Arthur A. Schomburg Fellowship Program

Nanoconfined Ionic Liquid Membranes for Highly Efficient CO2/N2 Seperation

Anthropogenic activities, including power generation, release significant amounts of greenhouse gases (CO2, SO2) into the atmosphere, contributing to global warming and climate change. One of the most sustainable means of reducing these emissions is carbon capture. Many emerging carbon capture technologies, however, membranes have gained significant attention due to their compact design, energy efficiency, operational simplicity, and cost-effective fabrication. Among the many membranes fabricated, amino acid-based ionic liquids (ILs) have shown great potential as membrane materials for highly efficient CO2 from flue gas. However, they possess limited chemical and mechanical stability, which has hindered their broader application.

To address these challenges, our research group has developed nanoconfined ionic liquid (NCIL) membranes by incorporating amino-acid ILs into the nanostructure of a modified polymer support. These NCIL membranes exhibit exceptional mechanical stability and gas separation performance for CO2 capture. Despite these advancements, exposing NCIL membranes to air leads to degradation over time, affecting their long-term stability and gas separation efficiency. This research focuses on understanding the nanoconfinement effect in enhancing membrane performance, and oxygen degradation mechanisms, and developing strategies for scaling up NCIL membranes. These advancements will significantly improve the CO2 capture process, contributing to more efficient mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions and promoting a more sustainable and habitable environment.

Reframing Suicide: A Structural Perspective on Suicide Disparities

Suicide rates in America increase each year and disproportionately affect certain groups of people. Mainstream research, interventions, and prevention strategies attribute suicide and suicide-related behavior to mental/behavioral health. This approach emphasizes individual responsibility and ignores the broader structural factors that contribute to suicide disparities. To better understand the root causes of suicide, research must consider the historical, political, economic, and social factors that create challenges for individuals.

Parallel Mechanical Computing: Metamaterials that Can Multitask

Mechanical computing has gained prominence in recent years, presenting a secondary yet viable computation mechanism in off-grid and low-access environments. The vast majority of research efforts in the domain of mechanical computing have focused on realizing logic gates and Boolean operations in mechanical form. In our current work, we present a first attempt to perform parallel mechanical computing within a prescribed acoustic domain, by exploiting time-modulated metasurfaces which enable simultaneous multi-wave beaming in distinct frequency channels. The realization of parallel processing in analog computing lays the foundation for substantial advancements in both acoustic and optical domains, and unlocks several features which thus far have been elusive in physical neuromorphic and reservoir computing.

Networks of Relation and Spheres of Influence in Twentieth-Century Black Queer Cultural Production

The notion that Black queer artists and the works they create are connected and in conversation with each other across time and space is at the center of my dissertation research. Through archival research and comparative textual and visual analysis, I examine film, literature, theatre, photography, and performance by twentieth-century Black queer cultural workers, as well as evidence of connections between these figures and other Black queer artists, activists, and intellectuals, to study Black queer cultural production within its historical, political, and social contexts.

By placing a diverse range of Black queer cultural texts in conversation with each other, my dissertation investigates the conditions of Black queer cultural production in the early- and late-twentieth century, thinking comparatively across several key Black and LGBTQ+ historical periods. My dissertation research aims to situate Black queer art and literature within a relational network that connects Black queer cultural workers across time and space, in order to contribute new narratives about twentieth-century Black queer life that resists its erasure by dominant heteronormative narratives of history. 

Modeling and Simulation of Net-Based Active Space Debris Removal Systems

The increase in the number of debris objects orbiting the Earth causes significant challenges to daily spacecraft operations and threats to future space missions. To mitigate the threat posed by space debris, net-based debris capture systems have a high potential for success in Active Debris Removal (ADR) missions. Because of the concept's novelty, the system's behavior in space must be studied through simulations before its real-world employment. This presentation will detail the models utilized for simulations and analyze the system's performance during various phases of ADR missions, including net deployment, debris capture, and debris towing.

Pathways to Soil Carbon Storage

This talk will discuss recent research, in which we performed a soil incubation experiment to investigate how the presence or absence of oxygen controls storage of different types of carbon in soil. We found that factors that control microbial decomposition of carbon are dominant drivers of soil carbon retention. This work enables better predictions of soil carbon storage under changing climate.

Striving for Equitable Assessment Opportunities: Preschool Teacher Feedback on a Gamified Self-regulation Task

Self-regulation skill development in early childhood lays the foundation for academic success during the school years by enabling children to engage and take advantage of learning opportunities. Early childhood educators must be prepared to target self-regulation skills, which involve controlling and planning adaptive actions within one’s environment, with each of their students using developmentally appropriate practices and tools. However, commonly used observational assessments that ask teachers to report on children’s behaviors may be affected by inaccurate perceptions. A new teacher-facilitated, largely child-led tablet-based assessment of self-regulation called HTKS-Kids assesses each individual child’s regulatory skills directly, without using a checklist. This study garnered early childhood educators’ feedback on HTKS-Kids feasibility and its potential to present new information concerning their children’s school readiness skills.

Intersectional Discrimination, Resilience, and Psychological Well-Being in Black Queer People

Black queer people face racism from white LGBTQ+ individuals, and heterosexism from cisgender/heterosexual Black people, a phenomenon collectively known as intersectional discrimination. This separation from one’s communities can create stress that hampers psychological well-being. Forms of poor psychological well-being include depression, suicidality, and substance misuse. Resilience involves successfully adapting to such adversity and stems from factors such as community support, inner strength, and positive social relationships. Through resilience building, Black queer people can forge pathways to liberation from oppressive structures.

PFAS, Reproductive Health, and Risk Perception

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are synthetic compounds that are almost impossible to break down in the environment and the human body, hence their more commonly known nickname – “forever chemicals." They are ubiquitous in everyday consumer products and are detected in the blood of more than 90% of people in the United States. Prolonged exposure has been linked to a variety of health risks, and relating specifically to women's health, exposure has been associated with the increased risk of common reproductive health issues such as irregular menstrual cycles and polycystic ovarian syndrome. Therefore, to better understand how women of reproductive age perceive the risks of PFAS exposure, this study employs an experimental approach to document how unique risk attributes influence women’s risk perception and efficacy perception. Further, we examine whether these perceptions contribute to their intention to engage in preventive behaviors.

Representations of Blackness and the Crossing Over of Sound: The Commodification of Soul in the Early Music of Whitney Houston (1985-1989)

Born into a highly musical family consisting of Grammy-winning artists such as Cissy Houston (mother), Darlene Love (godmother), Dionne Warwick (cousin), and Aretha Franklin (honorary aunt), Whitney Houston was exposed to a plethora of Motown, Soul, and gospel influences from an early age. After being signed to Arista Records under the watchful eye of Clive Davis in 1983, her subsequent rise to stardom was not only fast, but also highly calculated by the white-centric hierarchy of leading industry professionals. Drawing on the work of Tricia Rose, Keith Negus, Kristin Lieb, and Kyra Gaunt, Kirk analyzes Whitney Houston’s early sound through the systemic oppression of Black, female artists in the American mainstream music industry across the mid-late 20th Century. What can Whitney Houston's early sound tell us about the white-washing of Black artists to suit the ears of a (so-called) 'crossover' audience? Emerging artists such as Doja Cat, Sza, and Cardi B are living proof that the precarious issue of crossover sound is one that remains just as prevalent over 30 years later, and therefore is one which must be carefully considered in ethnomusicological study of Black popular artists.

Housing and Health Equity in Alaska and the Canadian Arctic

This research presentation synthesizes fifty peer-reviewed journal articles linking housing to health in Alaska and the Canadian Arctic using a health equity lens. This scoping literature review sets the stage for regional approaches to integrating housing, community development, and health in a changing climate. Housing characteristics that affect health in the study area include the impact of residential mobility, crowding, indoor air quality and ventilation, piped water and sewer service to homes, and access to health care, as well as characteristics specific to the Northern Indigenous context, including colonial legacies and the importance of social and cultural connection in housing design and policy.

Sonification, Attentive Listening and the Workshop

What is sonification? Sonification is a method of making what is not audible—images, videos, numerical data, information—into sound for attentive listening. Among people who study sonification it is either understood as a scientific process that can only transfer information, interpret it, or communicate it, or it is treated as music, experienced as a set of abstractions made through aesthetic choices to create sensory impact. It is analyzed as either a way of offloading pressure on the visual system in what is an ocularcentric world, or it is described as a practice that reveals an underappreciated cochlearcentrism among humans. What are the stakes of a sonification practice that would give importance to listening? What types of listening modes exist and how they help in the understanding of sonification?

Recovery from Alcohol Use Disorder: Conceptual Shifts, New Research, and Emerging Challenges

In this presentation, LaBarre will introduce emerging research that has shifted conceptualizations of recovery from alcohol use disorder, discuss new research that has investigated and tested new definitions of recovery (inclusive of his current line of research), and future research directions. Specifically, he will discuss how research in the past 2-3 decades resulted in changes of what it means to "recover" from AUD, and how these changes have impacted the way researchers research recovery. LaBarre will then discuss how recent research within the past 5-10 years has provided nuance and clarity to recovery processes. Finally, he will discuss pressing gaps, such as the need for recovery research among underrepresented, minority, and disadvantaged populations, and his research pertaining to sexual minority populations.

Effect of Lipid Composition on Interactions between Virus Proteins and Cell Membranes during Hepatitis C Infection

Some viral infections interfere with lipid management in the liver. The diverse types and compositions of lipids in cell membranes is able to facilitate different interactions with virus proteins that aid their functions. In hepatitis C, the p7 protein has been suggested to play key roles during virus formation, but the details on how it interacts with cell membranes is largely unknown. This talk will focus on using a computational technique called molecular dynamics simulations to describe how interactions of p7 with model cell membranes depend on membrane lipid composition. This work attempts to address unanswered questions regarding the relevance and mechanism of these interactions, and results can support the development of more effective therapeutics for hepatitis C patients.

Mechanical Neural Networks: Reconfigurable Elastic Metasurfaces for Cognitive Wave-based Computing

The ability of mechanical systems to perform basic computations has gained traction over recent years, providing an unconventional alternative to digital computing in off grid, low power, and severe thermal environments which render the majority of electronic components inoperable. In here, we present a first attempt to describe the fundamental framework of an elastic neuromorphic metasurface that performs distinct classification tasks. Multiple layers of reconfigurable waveguides are phase-trained via constant weights and trainable activation functions in a manner that enables the resultant wave scattering at the readout location to focus on the correct class within the detection plane. We demonstrate the neuromorphic system's ability to exhibit high accuracy in two distinct tasks owing to a fully reconfigurable design, eliminating the need for costly remanufacturing.

How the M813T Mutation Affects NMDA Receptor Structure and Function

The NMDA receptor is a protein molecule found throughout the brain and central nervous system. Protein molecules, like the NMDA receptor, are made of individual amino acids that contribute to overall function. The NMDA receptor regulates learning, vision, movement, and brain electrical firing. Mutations to the receptor’s amino acids result in epilepsy, movement dysregulation, visual impairment, and intellectual disorders. Our knowledge of the NMDA receptor’s function has been obtained using biochemical techniques such as single molecule imaging, experimentally controlled mutations, and protein purification. In combination, we are building a narrative to describe NMDA receptor function and dysfunction, in a controlled setting. This information is then translated to humans, where we can compare NMDA receptor function and dysfunction in diseased-settings.

Contrasting Motivations Among Black Reproductive Professionals: Competing Paradigms for Reimagining Liberation

LaShekia’s second year thesis began as an exploration into the Black midwife and doula movement as a source of cultural and political empowerment, yet evolved into a rarely-explored narrative on the struggle for cultural capital among emerging ethnomedical practices, ideas on professionalism, the future of medical education, and the need for reimagining what culturally resonant care means for not only patients, but BIPOC practitioners. 

April 22, 

2022

Critical Components: Understanding the Role of Cellular Recycling in Krabbe Disease

Narayan’s work is centered around Krabbe disease, a severe neurological condition that affects 1 in 100,000 people in the United States. People who suffer from Krabbe disease lack a key enzyme that is required for autophagy, the body’s natural process to clear out or recycle damaged or unnecessary cellular components. This leads to abnormal amounts of myelin — a layer of proteins and fatty acids that surround nerves — and contributes to the disease’s severity. While there is currently no cure for Krabbe disease, there are approved bone marrow therapies as well as ongoing gene therapy trials. Narayan’s research focusing on the regulation of myelin hopes to find a new therapeutic strategy that can work in tandem with these treatments.

We, Tong Bing: An Early History of the Chinese Deaf Community

Focusing on the formation of the deaf community before and during the War of Resistance, this essay explores Chinese deaf leaders' endeavors and the evolution of the deaf community in the following two sections. The first section examines the proliferation of deaf education in early twentieth century Chinese society. After examining the evolution from a network consisting of deaf educators and educated to a national deaf community before the War of Resistance, the second section switches to dead elites’ reactions to the influence of the national crisis on deaf people, especially those who were impoverished and in plight. 

March 31, 2021

N.D. Lambert

PhD, Political Science

How Far Ahead Do Nations Plan?

Utilizing Steven Brams’ Theory of Moves, Lambert discussed how to use game theory to study strategic interactions between governmental decision-makers. Specifically, Lambert’s research splits timeframes to study a nation’s likely actions in the short, medium and long run, with a hypothesis that more powerful nations look further into the future to determine the outcome of their actions.

April 30, 2021

Amanda Waggoner

PhD, Geography

Race and Place in Washington, D.C.

Waggoner’s research focuses on the effects of gentrification and media on Black communities in Washington, D.C. Waggoner compared articles in two different D.C.-based newspapers to determine the frequency and types of Black topics discussed. 

March 4, 2020

Venus Amiri

PhD, Chemical and Biological Engineering

Computational Analysis of Magnetic Droplet Generation and Manipulation in Microfluidic Devices

Roodan discussed her project on microfluidic devices and computation analysis to precisely control the droplet generation and manipulation under the applied magnetic force. The interest in this technology has grown dramatically as it holds great potential to provide innovative solutions for numerous applications that range from fast analytical systems of synthesis for advanced materials to biological assays for living cells.

April 9, 2020

Raven Baxter

PhD, Curriculum, Instruction and the Science of Learning, concentration in Science Education

“Big Ole Geeks”: How Innovation in Hip-Hop and Reality Pedagogy Set a Precedent for Representation in Science for Black Women

In this talk, Baxter described her research surrounding one of her viral YouTube videos—Big Ole Geeks—and the difference between media representations of scientists and Black women’s science identity. Baxter also discussed the future direction of her research using hip-hop and reality pedagogy in science education and communication. 

June 9, 2020

Olivia Geneus

PhD, Physical Chemistry

Hypoxia Targeted Nanoparticles of a T1 Contrast Agent

Glioblastoma multiform (GBM) is the most common primary malignant brain tumor in the U.S., with nearly 12,000 cases diagnosed annually. Geneus is developing nanoparticles that transverse the blood-brain barrier to treat and target hypoxic glioblastoma tumors located in the brain. Theranostic nanomaterials help improve clinical outcomes, reduce treatment-associated side effects, and help monitor disease progression and therapeutic outcome.

June 30, 2020

Pegi Bakula

PhD, Linguistics

Introducing Yil, a People and Language of Papua New Guinea
 

Bakula introduced listeners to the Yil people of Papaua New Guinea, who belong to the Wapei branch of the Torricelli family. This language faces extinction, and Bakula’s research interests and goals seek to keep it alive. 

July 14, 2020

Adrian Stein

PhD, Mechanical Engineering

Nonlinear Control of a Knuckle-Boom Crane With an Inertial Payload

Lifting heavy payloads is challenging and can be dangerous. Stein’s research seeks to simulate a new type of crane boom that would help to minimize large displacements, such as swinging and twisting during the lifting and turning operations of a crane. 

Aug. 4, 2020

Eric Deutsch

PhD, History

“Fiddler’s Bitch”: The Guide Dog Movement Comes to America

Deutsh discussed the guide dog movement's beginnings in the United States in the late 1920s, and how the movement grew to be accepted by the American public in the context of the contemporary concepts regarding rehabilitation and disability.

Aug. 25, 2020

Alber Aqil

PhD, Biological Sciences

Balancing Selection Maintaining Polymorphisms in Hominins

Aqil is intrigued by the fact that the genomes of humans, Neanderthals, and chimpanzees reveal deletion and duplication polymorphisms that have likely been maintained in our lineage for millions of years. His research delves into why that is and what the implications might be. 

Sept. 23, 2020

Antara Satchidanand

PhD, Communication Disorders and Sciences

Put the What, Where?! Referencing in Robot Assisted Surgery

Satchidanand’s research considers how members of the surgical team draw attention to salient parts of the visual field during robot-assisted surgery.

Oct. 14, 2020

Jamal Williams and Megan Conrow-Graham

PhD, Physiology and Biophysics; MD/PhD, Neuroscience

Ain’t I a Woman? How the U.S. Healthcare System is Failing Women of Color

In this talk, Williams and Conrow-Graham trace the history of systemic racism from slavery to the current day, specifically looking at how racist ideas impact the effectiveness of the U.S. healthcare system. This research is important because women of color are shown to have staggeringly higher rates of mortality and morbidity compared to other ethnicities and genders. 

Nov. 4, 2020

Sarah Quinones

PhD, Epidemiology and Environmental Health

Disability and Multidimensional Well-Being Among Adolescents in Rural Tanzania

Quinones discusses data collected on the prevalence of disabilities among a group of rural youth living in poverty in sub-Saharan Africa. She also looks at how this affects their domains of daily life such as schooling, livelihood, violence and psychosocial well-being. 

Feb. 19, 2019

Monica Johnson

PhD, Counseling and School Psychology

African American Acculturation and the "Strong Black Woman" Phenomenon 

Johnson’s research interests include African American acculturation, religiosity, multiculturalism and minority mental health. Her work involved the infusion of multiculturalism into the curriculum in various counseling psychology PhD programs and factors that influence academic success in African American woman. In this talk, Johnson discussed the strong black women phenomenon and its relevance to African American acculturation.

March 26, 2019

Megan Donahue

PhD, Rehabilitation Engineering

Are You Presenting for Everyone? Tips and Tricks for Inclusive Presentations

Donahue’s presentation discussed inclusive and accessible presentations that allow people with disabilities (particularly print disabilities) to gather all the same knowledge from a presentation as a sighted person. Her research interests are connecting practice with research to improve the ease with which assistive technologists conduct their services. Her professional development presentation shared tips and tricks as well as a foundational understanding of what an inclusive and accessible presentation is. 

April 9, 2019

Gloria Aidoo-Frimpong

PhD, Community Health and Health Behavior

Peer and Community Factors on PrEP Uptake: A Qualitative Study of PrEP Users in Western New York

Aidoo-Frimpong's research interests include reproductive and sexual health, HIV/AIDS and Global Health. In this talk, she discussed PrEP as a novel strategy for HIV prevention, and the peer and community factors that influence its adoption and adherence among PrEP users.

April 30, 2019

Ali Al Qaraghuli

PhD, Electrical Engineering

Terahertz Communications for Space and Beyond

Al Qaraghuli's research interests include satellite communication, smart health care and next generation wireless networks. He has been working on developing algorithms to optimize communication at Millimeter Wave band (30-300 GHz) alongside Terahertz Band (0.1-10 THz). In his presentation, Al Qaraghuli discussed recent achievements, challenges, and applications of his research, and discussed terahertz communication beyond space.

July 9, 2019

Steven Lewis and Jamal Williams

PhD, Pathology and Anatomical Sciences; PhD, Biomedical Sciences (Neuroscience)

Efficient Biomedical Image Utilization for Gross Anatomy Education

Lewis presented about his research in computational cell biology, anatomy and pathology where his thesis will be with machine learning and statistical modeling of gross anatomical structures from CT imaging. His future career goal is to become a researcher working with novel biomedical imaging approaches to mental illnesses and neurodegenerative diseases.

A Novel Epigenetic Mechanism for Synaptic and Cognitive Deficits in Alzheimer’s Disease

Williams discussed his research working in the lab of Zhen Yan where they study synaptic mechanisms underlying common disorders of the brain. Outside of the lab Williams is engaged in efforts to help increase the inclusiveness in science education and promote scientific inquiry to communities underrepresented in the field.

Aug. 15, 2019

Lauren Rodriguez

PhD, Clinical Psychology

Rodriguez' research interests focus on the emotional and social mechanisms that contribute to substance misuse among individuals with a history of trauma and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). After her graduate work, Rodriguez wishes to obtain a research career as a clinical scientist at a university or veteran's administration hospital.

Oct. 21, 2019

Gloria Aidoo-Frimpong

PhD, Community Health and Health Behavior

Assessing Coverage of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer/Questioning (LGBTQ) Health-Related Topics in Educational Training Programs: A Comparison of Medical, Nursing and Pharmacy Students 

Aidoo-Frimpong's research focuses on HIV/AIDS, Global Health, and Sexual and Reproductive Health, with a critical focus on African immigrants and African refugees.

Nov. 18, 2019

Hannah Waterman

MS/PhD, Biological Sciences

Evolution of Sex Determination in the Allopolyploid Razorback Sucker (Xyrauchen texanus)

Waterman discussed her PhD project proposal, which aims to assess how sex is determined in razorback suckers (an endangered western desert fish species).