ACES 

Title: “Peak Photosynthesis in Onion Species”  

Undergraduate Student Researchers: Christopher Gomez  

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Ivette Guzman 

Onion (Allium species) is the number one spice crop grown in New Mexico. The goal of this study was to find the optimal photosynthetic time when gas exchange and fluorescence are at their highest in onion leaves. The hypothesis was that the time of highest photosynthesis would be between 11:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. Four varieties (two bulb and two bunching) of onions were grown from seed in a controlled environment for a six-month period. Utilizing a LI-6800 leaf gas analyzer assimilation rates (µmol m⁻² s⁻¹) and fluorescence of two onion plants per cultivar were measured every hour from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. For the four onion cultivars, peak photosynthesis occurred between 10:00 - 11:00 a.m. The highest carbon assimilation rate and fluorescence were 22.528 µmol m⁻² s⁻¹ and 0.377 PhiPSII efficiency, respectively. Knowing the optimal photosynthetic time for onion cultivars is imperative to conduct further onion photosynthetic research.

 

Title: Antifungal Properties of Onions 

Undergraduate Student Researchers: Cristina Benitez 

Faculty Advisor: F. Omar Holguin 

New Mexico supplies more than 50% of the consumed onions in the United States during the months of June and July. Fusarium Basal Rot (FBR) is a soil-borne fungal disease that can be common in onions and can lead to root death, root abscission, or even plant death. Vegetable crops can produce saponins which are known to defend plants against fungal diseases. The purpose of this study is to extract saponins from the basal plate area of yellow onions and develop a microbial assay to evaluate the crude saponin extract against FBR. Saponins will be extracted from the onion basal plate using an ethanolic extraction method. A lawn of FBR will be cultivated on Potato Dextrose Agar plates and crude saponin extract will be added. If the crude extract possesses antifungal properties, we expect to detect a zone of growth inhibition corresponding to the antifungal strength of the saponin extract.

 

Title: Determining if phytoene exposure increases DNA damage and decreases cell viability in melanoma cells.  

Undergraduate Student Researchers: Emilee Montoya 

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Ashley 

Melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer due to low detectability amongst affected individuals, late-stage diagnosis, and disease resistance to currently available treatment modalities. From a study completed in 2017, approximately 78,000 new cases of melanoma were diagnosed in the United States, with a mortality rate of ~ 56%. Our group is currently investigating the carotenoid phytoene (PY) for its inhibitory effects on melanogenesis – a factor in melanoma disease progression. Congruently, we consider the following hypothesis: treatment with PY will enhance and/or sensitize MNT-1 melanoma cells to DNA damage. To address this, MNT-1 cells will be evaluated by ɣH2AX immunofluorescence after exposure to chemotherapy agents. We anticipate our results will inform the possibility of utilizing PY alone or in conjunction with DNA damaging agents to produce more robust DNA damage and cell death in melanoma. 

 

Title: “Building The Foundation: Skills Desired By Undergraduate Students In Agricultural Communications Courses”  

Undergraduate Student Researchers: EasleySmith, Fisher  

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Shannon Norris 

Agriculture communications degrees seek to evolve students into professionals for the modern workforce. However, what do current students in agriculture communications courses deem necessary skills to be used in their perspective work field? In this qualitative study, sophomore, junior and senior students in a focus group were asked a series of questions to identify important skills needed to enter the workforce in their perspective field. Through a total of 9 questions, participants identified three primary interpersonal skills and four primary technical skills necessary for students to know. Communication skills and time management were identified as the most important interpersonal skills. The most influential technical skills were identified as computer and software skills, design, photography, writing. Introduction to these basic introductory courses will give students a stronger foundation for their future studies by creating a platform to launch for future careers or other degrees.

 

Title: Suppressing the CXCL12-CXCR4 chemokine axis at the fetal-maternal interface during implantation results in altered expression of inflammatory cytokines in ovine placenta at midgestation. 

Undergraduate Student Researchers: Jillian M. Hughes, Cael N. Alderete  

Faculty Advisor: Ryan L. Ashley, Ph.D.  

A proper balance of inflammatory cytokines at the fetal-maternal interface is crucial for successful embryo implantation and placental formation during early gestation. Mechanisms controlling this inflammatory profile are not well characterized. We aimed to determine if disrupted signaling between chemokine ligand CXCL12 and its receptor CXCR4 early in gestation would alter placental inflammatory profile at midgestation. Day 12 post-breeding, osmotic pumps were surgically installed in 37 ewes to deliver CXCR4 inhibitor (AMD3100) or saline into the uterine lumen ipsilateral to the corpus luteum for 14 days. Preliminary analysis of cytokine gene expression in collected midgestational tissues using Real-time qPCR demonstrated significantly altered expression from controls to treatment ewes in interleukin 12 (IL-12), transforming growth factor-beta (TGFB), and tumor necrosis factor (TNF). Ultimately, modulating CXCL12-induced actions is a novel approach to manipulating the fetal-maternal environment when most pregnancy losses occur and may reveal methods to improve reproductive success.

 

Title: Making better ice-cream through hydrodynamic cavitation 

Undergraduate Student Researchers: Julissa Barrera 

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Sergio Martinez 

The objective of this research is to evaluate the feasibility of using hydrodynamic cavitation to reduce the concentration of stabilizers commonly used in ice cream formulations. The central hypothesis of this research project is that by appropriate choice of temperature and homogenization pressure, it may be possible to regulate fat destabilization (partial coalescence and agglomeration), utilizing protein rather than relying on chemical surfactants. 1) Evaluate the effect of pressure on particle size for different formulations. 2) Establish relationships between concentration of stabilizers and homogenization pressure. 3) Evaluate the protein adsorbed as function of concentration of stabilizer, pressure, and temperature. Experimental treatments – three separate sets of experiments will be performed to evaluate the feasibility of cavitation in reducing the concentration of stabilizers in ice-cream. A generic formulation will be used to assess the feasibility of hydrodynamic cavitation. · Study 1 consists of treating the ice-cream mix at four different pressure levels (control, 5000, 7,500, and 10,000 psi) using a laboratory scale cavitator (CaviPro 3000, Arydine, Cleveland OH). The cavitator will first run with water until the desired pressure level is reached. Then, 2 L of ice-cream mix will be run through the system, and the first 300 mL of the treated mix will be discarded. Then, cavitated samples will be pasteurized (HTST, 85°C for 15 s) using a laboratory UHT unit (Cherry-Burrell Corp., St. Paul, MN). Samples will be collected and analyzed for particle size and rheological behavior (strain sweep, frequency sweep, and flow curve). · Study 2 will evaluate the effect of cavitation at selected pressure on particle size and rheological behavior of ice-cream mix formulated with reduced stabilizers (0.28, 0.21, 0.14, and 0%). · Study 3 will involve the manufacture of ice-cream and evaluation of quality parameters, such as meltdown, hardness, and melting of ice-cream.

 

Title: “Evaluation of antagonistic activity of endophytic bacteria isolated from London Rocket against three agricultural pathogens” 

Undergraduate Student Researchers: Kaihre Brightwater 

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Sanogo

London rocket is a ubiquitous weed that displays resiliency in the extreme environments of New Mexico. It is hypothesized that endophytic bacteria might afford London Rocket this resiliency. Endophytic bacteria were isolated from London Rocket collected in agricultural and non-agricultural areas around Las Cruces. Multiple experiments consisting of diffusion well and volatile tests were conducted to evaluate the antagonistic activity of endophytic bacteria from London Rocket against three plant pathogens, Phytophthora capsici, Fusarium oxysporum, and Sclerotium rolfsii isolated from chile, cotton, and peanut, respectively. Results showed that bacteria isolated from London Rocket produced volatiles that reduced mycelium growth of all three pathogens, with the greatest reduction recorded in S. rolfsii and P. capsici. Further experimentation will utilize these endophytic bacteria for protection of crops against these pathogens.

 

Title: How to turn lunar regolith into a plant growth promoting soil 

Undergraduate Student Researchers: Karina Tovar and Maya Gabitzsch 

Faculty Advisor: Dr. April Ulery, Dr. Nicole Pietrasiak 

Future long-term manned space missions to the moon and mars require a sustainable food supply. Growing plants in situ is desired. However, the weathered surface rock material (regolith) available on site does not support plant life like terrestrial soils. Research is needed to investigate how best to transform the regolith into a suitable plant growth medium. Our research objective was to study the growth and health of Anasazi beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) in lunar regolith simulant treated with various inorganic and organic amendments including vermiculite, compost, and microbial inoculants. Preliminary data showed that in general pure and amended regolith pots all had either no or delayed emergence of bean seedlings compared to positive controls containing regular potting mix. Treatments containing a mixture of regolith, vermiculite and compost allowed for more beans to emerge which grew taller than seedlings from other treatments. Microbial inoculation did not promote or inhibit plant growth.  

 

Title: Ozone effects on plants  

Undergraduate Student Researchers: Lorena Rizo 

Faculty Advisor: Omar Holguin 

Ozone can be found in the upper atmosphere, called the stratosphere, and in the lower atmosphere, the troposphere, a natural compound that protects life on earth from harmful UV. Where ozone can be located, it can be good or bad. When there is ozone in the troposphere, it can be harmful because it is considered an air pollutant, impacting human health and plants. In this project, we developed a bench-scale apparatus to investigate the impact of increased ozone levels on plant health. For this study, we chose wheatgrass as our plant of interest. We will have two groups, one where increased ozone levels are artificially created, and the other will be grown under atmospheric conditions. Ozone exposure was administered three times a week. Impacts on plant photosynthesis were recorded using a portable PAM unit, and photosynthetic pigment composition was evaluated at the end of the experiment by TLC (thin layer chromatography).

 

Title: Suppressing the CXCL12-CXCR4 chemokine axis at the fetal-maternal interface during implantation alters expression of this axis in ovine placenta at mid and late gestation. 

Undergraduate Student Researchers: Mariah M. Leonard 

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Ryan Ashley 

Placental formation is a key component for healthy fetus development during early gestation. Many maternal and fetal pregnancy complications stem from problems arising during placental development. Chemokine ligand 12 (CXCL12) and its receptors CXCR4 and CXCR7 are expressed in placental tissues and dysregulated signaling of this axis is implicated in pregnancy complications. We hypothesized suppressing CXCL12/CXCR4 signaling during placental formation would result in compromised placental development with lasting effects to the CXCL12/CXCR4/CXCR7 axis. The goal was to investigate CXCL12 induced actions in placental development using an in vivo sheep model. On Day 12 post-breeding, osmotic pumps were surgically installed in 37 ewes to deliver CXCR4 inhibitor (AMD3100) or saline into the uterine lumen ipsilateral to the corpus luteum for 14 days during placental formation. At mid (d90) and late (d135) gestation, placental tissues were collected and gene expression for CXCL12, CXCR4, and CXCR7 in the placenta were analyzed using qPCR. 

  

Title: Internet of Things (IoT) Rain Gauge - USDA Group Project 

Undergraduate Student Researchers: Alvaro Esparza, Elena Gonzales, Gabriela Salas, Mason Curtin & Terrell Stewart  

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Young Park, Dr. David Dubois, & Dr. Delia Valles-Rosales  

The objective of the Internet of Things (IoT) Rain Gauge project is to upgrade a pre-existing rain gauge system to achieve 3 primary goals: automated data collection, automated data upload, and automated drainage. The current rain gauge design uses a load cell to measure the difference in weight as the system collects water; however, the previous team identified accuracy issues when measuring small amounts of precipitation. Our team plans to implement a differential pressure sensor to improve measurement accuracy. We will conduct a comparative study between the load cell and the differential pressure sensor to determine the relative collection accuracy and minimum measurement. We will use an Arduino microcontroller to collect pressure and strain data from the differential pressure sensor and load cell, respectively.

 

Title: Improving the Quality of High-Protein Ice Cream via Hydrodynamic Cavitation 

Undergraduate Student Researchers: Mohammad Badawy 

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Sergio Martinez 

Our research project is "Improving the Quality of High Protein Ice Cream (HP-IC) via Hydrodynamic Cavitation". Our goal is to use Hydrodynamic cavitation at high pressure to exert desired changes and homogenization of the structure and quality of HP-IC. We will study the effects of protein composition, cavitation time, and pressure on various parameters of interest in HP-IC. We will explore the melting properties of HP-IC, and correlate that to the structural integrity and quality of the samples, as well as undertake rheological and microscopic analysis to identify the physical effects of our variable in structure. Furthermore, we will compare our results with HP-IC to commercially available products to determine the benefits of cavitation compared to traditional ice-cream manufacturing methodologies. 

 

Title: "Monitoring lunar regolith leachate composition for nutrients and toxins affecting plants”   

Undergraduate Student Researchers: Kaitlin Marry   

Faculty Advisor: Dr. April Ulery, Plant and Environmental Science   

Long-term exploration of space is limited by the availability of a renewable food supply for astronauts. We measured the leachate composition of the simulated regolith over a ten-week growing period as a part of NASA’s Plant the Moon Challenge. Four treatments (100% regolith “R”, 50/50 regolith/compost “RC”, 50/50 regolith/vermiculite “RV”, and 50/25/25 regolith/compost/vermiculite “RCV” all by volume) were planted with Anasazi beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) and irrigated daily with tap water. Leachate was collected every two-three weeks and was evaluated for various elemental and nutrient concentrations, pH, and electrical conductivity. Preliminary results showed several factors that may impede plant growth, phosphorus concentration was below 25 ppm and nitrate concentration was below 5 ppm in all treatments except the control (potting medium). Additionally, aluminum concentrations exceeded 2 ppm in all treatments except “RC”, which may induce toxicity in plants.  

Title: Collecting Bovine Rumen Content and Rumen Fluid for Bacterial Separation and Acquisition of Knowledge   

Undergraduate Student Researchers: Phoebe Rychener 

Faculty Advisor: 

The purposes of this project were to assist in carrying out specific procedures on cattle that were part of a bigger study, to gain invaluable experience working with cattle and following the required procedures, and to share this knowledge with others less experienced in the Animal Science field. To carry out the experiment, the student participated in various tasks over a two-month period, including feeding cattle, sampling their rumen contents and rumen fluid, and separating the bacteria found in the rumen from the contents and fluid. In the end, the student was able to successfully accomplish all of the procedures, thereby accumulating more priceless animal and research experience and knowledge under her belt to share with the world.  

 

Title: “Precision of Age Estimates between Cleithra and Sagittal Otoliths for Northern Pike from a High Elevation Reservoir in Northern New Mexico”  

Undergraduate Student Researchers: *Sarah, S., Michael, M., Jane, T.  

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Colleen Caldwell 

Calcified structures such as sagittal otoliths (ear bones) and cleithra (opercular bones) are most commonly used to develop age and growth estimates for fish populations. These structures lay down annual growth rings that can be used to document the age of a fish. The purpose of this research was to determine which calcified structure provided the most precise age estimates for a Northern Pike population in northern New Mexico. The average coefficient of variation from three readers of varying expertise for sagittal otoliths and cleithra was 19.3% (n=73) and 35.1% (n=35), respectively. Although the literature varies regarding the precision of calcified structures used to age Northern Pike, our results showed that sagittal otoliths provided the most reliable age estimates for this population.   

 

Title: Algal Metabolism of Cellulose 

Undergraduate Student Researchers: Orozco, Samuel.; Reddy Potlapalli, N.Naga.; Alvarez Zavala, Maria.; Holguin, Omar.   

Faculty Advisor:  

Cellulose is a beta-linked polymer of glucose and a component of many agricultural by-products. This study investigates the metabolic abilities of this extremophilic Red Algae (Galdieria sulphuraria) to metabolize cellulose—which is of industrial interest due to the benefits of breaking down cellulose at elevated temperatures and low pH. There is evidence that a subunit of cellulose is used in cell metabolism based on the improved growth of the culture when grown on exogenous sources of carbohydrates such as the disaccharide cellobiose. To investigate if larger glucose oligomers are metabolized, we will generate cello-oligosaccharides through hydrolyzation of pure cellulose and confirmed with Thin Layer Chromatography and 1H-NMR spectroscopy. Algal growth is evaluated followed by a subsequent investigation of metabolites and lipid profiles of final cells. Previous investigations suggest that Galdieria sulphuraria grows on various carbon sources, so this study's results may provide additional evidence to support this theory. 

 

Arts 

Title: “Small Steps” A Performance 

Undergraduate Student Researchers: Albert Yoshimoto 

Faculty Advisor: Lonnie Chaffin 

Small Steps was written as a study of Minuet Form, a traditional structure originating from the menuet, a 17 th Century French dance. As with several literary forms in drama, poetry, and fiction, music from the 17th Century tended to use structure as a method of organizing musical ideas and repeating patterns. Minuet Form is structured in three parts, the Minuet, the Trio, and the Da Capo (Italian for “from the beginning”) repeat of the Minuet. The title of the work is both a parody of the famous Jazz album Giant Steps (one of the most important Jazz albums of all time) as well as a reference to the small and dainty steps taken in the menuet. The Minuet portion of Small Steps consists of two inner parts: the first (which will be called “Theme A”) is the theme introduced by the first violin. It is strongly influenced by works of Joseph Haydn and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, mainly in that the first violin plays the melody while there is sparse accompaniment in the other strings. The second part consists of a second theme and a reintroduction of the theme in Section A. This second theme (“Theme B”) borrows some rhythmic aspects of Theme A, but is then juxtaposed against a pizzicato (plucked) version of the well-known Nokia ringtone (itself borrowed from the Spanish composer Francisco Tárrega). After the Minuet comes the Trio section. As with the Minuet, the Trio consists of a primary theme followed by a second theme and a reiteration of the primary theme. The first theme of the trio section gives a fast, galloping impression with the melodic line again being played by the first violin (“Theme C”). The second theme (“Theme D”) takes a step back and is more pensive, until it is thrusted back into Theme C. After the second repetition of both Theme C and Theme D, the Trio section ends in a very chaotic manner, ending abruptly but returning to the beginning of the Minuet. All repetitions in the second restatement of the whole Minuet are omitted and the piece ends with very playful and simple pizzicatos in the cello then first violin. A visual representation of Minuet Form is given below: Minuet Trio Minuet ||: A :|| ||: B A :|| ||: C :|| ||: D C :|| || A || B A || *Note that :|| means one repetition from ||: Any equipment necessary (music stands, microphones, etc.) will be provided by the Music Department.

  

Title: “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) [revised]” 

Undergraduate Student Researchers: Darcy Harman  

Faculty Advisor: Tracy Miller-Tomlinson 

In collaboration with Ember Theater Company, NMSU’s student theater organization, I am directing a production of “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) [revised]” by Adam Long, Daniel Singer, and Jess Winfield. My cast consists of NMSU Theater Majors Omar Moreno, Eliza Phillips, and Gus Sanchez, and we have been assisted by stage manager Austin Reeve. Gus Sanchez is designing the props and Austin and I are collaborating on designing the set, costumes, sound, and lights. Performances will be in the Reader’s Theater on Friday April 29 at 3pm, Saturday April 30 at 7pm, and Sunday May 1 at 7pm.  

Throughout our rehearsal process we have been analyzing the script and reviewing and discussing Shakespeare’s work in comparison to how it is represented in our text. We have also utilized sources such as PBS’s “Shakespeare Uncovered” series, the Chop Bard podcast, and the Folger Shakespeare Library website for assistance in questions of interpretation.  

The first act gives a humorous overview of Shakespeare’s life, extremely abridged versions of Romeo and Juliet, Titus Andronicus, Othello, and Macbeth, and gives a brief overview of the comedies and histories. Every play is at least mentioned if not fully performed. The second act gives over to an analysis of Hamlet, with an audience participation segment and three encores.  

Though we are still in the midst of rehearsal and haven’t settled on the final run-time yet, we are hoping to get the entire performance around 90 minutes when we come to presentation.  

 

Title: A piece for saxophone quartet entitled, Currents. 

Undergraduate Student Researchers: Ethan Moore  

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Lon Chaffin 

Currents is a musical composition based on traditional musical forms, with modern sounding melodies, harmonies, and rhythms. The first movement is based on the Sonata (first movement) Form. This form has been in standard use since the seventeenth century1, consisting of multiple sections. These include the Exposition (with a primary and subordinate theme), the Development, and the Recapitulation.  

In this piece for saxophone quartet, the Exposition introduces a driving, melodic line in an asymmetrical meter that repeats throughout the primary theme, with a counter melody in the soprano saxophone voice. These lines use more modern harmonic and rhythmic aspects as opposed to those found in classical music. In the Subordinate theme, a mellow and ethereal passage is introduced with more focus on chordal movement and melodic lines which ends with a climactic combination of the two themes. In the Development the main themes are taken and deconstructed using a modern atonal compositional technique. This particular technique creates a more ambiguous harmony and free-floating impression that is very different from conventional practices. The Recapitulation then reassembles the themes to restate the main idea and end the movement.   

 

Title: Crimson Five Brass Quintet - Kali I, Tommy Y, Serina T, Juan N, Kevin V  

“Victor Ewald’s Quintet No. 1”   

Undergraduate Student Researchers: Kali I, Tommy Y, Serina T, Juan N, Kevin Vigil 

Faculty Advisor: Advisor: Dr. Michael Mapp   

Victor Ewald was a Russian engineer, architect, cellist, and composer. He made his living as a successful civil engineer but is most famous for his musicianship and compositional work. Ewald attended the St. Petersburg Conservatory where he enrolled in 1872 at only twelve years old.  

Ewald’s first quintet, titled “Quintet in Bb Minor” was completed around 1900. Inspired by his interest in Russian folk music, this piece is cherished for its minor tonality, rich harmonic structures, and atypical meters. The first movement is the most substantial, composed in sonata form with two clear themes and a development section. The second movement begins with a beautiful adagio, contrasted by a very aggressive presto section, before returning to the adagio. The effect is a dramatic ABA form which combines a slow movement with a scherzo, which are normally separated in large-scale works. The uplifting finale brings the work to a triumphant end. 

 

Title: Art Exhibit (BFA students) 

Undergraduate Student Researchers: Jessica Aldaz, Tessa Bond, and Jasmine Herrera 

Faculty Advisor: Motoko Furuhashi 

Art Exhibition by three BFA students (graduating in December 2022). Artist includes Jessica Aldaz, Tessa Bond, and Jasmine Herrera.  

 

Nicholas Gallegos 

Title: “Get Away” Performance 

Undergraduate Student Researchers: Nicholas Gallegos 

Faculty Advisor:  

This musical work, Get Away, was written as part of a second semester of Composition (MUSC 360).  The piece features the composer's primary instrument, tenor voice, with piano accompaniment. The composer initially created the original two-stanza poem on which the piece is based.  Consequently, the composer did not draw inspiration from any specific composer or musical style, relying instead on harmonies, meters, and rhythms that are subjectively pleasing and are thought to most effectively convey the emotional content of the original poem.   

 

Engineering 

Title: Developing a Rapid Prototyping Microfabrication Technology with Conventional Photolithography Techniques 

Undergraduate Student Researchers: Alrahman Elakshe 

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Christopher Baker

Microfabrication can be accomplished by conventional photolithography techniques or by newer rapid prototyping techniques, which speed up the fabrication process. Most approaches to rapid prototyping involve entirely re-designing the microfabrication process, such as by inkjet printing with fabrication materials and substrates. Many materials and devices, such as those produced in glass or silicon, are best fabricated using conventional photolithography. A bottleneck in the throughput of photolithography is the production of high-resolution photomasks. Our research project will increase the throughput of microfabrication by photolithography by developing a rapid prototyping technology to produce high precision, low-cost photomasks. The new technique will utilize the Sony XPERIA Z5 smartphone, which has the highest pixel density (806 ppi) of any smartphone currently available, to produce high-resolution photomasks by exposing ortho-lithographic photography film in surface contact with a smartphone screen. The project will take part in three phases.

 

Title: Optical Sensor for Visual Emergency Vehicle Detection   

Undergraduate Student Researchers: Alexander Acuna 

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Paul Furth, Electronics and Computer Engineering Technology

The current emergency vehicle detection sensors only use the loud audio signal of the siren. These detection sensors are used to allow emergency vehicles to enter gated communities. This new sensor could help improve the reliability of current detection systems and may help (the average response time of emergency vehicles in gated communities). The Visual Emergency Vehicle Detection Sensor (VEVDS) is designed to detect emergency vehicles using the time-varying colored light waves emitted from the vehicle’s lightbar. In this project, we implement a zero-crossing counter program using an Arduino microcontroller and optical RGB color sensors.     

 

Title: Heavy Metals Adsorption from Wastewater using Char Obtained from Hydrothermal Liquefaction Process 

Undergraduate Student Researchers: Andrea Loya Lujan 

Faculty Advisor: Catherine Brewer 

Hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) can be used to produce char, bio-crude oil, and aqueous phase from food waste. While there are energy applications for the bio-crude oil and char, char is also used to remove heavy metals from wastewater due to the presence of functional groups on the surface of char and the magnetic due to use of red mud as a catalyst during the HTL process.  

Cleaning waste water from contaminated sites is a challenge many researchers face. The functional groups on the surface of the char and the magnetic properties it has, may be the solution of eliminating ions collected in contaminated water. Within those ions are copper and lead which have been tested in this research project and now we continue to test the adsorption capacity of char in nitrate solutions.

 

Title: "Material Characterization of Polymer Additive Manufacturing FFF process using Ultrasound Time of Flight and Attenuation”  

Undergraduate Student Researchers: Avery Torrez  

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Ehsan Dehghan-Niri, Civil Engineering 

Additively manufacturing (AM), commonly known as 3D printing, is an evolving method of fabrication. To ensure the structural integrity of an additively manufactured print, there must be some method of quality control. A non-destructive testing method suitable for quality control is ultrasound testing. A set of AM samples with varying print direction printed using the Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) method will utilize the through-transmission and pulse-echo ultrasonic testing techniques. By using the time-of-flight and attenuation data gathered from the ultrasound test, the modulus of elasticity can be indirectly estimated using the theory of elasticity. This research aims to provide an understanding on how directionality of an AM print effects material properties, such as the modulus of elasticity.  

 

Title: “Determination of Porosity of Lunar Regolith from Ultrasonic Velocity and Thermal Conductivity Measurements”  

Undergraduate Student Researchers: Corina Valenzuela  

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Douglas Cortes 

Grad-Students: Mehran Pourakabr, Jose Araiza Castelo  

The understanding of lunar regolith soil qualities is critical for the safe and efficient design and construction of structures such as landing pads for space-mission landers and base stations. Using P_wave velocity and thermal conductivity, a correlation between the physical parameters of the lunar regolith, including porosity, was discovered. Lunar Mare Simulant was the lunar regolith substance used in this study (LMS-1). The lunar regolith was first pluviated into a cell with zero lateral strain. Then, utilizing a pair of Piezoelect Disk Elements as a source and receiver of mechanical waves, the P wave (Vp) velocity of the lunar soil was measured. An impulse input signal with a frequency of 21 Hz was used to conduct the Vp measurements. The Vp was calculated using the measured distance between the two implanted transducers and the compressional wave's first arrival time. After that, a thermal needle probe was used to measure the thermal conductivity of the lunar regolith. After measuring the Vp, the thermal needle was put vertically into the soil. For two minutes, the transient thermal response to the input power was measured at 1 second intervals. Following the measurements, the sample was densified on a vibrating table to produce incremental porosity reductions. 

 

Title: Chemical and Physical Analysis of Enzyme-Induced Calcium Carbonate Precipitation (EICP) Cemented Sands 

Undergraduate Student Researchers: Erika Cano 

Faculty Advisor: Martha Mitchell  

An important characteristic of sands that have been cemented using Enzyme-Induced Calcium Carbonate Precipitation is the amount of calcium carbonate that has been added to the cemented sand as a result of the process. Understanding the chemical and physical characteristics of the sand is important for optimal cementation. The objectives of this project are to study the chemical and physical properties through microscopy and ion chromatography.   

In this study the surface of the sand particles is examined before and after the wash cycles. The expected results are an analysis of the chemistry and surface of the sands by using an electron microscope. The information from the study will help to understand the chemistry of the sands. Understanding the chemistry of the sands will result in better understanding of the variation of cementation that results from different sands. 

 

Title: Continuation of Experimental and Numerical Investigations on the Asymmetry of Bolted Joint Cantilevered Beams 

Undergraduate Student Researchers: Dylan Allen 

Faculty Advisor: Abdessattar Abdelkefi  

Structures containing bolted joints are quite common even though the exact characterization of these joints is unknown. Due to their widespread use, it is important to understand the dynamic responses of these systems through many different situations. This study hopes to characterize how introducing asymmetry to the bolted joint systems will affect their dynamical responses. This asymmetry comes in three forms, namely, asymmetric joint location, effective length, and bolt configuration. The system considered is a modified version of the Brake-Reuss beam with some geometric and material changes. The target is to conduct free and harmonic vibration tests for all possible beams’ configurations. Since this is a highly coupled system, the first in plane and out of plane bending modes will be investigated. These experiments are ultimately conducted to analyze the linear and nonlinear dynamic responses and to achieve a better understanding of how asymmetry affects bolted joint systems. 

 

Title: Test Design and Scalability of the BARC Structure: Linear and Nonlinear Investigations 

Undergraduate Student Researchers: Hunter Sedillo 

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Abdessattar Abdelkefi 

This work aims to characterize the relationship between optimal boundary conditions and a dynamically dimensioned system. With the boom of the space industry the need for in orbit maintenance of space systems as well as the possibility of future planetary space stations, the need to understand how changes to a system with preexisting set of boundary conditions through maintenance or replacement will be paramount. For this investigation, we will use the Box Assembly Removable Component (BARC) structure which is a testbed used to investigate the boundary condition problem. We will use the originally sized BARC structure along with two additional BARC structures, one scaled at 1.5 times, and one scaled at 2 times the size of the original BARC structure. Impact hammer excitations are conducted to identify the linear natural frequencies of the structure in addition to the damping characteristics, which are compared with finite element modeling using ABAQUS. 

 

Title: Effect of non-textile versus textile in NMC523 cathode material   

Undergraduate Student Researchers: Huy Thanh Mai  

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Meng Zhou 

The lithium-ion battery has been recently used widely in the electric car nowadays due to its high power density. Recent research for Carbon Fuel Cells has been shown that creating the 3D structure anode material can help increase the proton transfer, thus raising the power density. Based on this idea, this project tries to apply the 3D structure (textile) in the cathode material of Lithium-ion batteries with the hope to increase the ion transfer. As a result, increasing its power density. Also, we attempt to compare the difference in power density of the textile versus the non-textile materials. 

 

Title: "Characterizing the 3D printing of pecan shell composite filament ASTM specimens”   

Undergraduate Student Researchers: Jesus Diaz 

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Delia Valles 

The large presence of the pecan industry within the Las Cruces region can be utilized to creating biodegradable materials which are safe for the planet. This project aims to propose and design an integral model for additive manufacturing processes using pecan shells. This model is designed to characterize a specific pecan shell composite filament using PLA as a matrix. The resulted filament will be used in the characterization to analyze the tensile strength to compare with standard PLA filament. About PLA, the tensile strength of a rectilinear pattern lies at 19.1 MPa as a hexagonal pattern lies at 13.2 MPa1. The expectation of tensile strength testing the PLA-Pecan filament lies in pursuing the filament as an alternative to standard PLA. In addition to comparing tensile strength, an analysis of the rheology of the PLA-Pecan filament will be conducted to draw conclusions about the relationship of the viscosity of the material to shear stress.   

Title: Investigation on optimal accelerometer placement on the BARC structure 

Undergraduate Student Researchers: Jonah Madrid 

Faculty Advisor: Abdessattar Abdelkefi 

This study presents an investigation on the effects of accelerometer weight on the measured natural frequencies of the Box Assembly with Removable Component (BARC) structure and how their locations can be chosen to minimize the effect they produce on test results. This investigation has been done using finite element analysis (FEA) to map the nodes as well as the anti-nodes on the system. Then the analysis will yield which locations produce the most interference when obtaining the natural frequencies. Alongside FEA, experimental results will also be obtained through free, random, and harmonic vibration tests. The anticipated effect of the accelerometers is that when placed on the nodes of a particular mode shape, their effect will be negligible and produce the most accurate results as if there are no accelerometers. The contribution of locating these optimal positions for the accelerometer is done to encourage more uniform testing of the BARC structure. 

 

Title: Autonomous Robotic Systems 

Undergraduate Student Researchers: Julia N. Bowden, Julissa A Arteaga 

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Luis Rodolfo Garcia Carrillo, Dr. Hilda Cecilia Contreras Aguirre 

Research-Oriented Learning Experiences (ROLE) for engaging undergraduate students in robotics, automation, and programming. 

As part of the NSF-funded Research-Oriented Learning Experiences (ROLE) program, a group of undergraduate Latina/o students from engineering work with an EE faculty on the creation of a robotic systems testbed. The goal is to enable a drone to operate without human intervention inside a research laboratory. First, the students learn ROS: software libraries that help build robot applications using C++/Python. Students create ROS-based programs to control a virtual robot with a real joystick and then use this knowledge to control the drone by sending commands via Wi-Fi. Next, students learn how to use ROS to obtain data from a Motion Capture System (MCS) in the laboratory, which measures the motion of the drone during flight. The last part of ROLE explores feedback control: the MCS data is used in a PID controller, which is sent via Wi-Fi and enables the drone to perform a waypoint navigation task. 

 

Title: Hydrothermal Liquefaction of Guayule Resin and Bagasse 

Undergraduate Student Researchers: Justice Armijo, Hengameh Bayat, Mostafa Dehghanizadeh, Catherine Brewer 

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Catherine Brewer 

Alternative energy sources are essential to meet future energy demands. Hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) is one way to convert biomass feedstocks into liquid fuels. HTL utilizes the unique chemistry of water just below its critical point to produce an aqueous phase, solid char, and bio-crude oil. Here, the biomass feedstock was the resin and bagasse; the two by-products from the processing of guayule (Parthenium argentatum) for bulk natural rubber production. The conversion of the bagasse and resin fractions have the potential to enhance guayule’s economic viability as a source of natural rubber. Co-conversion of the guayule bagasse and resin was expected to improve HTL yields. To test the degree of synergy, bio-crude oil yields from HTL of resin and bagasse alone were compared to combinations to find the optimum ratio. Bio-crude oils will be characterized using gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy, bomb calorimetry, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.  

 

Title: Human robot interaction 

Undergraduate Student Researchers: Lauren Stone 

Faculty Advisor: Marlena Fraune 

Since the beginning of the pandemic the presence of robotic telepresence systems has increased in different areas of our daily life, such as schools, hospitals, and work. This study explores the social dynamics and interactions between in-person participants and participants present via telepresence robots. Participants are NMSU undergraduate students and are randomly selected to be either in-person, telepresent, or observing participants. Throughout this study, in-person and telepresent participants collaborate to complete two group tasks that encourage interaction between participants; one teamwork-focused task and one self-disclosure task. Participants complete surveys before and after tasks to gauge each participant’s experience. We hypothesize that in-person team members would collaborate more with in-person members than they would with the members present via telepresence. This study is still in the data collection phase. We will report on expected results and implications in Fall 2022 after the data collection phase is concluded.

 

Title: Comparison of PLA and ABS Based Beams 

Undergraduate Student Researchers: Luis Corral 

Faculty Advisor: Abdessattar Abdelkefi 

The development of new technologies has allowed for a variety of materials to be used in additive manufacturing (AM). Fused deposition modeling (FDM) is a technique commonly used when 3D printing components. It is convenient to manufacture parts using FDM, but challenges arise when parts are employed due to the complexity of dynamic, mechanical, and thermal material properties. This investigation compares and characterize the response of two of the most used 3D printing materials, namely, Polylactic Acid (PLA) and Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS). Cantilever beams are manufactured using these filaments and an affordable commercially available 3D printer. Duplicates of each beam are printed and compared through free, random, and harmonic vibration testing. Preliminary results show that FDM parts manufactured with the same material and filament orientation demonstrate inconsistent dynamic properties. The possible reasons behind these irregular linear and nonlinear behaviors were investigated. 

 

Title: Investigations on the existence of multiple dynamic solutions of PLA-based beams  

Undergraduate Student Researchers: Micah Cheng-Guajardo 

Faculty Advisor: Abdessattar Abdelkefi 

Additive manufacturing is growing sector of modern manufacturing since it enables faster prototyping and more complex geometry than standard subtractive manufacturing. Fused deposition modeled using 3D printers and a material known as Polylactic Acid (PLA) is one of the most commonly used today. In this work, we investigate the hysteresis region of PLA-based beams. Harmonic stepped sine tests were used to determine the region of interest, which was the first resonant frequency. Using that data, 5.3 Hz was selected as the excitation frequency. Various excitation methods were able to excite the beam from one stable solution with amplitude of 1.20g to another with amplitude of 1.16g. Additionally, it was determined that PLA takes much longer, about 120 sec, to reach steady state than standard isotropic materials. Even then, testing revealed that the beam self-excited to other solutions after apparent steady state.  

  

Title: Characterizing the 3D printing of pecan shell and PHA composite filament ASTM 

Undergraduate Student Researchers: Miguel Jaquez 

Faculty Advisor:  

Additive manufacturing is one of the newest technologies that is based on 3D printing. This technology has multiples techniques, the most common one is Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM), this technique deposits the melt material layer by layer forming the shape of the desire object. Multiple materials can used on this technique depending on the printer, the most common one is Polylactic Acid (PLA). This investigation fabricates new filaments using PLA as the matrix, for the infill material we use two different one, the first one is Pecan Shell, and the second one is PHA composite filament ASTM. These materials are use to 3D print different samples under different configurations such as mesh size of infill material, PLA to infill material ratio, extrusion speed, extrusion temperature and printing pattern. Furthermore, the samples are going to be NDT and DT to detect patterns related to the different configurations. 

Title: Inflatable Soft Crawling Robot 

Undergraduate Student Researchers: Nicolas Mendoza 

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Mahdi Haghshenas-Jaryani 

Inspection of overhead power lines is a vital task in the electric utilities’ maintenance process; however, traditional power line inspection, using manual labor, is time consuming, expensive, and unsafe. Robots using advanced sensing systems can address these issues. The goal of this project is to design and prototype inflatable soft crawling robots useful in the inspection of overhead power lines. Mechanical parts were designed, fabricated, tested, and evaluated. An Arduino-based control board was developed. Parts were assembled to create the initial prototype of the soft robot while computer programs were developed for operation of the robot. The soft robot’s locomotion was tested in laboratory settings while the collected data were used to make modifications. A soft robot was created that can be controlled automatically, be scaled to fit and perform on power lines of various lengths and diameters, and be fully capable of disassembly in cases of robot maintenance. 

Title: Geotechnical Low Gravity Lunar Regolith Simulant: Shear Strength 

Undergraduate Student Researchers: Randy Ferrell 

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Douglas Cortes 

As NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Capabilities (CLPS) takes off, a shift in focus will likely occur in the next few years towards commercial Lunar surface exploration, mining, and construction. Existing and new commercial ventures and academic-industry partnerships will likely drive the demand for regolith simulants well beyond current production capabilities in the USA (<1 ton/year). By partnering with two industrial aggregate producers we seek to establish a reliable, affordable, adaptable, and scalable supply chain of New Mexico made regolith simulants to meet our current and future needs as well as those of the commercial Lunar surface technologies community.   

 

Title: Noisy Decoding for LDPC Codes with Radiation-Induced Errors 

Undergraduate Student Researchers: Robert J. Armendariz  

Faculty Advisor: David G.M. Mitchell 

Storage devices that are used in environments that are subject to high levels of radiation (e.g., deep space) are prone to errors that can alter the data being stored. These devices must therefore be capable of handling errors due to these radiation effects. One solution to this problem is to employ low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes to mitigate the effect of radiation, but the decoder may also suffer from radiation induced noisy components. In this work, we study a probabilistic channel model that accounts for both the noisy (radiation effects) and noiseless state of the decoder and investigate the use of LDPC codes to protect data from errors (bit flips, bit erasure) Page Break 

 

Title: IoT Cold Chain Monitoring 

Undergraduate Student Researchers: Rodrigo D., Andrew R., Ed E., Mayra T 

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Young Park, Mechanical Engineering. Dr. Vallez-Rosales, Industrial Engineering 

The cold chain ensures that perishable products are safe and of high quality at the point of consumption. Failing to keep product at the correct temperatures can result in textural degradation, discoloring, bruising, and microbial growth. A high-quality cold chain allows health workers to deliver life-savings vaccines safety (e.g., Covid-19 vaccine). With Internet of Things (IoT)-based cold chain monitoring systems, this issue can be handled in real time, with an entire infrastructure reacting as a single unit. Our system will use 3G communication to connect to the IoT system through the Arduino program and monitor the entire process, taking a closer focus on low level budgeted systems. We will be able to gather temperature, humidity and GPS readings of our payload as often as needed. 

 

Title: Hemp at New Mexico State University  

Undergraduate Student Researchers: Sara Hurd (Senior), Hannah Severns (Junior), Noah Salgado (Junior), Karla Ortega-Sandoval (Sophomore 

Faculty Advisor:  

PhD Candidates: Hanah Rheay and PhD: Catherine Brewer  

Production of hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) in New Mexico has been primarily dominated by high-cannabinoid crops since the state’s legalization in 2018. A major priority for NM hemp growers is identification of high-cannabinoid varieties that provide uniform, high-yielding crops while remaining below the federal tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) threshold. Year 1 (2021) data from a three-location, high-CBD variety trial provided several insights into variety performance and the influence of planting date. The varieties ‘Wife’ and ‘Sweetened’ were grown at the New Mexico State University (NMSU) Sustainable Agriculture Science Center at Alcalde (36.09°N), the NMSU Agricultural Science Center at Los Lunas (34.77°N), and NMSU Leyendecker Plant Science Center (32.20°N). Administrative and logistical challenges delayed planting dates, causing a significant difference in the amount of biomass produced per plant at each location. In general, ‘Sweetened’ produced more biomass than ‘Wife’ at each location; the yield difference decreased with the later plantings at the higher latitudes. Both varieties were harvested when the apical floral structures were near or at the 0.3% total THC limit. The official state compliance sampling incorporates floral and leaf material from different sections of the plant, which yielded all compliant THC levels. Separation of the high cannabinoid material was completed, allowing for various forms of extraction and analysis. Research is still underway regarding the possible uses of fiber from the high-cannabinoid varieties, as well as fiber and grain varieties. Year 2 (2022) trials are currently proceeding at the same three locations, with the same two high-cannabinoid varieties (with the inclusion of additional fiber and grain varieties and replicated plots of treatments). The current state of the hemp industry in New Mexico has led farmers to reconsider planting/management strategies and the value-added potential of the fiber remaining from high-cannabinoid crops. Across all varieties and locations in the Year 1 trial, between 30-51% of the total crop yield was fiber residue that cannot be extracted for cannabinoids. This represents a sizable amount of lignocellulosic material that most hemp farmers treat as waste. Approaching hemp production from a dual-purpose cropping system may create additional avenues for producers growing hemp at low latitudes to combat losses and maximize potential of their crop. This presentation will be bilingual, allowing us to communicate with both English or Spanish speaking audiences. 

 

Title: Modal Analysis of Wake Passing Effect on Endwall Flow for High-Lift Low-Pressure Turbine Airfoil 

Undergraduate Student Researchers: Stephen Simko 

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Andreas Gross 

In today’s high-bypass jet engines, the low-pressure turbine (LPT) drives the fan which produces up to 80% of the thrust. The three-dimensional endwall flow surrounding the LPT blades are exceedingly complex. Modal decomposition methods have the ability to provide insight into both the energy content of a flow as well as the frequencies of different structures and their associated flow events. Modal analysis of wake passing effect on endwall flow was performed for two Reynolds numbers at three different free-stream turbulence intensities. Across this range of conditions, two different endwall flow topologies were observed. Proper orthogonal decomposition ranks the flow by energy content, spectral proper orthogonal decomposition ranks modes by both energy and frequency, and dynamic mode decomposition provides frequency content associated with the flow. By combining all three methods, the most energetic flow structures as well as frequencies associated with these structures were determined. 

 

HEST 

Celeste Ramirez  

Title: The effect of choice on practice limb does not influence bilateral transfer  

Undergraduate Student Researchers: Celeste Ramirez 

Faculty Advisor: Christopher Aiken 

Giving a performer autonomy supports the psychological need for learning by creating feelings of competence. (Sanli et al., 2013). Effects of autonomy on bilateral transfer are undetermined. Bilateral transfer is when practice with one limb positively affects performance of the unpracticed contralateral limb.  Development of manipulations to positively affect bilateral transfer potentially influences instruction of motor performance when bilateral transfer is an important aspect. 46 right-handed participants were semi-randomly assigned to groups where practice limb was chosen, or the practice limb was predetermined. Participants completed 21 trials with the chosen or assigned limb. A pre- and post-test was completed consisting of 3-trials of the Purdue Pegboard task with both dominant and non-dominant limbs to assess transfer. Results revealed a significant main effect for test with groups improving from pre- to post. No group differences were observed. Bilateral transfer was observed in both directions with no beneficial effect of autonomy detected.   

 

Title: OPTIMAL learning: Not all practice manipulations are equal   

Undergraduate Student Researchers: Kelly, M., Jaramillo, S., & Aiken, C. A.  

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Christopher Aiken 

The purpose of our study was to examine the OPTIMAL (Optimizing Performance through Intrinsic Motivation and Attention for Learning) theory in motor learning. This theory proposes that to optimize human performance autonomy, enhanced expectancies, and an external focus are needed. Our study included four groups. Optimal, which provided all three components, and three other groups that only included two components. 65 participants performed a dynamic drawing task where they had to avoid barriers and time their movements. Participants completed baseline, acquisition, retention, and transfer testing. Overall movement time, path-length, and absolute constant error were collected. Kinematic and kinetic data such as normalized jerk and pressure were also analyzed.

 

Humanities   

Title: “Stages and Scripts: Theatricality in Milton’s Paradise Lost”  

Undergraduate Student Researchers: Christian Cramer  

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Tracey Miller-Tomlinson 

John Milton’s Paradise Lost is widely regarded as a classic work in the English literary canon, and a text which many would say is still intriguing today. This presentation will investigate elements of theatricality in Paradise Lost, framing this inquiry in relation to the idea that the overarching narrative of Paradise Lost in many ways resembles a dramatic performance. This presentation will foreground the argument that characters and events in Paradise Lost adhere to a predetermined narrative akin to a script, while also briefly considering other theatrical elements in Paradise Lost, such as ways in which the space of Eden resembles a stage.

 

Title: “Diversification in Publishing and a Response to a Lack of Transparency”   

Undergraduate Student Researchers: Emily Radell  

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Tracey Miller-Tomlinson 

In wake of the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests, publishing joined the dozens of industries across the United States dedicated to an increased support of diversification in the workplace. But what does this call for diversification mean or look like, specifically within an industry continuing to contest transparency to underserved communities today? This presentation will review current trends in publishing and analyze conversations with Latinx editorial professionals who address racial inequality and issues concerning financial stability, class, and workload. Resources supporting underrepresented groups will be disclosed throughout the duration of this talk.   

 

Title: “Survival is Insufficient”: An Examination of Shakespeare, Pandemics, and Cultural Perseverance in Emily St. John Mandel’s Station Eleven. 

Undergraduate Student Researchers: Katie Miller  

Faculty Advisor: Jeff Frawley    

Presented will be findings about reading Station Eleven in light of the Covid-19 pandemic. There is also a heavy relation of the text with the usage of the Shakespearean works, other arts within the novel, and the keeping of unnecessary items by the protagonist with the overall message of the text. Ultimately, Station Eleven exposes the importance of the arts, even in times of crisis. Considering the recent Covid-19 pandemic, we can see the novel’s argument: “survival is insufficient” play out in reality. The arts have found a way to survive through past pandemics, Covid-19, and the theorized Georgian Flu in the novel. Through this, one can conclude that the arts and unnecessary objects are essential for living.  

 

Museum Display 

Title: Display about New Mexico's permian era marine life to be displayed at the Las Cruces Museum of Nature and Science 

Undergraduate Student Researchers: Popo Agie Burns 

Faculty Advisor: Museum Supervisor - Sarah Thompson 

The display will focus on the ancient and modern seafloor and seashore and explain how these relate to the trackways display on permanent exhibition and New Mexico paleontology. Items and informational text would explain how fossils form, that New Mexico was an ancient seabed, and explain the connections between the items discussed in the case and the trackways exhibit.  The display will be at the Las Cruces Museum of Nature and Science. The target audience is people who live near the Prehistoric Trackways National Monument, a group primarily made up of Las Cruces community members. The targeted audience is the general community, not individuals with a specific interest in dinosaurs. This means the exhibit will focus on how the Trackways and fossils displayed relate to the ‘real world.’   

The poster will detail the steps and challenges of creating this display as well as give a summary of the informational content of the exhibit and the research done to create the final exhibit text.

 

Sciences: Biology 

Ana Maldonado  

Title: Relationship between D-Dimer Levels and Reporters of Fibrinolytic Activity in Acute Myocardial Infarction and Identification of Degradation Products Following MI. 

Undergraduate Student Researchers: Ana Maldonado 

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Patrick Trainor 

Ischemic heart disease (IHD) affects approximately 126 million individuals and is recognized as the leading cause of death on a global scale. Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is an acute manifestation of this disease in which a lack of blood flow to heart muscle leads to myocardial necrosis (the death of muscle tissue). AMI can be classified as Type I and Type II based on whether the underlying cause is thrombotic (Type 1: involving the presence of a blood clot) or non-thrombotic (Type 2). Although the presence of a thrombus differentiates Type I from Type II MI, non-invasive identification of etiology remains challenging. We hypothesized that D-Dimer, a protein product that is formed during fibrinolysis would differ in concentration between both types of MI. We utilized measurement of D-Dimer from MI patient samples to test this hypothesis and to better understand the molecular mechanisms underlying the breakdown of blood clots.

 

Title: Detecting NAD(P)H lifetime shifts in breast cancer cells with time-resolved flow-cytometry as a metabolic mapping study 

Undergraduate Student Researchers: Andrea Perez, Samantha Valentino 

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Jessica Houston 

NAD(P)H autofluorescence lifetime has been used as a measure for the metabolic state of cells for many years within the field of flow cytometry. As a coenzyme, NAD(P)H is characterized by two different binding states, either bound or unbound. Short autofluorescence lifetimes (~0.1-1 ns) of NAD(P)H are indicated by an unbound metabolite, which has been correlated to Glycolysis as a means of energy production. While longer autofluorescence lifetimes (~1-7ns) of NAD(P)H indicate the cell is respiring under Oxidative Phosphorylation. We hypothesized that the changes in NAD(P)H autofluorescence could be detected using a time-resolved flow cytometer. This system relies upon principles of hydrodynamic cell focusing, laser alignment, and data acquisition to capture lifetime information of single cells at a high-throughput. For this experiment two breast cancer cell lines, T47D and MCF-7, were cultured under conditions that alter cell metabolism. Then, autofluorescence lifetime measurements were made to detect the metabolic profiles of each cell population. Results indicate that serum deprivation culture conditions lead to autofluorescence lifetime measurements that correlate to the metabolic pathway of glycolysis, in both cell types.  

 

Title: Preliminary data on how age affects vocal learning in budgerigars and showcase the extensive troubleshooting done with the IHC protocol. 

Undergraduate Student Researchers: Bethany Ruff 

Faculty Advisor: Timothy Wright 

Little is known about the effect aging has on the ability to produce new vocalizations in open-ended vocal learners. To investigate this question, we studied the expression of a key vocal plasticity related gene, FOXP2, in young and older adult male budgerigars (Melopsittacus undulatus), a parakeet that learns new vocalizations throughout adulthood. Following a behavioral assay in which we tracked call learning in novel social groups, whole brains were extracted, cryosectioned, and slide-mounted in preparation for immunohistochemistry (IHC), a method that uses antibodies to fluorescently label proteins of interest. We will then measure the density of FOXP2 in the vocal learning center MMSt to determine if old and young adult learners exhibit different expression patterns. We will describe the extensive troubleshooting required to develop an IHC protocol on a novel species, and preliminary data addressing the focal question of interest.  

 

Title: Flow Cytometry Alignment and Calibration Leads to Detection of Autofluorescence  

Undergraduate Student Researchers: Brenda Esparza, Samantha Valentino, Jessica P. Houston, Ph.D.  

Faculty Advisor: 

Flow cytometry is a tool used to analyze physical and chemical characteristics of different cells or similarly-sized particles in the biomedical engineering industry. Time-resolved flow cytometry is a specialized form of cytometry in which the fluorescence lifetime is a measurable cytometric parameter. The purpose of this project is to use time-resolved flow cytometry and improve how fluorescence is measured to optimize the quality of data gathered. Methods include alignment of two photomultiplier tube detectors and a 375 nm laser for optimal excitation of cells or similarly-sized particles. The samples measured include fluorescence microspheres, europium coated biotin spheres, and MCF-7 and T47D breast cancer cells. Data include lifetime values and total fluorescence intensity. Analysis was performed with MATLAB to identify the best signals provided from each sample to obtain lifetime analysis. The overall impact of this work is for screening cells based on lifetime differences that indicate unique phenotypes within cells. 

 

Title: Optimization of a cell sorter to facilitate future fluorescent lifetime-based sorting 

Undergraduate Student Researchers: Carlo Martinez 

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Jessica P. Houston 

Fluorescence lifetimes can be used to gather information about a fluorophore that is not quantifiable from fluorescence intensity alone. This novel parameter has applications in a broad range of biomedical research, including the fundamental study of breast cancer cells. Older commercial machines offer practical access to their internal electronics, so they can be retrofitted with hardware and detectors to measure fluorescent lifetimes. In this project, a FACS Vantage cell sorter was repaired and prepared for augmentation to measure fluorescence lifetimes. Optimization of the drop delay and sort purity were performed, and successful sorting of MCF7 and T47D breast cancer cells was observed. Future work will involve augmentation of the machine to sort cells based on fluorescence lifetimes.  

 

Title: Applying high-throughput analysis to understand cell proliferation under different adhesion conditions 

Undergraduate Student Researchers: Clarissa Nunez, Naghmana Ashraf 

Faculty Advisor: Charles B. Shuster 

Mammalian cell culture is a staple of biomedical research, and yet the conditions in which cells are cultured do not reflect the cellular environment in vivo. Cell culture plastic is 10,000-fold stiffer than what is experienced by cells in living tissues, and this altered environment affects a variety of behaviors, especially cell shape, motility and division. Previous work in the lab suggests that cell adhesion and motility play a role in the mechanics of cytokinesis, and we hypothesize that cells compensate for compromised contractile ring function through increased motility and adhesion. To test this hypothesis, cells are grown on substrates of differing stiffnesses and then depleted of a protein required for cytokinesis. On normal tissue culture plastic, these cells fail in cytokinesis, but very late in the process. Using timelapse microscopy, we will determine whether cells on softer matrices will still be able to compensate for a compromised contractile ring 

 

Title: “Urbanization and bat presence at bridges across the Rio Grande”  

Undergraduate Student Researchers: Daniel Ibanez 

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Teri J. Orr, Biology  

Many bats utilize manmade structures when natural roosts are unavailable, including bridges along the Rio Grande. Why bats use some bridges and not others is unclear. Thus, we sought to understand how urbanization and seasonality impact roosting. Bridges were regularly examined and analyzed relative to urbanization and season. In addition to visual surveys, we have collected sound recordings for each location to identify what species are using bridges during summers months. We present data for 12 months of surveys at 8 bridges, spanning 100 kilometers of the Rio Grande. We have documented 8 species occurring differentially by site and season.   

 

Title: Regeneration response by myogenic stem cells in tissues of electric fish following serial tail amputations 

Undergraduate Student Researchers: Daniel Montes, Oscar Velasquez 

Faculty Advisor: Graciela A. Unguez  

The study aims to increase our understanding of stem cell-based regeneration in vertebrates by characterizing the response of myogenic stem cells in a teleost fish after repeated injuries.  To accomplish this goal, we use the electric fish Brachyhypopomus Pinnicaudatus because it can regenerate all tissues in the tail after serial amputations.  Preliminary data suggest that skeletal muscle and electric organ tissues contain myogenic stem cells (MSCs) that can be detected by their presence of the Pax7 protein, and these MSCs appear to give rise to these myogenic tissues.  We hypothesize that in Pinnis the extent to which muscle and EO can be restored is linked to the MSC replication response.  Pax-7 immunolabeling experiments coupled with semi-quantitative assessments of MSCs in longitudinal cryosections of control uncut and 7-day regeneration blastemas will be performed on regenerates from individual fish whose tails are amputated every 7 days for five subsequent cycles.   

  

Title: Growing Biomaterials 

Undergraduate Student Researchers: Palacios, Daniela and Romero-Olivares, Adriana L. 

Faculty Advisor: Adriana Romero Olivares  

The growing concern about our planet and waste production has led to the exploration of new materials to decrease plastic and animal-based production in society. The use of bio-based mycelium materials are trending due to their ability to turn other industries’ waste into another material and for their physical and mechanical properties. Previous research has been done in the design and textile applications without any establishment of publicly available scientific procedure and thus producing variable results depending on where and by whom it is produced. Therefore the objective of this project was to design a bioreactor that will produce a thin layer of mycelium. A plastic container with the inoculated substrate was used, while CO2 was injected to activate the bioreactor. In addition, different trials of CO2 pressure will be used to determine which condition is ideal to grow this biomaterial effectively. 

 

Title: “Instrumentational development of flow cytometry”  

Undergraduate Student Researchers: Dat Doi 

Faculty Advisor: Jessica Houston 

Flow cytometry is used in biomedical and biological research laboratories and clinics. Cytometry is performed by detecting fluorescence and scattered light signals when cells are passed individually through a focused laser source. The signals are read by detectors such as photodiodes or photomultiplier tubes (PMT), then digitized and used to interpret each cell's physical and chemical properties. Based on the variety and complexity of cells, new customizable flow cytometry parameters are needed to better discriminate subtle cell differences. This research examines how a conventional flow cytometer (Becton Dickinson FACScan, circa ‘2000) can be refurbished for modification into a time-resolved cytometry system by adding new components (i.e., laser source, PMT amplifiers, digitization system, etc.) and a new laser alignment. Results include data from 1µm-diameter Yellow-Green (YG) fluorescence microspheres, showing that the design is optimized where signals are detectable and repeatable. The future work includes adding required components for time-resolved capabilities.  

 

Title: Recruitment of nonmuscle myosin II minifilaments into the forming contractile ring  

Undergraduate Student Researchers: Elise Olivas 

Faculty Advisor: Charles B. Shuster   

In animal cells, cytokinesis is accomplished through the assembly of a contractile ring that assembles at the cell equator to pinch the cell into two. The force-generating motor for ring constriction is Myosin II (MII), which forms bipolar minifilaments that assemble from individual MII hexamers. In large embryonic cells, NMII initially assembles at the cell equator as radial aggregations or “nodes”, but it is unclear how NMII assembles in mammalian cells in culture. In an effort to better understand ring assembly in cultured cells, MII was labeled with antibodies that bind the neck and tail regions of the hexamer in Rat Normal Kidney (NRK) cells, which remain flat during cell division.  Samples were then imaging using confocal microscopy. Future experiments will apply super resolution microscopy to resolve individual NMII minifilaments, both under control conditions as well as when we have perturbed signaling pathways that regulate myosin II assembly. 

 

Title: Investigating the role of DNA-PKcs in R-loop abundance  

Undergraduate Student Researchers: Fabiola Lujan, Sk Imran Ali, Andruw Fierro, and Amanda K. Ashley  

Faculty Advisor: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry  

R-loops are three-stranded nucleic acid structures consisting of DNA/RNA hybrids and single-stranded DNA that form during transcription. R-loops regulate cellular homeostasis; however, aberrant accumulation of R-loops is associated with neurodegeneration and cancer. R-loops can induce DNA damage, including DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs), resulting in genomic instability. DNA-PKcs is a protein kinase central to the DSB repair nonhomologous end-joining pathway. DNA-PKcs interacts with proteins which dictate R-loop abundance, however, its role in R-loop formation and resolution is unclear. We selected six actively transcribed genes and designed primers to target very specific locations within these genes which are known to contain differential abundances of R-loops. We will conduct DNA/RNA Immunoprecipitation (DRIP) to help us identify the role of DNA-PKcs in R-loop formation and resolution. Understanding the relationship between R-loops and DNA-PKcs will allow us to better elucidate the mechanisms through which DNA-PKcs suppresses genome instability. 

 

Title: “Querying open access spaceflight data for changes in neural gene expression” 

Undergraduate Student Researchers: Henry Gatica-Gutierrez 

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Elba Serrano 

Planetary exploration is an emerging global priority and human-led missions to Mars are planned for the next decade. Interplanetary spaceflight exposes organisms to microgravity, an environment whose biological effects are poorly understood, especially regarding its impact on the nervous system. This project focuses on evaluating ion channel gene expression using open access RNA-Seq and microarray datasets captured from the brains of mice that experienced altered gravity conditions during spaceflight on the ISS. RNA-Seq data from NASA’s GeneLab Data Repository were analyzed using the Galaxy open-source analysis platform; microarray data were analyzed using NIH’s GEO2R analysis tool. The results indicate that none of the 3633 ion channel genes showed significant differential expression in comparison to Earth controls. Although the implications are promising, few experiments have focused on microgravity’s effect on the brain and replicate numbers are low for existing datasets. Taken together results highlight the need to escalate space neuroscience research. 

 

Title: “Clarifying the role of the CG46385 gene in Drosophila melanogaster”  

Undergraduate Student Researchers: Ian Alvarado  

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Jennifer Curtiss  

Pax6 is responsible for eye development. In Drosophila melanogaster, transcriptomes and ChIP-seq analysis revealed eyeless (pax6 ortholog) binds to the novel gene CG46385. We showed that CG46385 is expressed in proliferating eye precursors using fluorescent in situ hybridizations. We hypothesize that CG46385 plays a critical role in eye cell proliferation. Using CRISPR-Cas9, we generated mutations in the CG46385 gene and detected mutations using Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and sequencing to clarify the type of mutations. We identified a mutation that affects a splice site in two CG46385 mRNA isoforms but did not detect any phenotype in these mutants. We targeted the catalytic domain using different gRNAs for CRISPR-Cas9 and identified potential homozygous lethal strains. We are performing complementation tests and PCR to confirm whether these homozygous mutants have mutations in the CG46385 gene. We will generate mosaic flies to observe homozygous cell populations alongside heterozygous cell populations in the eye.  

 

Title: Assessment of thioester-containing proteins (TEPs) within Biomphalaria glabrata granulocytes using in situ hybridization  

Undergraduate Student Researchers: Ivan Sarabia  

Faculty Advisor: Maria G. Castillo 

Schistosomiasis is a disease caused by the parasitic blood fluke Schistosoma mansoni that infects over 250 million people and transmitted by the freshwater snail Biomphalaria glabrata (Bg). The snail’s phagocytic hemocytes known as granulocytes are the primary immune cell subtype. An integral component of invertebrate immunity are thioester-containing proteins (TEPs), participating in defense reactions including opsonization and protease inhibition. Localizing the expression of TEPs in snails may help elucidate their role in host defense and reduce schistosome transmission. This study evaluates TEP expression using chromogenic in situ hybridization within granulocytes of resistant (BS90) and susceptible (BB02) strains of Bg. Preliminary results showed that granulocytes of BB02 and BS90 snails express the same TEPs at different levels. Specifically, TEPs C3-1, C3-3, and CD109 showed higher expression in BS90 granulocytes compared to BB02. These results suggest that constitutively higher levels of TEPs in granulocytes from BS90 snails correlate with resistance to pathogens.  

 

 

Title: A very stable virus: Relative thermal and temporal stability of dengue virus after evolution of resistance to ciprofloxacin 

Undergraduate Student Researchers: Jesus Ayala 

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Kathryn Hanley 

 

Dengue virus poses a growing threat to human health, with few vaccines to prevent infections and no drugs to treat them. We have previously shown that ciprofloxacin suppresses dengue replication, and that dengue virus lineages that evolved resistance to ciprofloxacin exhibited significantly high virion stability relative to media-passaged virus or the parental dengue virus stock after being held at a constant temperature over increasing time. In this study we tested whether resistant dengue lineages show greater stability when confronted with increasing temperatures. We held cell-free  virus stocks at 9, 37, 40 or 50˚C for 8-12 hours and then measured virus titer.  While titer of all virus types (resistant, media-passaged or parent) declined significantly with temperature, virus types did not differ significantly from each other.  Our results suggest that temporal and thermal stability are influenced by different virion characteristics, but further replication is needed for robust statistical analysis.  

 

Title: “Runx1 Inhibition of TGFβ1 and TGFβ1 Induced Cancer Cell Death” 

Undergraduate Student Researchers: Katalina Lopez 

Faculty Advisor: Kevin Cheung 

In collective cancer invasion, leader cells support the metastasis responsible for 90 percent of deaths in breast cancer patients. A transcription factor, RUNX1, is highly upregulated in these leader cells of the PyMT breast cancer mouse model used in our experiments. The protein TGFβ1 has been shown to increase invasion and is thought to activate RUNX1. We aimed to determine whether RUNX1 is necessary for TGFβ1 signaling and if TGFβ1encourages invasion when RUNX1 is knocked down. Through qPCR we confirmed RUNX1 is required for TGFβ1 signaling. We harvested tumors from the PyMT mouse mammary glands, embedded the tumor organoids in collagen, and observed them invade for 72 hours. We found that TGFβ1 treatment promotes death of tumor organoids and knocking down RUNX1 along with TGFβ1 treatment caused even more death rather than effecting invasion. The next steps would be finding other targets of RUNX1 that may be contributing to invasion. 

Title: “Evaluation of mycelium inoculation methods for Fusarium basal rot development in onion”  

Undergraduate Student Researchers: Kathryn Overman  

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Christopher S. Cramer 

Fusarium basal rot (FBR), caused by Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. cepae (FOC), creates devastating losses in onion production that resistant cultivars may help to alleviate. Selecting FBR resistant onion bulbs depends upon efficient FBR screening methods. We compared two FOC mycelium inoculation methods for their effectiveness in causing FBR. Mature bulbs of ‘NuMex Crimson’ (FBR susceptible) and ‘FBR-1’ (FBR resistant) were inoculated with virulent FOC mycelium on either an intact or transversely cut basal plate, incubated, and rated for FBR disease severity after 7 and 14 days. Bulbs with a cut basal plate exhibited more disease than bulbs with an intact plate. Cut bulbs of ‘NuMex Crimson’ exhibited more disease than cut bulbs of ‘FBR-1’ at 7 and 14 days after inoculation. Disease severity was greater when more time elapsed before rating. At 7 days, uncut basal plates of ‘FBR-1’ bulbs exhibited less disease than basal plates of ‘NuMex Crimson’ bulbs.   

 

Title: “Immunohistochemistry to Study the Effects of Chronic Stress on Glucocorticoid and Mineralocorticoid Receptors in the Budgerigar Brain” 

Undergraduate Student Researchers: Kayla Moehn 

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Timothy Wright 

Glucocorticoid receptors (GR) and mineralocorticoid receptors (MR) interact with glucocorticoid hormones which are released during stressful events. The budgerigar M. undulatus is an established model for understanding the mechanisms of vocal learning; currently, we study how chronic stress can impact vocal learning abilities in this species. Immunohistochemistry is a technique for quantifying protein expression that can help us document the distribution of GR and MR in the budgerigar brain. Currently, I am testing available GR and MR antibodies for utility in the budgerigar. Some trials have shown apparent protein expression using the MR antibody, but little success has occurred while testing the GR antibody. Images using the GR antibody have failed to show proper localization of the antibody in neurons. Once viable antibodies are established, we will examine expression of the receptors throughout vocal learning centers of the budgerigar brain and how their expression changes in response to chronic stress. 

 

Title: “The influence of global warming on melanized fungi”  

Undergraduate Student Researchers: Marcos Marmolejo 

Faculty Advisor: Adriana L. Romero-Olivares  

Melanins are pigments found in all kingdoms of life including fungi. They are considered an important trait for stress-tolerance and pathogenicity because it allows fungi to tolerate environmental stresses, like high temperature and nitrogen pollution. However, the production of  melanin is energetically expensive and might be produced at the expense of other traits, such as growth. Our objective was to determine if the production of melanin elicited a tradeoff on fungal growth under environmental stress. Therefore, we hypothesized that melanized fungi will grow less than unmelanized fungi. To test our hypothesis, we inoculated fungi with a spectrum of melanin content, and compared their growth at different temperatures and nitrogen concentrations. We found evidence of a tradeoff between melanin content and growth under environmental stress. Studying fungal tradeoffs is important because it will allow us to better understand the response of fungi to environmental stress and potential threats to public health.  

Title: “Transcriptional Response to Glucose Impulse in Malaria Mosquito Anopheles Gambiae” 

Undergraduate Student Researchers: Megan Osiecki 

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Jiannong Xu, Biology 

Malaria, caused by the parasite Plasmodium and spread via Anopheles gambiae, causes substantial socioeconomic/health consequences. Mosquitoes obtain energy and nutrient supply from sugar meals; however, it is not known how mosquitoes sense and respond to glucose. In this study, we observed the transcriptional responses of genes in response to glucose. Mosquitoes were maintained with 10% sucrose. Individual mosquitoes were treated by intrathoracic injections with ~100nl of 40mM glucose, 40mM trehalose, or 0mM sugar (H2O) control. RNA was extracted 3hrs post sugar injection and converted to cDNA. Quantitative Real-Time PCR was done to measure abundance of target genes. The results showed that glucose transport 3, G6PDH, acetyl-CoA carboxylase, and fatty acid synthase are upregulated by glucose, and trehalose transporter was upregulated by trehalose. The data suggests the glucose-sensing pathway mediates the glucose response in mosquitoes. Further study is underway to characterize the role of Mondo-Mlx transcription factors in the glucose response. 

 

Title: Immunophenotyping Panel done on Veri-cells using a Spectral Flow Cytometer  

Undergraduate Student Researchers: Mustafa Muhyi  

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Jessica P. Houston (Department of Chemical Engineering)  

Immunophenotyping, in the context of flow cytometry, is the measurement of the distribution of proteins expressed on the surface of heterogeneous immune cell populations. The purpose of immunophenotyping is to identify rare immune cell types to help diagnose prognose immune disorders such as blood cancers. The outcome of an immunophenotyping assay with a cytometer is a count of the number of cells having a particular protein expression, or abundance, on the cell surface. In this contribution, a simple immunophenotyping panel was done for a commercially obtained set of lymphocytes (Veri-cells, Spherotech Inc). The panel was designed such that helper T-cells (CD4), killer T-cell (CD8), and regulatory T-cells (CD25) were labeled with fluorophores using antibodies specific to the respective surface antigen markers (CD’s). A spectral flow cytometer (Cytek Northern Lights-1000) was used to measure fluorescence and ultimately relate this to the abundance of each surface protein marker.    

 

Title: Robust regeneration of adult electric pulse fish and the formation of its electric organ from fast muscle fibers 

Undergraduate Student Researchers: Oscar Velasquez 

Faculty Advisor: Graciela Unguez 

In most groups of weakly electric fish known to date, muscle fibers transition via morphological and phenotypic conversion to give rise to specialized cells called electrocytes (ECs), which generate the electrical fields used by the fish to communicate, mate and forage. In this study, immunofluorescent and histochemical analysis revealed that similar to S. macrurus, the EO of B. pinnicaudatus regenerates via phenotypic conversion of its muscle cell predecessors. Furthermore, although B. pinnicaudatus possess distinct muscle phenotypes, the extent to which each fiber population contributes to the formation of the EO has not been determined. By using immunofluorescent labeling with monoclonal antibodies specific to different myosin heavy chain (MHC) isoforms, different fiber types were identified in fascicles of muscle in the adult tail. 

 

Title: “Assessing Seed Germination for Altered Gravity Experiments” 

Undergraduate Student Researchers: Rosalinda Corchado  

Faculty Advisor: Elba Serrano 

Interplanetary space travel and the establishment of human colonies on other planets will require the ability to grow food in a variety of gravitational environments. This pilot project evaluated seed germination using temperature conditions that resemble those of an established space habitat, the International Space Station (18-26°C). Our experiments were designed to identify the optimal growth temperature for seed germination in three edible plants: R. sativus; S. lycopersicum; and C. annuum. Each seed species was sown in centrifuge tubes containing agar, sealed with parafilm, then grown in the dark in an incubator at various temperatures for up to 3 weeks. The experiment was allowed to progress until at least 75% germination was achieved for each species. Preliminary results show that the germination rate and the time course of germination varied between the species at each temperature. The protocol will be used to screen plants for follow-up altered gravity experiments.   

Title: Learning how flow cytometry is used for the measurement of cells and microspheres 

Undergraduate Student Researchers: Sam Lucero, Samantha Valentino, and Jessica P. Houston, Ph.D. 

Faculty Advisor:   

Flow cytometry is used by many laboratories and clinics to determine and investigate differences among populations of cells based on their phenotypes, morphologies, and other characteristics. Cytometers work by taking cells, or similar-sized particles, and injecting them into a flowing stream where they are optically interrogated. A flow cytometer device has three main components: the fluidics, optics, and electronics. All three components play an essential role in contributing to the efficiency of a flow cytometer. Flow cytometry was originally invented in the early 1970s in-part by Dr. Len Herzenberg. Cytometry can be used for a variety of purposes such as identifying immune cell characteristics for the treatment of certain illnesses like HIV and cancer. In this research, a flow cytometer was used with cells and microspheres to learn how cytometry data can be collected and analyzed. Future work will involve use of cytometry for a specific biomedical application. 

 

Title: Investigating Genes Linked to Stargardt Disease in Flies   

Undergraduate Student Researchers: Autumn Bandy, Sandy Arce   

Faculty Advisor: Jennifer Curtiss 

Stargardt disease is a macular degenerative disorder where central vision is lost because of lipofuscin buildup that leads to photoreceptor damage and death. Autosomal dominant and autosomal recessive inheritance patterns have been linked to Stargardt disease and its discovered mutated genes include: Prominin1, which encodes a 5 transmembrane domain glycoprotein of unknown function, ELOVL4, which encodes a fatty acid elongase that elongates Δ9 and Δ11 long chain fatty acids, and ABCA4, which encodes an ATPase-coupled transmembrane transporter and lipid transporter. Using Drosophila melanogaster as our model organism will help us determine these genes’ functions in eye development. Orthologs to human genes include: PromL and CG45067, Elo68𝛼 and Elo68ꞵ, and CG34120. To observe where each gene is expressed, we will perform in situ hybridizations. Our current process is cloning regions of each D. melanogaster ortholog to generate sense and anti-sense probes. We will present our results so far.   

 

Title: Exploring the mechanical state of dividing cells with a two-color biosensor  

Undergraduate Student Researchers: Taylor Landfair 

Faculty Advisor: Charles B Shuster 

The actin cytoskeleton is a dynamic filament system whose associated proteins and myosin motors determine cell shape in eukaryotic cells. In non-muscle cells, actin filaments generally exist in two physical states: viscoelastic, branched networks and contractile unbranched networks, and work in our lab and others suggest that processes such as cytokinesis and cell motility are driven by the spatial segregation of these two states. However, current fluorescent actin probes cannot discriminate between these states. The goal of this project is to determine if a combination of wild-type and mutant forms of the protein Utrophin can discriminate between viscoelastic and contractile actin in cultured cells. In HeLa cells, the two probes label actin structures equally. Current efforts are focused on examining the distribution of the two probes in dividing cells as well as in HeLa cells that have been polarized such that viscoelastic and contractile networks are more spatially distinct.  

 

Title: Assessment of growth rate and fecundity on two Physella acuta strains indigenous of New Mexico.  

Undergraduate Student Researchers: Taylor Tuono 

Faculty Advisor: Maria G. Castillo 

Physella Acuta is an American species of freshwater snails. Several strains have been identified associated with variations in their mitogenome. P. acuta strain A is an invasive species, while strain B remains local and found in New Mexico. This study aims at evaluating fecundity, survival, and growth rates of these hermaphrodite snails to assess their invasive capacity. Single and paired snails for each strain (A and B) were placed in cups containing artificial pond water and maintained in a controlled environment for four weeks. Growth rate was assessed by measuring shell size and fecundity by counting egg-mass production. Results shows that strain A had a better survival rate than B, at 87.5% and 50% respectively, but no difference in growth rate was found between strains. Furthermore, strain B had a higher fecundity than A when snails where alone in a cup, but no difference when snails were paired.  

 

Title: Morphology of the Bat Reproductive System  

Undergraduate Student Researchers: Theresa Lukitsch 

Faculty Advisor: Terri Orr 

Both male and female bats exhibit sperm storage sometimes for several months unlike the typical week seen in humans. This may allow fine-tuned timing of the male and female reproductive cycles throughout the year. For example, allowing for timing to match when it is most advantageous to mate. To evaluate the morphology associated with sperm storage in both sexes, we performed histology of both male and female bat reproductive tissues from different species. Using these data, reproductive state can be observed along with the frequency of sperm storage in both sexes. Differences in morphology of the stained sections can reveal physiological processes involved in sperm storage. In males, sperm are stored in the epididymis. For males to store sperm, we predicted a greater need for more supportive cells expressed in the seminiferous tubules (i.e. Sertoli and Leydig cells) in species that store sperm as compared to those that do not store sperm. Here we present preliminary results from the examination of stained sections from reproductive tracts of several species (sperm storing or non-sperm storing) from different families. We identified the presence of spermatozoa in seminiferous tubules and storage in the epididymis, indicating sexual maturity. Female bats showed a range of phases of the endometrial cycle within the uterine lining. Structures such as ovarian follicles were observed in Artibeus jamaicensis (the Jamaican fruit-eating bat), Lasiurus cinereus (the hoary bat), Carollia perspicillata (Seba’s short-tailed bat), and Pteronotus parnellii (Parnell’s mustached bat). Furthermore, a possible site of sperm storage was noted in the uterine tubes of L. cinereus. 

 

Sciences: Chemistry, Physics, Geology 

Title: Comparing Lunar Regolith to Earth Rock Samples  

Undergraduate Student Researchers: Amber Rivera 

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Nancy McMillan  

In this project, the engineers I am collaborating with are working to produce artificial lunar regolith which is the powdery substance found on the surface of the moon. My project role is ensuring that the earth samples of rock used to make this artificial regolith are comparable in mineralogical and geochemical composition to those found on the moon. This is to ensure that the results from the artificial regolith will be like what would be expected from the real lunar regolith. To compare minerology, I will be using thin sections of each rock that I will then perform a point count on. To compare geochemical makeup, my samples were crushed, powered, and set off to the geoanalytical lab at Washington State University. The data I collect from both setups will then be compared to data on both the lunar anorthosite highlands and the mare basalt regions of the moon.   

 

Title: Insulin-Like-Growth-Factor Binding Protein 3 (IGFBP-3) May Lead to Drug Resistance in Breast Cancer Cells 

Undergraduate Student Researchers: Desiree Gutierrez, Mahya Razavi, Janel Sowers, Yan Zheng, and Kevin D. Houston 

Faculty Advisor: Kevin Houston 

Tamoxifen is a selective estrogen-receptor-alpha (ER) modulator that has been successfully used for over 40 years to treat breast cancers that express ER. However, patients can become resistant to tamoxifen after prolonged treatment and the molecular mechanisms of tamoxifen resistance are not fully understood. Based on preliminary data from our lab, we hypothesize that elevated IGFBP-3 expression is a key contributor to tamoxifen resistance in breast cancer. To test this, we have measured changes in key tamoxifen resistance markers in breast cancer cells that exogenously overexpress IGFBP-3. Results from this work suggest that key markers of tamoxifen resistance are modulated by IGFBP-3 expression. To find the pathway between IGFBP-3 and drug resistance, SMAD2-phosphorylation (SMAD2) was measured by immunoblot analysis. Future work will determine the molecular mechanisms by which IGFBP-3 regulates tamoxifen resistance markers. 

 

Title: NEK4 negatively regulates cell proliferation in BT20 cells  

Undergraduate Student Researchers: Gloria Sepulveda 

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Amanda Ashley  

NEK4 is a serine/threonine kinase that promotes proliferative arrest in fibroblasts and facilitates DNA double-strand break repair. We identified NEK4 in a siRNA screen as a potential therapeutic target. We investigated the role of NEK4 in proliferation and DNA damage signaling in BT20 breast cancer cells.  We observed NEK4-depleted BT20 cells reached confluence faster than control cells in contrast to observations made in other cell lines. We confirmed enhanced confluence is a result of cell cycle alterations, not increased cell size. We evaluated DNA damage in NEK4-depleted cells treated with etoposide and observed DNA damage was unaltered due to NEK4. Elucidating the NEK4 role in cell cycle regulation can guide in developing therapeutic strategies against highly heterogeneous cancers. The divergence in responses following knocking down NEK4 mechanisms in different cell lines requires further study, as it may have significant implications in clinical studies and patient stratification.

 

Title: Optical and x-ray characterization of Ge-Sn alloys on GaAs 

Undergraduate Student Researchers: Haley Woolf 

Faculty Advisor: Stefan Zollner 

In this presentation, we describe the optical and x-ray characterization of a Ge1-ySny alloy grown on GaAs. From (224) x-ray reciprocal space maps, we find that the alloy layer is grown pseudomorphically. Thus, we can use (004) ω-scans and reciprocal space maps to determine the composition based on Vegard’s Law. We find y=0.012.  

We acquired the ellipsometric angles (ψ, Δ) from 0.5 to 6.5 eV photon energy and 60 to 75° incidence angles using a vertical variable angle of incidence ellipsometer (VASE). Due to low tin content, the ellipsometric angles and the pseudo-dielectric function is described well, giving an epilayer thickness of 1600 nm.  

We obtained the dielectric function ε of the Ge1-ySny layer from a point-by-point fit. The second derivative was fitted with analytical line shapes to determine the critical point parameters. The energy was compared with predictions from continuum elasticity theory based on deformation potentials for Ge. 

Title: Breast Cancer Poster 

Undergraduate Student Researchers: Isabella Shoffstall 

Faculty Advisor:  

Insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) are signaling proteins which bind to insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF-1R) and induce a signaling cascade to promote proliferation and survival in breast cancer cells. Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 6 (IGFBP-6) binds IGF-2, however, the role of IGFBP-6 in breast cancer is not fully understood. To determine if IGFBP-6 modulates breast cancer cells, MCF-7 cells were stably transfected. IGFBP6 over-expression resulted in decreased proliferation rates in MCF7 cells when compared to control. MAPK and AKT phosphorylate ERα at serine 118 and serine 167 respectively; phosphorylation at these residues was measured. To determine if ERα phosphorylation altered expression of known targets of ERα-modulated expression, such as IGF-1R and Progesterone Receptor (PR), was measured. Unexpectedly, IGF-1R and PR protein and transcript levels were greater in IGFBP6 over-expressing cells. These results suggest that despite reducing IGF-1R-dependent cell signaling, compensatory mechanisms may be induced to enhance ERα-mediated expression.   

  

Title: “The Biochemical Characterization of RecA and SSB proteins in Helicobacter Pylori” 

Undergraduate Student Researchers: Jaclyn Rivas 

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Shelley Lusetti & Dr. Lee Uranga  

Helicobacter Pylori is a bacterium attributed to at least 60% of gastric adenocarcinoma cases. Efforts to reduce gastric cancer cases utilize antibiotics non-specific for H. pylori. Hence, novel drugs are now critically needed that can effectively target H. pylori. We propose targeting RecA dependent DNA double-strand break repair mechanisms, via Homologous Recombination, as an effective strategy to decrease the onset of infection in H. pylori. In this study, we show that purified H. pylori RecA protein is an ATPase that bind single stranded and duplex DNA in the absence and presence of ATP nucleotide. Further we show that purified H. Pylori Single Stranded DNA binding protein stimulates RecA filament formation on single stranded DNA and RecA mediated homologous DNA strand exchange. 

 

Title: Opposing cellular phenotypes following NEK4 knockdown  

Undergraduate Student Researchers: Jacob DeVargas, Rashmi R. Joshi, and Amanda K. Ashley  

Faculty Advisor: Amanda K. Ashley  

NEK4 is a serine/threonine protein kinase we identified as a potential target for cancer drug development.  NEK4 is understudied but has a role in RNA splicing, ciliary formation, and quiescence in a p21-dependent manner. Mitigating NEK4 leads to diminished proliferation in cell types, but more rapid proliferation is observed in others. We observed in most cell types tested that siRNA-induced knockdown of NEK4 diminishes proliferation across multiple cell lines; however, in two we interrogated, NEK4 knockdown increased cellular proliferation.  As p21 regulates cell cycle progression and may be a target of NEK4, we sought to elucidate whether changes in the abundance of p21 might correlate with discrepancies in proliferation when NEK4 is decreased. Levels of p21 did not correlate with proliferative changes. We are using bioinformatics to interrogate whether genetic differences are causing differing phenotypes and determining whether NEK4 knockdown leads to increased apoptosis.  

 

Title: Optical constants of CaF2 at 300 K from 0.03 to 6.5 eV  

Undergraduate Student Researchers: Jaden Love 

Faculty Advisor:  

The optical constants of CaF2 were studied in the 1960s; with modern ellipsometry equipment, we revisited the optical constants of CaF2 (100) and (111) substrates. CaF2 is an insulator with an ultrawide band gap of 12 eV and a large binding energy of 1eV. The range of transparency makes CaF2 a prime substrate for optical devices. CaF2 has a Raman-active T2g mode and an infrared-active T2u mode, split into a TO doublet and a LO singlet. The T2u mode is seen with FTIR ellipsometry and described by a Lorentzian. A dip in the reststrahlen band is due to two-phonon absorption described by an anharmonically broadened Lorentzian. In the visible- near UV, normal dispersion is described by a pole located at 7.48 eV and a Tauc-Lorentz oscillator at 20 eV. The imaginary part of the pseudodielectric function is negative above 3 eV, indicating a surface layer with a larger refractive index.   

  

Title: Evaluating Inhibition of DUSP5 Using Enzyme Kinetics and Computational Modeling 

Undergraduate Student Researchers: Josue Grajeda 

Faculty Advisor:  

The Mitogen-activated protein kinase/p-ERK (MAPK/p-ERK) pathway plays a major role in the cell cycle. High levels of p-ERK signaling have been associated with tumor growth. p-ERK signaling is partly regulated by enzymes known as Dual Specificity Phosphatases (DUSP’s). DUSP5 is responsible for the deactivation of key amino acids in the signaling cascade. By turning off these residues, DUSP5 helps regulate the amount of MAPK/ERK signaling within the cell. Mutations in DUSP5 result in overexpression and the inability to turn off important residues. This results in an increase in p-ERK signaling. This makes DUSP5 a target for inhibitor type drugs. In this study the inhibiting properties of trypan-blue were tested using enzyme kinetics and computational modeling. It was found that the drug trypan blue displayed inhibitor properties making it a prime drug candidate.   

 

Title: “Temperature dependence of the direct band gap of InSb from 80 to 800 K”  

Undergraduate Student Researchers: Melissa Rivero 

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Stefan Zollner 

In this project, we describe measurements of the dielectric function of bulk InSb near the direct band gap using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopic ellipsometry from 80 to 800 K in an ultra-high vacuum cryostat. Indium antimonide is the zinc blende compound semiconductor with the smallest direct band gap (E0=0.18 eV at 300K) due to its heavy elements, the large resulting spin-orbit splitting and Darwin shifts. It has a low melting point of 800 K. Previously, the band gap of InSb has only been measured up to room temperature [1] and estimated from Hall effect measurements of the effective mass up to 470 K. Ellipsometry measurements of the direct gap of InSb have been described in [2]. Calculations indicate that InSb should undergo a topological phase transition from semiconductor to semi-metal at 600 K. It is interesting to see in the data if this transition occurs below the melting point of InSb.

 

Title: Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein-4 exerts differential effects on breast cancer cell proliferation based on the expression status of Pregnancy Associated Plasma Protein A 

Undergraduate Student Researchers: Nadia Samaniego 

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Kevin Houston  

Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 4 (IGFBP-4) is one of six binding proteins involved in sequestering insulin-like growth factors (IGFs), and its classical function is to prevent activation of IGF-1 receptor (IGF-1R) by sequestration of IGF-1. However, the aggressive triple-negative breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231 shows high expression of IGFBP-4. To better understand the function of IGFBP-4 as a pro-cancer or anti-cancer protein, its anti-proliferative effects must be reconciled with its pro-migratory effects. The role of IGFBP-4 in proliferation across four breast cancer cell lines representing ERα positive and triple negative subtypes was investigated. Stable transfection with IGFBP-4 expression construct in the MCF-7 cell line shows a reduction in proliferation. Stable IGFBP-4 transfection of triple-negative cell lines MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-468, both of which express PAPP-A, was sufficient to increase proliferation. Taken together, these results support the conclusion that proliferative effects of IGFBP-4 are dependent upon the expression status of PAPP-A.  

  

Title: Using Bioinformatics to Learn and Conduct RNA Sequencing Analysis on Breast Cancer Cell Lines Overexpressing IGFBP-3 

Undergraduate Student Researchers: Tania A Ibarra 

Faculty Advisor:  

Breast cancer affects one in eight women globally. Triple-negative breast cancer is one of the most aggressive types of breast cancer as it lacks the expression of the genes necessary to have estrogen, progesterone, and HER2 receptors in their plasmid. This becomes a great threat when patients who have triple-negative breast cancer receive hormone therapies, as many may be unsuccessful. Triple negative breast cancer cells induce insulin-like growth factor binding protein 3 (IGFBP-3) expression, which further causes breast cancer progression and drug resistance. Utilizing RNA sequencing data, identification of unidentified cellular signaling pathways modulated by IGFBP-3, required for breast cancer progression and drug resistance, will be analyzed from luminal A cell lines MCF-7 and T47D, with the goal to identify optimal sensitivity, specificity, and predictive capabilities in the diagnosis and treatment of triple-negative breast cancer patients. RNA, specifically mRNA, is a focus for this project as mRNA carries the instructions from our cells to make proteins. mRNA transcripts can illustrate the expression of certain genes. This project utilizes RNA Sequencing and bioinformatics to show results regarding overexpression of IGFBP-3 and neighboring genes on luminal a cell line.

 

SS: Education 

Title:  Advancing Latinx Aggies in STEAM through Mentoring 

Undergraduate Student Researchers: Celeste Romero 

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Hilda Cecilia Contreras Aguirre 

My presentation will describe the work of Dr. Contreras and myself on ALAS (Advancing Latinx Aggies in STEAM), which provides mentoring to Hispanic/Latinx undergraduate students in a variety of disciplines at NMSU. In examining effective ways of supporting underrepresented undergraduate students, we guide this study through sense of belonging and High-Impact Practices (HIP). ALAS is aimed at increasing the resilience of students and counteracting demographic risk factors. Mentoring/Femtoring is conducted through bi-monthly meetings between mentors and mentees and monthly social meetings between participants. Our research approach is qualitatively conducted through interviews, focus groups, and observations, from which we analyze the experiences and mentoring needs of Latinx undergraduates. We highlight common themes expressed by students, such as a need for academic support and career guidance and the importance of having a role model, especially for first-generation students.

 

Testimonios 

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Judith Flores Carmona  

 

Rene Rodriguez 

Title: The boy who lived

As a student of GNDR 550, I have come to learn the power that testimonios can have in helping others overcome their own trauma. Testimonios are more than an individual story, as testimonios not only help a person speak their truth but also serve as a call to action. I want to tell my story of suicidal ideation in a way that allows the audience to experience what I went through and maybe relate to my story. The goal of this is to help spread the message that mental health can change and improve, even if you feel alone. 

 

Anonymous 

Title:  A Body Violated: A Mind Isolated: A Testimonio

Testimonio is defined as a narration of an individual’s experiences and emotions that are often silenced and even invalidated. Testimonios serve as a momentous form of release and empowerment for the individual, allowing them to confront and reflect on times when they felt oppressed or discriminated against. Testimonio serves as an influential coping mechanism, giving voice and power to the individual by allowing them to tell their story within their own terms and level of comfort, sharing their stories in their most raw and vulnerable form, impacting the intended audience by eliciting resounding feelings of empathy, understanding, and a desire for change. To pay tribute to my HNRS 336V course instructed by Dr. Judith Flores Carmona, I will be presenting a digital testimonio, sharing my experience of pain and loss of self as a result of enduring a harrowing assault and the winding path of healing I subsequently trekked. 

 

Belen Calderon 

Title: Mis Propios Pasos

A testimonio is a pedagogy that allows the author to share their stories; most of these stories are silent, unspoken experiences. Some of these stories may be about joy and love, but others are to break the silence of oppression or discrimination. Writing a testimonio is a step to the healing process of our trauma, and it allows us to "desahogarnos de todo el dolor" (get some relief from our pain). As a student attending the course HNRS 336V, instructed by Dr. Judith Flores Carmona, I will be sharing my own digital testimonio. In my testimonio, I will share my experience with being the oldest daughter and the first generation to attend college. 

 

Michelle Zapata 

Title: La Jaula de Oro

A testimonio is a compilation of suffering, oppression, and experiences that have been silenced, it is a beautiful way to express our feelings and take away the cross we are carrying in our backs and burns all those "papelitos guardados" so then all those cenizas will give us freedom and relief. In the class HNRS 336V: Testimonios from the borderlands with Dr. Judith Flores-Carmona I learned how to speak up without fear of being judged and to relive moments that i needed to let go, specially i will be sharing my experience as an "Hija Oprimida" form an overprotectors parents, "cortadores de alas" and I hope that a lot of us will be identified with this testimonio of la jaula de oro. 

 

Memory Falcon 

Title: Torn Apart: Family Separation

Living on this side of the border, being so close to Mexico there are plenty of people who have the same experiences of family being separated by the border. El Paso and Ciudad Juarez are neighbors in the sense of where one border starts and where you cross over. I know many families have been affected by family members, such as a parent in my case, that have encountered the issue with “immigration”. The main idea what I want to focus on is how immigration affects someone as a whole. I will be sharing my experience with when my dad was deported and taken by ICE and how that affected my family here, and him over there. No one really talks about certain thing's family members encounter when someone they know, or a love one is deported. Immigration affects the deportee in a sense of making them feel like a criminal, taking them away from their families. 

 

Anonima 

Title: That Friday Night

A testimonio can be a form of retelling or bearing witness of lo vivido (the experienced) in a way that both the individual and society are able to learn, heal, and transform from what has been kept silenced for so long. As a student in HNRS 336V, I’ve been able to find comfort within myself through this process of testimoniando and being able to create my own digital testimonio. In this digital testimonio I will be sharing a personal experience in which I have first encountered the power that men have upon women and how I have been able to start to feel a sense of liberation through this process of creating testimonios and hope that others can find it too. 

 

Heidi Rodriguez 

Title: College as A First-Gen Student 

I learned that a testimonio is one of the ways that oppressed groups get to express their story and experiences other might have gone through; however, these experiences are not usually in our society’s mind. As a first-generation student, I was applying and coming to college eye blinded. With a lack of family guidance, guilt of leaving, and fear of failure, I continued with it, not necessarily correctly. From personal experience, I am pleased and passionate on sharing my experience on traveling from “El Chuco” border with stress, anxiety, and some perseverance as I carve my way to higher education 

 

Judith Diaz 

Title: Para las Mujeres de mi Vida

This semester I had the privilege of being part of the HON 336V: Testimonios from the Borderlands course, instructed by Dr. Judith Flores Carmona. Testimonios share silenced stories of oppression and struggles that people have lived through, to create awareness and bring a call to action. The digital testimonio that I have created is a video letter to the women in my life where I speak to them, as my younger self, and tell them how their relationships affected me growing up. I created this testimonio to bring awareness about transgenerational trauma and help break the cycles in mine. 

 

Anonymous

Title: Finally on the Healing Path

I am currently a student enrolled in HNRS 336V: Testimonios from the Borderlands. Testimonio is a chance to tell one’s experience or story that has usually been silenced. It’s an opportunity for the author to share with others what they have been through so they can overcome it. As a student enrolled in the class and taught by Dr. Judith Flores Carmona, I would like to present a digital testimonio. My testimonio will share my experience with depression and eating disorders that I have suffered from for over half my life. I hope to show that there are always people who will help and love you no matter what you’re going through. 

 

Flora Saenz 

Title: The Home of the Starving Artist: My Own Alebrije

In Dra. Flores Carmona’s class, we were asked to create a digital testimonio. For mine, I have decided to talk about my experience with choosing an “unconventional” major which, in my case, is Animation and Filmmaking. In Mexico, studying anything related to art is seen as something shameful and totally wasteful yet we pride ourselves when a Mexican filmmaker wins an award for their work. In this testimonio, I explore a poetic approach in retelling my experience with going against the status quo and pursuing a career that is deemed to have the typical “starving artist” outcome while observing hypocritical celebrations from Mexico as directors gain recognition. 

 

Jazmin Hinojos 

Title: Finding Strength and My/Self

While pursuing my Undergraduate Degree at New Mexico State University, I have been assigned a Digital testimonio under the instruction of Professor Judith Flores Carmona. A Testimonio is the telling of a story that has been silenced. This story is told from personal experiences in order to give writers the self autonomy necessary to cope with their own losses or trauma. As a 22 year old single mother, my testimonio reflects the challenges faced when leaving an unhealthy relationship, and coming face to face with society's expectations of what a mother should be. By telling my own story I hope to give insight to women going through similar experiences and spread hope that there is a way out. My goal is to create awareness that there is no manageable way to live by society's standards and encourage them to find the strength to do what makes them happy 

 

SS: Government

Title: Explaining what went wrong in Mauricio Macri’s Government in Argentina (2015-19)  

Undergraduate Student Researchers: Ana Suarez  

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Harvey  

The government of Mauricio Macri implemented neoliberal policies that once again brought economic instability and crisis to Argentina. The South American country suffers from inflation problems that can be dated back to the 1990s and its legacies of center-right governments and money mismanagement. This paper is divided into three different sections in which I will start by explaining and analyzing past rightist governments from the 1990’s and early 2000’s; I will then move to talk about the founding of Mauricio Macri’s political party as well as his political campaign; and, lastly, I will break down the four years of Macri’s presidency by the policies he implemented that gave rise to the inflation crisis in 2019.   

*This presentation is part of the Latin American politics panel by Dr. Harvey 

 

Title: CONSTRUCTING & DECONSTRUCTING THE FEAR OF THE OTHER: A THEORETICAL APPROACH TO UNDERSTANDING IMMIGRATION

Undergraduate Student Researchers: Brennan Ramsey

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Sabine Hirschauer

In the last few decades, the realm of immigration policy has become a heated debate nationally with much of the conversation removed from the actual communities and areas in which these events happen. After spending the better part of two years in the U.S.-Mexico border policy arena and a lifetime living in these communities, it became apparent that the national conversation, which naturally bleeds into the local, was based heavily in realist discussions of security, violence, safety, and state identity. These discussions and framing of the ‘immigration issue’ as a ‘frontline warzone’ environment are based not in fact, but rather as the result of decades of securitization of the border region, its peoples, and beyond into global migration as a whole. This work attempts to use major international relations theories to frame and dissect the way this fear of the other is constructed, how this applies to the larger policy landscape, and how we can deconstruct this unfounded fear and make better policy choices moving forward. This work is relevant in that discussions of immigration reform are projected to be more important as global migration and mobility in the 21st century will increase in response to rising environmental pressures like climate change, a more interdependent global economy, and increasingly complex political ties.  

 

Title: “How Covid is highlighting inequality in Mexico and Brazil”  

Undergraduate Student Researchers: Danielle Dowis  

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Harvey, Political Science 

Mexico and Brazil are some of the richest nations in the world, but they also have some of the most extreme inequality and poverty among states. There are a few reasons why. Both sates are troubled with colonial legacies, complex economic histories, and a weak democracy. Although their problems are similar, they can look different. Recently, with the Covid-19 Pandemic, the inequalities within the nations have been illuminated and heightened. Each government’s response has been faulty.  

 

Title: Perceptions of Screening for Social News in Primary Care 

Undergraduate Student Researchers: Eutnice Carreon 

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Mary Alice Scott and Dr. Ivan De La Rosa  

A person’s health is often evaluated purely biologically. There are other factors that affect a person’s health such as housing, transportation and finances. These are social determinants of health (SDH). Our study evaluated a screening tool to identify and address SDH at a primary healthcare clinic with the goal of improving patients’ overall health – both biological and social. The tool is a 4-question, yes/no survey administered by a healthcare professional (nurse, physician, or medical assistant) who can use this information to refer to appropriate services. Our analysis of the effectiveness of the tool in addressing SDH is ongoing. Preliminary analysis demonstrates that many patients and health care professionals found the tool useful to start conversations about SDH, but some physicians felt underprepared to address social needs in comparison to their ability to address medical issues. Our next step is to complete interviews and conduct a second cycle of data analysis.   Page Break 

 

Title: psychological and physiological stress among adult males and females in Vanuatu 

Undergraduate Student Researchers: Johanna Nelson 

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Kathryn Olszowy 

Vanuatu is a Pacific Island nation undergoing rapid economic development and related lifestyle and health transitions, which have been associated with elevated stress in other Pacific Island countries. Little is known, however, about sex associated variation in stress in transitioning countries like Vanuatu. The objective of this study was to compare psychological and physiological stress among adult males and females  in Vanuatu. Data were collected in June-August 2017 from 364 individuals living on two islands: Efate (peri-urban) and Aneityum (rural). Hair cortisol was used to assess physiological stress, and a survey was used to assess psychological distress. These variables were compared between males and females in various living situations (single, married/cohabiting, and with children). Overall, females experienced higher psychological and physiological stress than males, and the physiological stress was positively associated with number of children. Married/cohabiting males had significantly lower stress, by both measures, than any other group.  Page Break 

 

Title: “The Indigenous communities of Bolivia and Guatemala.”  

Undergraduate Student Researchers: Skye Wootton  

Faculty Advisor: Neil Harvey 

With 41% of the population indigenous in Bolivia and 38% of the population indigenous in Guatemala it would be safe to assume the communities receive equality, inclusion, and representation. However, after centuries of struggle Bolivia has had a leader rise and bring equality to the indigenous communities. While Guatemala has no leader and has a lacked a true leader throughout history. These two countries have the highest indigenous percentages in Latin America and somehow one is left behind in history while one now thrives.   

  

SS: Sociology 

Title: "The Kids are Alright: Mutual Aid for Mutable Effects" 

Undergraduate Student Researchers: Circe Harrison 

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Julie Steinkopf 

Beginning with an examination of the theoretical perspectives delineating from the idea of mutual aid. I intend to trace the most recent theoretical usage of mutual aid in the wake of COVID-19. Starting with anarchist thinkers and peaking during the early twentieth century in the US, mutual aid gradually declined in the wake of the New Deal. Mutual aid has recently regained interest for mediating the material effects of COVID-19. At the intersection of healthcare and neoliberalism, mutual aid can offer traditional insight and newfound relevance both politically and economically towards improving the dignity and livelihood of United States people during normative times and disasters. Mutual aid during COVID-19 is posited as a reflexive praxis, offering a non-prescriptive powerful alternative to neoliberalism in healthcare and economics. 

 

Title: Inequality gaps in Mexico and Brazil 

Undergraduate Student Researchers: Isabella Nguyen 

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Neil Harvey 

Mexico and Brazil are the top two largest economies in Latin America. Yet, they are also accompanied by some of the highest levels of inequality in the world. This paper provides a comparative analysis, examining the poverty and income inequality gap in Mexico and Brazil. Using qualitative content analysis, it examines a country’s economic history and digital divide in order to assess possible explanations that contribute to the inequality gap.   

 

Title: Examining Potential Inequities in the USDA Nutrition Programs Serving Indigenous Communities and Analyzing Opportunities for Change 

Undergraduate Student Researchers: Kelly Beym 

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Rebecca Campbell 

Currently, the CFR regarding the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR) outlines a “Prohibition on Dual Participation” stating clients may either receive FDPIR food commodities or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), but not both simultaneously. This research will use hypothesis testing to determine the equity between monthly SNAP benefits and monthly FDPIR benefits. Furthermore, this research will examine FDPIR’s national structure and how this places Indian Tribal Organizations (ITOs) and state agencies into a “one size fits all” mold that does not consider the individuality of the 574 federally recognized tribes.  Lastly, we will compare FDPIR’s “traditional foods” commodity category and the 638-pilot program for ITO’s administering FDPIR to determine potential impacts on the program. Considering FDPIR’s prohibition on dual participation with SNAP, it is vital to ensure that if these restrictions are in place, equity must also hold a solid ground. 

 

Title: “Potential Therapeutic Effects of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation for the Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstructed Population”   

Undergraduate Student Researchers: Mason Calvert 

Faculty Advisor: Sang-Rok Lee 

Injury to the anterior cruciate ligament is one of the most common injuries sustained by people who are physically active. The most common remedy for this injury is to have it surgically repaired. Patients who undergo this surgery are likely to experience a significant decrease in proprioception and are even a risk of re-injury. The (transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) offers non-invasive electrical stimulation that has proven to be beneficial in former studies. Our research involved prescribing direct current stimulation to the somatosensory and motor cortices to explore findings that may lead to possible improvement in proprioception among ACLR (ACL reconstructed) individuals. Though we have researched with both control and ACLR individuals, no significant increase in brain and knee functions have been discovered. Since this was a pilot testing, a bigger sample size will be required to fully discover the benefits of the tDCS intervention.   

 

First Generation Students in the Arts Panel 

Title: Contemporary Representations of First-Gen Experience: Diversity and Justice 

Undergraduate Student Researchers: Alessa Ibanez, Ivonne Estrada, Leonella Vazquez Perez, Oscar Chavez 

Faculty Advisor: Isaias Rogel and Dr. Phame Camarena 

As part of a larger team of undergraduate and graduate first-generation college students, we are examining contemporary representations in the arts that reflect first-gen achievement in an academic setting. Over the last two decades there has been an increased appreciation for the significance of first-generation student experience in academia, but the diversity of these experiences has not always been reflected in either the research or the arts. Drawing from a sample of more contemporary first gen representations in film and literature, we will examine how diversity functions in this work. We will think about gender privileges, the binary of embracing difference or not, what it means to be read in relation to a culture of difference, and what it means to resist it, and how language affects student performance and success, in an academic setting. 

*This presentation is part of a larger group, with presentations First-Gen Representation in three Films of Educational Achievement and Reflections on the value of First-Gen Representation in the Arts. In order, we are second, after First-Gen Representation in three Films of Educational Achievement 

 

Title: “Hollywood and the First-Gen Experience: What is Taught and What is Missing” 

Undergraduate Student Researchers: Antonio Garcia and Ashely Infante 

Faculty Advisor:  Dr. Phame Camarena and Travis Juszkiewicz 

As the heart of theAmerican entertainment industry, Hollywood is responsible for representing diverse groups of people, specifically the first-generation collegiate experience. Our researchwill draw from personal narratives to critique Hollywood’s representation of the first-gen experience and achievement. Our analysis will reflect on common themes to examine what Hollywoodisteachingusaboutfirst-gencollegestudents,andofparamountsignificance,whatis missing about the academic achievement journeys of this student demographic. Hollywood, in general, is understood to take some artistic liberties when undertaking the interpretation of real-life events but exploration of the question must be scrutinized across various productions, differing backgrounds, and/or time periods to ensure comprehensive findings. Through meticulous application of the constant comparative analysis method, we will conclude what Hollywood represents accurately, inaccuratelyand,ultimately,whatrecommendationscanbemadetobetterrepresentsuchjourneys and experiences. 

 

Title: “Representation in three Films of Educational Achievement”  

Undergraduate Student Researchers: Heidi Rodriguez, Nicole Aldaz 

Faculty Advisor: Eveline Vazquez and Dr. Phame Camarena 

Although a small number of Hollywood films have directly portrayed the educational achievement of first-generation college students, three films produced around 2000 provided direct representations of first-gen student achievement experiences. A team of first-generation student researchers viewed and analyzed these films using a constant comparative method to identify the core narrative themes reflected in these films. This report presents the themes and categories found in the analysis and compares them to the standard research findings of first-gen educational achievement. The unique contribution of these representations is highlighted by the experiences of the first-generation students in the team, diverse backgrounds and cultural points of view, and successful academic students.