Photo Gallery - 2024 ARC Annual Research Conference Flickr photo album

Keynote speaker: 

Dr. Eloi Camprubi-Casas

Assistant Professor of Astrobiochemistry

School of Integrative Biological and Chemical Sciences

Eloi Camprubi is an Assistant Professor at UTRGV’s SIBCS. His research interests lie within the broad research field of Astrobiology. He is particularly interested in understanding why and how life emerges in a previously barren planet. He also simulates extraterrestrial environments to refine the interpretation framework for detecting extraterrestrial life (biosignatures) within the Solar System, particularly in relation to the (bio)geochemistry at Ocean Worlds (e.g. Enceladus, Europa, Titan). He is from Barcelona (Spain) and, thanks to a ‘la Caixa’ Foundation doctoral fellowship, he earned his PhD in Chemistry from University College London (UK) in 2018. He was then awarded a 3-year postdoctoral fellowship to join the Origins Center (Utrecht University, Netherlands). In 2021 he obtained a 3-year Human Frontier Science Program fellowship to join the Earth-Life Science Institute (Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan). In 2022 he joined UTRGV as an awardee of the University of Texas System’s STARs Program.

S11-1 The Battle Within: How Gut Cells Protect Us from Bacteria
Presenting author(s): Dikshanta Vinaya Luitel
Advisor: Dr. Nirakar Sahoo

S11-2 Impact of native and invasive grasses on the behavior of Aedes aegypti and Culex quinquefasciatus
Presenting author(s): Emily Medelez
Advisor: Dr. Pushpa Soti, Dr. Christopher Vitek

S11-3 The effects of soil texture and root densities on thornscrub seedling development root and shoot development
Presenting author(s): Lance Santos
Advisor: Dr. Bradley Christoffersen

S11-4 Dynamic Insights into Sorghum Transcriptome: Unraveling Abiotic Stress Responses through Genome-Wide 3'-End Sequencing
Presenting author(s): Shikha Bharti
Advisor: Dr. Manohar Chakrabarti

S11-5 The Behavioral Influence of Fungal Endophytes on Yellow Fever Mosquitoes (Aedes aegypti)
Presenting author(s): Sofia Ayala
Advisor: Dr. Pushpa Soti

S12-1 Evaluating Recyclable Glass Material as a Substitute for Soil in Vegetable Cultivation: An Innovative Approach to Sustainable Agriculture
Presenting author(s): Andrea K. Quezada
Advisor: Dr. Julie P. Vanegas

S12-2 Improvement of Triboelectric Nanogenerator by as-prepared Lithium Niobate for energy harvesting and sensing applications
Presenting author(s): Jahid Inam Chowdhury and Dr. Mohammed Jasim Uddin
Advisor: Dr. Mohammed Jasim Uddin

S12-3 Recycled Glass Sand Analysis and Impact in Confined Marine Life and Environments
Presenting author(s): Samantha Tamayo
Advisor: Dr. Julie P. Vanegas

S12-4 Microhydration of 3,4,5-trifluorobenzoic acid
Presenting author(s): Alitza Garcia
Advisor: Dr. Wei Lin

S12-5 The first report for the synthesis of spiro-centered β-lactams
Presenting author(s): Nneoma James
Advisor: Dr. Debasish Bandyopadhyay

S13-1 Synthesis of NANO-MICROSTRUCTURED BaTiO3 Incorporated in PVDF-HFP/PEO for Sustainable and Green Energy Generation
Presenting author(s): Rigobert Ybarra
Advisor: Dr. Mohammed Jasim Uddin

S13-2 La1-xSrxCoO3 perovskite Antimicrobial properties and PVDF based piezoelectric nanogenerator through self-induced polling and sensory application
Presenting author(s): S M Anyet Ullah Shohag, Luke Franco, and Adhira Tippur
Advisor: Dr. Mohammed Jasim Uddin

S13-3 Multifunctional Properties of Delafossite-Coated Cotton Textiles for Photocatalytic Self-Cleaning, UV-Blocking, and Antimicrobial Activity
Presenting author(s): Shahria Ahmed Sachin Chopra
Advisor: Dr. Mohammed Jasim Uddin

S13-4 Functionalization of Carbon Nanotubes with Diverse Ligands: Expanding Possibilities for Surface Modifications and Applications via High-Energy Ball Milling (HEBM)
Presenting author(s): Amber Garcia
Advisor: Dr. Julie P. Vanegas

S13-5 Synthesis of Silicon Nanoparticles Passivated by Organic Ligands via Reactive High Energy Ball Milling (RHEBM): A Potential Method for Crude Oil Fractionation
Presenting author(s): Emanuel Aggeo Flores
Advisor: Dr. Julie P. Vanegas

S14-1 Wealth from Waste: Aloe vera peels as a sustainable resource for natural pesticides
Presenting author(s): Jonathan Garcia
Advisor: Dr. Debasish Bandyopadhyay

S14-2 Enhancing Photoluminescence Properties, Shape, and Size Analysis of Metal and Semi-metal Nanoparticles using Reactive High-Energy Ball Milling (RHEBM)
Presenting author(s): Juan Manuel Garcia Jr.
Advisor: Dr. Julie P. Vanegas

S14-3 Spanish moss, a forestry waste, can be a sustainable resource for phytoceuticals
Presenting author(s): Jakir Hossain and Debasish Bandyopadhyay
Advisor: Dr. Debasish Bandyopadhyay

S14-4 Enhancement of Polytetrafluoroethylene- Polyvinyl Alcohol Nanofibers Triboelectric Effect with Carboxylic Functionalized Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes Coating
Presenting author(s): Fernando Viesca, Diego de Leon, Kevin Alejandro, Rigobert Ybarra, Karen Lozano, and Dr. Mohammed Jasim Uddin
Advisor: Dr. Mohammed Jasim Uddin

S15-1 Rare Presentation of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Tongue with Ectopic β-hCG Secretion
Presenting author(s): Taha Al Hassan
Advisor: Dr. Rachel A. Giese

S15-2 Periodontitis and Alzheimer's Disease: A Magnetic Link
Presenting author(s): Noah Al-Hassan, Taha Al-Hassan, and Model Zerfu
Advisor: Dr. Guadarrama

S15-3 Empirical Evidence to Beliefs and Perceptions about Mental Health Disorder and Substance Abuse: The Role of a Social Worker.
Presenting author(s): Helena Baffoe
Advisor: Dr. Andrew Rose

S16-1 Nonlinear stability analysis of Rayleigh-Bénard convection in a non-Newtonian fluid
Presenting author(s): Mahanthesh Basavarajappa
Advisor: Dr. Dambaru Bhatta

S16-2 A Mathematical Model for Fracture in the Context of Linearized Elastic Fracture Model (LEFM)
Presenting author(s): Saugata Ghosh
Advisor: Dr. Dambaru Bhatta

S16-3 Constrained Quantization for A Uniform Distribution
Presenting author(s): Dipok Deb
Advisor: Dr. Mrinal K. Roychowdhury

S16-4 Ramanujan Type Congruences for Quotients of Klein Forms
Presenting author(s): Jeffery Opoku
Advisor: Dr. Tim Huber

S16-5 Generating Heat Maps for Turbulence - Imputing Turbulence Readings Through Spatio-Temporal Weighting
Presenting author(s): Joel Williams
Advisor: Dr. Michael Lindstrom

S17-1 Reactive Interaction of Ti-Graphene with the formation of TiC into MWCNT yarns
Presenting author(s): Sara Sharifi
Advisor: Dr. Karen S. Martirosyan

S17-2 Computational and Experimental study on erbium doped lithium tantalate nanoparticles as visible and NIR phosphors
Presenting author(s): Andrea Pelayo Carvajal
Advisor: Dr. Nicholas Dimakis

S17-3 Utilizing machine learning to predict the charge storage capability of Lithium-ion battery materials
Presenting author(s): Manoj Chhetri
Advisor: Dr. Karen S. Martirosyan

S17-4 A multivariate analysis of the gravitational wave signal landscape from core collapse supernovae
Presenting author(s): Raul Alberto Espinosa Perez
Advisor: Dr. Soma Mukherjee

S17-5 A search for intermediate-mass black holes in compact stellar systems through optical emissions from tidal disruption events
Presenting author(s): Richard Pomeroy
Advisor: Dr. Juan Madrid

S18-1 An Analysis of Fish Assemblages and Flow Regimes Upstream and Downstream of Falcon Reservoir
Presenting author(s): Christopher Austin
Advisor: Dr. Christopher Taylor

S18-2 Effects of Nitrogen Loading on Respiration and Photosynthetic rate of Red Seaweed Gracilaria tikvahiae
Presenting author(s): Donavuan Salazar
Advisor: Dr. Hudson Deyoe

S18-3 Blue Carbon and the Rio Grande Valley Artificial Reef
Presenting author(s): Michelle King
Advisor: Dr. Richard Kline

S18-4 Greenhouse Gas Emission Dynamics from Turfgrass Soils Affected by Contrasting Water Saturation Conditions
Presenting author(s): Angel Salinas
Advisor: Dr. James Jihoon Kang

S18-5 Effects of Short-term Exposure to Pesticide Mixture on Tissue Architecture, Body Fluid Conditions, Nitrative Stress, and Osmoregulation of the American Oyster
Presenting author(s): Asif Ahmed
Advisor: Dr. Md Saydur Rahman

S19-1 Pesticides Mixture Disrupt Kidney Architecture, Induce Oxidative Stress, Increase Renal Expression and Alter Swimming Behavior in Goldfish
Presenting author(s): Esmirna Cantu
Advisor: Dr. Md Saydur Rahman

S19-2 Cover Crop’s Vertical Soil Moisture Impacts on Rain-Fed Systems: A Meta-analysis across all climatic regions.
Presenting author(s): Fabrizio Javier Pilco Alvarez
Advisor: Dr. Bradley Christoffersen

S19-3 Assessment of Air Pollution Levels Using Data from Low-cost Sensors and Remote Sensing Satellite in Roma Independent School District, Lower Rio Grande Valley, Texas, USA
Presenting author(s): Kabir Bahadur Shah
Advisor: Dr. Amit U. Raysoni

S19-4 Integrating Data from Satellites and Low-Cost Sensors to Investigate Stubble Burning Effects on Air Quality in Lower Rio Grande Valley, Texas, USA
Presenting author(s): Sai Deepak Pinakana
Advisor: Dr. Amit U. Raysoni

S19-5 Development of environmental DNA (eDNA) techniques to detect rough-footed and yellow mud turtles in Texas waters
Presenting author(s): Sakib Tahmid Rishan
Advisor: Dr. Saydur Rahman, Dr. Richard J. Kline

S20-1 Reforestation Impacts on Carbon Sequestration Rates: Thorn Forest Chronosequences in the Rio Grande Valley
Presenting author(s): Samantha Lynn Colunga
Advisor: Dr. Engil Pereira

S20-2 Adaptation to climate change in border regions: A literature synthesis
Presenting author(s): Amanda Hernandez
Advisor: Dr. Anna Erwin

S20-3 Sustainably Reusing Mushroom Waste product and new practices to minimize waste.
Presenting author(s): Carlos Wong
Advisor: Dr. Robin A. Choudhury

S20-4 Production of Tagatose from Galactose with CaO at Room Temperature
Presenting author(s): Ethan Andrew Cruz
Advisor: Dr. Jikai Zhao

S20-5 Usage of the water refill stations across campus
Presenting author(s): Nayeli Garcia, Leticia Contreras, and David Hicks
Advisor: Dr. Leticia Contreras

S21-1 Flood Impact Mitigation: Assessing the Role of Sand Dunes in Protecting Crops in the Rio Grande Valley, Texas
Presenting author(s): Ira Narang
Advisor: Dr. Jennifer Proft

SA-1 Probing prebiotic RNA Oligonucleotide Polymerization on Mineral Surfaces using Microfluidics
Presenting author(s): Gabriella Garza
Advisor: Dr. Eloi Camprubi-Casas

SA-2 A Study of Cadmium Binding With The N-Terminus of Synapse Associated Protein 102 And Implications For Its Postsynaptic Functions
Presenting author(s): Cesar Morales Alba
Advisor: Dr. Yonghong Zhang

SA-3 Identification of Cadmium as a Structural and Functional Modulator of PSD-95 Regulating NMDARs at Postsynaptic Membranes
Presenting author(s): Claudia Garza
Advisor: Dr. Yonghong Zhang

SA-4 Investigation of zinc as a structural and functional modulator of postsynaptic protein SAP102
Presenting author(s): Mohammad Yaman Karkoutly
Advisor: Dr. Yonghong Zhang

SA-5 Oral Biofilms: Exploring The Growth Dynamics Of Streptococcus Mutans Under Diverse Environmental Conditions
Presenting author(s): Vanessa Escudero
Advisor: Dr. Ahmed Touhami

SA-6 Screening antimicrobial candidates against Proteus vulgaris allowed the identification of an old drug niclosamide as new antibacterial application
Presenting author(s): Carina Casas
Advisor: Dr. Yonghong Zhang

SA-7 The binding kinetics of ParB protein with parS DNA sequence
Presenting author(s): Huda A Al-Zuhari
Advisor: Dr. HyeongJun Kim

SA-8 XerD compaction rate decreases in the presence of XDS engineered DNA
Presenting author(s): Brandon Shields
Advisor: Dr. HyeongJun Kim

SA-9 Unveiling the Role of CTP and ATP on ParB Dynamics
Presenting author(s): Lois Akosua Serwaa
Advisor: Dr. HyeongJun Kim

SB-2 Exploring the temporal variations of nitrogen throughout cropping seasons and its relation to other determinants of soil health in dryland farming systems
Presenting author(s): Mia Martinez
Advisor: Dr. Pushpa Soti

SB-3 Using Autonomous Recording Units to Monitor Avian Ecology in Southern Texas
Presenting author(s): Natalie Bautista Linzey Arambul Layla Arambul
Advisor: Dr. Andrea Contina

SB-5 Synthesis and Characterization of Vesicle Compartments to Study the Origins of Heredity
Presenting author(s): Myrine Barreiro-Arevalo
Advisor: Dr. Eloi Camprubi-Casas, Dr. Mike Lindstrom

SB-6 An economical andalysis of prickly pear cactus consumption in areas of South Texas
Presenting author(s): Ana Medellin
Advisor: Dr. Teresa P. Feria Arroyo

SB-7 The Understanding of Hyperhidrosis and its Effects on Individuals
Presenting author(s): Marissa Alvarez
Advisor: Dr. Viviana Trevino

SB-8 Learning and Memory in Bees: Prioritizing Taste or Nutrition?
Presenting author(s): Alessandra Perry
Advisor: Dr. Julie Mustard

SB-9 Seedling recruitment in contrasting microhabitats and successional stages in South Texas thorn-forests
Presenting author(s): Catarina Miranda
Advisor: Dr. Bradley Christoffersen

SB-10 Investigating FOXO4 Targets in GBM
Presenting author(s): David Uribe
Advisor: Dr. Megan Keniry

SC-1 Floral phenology of species of the Tamaulipan thornscrub of the lower Rio Grande Valley
Presenting author(s): Gracie Granados
Advisor: Dr. Alejandro Fierro, Dr. Julie Mustard

SC-2 Phenotypic plasticity in response to biotic and abiotic stresses in silverleaf nightshade (Solanum elaeagnifolium)
Presenting author(s): Marco Silguero
Advisor: Dr. Pushpa Soti

SC-3 FOXO Factors bind and induce TCF7 in glioblastoma cells
Presenting author(s): Stephanie Oyervides, Stella Rios
Advisor: Dr. Megan Keniry

SC-4 Taxonomic Analysis of springsnails of Pyrgulopsis located in Nevada
Presenting author(s): Trenton Meadows
Advisor: Dr. Kathryn Perez

SC-5 Activating Autophagy with Anthocyanins to Fight Cancer
Presenting author(s): Sumeet Chauhan
Advisor: Dr. Nirakar Sahoo

SC-6 Carbon Monoxide's Role in Inhibiting Liver Cancer Cell Growth
Presenting author(s): Aarya Tripathi
Advisor: Dr. Nirakar Sahoo

SC-7 Insights into Toxoplasma gondii: From Historical Breakthroughs to Future Directions
Presenting author(s): Alan Ochoa
Advisor: Dr. Veerachandra Yemmireddy

SC-8 Emerging waterborne parasitic infections of concern - A case study on Cryptosporadium, Cyclospora Cayatenensis, and Giardia intestinalis
Presenting author(s): Damaris Cantu, Blanca Ochoa, and Javier Pena
Advisor: Dr. Veerachandra Yemmireddy

SC-9 Gene Regulation in the Intermediate-Germ Insect: Tribolium
Presenting author(s): Jimena Garcia-Guillen, Miguel Salazar, Sofia Jordan, Efe Martins, Hasan Mahmud, Sydney Do, and Alexa Alaniz
Advisor: Dr.  Ezzat El-Sherif

SC-10 Food Security and Climate Change: Oppuntia spp. as an alternative cash crop in the Valley
Presenting author(s): Ramya Kunta
Advisor: Dr. Teresa P Feria-Arroyo

SD-1 Understanding and Combatting Zoonotic Parasites: A Comprehensive Study on Trichinella and Taeniasis
Presenting author(s): Scarlet Elizondo and Araely Ruiz
Advisor: Dr. Veerachandra Yemmireddy

SD-2 Xenophagy-Mediated Bacterial Clearance: In-Vitro and In-Vivo Insights
Presenting author(s): Dikshanta V. Luitel, Sidney Loya, and Anyssa Rodriguez
Advisor: Dr. Nirakar Sahoo

SD-3 A novel lysogenic bacteriophage increases pandemic O3:K6 of Vibrio parahaemolyticus resistance to ciprofloxacin
Presenting author(s): Yael Gonzalez, David Silva, and Daniele Provenzano
Advisor: Dr. Daniele Provenzano

SD-4 Phreatodrobia coronae (Mollusca: Gastropoda) is the imposter of the genus
Presenting author(s): Yamileth Guerrero
Advisor: Dr. Kathryn Perez

SD-5 Reassignment of Tryonia diaboli and Texapyrgus longleyi.
Presenting author(s): Evan Guerrero
Advisor: Dr. Kathryn Perez

SD-6 Quantification of Leaf Trichomes and Examination of Their Consequences for Fall Armyworm Feeding in Soybean Accessions
Presenting author(s): Evelyn Marie Madrigal
Advisor: Dr. Rupesh R. Kariyat, Dr. Christoffersen

SE-1 Design and Synthesis of DNA-Functionalized Metal Nanoparticles via Reactive High-Energy Ball Milling for Improved Biosensor Performance
Presenting author(s): Abraham Z. Torres and Alejandro Ramirez
Advisor: Dr. Julie P. Vanegas

SE-2 Microwave-assisted green synthesis of spiroindolinopyranopyrazoles
Presenting author(s): Esther Owusu
Advisor: Dr. Debasish Bandyopadhyay

SE-3 BOREAS- Probing Europa’s Subsurface Ocean by Simulating Icy Surficial Conditions
Presenting author(s): Ilankuzhali Elavarasan
Advisor: Dr. Eloi Camprubi-Casas

SE-4 Electrodegradation of Simazine in Aqueous Solution
Presenting author(s): Joseph Alexander Felix
Advisor: Dr. Jason Parsons

SE-5 Mechanistic Investigation of C—C Bond Activation of Phosphaalkynes with Pt(0) complexes
Presenting author(s): Roberto
Advisor: Dr. Tülay Ateşin

SE-6 Degradation of Indigo Dye in Aqueous Solution via Electrocatalysis
Presenting author(s): Rolando R Barron Jr
Advisor: Dr. Jason Parsons

SE-7 Simulation of carbon dioxide adsorption in metal-organic frameworks with open metal sites utilizing RASPA
Presenting author(s): Matthew Lin
Advisor: Dr. Haoyuan Chen

SE-8 A Study of the Biochemistry of Zingiber offcinale (Ginger). A widely used Diabetes Remedy.
Presenting author(s): Summer Sosa, Helia M. Morales, Erick Plata, and Arnulfo Mar
Advisor: Dr. Arnulfo Mar

SE-9 Solubility, Photoluminescence, and Antimicrobial properties of Mn: Zn2GeO4
Presenting author(s): Dave Philips
Advisor: Dr. Swati Mohan

SE-10 A Phytochemical Investigation of Camu Camu Leaves
Presenting author(s): Dusty Garcia
Advisor: Dr. Debasish Bandyopadhyay

SF-1 Effect of Temperature on the Hydrothermal Synthesis of TiO2 from TiCl4.
Presenting author(s): Estefania Gonzalez-Hernandez
Advisor: Dr. Parsons

SF-2 Advancements in Silicon Nanoparticle Synthesis: The Role of Reactive High Energy Ball Milling and Organic Ligands
Presenting author(s): Jorge Cazares and Emanuel A. Flores
Advisor: Dr. Julie P. Vanegas

SF-3 Effect of Temperature on the Synthesis of LaCoO3 Using Sol-Gel and Precipitation Methods
Presenting author(s): Juan Martinez
Advisor: Dr. Jason Parsons

SF-4 Computational Study of Pesticide Capture by Metal-Organic Frameworks
Presenting author(s): Lauryn Guzman
Advisor: Dr. Haoyuan Chen

SF-5 PDMS-based Piezoelectric Nanogenerator Fabricated by Magnesium Ruthenate (MgRuO3) towards Energy Harvesting
Presenting author(s): Phillip Winger and Juan Tamez
Advisor: Dr. M. Jasim Uddin

SF-6 Investigating Antibiotic Strategies for Inhibiting Clostridioides difficile Infection
Presenting author(s): Miguel Alanis
Advisor: Dr. Yonghong Zhang

SF-7 Photocatalytic Removal of Methyl Orange Dye
Presenting author(s): Morgan Bodnar
Advisor: Dr. Jason Parsons

SF-8 Triboelectric Analysis of Naturally Abundant, Renewable, and Sustainable Glycosidically Linked Based Films for Sensor Applications
Presenting author(s): Octavio J. Jupp
Advisor: Dr. Mohammed Uddin

SF-9 Synthesis and Characterization of Maya-Blue Pigment
Presenting author(s): Paula Itzel Zarco Ramos, Helia Magali Morales, and Jason G. Parsons
Advisor: Dr. Jason G. Parsons

SF-10 Photocatalytic Removal of Methyl Orange Dye
Presenting author(s): Vanisia Renteria
Advisor: Dr. Jason G. Parson

SF-11 Fluorescentnt Futures: N-Cyclohexyl-2-pyrrolidone Mediated Dispersion of Biodegradable Silicon Nanoparticles
Presenting author(s): Yadira Lopez
Advisor: Dr. Julie P. Vanegas

SG-1 Antiseptic and Antibiotic Incorporation to Polyvinylpyrrolidone Fibers for Wound Applications
Presenting author(s): Luis Sotelo
Advisor: Dr. Lozano

SG-2 Multi-Method Synthesis of Nitrogen-Doped Graphene Quantum Dots via Bottom-Up Approach
Presenting author(s): Cesar Sanchez
Advisor: Dr. Victoria Padilla

SG-3 Highly Porous Fibers Structure for Carbon Fibers Production in Li-Ion Anode
Presenting author(s): Diego de Leon
Advisor: Dr. Victoria Padilla

SG-4 Cellulose Based and Copper/Aluminum Deposited Hydrogel Triboelectric Nanogenerator
Presenting author(s): Ashwin James
Advisor: Dr. Swati Mohan

SG-5 Developing Machine Learning Models to Predict Oral Cancer
Presenting author(s): Adhira Tippur
Advisor: Dr. Marzieh Ayati

SG-6 Modeling Selected Water Quality Parameters in Arroyo Colorado Basin Under Climate Extremes for Possible Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) using HEC-RAS
Presenting author(s): Syed Muhammad Fahad Abdullah
Advisor: Dr. Chu-Lin Cheng

SG-7 Development of Pullulan based antibiotic nanofiber membranes for sinusitis treatment
Presenting author(s): Hana Elnahas
Advisor: Dr. Karen Lozano

SG-8 High Precision 3D Printing (filament disposition modeling) Using Adaptive Control - Mobile 3D Printing
Presenting author(s): Kenneth Duran, Martin Munoz, Eryssa Quintanilla, Daniel Ramos, Joshua Cerda, Dr. Jianzhi Li, and Dr. AMM Nazmul Ahsan
Advisor: Dr. Jianzhi Li, Dr. AMM Nazmul Ahsan

SH-1 Oxidative Stress, a culprit in cardiovascular diseases, and Resveratrol as a potential therapeutic agent
Presenting author(s): Justin Zander Heckman and Alyssa Sepulveda
Advisor: Dr. Amin Shah

SH-3 Harnessing Lysosomal Channels for Liver Cancer Treatment
Presenting author(s): Rida Shareef
Advisor: Dr. Nirakar Sahoo

SH-4 B-CNN for Early Alzheimer Disease Detection in MRI Scans
Presenting author(s): Mohammad Rafsan
Advisor: Dr. Hansapani Rodrigo Advisor and Dr. Tamer Oraby Co-Advisor

SH-5 An Evolving Diagnosis: How Juvenile Dermatomyositis/Scleroderma Later Became Mixed Connective Tissue Disorder
Presenting author(s): Victoria Cuello
Advisor: Dr. Myint Thway

SH-6 Modelling Hospital Performance Using Machine Learning Feature Selection Techniques: Subset Selection and Shrinkage Methods
Presenting author(s): James Ladzekpo
Advisor: N/A

SH-7 Reducing Foot Pain and Peak Plantar Pressure in Patients with Foot Pain
Presenting author(s): Krista Elizabeth Samreth
Advisor: Dr. Hafizur Rahman

SI-1 Innovative Approaches in Diabetes Biomarker Prediction: A Fusion of Machine Learning and Epigenetics
Presenting author(s): Richmond Essieku
Advisor: N/A

SI-2 Gait Pattern Analysis in CHF Patients by Implementing Advanced Biomechanical Methods
Presenting author(s): Yasim Zafar
Advisor: Dr. Hafizur Rahman

SI-3 Identifying Peptides Targeting Phospholipase A2
Presenting author(s): Sussy Mendoza and Ariane Garcia
Advisor: Dr. Ying Jia

SI-4 Evaluating the Effectiveness of Treatments on Gait Biomechanics in Patients with Hammertoe Deformities
Presenting author(s): Elnaaz Eskandari
Advisor: Dr. Hafizur Rahman

SI-5 Improving Solubility with Retained Bioavailability of Niclosamide in Glioblastoma Pharmacotherapy
Presenting author(s): Fernando Cisneros and Benjamin Valdivia
Advisor: Dr. Shizue Mito

SI-6 The Energy cost of walking for Diabetic Partial-Foot Amputees
Presenting author(s): Karishma Sebastian, Elnaaz Eskandari, Krista Samreth, Yasim Zafar, Javier La Fontaine, Luis Venegas, and Dr. Hafizur Rahman
Advisor: Dr. Hafizur Rahman

SI-7 Choroid Plexus Enlargement in Young Alcohol Users is Associated with Reduced Fluid Intelligence and Mental Flexibility
Presenting author(s): Monica Lozano Garcia, Dr. Ihsan M. Salloum, and Dr. Alan N. Francis
Advisor: Dr. Alan N. Francis

SJ-2 Bayesian Inference for Deep Learning
Presenting author(s): Ricardo Reyna JR
Advisor: Dr. Hansapani Rodrigo

SJ-3 Bayesian Estimation of Reproduction Numbers from Distributions of Outbreak Sizes: Branching Processes Approach
Presenting author(s): Alberta Araba Johnson
Advisor: Dr. George Yanev

SJ-4 Anomaly Detection Using Unsupervised Machine Learning Algorithms: A Simulation Study
Presenting author(s): Edmund Fosu Agyemang
Advisor: Independent Research Sent for Review in Scientific African Journal

SJ-5 An Evaluation of Feature Selection Methods in Machine Learning in the Presence of Class Imbalance
Presenting author(s): Martha Asare
Advisor: Dr. Rodrigo Hansapani

SJ-6 Oscillations in neuronal activity: a neuron-centered spatiotemporal model of the Unfolded Protein Response in prion diseases
Presenting author(s): Omar Sharif
Advisor: Dr. Michael R. Lindstrom

SJ-7 Bayesian Quantile Regression using lasso and net lasso Penalty
Presenting author(s): Priscilla Kissi-Appiah
Advisor: Dr. ZhuanZhuan Ma

SK-1 Poly (Lactic-co-glycolic acid) Fibers Integrated with Superparamagnetic Nanoparticles CoZnFe4O8
Presenting author(s): Jose Garcia
Advisor: Dr. Karen S. Martirosyan

SK-2 ATR on Polyethylene Oxides
Presenting author(s): Alexandro Trevino
Advisor: Dr. Mircea Chipara

SK-3 DSC on Polyethylene Oxides and their Nanofibers
Presenting author(s): Parinaz Amaniabdolmalaki
Advisor: Dr. Mircea Chipara

SK-4 Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder Observations of the Most Powerful Radio Sources in the Southern Sky
Presenting author(s): Siegfried Gawenda
Advisor: Dr. Juan Madrid

SK-5 Identifying Ultracompact White Dwarf Binaries Through their Spectral Energy Distribution
Presenting author(s): Alexander Mendoza
Advisor: Dr. Liliana Rivera Sandoval

SK-6 Fabrication of PDMS-Based Piezoelectric Nanogenerator Utilizing Barium Ruthenate (BaRuO3) Synthesized by Solid-State Reactions
Presenting author(s): Pablo Zepeda Cecilia Pena
Advisor: Dr. M. Jasim Uddin

SL-1 Assessing the effects of channel-widening on water quality in Bahia Grande
Presenting author(s): Jose Cisneros Gaspar Najera Aaliyah Garcia
Advisor: Dr. David Hicks

SL-2 Effects of Nutrient Enrichment on black mangroves (Avicennia germinans)
Presenting author(s): Luke Snelson Gaspar Najera
Advisor: Dr. Alejandro Fierro Cabo

SL-4 Advanced Predictive Models for Assessing Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Freshwater Aquaculture
Presenting author(s): Maria Camila Mejia Garcia
Advisor: Dr. Hansapani Rodrigo, Dr. Rafael M. Almeida

SL-5 Estimation of Fish Biomass on the RGV Reef Using Split Beam Sonar
Presenting author(s): Allison White
Advisor: Dr. Richard Kline

SL-6 Understanding How Interactions Between Bathymetry and Current Velocities Affect Fish Assemblages of the RGV Reef
Presenting author(s): Annie Zeiler
Advisor: Dr. Richard Kline

SL-7 Water savings and energy generation potential from covering water systems with photovoltaic panels in the semi-arid Rio Grande Valley of Texas
Presenting author(s): Augusto Torezan Silingardi Del Claro
Advisor: Dr. Rafael Almeida

SL-8 Delineating and Characterizing the Rio Grande River’s Abandoned Channels (Resacas) in the United States and Mexico from a Hydrologic and Geomorphologic Perspective
Presenting author(s): Bridgett Collis
Advisor: Dr. Jude Benavides

SL-9 How Forms of Capital Shape Farm Worker Resilience Amid Socio-Ecological Change
Presenting author(s): Cody Mortell
Advisor: Dr. Anna Erwin

SM-1 Analyzing Synergies and Conflicts: Solar Power Potential and Bee Diversity Patterns in the Contiguous United States
Presenting author(s): Deisy Garcia
Advisor: Dr. Rafael Almedia

SM-2 Identifying the Opportunities for Agrivoltaic Development in Nigeria
Presenting author(s): Ifeoluwa Babarinde
Advisor: Dr. Rafael M. Almeida

SM-3 The Effects of Environmental Factors on Surface Water Nutrients of Resacas, Abandoned Distributaries of the Rio Grande River
Presenting author(s): Jacob Resendiz, Myung Hwangbo, and Dr. Jongsun Kim
Advisor: Dr. Jongsun Kim

SM-4 Habitat Use and Movement of Parrotfish on Coral Seascapes in the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary
Presenting author(s): Lelaina Clayburg
Advisor: Dr. Richard Kline

SM-5 Oithona of the Gulf of Mexico: Abundance, Distribution, and Phylogeography
Presenting author(s): Marshall Perry
Advisor: Dr. Diego Figueroa

SM-6 Seasonal and Spatial Variation of Amphipod Communities in the Galapagos Islands in Response to Oceanographic Processes
Presenting author(s): Misty R. Lopez and Apolonio Flores
Advisor: Dr. Diego Figueroa

SM-7 Examining Collaborative Governance for the Bahia Grande in Cameron County, Texas
Presenting author(s): Mya Brown and Dr. Owen Temby
Advisor: Dr. Owen Temby

SM-8 The Case for Beginning Farmers and Ranchers in the Rio Grande Valley
Presenting author(s): Perla Schrock
Advisor: Dr. Anna Erwin

SM-9 Evaluating the effectiveness of wildlife exit designs and sensor lights in mitigating wildlife-vehicle collisions for safer highways in South Texas
Presenting author(s): Rupesh Maharjan
Advisor: Dr. Richard J. Kline

SN-1 Dynamics of methanogenic and methanotrophic microorganisms in South Texas Coastal Wetlands: Impact of Environmental Factors
Presenting author(s): Shahida Ferdousee
Advisor: Dr. Jongsun Kim

SN-2 Carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide fluxes from managed distributaries across the Rio Grande Delta
Presenting author(s): Siena Rose Stassi
Advisor: Dr. Rafael Almeida, Dr. Jude Benavides

SN-3 Population structure of the critically endangered Kemp’s Ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys kempii)
Presenting author(s): Stephanie Cano
Advisor: Dr. Diego Figueroa

SN-4 Co-Benefit Potentials of Flood Mitigations and Increasing Water Supply via Groundwater Recharge in Arroyo Colorado Watershed in South Texas
Presenting author(s): Sumiaya Amin Preota
Advisor: Dr. Chu-Lin Cheng

SN-5 Temporal Dynamics of Seagrass Bare Patches in the Lower Laguna Madre: A Remote Sensing Analysis
Presenting author(s): Zahra Mocarrami, Dr. Hudson DeYoe, Dr. Warren M. Pulich Jr., and Dr. Chu-Lin Cheng
Advisor: Dr. Chu-Lin Cheng

SN-7 Fluorescence Detection of TiO2 nanoparticles in solution using Fluorescein dye molecule.
Presenting author(s): Alexandra Shepperd and Dr. Jason G. Parsons
Advisor: Dr. Jason G. Parsons, Helia Magali Morales

SN-8 Network of plants and their butterfly pollinators in the Rio Grande Valley​
Presenting author(s): Ali Ramos
Advisor: Dr. Robin Choudhury

SN-9 Relationship between chlorophyll-a concentration and Secchi depth measurements in Cameron County, Texas, resacas
Presenting author(s): Andrew Ward and Abdiel De Hoyos
Advisor: David Lecusay

SO-1 Integrating Oysters and Algae into Polyculture Aquasystems for Sustainable Shrimp Farming
Presenting author(s): Danielle Martinez, Luis Rios, and Laileth Montes
Advisor: Dr. Hudson Deyoe

SO-2 Exploring pollinator preferences for plant species native to the lower Rio Grande Valley
Presenting author(s): Dianela Jaramillo, Ashley Sandoval, Alexa Alaniz, and Elizabeth Guajardo
Advisor: Dr. Julie Mustard and Dr. Alejandro Fierro

SO-3 Effects of Inundation on Greenhouse Gases Production in a Tidal saltmarsh Soil
Presenting author(s): Hector Alejandro Leal
Advisor: Dr. Alejandro Fierro Cabo

SO-4 Greenhouse gas flux in soils affected by soil type, amendment, and redox conditions: Mesocosm experiment.
Presenting author(s): Joel Reyes
Advisor: Dr. James Kang

SO-5 The Influence of Abiotic Factors on Kinorhynch Biodiversity in the Bahia Grande
Presenting author(s): Josue Martinez, Katherine Garcia, Emily Kornblum, and Erin E. Easton
Advisor: Dr. Erin E. Easton

SO-6 Investigating the Use of Oysters in a Polyculture Aquaculture System
Presenting author(s): Laileth Montes
Advisor: Dr. Hudson Deyoe

SO-7 The effects on Texas Gulf Shrimp in a polyculture system opposed to a monoculture system
Presenting author(s): Luis Rios
Advisor: Dr. Hudson Deyoe

SO-8 None Assessing the distribution of Leptoseris across varying depths throughout the seamounts of the Salas y Gómez Ridge
Presenting author(s): Megan Francis
Advisor: Dr. Erin E. Easton

SO-9 Effect of cover crop rotation on plant growth and root-associated fungi on a corn cropping system
Presenting author(s): Geovanni Hernandez, Qiurong Fan, and Alejandro Rojas
Advisor: Dr. Robin Choudhury

SP-1 Yersinia Pestis Bacterium
Presenting author(s): Clarrissa Sifuentes
Advisor: Ivan Davila

SP-2 Analysis of Rabbit's Unique Anatomy
Presenting author(s): Luz Rodriguez
Advisor: Ivan Davila

Keynote speaker: 

Dr. Gabriela González 

Gabriela González is a professor of physics and astronomy at Louisiana State University searching for gravitational waves with the LIGO team.  She was born in Córdoba, Argentina, where she studied before pursuing her Ph.D. in Syracuse University, obtained in 1995. She was a staff scientist in the LIGO group at MIT, joined the faculty at Penn State in 1997 and moved to LSU in 2001.  She has received awards from the American Physical Society, the American Astronomical Society and the National Academy of Sciences and is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the US and Argentinian National Academies of Sciences. She has been a member of the LIGO Scientific Collaboration since 1997, served as spokesperson in 2011-2017, and participated in the announcement of the discovery of gravitational waves in 2016.  Her group works on LIGO instrument development, reducing noise sources, and data diagnostics. 

Oral Session Descriptions:

Biology

• S11-1: Ellisah Patricia Famador - Interaction of mitochondrial OPA1 and transmembrane potential in NTera-2 cells
• S11-2: Adegboyega Fajemisin - Investigating the cascading effects of cover crops on the subsequent cash crop defense against a polyphagous herbivore
• S11-3: Anna Rose Mehner - Influence of Traffic on Bobcat and Coyote Behavior at Wildlife Crossing Structures Along Two Highways in South Texas
• S11-4: Avninder Kaur - Impact of temperature stressed Listeria monocytogenes on its growth and survival kinetics on fresh-cut salad during storage
• S11-5: Daphne Alcala-Zuniga - Shortening of telomeres caused by bacterial lipopolysaccharides in HIV-1 exposed Human Oral Keratinocytes (HOK)
• S12-1: Elizabeth Ann Gonzalez - Describing the root and tuber morphology of the endangered plant species Asclepias prostrata from extraction in South Texas
• S12-2: N/A
• S12-3: Harpreet Kaur - Understanding the Developmental Regulation of OPA1 Processing in C2C12 Myoblasts
• S12-4: Lance Santos - Relationship between soil texture and fine root density on border palo verde seedling growth, and effects on drought tolerance and growth
• S13-1: Madison Nadler - Camera Traps and Infrared Trip Wires Effectively Capture Herpetofauna and Small Mammals
• S13-2: Ruth Lilia Galan - Alternative net apertures for the exclusion of the Asian Citrus Psyllid from young citrus trees in South Texas
• S13-3: N/A
• S13-4: Sofia Ayala - Influence of light availability on the growth and morphology of Megathyrsus maximus

Chemistry

• S21-1: Aleida G. Gonzalez - Novel Strategy to Influence Reactivity of Ni-H-Al Subunit in Heterometallic Complexes by Addition of Varying Ancillary Ligands
• S21-2: Alitza Gracia - Density Functional Theory Investigations on the Conformational Landscapes of Symmetrically Fluorine-Substituted Benzoic Acids
• S21-3: David De Los Santos - Ni2 Complexes Supported By A Redox-Active Ligand Bearing An N-Atom Anchor
• S21-4: Tamanna Zakia - ZnSnO3 Hollow Nanorod/PDMS Based Piezoelectric Nano-generator for Harvesting Mechanical Energy
• S22-1: Tanzida Zubair - On-water green synthesis of spiroindolinepyranopyrazoles 
• S22-2: Elvira Alanis - Rational Design of an Antimicrobial Peptide 
• S22-3: Edgardo De Leon - Amplifying Reactivity of Metal Hydrides: A Heterotrimetallic NiAl2(μ2-H)2 Catalyst for the Dearomatization of N-Heterocycles

Medical & Health

• S23-1: Olivia Mackey - Microbiome dysbiosis and its possible association with inflammatory complications and progression of Type II Diabetes: A pilot study in Mexican-American cohort from Rio Grande Valley
• S23-2: Jaqueline Quintanilla - Minocycline-loaded PLGA Microparticles with Targeting Agents for the Treatment of Glioblastoma
• S23-3: Emily Jordan - The Dual Delivery of Y15 and Metformin in a PLGA Scaffold for the Treatment of Platinum Resistant Ovarian Cancer

Environmental

• S31-1: Audrey Hicks - No Title Provided
• S31-2: Esmirna Cantu - Pesticides Induce Oxidative/Nitrative Stress, Disrupt Renal System and Impair Swimming Behavior in Goldfish
• S31-3: Esther Oginni - Efficacy of novel interventions to mitigate the risk of Salmonella spp., in hydroponic systems.
• S31-4: Jerald Thomas Garrett - Factors influencing Tamaulipan thornforest restoration outcomes
• S32-1: Manish Gautam - Cover crop impacts on soil moisture dynamics influenced by soil texture and rooting depth in semi-arid South Texas
• S32-2: Marissa Lamb - Sonar Mapping and Fish Biomass Estimates of East Bank Ridge, Gulf of Mexico
• S32-3: Sai Deepak Pinakana - Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) Pollution Monitoring at port of entries along the US-Mexico border with Sentinel-5P Satellite Imagery
• S32-4: Samantha Lynn Colunga - Reforestation Impacts on Carbon Sequestration Rates: Thorn Forest Chronosequences within the Rio Grande Valley
• S33-1: Aaliyah Garcia, Selma Mendez, Jesus Villalvazo - Living shorelines as a sustainable solution to shoreline erosion at the UTRGV Port Isabel campus
• S33-2: N/A
• S33-3: N/A
• S33-4: N/A

Math & Stat

• S41-1: Kristen Hallas - Optimizing Battery Recycling Network: A Modeling Approach
• S41-2: Tania Vargas - A machine learning approach to obese-inflammatory phenotyping
• S41-3: Theophilus Baidoo - Survival Modeling of Breast cancer Patients using Random Survival forests and Cox Proportional deep neural network (DeepSurv)
• S41-4: Dora Reyes - Logistic equation and applications in population dynamics
• S42-1: Changyan Shi - Bright and Dark soliton solutions to a vector Sasa-Satsuma equation 
• S42-2: Omar Saldana, Aaron Puente - Resonant soliton solutions to the KP equation and beach waves 
• S42-3: Rosa María Serrato - Mathematical Modeling and Analysis in Spring Systems
• S42-4: N/A

Physics

• S51-1: Bhawana Sedhai - Detection and parameter estimation of unknown Supernova signals by using Convolutional Neural Network model 
• S51-2: Elnaz Hamdarsi - No Title Provided
• S51-3: Luis Salazar Manzano - Time-domain analysis of the outbursts of AM CVns with TESS
• S51-4: Manoj Chhetri - Thermodynamic Feasibility of Potential Nano-energetic Systems based on Oxynitride
• S51-5: Md Habibur Rahman - A Novel Technique to Solve Fractional Differential Equations Using Fractional-order B-polynomial Basis Set
• S52-1: Michael Gale Benjamin - Efficiency of Core Collapse Supernova models in the on-source window of SN2019ejj using network analysis and a convolutional neural network
• S52-2: Raghav Girgaonkar - Effect of Alternative Model Parameters on Gravitational Wave searches
• S52-3: Shahrear Khan Faisal - Search for Gravitational Waves from Core Collapse Supernovae in LIGO's observation runs using a network of detectors
• S52-4: Andrea Pelayo Carvajal - Erbium doping of Lithium Tantalate nanoparticles for infrared detectors

Biology

• SA-1: Alessandra Perry - Learning and Memory in Bees: Prioritizing Taste or Nutrition?
• SA-2: Bianca Jimenez - FOXO4 regulates the NOTCH pathway in Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM)
• SA-3: Elizabeth Estrada - Cactoblastis cactorum and the Utilization of R Models to Monitor this Destructive Species in the Lower Rio Grande Valley 
• SA-4: Megan Samantha Solis - One, Two or Three species? Using an integrative approach to taxonomy to clarify species boundaries in spring snails
• SA-5: Michelle Rada - Optimization of DNA transformation into algae cells
• SA-6: Sarah P Gutierrez - Investigating Role of FOXO factors in the nucleus of Basal Breast Cancer (BBC) and Glioblastoma Multiform (GBM) through gene expression of ADAMTS2
• SA-7: Alma Nelly Lopez - Role of Foxo Transcription Factors in Glycolisis and the Developmental Wnt Pathway
• SA-8: Bianca Farrell - Exofacial thiol levels on various Trichomonas vaginalis isolates
• SA-9: Daphne Zapsas - Exploring the relationship between soil properties, microbial communities, and crop productivity in dryland farming systems of south Texas
• SA-10: David Uribe - No Title Provided
• SA-11: Dikshanta Vinaya Luitel - Unveiling Xenophagy: The Secret Weapon of Colon Epithelial Cells Against Intracellular Bacteria
• SB-1: Emily Medelez - Sustainable Farm Management For Carbon Sequestration in Agricultural Fields
• SB-2: Gabriella Garza - Prebiotic RNA Oligonucleotide Polymerization on Mineral Surfaces using Microfluidics
• SB-3: Jamie Langbein - Preliminary Results of the Effectiveness of Redesigned Wildlife Exits Along a South Texas Highway 
• SB-4: Mia Martinez - Exploring the effects of cover crops on soil nutrient availability: An On-farm research study
• SB-5: Millat Jahan - Investigating the localization of FOXO4 in U87MG Glioblastoma cell lines
• SB-6: Rebecca Flores - Do honey bees develop tolerance to ethanol?
• SB-7: Adhira Tippur - Nature's Chemical Defenders: Exploring Reactive Oxygen Species in Plant Protection
• SB-8: Abdallah Galal - Evaluation of Multi-Session Temporary Anesthesia to Improve Upper Limb Recovery in Spinal Cord Injury
• SB-9: Andrew P Guerra - Screening of Antimicrobial Candidates against Pseudomonas aeruginosa
• SB-10: Aracely Balderas-Leal, Ana Medellin, and Vicky Pena-Moreno - An Anthropological, Financial, and Medical Analysis of Opuntia ficus-indica Consumption in Areas of South Texas
• SB-11: Yahia Al-Qudah - No Title Provided
• SC-1: Arianna Hernandez - Effect of bacterial growth stage on the antimicrobial activity of ZnO nanoparticles
• SC-2: Christine Vega - Tarantula Toxin Transcripts and Toxin Structure Prediction by Alpha Fold
• SC-3: Gustavo Othon Estrada Jaimez - Monitoring the Lower Rio Grande Valley to prevent the possible spread of the Cactus moth
• SC-4: Jolie Gonzalez - Monitoring the Effects of Wildlife Crossings on Bobcat Range in South Texas
• SC-5: Jonathan R Dominguez - DNA identification of a small wolfsnail population (Euglandina sp.) in downtown San Antonio.  
• SC-6: Marco A Silguero - Evaluating The Ecology of North America Lace Bug, A Potential Biocontrol Agent of Silverleaf Nightshade
• SC-7: Mariana Gonzalez-Tiscareno - Determining the relationship between two species of Central Texas cave snails
• SC-8: Natalia Salazar-Lozano - Building a molecular phylogeny of cave snails of Central Texas to better understand their diversity
• SC-9: Roberto Davila - Exploring the Traits of AMF Spores: Implications for Fungal Ecology
• SC-10: Roel Castaneda - Identification of unknown phreatic snail populations (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Cochliopidae) from Central Texas
• SC-11: N/A
• SC-12: Joshwa Gandy - No Title Provided

Chemistry

• SD-1: Chioma Chinwe Nwakanobi - Electrolysis degradation of Cyanuric Acid in Waste Water at Cu/GO Cathodes
• SD-2: Christopher Munoz - NanoDesign With Intent:
  Controlling Dimension, Porosity & Morphologies of ZnSnO3 Perovskites (ABX3) For Enhanced Piezoelectric Activity via Combination Synthesis Methods
• SD-3: Eloy Garza, Hassan Ahmad - Attachment of Papain to Magnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles Using Polydopamine as Covalent Linker
• SD-4: Jose Vega, Sophia Villa - Antimicrobial Properties of Mixed Metal Oxides
• SD-5: Islam Uddin Shipu - Functionalization of Polyvinylidene Difluoride (PVDF) with LiTaO3 and Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes (MWCNTs) for Advanced Piezoelectric Nanogenerator
• SD-6: Jesus Gamez - Designing Lewis acid-base interactions in a Substituted Phosphine Ligand Towards Ethylene-CO2 Coupling
• SD-7: Joe Lara - Synthesis, characterization, and application of vanadium phthalocyanines as a mixed heterogeneous catalyst for low temperature coupling reactions
• SD-8: Joseph A Felix - Detection of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles in Aqueous Solution Utilizing Fluorescent Dye
• SD-9: Katherine Wright - Electrolysis for Degradation of Bisphenol A Via NiS/GO and CoS/GO
• SD-10: Maria Irene Myers Armas - Catalytic activity of Porphyrin Metalated Complexes in Coupling Reactions
• SD-11: Rigobert Ybarr - Synthesis of Nanostructured BaTiO3 and Enhancement of PVDF/PEO
• SE-1: Dave Philips - Photoluminescence properties of Mixed Metal Oxide Nanoparticles in Textile Industry
• SE-2: Adhira Tippur - Perovskites for biomedical and solar cell application
• SE-3: Amber Garcia, Juan Garcia - Characterization of Photoluminescence Properties, shape and size of Gold, Silver, Silicon, Copper Nanoparticles Synthesized Using High Energy Ball Milling
• SE-4: Claudia Garza - Structural Exploration of PSD-95 Regulating the Surface Stability of NMDARs at Postsynaptic Membranes
• SE-5: Fernando Gonzalez - Modulating Cooperative Reactivity in Catalysis: Synthesis of Novel Heterometallic Hydride Complex
• SE-6: N/A
• SE-7: Sergio Gonzalez - Synthesis of Ni-bisphosphine complexes that support Lewis acids in coupling of CO2 and ethylene
• SE-8: Yolanda Gutierrez, Joaquin Rivera - New ways to improve dispersibility of Nanotubes: Approaching from the formation of silica nanoparticles by High Energy Reactive Ball Milling (HEBM) in polar solvents
• SE-9: Asif Shahriar - Structural and functional insight of Helicobacter pylori Translation Initiation Factor IF1 (HpIF1) in protein biosynthesis and rational design of new antimicrobial candidate
• SE-10: Ihssan Al-Qudah - Case Study of Steglich Esterification: Applying Modern Physical Organic Techniques to Study the Catalytic Cycle and Formation of Acylpyridinium Ion
• SE-11: Zachary Siehr - Green Chemistry: One-Step Wet Synthesis of Amino Acid Functionalized Silver and Silica Nanoparticles Derived from Recycled Pulverized Glass Via Chemical Reduction

Environmental 

• SF-1: Allison White - Estimation of Fish Biomass on the RGV Reef Using Split Beam Sonar
• SF-2: Alyssa Alvarado - Development of a low-cost method for concentrating microalgae using a freshwater overlay
• SF-3: Angel Salinas - Greenhouse Gas Emission and Redox Potential Dynamics Affected by Water Saturation Conditions in Biochar/Compost Amended Soil
• SF-4: Angelica R. Tamayo - Assessing Effectiveness in Habitat Connectivity of Different Designs of Wildlife Underpass Crossing Structures
• SF-5: Annie Zeiler - Impacts of Bathymetry and Current Velocities on Fish Assemblages of the RGV Reef
• SF-6: Asif Ahmed - Effects of short-term exposure to pesticides mixture on tissue architecture and body fluid conditions of American oyster 
• SF-7: Christopher J Austin - A Comprehensive Analysis of Fish Assemblages and Flow Regimes Upstream and Downstream of Falcon Reservoir / Un Analisis comprensivo sobre ensemblajes de peces y Corrientes en el Falcon Reservoir
• SF-8: Michelle King - The potential for Carbon Sequestration in a Nearshore Artificial Reef
• SF-9: Amanda Hernandez - Comparing adaptation to Climate Change in a U.S. and Pakistani Border Community
• SG-1: Odile Umuhoza - Reference Plant Available Water for Semi-Arid Cover Cropping and Restoration Studies
• SG-2: Rupesh Maharjan - Habitat Suitability analysis of Fishing cat (Prionailurus viverrinus) in Northern sector of Chitwan National Park using a geospatial approach
• SG-3: Sakib Tahmid Rishan - Applications of environmental DNA (eDNA) to detect subterranean and aquatic invasive species: Prospects and challenges of eDNA metabarcoding
• SG-4: Ana Yarely Casillas Rodriguez - Evaluation of biochar metal impregnation methods: Post-pyrolysis vs. Pre-pyrolysis treatments
• SG-5: Donavuan Salazar - Effect of Hyposalinity on Physiology of Marine Algae of the Lower Laguna Madre, Texas
• SG-6: Johnathan Robert Gonzalez - Measurement of personal exposure to Black Carbon using mobile measurement techniques : A case study in Lower Rio Grande Valley 
• SG-7: Zachary Rivera - Investigation of Hydraulic Parameters and Their Roles in Soil Greenhouse Gas and Water Exchange Under Climate Extremes
• SG-8: Edgar Garcia, Maximiliano Bettini  - Soil redox potential (Eh) measurements affected by wetting-drying cycle
• SG-9: Lorraine M. Lozada Reyes - Developing Genomic Tools for Underutilized Crops of Puerto Rico

Engineering

• SH-1: N/A
• SH-2: Robert Alexander Perez - Novel Nanofiber Manufacturing Process: Collection System 
• SH-3: Shadman Sakib - Cellulose/Chitosan Composite Aerogel Based Triboelectric Nano-generator for Harvesting Mechanical Energy
• SH-4: N/A
• SH-5: Kevin Zhou - Identifying Citrus diseases using A.I. learning

Math & Stat

• SI-1: Dipok Deb - Optimal Quantization for Discrete Distributions
• SI-2: Nicholas Niako - Effects of missing data imputation on univariate time series forecasting using ARIMA and LSTM
• SI-3: Saikou Jawla - Data Science for Antibiotic Stewardship
• SI-4: Solomon Eshun - A Machine Learning Approach to Evaluate the Effect of Sodium-Glucose Cotransporter 2 Inhibitors (SGLT2) on Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) in Patients with Diabetes
• SI-5: Dora Reyes - Logistic equation and applications in population dynamics

Physics

• SJ-1: Miranda Molina - No Title Provided
• SJ-2: Aleshintsev Aleksey- ParB promotes DNA sliding at the C-terminal domain through flexible DNA binding lysine motif
• SJ-3: Aram Flores - Solar Simulator
• SJ-4: Francisco D. Santillan - Rabi Oscillations and Entanglement between two Rydberg Atoms in an Optical Cavity studied by the Jaynes-Cummings Model and Quantum Circuits on Qiskit
• SJ-5: Francisco Llamas - Photon Calibrator Power Sensor Temperature Sensitivity
• SJ-6: Miriam Ramos Arevalo - Ultracompact White Dwarf Binaries in Globular Clusters
• SJ-7: Wendy Mendoza - Enhancing Convolutional Neural Networks for Accurate Detection of
  Optical Astronomical Transients through a User-Friendly Web Application
• SJ-8: Andrea Pelayo Carvajal - On Polyethylene Oxide – Fluorinated Polymers Blends
• SJ-9: N/A
• SJ-10: Rock Mason - Measuring Flux of Cataclysmic Variable Stars:
  Photometry of SS Cygni Using IRAF
• SJ-11: Victoria Delgado - Speed of Sound of a Dense Medium of Massive Fermions

Computer

• SK-1: Randy De Leon, Sebastian A. Torres - Determining Reachability in 1-Source 1-Consuming Chemical Reaction Networks Simulator
• SK-2: N/A
• SK-3: Isaac Manuel Bernal, Hamza Awan, Benjamin Alvarado - Optical Detection of Exoplanets using Transit Method with CTMO and McDonald Observatories
• SK-4: Asher Haun - The Effect of Cellular Regeneration on Viral Infections

Medical & Health

• SL-1: Ashily Chemplayil - Correlation between the anatomy and biomechanics of the ankle joint involving the etiology of lateral ankle sprain (LAS)
• SL-2: Isabella Victoria Strash - Pre and Post Operative Analysis of Forefoot Plantar Pressure During Walking in Patients with Hammertoe Deformities
• SL-3: James Mcclure Hughes - Plantar Pressure Analysis of Patients with Isolated Gastrocnemius Tightness
• SL-4: Jordan Danielle Escobar - Effects of Psychological Stress on Health Status and Lifestyle in College Students
• SL-5: Nicholas Obias - Energy Cost of Walking in Diabetic Partial-Foot Amputees as Related to Amputation Levels 
• SL-6: Olivia Mackey - Epidemiology Biomechanics and Patient Outcomes for Lateral Ankle Sprains in Athletes
• SL-7: America Prado - Rio Grande Valley Frontiers in Nutrition: The impact of nutritional labels on consumer food choices

Arts & Science

• SX-1: Cecilia Sierra - Stimulated Flight from a Visual Arts Perspective
• SX-2: Josue Rubio - Visual Arts rendition of a stringed instrument and research to understand waves and energy

Agenda 2021

The conference is held in virtual format with parallel sessions using different Zoom rooms.

• The oral presentation sessions are 1 hour long with student presentations being limited to 10 minutes plus 2 minutes for questions. The oral presentations will be shared by the presenter during the session via “zoom share”. The presentations will be uploaded and linked to the detailed agenda if they are provided to the conference organizer (COS@utrgv.edu).
  The session chair is the host of the zoom session and will enforce strict time limits.
• The poster sessions are 1 hour long, and all student poster presenters need to be present during the poster session. The posters will NOT be shared by the presenter but will be available via link from the detailed agenda. The posters MUST be provided to the conference organizers no later than Thursday, November 18 at 12:00 PM.
  The session chair will direct questions from the audience to the poster presenter. The use of breakout rooms for further poster explanations is encouraged.

All poster and talk presentations must be in PDF or PowerPoint format. All presentation submitted files will be linked to the entry in the detailed agenda.

Zoom links to the individual sessions are provided below. Links to the oral and poster presentations are provided in the detailed talk and poster agenda below the agenda overview.

Agenda 2021 Overview

Agenda 2020 Overview

Detailed Agenda

Oral presentations

Poster presentations