Our study investigates the impact of stream-restoration/rewilding on greenhouse gas emissions in a legacy sediment-impaired stream, the Little Conestoga Creek Blue-Green Corridor, in Lancaster, PA. We measured soil CO₂ and CH₄ fluxes in pre- and post-rewilded sites using a static chamber system. Pre-rewilded sites exhibited higher CO₂ (6.7 μmol m⁻² s⁻¹) and negative CH₄ emissions (-0.72 nmol m⁻² s⁻¹) compared to rewilded sites, which showed reduced CO₂ (4.8 μmol m⁻² s⁻¹) and increased CH₄ (3.45 nmol m⁻² s⁻¹) emissions. Wetland basins had the highest CH₄ emissions (71.8 nmol m⁻² s⁻¹). Significant differences in emissions were found across rewilding conditions (Kruskal-Wallis test; p < 0.05). Results indicate rewilding reduces CO₂ emissions due to decreased soil organic matter decay under higher soil moisture while promoting CH₄ emissions through anaerobic methanogenesis and reduced CH₄ oxidation. These findings indicate rewilded sites may sequester more soil carbon than non-rewilded sites. This project was supported by funding from F&M's Hackman Summer Scholar Program and the R.K. Mellon and Steinman Foundation.

Project Mentor:  Professor Chris Williams, Department of Earth and Environment

The purpose of this research was to collect and record corporate social responsibility reports from the Fortune Global 500 around the world. CSR reports incorporate the ecological, economic, and social performance of a firm, as well as its future objectives for sustainable development. The Fortune Global 500 ranks the top 500 companies globally based on their revenue. After intensive internet research using google search and the Bloomberg terminal we organized the reports based on the number of reports each company had every year. This helped us analyze the data and report how many firms voluntarily write CSR reports. Such information is useful to understand whether such big firms are mostly profit-seeking, or if they also consider their impact and their potential to improve societies as a whole. As our research was part of a bigger research project, we additionally analyzed the number of companies that have English and non-english reports. Reporting in English could indicate that the companies aim for their cause to reach a global audience and have a bigger impact. This project was supported by funding from F&M's Hackman Summer Scholar Program. 

Project Mentor:  Professor Jared Peifer, Department of Business, Organizations and Society

Nucleophilic aromatic substitution reactions (SNAr) of 5-nitropyridines with various halogens (Cl, Br and F) at the 2-position on the aromatic ring with different cyclic amines (pyrrolidine, morpholine, N-methylaniline, and 4-methylpiperidine) were studied as a potential laboratory project. The nitro group, acting as a strong electron-withdrawing group, facilitated the SNAr reaction, allowing it to be completed in under one hour. The resulting aminopyridines were crystalline, after recrystallization from 95% ethanol. The final compounds were readily analyzed using melting point determination, IR spectroscopy, and 1H-NMR spectroscopy. This procedure was optimized for use in an introductory organic chemistry laboratory project involving review of nucleophilic aromatic substitution of heterocyclic compounds. This project was supported by funding from F&M's Hackman Summer Scholar Program. 

Project Mentor:  Professor Marcus Thomsen, Department of Chemistry

Cation and anion exchanges are the primary ways to create elaborate, multicomponent nanoheterostructures with precise and positional control over their composition. Separately, those processes involve different mechanistic approaches for roxbyite Cu2–xS nanorods: cations proceed locally before exchanging completely, while anions tend to differ based on their identity, with some either forming a shape first (Te) and others forming a solid solution (Se). If the application of those exchanges was ordered, however, how would that impact each other’s mechanistic route? For example, applying a cation exchange first, how would the mechanism of an anion exchange be impacted and vice versa? For the purposes of answering those questions, we selected Cd2+ exchange due to its predictable regioselective incorporation and Se2– exchange due to its recently discovered temperature-dependent mechanism. The results of our data were analyzed by powder X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and scanning TEM-EDS. This project was supported by funding from F&M's Hackman Summer Scholar Program and the National Science Foundation. 

Project Mentor:  Professor Kate Plass, Department of Chemistry

The use of non-canonical amino acids (ncAAs) has greatly increased understanding of protein structure and function. One method of incorporating ncAAs that has been proven to be effective is amber codon suppression methodology. A new method of ncAA incorporation is through post-translational modification. This summer, the post-translational modification of cysteine to S-4-cyanobenzyl-N-acetylcysteine (CBC) was explored and optimized in superfolder green fluorescent protein (sfGFP) using mass spectroscopy as an assessment tool. Temperature dependent infrared spectroscopy (IR) and crystallography were used to gather structural and vibrational data on the modified protein. This project was supported by funding from F&M's Summer Scholar Program Eyler Fund and the National Science Foundation. 

Project Mentors:  Professors Christine Piro, Scott Brewer and Ken Hess, Department of Chemistry

This study examines the impact of floodplain-wetland restoration on surface water temperature along Big Spring Run (BSR) in southeastern Pennsylvania, USA. Legacy sediment removal (~20,000 metric tons) and aquatic ecosystem restoration were completed in 2011. Monitoring by USGS (1993-2001) and the Merritts-Walter research group at F&M (2003-present) collected water temperature data before and after the restoration, but these results have not been fully evaluated or compared to current conditions. During the summer of 2024, continuous in-stream temperature data were collected via Hobo temperature loggers deployed in the stream upstream, downstream, and within the restoration area. Temperature comparisons during peak summer conditions (August, 2024) revealed a significant reduction in surface water temperatures within the restoration site. This reduction, attributed to improved groundwater-surface water exchange, and exposed springs, highlights the effectiveness of floodplain-wetland restoration towards lowering water temperatures and improving the health of aquatic ecosystems. This project was supported by funding from F&M's Hackman Summer Scholar Program, the Biemsderfer Endowment and the J. Humphreyville Fund. 

Project Mentor:  Professor Robert Walter, Department of Earth and Environment

Hydrogen gas (H2) is promising as an environmentally sustainable fuel source, as its combustion does not generate greenhouse gas pollutants (e.g.,CO2, SO2, NO2). In our group we have investigated compounds of the form [Cp*Rh(bpy)Cl]+, which are capable of coupling 2H+ and 2e– to form this potential fuel, as potential catalysts for H2 generation. Our group has shown that these complexes undergo previously unrecognized bidentate ligand dissociation events upon electron transfer (ET) to the Rh center. We have found that bidentate ligand dissociation occurs at the RhII state and have explored these processes electrochemically. Recent findings suggest that these same processes are also operative at the RhIII state, as heat and/or light can weaken the Rh–ligand interactions in an analogous fashion to ET. The ligand exchange reactivity of half-sandwich Rh complexes supported by various bidentate ligands and its potential impact on catalytic H2 coupling will be discussed. This project was supported by funding from F&M's Hackman Summer Scholars Program. 

Project Mentor:  Professor David Lionetti, Department of Chemistry

Humans often prefer natural over artificial options, associating naturalness with goodness (Rozin et al., 2004), which can influence environmental attitudes. This study, in collaboration with the Chesapeake Watershed Initiative, examines whether this bias for naturalness predicts landowner support for ecological restoration of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed (CBW) to a more "natural" state, specifically wetlands prior to European colonization. Landowner support is crucial for restoration success, making it important to understand what psychological attitudes drive this support. In the study, half of the participants will receive information about the CBW before European alterations and then assess the naturalness of the area and their support for restoration. Nature bias, intellectual humility, and open-mindedness will be measured to predict restoration support. This project was supported by funding from F&M's Hackman Summer Scholars Program and the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Initiative. 

Project Mentor:  Professor Joshua Rottman, Department of Psychology

Bilingualism might cultivate perspective-taking, the cognitive ability to understand alternative perspectives, through enhanced cross-cultural understanding and creativity, empathy, and metalinguistic awareness (Yang, 2023). Previous studies have found advantages for bilingual perspective-taking compared to monolinguals (Xia & Haas, 2024); however, many used monolithic comparison between bilinguals and monolinguals which might be inaccurate (Tiv et al., 2021). Thus, we investigated two forms of perspective-taking, visuospatial and linguistic, in diverse Spanish-English bilingual adults in the United States without comparing to monolinguals. Eighty-four participants completed three tests: non-literal language for linguistic perspective-taking (Sundaray et al., 2018), description of spatial relationships of objects (Tversky & Herd, 2009) for visuospatial perspective-taking, and morphosyntactic comprehension (Mahony, 1994) for metalinguistic awareness. More frequent visuospatial perspective-taking was related to older English age of acquisition and higher reading proficiency in English and Spanish. Increased linguistic perspective-taking was associated with greater metalinguistic awareness. These results inform our understanding of bilingualism and cognition. This project was supported by funding from F&M's Hackman Summer Scholar Program. 

Project Mentor:  Professor Jessica Cox, Department of Spanish and Linguistics

We spent our summer working on a project entitled Geopolitics in the Maldives with Professor Eric Hirsch in the Environment Department to help create a base for his upcoming book, Adaptive State: The Daily Life of Climate Change in the Maldives. We had the opportunity to research a wide range of topics within the scope of the book. We looked into tourism, which is the largest economic benefactor in the Maldives and the largest cause of environmental and sociopolitical issues. We researched Dutch-engineered artificial islands in the Maldives and their feasibility, as well as Dutch engineering projects globally. We examined and charted the changes across multiple Maldivian islands over time due to the government’s excessive land reclamation projects. Lastly, we looked into foreign funded infrastructure projects in the Maldives, particularly those funded by India and China, as historically, those two countries have been fighting for dominance over the Maldives. This project was supported by funding from F&M's Hackman Summer Scholar Program. 

Project Mentor:  Professor Eric Hirsch, Department of Earth and Environment

Forced migration reshapes people's relationship with their environment, particularly through the geopolitical and socioeconomic factors that precede and result from such migrations. The Asia Minor Catastrophe of 1922 displaced 1.2 million refugees from their homelands along the west coast of modern-day Turkey, to Greece. In response, a rapid refugee resettlement campaign began, forging new neighborhoods and social identities. Through a housing survey of preserved homes and collaboration with the local heritage society Στέγη, this research explores the remnants of Asia minor refugee settlements in Corinth, Greece. Additional surveys of non-refugee homes were conducted to assess building materials and housing structures from the same period. Furthermore, this study examines how the refugees interacted with and shaped their landscape through the materiality of their urban settlements. Utilizing architectural surveying, ArcGIS, literature review, and interviews, this research seeks to gain a comprehensive understanding of how the collective memory of the Asia Minor community has been preserved.  This project was supported by funding from the David Schuyler Urban Studies Fellowship Endowment, F&M’s Committee on Grants Program and the Solomon Wank Memorial Fund.

Project Mentor:  Professor Kostis Kourelis, Department of Visual Arts

Through this research, we aimed to discern the most cost-effective method for removing three identified target pollutants from the Chesapeake Bay. We performed cost-effectiveness analyses comparing four commonly used best management practices (BMPs) to the emerging Legacy Sediment Restoration (LSR) BMP. Our analysis showed that despite the high upfront cost of LSR, it is the most cost effective BMP overall. LSR is by far the most cost-effective BMP for Phosphorus and Sediment mitigation in the Bay, and is cost competitive for Nitrogen. This is due to LSR being highly effective in both eliminating streambank sediment erosion and filtering upstream pollutants after wetland restoration. We further analyzed carbon sequestration benefits, comparing wetland carbon sequestration in a local LSR site with a literature review of other wetland sequestration studies. Using the recently revised social cost of carbon, we found substantial long-term economic value of carbon sequestration via expanded use of LSR practices.  This project was supported by funding from the Richard King Mellon Foundation. 

Project Mentor:  Professor Patrick Fleming, Department of Economics

This research investigates the use of advanced image processing techniques—Hough Line Transform, Radon Transform, various filtering methods, and gamma correction—in enhancing the accuracy of tripwire detection for landmine clearing efforts. By comparing the effectiveness of these methods, we aim to identify the optimal approach for reliable detection under different environmental conditions. The results demonstrate significant improvements in detection performance, particularly when combining these techniques, offering valuable insights for future applications in landmine detection and other fields of computer vision. This project was supported by funding from F&M's Hackman Summer Scholar Program.

Project Mentors:  Senior Teaching Professor Timothy Bechtel, Department of Earth and Environment and Fronefield Crawford, Department of Physics and Astronomy

LaAlO3 (LAP) doped with Europium is a phosphor widely used in lighting (LED) and display technologies. The electronic transitions that emit light show two distinct lifetimes that differ by orders of magnitude. The fast decay is attributed to relaxation from the 5 D 0 state to the 7 F j ground states while the slower decay comes from repopulation of the 5 D 0 state from charges trapped in lower energy states of the host material. To understand the charge migration mechanisms, we compare the calculated energy levels of Eu 3+ in LaAlO3 using density functional theory with the measured emission spectrum under uv excitations and find reasonable agreement. The measured decay dynamics of the excited population after 226 nm excitation shows a strong temperature dependence with a 35% increase in the trap to 5 D 0 transfer rate over the 78-255 K range. Results will be discussed in the context of a simple rate equation model. This project was supported by funding from F&M's Hackman Summer Scholar Program.

Project Mentor:  Professor Ken Krebs, Department of Physics and Astronomy

Due to growing interest in robots being used in more social spaces, the ability for these agents to reason over many different types of environments is becoming increasingly important. In this work, we designed a new way to represent the spatial relationships between two-dimensional, non-overlapping, convex polygons. We used this representation to build a dataset of arrangements of tangram puzzle pieces, based on videos of children completing the puzzles with the assistance of a social robot. Additionally, we use the representation to define models of two tangram puzzles: a cat and a rabbit. Using the Repeated Analogies for Goal Reasoning algorithm, we test how well the algorithm can correctly recognize which puzzle is being built. Results indicate that the representation is sufficient for reasoning about tangram puzzles. The validation of the representation allows for future work that will infer next step instructions the child can take to complete the puzzle. This project was supported by funding from the National Science Foundation.

Project Mentor:  Professor Willie Wilson, Department of Computer Science

The F&M Global Barometers conducts data-driven research to evaluate the legal and lived experiences of LGBT+ individuals worldwide. AsHackman scholars, we analyzed data from 204 countries between 2011 and 2022, focusing on the disparities between legal frameworks and actual experiences of LGBT+ people. A highlight of our summer research was creating country profiles for 18 Studies of the U.S. Institutes (SUSI) members, culminating in an interactive presentation on the human rights landscape for LGBT+ individuals in their countries. Our projects also deepened our understanding of the current refugee crisis and related human rights violations. Through compiling a report on the Asia-Pacific region, asylum profiles, and snapshots for various global sub-regions, we discovered that even regions, often stereotyped as being uniformly hostile toward LGBT+ individuals, exhibits significant variation in treatment across different sub-regions. This research underscores the complexity of LGBT+ rights and experiences worldwide. This project was supported by funding from F&M's Hackman Summer Scholar Program. 

Project Mentor:  Professor Susan Dicklitch-Nelson, Department of Government

Studying object use in children is becoming increasingly fascinating, especially with how it applies to their general lives and how tool learning may be especially sensitive to social context. However, it is unknown whether children make reliable tool-function mappings when learning via video and whether a person being in the video or not influences attention and tool learning, In the current study, 6-11-year-old children were asked to watch a video on an eye-tracking monitor showing how an object could be used to complete a specific task (e.g., ringing a bell). After the video ended participants were shown real objects and asked which of two potential tools they would prefer to use to perform a series of actions. Preliminary results demonstrate that children can easily learn the functions of tools when presented on video, and that this learning happens more easily when there is a person demonstrating on the video. Additional analyses will explore how these conditions also influenced attention. This project was supported by funding from the C. Richard Puff Fund and the PA Formula Grant.

Project Mentor:  Professor Lauren Howard, Department of Psychology

The earth’s crust consists of many compounds that are held together primarily by electrostatic interactions. Most of these ionic compounds can be classified as double salts containing two or more distinct types of cations or anions. In the early 1900s, British crystallographer A. E. H. Tutton studied a series of double salts with the general formula A2 M(SO4)2(H2O)6 , where A is a monovalent cation and M is a divalent cation. In the present study, we explored the limits of octahedral coordination at the divalent cation, a first row-transition metal or magnesium, and the influence of a large alkali metal or positively charged ion that produces the distinctive Tutton structure. We also refined the synthesis procedure regarding starting mole ratios, oxidation, and fractional crystallization. This project was supported by funding from the Yoder Research Fund. 

Project Mentor:  Charles A. Dana Emeritus Professor Claude Yoder, Department of Chemistry

Past research suggests that a higher effort toward linguistic accommodation results in more favorable perceptions of the speaker and higher effort from the conversation partner in return (Giles et al. 1973). Previous studies also indicate that Spanish-speaking monolinguals adjust their linguistic patterns to their interlocutors’ more explicitly and often than English monolinguals (Pérez Sábater, 2017). In our study, 38 Spanish-dominant bilinguals listened to a recording describing a scene, and then answered questions regarding their perceptions of the speaker. Each group listened to a different recording: English (expected to be perceived as no accommodation), Spanish (higher accommodation), and English with phrases repeated in Spanish (higher accommodation). Then they made their own recordings describing a new scene. Finally, they answered a questionnaire about their use of each of the languages they know. We plan to test whether a relationship exists between using both languages daily and likelihood to accommodate. This project was supported by funding from F&M's Hackman Summer Scholar Program. 

Project Mentor:  Professor Jessica Cox, Department of Spanish and Linguistics

Down Syndrome (DS) is caused by a triplication of chromosome 21. People with DS have skeletal defects such as short stature, low bone mineral density, and osteoporosis. Using the mouse model, Dp(16)1Yey, we studied conserved genes between mice and humans. To measure bone development, we used bone staining to stain cartilage of femurs to measure bone length and endochondral ossification. To target misexpression of triplicated and non-triplicated genes which is observed in DS bones, we used RT-qPCR. No significant differences in bone development were found during T24 (p=0.916) and T25 (p=0.817). At T26, we found an overexpression of Dyrk1a (triplicated gene) and Runx9 (non-triplicated gene). Insight into these developmental differences may improve the quality of life of individuals with DS, develop treatments/therapeutics, or identify DS earlier during pregnancy. Developmental differences allow comparisons to further understand the impact of trisomy on cellular functions. This project was supported by funding from F&M's Hackman Summer Scholar Program and the PA Department of Health Formula Grant. 

Project Mentor:  Professor Clara Moore, Department of Biology

Do children prioritize the lives of familiar pets or the lives of human strangers, and how is this preference influenced by sadness and critical thinking? In our study with 6- to 10-year-old children and adults, participants were told stories about a character who sees two different boats sinking, one of which contains unfamiliar humans and the other pet animals. Participants were asked which boat the character should save and which boat the character would be more sad about sinking. Most participants thought that the character should save the humans, but children were more likely than adults to save pets over human strangers (p < .001). Children’s moral decisions were more tied to their anticipated sadness (r = 0.52) than adults’ decisions (r = 0.35). This research reveals that children may be more morally guided by their emotions, particularly sadness, than adults are. This project was supported by funding from F&M's Hackman Summer Scholar Program. 

Project Mentor:  Professor Joshua Rottman, Department of Psychology

Nitrile vibrational reporters are being developed to study RNA hairpin structures and dynamics using NMR and 2D IR spectroscopy as the nitrile peak shows up in the non-crowded region of the spectra. Variable temperature IR and 13C NMR were completed to understand the effects of this nitrile installation into biomolecules as it is critical to demonstrate the sensitivity of the nitrile reporter responds to changes in solvent and temperature. The synthesis of 5’-DMT-5-cyano-2’-deoxyuridine, both unlabeled and double-labeled, achieved optimized yields of 66% and 48%. The synthesis of 5-cyano-2’-deoxyuridine will also be presented for unlabeled at 37%, and single labeled (13CN) at 64%, along with the synthesis of 3’,5’-TBDPS-5-cyano-2’-deoxyuridine for unlabeled at 70%, and single labeled (13CN) at 23%. This work, in collaboration with Micura and the Tucker groups, aims to use this nitrile reporter to study RNA structural changes and dynamics. This project was supported by funding from F&M's Hackman Summer Scholar and the Eyler Biochemistry Fund. 

Project Mentors:  Professors Ed Fenlon and Scott Brewer, Department of Chemistry

Molybdenum demonstrates two distinct behaviors under different conditions. In oxic conditions Mo is highly soluble and non-reactive, existing as molybdate. Under euxinic conditions, Molybdenum exists as thiomolybdate and is particle reactive, allowing for its use as a trace material. Molybdenum tracing in marine environments would allow for greater insights into ancient oceanic conditions and even holds implications within the study of evolution of life on Earth. However, its practical uses are hindered without knowledge if molybdenum remains in a solid phase through changing conditions. One of the three pathways for Mo sequestration is through adsorption to Fe-S. The transformations carried out within this experiment aimed to assess the effects of NaCl solutions and a buffered environment, and adsorbed Mo, on the phases of FeS . This is assessed by monitoring the progression of mackinawite, greigite, and pyrite (through temperature) with the PXRD as well as the aqueous concentration of Fe and Mo via the ICP. This project was supported by funding from F&M's Hackman Summer Scholar and the National Science Foundation.

Project Mentor:  Professor Jennifer Morford, Department of Chemistry

Many researchers have found that molybdenum (Mo) in marine sediments can be used to determine past oceanic redox conditions. It is theorized that these Mo-enriched sediments form through the adsorption of Mo with already existing FeS compounds as well as through colloidal synthesis as proposed by Vorlicek et al. Partial dissolution in HCl and HNO3 was the primary method used to define differences between these two pathways. The data suggested that HCl preferentially dissolved mackinawite, while HNO3 preferentially dissolved pyrite. Further, it appeared that the Vorlicek particles and BU-series FeMoS were both associated with the mackinawite phase. Additionally, the Vorlicek particles seemed to contain much more molybdenum than was expected, which was about double that of the BU-series FeMoS. This is indicative of the molybdenum being spread throughout the entire substance (as if it were absorbed) as opposed to being adsorbed like in the BU-series FeMoS. This project was supported by funding from F&M’s Hackman Summer Scholar Program and the National Science Foundation Career Award.

Project Mentor:  Professor Jennifer Morford, Department of Chemistry

We used a spatial light modulator (SLM) to create laser beams carrying a controllable amount of orbital angular momentum (OAM). As the laser beam propagates through the SLM, we adjust the phase on thousands of individual pixels across the beam. We use interferometry to capture the resultant beam with a camera. Over the summer, we expanded on the common method for generating OAM beams by interfering two laser beams who had interacted with the SLM, instead of just one, with a third reference beam. This type of technology has the potential to alter how we communicate using light. Instead of using binary (on and off), we could use these interfered OAM beams to send a wide variety of signals at once. This would dramatically increase the density and speed of data transmission.  This project was supported by funding from F&M's Hackman Summer Scholar Program. 

Project Mentor:  Professor Etienne Gagnon, Department of Physics and Astronomy

The local nonprofit Power Packs Project provides a dinner recipe and ingredients each week to needy families. We are using data science and applied mathematics approaches to help Power Packs optimize their recipe schedule, balancing cost and nutritional value. We built a database of the names and cost of ingredients from one year of Power Packs recipes, and found an extensive online nutritional database. To identify the best matches between entries on the two lists, we transformed raw text strings into vector representations using an embedding function from OpenAI, then found the minimal cosine similarities between vectors.  Applying binary integer programming optimization to these data, we then identified the 8 recipes that minimize cost while keeping nutritional values within desired bounds. Our computational optimization workflow provides a foundation for future analysis of the full Power Packs recipe database, bridging the gap between resource limitations and community needs. This project was supported by funding from the Mathematics Department Research Fund. 

Project Mentor:  Professor Christina Weaver, Department of Mathematics