UWEC CERCA 2026: Full Schedule

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2:00pm CDT

A Deployment System for Vascular Stents on Major Arteries with Collateral Connections

Tuesday April 28, 2026 2:00pm - 3:30pm CDT

Vascular surgeons often use stent grafts to treat patients with peripheral vascular disease to restore adequate blood flow to affected regions of the body, preventing tissue death and loss of limb. Current stent grafts and deployment systems do not have a flexible enough design to meet needs for all patients, especially in the situation where there is a collateral blood vessel that must remain open. A deployment system is being developed using modified catheters to align and confirm position of the stent graft relative to a collateral vessel. The deployment system catheter comprises a central line for a guidewire, a 90-degree output channel for wire and radiopaque dye for flow verification, and a lumen for attachment of the stent graft. Prototypes were fabricated through resin casting and injection molding that can be attached to existing multilumen catheter tubing. This project will improve patient results by providing a cost effective, efficient, and safe way for vascular surgeons to position modified stent grafts in challenging anatomies in the peripheral vasculature.

Presenters

Sasha Bovard

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

Ayla Sonnek

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

Faculty Mentor

Joseph Petefish

Materials Science & Biomedical Engineering, University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

Tuesday April 28, 2026 2:00pm - 3:30pm CDT
Davies Center: Ojibwe Ballroom (330) 77 Roosevelt Ave, Eau Claire, WI 54701, USA

Spotlight on First-Year Research

Department Materials Science & Biomedical Engineering
College CAS

2:00pm CDT

Analysis of Bi-2212 Superconducting Filament Joining using Deep Learning Methods

Tuesday April 28, 2026 2:00pm - 3:30pm CDT

Davies Center: Ojibwe Ballroom (330)

Composite Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8-x (Bi-2212) wire has great potential as a material for high temperature superconducting magnets, due to its ability to conduct electricity without resistance. However, during heat treatment, individual Bi-2212 filaments may agglomerate or bridge, compromising wire performance. Traditional image analysis methods struggle to quantify this agglomeration because of the wide variability in filament bridging behavior—from light to fully conjoined. In this project, we apply and compare two semantic segmentation models, U-Net and SACNet, for their ability to segment and classify filaments in transverse cross-sectional images of Bi-2212 wires. Our preliminary results show that our overall pixel accuracy is about 95% while the individual filament accuracy is about 73%. The SACNet has also been adapted to operate on the UWEC BOSE supercomputing cluster, which allows higher throughput testing at a rate approximately 19 times faster than on a standard computer operating system. The process of training the model is simple and only requires editing hyperparameters within a text document. The hyperparameters are currently being assessed for their impact on the overall accuracy of the model. We hope to turn the Python-based code into a standalone software product that can be easily used by researchers without a coding background. This should allow the software to be used widely and further our understanding of the role of bridging in the performance of the wire.

Presenters

Evan Rosenick

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

Jayson Rugg

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

Faculty Mentor

Matthew Jewell

Materials Science & Biomedical Engineering, University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

Tuesday April 28, 2026 2:00pm - 3:30pm CDT
Davies Center: Ojibwe Ballroom (330) 77 Roosevelt Ave, Eau Claire, WI 54701, USA

Spotlight on First-Year Research

Department Materials Science & Biomedical Engineering
College CAS

2:00pm CDT

Enhancing Surgical Training and Patient Outcomes Using Customizable 3D Printed Surgical Models for Minimally Invasive Cardiac Procedures

Tuesday April 28, 2026 2:00pm - 3:30pm CDT

Davies Center: Ojibwe Ballroom (330)

Currently, no tailored surgical models exist for minimally invasive cardiac procedures leaving surgeons to learn primarily on patients. These procedures, such as catheter ablation and the WATCHMAN left atrial appendage closure, are performed by placing a catheter through the femoral vein to access the heart. To address this gap, we have developed an anatomically accurate and patient-specific training model. Using CT and MRI scans from the Mayo Clinic, we created a 3D-printed model with Materialise Mimics, Materialise 3-Matic, and SolidWorks software. The system includes a torso, leg, interchangeable hearts, and a femoral vein pathway. Cameras are in place to mimic the fluoroscopy that would be used in an actual procedure. A visual and audio feedback system identifies key ablation points in the heart. Together, these features allow for the creation of an educational model. Surgical outcomes utilizing the educational model will be compared with previous outcomes for surgeons of various education and experience levels. This project will reveal if customizable practice models are significantly beneficial to surgical practice by observing patient outcomes.

Presenters

Sophie Gardiner

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

Mehal Raghwani

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

Reese Sheehan

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

Faculty Mentor

Doug Dunham

Materials Science & Biomedical Engineering, University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

Tuesday April 28, 2026 2:00pm - 3:30pm CDT
Davies Center: Ojibwe Ballroom (330) 77 Roosevelt Ave, Eau Claire, WI 54701, USA

Spotlight on First-Year Research

Department Materials Science & Biomedical Engineering
College CAS

2:00pm CDT

Progressive Optimization of Biocompatible Foam for Tumor Ablation

Tuesday April 28, 2026 2:00pm - 3:30pm CDT

Davies Center: Ojibwe Ballroom (330)

Tumor ablation is an effective treatment for cancer removal, but current methods can be improved using biocompatible materials to minimize complications and post-operative pain. The procedure uses a needle-like probe to burn or freeze cancerous target tissue. An essential component to this procedure is separating healthy tissue from the target tissue to prevent damage. Current methods use saline or carbon dioxide, which cause complications within the body cavity due to gravity. The development of a biocompatible foam through partnership between UW- Eau Claire and Mayo Clinic Health System allows for thermal insulation and maintained contact with the target tissue. FDA approved biocompatible materials are used to create foam that is stable throughout the procedure. Current project goals include continuing characterization of foam properties through rheology, measuring surface tension through pendent drop tensiometry, and developing freeze drying and an automated procedural device for long-term storage and clinical adoption. Quantifying foam properties through these characterization techniques and data collection allows for clinical readiness. Refinement of the biocompatible foam aims to optimize the tumor ablation procedure, resulting in minimized complications and enhanced patient outcomes.

Presenters

Valerie Giallombardo

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

Emerald Olson

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

Hailey Stariha

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

Faculty Mentor

Elizabeth Glogowski

Materials Science & Biomedical Engineering, University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

Tuesday April 28, 2026 2:00pm - 3:30pm CDT
Davies Center: Ojibwe Ballroom (330) 77 Roosevelt Ave, Eau Claire, WI 54701, USA

Spotlight on First-Year Research

Department Materials Science & Biomedical Engineering
College CAS

2:00pm CDT

Stimuli-Responsive Block Copolymers for Enhanced Titanium Dioxide Dispersion in Waterborne Architectural Coatings

Tuesday April 28, 2026 2:00pm - 3:30pm CDT

Davies Center: Ojibwe Ballroom (330)

Architectural coatings, defined as paints and surface finishes used primarily on buildings for protection and aesthetics, require uniform pigment dispersion to achieve proper opacity, durability, and application performance. Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is the primary white pigment used in these coatings due to its high refractive index, allowing it to efficiently scatter light. However, TiO2 particles frequently agglomerate in waterborne paint systems, reducing optical efficiency which increases the amount of pigment required. Because TiO2 is one of the most expensive components within paint formulation, improving its dispersion is both economically and environmentally significant. This research explores the use of stimuli-responsive block copolymers as the dispersing agents for TiO2. These polymers consist of chemically distinct segments that change their conformation in response to external stimuli, allowing them to improve pigment separation and interparticle stabilization. Dispersion quality is evaluated using Leneta charts to assess opacity and film uniformity, along with secondary tests including water droplet resistance. Rheological testing using the rheometer is also performed to generate demand curves, which describe how paint viscosity changes under applied shear and are helpful for predicting processability and behavior of paints. Successful implementation is expected to reduce TiO2 usage while maintaining performance and reducing the overall cost.

Presenters

Elle Roberts

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

Nav Thaipally

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

Simon Shaffer

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

Faculty Mentor

Elizabeth Glogowski

Materials Science & Biomedical Engineering, University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

Tuesday April 28, 2026 2:00pm - 3:30pm CDT
Davies Center: Ojibwe Ballroom (330) 77 Roosevelt Ave, Eau Claire, WI 54701, USA

Spotlight on First-Year Research

Department Materials Science & Biomedical Engineering
College CAS

4:00pm CDT

005: Analysis of Geometric Filament Homogeneity in Composite Bi-2212 Wires

Tuesday April 28, 2026 4:00pm - 6:00pm CDT

Davies Center: Woodland Theater (328)

Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8-x (Bi-2212) is a superconductor capable of producing large magnetic fields for advanced magnet systems. However, fluctuations in the size and shape of Bi-2212 filaments in a composite wire can affect processing capability. In this work, we compare the geometric filament uniformity of green-state densified composite Bi-2212/Ag wires to that of bronze route and powder-in-tube Nb3Sn wires in both the longitudinal and transverse orientations and explore the benefits and limitations of this technique. Filament size is the most important parameter to achieve overall uniform filaments, and transverse uniformity (which is much easier to measure) is an acceptable substitute for longitudinal uniformity in most situations. Finally, across a wide cross-section of Bi-2212 wires, the wire JE is shown to be only loosely correlated to the wire uniformity, as measured by the longitudinal coefficient of variation of the filament area. This points to the importance of powder quality and heat treatments as the primary drivers in Bi-2212 wire performance.

Presenters

WiSys Quick Pitch, Science & Technology

Department Materials Science & Biomedical Engineering
College CAS

UWEC CERCA 2026

2:00pm CDT

Sasha Bovard

Ayla Sonnek

Joseph Petefish

2:00pm CDT

Evan Rosenick

Jayson Rugg

Matthew Jewell

2:00pm CDT

Sophie Gardiner

Mehal Raghwani

Reese Sheehan

Doug Dunham

2:00pm CDT

Valerie Giallombardo

Emerald Olson

Hailey Stariha

Elizabeth Glogowski

2:00pm CDT

Elle Roberts

Nav Thaipally

Simon Shaffer

Elizabeth Glogowski

4:00pm CDT

Anne Carmichael

Tyler Berlin

Matthew Jewell

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