United States of America

Wireless Network Simulator

The goal of this project is to create a lightweight wireless network simulator. When designing new wireless network protocols, such as a protocol for a radio frequency mesh network, engineer…

Writing a Mathematical Model for Bubble Formation

Laser isotope breakdown spectroscopy is a type of atomic emission spectroscopy utilizing a high intensity laser pulse for plasma formation. The emission spectra can be used to determine the…

Your Brainwave Is Your Password: Exploring EEG-Based Authentication for a Safer Cyber World

Password-based systems have been the primary method for user authentication and access control for many years. However, average users do not follow stringent password composition and update…

2015: A Photon Odyssey

In this study, I examine whether I can modify Beer Lambert’s Law to determine the average path-length of a photon that has not interacted with ordinary matter. We know that the absorption of…

3-D Electrical Cast

The purpose for this project is to create a 3-D Printer Cast and incorporate the T.E.N.S. Unit to treat Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, and allow full arm mobility. The procedure is to first get the…

3-Dimensional Microbial Fuel Cell Anode

Worldwide access to potable drinking remains of one the “Grand Challenges for Engineering” (National Academy of Engineering). Microbial Fuel Cells (MFCs) may be a possible solution. MFCs, in…

3D-Printed Bluetooth Android-Based Spirometer with HIPAA-Compliant Secured Cloud Data Storage

This project identifies a novel, inexpensive approach in the development and structure of a portable, compact spirometer; merging new technology such as 3D printing, Bluetooth, Android and C…

3D Tumor Model for Testing Anticancer Drugs

Systems Software

Current cancer models in preclinical cancer drug research are not yielding effective treatments. The objective of my research was to study a simple three-dimensional (3D) spheroid method to…

4-D Printing: Creating Tessellated Foldable Structures, Year III

3-D printing allows for the creation of items in computer design programs and proceed to print them immediately. A new concept of 4-D printing has emerged that allows people to create object…

Acidification: Testing the Effect of Our Ever Changing Environment on Our Oceans and Marine Life

Our oceans are a precious natural resource, part of Earth's carbon cycle. Each and every day the oceans absorb approximately 1/3 of the carbon dioxide we put into the atmosphere. Because our…

A Comparative Study on Natural Pesticides for Potatoes

Purpose: To compare the effects of commercial and natural pesticides on the growth and sugar content of Red Norland Potatoes and White Pearl Potatoes. Secondly, to determine the efficacy of…

A Computer-Based Integrated Analysis of Genomic Signatures in Ovarian Cancer

Biomedical Engineering

Ovarian cancer is one of the deadliest gynecological cancers as a result of a lack of robust early detection methods and high rates of resistance after initial chemotherapy. Many experiments…

A Computer Model to Project the Outbreak of Agrilus planipennis in New Hampshire

The purpose of this experiment was to create a computational model to project the path of the current outbreak of Agrilus planipennis (emerald ash borer) in New Hampshire. Each model is base…

Activation of Pro-Inflammatory Genes Suggests Pathogen-Associated Molecular Pattern (PAMP) Component in Giardia lamblia Recognized by the Murine Innate Immune System

Preventable and treatable diarrheal disease is the second leading cause of death in children under five years old in the world, killing approximately 760,000 children each year. Diarrheal di…

Activation of the Hepatocyte Antioxidant Response by Kava Secondary Metabolites

Although used by Pacific Islanders for thousands of years, Kava hepatotoxicity has been a concern. The purpose of this project was to determine which of the Kava secondary metabolites activa…

Actuation of a Reconfigurable Shape Memory Alloy Airfoil during Stages of Flight for a Commercial Aircraft

In commercial aviation any change that makes an aircraft even 0.1% more efficient saves the company money when multiplied by the number of aircraft used. The purpose of this experiment was t…

A Device for the Tracking of At-Home Medical Equipment during Natural Disasters

Electrical durable medical equipment (DME), such as dialysis machines, patient monitoring devices, and ventilators, are life-sustaining machines that are used extensively by patients at home…

Adhesive Elastin-based Proteins as Soft-tissue Surgical Glues

Developing a viable soft tissue adhesive can eliminate the needs for sutures, which often cause further tissue damage in clinical settings. Adhesives that demonstrate biocompatibility, funct…

Advancements in Drug Delivery: Development and Evaluation of Ibuprofen Loaded Biodegradable Hydrogels

Biomedical Engineering

Ibuprofen is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, effective in the treatment of inflammatory diseases such as arthritis. This research aims to develop a biodegradable and in situ forming…

Advancing Energy Storage Materials through the Development of Quasi-Aligned Graphene Fibers with Enhanced Thermal and Electrical Conductivities

In the realm of materials science, novel graphene fibers exhibit a higher thermal conductivity than many other common metals such as copper or aluminum. Graphene fibers can therefore effecti…

Advancing the Cancer Stem Cell Approach for Early Tumorigenesis: Delineation of p53 Pathways in Differentially Expressed Tumor-Initiating Cells

Translational Medical Science

Evidence suggests a small population of tumor-initiating cells, or cancer stem cells, drive tumor heterogeneity which is postulated to account for tumor growth and resistance to chemotherapy…

Advancing Western Blotting: Improving the Sensitivity of Protein Detection with Smaller Well Engineering

Western Blotting is one of the most fundamental laboratory techniques used for identifying specific proteins and semi-quantifying protein amounts. As powerful and developed as the procedure…

A Genetic Mechanism Underlying Bacterial Drug Resistance: Ampicillin Resistant Escherichia coli

This experiment is about research that identified the process by which bacteria develop drug resistance. Seven generations of Escherichia coli were bred to be resistant to ampicillin. (Note…

AGN Properties and Host Galaxy Star Formation Rate in Palomar-Green Quasars

Every galaxy is predicted to host a black hole, but only those actively accreting matter, with luminous accretion disks, are considered active galactic nuclei (AGNs) or quasars. Recent model…

A Green and Novel Technology to Recover Copper and Wood from Treated Wood Waste, Part II

Fourth Award

The US consumes approximately 70 million pounds of copper and produces about 580 million cubic feet of treated wood annually. Burning and reusing treated wood waste are disallowed by the US…

A Greener Shade of Grey: The Effects of a Novel Water-Reducing Geopolymer on SO3 in Non-Standard Coal Combustion Residues

Concrete is the most used construction material in the world. Unfortunately, Portland cement, a major ingredient in concrete, has a massive carbon footprint. Coal combustion residues, or CCR…

Agricultural Contaminants in the San Juan River

Many people on the Navajo Nation and the rural San Juan region rely on agricultural activities for financial benefit and use the San Juan River as their main source for water. Many families…

A Hand-centric Gestural Interface for 3D Navigation and Interaction in Visualization

Fourth Award

Current methods of navigating and interacting with 3D visualizations utilize intrusive physical devices (e.g. keyboards, mice). The purpose of this project is to design and program a 3D inte…

A Handheld Hematology Analyzer Using Acoustic Enhanced Blood Smear Devices

Systems Software Third Award

Blood analysis is a primary test for disease diagnostics. Most conventional blood analyzers are expensive and bulky, limiting their use in clinical central laboratories. In this project, I d…

Airplane Wing Gust Suppression by Active Flow Control

Third Award

The purpose of this project is to create an inexpensive, simple, and effective airplane wing gust suppression system that has the capability to reduce the accelerations associated with unsta…