The premiere event is the Student Scholar Symposium, which takes place March 26-27, where over 800 students showcase more than 600 projects. Graduate and undergraduate students summarize their research or creative projects on posters, providing viewers with a concise overview. During the symposium, judges interview presenters to select top projects in various categories. Winners are announced daily and receive scholarship awards to support their future endeavors.

After the Student Scholar Symposium on March 27, the College of Business will host the Impact of Research Competition. This event challenges students to articulate the significance and potential impact of their research, to address the ‘so what?’ question and thereby demonstrate how their contributions can improve the world. The top three winners will receive $3,000 in awards to support the continuation of their work.

We’re pleased to announce that this year, we will host keynote speaker, Jorge Cham, on March 28. Cham is the best-selling and Emmy-nominated creator of PHD Comics, a popular comic strip offering a humorous portrayal of academia. The Panamanian engineer turned cartoonist, writer, and producer began crafting his comedy while pursuing a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering at Stanford University.  His talk promises to be insightful and entertaining, as he examines the sources of stress for creative and scientific professionals, explores the myth of procrastination, and helps students reconnect with their inner drive and motivation.

On March 29, the Enhancing Lives Showcase offers the opportunity to discover the incredible creative scholarship at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ in a more personalized setting. Explore interactive displays showcasing artworks, videos, and posters detailing how the knowledge and skills gained through research enabled each creation. Engage with students as they share insights into their work.

After the showcase, the week closes with the Excellence Awards, recognizing the dedication and efforts of Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ students and faculty mentors who work diligently throughout the year on research and creative endeavors.

Student Research Week events help foster camaraderie build presentation skills and bring people together while allowing students to receive recognition for their hard work.

“Research is undoubtedly an integral part of graduate study and drives the discovery that makes Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ one of the top universities in innovation,â€� says Elizabeth Klonoff, vice provost and dean of the College of Graduate Studies.

Kim Schneider, assistant vice provost in the Division of Student Success and Well-Being states, “We are excited to see the incredible work of all students and recognize the symposium as a valuable opportunity for them to share their expertise. However, what inspires this event each year is the collaboration and community it instills in those who participate and attend.�

Student Research Week is open to all students, faculty, staff and the community. For more information or to see the full schedule and locations of events, visit .

The Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ (GSC) now offers affordable poster printing, making participation in such events more accessible for graduate students and faculty. Located on the second floor of Trevor Colbourn Hall, suite 213, the GSC is home to a variety of resources available to graduate students at little to no cost. In addition to complimentary events and workshops throughout the year, students are welcome to reserve the conference room, access computers, seek advice from our graduate ambassadors and simply hang out with friends. The center is open every weekday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., with extended hours on select days. It’s a central location for all things graduate.

The large-scale poster printer is available to graduate students and faculty at just $25. The powerful printer can produce vibrant, large-scale color posters, helping students and faculty create official presentations and share their work. The goal is to make preparing professional-level materials easier and more accessible to support graduate students in their academic endeavors.

“As a valuable resource, it provides a practical boost for anyone aiming to enhance the visual appeal of their academic presentations, offering support for a more impactful and engaging presentation experience,â€� says Tyler Campbell, assistant director for graduate student life.

Guidelines and requirements for utilizing the poster printing service are outlined on the to ensure a smooth and timely printing process. Posters must be intended for academic or educational purposes, feature current Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ logos, and be submitted as a PDF or JPEG. After submission, your poster will be reviewed within 48 hours and ready for pickup within five business days.

Payments are processed using Knights Cash through your Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ ID card and completed in person during poster pick-up. To begin, fill out the through the GSC website.

The poster printer will be a valuable tool for students in preparing for exhibition-style events. One exciting upcoming opportunity for graduate students to showcase their work is during Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½â€™s annual , which is March 25-29 this year. This event attracts hundreds of students showcasing their research in poster format at the Student Scholar Symposium.

Helping students present their groundbreaking research could not only make event preparation easier but also increase their chances of receiving funding and scholarships. Armed with their posters, students can get the word out about their work and receive recognition. The College of Graduate Studies offers various funding opportunities to provide students with financial support, including the esteemed . This fellowship is a great opportunity for enrolled master’s, specialist, and doctoral students to share their research or comparable creative activity at a professional meeting or conference. Applications for the Spring 2024 Presentation Fellowships are open until April 15.

“Amidst the challenges of graduate school, our commitment at the College of Graduate Studies is to offer the assistance and resources needed to ensure the thriving success of our graduate students,� Elizabeth Klonoff, vice provost and dean for the College of Graduate Studies says. “With an array of opportunities, we strive to provide something for everyone. Moving forward, we are determined to fine-tune and amplify our resources, offering targeted and unwavering support for the unique paths of our graduate students.�

For more information on Student Research Week, fellowship opportunities, and upcoming events, visit the .

“Marketing is such an interesting force in the world,� says the India native. “It makes many people think of coercion or unnecessary selling. However, I feel that everything we do is an image we project to others as well as ourselves. How authentically we choose to be ourselves and help the world is what I am passionate about. Therefore, I study marketing, to use this amazing tool to bring about lasting change for good, for individuals and the world at large.�

Her research project, “When does self-focus lead to higher good for the world compared to other-focus: An investigation of compassion,� was recognized with an award at the Student Scholar Symposium on March 31. The symposium is part of Student Research Week, which concludes today. The week-long event celebrates student research and encourages others to get involved.

We sat down with Mrudul to chat about her research project and how it is shaping her future career path.

What does your research examine and how it impacts the community?

Generosity and charitable giving have been widely studied and for obvious reasons are encouraged across the world and in all fields of life. However, as academicians or marketing practitioners we are very often focused on the short-term effects of various variables on increasing or decreasing prosocial behavior. Through my research, I want to examine how to bring about lasting change for good that positively impacts the self as well as the other. In the essay I am presenting at the Student Scholar Symposium, I examine how self-compassion creates longer lasting positive effects for the donor (or volunteer) themselves in addition to fostering high prosocial behavior.

How did you develop the idea for this °ù±ð²õ±ð²¹°ù³¦³óÌý±è°ù´ÇÂá±ð³¦³Ù?Ìý

From a young age, I have been interested in spirituality, self-transformation and how to live aligned to a higher purpose. And, through my in-depth studies and work in marketing over the years, I have seen its incredible potential to raise awareness, foster connections and inspire deep emotions. I wish to combine both my passions and use marketing to shed more light on spiritual values, such as, self-compassion, which have continuously and consistently changed my life for the better.

What else should people know about your °ù±ð²õ±ð²¹°ù³¦³ó?Ìý

I believe as academicians we must take seriously the responsibility of bringing new thought and initiative for positive change in the world. The wedge between science and spirituality is something that I want to work towards removing. My research is a drop in the ocean of prosocial behavior, but I wish to contribute to the critical mass needed to help the world move towards a more compassionate and connected ecosystem.

Why does research matter to you/the world? 

Very often we believe that self-transformation or spirituality is very abstract, boring or to be done at a later age when we don’t have anything else to do. However, for me spirituality is very simply, “How we view the world?� The same event can make someone feel negative but inspire another to become an incredible force for good. Also, spirituality doesn’t require us to save the world to be a good person. There are easy steps everyone can take to make their lives happier and richer and at the same time help the world. Learning to be more self-compassionate is one of those steps.

In addition to the above, there are some amazing people engaged in incredible, selfless work across the globe. Through my work, I want to support and increase awareness of their mission.

Why did you pick Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½?

I loved the research interests of the faculty here and how open they were to talk with me when I was looking at different programs across the country.

What is your career goal?

My immediate goal after graduating is to become an assistant professor or research fellow in marketing. Long-term, I wish to be a thought leader and champion for prosocial behavior both inside and outside the university setting.

What are some of your hobbies?

I enjoy adventure sports and have gone bungee jumping in Scotland. Love travelling, reading, watching movies and mobile games. I am a trained mediation teacher and continuous practitioner of the same.

The episode included a contestant that was majoring in communication sciences and disorders. This field studies language science, hearing science, and speech and voice. Many graduates become speech-language pathologists or audiologists and work with a wide variation of communication disorders such as speech, language, and voice, and also work with patients with swallowing disorders.

“After learning a bit more about communication sciences, I started to take courses and fell in love with the field,� Conrad says. “I am passionate about my major because I love being able to help others.�

Research is important because it helps make for better speech-language pathologists, she says.

“Research matters greatly to me because I want to be able to help those who need it by having the capabilities to provide the best and most effective treatments possible,� she says. “Research is also important to the world at large because studies can provide data about different disorders and specific types of treatment that could help patients more effectively.�

Through her professors, Conrad got involved in research, which led her to the project she’s presenting at Student Research Week (March 29-April1), which is free, open to the public and ongoing in the Student Union.  We sat down with the Orlando native to chat about the research project and how that’s impacting his future career path.

Research Topic: How Aphasia Impacts Friendship: People with Aphasia’s Perspectives on Friendship Maintenance and Development After Stroke

How did you develop the idea for this research project?

This research project is a collaborative and multi-university project between Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½, FSU and Duquesne. Dr. (Lauren) Bislick from Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½, Dr. (Sarah) Wallace from Duquesne and Dr. (Elizabeth) Madden from FSU are the faculty members in charge of this project with help from research assistants at each university. They were interested in the impact of aphasia on friendships and social interactions and all hope that the results of the study can help implement new strategies that SLP’s can use to help improve and maintain friendships as well as quality of life.

What does your research examine and  how does it impact the community?

My research aims to understand the effects of aphasia on the friendships of individuals with aphasia. Aphasia is an acquired language disorder that can affect speech, comprehension, reading and writing, though it has no impact on a person’s intelligence. This study is especially important for individuals with aphasia as they struggle more in day-to-day life and lack of friendship can significantly reduce one’s quality of life. Due to the impact that aphasia has on friendship, we hope to find a way to improve quality of life through the results of this study while also reducing the stigma surrounding this disorder.

What should people know about your research?

The results of this study will contribute to a holistic understanding of the real-world impact of aphasia on friendships. Our collective goal is to aid in the creation of interventions the SLPs can use to help their patients with aphasia develop and maintain friendships, which will ultimately improve quality of life and social participation for these individuals.

What is your career goal?

My career goal is to become a speech-language pathologist and I would love to pursue becoming a traveling SLP in the future.

is a Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ (Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½) non-profit research facility, with a STEAM-focused approach toward prosthetics. The philosophy has led to a program devoted to beautiful and functional electromyographic bionic limbs for children which are currently being evaluated through clinical trial research.

This semester 40 students are interning at Limbitless. They all bring their own talents based on their fields of study while learning to work as a team and gaining skills outside their area of study. The research environment blends engineering, art and communication with innovative tech, including the prosthetic arms for children. Part of the process of getting children ready for Limbitless prosthetics involves preparing their muscles for the kind of work required to use the prosthetics. That’s accomplished through using a video game controller and special EMG-based video games designed at Limbitless Solutions.

In 2016, Limbitless and Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ faculty members Matt Dombrowski ’08MFA with and Peter Smith ’05MS ’12PhD with created video games to train children’s muscles in anticipation of receiving bionic arms.

The student research team presenting evaluates the effectiveness and usability of a custom EMG video game controller and the game mode used by the children between pre- and post-tests. The study focuses on the mobile video game, Limbitless Runner, developed in-house and now available in app stores.

The findings of the study will assess the influence of using focused training games with the EMG controller to teach Limbitless’ bionic kids how to use their prosthetic.

“My time at Limbitless has been filled with a variety of different learning experiences, each of which has brought me closer to my peers and pushes me to become more and more passionate about our main goal: supporting our bionic kids,� says Calvin MacDonald, one of the team members presenting at Research Week. He is a 20-year-old sophomore from Melbourne Beach studying health sciences.

Other team members are Shea McLinden (health sciences), Devon Lynn (biomedical sciences), Katherine Tran (health sciences) and Kelsey Robinson (statistics).

“This experience has sparked my interest in pursuing a career which incorporates healthcare, as well as clinical research opportunities,� says McLinden who is in her junior year.

This same team also presented their work at the Florida Undergraduate Research Conference (FURC) in February.  is one of the nation’s largest multidisciplinary research conferences and is open to all Florida undergraduate students. This was the 11^th year of the conference and the first time held at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½.

Fast forward a few years and the anthropology alum is now pursuing a master’s degree in the field while completing research that not only helps preserve history, but also integrates technology into the process. We sat down with the Fort Myers, Florida, native to chat about the research project he’ll be presenting at this year’s Student Scholar Symposium and how that’s impacting his future career path. The symposium is part of  , which is free, open to the public and ongoing in the Student Union this week.

What does your research examine and how does it impacts the community?

My research project title is “Historical Archaeology and Multimodal Digital Technologies to Capture and Record the Past.� The research I will be presenting during Student Research Week centers on documenting America’s last remaining Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) watermill. This local Central Florida historic site, located within the Juniper Springs Recreational area in the Ocala National Forest, is one of the first sites constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps (a U.S. government work relief program) in the forest. Its construction was part of an early CCC experiment exploring the efficacy of federally funded tourist sites to stabilize local economies during the Great Depression and the Juniper Springs Millhouse was built to electrify the surrounding area. Today, it remains the last functioning millhouse constructed by the CCC.

This project explores the application of photogrammetry and 3D modeling tools to support traditional HABS/HAER-style documentation. The combination of these two digital recording techniques is new to the field and provides an easier way of conducting HABS/HAER-style documentation for official federal and state reports. These tools also allow for the current condition of the site to be recorded into the digital world, preserving its impact on the generations of people who have visited the site, and those in the Ocala area who benefited from the electricity it provided in the early 1930s. This project also provides data for a National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) nomination to protect the mill, justify additional funding, and support the continued operation of the mill for future generations.

How did you develop the idea for this research project?

Being a part of the Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½-USFS (United States Forest Service) archaeological field school helped me to make connections to my current master’s advisor, Dr. (Edward) González-Tennant, and Ocala National Forest archaeologists, John Dysart and Rachel Thompson. Through these connections, I was pointed at the site and, through additional term papers in my undergraduate classes, I learned the importance of preserving the site.

Why is research important to you?

This research is important due to the significance of the CCC. The CCC created around 800 national and state parks around the country, worked on hundreds of civil infrastructure projects, planted over three billion native trees and actively fought wildfires that popped up during their time. With Juniper Springs, this site was created as an experiment to test the impacts of tourism on a small depression-era town. Largely, the experiment worked, with Ocala and the nearby Astor being one of the first small towns in Central Florida to recover following the end of the Great Depression. This research created a digital model of the site, giving the public a permanent window into the architectural history of the CCC and the 1930s, while also registering the site to the NRHP helping to ensure proper preservation of the site continues for generations to come.

Why are you pursuing your major or field of study?

Throughout my undergraduate career, I took classes and was a part of key internships through the department, such as the Cape Canaveral Archaeological Mitigation Project in 2020, and the fall and summer Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½-USFS Ocala archaeological field schools in 2020 and 2021, that helped me to narrow my field of study to what it is today.

Why did you choose Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½?

I chose Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ as an undergraduate in 2018 because of how exciting the campus seemed. With so many events happening every day, the university seemed like a small city with opportunities at every turn, which helped to make me feel at home and excited for my future here. I chose Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ again in 2021 for my graduate degree because of the many connections I made from my time here as an undergraduate. Through Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½, I worked as an orientation team leader in 2019, worked for the Student Union starting in 2020, and I met and learned from so many prominent researchers in my department, so it was hard to say goodbye to the university. Also, Knightro is one cool mascot.

What’s next?

This summer I will be continuing my research in Ocala, working as a crew chief for the Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½-USFS Ocala summer field school, where we will be continuing our work at the Yearling historic archaeological site within the Ocala National Forest. I will also be continuing my work at the Juniper Springs Millhouse, working on photogrammetry and laser scanning 3D models of the structure, and the site as a whole.

What is your career goal?

My goal is to use my research and experience in the Ocala National Forest to become a USFS or National Park Service archaeologist, where I can continue protecting historic sites around the country.

It’s that parental mantra that helped him discover his path from Montrose, Pennsylvania, to College of Medicine Professor Saleh Naser’s laboratory at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½. Naser studies the association of Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis(MAP) with Crohn’s disease and Type I diabetes. Vaccaro is conducting research in his lab as part of his doctoral work in biomedical sciences. He will be presenting part of his investigation during the Student Scholar Symposium this week. The symposium is part of  , which is free, open to the public and ongoing in the Student Union this week.

The graduate student’s ultimate goal is to become a vaccine designer at a biotechnology company or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. He wouldn’t be the first Knight to do it. Darin Edwards ’97 ’10MS ’11PhD was part of the team that created Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine. Vaccaro wants to do his part, too.

Vaccaro shares some of his research findings and why it’s important to conduct studies.

Why are you pursuing your major or field of study?

I’ve always been fascinated by the mechanisms of infection and immunity. Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ has given me the opportunity to take a closer look at the boundary between host and pathogen in this course of study.

What does your research examine and how does it impacts the community?

My research looks at the effects of a bacterium called Mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis, or MAP, on vitamin D signaling in immune cells. This research is important for patients infected with MAP, which includes people with rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn’s Disease. The results show that vitamin D supplements may be less effective for reducing inflammation in MAP-positive patients. Most people know that vitamin D is important for bone health, but it’s also a critical signal for parts of the immune system and a lack of active vitamin D in a type of cell called macrophages leads to increased inflammation and a weakened response to bacterial infection. The data shows that MAP can stop macrophages from processing vitamin D’s signal in the cell, which lets the bacterium survive longer and cause more damaging inflammation. My colleagues and I discovered that a protein called cathelicidin is responsible for translating the signal from vitamin D into reduced inflammation and pathogen destruction, and MAP survives better when cathelicidin is blocked or absent.

How did did you develop the idea for your research project?

My project is part of an ongoing effort in Dr. Saleh Naser’s laboratory to examine how persistent mycobacterial infection affects the immune system, especially in the context of chronic disease. Previous work has identified changes in nicotine signaling in MAP-positive Crohn’s patients and worsening rheumatoid arthritis symptoms during MAP infection. A fascinating paper in 2019 discovered that M. (mycobacterium) tuberculosis, which is related to MAP, can interfere with vitamin D signaling in macrophages. Dr. (Ahmad) Qasem, our postdoctoral scholar, reasoned that something similar might be happening during MAP infection.

What should people know about your research?

This research hinges on the fact that most vitamin D in the human body is inactive and freely circulates in the blood. The kidneys can activate a small amount of inactive vitamin D during conditions of low calcium, but this isn’t enough to stimulate the immune cells and it can’t be fixed with normal commercial supplements, which are inactive. However, since MAP is susceptible to certain commercial antibiotic cocktails, the problem of blocked vitamin D signaling may be fixable in MAP-positive patients, which is what we are aiming to help people with.

Why does research matter to you?

I was raised to believe that our minds are a gift, and that knowledge is a tool to make the world a better place. Every bit of knowledge we create about human health is one tiny step towards easing suffering and making someone else’s life safer and better. I will always be proud to be a part of that process.

Why did you choose Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½?

I chose Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ because I was impressed with the breadth of programs and variety of innovative research opportunities offered. It seemed like a place where anyone could find their niche. The location of the campus in sunny Orlando certainly didn’t hurt either.

What are some of your other interests?

I like to read and write short stories, as well as play tabletop games.

Then the Florida native took a class. Soon afterward, the Burnett Honors College scholar had switched her major.

“I’ve come to see that the more traditional acts of writing, such as writing a book, aren’t the only acts of writing that are of value,â€� Wright says. “Literacy practices like posting on social media and creating infographics are also important for us to think about as writing, and part of what I’ve enjoyed within my major is considering how these practices impact our identities and how our identities impact these practices.â€�

That reflection and a class assignment led Wright to conduct the research she is presenting at this year’s Student Research Week. Her project is “The Sound of Identity: Audios and Hashtags as Nexuses of Practice on TikTok.”

“Essentially, my research looks at how audios and hashtags work on TikTok, as opposed to other social media platforms such as Twitter, and how our identities intersect with these practices,â€� she says. “There isn’t a ton of research out there yet on TikTok, and I think it’s valuable to look at this specific app because so many people are using it, especially young people. It’s important for us to understand how we interact in digital spaces such as TikTok and why we do the things we do so we can better understand ourselves and how our world is shaped.â€�

For Wright, research’s value goes beyond the educational experience.

“Research is important in order for us to make informed progress and to grow not only as individuals but as a society,â€� she says. “It’s important to have the research to back up important decisions, so we need to do research to make sure the information we need exists.â€�

Her work has also earned national attention. Wright will be presenting her poster virtually at the Council on Undergraduate Research’s Posters on the Hill 2022 event in Washington, D.C., next month. Hundreds of posters are submitted for consideration and only 60 are selected each year.

Not a bad way to finish her undergraduate career. In addition to her bachelor’s degree, she expects to complete minors in linguistics and political science this May. She’s still deciding where she’ll attend graduate school to complete a master’s degree in writing rhetoric and composition.

Until then, she is focused on Student Research Week, Posters on the Hill, wrapping up her studies and tutoring at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½â€™s University Writing Center. In her spare moments she says she hangs out with her dog Zero and reads sci-fi and fantasy novels.

Check out Wright’s research project during the Student Scholar Symposium this week. The symposium is part of , which is free, open to the public and ongoing in the Student Union this week.

It’s also why she’s been conducting hard core research that gets her waist deep in wetland muck. She’s hoping that treatment wetlands can help battle against the microplastics that are generated in your laundry and aren’t caught by wastewater treatment systems.

Much of today’s clothes are made of synthetic or semi-synthetic fabrics such as spandex or rayon, she says. Microscopic pieces of these fabrics break off when they tumble around in the washer and don’t dissolve in the water, which can cause problems for wildlife. There is not much research on the long-term effects of ingesting microplastics in humans.

Stahl will present her on-going research at the Student Scholar Symposium this week. The symposium is part of , which is free, open to the public and ongoing in the Student Union this week. Stahl shared what’s she’s learned and why we all need to pay attention.

Why are you pursuing your major or field of study?

I am actively pursuing a degree in environmental studies because I am passionate about improving mankind’s relationship with the environment. A goal of mine is to create better living conditions for humans while maintaining and promoting the health of the environment.

What does your research examine and how does it impacts the community?

A general definition for microplastics is manufactured plastic particles smaller than 5 mm that do not dissolve in water. A recent study of the Mississippi River found that approximately 97% of microplastics were clothing fibers. This makes our laundry wastewater the major carrier of microplastics into our water treatment plants, and research shows much of these fibers are not successfully removed during traditional wastewater treatment. Microplastics are a known environmental pollutant. Their small size makes them difficult to remove, they persist intact in the environment for a long time and can cause damage to living organisms that actively or passively ingest them. Treatment wetlands are an extremely effective system for breaking down environmental pollutants and hazardous substances like nitrogen, phosphorus, and pharmaceutical compounds, which also are not effectively removed during traditional wastewater treatment. However, the processing of fibers from wastewater using treatment wetlands has not yet been tested. We seek to understand if the natural processes of water filtration, photodegradation and microbial decomposition that occur in a treatment wetland could also aid in the break-down of microplastic fibers.

How did you develop the idea for this research project?

Many studies have dealt with microplastics breaking down and moving through our oceans. However, we have only begun to scratch the surface in regard to how microplastics circulate throughout terrestrial ecosystems. Pollution in terrestrial ecosystems tends to hit closer to home for the many of us. Learning how this new form of pollution is affecting our environment and looking for a way to help reduce the quantity has led to the creation of this research project. Since wetlands are known for breaking down a wide range of very complex compounds and treatment wetlands are commonly used for removing harsh substances from wastewater, there is reason to speculate that treatment wetlands might have an impact on the amount of microplastics fibers found in treatment plant waters.

What should people know about your research?

Our knowledge on the long-term effects plastic and microplastics have on both humans and nature has only recently started to be studied since plastic is such a new material. Wetlands have also started to take off in research only recently. There are many questions we still have regarding wetlands and many avenues left to explore. The limited knowledge we have on both topics creates a unique opening to explore a vast array of untapped knowledge. The ability to see how these two newly accepted parts of our society interact and impact one another is a new field of study that is waiting to be explored.

Why is research important to you?

Research is an important aspect of not only science and education, but as a basis for how we learn about the world. Questioning what we see around us has only increased our understanding. Research and understanding have also led humanity to create technological innovations that have helped benefit countless lives. Working towards a better future can only be done with knowledge and an attempting something, even if you get it wrong.

Why did you choose Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½?

I choose to attend Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ before I heard back from any of the other schools I applied for. I originally wanted to move out of Orlando and attend college someplace else. However, after touring the campus made me feel like I was at home. It felt safe, comfortable and like I already fit in. Everyone I met was so friendly and welcoming. Also, both of my parents attended Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½. Hearing about how the campus has grown and seeing all of the innovation happening at the university only added to my enthusiasm to choose Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½.

What is your career goal?

I hope to work in a field that deals with environmental conservation. Protecting and improving the quality of our environment is something I would love to help out with in whatever way I can.

What are some of your hobbies?

In my free time I enjoy woodworking and have made a variety of projects including cutting boards, bowls and live edge tables. Caring for my eight kinds of animals and 35 species of plants takes up a good portion of my free time as well. I also enjoy hiking trails all around Central Florida.

Himes began harnessing the capabilities of machine learning at the beginning of his physics doctotal program while researching exoplanets and their atmospheres. Machine learning, a branch of artificial intelligence, enhances this kind of research as it can be used to clarify what is known about the exoplanet much faster than traditional methods. First the machine learning model must learn about exoplanets. To accomplish this, Himes inputs millions of data points about known exoplanet atmospheres including varying temperatures and compositions. By doing so he is teaching the computer model what different planetary atmospheres look like when observed from Earth.

“Humans use physics to learn about data. Machine learning models use data to learn about physics,� says Himes.

He presented his research during the  during this year’s virtual Student Research Week, March 29-April 2.

Given the distance of the planets Himes is studying, current space-based telescopes only provide low-quality images. But by applying what is known about planetary atmospheres to the image, so-called ‘retrieval’ algorithms can pick up on its features and make sense of what Himes and his team are seeing.

This technique comes with its limits: it can take several days to retrieve the atmospheric properties of one exoplanet. If the model was too simple or complex to accurately match the data, it would take another few days to run another retrieval using a better model. Himes began to explore ways he could improve the rate at which the retrieval was happening in , but it was during a NASA summer program that he and his team struck gold.

“What would previously take days now takes just minutes using machine learning,� Himes says.

Himes is continuing his research in understanding far off planets and increasing the speed with which machine learning can assist him in this process. He says he believes this type of research could take us a step closer to discovering life on other planets.

“Where this machine learning technique shines is looking forward to the next generation, where new telescopes like James Webb exists,� he says. “Machine learning retrieval techniques can help identify exoplanets that should be studied in more detail. Who knows what exciting things we will find?�

Himes will continue pursuing this research and aims to continue his career conducting research at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.