite Laminates for Defect Detection

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Fiber reinforced composite materials are extensively used in automotive and aerospace applications due to their low density and high strength. However, contrary to conventional materials, there is a high risk of interior damage going undetected in laminated composites. Therefore, Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) is of paramount importance to the composites industry due to its ability to detect damage or defects within a specimen without permanently altering the part being inspected. Active thermography is a rapid and cost-effective NDT method for detecting damage present in composite materials. In this technique, the change in temperature field in the composite needs to be recorded and mathematically manipulated to enhance the visibility of damage and defects. The goal of this project is to properly detect different types of damage present in a fiber reinforced composite laminate using thermography. To achieve this, carbon/epoxy and jute/bio-resin laminates are prepared and electrified to apply active thermography. The laminate plates are placed in an electrically isolated fixture and connected to an AC power supply to introduce joule heating in the specimens. The thermal field generated is recorded through an infrared camera during the transient heating phase and analyzed with a MATLAB code. Damage in the laminate is then located using the norm of the first spatial derivative of the temperature and the Fourier transform of the final frame of the recording. The method shows a promising trend of accurately locating several types of damage in the fiber reinforced composites caused by drilling and three-point bending. Once the damage is detected, the next step is to determine precise dimensions and classify the damage into the following categories: delamination, fiber breakage, and matrix failure. The NDT technique developed in this study is a step forward to improve the damage detection process in composite structures during early stages. Sidney Hopson Session 4, Table 11 Major: Computer Science Anticipated Graduation Date: Spring 2021 Faculty Mentors: Richard Zhao (Behrend), Hui Yang (University Park) Project Partner: Hector Rios-Jaime Project Title: Virtual Reality Education for Undergraduate Engineers In the world of engineering, students struggle due to the limited amount of real-world experience they receive before starting their careers. With the advancement of virtual reality (VR), students and non-students alike can experience a real-life simulation without the involved risks, costs, and experience needed. Some fields are already using VR in education, but engineering is lacking this extremely helpful tool. In this work, we attempt to fabricate a VR simulation of a car manufacturing plant that involves heavy machinery and mass production for undergraduate engineers to control. The goal is to make the simulation as realistic as possible in order to give the students a good understanding of some real-world experience. Once the simulation is ready, it will need to be tested with students to see how they react and if they learn from the experience. This project will give engineering students a more hands-on approach to their profession and overall increase their engagement in the classroom. Saira Hussain Session 2, Table 30 Major: Mechanical Engineering Anticipated Graduation Date: Spring 2022 Faculty Mentors: Tracey Carbonetto (Lehigh Valley), Jason Moore (University Park) Project Title: Dynamic-Haptic Robotic Trainer Performance Feedback for Lung Needle Biopsies Students and faculty at Penn State University had recently developed a training device for Central Venous Catheterization (CVC) that allowed surgical residents and doctors to practice with the equipment safely and efficiently. This research reflects the idea that this same equipment could be used effectively on needle biopsy specifically lung biopsy which has been characterized by a high percentage of complications including pneumothorax, pulmonary hemorrhage and air embolism. The Dynamic Haptic Robotic Trainer (DHRT) is composed of a robotic arm, manikin, ultrasound with computer visualization and a graphical user interface which provides performance feedback. Previous feedback for the CVC application provides the user with their number of insertions, angle of insertion, distance to the target center, and aspiration rate. Enhanced interface designs were developed to allow for effective lung biopsy training.

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These interface designs successfully convey the necessary information in an organized manner to guide a user through needle biopsy training. For the needle biopsy application, there were some additional modifications that allowed the virtual ultrasound imaging to display the lesion size and depth for the various scenarios and the length of the path to the target. Monitoring the pressure ventilation or changes is also necessary for this procedure; this is an aspect for future research which can be done by collecting forces with a motion tracker on a cadaver. The results showed that using the DHRT is effective and has the potential to provide valuable feedback needed for a successful lung needle biopsy training. This device, along with the findings, shows promise in the application for lung needle biopsies, and can be improved for other procedures in the future. Darlene In Session 4, Table 34 Major: Computer Science Anticipated Graduation Date: Spring 2023 Faculty Mentors: Yi Yang (Abington), Sean Brennan (University Park) Project Partners: Xing Chen, Disha Patel, Nathan Sylvain Project Title: Optical Coherence Tomography 3D Scanning Stage Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT), is a scanning device designed for art perseverance purposes. The 3D scanning stage makes the OCT mobile enough to perform the task. The stage moves every millimeter(mm) while the OCT is attached to it. Every mm that it moves, the device captures an image and is examined to detect damages that may not be visible to the naked human eye. Without the stage, the OCT must be operated manually which opens room for human error. The stage is intended to aid with collecting data with accuracy. However, the results are inconclusive regarding the performance of the stage. In future, the stage along with the OCT scanner will help artists obtain detailed understanding of the painting, the damages that occur within quickly enough for them to fix it and perpetuate it. George Issa Session 3, Table 22 Major: Electrical Engineering Anticipated Graduation Date: Spring 2021 Faculty Mentors: Tracey Ann Carbonetto (Lehigh Valley), Nilanjan Ray Chaudhuri (University Park) Project Title: Lithium Ion Battery Feasibility Study As photovoltaic (PV) solar and other variable generation technologies increase in market penetration, significant levels of storage or other enabling technologies such as demand response will be required. An optimized system utilizing PV panels and a battery storage system as a residential power grid has been studied and the following research questions are considered. Is Lithium-Ion battery the best option in such a system? How to eliminate the energy losses when production from PV cell is greater than load and battery capacity? To answer the above questions, time-domain simulations are carried out in MATLAB/Simulink using a test system consists of a residential PV array, a battery storage and loads connected to an existing grid. Four different battery storage (Lithium-Ion battery, Nickel-Cadmium battery, Nickel-Metal-Hydride battery, and Lead acid battery) are considered in this study. The study reveals that the Lithium-Ion indeed is the best among the four different types of batteries concerning the Depth of Charge; meaning that the usable power is almost 100%. On the other hand, in respect to SOC % (state of charge) Lithium-Ion batteries came in the second place after Lead-Acid batteries. However, there are many advantage and pros taking the side of Lithium-ion batteries. A potential change to the energy management strategies such as adding a constant load directly to the PV can expands the opportunities of reducing energy losses and improve the efficiency of the storage system. Jangik Fred Jin Session 3, Table 5 Major: Mechanical Engineering Anticipated Graduation Date: Fall 2019 Faculty Mentors: Adam Hollinger (Behrend), Christopher Rahn (University Park)

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Project Partner: Grace Ashley Trott Project Title: Drone Optimization: Increasing Hover Time and Structural Stability of Package Carrying Drones with Lithium-Ion Batteries Package carrying drones can offer various benefits to everyday life such as a more efficient and environmentally friendly delivery system. However, the increase in accessibility of drones to the public also exposed common problems with drone technology: short hover times and easily breakable frames (specifically arms). Most drone designs are powered by lithium polymer batteries and have flat rectangular solid arms. Lithium polymer batteries are space efficient and have a high energy density. However, they are typically heavier and more expensive than their lithium ion counterparts. Meanwhile, lithium ion batteries have stronger mechanical properties due to their steel cylindrical shell. Flat and rectangular drone arms do not require additional connectors to mount motors and connect with the body, which can reduce the drone’s weight, but they are easily breakable compared to the hollow cylindrical shape arms. In this work, we replaced the rectangular arms with hollow cylindrical arms filled with 18650 batteries to compare flight times with different payloads. The new structural design will be stronger, more light weight and improve the hovering time. Himaja Kakumani Session 1, Table 12 Major: Computational Data Sciences Anticipated Graduation Date: Spring 2021 Faculty Mentors: Dinesh R. Pai (Harrisburg), Mohamed Almekkawy (University Park) Project Title: The Role of Deep Learning and Data Mining Solutions in Radiology The field of radiology utilizes many imaging techniques when diagnosing patients. These many imaging modalities result in large amounts of data. The concept of big data which is, data in large volumes from multiple data sets needing to be processed through forms of information technology, is the perfect term to describe the many imaging modalities in radiology. Currently tools such as Radiology Information System (RIS) and Picture Archiving and Communications Systems (PACS) are being used in radiology IT. Now big data solutions utilizing processing forms such as deep learning and data mining are on the rise and will completely change the face of the industry. With the emergence of these solutions preparation for their integration into the industry is integral. To accomplish such an endeavor an understanding of the current state of the industry will be required, the impact of these solutions upon the industry will need to be anticipated and an analysis for where the industry needs to be will need to be assessed. A methodology of conducting interviews followed by survey research amongst the radiology community will be used to gain this holistic perspective. Interviews will be conducted with leaders in radiology to gain an understanding of the industry’s state, its history with previous information technology solutions and existing viewpoints. Another set of interviews will be conducted with top researchers currently contributing to deep learning and data mining solutions in radiology for an understanding of the time and scale of their impact. Based on the information gathered from these series of interviews a survey of questions will be designed and given to departments of radiology at several hospitals to formally interpret where the industry is and how much change will be needed to completely harness the potential of these emerging technologies. Such a complex methodology will allow for a lack of ambiguity and a well-informed conclusion about the future trends of radiology information technology. From this systematic investigation of the industry a comprehensive viewpoint concerning the deep learning and data mining aspects of this paradigm shift in radiology imaging informatics can be achieved. This research will be important for radiologists to understand the future of their field. Jacob Karnick (Scranton, University Park) Session 2, Table 29 Major: Chemical Engineering Anticipated Graduation Date: Spring 2021 Faculty Mentors: Esther Gomez (University Park) Project Title: Matrix Rigidity Regulates Acetylation of Histone H3 During TGFβ1-Induced Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition

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Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) is a process by which epithelial cells, found in tissues such as lung and breast, gain motility and invasiveness. Carcinoma, cancer originating from epithelial cells, is the most common type of cancer and EMT is thought to regulate the spread of cancer cells from the primary tumor site. With 90% of cancer related deaths occurring from metastasis, it is worthwhile to study how this process operates, with an end-goal being prevention of metastasis. Epigenetic reprogramming, such as histone modifications, regulates gene expression and occurs in cancer and other human diseases. Furthermore, increased matrix stiffness is a hallmark to cancer; however, not much is known about how mechanical signals regulate epigenetics in the context of EMT and cancer. This paper focuses specifically on histone H3K9 acetylation and how it is regulated via matrix stiffness during transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1-induced EMT. Canine and mouse epithelial cells were plated on polyacrylamide gels of different stiffnesses that mimic the mechanical properties of normal and diseased tissues, the cells were treated with TGFβ1 to induce EMT, then histone modifications were observed through immunofluorescence staining. Preliminary results show that acetylation of H3K9 increased in cells cultured on stiffer substrates after TGFβ1 treatment when compared to control cells while cells cultured on softer substrates exhibited no change in H3K9 acetylation levels. These results suggest that matrix stiffness mediates gene expression during EMT via epigenetic modifications. Adrian Keisuke Kato Session 4, Table 51 Major: Computer Science Anticipated Graduation Date: May 2020 Faculty Mentors: Omar Ashour (Behrend), Conrad Tucker (University Park) Project Partners: Josh Mathews, Simon Yang Project Title: Developing and Testing a Virtual Reality Module to Teach Manufacturing Systems Concepts In higher level Industrial Engineering (IE) courses, it is difficult for lecturers to demonstrate complex manufacturing concepts through traditional classroom lectures. This instructional abstraction can be very frustrating and hard for students to understand. As a result, a new, more effective, teaching tool is needed to ensure that students attain the knowledge necessary to graduate and succeed in the field of IE. In order to instruct IE students more effectively, an interactive Virtual Reality (VR) environment was developed using Unity. Unity is a game design engine that uses Object-Oriented C# programming in conjunction with an interactable real-time platform to design 2D and 3D games.1Utilizing a team of 5 undergraduate and 2 graduate students, we have designed learning modules inside of a power drill production facility. This large team was managed across campuses using Gitlab and a Github repository, as well as using Discord text chat. Future plans include testing the learning modules in classrooms at Penn State Behrend and the development of additional class modules. Feedback from in-class tests will help us to improve student understanding and overall clarity of the lessons. Ultimately, our research will help IE students understand material more effectively, as well as increase awareness to the educational benefits of VR. In addition, the typical lectures in certain fields may be forever changed, as well as allow for remote lab testing and online students. Jason Kepner Session 4, Table 41 Major: Telecommunications Anticipated Graduation Date: Spring 2022 Faculty Mentors: Dimitrios Bolka (Wilkes-Barre), Jeffrey Chiampi (Wilkes-Barre), Brian J. Naberezny (University Park) Project Title: Integrating Immersive Videos into Surveying Engineering Education Surveying engineering education requires extensive practice with instruments and equipment that are used for outdoor 3D spatial data collection. As technology advances, surveying techniques and practices become complicated. Typical introductory labs involve the instructor providing an overview of the instrument in class and then explaining how the students need to complete the laboratory before they go outdoors. However, students often have questions that arise during the laboratory, but it is difficult for the instructor to assist all groups in a timely manner as groups work on different parts of the campus. This creates unique instructional challenges and frustrates students, making outdoor laboratories unpleasant. Immersive learning is a fast-growing teaching tool in modern classrooms. Due to its youth as a

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concept, most people are not sure if it has proven useful yet. Even though the quality of immersive learning is beginning to grow, not everyone has access to it. The goal of this project is to enhance introductory surveying laboratories with immersive 360 videos. We will use 360-degree cameras, as well as DSLR cameras to produce 360-degree videos. The footage will then be compiled and edited to produce an immersive learning experience for introductory outdoor surveying labs. We hope to then poll a year of students at Wilkes-Barre and University Park campuses at the end of each semester to receive a concise result about the role and effectiveness of immersive learning in surveying engineering education. Saaman Khalilollahi Session 3, Table 16 Major: Computer Science Anticipated Graduation Date: May 2021 Faculty Mentors: Faisal Aqlan (Behrend) and Hui Yang (University Park) Project Partner: Zachary Gabel Project Title: Improving Lean Manufacturing Education through Online Multi-player Simulation The use of simulation games to study engineering problem-solving has become a commonly recommended pedagogical approach. Simulation games provide opportunities for feedback and learning and can promote interdisciplinary and collaborative working styles. In this research, we discuss our development of an online 4-player simulation game to teach manufacturing concepts using virtual toy cars; the game represents a simplified supply chain that consists of a customer, a manufacturer, a builder, and a supplier. The simulation game software is structured into three different parts: the backend server that handles all of the logic, the client server that takes user input, and the database which stores user input. Results from the online simulation are compared to those obtained from analogous physical simulations. Bailey Klein Session 2, Table 42 Major: Biomedical Engineering Anticipated Graduation Date: Spring 2020 Faculty Mentor: Scott Medina (University Park) Project Title: Antimicrobial Peptides as a Novel Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Treatment Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are cationic amphiphiles that kill bacterial pathogens through membrane-active mechanisms. The Medina lab is studying pathogen-specific AMPs that were selected from previous studies that are capable of selectively killing Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the causative agent of Tuberculosis (TB). The AMPs can kill the bacteria without collateral toxicity towards respiratory commensals or healthy lung tissue. These sequences act by disrupting the mycolic acid outer membrane unique to Mtb, leading to rapid membrane permeabilization and cell lysis. With this mechanism in mind, we hypothesized that TB-specific AMPs will synergistically enhance the potency of traditional TB antibiotics, which otherwise are limited in their efficacy due to poor diffusion across the rigid Mtb myco-membrane. In this study, we assess the synergistic combinatorial efficacy of TB-specific AMPs and six approved TB antibiotics, including Rifampicin, Moxifloxacin, Ethionamide, Isoniazid, Cyclomerize, and Pyrazinamide. Synergistic AMP-drug pairings will then be co-loaded into aerosolize nanoparticles to develop a potent inhalable therapy for TB. To establish the feasibility of these formulations, we will assess drug release kinetics in simulated lung fluid and quantitate combinatorial antimicrobial toxicity of the particles towards both attenuated and virulent Mtb cultures. Results of this study may lead to the development of an inhalable therapeutic platform that can be used to rapidly clear pulmonary TB and reduce the morbidity of current treatment.

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Cooper Kovar Lietz Session 1, Table 29 Major: Electro-Mechanical Engineering Technology Anticipated Graduation Date: Spring 2022 Faculty Mentors: Azar Eslam Panah (Berks), Margaret Byron (University Park) Project Title: Hydrodynamics of Flapping Foils Over time, aquatic animals have evolved a diversity of propulsive mechanisms to locomote effectively through water. Regardless of a specific fish, all underwater species of fish produce hydrodynamic thrust by acceleration of water through movement of their body and tails, while simultaneously reducing the resistance to their motion through morphological design, phased kinematics, and behaviors. In this study, the effect of the shape of a fish-like caudal fin as well as changes in the frequency of the linear motion of the fin is investigated. Currently, many numerical tests have been done due to optical limitations, and it’s time for experimental test to confirm the numerical data. Experiments were conducted on a square fin, triangle fin, and forked triangle fin in order to compare and observe the changes in efficiency and thrust produced. Furthermore, the amplitude and frequency of linear oscillations were varied to see the data at different speeds within the optimal Strouhal number range at which fish are more efficient. The results of this research can be used to confirm the data collected from numerical experiments and further be applied to future biomimicry. Cezary Krysztofiak Session 2, Table 21 Major: Mechanical Engineering Anticipated Graduation Date: Spring 2022 Faculty Mentors: Masataka Okutsu (Abington), Sven Bilén (University Park), Eric Johnson (University Park) Project Partners: Lingqi Li, Kenjiro Lay Project Title: CubeSat Prototype Studies: CNC Machining of Aluminum Structure, Low-Temperature Testing, and High-Altitude Flight Demonstration via Weather Balloon The low cost of CubeSats, a type of miniature spacecraft, has made space science accessible to a number of educational institutions. The objective of this project is to design, fabricate, and test a CubeSat prototype that would serve as a proof of concept for potential future missions involving a large number of CubeSats. Such a mission would benefit from a real-time digital communication method that is available all around the world with no additional cost for infrastructure. For our 8-Week Summer REU project, we investigated the APRS (Automatic Packet Reporting System), an amateur radio–based system, which makes use of an existing network of APRS stations and users distributed globally. In addition to the APRS device, our prototype includes the Arduino microcontroller, which measures atmospheric temperature, pressure, and humidity. We subjected our prototype to a variety of thermal conditions using an incubator, refrigerator, and freezer located in the chemistry and biology labs. Finally, we conducted a flight test using a weather balloon, during which our prototype was flown to an altitude of 16 km (i.e., 53,500 feet) for an end-to-end system demonstration. Chadwick Kypta Session 1, Table 24 Major: Mechanical Engineering & Electrical Engineering Anticipated Graduation Date: Spring 2022 Faculty Mentors: Adam Hollinger (Behrend), Michael Hickner (University Park) Project Partner: Nicholas Chiappazzi Project Title: Injection-Molding Electrically Conductive Polymers for PEMFCs With the rising demand for green energy, further development of clean energy sources is necessary. Hydrogen fuel cells can provide a clean source of energy conversion technology for vehicles as well as other forms of transportation. The bipolar plates of hydrogen fuel cells are commonly made of graphite, a relatively heavy and difficult to machine material, making them expensive. This limitation reduces the potential of hydrogen fuel cells in terms of cost and efficiency. An

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alternative to graphite would be an injection-molded polymer composite with sufficient electrical conductivity. Each material sample was created by adding carbon fiber of different lengths, as well as carbon nanotubes, to the base material, Nylon-6,6, through the process of injection molding. Samples were then tested by using the four-point-probe method to determine if their conductivity met the U.S. Department of Energy technical target of 100 S/cm. Filler dispersion was analyzed via SEM imaging. Post-processing attempts at increasing the conductivity will be made by dissolving the outer nylon layer with acids before retesting. By developing such a composite, a cheaper and lighter substitute for graphite can be used for mass production of hydrogen fuel cells. Nicholas Lawton Session 1, Table 50 Major: Aerospace Engineering Anticipated Graduation Date: Spring 2021 Faculty Mentors: Joan Kowalski (New Kensington), Michael Micci (University Park) Project Partner: Andrew Dauby Project Title: Rocket Propulsion: How Nozzle Geometry Affects Thrust An experimental test was conducted on a small rocket engine to directly compare thrust produced by standard conical rocket nozzles with that produced by bell shaped nozzles created using the method of parabolic approximation. It has been shown empirically that bell shaped nozzles outperform conical nozzles of the same size in large rockets, however, the results are not quite as clear for small rocket engines. The rocket nozzles analyzed were standard converging-diverging nozzles. The shape and angle of the converging section were kept constant while the diverging section was conical or bell shaped and had a half-angle of either 12,15, or 18 degrees. The next step is to measure the thrust using a load cell and compare results. All 3 bell shaped nozzles are expected to perform the best with minimal real-world differences between them. The conical nozzles are expected to be slightly less powerful. Kenjiro Lay Session 2, Table 28 Major: Aerospace Engineering Anticipated Graduation Date: Spring 2021 Faculty Mentors: Masataka Okutsu (Abington), Sven Bilén and Eric Johnson (University Park) Project Partners: Cezary Krysztofiak, Lingqi Li, Kenjiro Lay Project Title: Arduino Measurements and APRS-Based GPS Tracking for CubeSat Prototypes: Year-2 Results from High-Altitude Testing via Weather Balloon CubeSat is a class of nanosatellite built to a standard dimension of 10×10×10 cm. High interest has been shown for the use of Arduino and APRS technology as they can be used in low-Earth orbit. This project investigates the feasibility of using Arduino for thermal and barometric measurements and an APRS-based device for GPS tracking. Tests were conducted in labs as well as at high altitudes using a weather balloon. During refrigerator testing, data collected by the two Arduino sensors measured the expected fridge’s thermal cycle, validating our techniques employed in the flight test. During the flight test, the internal and external temperature went down to values as low as −5.2 °C and –55.1 °C, respectively. The external temperatures were measured for all altitudes flown, and the results conformed to the expectations, i.e., the International Standard Atmosphere model (ISO 2533). Our flight test covered a distance of ~68 km and flight time of 1 hour 35 minutes. The altitudes calculated from the Arduino’s barometric data were validated by the altitude tracked by the GPS device integrated into our APRS transmitter. The series of tests presented in this paper serves as a proof-of-concept demonstration for the use of Arduino and APRS for CubeSat missions flown in the low-Earth orbits. Lingqi Li Session 2, Table 21 Major: Mechanical Engineering Anticipated Graduation Date: Spring 2021

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Faculty Mentors: Masataka Okutsu (Abington), Sven Bilén and Eric Johnson (University Park) Project Partners: Cezary Krysztofiak, Kenjiro Lay Project Title: CubeSat Prototype Studies: CNC Machining of Aluminum Structure, Low-Temperature Testing, and High-Altitude Flight Demonstration via Weather Balloon The low cost of CubeSats, a type of miniature spacecraft, has made space science accessible to a number of educational institutions. The objective of this project is to design, fabricate, and test a CubeSat prototype that would serve as a proof of concept for potential future missions involving a large number of CubeSats. Such a mission would benefit from a real-time digital communication method that is available all around the world with no additional cost for infrastructure. For our 8-Week Summer REU project, we investigated the APRS (Automatic Packet Reporting System), an amateur radio–based system, which makes use of an existing network of APRS stations and users distributed globally. In addition to the APRS device, our prototype includes the Arduino microcontroller, which measures atmospheric temperature, pressure, and humidity. We subjected our prototype to a variety of thermal conditions using an incubator, refrigerator, and freezer located in the chemistry and biology labs. Finally, we conducted a flight test using a weather balloon, during which our prototype was flown to an altitude of 16 km (i.e., 53,500 feet) for an end-to-end system demonstration. Zerui Li Session 4, Table 24 Major: Computer Science Anticipated Graduation Date: Spring 2021 Faculty Mentors: Sohail Anwar (Altoona), David Lyons (University Park) Project Title: An overview of general reward system in reinforcement learning Reinforcement Learning is one of the most exciting fields of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Presently, significant research is going on in this disciplinary area of AI and it has produced many interesting applications, such as in games, control, and path planning. Reinforcement learning has one very important component referred to as reward system, which enables agent to use the feedback of its own actions and experience as reward and punishment to learn independently from the complicated environment through trials. The setting of positive and negative feedback parameters in the reward system leads to the learning efficiency of reinforcement learning model. However, for each new problem to be solved, the model must be retrained, which could cost a lot of time and computing resources. The goal in this research is to explore a possible method for designing a general reward system which makes the AI applications more standardized and to optimize the efficiency of different reinforcement learning models. This paper, which is primarily of tutorial nature, describes the theoretical and applied research work being done for the creation of the above-mentioned general reward system. Zhiqing Lu Session 1, Table 55 Major: Mechanical Engineering Anticipated Graduation Date: Spring 2020 Faculty Mentors: Esfakur Rahman (Harrisburg), Jing Du (University Park) Project Title: Mechanical properties of injectable bone cements to repair crashed bone loss In this study, an injectable bone substitute (IBS) consisting of citric acid, chitosan solution, Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) as the liquid phase and β-Tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP), calcium sulfate hemihydrate (CSH), Polycaprolactone (PCL) powders as the solid phase was prepared. Four groups containing different percentages (0–6%) of Polycaprolactone (PCL) were investigated. Setting time for all compositions were more than 1h. Therefore, β-Tricalciumphosphate cannot form Hydroxyapatite and solidify bone cement. In future study, additional types of calcium phosphate will be added into component to solidify bone cement.

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Joshua Mathews Session 4, Table 51 Major: Software Engineering Anticipated Graduation Date: Spring 2020 Faculty Mentors: Omar Ashour (Behrend), Conrad Tucker (University Park) Project Partners: Keisuke Kato, Simon Yang Project Title: Developing and Testing a Virtual Reality Module to Teach Manufacturing Systems Concepts In higher level Industrial Engineering (IE) courses, it is difficult for lecturers to demonstrate complex manufacturing concepts through traditional classroom lectures. This instructional abstraction can be very frustrating and hard for students to understand. As a result, a new, more effective, teaching tool is needed to ensure that students attain the knowledge necessary to graduate and succeed in the field of IE. In order to instruct IE students more effectively, an interactive Virtual Reality (VR) environment was developed using Unity. Unity is a game design engine that uses Object-Oriented C# programming in conjunction with an interactable real-time platform to design 2D and 3D games.1Utilizing a team of 5 undergraduate and 2 graduate students, we have designed learning modules inside of a power drill production facility. This large team was managed across campuses using Gitlab and a Github repository, as well as using Discord text chat. Future plans include testing the learning modules in classrooms at Penn State Behrend and the development of additional class modules. Feedback from in-class tests will help us to improve student understanding and overall clarity of the lessons. Ultimately, our research will help IE students understand material more effectively, as well as increase awareness to the educational benefits of VR. In addition, the typical lectures in certain fields may be forever changed, as well as allow for remote lab testing and online students. Alison McClure Session 2, Table 5 Major: Industrial Engineering Anticipated Graduation Date: Fall 2020 Faculty Mentors: Faisal Aqlan (Behrend), Andris Freivalds (University Park) Project Partner: Mohammed Bin Ahmed Project Title: An Optimization Model to Evaluate Manual Assembly of Car Toys Kitting is a method that entails creating a group of components in specific containers to be employed in assembly operations for a selected product. For manual assembly processes, kitting promotes a more time-efficient and error-free method to produce a mass amount of complex assemblies. Although already used in industry for this purpose, there is limited literature concerning optimization models and ergonomic assessment of the kitting process. This research develops an optimization model for the assembly process of a car toy. The optimization model is set up such that a set of components, container locations, and customer orders are defined. In addition, parameters such as material cost and component weight are considered. First, we use develop physical simulations to collect data about assembly time and the building process of the car toy. Functional and vehicle requirements are enforced to serve as the customer requirements during the simulation activities. Then, we use the collected data to build an optimization model with the objective of minimizing the total cost of the car toy and the number of moves required to assemble the car. Results show reduction in cost and time as well as improving the production. Sean McNally Session 2, Table 35 Major: Computer Science Anticipated Graduation Date: Spring 2020 Faculty Mentors: Hien Nguyen (Harrisburg), Chaopeng Shen (University Park) Project Title: Identification of Landslides from Google Earth Satellite Data Satellite image processing through convolutional neural networks may be able to enhance our ability to predict landslides. Every year, thousands of people around the world are killed by landslides and billions of dollars are lost in

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damages This threat will likely only increase, as climate change increases the frequency of rainfall and wildfire. Currently, there is little research in utilizing satellite image data to predict landslides. Part of the process of predicting landslides is to identify them in the first place, which is what this paper focuses on. A team including Penn State students and faculty compiled a database of images of landslides-affected areas, both before and after the landslide events, as well as images of non-landslide-affected areas. This paper also details the next steps to take, such as labelling which parts of the images contain landslides and what machine learning methods are to be applied. These include transfer learning, which is a method of using existing machine learning models as a base to build off of, as well as U-Net, a convolutional neural network architecture for image segmentation. Emmett Meinzer Session 3, Table 41 Major: Aerospace Engineering Anticipated Graduation Date: Spring 2020 Faculty Mentors: Christopher McComb (University Park) Project Title: Natural Language Processing of Social Media Data to Drive Experiential Redesign The objective of this research is to identify customer needs that can drive a redesign of the air travel experience for passengers who struggle to cope with a fear of flying. Studies conducted on the airline industry have identified a seven percent loss in domestic air transportation revenue due to these anxious passengers opting out of traveling by airplane. Despite this significant market loss, the airline industry has failed to address the needs of these passengers through the design of the flight experience. If their fears can be appropriately assuaged, anxious customers may be more willing to travel by air, improving the flight experience for all passengers and opening a substantial portion of the domestic air transportation market. In order to identify these needs, this research uses data mining techniques to identify opportunities for redesign in the flight experience. Specifically, data was mined from Reddit forums and topic modeling algorithms were applied to help formulate data-driven customer needs statements. Andrew Miles Session 3, Table 40 Major: Biology, Philosophy Anticipated Graduation Date: Spring 2021 Faculty Mentors: Shobha Potlakayala (Harrisburg), Wayne Curtis (University Park), Sairam Rudrabhatla (Harrisburg) Project Title: Improving the Genetic Transformation Efficiency of Brachypodium distachyon using Plant-Based Expression Vectors Brachypodium distachyon serves as an excellent model grass species for laboratory and breeding studies due to its rapid life cycle and a relatively small genome size. It is also ideal to use Brachypodium in genetic transformation studies to test the validity and efficacy of value-added genes. The objective of this project is to generate a Brachypodium “embryogenic” line, using the Bd21-3 accession, suitable for genetic transformation by expressing the transcription factor (BABY BOOM), a key regulator involved in plant cell totipotency. Towards the set objectives, the growth of Brachypodium plants have been initiated in a NIH Level II greenhouse under optimal conditions to harvest panicles (inflorescence) for immature embryo isolation. Successful harvesting of the right stage florets for immature embryo isolation followed by their culture on Callus Induction Medium to initiate embryogenic calli has been performed. Approximately, 500 six-week old embryogenic Brachypodium calli were transformed using Agrobacterium-mediated transformation with AGL-1 strain containing the mNeonGreen visual marker gene in a pLSU4 vector. Some of the Agrobacterium transformed calli that are currently on hygromycin selection are slowly showing signs of survival and growth indicating successful transformation. Genetic transformations were also performed using a gene gun (biolistics) to compare the efficiency of this method to Agroinfections. Different treatments in biolistics included the bombardment of calli with gold particles containing different amounts of DNA, shooting the calli with gold particles alone to create micropores for easy DNA entry later, and varying the distance between the macrocarriers and the calli. Currently, the transformed calli are on plant selection media containing hygromycin and undergoing a routine sub-culturing regime. Consequently, the resulting antibiotic-resistant calli will be moved to plant regeneration media to grow into fully

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developed plants. As a future goal for improving the genetic transformation efficiency, the study will also look at optimizing other explants for tissue culture since obtaining immature embryos and generating calli from them is labor intensive. In addition to biolistics and Agrobacterium-mediated transformation, other methods of genetic transformation such as electroporation of protoplasts will also be explored. Colin Miller Session 4, Table 36 Major: Mechanical Engineering Anticipated Graduation Date: Spring 2020 Faculty Mentors: Catherine Berdanier (University Park), Amy Krtanjek (York) Project Title: Exploring New Methods to Visualize Eye Tracking Data Data visualization is essential for qualitative analysis and interpretation of research outcomes. Because visualization techniques are unique among disciplines, it is important to develop techniques that are appropriate for specific areas of research. Eye tracking research methods are commonly used in computer science and psychology as a way to quantify human thought patterns. While there are many methods to represent eye tracking data, few engineering education researchers have proposed methods specific to the field. Preliminary data was collected during a student design task to explore data visualization methods as they relate to engineering education. Our proposed method integrates an area of interest (AOI) timeline with cognitive workload data to visually represent how a student completes a design task. This method will be applied to further research in engineering education that will hopefully be used to improve how design is taught to students. Kiana Rolli Anne Montes Session 1, Table 43 Major: Electrical Engineering Anticipated Graduation Date: Spring 2021 Faculty Mentors: Fariborz Tavangarian (Harrisburg), Shengxi Huang (University Park) Project Partner: Vennila Pugazhenthi Project Title: Improving the Spinel Crack Healing Behavior by Utilizing the Recycled Fluorescent Lamp Glass In recent decades, spinel has been a focus of study due to numerous applications in chemical, metallurgical, structural and electrochemical fields. However, when spinel is subjected to rapid heating or cooling rate in high-temperature applications, it can cause high thermal gradient resulting in micro-cracking of the surface. To maintain the mechanical strength and structural integrity of spinel components, the material’s ability to self-heal cracks must be improved. Previous studies have shown that the rate of recovery of the mechanical strength of glass/ceramics composite is higher compared to the rate of recovery of the mechanical strength of the ceramic. Hence, in this research for the first time, we studied and presented our expectations on the impact of fluorescent lamp glass in spinel ceramics. The fluorescent lamp glass can be used as a healing agent to reduce the sintering time and temperature to achieve complete healing. From previous studies, we expect that the silica in Fluorescent lamp glass and alumina in Spinel will combine to form a mullite glassy phase, improving the crack-healing and strength recovery of the composite. If the crack self-healing of spinel improves as predicted, it would both improve the recovery of mechanical strength and reduce the fluorescent lamp glass waste entering landfills. Jason Novillo (Lehigh Valley) Session 1, Table 46 Major: Computer Engineering Anticipated Graduation Date: Spring 2021 Faculty Mentor: Brad Sottile (University Park) Project Title: Implementing a Covariance Matrix Adaptation Evolutionary Strategy (CMA-ES) Approach to Optimize Bacterial Foraging Optimization (BFO) for the Hohmann Transfer Problem

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The effectiveness of utilizing Evolutionary Computation (EC) techniques to optimize aerospace engineering problems has been demonstrated by other researchers. Prior work has implemented Bacterial Foraging Optimization (BFO) to solve a classic optimization problem in astrodynamics, the Hohmann Transfer. The Hohmann Transfer is an impulsive transfer maneuver that under certain circumstances is the propellant-optimal maneuver to transfer from one circular orbit to another circular, concentric, and coplanar orbit. Utilizing BFO to optimize various factors involved in spaceflight, including the minimization of propellant use, could lead to necessary reductions in the costs needed to complete a space mission successfully. This area of research is important because the aerospace industry is always working to safely reduce spaceflight costs. Efforts directed towards the optimization of an EC technique through the use of another EC technique, however, are currently lacking. This work examines the effectiveness of implementing a Covariance Matrix Adaptation Evolutionary Strategy (CMA-ES) approach to optimize a BFO implementation for solving the Hohmann Transfer problem. Future work may include exploring the impact of this algorithm optimization process on other EC techniques, and by examining if changes in the objective function penalty structure impact the optimality of the optimized EC solution process. Linsea Paradis Session 1, Table 31 Major: Material Science and Engineering Anticipated Graduation Date: Spring 2020 Faculty Mentors: Ram Rajagopalan (University Park), Daudi Waroba (DuBois) Project Title: Electroless Deposition of Copper and Silver Powders for use in Electrical Contacts Electrical contacts are an important component in the electrical motor industry. Having an electrical contact with excellent conductivity at an affordable price may help enhance this industry financially, and to help save precious metal. The best electrical contact material, silver, is very expensive. A more affordable material, copper, does not have as great a conductivity and is more likely to become oxidized. Exploring a method of coating silver onto copper powder, and vice versa, through electroless deposition could provide a cost-effective solution to this issue. Through our investigation, we successfully utilized electroless deposition of both silver onto copper and copper onto silver. Some of these modified powders were then compacted and sintered in controlled atmosphere to investigate if they could successfully bond. Other powder samples were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Metallography techniques. We have reason to believe that by further optimizing the methodology of preparing samples and sintering them, they may be used in electrical contacts as an improved composite material. Jung Eun Park Session 1, Table 6 Major: Aerospace Engineering Anticipated Graduation Date: Spring 2021 Faculty Mentors: Masataka Okutsu (Abington), Sven Bilén (University Park) Project Title: Fabrication and Testing of Feasible Martian Concrete One of the challenges for human missions to Mars is the design of a crew habitat (“hab”) on the Red Planet. Given the high cost of transporting the construction materials from Earth, concrete made of Martian regolith is considered. In Martian concrete, the regolith acts as a binding agent for the molten sulfur, which is known to be abundantly present on Mars. In this research, we employ the Mojave Mars Simulant (MMS-1) to fabricate the Martian concrete specimens, and measure their compressive strength, tensile strength, and elastic modulus. Tests were conducted for the fine grain size, coarse grain size, and unsorted mixture (which includes ranges of grain sizes). The specimens were also tested in low temperature (at −74 °C) to validate its capability in the Martian environment.

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Disha Patel Session 4, Table 34 Major: Computer Science Anticipated Graduation Date: Spring 2021 Faculty Mentors: Yi Yang (Abington), Yanxi Liu (University Park) Project Partners: Xing Chen, Darlene In, Nathan Sylvain Project Title: Optical Coherence Tomography 3D Scanning Stage Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT), is a scanning device designed for art perseverance purposes. The 3D scanning stage makes the OCT mobile enough to perform the task. The stage moves every millimeter(mm) while the OCT is attached to it. Every mm that it moves, the device captures an image and is examined to detect damages that may not be visible to the naked human eye. Without the stage, the OCT must be operated manually which opens room for human error. The stage is intended to aid with collecting data with accuracy. However, the results are inconclusive regarding the performance of the stage. In future, the stage along with the OCT scanner will help artists obtain detailed understanding of the painting, the damages that occur within quickly enough for them to fix it and perpetuate it. Serenah Pauliuc Session 1, Table 4 Major: Mechanical Engineering Anticipated Graduation Date: Spring 2021 Faculty Mentors: Amir Barakati (Berks), Charles Bakis (University Park) Project Title: Fabrication and Testing of Bio-Composites Natural fibers are emerging as strong sustainable candidates to reinforce composite materials. Bio-composites, composed of natural fibers and bio-based resins, are ecofriendly alternatives to synthetic materials derived from petroleum. However, in their natural untreated state, bio-based materials are generally limited to lightly loaded applications in dry environments. Further investigation should be conducted on bio-composite materials to improve their mechanical properties, especially in wet environments. The goal of this study is to fabricate and test different bio-composite laminated plates in order to measure and enhance their stiffness and strength in dry and wet conditions. A bio-composite laminate made of woven jute fiver (burlap) and plant-based polymer matrix is manufactured through vacuum assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM). This laminate is then subjected to the tensile testing, microscopic void content examination, and 24-hour soaking in de-ionized water. The results show that the void content of the laminate is very low and the use of burlap in the bio-composite makes the bio-resin polymer stiffer although it has little effect on the strength. Furthermore, the water saturated bio-composite showed decline in stiffness and strength in the warp direction by about 26% and 6%, respectively. Moreover, carbon black was added to the resin during the VARTM fabrication process of a second laminate to make the bio-composite electrically conductive, which is a useful characteristic for certain applications. The results of this research can be used to expand the applications of bio-composites in industry. Aaron Payne Major: Electrical Engineering Anticipated Graduation Date: Spring 2021 Faculty Mentors: Adelkader Abdessameud (Harrisburg), Jacob Langelaan (University Park) Project Title: Small Scale Autonomous Driving Vehicle Autonomous Driving functionality in commercial vehicles could offer safe, efficient, and intelligent means of transportation during everyday commutes. However, the algorithms used to make instantaneous decisions while navigating roadways using the vehicle’s on-board sensors to avoid obstacles, both predictable and chaotic, comes with its own challenges. Unlike today’s convention of using a human occupant to make the critical decisions during the operation of a vehicle, it is up to computational machines on board the vehicle to sense incoming obstacles, observe roadway rules and regulations, and react to these stimuli in a quick but meaningfully safe manner. In this project, I have

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built a small-scale autonomous vehicle based on a radio-controlled platform to prototype and test autonomous driving functionalities in a multitude of driving scenarios. This platform includes only a front facing camera but is designed to be able to include more sensors to survey its surroundings and is based off open source hardware for ease of prototyping and testing. This project offers a test platform to implement autonomous driving algorithms that could be tested on a small and safe platform. Vennila Pugazhenthi Session 1, Table 43 Major: Computer Science Anticipated Graduation Date: Spring 2021 Faculty Mentors: Fariborz Tavangarian (Harrisburg), Shengxi Huang (University Park) Project Partner: Kiana Rolli Anne Montes Project Title: Improving the Spinel Crack Healing Behavior by Utilizing the Recycled Fluorescent Lamp Glass In recent decades, spinel has been a focus of study due to numerous applications in chemical, metallurgical, structural and electrochemical fields. However, when spinel is subjected to rapid heating or cooling rate in high-temperature applications, it can cause high thermal gradient resulting in micro-cracking of the surface. To maintain the mechanical strength and structural integrity of spinel components, the material’s ability to self-heal cracks must be improved. Previous studies have shown that the rate of recovery of the mechanical strength of glass/ceramics composite is higher compared to the rate of recovery of the mechanical strength of the ceramic. Hence, in this research for the first time, we studied and presented our expectations on the impact of fluorescent lamp glass in spinel ceramics. The fluorescent lamp glass can be used as a healing agent to reduce the sintering time and temperature to achieve complete healing. From previous studies, we expect that the silica in Fluorescent lamp glass and alumina in Spinel will combine to form a mullite glassy phase, improving the crack-healing and strength recovery of the composite. If the crack self-healing of spinel improves as predicted, it would both improve the recovery of mechanical strength and reduce the fluorescent lamp glass waste entering landfills. Devon Reed Session 1, Table 47 Major: Computer Science Anticipated Graduation Date: Spring 2022 Faculty Mentors: Kofi Adu, Gary Weisel (Altoona), Ram Rajagopalan (University Park, DuBois) Partner: Leon Yang Title: Modeling the Correlation Between Size Distribution and Photoluminescence in Graphene Quantum Dots In recent years, graphene quantum dots (GQDs) have been found to have unique physical behaviors, including photoluminescence (PL) in the deep-ultraviolet and blue-to-green regimes. Our research has two objectives: first, to characterize the dependence of GQD photoluminescence on particle size, and second, to explore the possibility that the underlying physical mechanism is the quantum confinement effect. GQDs are synthesized with a microwave-hydrothermal synthesis technique. A centrifuge is then used to separate the GQDs into distributions of progressively smaller average size. Three measurements are made on the resulting samples: the absorption (from optical to deep-ultraviolet); the PL (using a 364 nm excitation); and transmission electron microscope (TEM) imaging. We use the TEM measurements to estimate the average radius and standard deviation of the particle distributions. We then use the formalism presented by Yorikawa and Muramatsu in their 1997 paper “Logarithmic normal distribution of particle size from a luminescence line-shape analysis in porous silicon” to explore the relationship between the particle distribution and the PL response for GQDs. Although several PL and TEM measurements are still underway (and will be completed in the fall), we present preliminary results to show our control of particle size and its effect on the PL response.

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Hector Rios-Jaime Session 4, Table 11 Major: Digital Media, Arts and Technology Anticipated Graduation Date: Spring 2020 Faculty Mentors: Richard Zhao (Behrend), Hui Yang (University Park) Project Partner: Sidney Hopson Project Title: Virtual Reality Education for Undergraduate Engineers In the world of engineering, students struggle due to the limited amount of real-world experience they receive before starting their careers. With the advancement of virtual reality (VR), students and non-students alike can experience a real-life simulation without the involved risks, costs, and experience needed. Some fields are already using VR in education, but engineering is lacking this extremely helpful tool. In this work, we attempt to fabricate a VR simulation of a car manufacturing plant that involves heavy machinery and mass production for undergraduate engineers to control. The goal is to make the simulation as realistic as possible in order to give the students a good understanding of some real-world experience. Once the simulation is ready, it will need to be tested with students to see how they react and if they learn from the experience. This project will give engineering students a more hands-on approach to their profession and overall increase their engagement in the classroom. Kyle Robertson Session 1, Table 51 Major: Materials Engineering Anticipated Graduation Date: Spring 2020 Faculty Mentors: Ram Rajagopalan (University Park), Daudi Waroba (DuBois) Project Title: Cold Sintering Process for Production of Soft Magnetic Materials Powder Metallurgy (PM) is the growing face of high tolerance precision metallic parts production where loose metal powder is compacted at high pressures to achieve a desired shape for application. The parts are then heated to high temperatures to achieve particle-particle interface diffusion in order to sustain desirable material properties. Warm compaction or the pressing of metal powder at elevated temperatures with the addition of phosphoric acid could be the solution for successfully lowering the sintering temperature for PM parts which can lead to a considerable drop in energy expenditures for processing. Various metals including copper, nickel, and iron-based alloys were selected for testing and comparisons were made during metallography between warm compacted controls and phosphorous samples at varying sintering temperatures. Results showed that some materials containing phosphoric acid displayed improved grain growth, pour structure, and mechanical properties. Manuel Roshardt Session 1, Table 7 Major: Biomedical Engineering Anticipated Graduation Date: Spring 2021 Faculty Mentors: Mukul Talaty (Abington), Jessica Menold (University Park), Anne Martin (University Park) Project Partner: Yuhan Dong Project Title: Determining Strength, Fit and Printing Speed of 3D Printed Lower Extremity Prosthetic Sockets. According to the National Limb Loss Information Center, there are approximately 1.7 million people living with limb loss in the United States. Lower extremity prosthetics allow amputees regain their abilities to walk and positive outlook associated with the independence this engenders [1]. For a trans-tibial amputee, a complete prosthesis consists of a socket, pylon, and a foot. The socket is particularly important as it connects the other components to the body and transmits all the forces between the body and the prosthesis through the residual limb skin. The conventional method of producing a socket heavily relies on technicians’ skills and experiences and is messy and time consuming. As a result, sockets produced may not fit properly, and may require revision without which discomfort, pain, and occasionally residual limb skin breakdown can occur. To make the process of producing sockets more exact and cost and time

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efficient, 3D printing technology has recently been explored. This approach could significantly reduce the possibility of making human errors as well as the manufacturing time. Neither the methodology for this process nor the impact of methodological variation in the fabrication on the mechanical properties of the resulting socket have been well described – if at all – in scientific literature. Our goals in this work were to refine and finalize a method to create a CAD model of a socket from a scan of a patient’s residual limb, to prototype and fabricate testing jigs to allow strength testing of sockets, to use those jigs to test sockets in a material testing machine, to develop a protocol to assess the goodness of the fit of the 3D printed socket, and to explore how various 3D printing parameter choices affect print times. To date, we have refined the modeling protocol using the software Mesh mixer, allowing the creation of the socket from a scan of a residual limb and have printed numerous sockets. We have benchmarked the effect of numerous printing parameters and determined that layer height has one of the most significant impacts on print speed. Also, we are evaluating a variety of approaches to quantify how closely the modeled and printed socket fits the initial residual limb from which it was created. Initial gross and qualitative evaluation indicated the fit of a 3D printed socket was “very good” (based on visual destructive inspection by an experienced prosthetist). As means to further evaluate this objectively and quantitatively, we are exploring using a laser scanner, resistive thin-film sensor and a rapidly solidifying liquid to mold the space between the socket and limb model. For strength testing, jigs to allow proper loading to be applied to the socket through our material testing machine were finalized and have been submitted for fabrication out of stainless steel at a local shop. Several design iterations were created, rapid porotype by additive manufacturing to ensure proper fit and functionality, allow a range of loads to be applied – simulating those applied during walking and subsequently to simplify the machining process. The jigs were also printed at full density (100% infill) and tried for actual strength testing. This testing is currently underway. These outcomes will provide important framework and objective guidance to the field as it moves forward with involving 3D printing in socket fabrication practices. Benjamin Sheldon Session 3, Table 50 Major: Mechanical Engineering Anticipated Graduation Date: Fall 2019 Faculty Mentors: Jiawei Gong, Barukyah Shaparenkco (Behrend), Gregory Pavlak (University Park) Project Title: A Small-scale Cost Analysis of a Solar Power Installation As carbon emissions increase due to an over reliance on fossil fuels, the world looks toward other forms of energy to reduce its effects. Solar looks to be one of the most promising alternatives with continued research into photovoltaic cells, however, while it is a popular alternate for power, it has yet to become a high percentage of our energy mix. Unless it is proven to be a worthy investment to generate solar energy, solar panels may not be successful enough to suit the role as a replacement for fossil fuels. For solar panels, depending on the type installed, there is either a decent efficiency at a high cost (i.e. Mono-crystalline) or a low efficiency at a low cost (i.e. Thin-film), which could scare possible investors from financing a possible installation. Unless a large portion of the market is convinced on the feasibility of solar energy being profitable, solar energy will not gain the traction it needs to lower the environmental impact of fossil fuels. The purpose of this research is to analyze the feasibility of installing photovoltaic solar panels on Penn state’s Behrend campus by using previous research findings as well as the System Mentor Model (SAM)—a techno-economic modeling tool developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. This research will also be looking into the most efficient modules and inverter for the installation, as well as the most affordable. The cost analysis will also include federal and state incentives for Erie, Pennsylvania, and cover possible degradation of the panels. The findings of this research are intended to provide an example a of small-commercial solar implementation in northern Pennsylvania and present the economic viability of several unique design cases. If the results show the system is profitable, similar small-commercial sites may be more inclined to invest in solar energy.

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Garrett Sutton Session 4, Table 39 Major: Mechanical Engineering Anticipated Graduation Date: Spring 2020 Faculty Mentors: Ola Rashwan (Harrisburg), Zoubeida Ounaies (University Park) Project Partner: Lindsey Sutton Project Title: A Study on the Light Absorption of Perovskite Solar Cells with Embedded Lead Sulfide Quantum Dots Perovskite Solar Cells (PSCs) are a promising technology, paving the way towards a more sustainable future energy source. With every study performed on them, they come closer to being affordable to manufacture as well as more stable. However, PSCs suffer from a dip in absorption towards the Near Infrared (NIR) end of the solar spectrum. Two maxima of energy exist in this range; which means a significant amount of harvestable energy is lost to this inefficiency. Lead Sulfide Quantum Dots (PbS QD) integrated into a perovskite solar cell could remedy this issue. In this study, the effect of adding PbS QDs of different concentrations to the perovskite layer on absorption is investigated. Also, two different perovskites with two different band gaps are investigated: MAPbI3 and MAPbBr3. The research is conducted using ANSYS High Frequency Structure Simulator (HFSS) which solves Maxwell’s equations. An increase in absorption in visible and the near infrared (NIR) range of the solar spectrum is expected due to the narrow band gap of PbS QDs. Lindsey Sutton Session 4, Table 39 Major: Mechanical Engineering Anticipated Graduation Date: Spring 2020 Faculty Mentors: Ola Rashwan (Harrisburg), Zoubeida Ounaies (University Park) Project Partner: Garrett Sutton Project Title: Investigation of the nano-texturing of the back- contact for a solar cell with different perovskite chemistries One of the most significant ways to combat our current climate crisis is to improve the “green” technologies available to us. An area of study that has shown a great potential is the perovskite solar cells. Perovskites are a class of material with the chemical structure ABX3. This structure is ideal for solar cells because it lends perovskites the ability to have tunable band gaps. In addition to customizable optical properties, perovskites can be made at low processing temperatures with simple synthesizing procedures. This contrasts with silicon solar cells’ lengthy and expensive processing. Most current research efforts are geared towards increasing the stability and the efficiency of perovskite solar cells. One way to increase the efficiency is through nano-texturing. In this study, we investigate the effect of nano-texturing of the back contact on four different perovskite chemistries. By nano-texturing the back-contact, the optical path length of the incident light is increased, thereby allowing for more light to be absorbed. The four different perovskites are methylammonium lead iodide (MAPI), methylammonium lead bromide (MAPBr), and two cesium formamidinium lead mixed halide perovskites (Cs17/Br17, Cs25/Br20). Two nano-cube sizes are tested: 50 nm and 150 nm. The solar cell models were simulated with ANSYS HFSS Electronics Desktop and their absorption was measured. The effects of the perovskite chemistry and the size of the nanostructures, which are embedded in the back-contact, on the absorption are noted and discussed. Nathan Sylvain Session 4, Table 34 Major: Data Sciences Anticipated Graduation Date: Spring 2021 Faculty Mentors: Yi Yang (Abington), Yanxi Liu (University Park) Project Partners: Xing Chen, Darlene In, Disha Patel Project Title: Optical Coherence Tomography 3D Scanning Stage Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT), is a scanning device designed for art perseverance purposes. The 3D scanning stage makes the OCT mobile enough to perform the task. The stage moves every millimeter(mm) while the OCT is

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attached to it. Every mm that it moves, the device captures an image and is examined to detect damages that may not be visible to the naked human eye. Without the stage, the OCT must be operated manually which opens room for human error. The stage is intended to aid with collecting data with accuracy. However, the results are inconclusive regarding the performance of the stage. In future, the stage along with the OCT scanner will help artists obtain detailed understanding of the painting, the damages that occur within quickly enough for them to fix it and perpetuate it. Johnathan Tielsch Session 4, Table 52 Major: Aerospace Engineering Anticipated Graduation Date: Spring 2022 Faculty Mentor: Christopher McComb (University Park) Project Title: Predicting the Future Performance of Additive Manufacturing Technologies Additive Manufacturing (AM) has become a growing field in the Manufacturing Industry since it emerged in the 1980’s and has experienced major growth in the stock market. However, AM is still an extremely new technology that has only started to truly impact society but has no predictions on how the market as a whole will do in the future. The majority of products in the market go through a transition known as Logistical Growth, which simply shows the increase and eventual plateau of a product that initially does well in the market. In this work, we have taken the AM stock market quote as a whole and divided this by the Dow Jones market to confirm that the AM stock market has been increasing since it initially joined the market. Looking into the future stock quote in the AM stock market, it seems likely that the AM Industry will continue to have steady growth. The next step in this research will be to apply logistical growth formulas to our current findings to accurately predict when the AM stock market will begin to level out. The data that will be collected will help provide valuable future insights into the AM Industry such as predicting the cause for the industry’s plateau, as well as providing potential investors with valuable insight into the market. Nicholas Tomblin Session 1, Table 40 Major: General Engineering with Applied Materials Anticipated Graduation Date: Spring 2020 Faculty Mentors: Ram Rajagopalan (University Park), Daudi Waroba (DuBois) Project Title: Electroless Deposition of Copper on Iron Powder Particles Coating materials is an important concept in engineering. It can provide a variety of benefits by creating a unique set of materials properties. Copper powder is typically mixed into iron powder during the manufacturing process, but it can be hard to ensure an even distribution of copper throughout the powder mix. Currently there is research which developed a procedure to coat iron powder particles with copper and control the coating thickness, but there does not seem to be information on the effects of coating in powder metal applications, and the procedure uses hydrazine which is a volatile chemical to use. By doing an electroless deposition using a solution of copper sulfate and sodium citrate, then lowering the pH to three using a one molar sulfuric acid solution iron powder particles can then be stirred in the solution to coat each particle with copper. This provides copper at every interface during compaction and sintering. During experimentation a procedure for coating particles was developed, parts were made using varying concentrations of copper, but the part had significantly less strength than the controls using the conventional powder mixing methods. This is likely due to coating the iron particles with too much copper. Optimally the copper and iron powder should only contain about two percent copper, and the powder made during experimentation had significantly more. Looking forward the copper coating will be more precisely controlled in order to truly test the effects of the particle coating process.

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Grace Trott Session 3, Table 5 Major: Mechanical Engineering Anticipated Graduation Date: Spring 2020 Faculty Mentors: Adam Hollinger (Behrend), Chris Rahn (University Park) Project Partner: Jangik Fred Jin Project Title: Drone Optimization: Increasing Hover Time and Structural Stability of Package Carrying Drones with Lithium-Ion Batteries Package carrying drones can offer various benefits to everyday life such as a more efficient and environmentally friendly delivery system. However, the increase in accessibility of drones to the public also exposed common problems with drone technology: short hover times and easily breakable frames (specifically arms). Most drone designs are powered by lithium polymer batteries and have flat rectangular solid arms. Lithium polymer batteries are space efficient and have a high energy density. However, they are typically heavier and more expensive than their lithium ion counterparts. Meanwhile, lithium ion batteries have stronger mechanical properties due to their steel cylindrical shell. Flat and rectangular drone arms do not require additional connectors to mount motors and connect with the body, which can reduce the drone’s weight, but they are easily breakable compared to the hollow cylindrical shape arms. In this work, we replaced the rectangular arms with hollow cylindrical arms filled with 18650 batteries to compare flight times with different payloads. The new structural design will be stronger, more light weight and improve the hovering time. Alexander Van Hulten Session 1, Table 36 Major: Aerospace Engineering Anticipated Graduation Date: Spring 2021 Faculty Mentors: Alandra Kahl (Greater Allegheny), Nathaniel Warner (University Park) Project Partners: Tyler Barry, Jackson Buchko Project Title: Measuring Surface Water Quality with the AWQUA The growing importance of water quality monitoring has increased the demand for cost effective water monitoring devices. As the global population grows and societies continue to develop, phosphate and suspended solids such as salt are contaminating surface waterways. Currently, the high cost of water monitoring devices hinders environmental scientists from gathering the data they need. High cost also prevents the use of citizen science to collect data from the smaller tributaries and creeks that separate from larger waterways. As a solution to this problem, a cost-effective water quality device was designed that can accurately measure water quality. 3D printing was used to create an easily accessible housing unit for maintenance. We created hardware for these devices using Arduino nano boards and Arduino software, as these are relatively inexpensive. The devices measure temperature, conductivity, and turbidity to measure water quality. Temperature is measured as this affects both conductivity and turbidity. Measuring conductivity is a method for detecting the amount of salt in the water, and turbidity is used for general suspended solids and phosphorous. There is a lot of research that already shows the link between conductivity and salinity, as well as the link between turbidity, suspended solids, and phosphorous. The production of cost-effective water monitoring devices will allow for the use of citizen science to collect the data we are currently lacking. Makarand Wadagave Session 1, Table 42 Major: Material Science and Engineering Anticipated Graduation Date: Spring 2021 Faculty Mentors: Burcu Ozden (Abington), Shengxi Huang (University Park) Project Title: Degradation study of WSe2 via Raman Spectroscopy and Photoluminescence Imaging Semiconducting two-dimensional materials (2DMs) such as WSe2 (Tungsten Diselenide) have attracted significant attention due to their unique optoelectronic properties. However, such materials can be vulnerable to optical

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degradation under ambient conditions, yet a systematic study doesn't exist in the literature. The degradation study of WSe2 is essential to understand the applications of these materials in non-specialized operation conditions. In this study, we investigate the degradation of free-standing WSe2 due to humidity under ambient conditions by performing Raman spectroscopy and photoluminescence imaging over 6 months between June 2019 and December 2019. The findings of this study will provide fundamental insight into the degradation of WSe2 and inspire their application in optoelectronics under harsh conditions. Yujing Wang Session 4, Table 49 Major: Engineering Science Anticipated Graduation Date: Spring 2021 Faculty Mentors: Vinayak Elangovan (Abington), Saurabh Basu (University Park) Project Title: Intelligent Automated Visual Inspection System Quality Inspection (QI) helps manufacturing industry determine whether a product meets a required standard. The massive repetition nature of QI arises a demand for RPA (Robotic Process Automation). While QI of most manufacturing products has a clear standard, it is possible that we can train robots to identify defects and classify as accepted or rejected products. In this project, a standalone robotic arm is used to pick and drop objects to be inspected from one position to another. A camera source is used to capture images of the objects and the images are processed to detect the surface defects. The objective of this research is bifold: First, a control system is developed to control the robotic arms using an Arduino microcontroller and relay boards, and automate the process using Arduino programming language. The robotic arm is connected to two electromagnetic relay boards, and the relay boards are connected to an Arduino board, which is a low-cost and open-source microcontroller. The developed Arduino codes are uploaded to the Arduino microcontroller to control the servo motors in the robotic arms to pick and drop objects at respective positions. Second objective of this project is to develop image processing functions to detect and classify the surface defects. The developed system mimics the operations carried out in industry for automating a visual inspection system. Leon Yang Session 1, Table 47 Major: Computer Science Anticipated Graduation Date: Spring 2021 Faculty Mentors: Kofi Adu, Gary Weisel (Altoona), Ram Rajagopalan (University Park, DuBois) Partner: Devon Reed Title: Modeling the Correlation Between Size Distribution and Photoluminescence in Graphene Quantum Dots In recent years, graphene quantum dots (GQDs) have been found to have unique physical behaviors, including photoluminescence (PL) in the deep-ultraviolet and blue-to-green regimes. Our research has two objectives: first, to characterize the dependence of GQD photoluminescence on particle size, and second, to explore the possibility that the underlying physical mechanism is the quantum confinement effect. GQDs are synthesized with a microwave-hydrothermal synthesis technique. A centrifuge is then used to separate the GQDs into distributions of progressively smaller average size. Three measurements are made on the resulting samples: the absorption (from optical to deep-ultraviolet); the PL (using a 364 nm excitation); and transmission electron microscope (TEM) imaging. We use the TEM measurements to estimate the average radius and standard deviation of the particle distributions. We then use the formalism presented by Yorikawa and Muramatsu in their 1997 paper “Logarithmic normal distribution of particle size from a luminescence line-shape analysis in porous silicon” to explore the relationship between the particle distribution and the PL response for GQDs. Although several PL and TEM measurements are still underway (and will be completed in the fall), we present preliminary results to show our control of particle size and its effect on the PL response.

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Shuoqiu (Simon) Yang Session 4, Table 51 Major: Computer Engineering Anticipated Graduation Date: Spring 2020 Faculty Mentors: Omar Ashour (Behrend), Conrad Tucker (University Park) Project Partners: Josh Mathews, Keisuke Kato Project Title: Developing and Testing a Virtual Reality Module to Teach Manufacturing Systems Concepts In higher level Industrial Engineering (IE) courses, it is difficult for lecturers to demonstrate complex manufacturing concepts through traditional classroom lectures. This instructional abstraction can be very frustrating and hard for students to understand. As a result, a new, more effective, teaching tool is needed to ensure that students attain the knowledge necessary to graduate and succeed in the field of IE. In order to instruct IE students more effectively, an interactive Virtual Reality (VR) environment was developed using Unity. Unity is a game design engine that uses Object-Oriented C# programming in conjunction with an interactable real-time platform to design 2D and 3D games.1Utilizing a team of 5 undergraduate and 2 graduate students, we have designed learning modules inside of a power drill production facility. This large team was managed across campuses using Gitlab and a Github repository, as well as using Discord text chat. Future plans include testing the learning modules in classrooms at Penn State Behrend and the development of additional class modules. Feedback from in-class tests will help us to improve student understanding and overall clarity of the lessons. Ultimately, our research will help IE students understand material more effectively, as well as increase awareness to the educational benefits of VR. In addition, the typical lectures in certain fields may be forever changed, as well as allow for remote lab testing and online students. Jiaxin Margot Yuan (Harrisburg, University Park) Session 1, Table 51 Major: Mathematics Anticipated Graduation Date: Spring 2020 Faculty Mentor: Aissa Wade (University Park) Project Title: Matrix Lie groups Lie groups were introduced by Sophus Lie as a tool for understanding and solving ordinary and partial differential equations. This review paper introduces concepts of matrix Lie groups with their Lie algebras and explain applications to first-order differential equations. The example of Riccati equation was discussed, which can be applied to control system as well as studying particles in physic. Furthermore, criteria were generalized for integrability of the family of Riccati equation. Tesla (Yinsen) Zhang (Harrisburg) Session 1, Table 35 Major: Computer Science Anticipated Graduation Date: Spring 2022 Faculty Mentor: Danfeng Zhang (University Park) Project Title: Integrating First-Class Cases with Dependent Types In dependent type theories we have types as first-class expressions, but popular dependently typed languages such as Agda [Norell 2009] or Idris [Brady 2013] only accept variant and record types as global definitions. There are also no literals for variant and record types. We present a structurally and dependently typed programming language, Voile, that improves existing data type design with first-class variant and record type expressions and extend them with row types and row polymorphism for code reuse and extensibility.

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Chenzhang Zhou Session 4, Table 48 Major: Engineering Science, Mathematics Anticipated Graduation Date: Spring 2021 Faculty Mentors: Kofi Adu (Altoona), Ram Rajagopalan (University Park, DuBois) Project Title: Fano Effect in Transition Metal Dichalcogenides Transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) are layered structure materials that have shown great promise for electronic and optoelectronic applications and are being intensely investigated. Phonons play important role in these intriguing properties. Several effects ranging from layered effect to quantum confinement effect manifest themselves by modifying the zone center phonon behavior. However, only layered effect has been intensely investigated. In our work, we employ an analytical approach in investigating the influence of layer, quantum size effect, inhomogeneous heating and Fano effects on the phonon lineshapes of TMDs. We have developed a grand formalism that allows one to investigate the influence of two or more of the processes on the phonon lineshape. Thus, providing the framework/roadmap in delineating these processes on the phonon lineshapes of TMDs in particular and nanostructures in general. Additional Project: Christopher Moyer (Berks)

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