This project seeks to develop a mechanically flexible cooling pad that can be used by medical providers to provide targeted pain or inflammation relief to injured or surgical areas. We are seeking to develop a device that is fully temperature controlled and can be used for long intervals of time up to several hours. We are currently pursuing two distinct cooling methods and engineering a complete system for both approaches. These systems are being designed to maximize cooling power and control while retaining geometric flexibility and user convenience. In this poster, we will compare the two systems, describe some of the key geometric and experimental variables under study, and highlight areas for further innovation.
Amorphous silicon and silicon oxides (SiOₓ, 0 ≤ x ≤ 1) are promising anode materials for lithium-ion batteries due to their high theoretical energy capacity. However, their practical implementation is hindered by substantial volume changes during cycling. A detailed atomic-level understanding is essential to improve their stability and performance. This project focuses on developing accurate and transferable machine learning force fields (MLFFs) for amorphous SiOₓ. Initial amorphous structures were generated using ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) simulations with the Vienna Ab initio Simulation Package (VASP) via a melt-and-quench approach. Different quench rates were investigated to minimize training errors and improve MLFF reliability. The resulting MLFFs significantly reduce the computational cost compared to AIMD simulations, enabling simulations at larger length scales and longer timescales. This approach allows efficient investigation of structural evolution and lithiation mechanisms in Si-based anodes, supporting the design of more durable, high-capacity lithium-ion anode materials.
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.
Expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) grafts are commonly used in vascular bypass surgeries and peripheral arterial reconstructions to repair and reconstruct blood vessels. However, current ePTFE grafts often cause scar tissue formation due to their dense structure, contributing to compliance mismatch and limiting their long-term effectiveness and integration with the host. The goal of this research project was to utilize multiple characterization techniques to determine the melting point, crystallinity, and microstructure of raw PTFE resin, heat-treated resin, and extruded and expanded PTFE tubing. Characterization techniques included the determination of the melting point and crystallinity percentages using Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and analysis of the surface morphology using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images. A PTFE pelletizer and extruder was designed to be compatible with a mechanical tensile tester and optimized to remove air and compress the resin and lubricant mixture to create PTFE extruded tubing . This will allow for student-led ePTFE production to reduce overall purchasing costs and increase tunability of tubing production factors to optimize tubing thickness, mechanical properties, and compliance. These techniques aim to guide the fabrication of ePTFE grafts created by student researchers to enhance biological integration with vasculature and long-term clinical performance.
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.
Understanding localized meteorology is integral to understanding tropospheric ozone behavior. This field campaign took place during 2023 AGES+, a nationwide atmospheric chemistry campaign to better understand air quality and patterns in major metropolitan regions. Our objective was to measure ozone, temperature, pressure, and winds in the lower atmosphere near Chiwaukee Prairie in southeastern Wisconsin. This analysis investigates the potential effect of overwater wind patterns, measured by UAS, on ozone levels measured by the Chiwaukee Prairie Department of Natural Resources ground station.
Atmospheric pollutants are a huge problem in today’s environment. Ozone is one of these pollutants. It is harmful to human health and is a main pollutant in photochemical smog. Counties near Lake Michigan in Eastern Wisconsin suffer from poor air quality due to high ozone events and are in nonattainment of federal ozone standards. This is due to lake breeze circulation patterns and trapping of ozone and its precursors over Lake Michigan. To collect data on air quality in this area we have recently purchased an Aurelia S6 drone as a measurement platform for ozone, temperature, humidity, pressure, and NO2. While some of these have been measured before via UAS, we have recently custom-built an NO2 instrument, so careful consideration needs to be done to mount and fly the instruments under safe conditions. Here, we describe the UAS capabilities, strategies for mounting instrumentation, and flight campaign protocols to comply with FAA regulations and gather data safely.
Grazing steers utilize their rumen microbiomes to convert plant-derived carbohydrates into meat. Considering the socioeconomic importance of the beef industry, it is critical to develop strategies that maintain quality while lessening negative environmental impacts. Diet supplementation and hormonal growth implants have been shown to variably impact methane emissions and animal performance. A previous study examines grazing steers across four treatment groups: diet supplemented, hormonal implanted, combined diet and implant, and no intervention. They found no significant impact on emissions and performance. However, the rumen microbiome response to these treatments remains relatively unknown. Here, we will analyze 16S and ITS rRNA gene amplicon sequencing from those steers. We found that all treatments led to an increase in 16S and ITS alpha diversity over time; however, only the 16S diet group displayed a significant increase. Neither the 16S nor the ITS rumen microbiome composition significantly differed across treatments; however, both were significantly different over time. Future analyses will look at individual microbial and fungal responses to diet, grazing time periods, and associations with methane and performance data. Ultimately, our results will provide insight into rumen microbiome dynamics during the life cycle of a grazing steer, further informing sustainable management strategies.
Cattle that eat the same feed and come from the same environment can emit methane (CH4), a potent greenhouse gas, at vastly different levels. An estimated 32% of anthropogenic CH4 can be traced to ‘enteric fermentation’ in livestock production. During enteric fermentation, specialized microorganisms will digest complex plant fiber to create compounds like acetate and hydrogen (H2). Some of these organisms, called methanogens, will consume and use these products to produce CH4. Emerging data suggests natural inter-animal variation in CH4 emissions could derive from host genetics or differences in rumen microbial digestion. Here, we analyze 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing from the rumen of twenty beef cattle of varying CH4 emission levels to look for differences in the structure and composition of their microbial communities. There was no significant difference in microbial community diversity by host CH4 emission level. Association tests at the genus and ASV levels revealed relationships between low residual CH4 emissions and the genera Megasphaera, Prevotellaceae, Ruminococcus, and Gastranaerophilales. Network analysis of the high and low CH4 communities revealed disrupted relationships between methanogens and other members of the community. The methanogens Methanobrevibacter and Candidatus Methanomethylophilus were significantly associated with Gastranaerophilales and Prevotellaceae, respectively in the low CH4 network. These interactions were absent in the high CH4 network. This suggests that the interactions of the low CH4-associated microbiome members and methanogens contributes to the reduced CH4 emissions. The findings of our work begin to explain why some cattle emit higher methane levels compared to others, and may aid in finding solutions to reduce methane emissions in cattle while keeping their feeding efficiency and meat production high.
G-protein coupled receptors (GPCR) are a diverse group of cell surface receptors that bind ligands, undergo a conformational change, and initiate an intracellular signaling cascade through binding to a G-protein. The receptor group binds to molecules of a vast chemical space and is known to have regulatory role in functions ranging from growth sensation to hormone responses. This research investigates the chemical environment and hardness of GPCR active sites through protein visualization, electronic structure calculations, and experimental docking analysis using molecules from chemical informatics database with known inhibitory potentials. Based on the hard-soft acid-base principle, it is hypothesized that the GPCR active site is predominately soft in nature due to its location within the cell membrane; however, several critical polar residues likely optimize ligand orientation. Characterization of this chemical environment will inform future drug design and research to optimize inhibition potential of GPCR receptors.
Schistosomiasis is a neglected tropical disease caused by parasitic flatworms of the genus Schistosoma, affecting over 250 million people worldwide each year. These parasites use freshwater snails, such as Biomphalaria glabrata, as intermediate hosts to complete their life cycle. There are potential gene candidates of interest that may play a role in the chemosensory attraction of the worms, allowing them to seek out the snail. Current methods for genome editing in B. glabrata are lacking. This research investigates the methodical development of an ex ovo culturing method for B. glabrata embryos and juveniles. Establishing this system is a key step toward future genome editing studies targeting candidate genes in the snail, enabling assessment of how disruption of these proteins may affect worm attraction. If transgenic snails with targeted gene knockdowns that prevent parasite-host recognition were introduced, a gene drive could spread these traits through wild populations, potentially reducing transmission and lowering the burden of schistosomiasis.
Schistosomiasis is a neglected tropical disease caused by three parasitic flatworm species, including Schistosoma mansoni, that require a freshwater snail intermediate host. Disrupting parasite host seeking behavior by miracidia, the first larval stage responsible for locating and infecting a snail host, could provide a novel disease control strategy. Praziquantel, the current treatment of choice, targets a transient receptor potential (TRP) channel, though its mechanism is not linked to sensory disruption. However, because TRP channels function broadly as metazoan sensory receptors, we hypothesized that modulating these channels could impair miracidia host seeking abilities. We developed a high throughput phenotypic screening platform using a custom acrylic 96-well screening arena and a high resolution, multicamera wide field imaging system to quantify miracidia behavior. In a primary screen of 128 TRP targeting compounds, 14 hits were identified based on altered motility or behavior. These hits were subsequently evaluated in dose response assays across multiple concentrations. Future studies will characterize the molecular mechanisms of active compounds and evaluate their effects on host seeking and infection. Targeting TRP mediated sensory behaviors may provide a novel strategy to disrupt the schistosome life cycle and reduce infection.
Schistosomiasis is a neglected tropical disease that affects over 250 million people worldwide and is caused by parasitic flatworms known as schistosomes. Miracidia, the first larval stage of schistosomes, infect snails as intermediate hosts, where they mature into a larval stage capable of infecting humans. Although it is not definitively known how miracidia locate snails, they have been shown to detect and interpret light to navigate their environment. The purpose of this study was to analyze the movement of Schistosoma mansoni miracidia in response to the presence of light and to different wavelengths of light. Miracidia were loaded onto rectangular arenas and exposed to light gradients, including white, red, blue, and/or green light. The miracidia were recorded for 1 hour and tracked using custom code. As expected, and consistent with previous work, miracidia are photoattracted. Notably, preliminary results indicate that they prefer blue over red light but have no apparent preference between blue and green light. Future experiments will explore the integration of their light and chemical perception. Understanding this sensory coordination could be key to developing new strategies to reduce schistosome populations and the spread of schistosomiasis.
Light is an important resource for plants, as it serves both as energy and as a signal for growth and development. For this reason, plants have evolved a complex system of signaling pathways to sense and react to light in many conditions. Red and far-red light are detected by photoreceptors called phytochromes. The phytochrome phyB has been the target of mutant studies by Gingerich lab. One of the phyB mutant lines isolated by the lab displays an increased response to both red light and blue light. In this line phyB is predicted to contain a change in a single amino acid as a result of a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the PHYB gene. To confirm that it is indeed the phyB mutation in this line that is causing the red and blue light phenotypes, we are implementing a CRISPR-Cas9-based gene editing system for Arabidopsis in the lab, with the purpose of recapitulating the PHYB SNP of the mutant line in plants that are otherwise wild-type. The specific system we are using is “prime-editing”. We will detail synthesis of the DNA constructs needed to implement the prime editing and our current efforts to transform plants and initiate the editing process.
Plants have evolved a sophisticated set of pathways to detect and respond to light, which allows them to adjust their development in response to changing conditions. Red and far-red wavelengths are detected by photoreceptors called phytochromes (phys), with phyB being the major phytochrome involved in red-light response in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. Phytochrome levels are regulated by an E3 ubiquitin-ligase complex that includes the target-adaptor Light-Response BTB1 or BTB2 (LRB1 or LRB2) proteins. The Gingerich lab studies lines of Arabidopsis that contain mutations in the LRB1, LRB2, and PHYB genes. Analysis of growth responses to light and other environmental or physiological factors that intersect with light response helps us better understand how the phytochrome pathway regulates development. Here, we present an analysis of germination responses to red and far-red light and seedling development responses to the hormone methyl jasmonate in our lines. Germination response to red and far-red light is well-studied, and recent analyses have suggested roles for phyB in modulating jasmonate responses; thus, studies of these responses in lines with alterations of the phytochrome pathway might be informative.
Unionidae, also known as freshwater mussels are a surprisingly charismatic species, every step of their life history is strange and intriguing. While odd, freshwater mussels are vital ecosystem engineers and play significant roles in nutrient cycling within their aquatic environments. Due to changing freshwater habitats they are considered to be the most endangered family of animals in North America. Unfortunately, humans have often overlooked them, either when walking through a stream or through gaps in research knowledge. In order to fill in a part of that hole, we conducted qualitative surveys in distinct streams throughout Chippewa county Wisconsin to determine the distribution and composition of the mussel population within the county.We found 17 total species of the 50 previously known species native to the area. These results are the first step towards a holistic picture of the current patterns of mussel distributions within the Chippewa River Watershed.
Understanding how closely related species respond to ecological variation and natural selection is central to predicting evolutionary change, especially under rapidly shifting environmental conditions. This study uses perennial sunflowers (genus Helianthus) in the Upper Midwest as a focal system for examining trait differentiation and selection dynamics across time and species. We established multi-year common gardens at two sites in Eau Claire, WI, to experimentally compare functional traits and fitness responses among three widespread Helianthus species: H. giganteus, H. grosseserratus, and H. maximiliani. These species co-occur across the region and often overlap in distribution, where trait divergence may mediate niche partitioning or reflect variation in selective pressures. Comparing selection patterns across species, sites, and years can help evaluate how evolutionary history, resource availability, and climate variation shape trait evolution in wild sunflower populations. This research contributes to broader ecological and evolutionary questions about phenotypic plasticity, adaptation, and species coexistence, providing a long-term dataset for understanding plant responses to a changing environment.
Fruit agriculture relies on insects to provide the regulating ecosystem service of pollination. For fruit to successfully set, a pollinator must contact the stigma to deposit pollen. Sweet cherry (Prunus avium) is a pollination-dependent fruit cultivated globally and is a growing industry in Australia. Despite this, little work has been done to understand its pollinators which include native bees, hoverflies, and the introduced western honey bee (Apis mellifera). By observing cherry flower pollinator visits, we can document the variety, duration, and frequency of on-flower behaviors, determine which taxa engage in stigmal contact, and investigate vulnerabilities of pollination service to loss of pollinator taxa. In this study, 68 video recordings (2,035 minutes of footage) of two sweet cherry cultivars (Lapins and Ron’s Seedling) in Bilpin and Young, New South Wales, Australia were annotated. Flower visitors were identified to the species level and included the orders Hymenoptera and Diptera. Results were analyzed to create taxon-specific foraging behavior radar charts, assess frequency of stigmal contact, and simulate extinctions. This work informs cherry cultivation and on-farm pollinator conservation.
Managed honeybees (Apis mellifera) are often employed by Wisconsin cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon) growers to improve crop yields, however honeybees are unable to perform buzz pollination. For cranberry pollen to be released, the anthers must be vibrated at a specific frequency. Bumble bees (Bombus spp.) can buzz pollinate and are more efficient pollinators of cranberry but are not as commonly utilized for commercial pollination. This study determined the frequency and duration of buzz pollination provided to cranberry flowers by visiting bumblebees in relation to the stigmal status of the cranberry flowers visited and the resource (pollen or nectar) being foraged for. Data was collected during the 2025 bloom period (June 11-July 10) using video and audio recordings to record the foraging behavior of flower visiting pollinators. The videos were then annotated to document flower age, pollinator identity, floral resource foraged for, and frequency and duration of buzz pollination. Bumblebee species B. bimaculatus and B.impatiens buzz pollinated more often than other species observed. Bumblebee species overall buzz pollinated roughly a third of a second longer when the stigma was exposed. By increasing our understanding of pollinator foraging behavior in cranberry, growers can make more informed decisions regarding pollinator management on their farms.
This research looks to investigate environmental and substituent effects on nitrogen-donor-SO3 complexes utilizing a combination of theory and experiment, including quantum chemistry calculations and low temperature matrix-isolation and spectroscopy. The first step is to explore various computational methods and basis sets to provide structural information that is compared to experimental data. For CH3CN-SO3, we have identified a few reliable theoretical methods through an extensive validation study based on predicting the experimental structure and vibrational frequencies of SO3 using a wide range of available computational methodologies. Using these, we have determined the eclipsed confirmation to have a larger binding energy, shorter N-S bond length, compared to the staggered confirmation, and it lacks imaginary frequencies. In addition to minimum-energy structures, we have also obtained information on vibrational frequencies, binding energy, and bond length in various dielectric media for CH3CN-SO3 and mapped potential curves along the N-S bond lengths. We will continue to collect information on binding energies across methods and basis sets to verify which perform the best to be used for future compounds such as ClCH3CN-SO3 and FCH3CN-SO3 and eventually compare our computations to experimental data from our laboratory.
Organic–inorganic composite films of close-packed, alkanethiol-capped gold nanoparticles and dithiol crosslinkers were assembled at the air–water interface in a Langmuir trough. Mechanical properties were evaluated using Langmuir compression isotherms, providing minimum collapse pressures and qualitative collapse behavior to compare film stability. The data indicate that increased crosslinker rigidity can enhance resistance to collapse relative to flexible linkers, supporting structure–property design criteria for durable nanoparticle films. These results motivate continued measurements to refine component-specific trends and guide the design of nanoarchitectures with targeted chemical, physical, and mechanical properties.
In today’s setting of biomolecular research, it is important that researchers have a large array of different tools at their disposal to further our understanding of the way in which biomolecules interact with each other. One tool that shows incredible promise in this aspect is Raman spectroscopy. What makes Raman spectroscopy special is its ability to provide detailed information at the molecular level of almost any form of sample, including aqueous(in water) samples, such as saliva, or other biological fluids; this is unlike other more widely used forms of atomic investigation such as infrared spectroscopy, which struggles with the interference of water in its signal. The work of this project is focused on investigating how Raman spectroscopy can be used to investigate biomolecules in aqueous and/or biological media, in our case for the detection of cancer biomarkers in saliva, as well as the effect of crowding on functional proteins. Based on the work already completed, the use of Raman spectroscopy seems promising, as it has provided clean spectra for both saliva samples for detection of cancer biomarkers, as well as for a number of amino acid and protein samples (proline, tryptophan, bovine serum albumin, and prolyl-tRNA synthetase) in the presence polyethylene glycol (PEG 8k) as a crowding agent. The preliminary results of our research will be presented.
Many enzymatic studies aimed at understanding the structure–function–dynamics relationship are conducted under dilute conditions. However, the intracellular environment is highly crowded with biomolecules of varying shapes, sizes, and chemical properties, which can impact a protein's structure and thereby its function. This discrepancy between scientific study and real-world data can lead to incomplete or misleading conclusions about enzyme behavior in vivo. In the proposed study, we investigate the effects of molecular crowding on Escherichia coli Prolyl-tRNA Synthetase (Ec ProRS), a multidomain enzyme responsible for catalyzing the ligation of proline to tRNAPro during protein biosynthesis. To observe cellular crowding, we employ Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), a high-resolution scanning probe technique capable of producing nanometer-scale topographic images. AFM enables both qualitative and quantitative analysis of protein samples. Qualitative insights, such as surface roughness and clustering, can reveal structural changes due to crowding, while quantitative measurements of height, area, and volume provide a deeper understanding of protein stability and conformational shifts because of crowding. In this study, we analyze the impact of various crowder molecules, including protein-based crowders (bovine serum albumin and lysozyme) and synthetic polymers, such as polyethylene glycol 20k, on the structure of Ec ProRS. In addition to observing protein crowding, we will present comparative results of AFM studies conducted in air versus in aqueous phase. This approach aims to bridge the gap between conventional dilute-condition studies and the complex, crowded environments in which enzymes naturally operate, offering a more physiologically relevant perspective on enzyme structure and function.
Consecutive and Parity-Consecutive Complete Lucas Sequences when the Period Equals the Modulus The Lucas sequence of the first kind (LSFK) is denoted (Un(p,q))n≥0, where Un is its nth term. The LSFK is defined recursively by Un = pUn−1−qUn−2 with initial terms U0 = 0 and U1 = 1, for integers p and q. The period length of (Un(p,q))n≥0 (mod m), denoted π(m), is the least positive integer r such that Un+r ≡ Un (mod m) for all n ≥ 0. Although the distribution of sequences has been studied, none have classified the conditions when each residue occurs exactly once. This motivates the following definitions. A sequence is complete when π(m) = m and the m repeating terms of (Un(p,q) (mod m))π(m)−1 n=0 are some permutation of the values 0,1,2,...,m − 1. Investigation of complete sequences reveals unique patterns. There exist complete consecutive sequences where Un ≡ n (mod m) for all 0 ≤ n ≤ m−1. Furthermore, parity-consecutive complete sequences exist, in which (Un(p,q))n≥0 (mod m) decomposes into the disjoint subsequences (U2n(p,q))n≥0 and (U2n+1(p,q))n≥0 modulo m containing all even and odd terms, respectively. Our research determines the values of p and q that yield the various forms of completeness under certain moduli m
Scheduling classes at the departmental level is a challenging and time-consuming task. The mathematical technique of linear programming has the potential to simplify this challenge by building a model of linear constraints to find the most optimal solution that satisfies all the constraints. In this project, we are implementing a linear programming model using the DOCplex library in Python. The objective function represents instructor satisfaction with different courses, and the constraints represent limitations, such as the fact that one instructor cannot teach two courses at the same time. We will present example schedules produced by using the ConflictRefiner function to relax low-priority constraints when it is impossible to satisfy all constraints simultaneously. We will also present a combination of constraints and preferences that improve the distribution of courses throughout the day.
The Communities in a network are detected by investigating the corresponding graph and finding dense clusters of vertices. The decoding algorithm SASH determines the initial codeword of communities that would most likely result in specific clusters. SASH checks various candidate codewords at clustering types until the codeword with the smallest discrepancy from the observed dataset is located. Using the dataset Zachary’s Karate Club, errors within the algorithm that lead to a significantly lowered accuracy from expectations will be highlighted, as well as potential ways that could amend the issues to optimize performance.
Homotopical combinatorics uses tools from combinatorics to explore and understand structures in equivariant homotopy theory. One object of study in this field is a G-transfer system. We will define transfer systems and present the differences between abelian and non-abelian transfer systems. We then explore structural characteristics of the lattice of transfer systems for some non-abelian groups, such as D₉ and F₅. For these groups, we classify the (co)saturation of the transfer systems. We also present a proof that width, the number of arrows needed to generate a complete transfer system, can be determined by the prime factorization of the order for a dihedral group.
Compared to urban areas, Type 2 diabetes has a higher prevalence and diabetes-related mortality rate in rural communities. Agentic Artificial Intelligence (AI) which refers to systems capable of autonomous reasoning, task planning, and adaptive behavior within a defined context can be a solution to this clinical issue. It utilizes a Large Language Model (LLM) that is created to understand human text and generate an understandable response. Using Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), we can further enhance the capability of this framework by retrieving relevant data from a knowledge base to generate an understandable response. However, with current AI pipelines, it is challenging to evaluate every step that leads to an outcome. The objective of this project is to develop a preliminary agentic AI system that focuses on transparency when it comes to predictions, thereby increasing trust with the user and reducing knowledge-drift. In our research, we trained eight different models integrating machine learning (ML), SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) for feature attribution, LLM variants, and RAG pipeline under varying conditions. While ML is providing good accuracy, we are exploring rule-based methods to adapt to the dynamic nature of underlying documents, and varying treatment guidelines thereby responding to patient needs.
Large language models (LLMs) show promise in clinical decision support but are limited by hallucinations and explainability. This project investigates how different retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) architectures can improve the accuracy, transparency, and clinical reliability of diabetes-related responses, with the ultimate goal of developing a deployable clinical model for diabetic care. We implement and compare standard RAG and graph-based RAG systems that integrate the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care III (MIMIC-III) database with a locally hosted Ollama LLM. Retrieved clinical records and structured relationships are used to ground model outputs in real patient data. The system is evaluated using Phoenix Arize to trace retrieval pathways, visualize evidence chains, quantify hallucination rates, and monitor response accuracy. By grounding responses in verifiable clinical data and enabling transparent reasoning traces, this work contributes to the development of safer and more explainable artificial intelligence systems for healthcare applications. This project will lay the foundation of an agentic AI-based “Diabetes Coach,” a conversational system aimed at supporting adult patients (aged 18 and older) diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) agents are transforming healthcare by automating tasks and improving diagnostic precision. Our project focuses on developing an AI-based system specifically to detect extravascular extension of inferior vena cava (IVC) filter struts on CT scans. Although IVC filters are intended to be temporary, prolonged dwell time increases the likelihood of strut penetration beyond the IVC wall. Extravascular extension, defined as filter struts penetrating beyond the IVC wall into surrounding structures, increases the risk of organ injury, pain, bleeding, and complex retrieval. Interventional radiology (IR) practices often rely on manual tracking systems, which are insufficient when patients transfer care or are lost to follow-up. Many patients are unaware a filter remains in place, and new providers may not recognize associated complications. Building on prior research with Mayo Clinic Health System, we aim to enhance an existing deep learning framework to localize filter struts and quantitatively assess their extension relative to the IVC boundary. After segmentation of the IVC, our model will localize filter struts relative to the vessel wall to improve complication detection. The system will also incorporate large language models (LLMs) to process electronic health records (EHRs) and support automated follow-up flagging for safer long-term patient management.
Clinical imaging datasets for analysis of pancreatic cancer increasingly aggregate scans collected under heterogeneous workflows and annotation strategies. Deep learning models for medical image segmentation are typically evaluated using overlap metrics such as Dice scores, which assumes training data is drawn from heterogeneous distributions. While state-of-the-art segmentation frameworks such as nnU-Net achieve strong benchmark performance, little is known about how data provenance influences the anatomical representations learned by these models. Understanding these effects is critical for interpretability, robustness, and safe deployment in clinical settings. This project aims to investigate whether pancreas CT segmentation models trained on different data sources learn systematically different anatomical priors, even when standard accuracy metrics are similar. To evaluate these effects, we train multiple source-specific nnU-Net models on curated subsets of the PANORAMA pancreas dataset that reflect distinct data collection strategies. We will compare outputs via Dice scores and anatomical descriptors such as predicted volume, connected components, centroid location, spatial extent, and voxel-wise inter-model disagreement maps. Ongoing analysis aims to quantify these differences and demonstrate disagreement mapping as a computationally efficient proxy for anatomical uncertainty.
E-textiles are textiles that integrate various materials such as sensors and power sources directly into the fabrics to enable detection and transmission of data. In education, e-textiles can be used to teach students using hands-on demonstrations of concepts involving electronics and coding. This study was created to test the effectiveness of e-textile workshops when used to teach related skills in undergraduate age levels. During our study, we conducted an interactive workshop with 12 students designed to teach basic circuit design and sewing skills to undergraduate students and increase their interest in these topics. Our participants were led through an activity where they used conductive thread and mechanical components to modify a regular fabric glove into an e-textile. During our study, students reported being interested in e-textiles and received high scores on a circuit design and sewing knowledge quiz after the activity. We found a statistically significant increase in several measures, including participants’ self-reported knowledge and enjoyment of circuit design and enjoyment of sewing. Using the data collected from our study, we plan to design a teaching module that could be deployed and further evaluated in a classroom or extra-curricular setting to teach introductory electronics skills at an undergraduate level.
This research project investigates the learning competencies prioritized in Numbers and Operations courses designed for preservice elementary teachers across other midwestern universities. The use of learning competencies is to strengthen the preparation for elementary teachers and in this study, we examine how different universities view which pieces are more essential than others. We developed a Qualtrics-implemented questionnaire survey where participants are asked which topics are taught and within the topics, what competencies are prioritized. Our findings reveal that Operations (addition/subtraction, multiplication/division, operation) and Type of Number (decimals, fractions, whole numbers) were listed frequently and discussed further upon. Whereas, Number Theory topics and Proportional Reasoning were barely discussed within the survey. Recognizing these disparities and examining them further, provides an opportunity to narrow in on what competencies are more crucial than others in order to have the most effective preparation for preservice elementary teachers.
Some people call it a new “miracle drug.” Others are far more skeptical. However, one thing is certain: the surge in popularity of weight-loss drugs around the country is not going unnoticed. With obesity rates in the United States reaching over 40%, people are eager to find new ways to develop healthier lifestyles. Also known as Anti-Obesity Medications (AOMs), these drugs are still relatively new to the market and carry high, ongoing costs. Our research seeks to create an actuarial model to evaluate the financial impact of covering AOMs within employer-sponsored health plans. Current research on this subject is limited and studies that are available reflect conflicting results. We seek to create an accessible (Excel-based), functioning ROI model for AOM coverage that accounts for drug costs, expected utilization, weight-related risk reduction, and future medical cost offsets. We believe that the successful production of a dependable actuarial model could help employers make a more informed choice when it comes to the coverage of AOMs for their employees.
The utilization of analytics in women’s professional tennis, the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), has occurred much more recently when compared to other professional sports. Despite unique difficulties in predicting match outcomes, there have been a spate of recent articles overviewing probabilistic and data-mining methods to do so. Our research work: (1) performed a literature review of data-mining methods for men’s professional tennis (ATP) and women’s professional tennis (WTA); (2) integrated knowledge about predictive statistics learned from prior years’ data-exploration; and (3) adds generalizations, efficiencies, documentation, and new features to functions used to summarize and organize data for predictive models.Data for player statistics and results of WTA tournaments was obtained from a GitHub repository under a Creative Commons license. We computed and analyzed a set of related summary statistics for use in comparison of data-mining methods. We discuss the data-analytic methods and compare predictive abilities. We edited original functions in R with the focus of wrangling the data across an appropriate time window, court surface, and player rank and of summarizing statistics for individual players and opponents. The process and final forms of the functions, along with the dissemination process via an R package, are described.
I have been teaching at UW - Eau Claire since 2006, covering courses in undergraduate statistics (introductory and upper-level) and Master’s-level data mining and programming. My research is in data-mining techniques, with a focus on penalized regression. My recent (last ~ 6 years... Read More →
Extradiol dehydrogenases are known to convert catechol into muconic semialdehydes. These muconic semialdehydes and their derivatives serve as precursors for the synthesis of nylon and other key building blocks. However, catechol derivatives are unstable, have limited commercial availability, and are challenging to synthesize due to the presence of titratable OH groups. Conversely, precursor salicylaldehydes are commercially available, simple to modify by cross-coupling reactions, and can be converted to catechols via the Dakin oxidation. Therefore, optimizing a reaction scheme utilizing salicylaldehydes to produce catechol in vitro can more effectively create valuable precursors. HAPMO (4-hydroxyacetophenone monooxygenase), was found to perform a non-native Dakin reaction on 4-fluorosalicylaldehyde to make 4-fluorocatechol. However, no other substrates have been tested in this reaction, and no downstream reactions have been demonstrated. We have found that, when used in an enzymatic cascade with BphC, an extradiol dehydrogenase, HAPMO can be used to create muconic semialdehydes. In this work, we are optimizing semialdehyde production, and screening different salicylaldehydes in the reaction, with a particular focus on preparative scale conditions. Preliminary results suggest that this can be reasonably achieved with wild type HAPMO. These findings will be leveraged to further explore the utility of these catalysts for building block synthesis.
In synthetic chemistry, the generation of reactive building block materials is critical to producing complex materials, like natural products and pharmaceuticals. To produce wide varieties of these building blocks, the starting materials must be reasonably amenable to divergent synthesis, wherein one compound can be converted to a diverse array of materials in few steps. One class of underexplored synthetic building blocks are catechols, which are key components of numerous valuable compounds. However, catechols remain a challenging starting material to access, as they are prone to oxidation, and difficult to modify due to the acidic 1,2-diol moiety. In contrast, salicylaldehydes can be diversified without protection procedures through cross-coupling reactions to generate a library of catechol precursors. We have identified an enzyme called HAPMO, which performs a Dakin oxidation to generate catechol from salicylaldehyde. HAPMO reactivity is underexplored and has only been shown for fluorinated derivatives. In this work, we synthesized a small library of potential salicylaldehyde substrates with unique substituents to probe the steric and electronic limitations of HAPMO. We have also begun testing substrates in reactions with purified HAPMO. The results of this study will inform future synthesis of salicylaldehyde substrates, and further studies on the native reactivity of HAPMO.
Viral RNA sensing by human RIG-I-like Receptors (RLRs) is a key innate immune function in all cells. Activation of the RLR MDA5 by viral double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) is coupled with ATP hydrolysis and leads to the expression of genes encoding Type I Interferons (IFNs). In response, viral genomes have evolved to encode proteins that inhibit or weaken the Type I IFN response pathway via inhibition of RLR function. Here we aim to identify whether Nodamura virus protein B2 (NoV-B2), a viral dsRNA-binding protein, inhibits MDA5 in vitro. Human MDA5 and NoV-B2 were expressed exogenously in E. coli and purified by affinity and ion exchange chromatography. The RNA-dependent ATPase activity of MDA5 was measured in vitro by the colorimetric Malachite Green Phosphate Assay using poly(I:C) as a mimic of viral dsRNA. We then assayed this activity with NoV-B2 present to measure inhibition in vitro. Future directions for this project include: (1) investigating the mechanism of inhibition using a mutant NoV-B2 that cannot bind dsRNA, and (2) testing other viral proteins that may inhibit MDA5. These experiments help elucidate one of the mechanisms of inhibition of an immune response during viral infection.
Comparing the biochemical activity of Methylobacterium extorquens AM1 grown in separate medias with La3+ and Ca2+ as cofactorsof methanol dehydrogenase (MDH). Recent studies have demonstrated that some enzymes in bacteria isolated from lanthanide-richareas use lanthanides as metal cofactors in place of more common metals like calcium and that these lanthanide-enzymes haveenhanced catalytic properties. The bioelectrocatalytic activity of MDH from M. extorquens grown in La3+ rich media is compared toMDH from M. extorquens grown in typical Ca2+ rich media. A coupled assay of phenazine methosulfate-dichlorophenolindophenol isperformed to determine the enzyme activity. Different redox polymer films have been tested to determine the optimal film toimmobilize the bacteria while still allowing bioelectrocatalysis to be performed. The bioelectrochemical activities from these bacteriahave not previously been compared. If La3+ grown M. extorquens has higher bioelectrochemical activity than Ca2+ grown M.extorquens, then improved biofuel cells and sensors can be created.
Urbanization can alter soil chemistry, potentially influencing floral nectar composition and pollinator foraging behavior. We examined how two micronutrients commonly associated with urban environments, sodium (Na⁺) and potassium (K⁺), affect pollinator foraging. We conducted 10-minute field observations of pollinator visitation to flowering plants in urban areas on flowers supplemented with nectar (sugar water (15%), with Na⁺ or with K⁺).Next, we performed laboratory foraging studies with butterflies (Vanessa cardui) and bumble bees (Bombus impatiens). Individuals were introduced to a foraging arena containing nectar sources with randomly assigned treatments (sugar water, with Na⁺, or with K⁺). The butterflies foraged from artificial flowers, and bumble bees from blue plastic chips each containing nectar, with treatment placement randomized each trial. Foraging activity was recorded using a video camera, and individuals were allowed to forage for 30 minutes. Afterward, recordings were annotated to quantify foraging activity.To date, we have conducted 15 field observations and 39 butterfly trials; the bumble bee trials are ongoing. We expect differences in visitation and nectar preference among treatments in both field and laboratory settings, including variation between butterflies and bumble bees. This work highlights both the ecological importance of nectar micronutrients and the importance of studying pollinator behavior.
Pollination is essential for farmers to produce high fruit yields in Wisconsin cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon) marshes, yet the foraging behavior of key pollinators such as bumblebees (Bombus spp.) and honeybees (Apis mellifera) remains poorly understood. While honeybees are commonly used as managed pollinators in cranberry marshes, limited research has compared their foraging behavior on cranberry flowers to native bumblebees. This study compares the foraging behavior of these two major pollinator groups to assess differences in behaviors like stigmal contact rates, visitation frequency, and changes in visit duration in response to temperature. Behavioral data was collected during the 2025 bloom period (June–July) using video recordings and human observations. Video cameras were set up throughout the marsh and footage was annotated to quantify stigmal contact and visit duration; temperature data was recorded when videos began and ended. Human observations of individual bees through the marsh were used to quantify the number of flowers visited per minute. The analysis showed that bumblebees contacted the stigma more often and had an increased visitation frequency compared to honeybees with temperature not having a significant effect between the species. Our findings inform pollinator management practices and enhance our understanding of species-specific contributions to cranberry pollination.
Azospirillum (AZO) and Gluconacetobacter (GLU) are two genera of naturally occurring bacteria that convert nitrogen, a vital plant nutrient, from its atmospheric form into a form usable by plants. AZO is associative and functions around the plant roots, whereas GLU is endophytic, working within the plant tissue. Nitrogen-fixing bacteria are gaining popularity in sustainable agriculture efforts as biofertilizers to provide an alternative to environmentally problematic synthetic fertilizers. Companies such as TerraMax Inc. are interested in finding the most effective bacteria for biofertilizers to optimize crop yield. This research compared the impact on corn growth and function of the more widely used AZO and the novel biofertilizer candidate GLU, both with varying application methods: soil drench, leaf coating, or a combination of those two. The results favor GLU over AZO for increasing nitrogen availability in corn and indicate the potential for GLU to improve yield through significantly increasing leaf net photosynthesis, chlorophyll content, and shoot biomass compared to the control when applied directly to the leaves. These results suggest Gluconacetobacter (GLU) as a promising bacterial candidate for companies like TerraMax Inc. seeking to improve biofertilizer performance, ultimately reducing the need for synthetic fertilizers and promoting environmental sustainability.
Vocal responses in animal behavior are important because they are essential for survival, reproduction, and complex social dynamics. We explored how behavioral responses in Gray Wolves (Canis lupus) vary based on members of the Canidae family and members of the wolf pack. We hypothesized that captive gray wolves would vocally respond when exposed to auditory stimuli of other animals within their phylogenetic tree. We predicted wolves would respond to recordings to signal wolf presence or to establish claims on territory. Our second hypothesis and prediction were that a dominant wolf would initiate a howl, where subordinate members would subsequently howl. We played three playback howls each from five species in the Canidae family. We expected a vocal response to auditory stimuli, as wolves in smaller enclosures were more likely to respond to playback howls. We expected the dominant pair to be leading these behaviors, which explains that alpha breeding pairs influence the behaviors of the pack. Our results showed that there was no statistical significance, as phylogenetic distance and social hierarchy did not influence the proportion of vigilance. This may explain that vocal response is shaped by other factors aside from phylogenetic or social rank.
Antibiotic shortages in tandem with the rise of antibiotic resistance pose significant global public health threats. These obstacles emphasize the importance for continued research and support in the search for novel antibiotic-producing bacteria that carry new lines of defense against human pathogens. Soil contains a biodiverse community of microbial species with an extensive range of antibiotic producing pathways. In nutrient-poor soils, competition amongst microbes is enhanced driving the evolution of unique antimicrobial compounds that may be used in the production of novel antibiotics. This study sought to isolate and characterize antibiotic-producing bacteria from nutrient-poor soils. Soil samples were extracted using a core from three sites. The samples were plated to observe microbial growth. Unique colonies varying in morphology, pigmentation, and size were identified and transferred to a separate plate. The unique colonies were tested for antimicrobial activity against four pathogens: Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, and Salmonella typhimurium. Colonies that inhibited the growth of the pathogenic strains were isolated and characterized using the Gram stain procedure. Across the three sites 23 isolates were obtained. The isolates showed resistance to E. coli, S. aureus, and B.subtilis. Further genetic testing will be needed to taxonomically identify novel antibiotic-producing bacteria.
Understanding the effects chemical exposure has on neurodevelopment is crucial for protecting human health and improving environmental policies and safety. Our research uses zebrafish to investigate how environmental and chemical exposures influence early development, as their embryos allow us to observe changes across multiple biological levels. Within our collaborative lab structure, research teams work together to examine how various factors affect development from genes to behavior. My role in the lab includes training in zebrafish-based experimental techniques and beginning to conduct literature analysis to identify candidate chemicals for future experiments.
Methylmercury is a common environmental contaminant in the Great Lakes region of the United States. The glutathione pathway (GSH) involves antioxidant signaling and is responsible for the efflux of toxins such as methylmercury from cells. The object of this study was to verify and characterize mutations in the GSH-associated gene gstp2 in zebrafish. We crossed prospective mutant zebrafish with wildtype zebrafish in an effort to create heterozygous and homozygous mutant zebrafish. To identify mutant zebrafish, we used PCR and restriction enzyme reagents that assess the gstp2 DNA sequence targeted by CRISPR-Cas9 reagents for mutation. Gel electrophoresis was used to visualize the results. This approach was able to identify the presence of mutated gstp2 DNA sequences at the target site. Creation of a homozygous mutant gstp2 zebrafish line will allow for experiments on the influence of gstp2 in embryonic development and developmental toxicity.
In epidemiological studies, prenatal cortisol exposure has been linked to increased autism spectrum disorder (ASD) prevalence. Cortisol is the primary hormone released in the body in response to stress and plays a key role in development. Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is the most common inherited form of intellectual disability, and 30–50% of children with FXS are also diagnosed with ASD. FXS is caused by loss of function mutations in the FMR1 gene on the X chromosome. Our objective was to investigate how embryonic cortisol exposure interacts with FMR1 loss by assessing transcriptome changes in cortisol-treated fmr1 knockout zebrafish embryos. Embryos from wild-type zebrafish and fmr1 knockout zebrafish were exposed to 5uM cortisol solution or vehicle solution at 6 hours post fertilization. Total RNA samples were isolated at 24-, 48-, 72-, and 120-hours post-fertilization (hpf). Sample quality was assessed by spectrophotometry, and RNA concentrations were determined by DNA-binding fluorescent dye methods. Samples will be submitted for RNA-seq analysis to test for genotype-dependent, treatment-dependent, and gene x treatment interactions in terms of neurodevelopmental gene expression across timepoints. These results will help characterize the interaction of embryonic cortisol exposure and FXS genotype in terms of gene expression regulation.
There is a lot of debate about what is the most effective notetaking method. The process of handwriting notes may enhance memory, because it forces the student to summarize information and triggers embodied cognition, the process of learning by using one's body (Mueller & Oppenheimer, 2014). However, other research shows that typed notes may be superior, because they allow students to take down more information (Flannigan & Titsworth, 2020). Past research has rarely investigated touchscreen devices like tablets, which may combine the benefits of handwriting and digital notes. To address this gap, we surveyed UWEC students across all disciplines to investigate how notetaking preferences relate to academic achievement. We expect to find that students using touchscreen devices will have the highest academic performance. Additionally, we expect that students who have a major that requires them to spend a lot of time on a computer will prefer taking notes on a laptop. However, we expect that students overall will prefer paper and pencil notetaking.
As the age of the world’s population continues to increase, it is important to investigate behaviors, such as alcohol consumption, that may negatively impact the health of the older population. In the present study, aged, young adult, and adolescent female and male C57BL/6J mice underwent a measure of acute alcohol withdrawal via a handling-induced convulsion study followed by a drinking in the dark procedure to measure alcohol self-administration. We report that aged animals enter acute alcohol withdrawal later than younger animals as measured by the later onset of handling-induced convulsions. The later onset is likely due to reduced alcohol metabolism. Furthermore, aged animals consumed significantly less alcohol in the drinking in the dark paradigm but had similar blood alcohol concentrations compared to younger animals. The current work demonstrates for the first time differential alcohol self-administration and acute alcohol withdrawal in aged animals compared to younger animals.
The literature on ibogaine’s effects continues to grow, including its impact on opiate withdrawal and craving, mood symptoms, and trauma-related responses. To fully inform clinicians of this rapidly evolving field, it is critical that they are aware of emerging dosing strategies and protocols and associated adverse effects. A search of PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, and PsycInfo was conducted for human studies on ibogaine, noribogaine, or 5-MeO-DMT. A prespecified strategy used controlled vocabulary and keyword search terms for substance-use, mood/anxiety, and trauma-related disorders. Randomized trials, microdosing, and sequential treatments were prioritized. Only three RCTs exist: a double-blind pilot in 20 adults with cocaine dependence; an ascending-dose trial in 36 healthy volunteers; and a crossover trial in 27 opioid-dependent patients. Microdosing has been associated with reductions in withdrawal and mood and anxiety benefits but remains anecdotal. Sequential protocols incorporating ibogaine with 5-MeO-DMT or magnesium produced profound reductions in post-traumatic stress, depression, anxiety, and insomnia; however, these derive from retrospective questionnaires or open-label trials. Initial evidence suggests that ibogaine may reduce withdrawal, craving, and psychiatric symptoms, while microdosing and sequential treatment appear promising. The evidence base thus far is limited and consists of small early-phase RCTs. Ibogaine’s cardiovascular toxicity and narrow therapeutic margin require caution.
Before the Affordable Care Act expansion in 2014, Medicaid program primarily covered pregnant women, low-income families with children, and elderly and disabled people with Supplemental Security Income (SSI). The expansion extended coverage to most of the adults up to 138% Federal Poverty Level (FPL), and it was adopted by 27 states in 2014 and by 2021, it increased to 39 states (including DC). Past literature provided evidence that this led to a significant increase in the total Medicaid coverage and consequently a decrease in the total number of the uninsured individuals in the expansion states. According to CDC, among chronic conditions, Diabetes is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in the US. Access to health care is most essential to stay healthy for a diabetic person. With high cost of supplies, medication, education, and medical care to manage diabetes, affordable and adequate health insurance is imperative. This paper examines the impact of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Medicaid Expansion on diabetes diagnoses, and its management to prevent health complications caused by diabetes. Employing a difference-in-differences framework, we exploit the variation in the eligibility caused by the ACA expansion to compare the changes in diabetes outcomes in the expansion states (treatment group) with the non-expansion states (control group).
In this paper, we study the role of peoples’ attitudes on their labor market behavior. Focusing within a household, we estimate how one’s labor market decisions are dependent on their partner’s labor market outcomes, and how these decisions are driven by their culture component. Historically, man has been associated as the primary earner in a family. We argue that culture might play a role in determining a person’s labor market outcomes as it induces an aversion to the situation of when the wife earns more than the husband. We find that husbands increase their participation as well as hours worked in the labor market if their wives earn more and this effect is even more prominent if they are from a country where people have the traditional view that man should be the primary breadwinner for the family. However, wives do not exhibit any such behavior. We argue that this irregularity is explained by the role that culture plays on forming labor market decisions.
Optimization algorithms like Gradient Descent serve as the engine for Machine Learning, iteratively adjusting model weights to minimize prediction error. While mathematical theory provides rigorous "upper bounds" on how quickly these algorithms should converge, implementation on real-world datasets often encounter numerical hurdles that theory ignores. We investigate this divergence by comparing the empirical performance of a Logistic Regression model trained using a Patient Survival dataset, against its formal mathematical proofs. We focus on “learning-rate” as the primary variable influencing stability and efficiency. Two distinct factors are monitored: convergence of the loss function, and geometric movement of weights through the search space. The overlaying of theoretical convergence curves onto the observed data can identify algorithmic behavior drift from predicted outcomes. Our empirical study results indicate that as the learning rate approaches a critical threshold, the model experiences oscillations that violate the smooth convergence guaranteed by most convex optimization proofs. We present a rigorous comparison of how mathematical ideals hold up under varying hyperparameters, offering a framework for selecting settings that balance computational efficiency with mathematical reliability – a critical factor in domains like healthcare, cybersecurity, and fraud detection. Future work will increase research depth by incorporating additional predictors (categorical and non-categorical) for training and assessing a high-dimensional model.
Research on the relationship between dietary patterns and well-being has expanded rapidly in recent years. This study contributes to previous work by examining how diet relates to well-being among rural middle school students in North Carolina, with an average age of 12. Two indicators are used to measure youth well-being at an individual level: self-reported academic performance and perceived stress levels. Students’ diets are categorized as healthy, unhealthy, or neutral, and we construct a health index to capture differences across these dietary patterns.Our analysis draws on cross-sectional data from the Motivating Adolescents with Technology to Choose Health (MATCH) program, a school-based wellness initiative implemented during the 2022–2023 academic year in rural North Carolina. Using a mixed-effects model, we assess the association between diet and well-being in this rural adolescent population.Finally, we explore whether participation in MATCH moderates the effects of dietary patterns. Although findings suggest that school-based wellness programs may help buffer the negative influence of a poor diet, the moderating effect is not statistically significant, providing insights for policies that promote adolescent well-being and academic success.
Seasonality is a defining feature of many epidemiological time series, reflecting recurring patterns over time. Accurate characterization of these patterns is essential for influenza surveillance, forecasting, and public health planning.This study examines influenza incidence in Wisconsin using laboratory-confirmed weekly case data from 2021–2025 provided by the CDC. We compare four approaches for modeling seasonal time-series data: seasonal dummy variables, Fourier harmonic regression, Seasonal ARIMA models, and generalized additive models (GAMs) with spline-based smoothers. While recent studies have applied GAMs to assess meteorological effects, few have used this flexible approach to directly model the underlying seasonal structure of respiratory infection data.Results show that the spline-based GAM consistently outperforms alternative methods. It captures shifting peak timing, asymmetric seasonal curves, and multiple inflection points, the features that more rigid approaches cannot fully represent. No evidence of overfitting was observed. Findings also suggest increased variability in post-COVID influenza seasonality in Wisconsin, highlighting the need for adaptive, data-driven models.
This study aims to assess the effectiveness of virtually delivering Strategic Incremental Rehearsal (SIR), a drill-based math facts intervention. We investigate whether virtual SIR improves math fact fluency and accuracy, can be implemented effectively, and is acceptable to students and caregivers. Although developing adequate automaticity in math fact knowledge is fundamental, many students do not master math facts at desired rates or within a desired time frame (Nelson et al., 2022). SIR has shown effectiveness in previous research; however, few studies have explored its use in math interventions and through virtual methods. A multiple-baseline across skills single-case design (SCD) will be used to evaluate outcomes for three 4th – 5th-grade students. Proximal measures will include daily assessments of math fact fluency and accuracy. Surveys of participant and parent perceptions of the intervention will be completed at the intervention’s conclusion. Maintenance of math fact skills will also be evaluated 2 weeks after the intervention concludes. We expect improved accuracy and fluency in multiplication facts, strong clinician implementation, and positive social validity ratings. This research will enhance understanding of virtual SIR applications and contribute to the Human Development Center program.
Smartphones and social media are ubiquitous in the lives of college students, offering valuable opportunities for connection while also presenting potential challenges to their well-being. Because social media plays a central role in students' experiences, understanding its impact is essential for promoting healthier habits and supportive campus environments. In this study, we examine how college students' social media behaviors relate to several key aspects of well-being, including sleep quality, burnout, empathy, loneliness, perceived body-image pressures, anxiety, and depression. Using an online survey, we explore the associations between UWEC students' social media use and these indicators of well-being. We hypothesize that higher levels of social media use will be associated with greater anxiety, depression, burnout, loneliness, and perceived appearance-related pressures, along with lower empathy and decreased sleep quality. Ultimately, this study aims to deepen our understanding of the many factors shaping college students’ well-being in a digital era dominated by smartphones and social media.
Opioids have serious repercussions including overdose and death. Drugs that counteract the opioid overdose have become imperative. Naltrexone is an opioid antagonist that limits endorphin functions in the brain; its specific mechanism is unknown. Chronic, intermittent sucrose solution access increases endorphin function. Previously, our laboratory demonstrated male rats with chronic, intermittent sucrose learned to discriminate naltrexone (0.1 to 3.2 mg/kg) from saline. In this study, we sought to establish discrimination in female and male rats. Rats were trained to lever press in operant chambers. Rats then received 12-hour access to 25% sucrose solutions for two weeks. After which, discrimination training began. Rats were trained to discriminate between naltrexone (1.0 mg/kg) and saline. After naltrexone administration, left lever responses resulted in 45 mg sugar pellet delivery; right lever presses produced eight seconds of darkness. Contingencies were reversed following saline administration. After training, rats received sucrose for 12 hours. Training continued until > 80% condition-appropriate responses occurred for 8 of 10 sessions. During tests, responses toward either lever were reinforced. Naltrexone dose-effect curves (0.1-1 mg/kg) were created. Naltrexone was more potent in females than males. Knowledge about the naltrexone and its uses can be used to combat opioid use and dependency.
Hand paralysis stemming from peripheral nerve injuries (PNI), stroke, or spinal cord injury severely limits independence and performance in activities of daily living. Although various assistive devices are available, many are condition-specific and lack the adaptability required for diverse patient populations.This project addresses these limitations through the development of a powered hand orthosis (PHO) designed for cross-population utility. The primary objective was to engineer mechanical finger linkages that enable multi-joint actuation while maintaining a small, non-obtrusive form factor.The design process involved multiple iterations to optimize the mechanical linkages for both functionality and user ergonomics. The resulting prototype was rigorously evaluated for range of motion (ROM) and wearer comfort. Preliminary testing indicates that the linkage system successfully achieves complex finger articulation without the bulk typically associated with powered exoskeletons. This work establishes a foundation for a versatile, low-profile PHO that can be adapted to various neuromuscular conditions, ultimately enhancing functional autonomy for individuals with hand impairment.
Aging is a universal process accompanied by significant musculoskeletal shifts, particularly spinal disc degeneration, which can severely compromise independent mobility. While spinal decline is a known hallmark of aging, the specific age-related threshold at which these structural changes manifest as substantive hindrances to gait remains a critical gap in biomechanical research.The primary aim of this project is to identify the age range at which disc degeneration impacts independent gait, with a specific focus on the hips, pelvis, and trunk. These segments form the functional link between the degenerating spine and the lower extremities. Using Statistical Parametric Mapping (SPM), this study evaluates continuous statistical differences in the angles, moments, and power of the hip, pelvis, and trunk between two cohorts: individuals below 65 years and those above 65 years.By analyzing the kinematic and kinetic data across the entire gait cycle, this research seeks to pinpoint precisely how and when spinal degeneration alters core stability and proximal joint function. The findings will provide essential data for developing targeted physical interventions aimed at preserving gait integrity and prolonging functional independence in the elderly.
The inverted pendulum is a classic engineering problem used to study inherently unstable systems, such as self-balancing robots. We previously developed a low-cost version that successfully balanced the pendulum upright, but it suffered from timing jitter caused by MicroPython programming and significant quantization noise that limited the control speed. This project improved the system to make the control faster and smoother. We eliminated the timing jitter by transitioning to a real-time C environment that runs faster and with consistent timing. To reduce quantization noise, we replaced a simple backward difference velocity estimate with an adaptive windowing method that dynamically adjusts how much data it uses based on how fast the system moves. Adaptive windowing effectively smoothed quantization noise without slowing the system’s reaction speed. We validated these upgrades using a custom program that automatically moves the system and logs real-time balancing data. These improvements increased the stable control frequency to 2 kHz and resulted in audibly smoother motor operation with reduced current spikes. The improved design is an open-source, affordable platform for teaching and research that enables further investigation in control system engineering and machine learning. We plan to share the design as an alternative to expensive commercial equipment.
Over the last two decades, Eau Claire, Wisconsin, has experienced significant urban expansion, characterized by increased residential, industrial, parking infrastructure, and a general rise in impervious surfaces. This transition from permeable natural landscape to engineered surfaces poses a direct threat to the region’s hydrologic balance by diminishing infiltration capacity. While previous land-use studies have relied on coarse resolution data (e.g., 15 - 30 m Landsat imagery) at the watershed scale, there is a critical need for localized, and high-resolution assessments of the land-cover change. This study utilizes the Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform and Environment for Visualizing Images (ENVI) software to analyze 2-meter resolution spatial National Agriculture Imagery Program (NAIP) data from 2008 and 2022. By performing a supervised classification of Land Use and Land Cover (LULC), we quantified the conversion of pervious landscapes to impervious cover. Our preliminary results indicate a measurable decline in potential infiltration areas, identifying specific “hazard zones” susceptible to increased surface runoff. These findings suggest a heightened risk for localized flooding and increased nutrient loading into local water bodies, which may exacerbate seasonal algal blooms. This research provides a vital, updated dataset for sustainable water management.
Once roughly five times the size of Lake Superior, Megalake Chad was a vast inland body of water that has drastically receded over the past 5,000 years. Building upon previous geomorphic mapping, this study aims to quantify the lake's paleo-hydrology to evaluate the environmental impacts of its rapid desiccation during the Holocene. Using Google Earth Engine (GEE) and ArcGIS, we analyzed a suite of remote sensing data, including the 30-meter Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) Digital Elevation Model (DEM), alongside PALSAR and RADARSAT sensors.To further characterize the ancient lake, we generated multiple topographic and slope swath profiles across north-to-south transects of the basin. These analyses are designed to constrain the shoreline and depth extent of the lake to facilitate future volumetric modeling. Because much of the northern basin lies beneath the Sahara Desert, radar sensors are being employed to reveal critical subsurface drainage systems overlooked by surface analyses alone. By integrating satellite topography and subsurface radar data, this research establishes a framework to reconstruct Megalake Chad's ancient capacity. Ultimately, quantifying this massive water loss will provide a deeper understanding of the region's paleoenvironmental shifts and the profound ecological consequences of a disappearing megalake.
Cold plunging has been gaining popularity recently due to its health benefits such as muscle recovery and mental focus. Cold plunging involves emerging the body in 50 deg F for up to 10 minutes in a tank that varies in volume (100 – 1,000 gallons). Despite its popularity, little is known about cold plunge water quality and treatment efficacy. In this study, water from three cold plunge sites in Minneapolis, MN was collected over a 6-month period in addition to one cold plunge tank in Eau Claire, WI. Cold plunge samples were analyzed for pathogens and indicator organisms, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, fecal coliforms, and heterotrophic bacteria. Samples were collected by City of Minneapolis environmental health staff and transferred on ice to the UWEC ENPH lab within 24 hours for analysis. Samples were processed using membrane filtration and plated on different media types including; Mannitol Salt Agar, Pseudomonas CN agar, mFC agar, and Tryptic Soy Agar. Samples were incubated at 35 deg C for 24 - 48 hours dependent on media type. Bacterial colonies were counted and recorded, including negative controls to check for contamination. This project helps understand bacterial levels in cold plunge tanks and could guide future recommendations for best management practices at cold plunge facilities.
Aquatic safety is a vital part of public health. There are many ways in which public swimming pools, hot tubs, and water parks impact the safety of those who use them. Aquatic safety is governed by the law, with each state having their own specific set of standards and rules. These laws should be based on the most up to date scientific knowledge and best practices, but it can be difficult for states to keep up with any changes that might appear in the understanding of aquatic safety. The Model Aquatic Health Code (MAHC) is the CDC's summary document of best practices for aquatic safety. This project is designed to create a better understanding of how states differ from the MAHC as well as from each other in terms of aquatic safety regulations, and help states determine how, if at all, they should update their legislation. Aquatic safety legislation was gathered from different states, and a comparison report was created for each state and the MAHC. Results show a mix of consistencies and differences between the MAHC and state pool codes selected for this study.
Jean Jacques Rousseau’s theory of the general will, steeped in the idea of collective freedom as well as the submission of private interests for the well-being of the common good, does not bode well with the First Amendment’s protection of student speech. It showcases deep tensions as to how public schools operate under democratic authority. Because the general will centers on an aim toward utopian unity rarely found in reality, applying it to an educational setting often legitimizes authoritarian restrictions on student speech, especially when the administration claims to act in the welfare or order of the student body. Major Supreme Court precedents such as Tinker v. Des Moines, Bethel School District v. Fraser, and Morse v. Frederick illustrate just how easily institutional interests can be framed as serving the “common good,” and thus allowing schools to suppress dissenting or uncomfortable speech from their students. The resulting contrast between the idealized collective will brought by Rousseau, and the lived reality of students’ right to free speech is frequently negative in character. Exposing the slippery slope that can appear when appeals to democratic unity occur, through the suppression of minority voices, and exposing the inherent limits of democratic authority in environments that act as laboratories for democracy.
Often far removed from population centers, it is easy for rural communities to feel excluded from politics at times, with a lack of population density coupled with a paucity of resources creating difficulty in making their voices heard. Politicians who represent these areas appear to tailor their messages to these constituents—but concerns regarding representation still exist among rural voters—signaling a problem in the responsiveness of their elected representatives. Our project was aimed toward examining the “responsiveness” of elected representatives to the needs of rural constituencies. Utilizing a survey and focus groups for data collection, we hope to better illustrate this relationship and its implications for rural politics. We believe that a discrepancy exists between the needs and representation of rural constituencies, and this project will determine whether this is the case, and to what extent.
The objective of this project is to help broaden the available repertoire for undergraduate basses, creating a ten-song anthology of artsongs from historically underrepresented composers in appropriate keys, which better suit the undergraduate bass voice’s tessitura andrange. In addition to the new key, biographical information about the composer and their compositional style for song will be included.For pieces in foreign languages, an English translation and transcription of the text in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) will beprovided.
While contemporary policing is widely characterized as operating within a community policing era, organizational expectations and workplace environments may shape officers’ attitudes toward community-oriented practices in different ways. Hence, this study explores how officers perceive their roles and police culture associated with community-oriented policing through qualitative interviews. A total of nine interview transcripts were systematically analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings revealed several key themes, including police culture and climate, conceptions of community roles, “pink” and “soft” policing, and the influence of institutional norms on everyday practice. These results suggest that participants often engaged in forms of policing that at times diverged from the core principles of community-oriented policing. These variations appear to be shaped by the combined influence of societal expectations and organizational pressures, underscoring the complex realities involved in translating community policing ideals into practice.
AbstractThis research investigates the circumstances under which revisionist states engage in geopolitical mythmaking to drive foreign policy. While traditional International Relations theories often prioritize material power, this project utilizes Constructivism and Political Psychology to argue that states like Turkey and Iran are driven by "Ontological Security"—the need to maintain a consistent national self-image. By analyzing how fears of "civilizational erasure" or "status humiliation" lead to the creation of national myths, this project contextualizes these behaviors within broader global trends of democratic backsliding and nationalist weaponization. I employ a qualitative comparative case study methodology, utilizing discourse analysis of primary rhetoric from President Erdoğan and Supreme Leader Khamenei alongside process tracing of specific policy outputs. Preliminary results indicate that doctrines like Turkey’s "Blue Homeland" and Iran’s "Axis of Resistance" function as psychological shields that prioritize "identity consistency" over economic or physical security. Ultimately, this research demonstrates that for revisionist states, "volatility" is a deliberate strategy used to reclaim perceived lost status and secure domestic legitimacy
The demolition of Zorn Arena and adjacent buildings during the 2025 summer, combined with Canadian wildfire smoke, raised concerns over air quality on UW-Eau Claire’s campus. Demolition of older buildings releases hazardous materials such as asbestos, silica dust, and lead, posing serious respiratory and cardiovascular health risks when inhaled. Similarly, wildfire smoke contains fine particulate matter and irritants associated with exacerbated asthma, chest pain, and other concerns. As such, we must ensure campus facilities protect individuals from the detrimental effects of poor air quality. Hibbard Hall’s proximity to the demolition site and its over fifty-year-old infrastructure raised concerns over the effectiveness of its HVAC system in protecting staff, students, and faculty from increased air pollution. To assess indoor air quality, PM2.5 concentrations were measured over 58 days via AirAssure and EPA monitors – one located in Hibbard Hall and the other in Altoona as an outdoor reference. These data were compared alongside demolition activity and wildfire smoke levels. Results indicated that indoor PM2.5 concentrations remained consistently lower than outdoor levels, suggesting that Hibbard Hall’s HVAC system effectively mitigated particulate infiltration. Our findings demonstrate that UWEC’s older facilities continue to provide a safe indoor environment despite multiple air pollution sources.
The Sonnentag Center is an athletic complex that houses a wide range of individuals from the Eau Claire community. The hundreds of student, staff, public, and patient visitors each week means that the Sonnentag must ensure the maintenance of safe water, staying in compliance with WELL Safe Building Standards. The WELL certification sets the business standard for public health and safety and explains the range of acceptable levels for each of the variables being tested. Granting this certification to the Sonnentag Center ensures that the surrounding community has a heightened trust in public water sources. Contaminated water can cause a variety of health complications, including gastrointestinal issues and skin irritation. We are actively conducting measurements of the drinking fountains, concessions ice, whirlpool, and cold tank plunge bath by recording free and total chlorine levels, pH, turbidity, and Coliform bacteria presence. We are using the ColorQ, HANNA, and Colilert testing kits, respectively. Our initial data shows levels within WELL and EPA standards of all variables tested. We expect our data to continue to comply with WELL certification standards to ensure proper maintenance and safety measures are being implemented.
Eau Claire is one of the world's Lyme Disease capitals, and this issue is only getting worse. The incidence of Lyme disease has more than doubled over the past decade, with over 6,000 cases annually in recent years. Global warming continues to affect the world, and with it, us. Currently, the tick season continues to grow longer, leading to a greater number of cases of Lyme disease and other vector-borne diseases associated with ticks. It also leads to an increasing range of many different species of ticks that don’t traditionally live in Wisconsin, an example being the Lone Star Tick. As these ticks continue to move north to new habitats, they bring with them new diseases. In this research project, we will be creating tick drags and targeting different areas, both on and off campus to collect ticks in the area and identify species, sex, life stage, and whether or not they are carrying a disease. The results of this research will allow us to understand and recognize the speed at which this change is occurring, but also the trends amongst locations, species, sex, and number and rates of invasive species of ticks new to the area.
Climate change is impacting water resources globally. In the US Mountain West, warming is pushing watersheds beyond historical hydroclimate conditions and altering snowpack, groundwater recharge, and stream baseflow. This project investigates intermittent groundwater discharge, i.e., flow that pulses following snowmelt and ceases during late summer low-flow conditions. Here we address three research questions to better understand shifting ecohydrological baselines: (1) What groundwater flow path distributions support intermittent flow? (2) What is the chemical signature of intermittent groundwater discharge? And (3) How do groundwater age and flow duration relate to landscape geomorphological characteristics? The study will be conducted in the Sagehen Creek Basin, CA, a well-instrumented Sierra Nevada watershed with long-term climate, streamflow, and groundwater records. We will sample five intermittent groundwater sites for age-dating using CFCs and SF6, analyze major ion chemistry and field water quality parameters, deploy in-situ loggers to record flow persistence or absence, and compute high-resolution terrain metrics to evaluate landscape controls. Pending results and analysis will provide insight into how climate-driven changes in recharge and snowpack influence groundwater flow paths, water quality, and the resilience of mountain groundwater systems.
The Black Hills Tomahawk obsidian deposit remains enigmatic; two independent geochron studies reveal significant age differences: 55 Ma (Kirchner, Science 1977) vs 10 Ma (Redden et al., Science 1983); both are problematic for preserving unaltered glass. The deposit consists of a dense network of anastomosing perlitic veins (0.1-3mm) encapsulating regions of unaltered glass (10 µm) chemically homogenous border zone separating the unaltered glass from the hydrous veins. This behavior resembles chemical zoning preserved in high-temperature phenocrysts, with distinct core, mantle, and rim compositions. Major elements show opposite mobility when comparing the unaltered glass to the veins and border zone: the behavior of Al, Na, and K (+3/+1 cations) is inverse to Si, Ca, and Ba (+4/+2 cations) with a 1:1 anticorrelation. This behavior differs from multiple studies on cation diffusion in silicate melts and high temperature glasses, which document smooth concentration gradients. Our results suggest cations in glasses at temperatures below the glass transition temperature are frozen into fixed sites, and subsequent mobilization requires coupled multi-variate substitutions to accommodate size and charge constraints.
During the Neoarchean ~2.5 Ga, Earth underwent a notable transition in tectonic processes. The rocks studied in this research offer a highly uncommon view into the transition period of tectonics as the Earth shifted from higher-temperature, ductile conditions to the colder, more brittle processes we observe in the modern day. The project employs multiple geologic methods to enhance our understanding of geodynamic history and crustal architecture during the cratonic assembly of the Superior Province in the Neoarchean era. Research examines a series of coeval magmatic units within the Vermilion and Shebandowan greenstone belts, located in northeastern Minnesota and western Ontario. These magmatic suites were formed during transitional tectonic styles and may have inherited crust and mantle conditions during their formation. Geochemical differences between these magmatic systems are described by compiling new and historic data with qualitative mineral descriptions from thin sections and hand samples. Major and trace element abundances were determined through X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF). In addition to addressing tectonic reconstructions of Neoarchean Earth, the resulting data can constrain gold-forming magmatic-hydrothermal intrusive systems.
Komatiites are ultramafic magmas which only formed during the Archean because of hotter mantle conditions. Because they are an extinct form of magmatism, their volcanology and environmental interactions are poorly constrained. Komatiites of the 2.7 Ga Shebandowan greenstone belt, near Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada, are particularly well-exposed and provide a unique opportunity to describe komatiite-sediment interactions and the formation of peperites – a product of lava and unconsolidated, water-saturated sediment interactions. The contact between komatiites and argillites and brecciated textures were described in detail to compare with modern magma-sediment mingling products. In the contact zone between the komatiites and argillites, samples have an argillite matrix with angular shaped aphanitic komatiite pieces. When fractured, the komatiite would accommodate sediment, creating wispy flow like structures and globular pyrite. This creates a “mixed” look to the argillite with fractures cutting across its surface. Peperites give insight into how komatiites and other high-temperature lavas may interact with wet sedimentation during emplacement. Additionally, heated basin waters can produce hydrothermal activity and crustal assimilation within komatiites that may result in mobilization of metals and formation of sulfide mineral deposits.
The geomorphic history of coastal plains can be shown through their formation and unique subsurface layering, which can indicate natural disaster occurrences and lasting environmental impacts. Determined to connect ground penetrating radar (GPR) reflections throughout the Filipino Gamay coastal plain sequence, (GPR) data were collected using Sensors and Software pulseEKKO Pro® with 100 MHz antennae at two coastal sites. For data collection, the antennae separation was one meter, and the step size was a quarter meter. The project scope is limited to the second coastal site to reveal the scale of Gamay’s coastal events, with the second site situated a kilometer northeast of the first site. Four GPR profiles were collected along three transects perpendicular to the modern coastline and one transect parallel to the coastline, linking the other three transects. Low-frequency noise was removed from all profiles with the dewow process. Radar facies with similar electromagnetic characteristics were then identified and used for interpretation. Profiles at the second site correlated to the subsurface activity experienced at the first, effectively connecting GPR reflections throughout Gamay Bay. High-energy events observed at the first site were detected a kilometer away, indicating a continuation of each event along the shoreline.
Cycling has become a central focus of Germany’s climate strategy, yet perceptions of safety remain a barrier to broader adoption. In this study, we examine spatial and demographic patterns of cycling safety perceptions in Marburg, Germany, a compact university city characterized by steep topography and a historic center. We distributed an online survey in German and English that asked participants to identify unsafe locations and provide demographic information. With this data, we created an interactive heat map to visualize patterns and applied density-based spatial clustering to identify statistically meaningful concentrations of unsafe points. Perceived risks were most frequently concentrated in the city center and along high-traffic corridors. Gender differences in cycling confidence, the influence of safety on route choice, and trip frequency were not statistically significant, though distributions point to subtle variations in how risk is evaluated. These findings provide critical insight into local cycling conditions and establish a foundation for future research on cycling safety.
Geography & Anthropology, University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire
Matthew Haffner is an associate professor in the Department of Geography and Anthropology at the University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire. He is a computational urban geography and committed four season commuter cyclist.
Rural clinics are closing across the United States. Despite the increasing relevance of this issue, little is known about the patients’ perspectives. Prior studies on this topic have been inconclusive or have failed to uncover statistically significant results. This study has a focus on a small community in rural Wisconsin facing a recent clinic closure. A notable portion of residents in this community (around 30%) rely on federal assistance for healthcare through programs such as MedicAID and Medicare, and 23% of the study population are senior citizens. Further, 25% of patients are below the poverty line. These factors combined with the clinic closure potentially create additional stress to the healthcare system and patients alike. To assess the potential impacts, we constructed a survey to gather data on the patients’ perspectives on this clinic closure. We use descriptive statistics to summarize the responses, analyze the results, and provide a thorough discussion on the implications. Remarkably, the investigation we conducted finds that travel time plays a key role in the patient experience. This emphasizes the gravity geography has in the context of healthcare accessibility in underserved areas, and recognizing how distance and location shape patient perspectives and wellbeing.
Geography & Anthropology, University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire
Matthew Haffner is an associate professor in the Department of Geography and Anthropology at the University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire. He is a computational urban geography and committed four season commuter cyclist.
When the United States joined World War I in 1917, the federal government extended the homefront Progressive effort to encourage middle-class behavior grounded in temperance, industriousness, and sexual morality to American troops overseas. Entertainment and recreational activities moderated by the Commission on Training Camp Activities (CTCA) and civilian organizations like the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA), gave Progressives an outlet for their middle-class moral agenda. Despite Progressive women’s contribution to the 1917 war effort, historians continue to associate war with the male experience, often retelling women volunteers’ narratives through the lens of their male employers. Which raises the question: how did YMCA women volunteers entertaining troops overseas challenge preconceived expectations of middle-class female domesticity? By analyzing letters sent home from American women entertainers between 1918 and 1919, this project argues that women advanced the organization’s goal in instilling middle-class ideologies on soldier audiences. In the process, however, women proved their undeniable value to the “Progressive experiment,” and assumed an unprecedented level of agency in a male-dominated sphere—an outcome the YMCA did not anticipate. Centering women’s experiences and highlighting how they utilized a social sphere previously exclusive to men reveals a new, and largely unexplored, perspective, in which women not only aided the war effort with their service, but utilized the historical moment to further the goals of feminists on the homefront towards recognition and equality.
This project explores the integration of high-impact practices (HIPs) and community client-based learning through UWEC’s partnership with GEEKcon, a student-run event, as part of CJ 351: Strategic Event Planning, and CJ 184: Multimedia Communication. This is a Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning Scholarship of Teaching and Learning project collaboration with students working collaboratively across CJ 184: Multimedia Communication classes and CJ 351: Strategic Event Planning. Through this initiative, students engage in a curriculum that emphasizes “real-world” application, professional identity development, and reciprocal community engagement. The study assesses the effectiveness of this learning model, focusing on how it affects student learning outcomes, community partnerships, and student professional growth. Additionally, the project examines how these practices enhance student development in terms of leadership, communication, and critical thinking in client-based environments.
Experts have coined the term “digital self-harm” to represent the act of anonymously cyberbullying oneself. Given the results of a 2025 independent survey administered to 13-17 year-olds in America, we explore the motivation behind adolescent self-cyberbullying. We coded responses to open-ended questions asking youth why they had engaged in digital self-harm into different categories to track frequencies. It was found that self-hate and depression were the leading motivators behind digital self-harm. However, we also found that anonymity was presented as a significant factor in the participants' responses. Furthermore, many indicated they used digital self-harm as an outlet to express emotions that were difficult to portray otherwise.
Despite recent years showing a substantial rise in cyberbullying awareness, its causes have not been widely studied. In general, most cyberbullying research focuses on the impact the practice has on victims of online harassment. Although this is, of course, extremely important, it leaves a significant gap in our understanding of how and why cyberbullying begins in the first place. This research hopes to shed some light on how cyberbullying begins in order to gain a better understanding of how it can be prevented. Many existing papers and research articles investigating cyberbullying perpetration were carefully examined throughout the course of this project to summarize our existing knowledge of the topic. Several main themes on cyberbullying motivations were discovered during the investigation, including aggression, lack of empathy, lack of online monitoring, revenge, dark triad personality traits, and low self-esteem. Further research is required to fully understand how these causes relate to each other; however, the project has provided a strong start towards that goal so far.
This study explores how the TikTok ban in 2025 triggers the migration of American users to RedNote (Xiaohongshu) and analyzes how this digital shift shapes cross-cultural communication and interaction between Chinese and American netizens. Based on existing research on social media and cross-cultural interaction, this paper regards platform migration as a new field for cultural contact and identity negotiation. The research sampled posts from 50 Chinese and American bloggers on RedNote to identify the main discussion topics, interaction patterns, and potential risks of misunderstanding. Also, it evaluated user retention and platform sustainability by combining platform traffic data and migration timelines. Findings show that RedNote functioned as a short-term bridge for intercultural exchange, with dominant topics including lifestyle sharing, language learning, and cultural comparison. However, while the platform stimulates curiosity, empathy and informal learning opportunities, political discourse, stereotypes and algorithmic differences also give rise to misunderstanding and tension. Overall, this migration is more driven by the political context and shows phased and temporary characteristics rather than stable resettlement. The research highlights both the opportunities and structural limits of cross-platform cultural exchange in a digital environment.
Will Hororoe, Haylee Schreiber, and Sarah Warren workeddirectly with Professor Jyl Kelley to design, layout, and install twomosaic panel designs inspired by themes related to trees fromthe Chippewa valley. Our proposal was a request for supplies andstudent wages needed to produce a stained-glass mosaic muralinstallation in the UWEC McIntyre Library.
Psychology 102, Foundations in the Discipline of Psychology, is an introductory course meant to introduce new majors to the field of psychology while also providing experiences that will help them determine their direction within it and becoming a successful college student. The course has been taught for a handful of years and received good feedback from students, but this feedback and their apparent engagement in the course declined in recent semesters, which resulted in the current project. We identified core problems with the course and worked to resolve them so that students’ expectations were better met through, e.g., hands-on experiences and more appropriate learning assessments. Ultimately, this course is meant to help students reflect on their goals and values and create a clear vision of their professional lives, and this course revision seems more supportive of those goals.
Teacher burnout is common, leading to multiple concerns like teacher turnover and worse student outcomes (Chang, 2009). One promising intervention used to decrease teacher burnout in K-12 teachers is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), which targets psychological flexibility – the ability to adapt to different situations to pursue one’s goals (Emery, 2011). Building on this work, the present study examined the relationship between psychological flexibility and burnout across three teaching populations: preservice teachers, primary teachers, and college professors. We administered questionnaires measuring psychological flexibility and teacher burnout to 11 preservice teachers, 11 primary teachers, and 40 college professors. Contrary to expectations, results indicated no significant differences in burnout levels among the three groups. However, less teaching experience and higher job commitment were strongly associated with increased burnout, reflecting both organizational and individual predictors. Additionally, correlations between psychological flexibility and burnout were generally not significant; however, preservice teachers showed a positive relationship. These findings suggest that burnout is similar across teaching roles, but the role of psychological flexibility may differ depending on career stage. Results highlight the need for tailored interventions to support teacher well-being.
The main problem I want to address is composers changing and expanding techniques seen in exploring the capabilities of the instrument. Yet, violinists are still using Kreutzer Etudes which were composed in 1796. These Etudes are important but they don’t explore even the most widely used extended techniques such as artificial harmonics, sul ponticello, or snap pizzacato. This forces instrumentalists to learn these techniques on a case-by-case basis. Sometimes this will dissuade the performer from the piece due to inexperience with the method, and this contributes to the underperformance of 21st-century instrumental concert music. To help expand the palette of violinists I am going to compose a small etude book featuring common and uncommon extended techniques for violinist instructors to use in pedagogical settings, this will allow for more refinement on techniques that some may be uncomfortable with and thus more comfort performing music which uses such techniques. I will write one intermediate version of the etude and one advanced version to accommodate a wide variety of learning levels. By researching repertoire in the literature the conclusion of this project is a short pedagogical book that instructors and violin students can use to further their studies.
Our project takes up an underappreciated philosophical debate: the ethics of suicide. To do this, we explore the rise of accessibility of medical assistance in death (MAID). Understanding when suicide is morally permissible is necessary to answer whether the expansion of MAID is an ethical practice. We will investigate this question through the work of Clancy Martin, Peter Singer, and an anthology of historical sources by Margaret Battin. Our methodology is to begin by exploring the origin of our society’s aversion to suicide through historical views. Next, we examine philosophers who argue for cases of morally permissible suicide. Then, we utilize a recent example of MAID as a real-life case of morally permissible suicide. In doing so, we attempt to use past philosophies to justify the accessibility of MAID in some specific instances. Our conclusion is that suicide is a complex issue which depends absolutely on a subjective perspective which complicates the view of when outside intervention is morally required.
This project examines how Western cultural forms introduced to Japan evolved through processes of transculturation across generations. Focusing on cafe culture and blues and jazz music, it asks how practices with foreign origins became embedded in everyday Japanese life in distinct and locally meaningful ways. Rather than reducing cultural exchange to simple narratives of domination or imitation, this study explores how Japanese communities actively reshaped outside influences within their own social and aesthetic contexts. Drawing on Cultural Studies and Fernando Ortiz’s concept of transculturation, this research combines historical analysis with field observation in cafes and blues and jazz venues across Japan. By tracing how these spaces developed and continue to function today, the project demonstrates that imported cultural practices were neither passively accepted nor fully rejected, but continually adapted and integrated into Japanese social environments. The findings suggest that cultural exchange in Japan is best understood as an ongoing process of negotiated transformation grounded in everyday social spaces.
The aim of this creative project, funded by the grant I received, is to serve as the primary Pattern/Cutter-Draper for the Theatre Department’s costume shop, transforming costume designers’ artistic concepts into precisely fitted, professionally constructed garments for multiple main-stage productions.This work builds directly on traditional theatrical costume practices, in which the pattern maker/draper serves as the essential bridge between the designer’s sketch or vision board and the final wearable garment for the production. For each costume, I begin with the designer’s sketch and vision board, then draft and sew a muslin mockup for the actor’s fitting. After documenting all fit adjustments, I revise the paper pattern. I then cut the garment from the fashion fabric and remain available throughout construction to guide the stitchers in assembly techniques. Throughout the summer, I developed foundational patterning skills that prepared me to serve as cutter/draper for the production of Young Frankenstein. In that show, I patterned the costumes for the character of Elizabeth and the women's chorus members’ dirndl bodices. This spring, for the production of Eurydice, I patterned and cut the two main costumes for the character of Eurydice and additional costume pieces for the stone characters. We have one final spring production—James and the Giant Peach—in which I will complete my grant responsibilities by patterning several costume pieces for onstage use.
This project investigates how instructional pedagogy and physical classroom design can encourage students to justify their reasoning and develop conceptual understanding in mathematics. Traditional classroom structures, where students passively receive information while teachers deliver instruction from the front of the room, have remained largely unchanged since the early days of public education. This study asks how both spatial design and teaching strategies can be reimagined to better support students’ sense-making and reasoning.To explore this question, I conducted a comprehensive review of existing literature on mathematics pedagogy, classroom discourse, and learning environments. Drawing from this research, I am constructing a diorama that synthesizes research-based practices into a visual and spatial model.The primary outcome of this project is a three-dimensional model of an ideal mathematics classroom that supports justification, collaboration, and conceptual understanding. This model illustrates how thoughtfully designed tasks, strategic teacher moves, and an intentional classroom culture can work together within a supportive physical space to help students move from memorization and empirical reasoning toward deeper mathematical meaning.
I set out originally to write and produce an original feature-length musical, that goal produced The Burrow, a 2-act rock musical that was recently performed here at UWEC by working alongside with the UWEC Theatre Collective. Together we held a production of the show, had several months of rehearsals, and had four extremely successful performances in Riverside Theatre. Working alongside faculty, I wrote the musical over a 3 year period, and was able to help lead a cast and crew through a successful production and a great experience.
The campus literary magazine None of the Above, NOTA, which publishes a biannual collection of the top student submissions in the categories of art, poetry, and prose, hosts students reading their original written works.
