UGROW26 Projects

Mentor: Dr. Colmenares-Diaz 

Email: eduardo.colmenares@msutexas.edu

Department: Computer Science 

Project Title: Bridging Signal Processing and High Performance Computing: An Undergraduate Study of Signal Convolution

Keywords: Convolution, Signal Processing, HPC Programming

Description: 

In the field of Signal Processing, convolution constitutes a fundamental mathematical operation whose reach and influence extend far beyond a single signal processing course. Signal convolution has evolved into a widely used computational kernel with applications including, but not limited to, image processing, signal filtering, polynomial multiplication, audio processing, optics, and now more relevant than ever, artificial intelligence. For example, Deep Learning, a subfield of Artificial Intelligence (AI), employs Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) as a feature extraction mechanism.

This research experience integrates two areas: Signal Processing and High-Performance Computing (HPC). The project first seeks to introduce the student to signal processing through the study and theoretical understanding of convolution and its practical applicability. Second, it aims to reinforce concepts related to a HPC performance analysis by implementing and evaluating serial CPU, parallel CPU, and GPU versions of the convolution kernel.

The expected outcome for the student is a valuable hands-on learning experience with state-of-the-art computational architectures, along with both practical and theoretical understanding of a widely adopted interdisciplinary computational method.

Mentor: Dr. Quadir

Email: md.quadir@msutexas.edu 

Department: McCoy School of Engineering 

Project Title: Exploring Data with Sensors and AI

Keywords: Data interpretation, Sensor systems, Artificial intelligence ethics, Misinformation, and Technology and society

Description: 

This project looks at how data is collected and how it is interpreted. Today we rely on sensors and computer systems for many decisions. We see numbers and reports and often assume they are correct. In reality, measurements depend on where and how the data is collected. Small changes in setup can lead to different results. In this project, students will work with simple environmental sensors-- such as temperature or light sensors connected to a small microcontroller like Arduino. The technical part will be basic and manageable. The focus is not advanced coding. The focus is understanding how measurement works. Students will place sensors in different locations-- for example one in sunlight and one in shade. They will record readings over time and organize the numbers in a spreadsheet. Then they will create simple graphs and compare the results. They will observe how readings change depending on location and environment. They will also discuss measurement variation and possible sources of error. The goal is to understand that data depends on context and that numbers require careful interpretation. After students analyze their own data, they will use a publicly available AI tool to summarize the same dataset. They will compare the automated summary with their own explanation and with a reliable reference source. This part of the project is discussion-based. Students will look at how wording, missing information or limited context can change automated responses. They may also briefly discuss examples of AI-generated content to understand how digital information can sometimes be misleading. This will not involve technical analysis of AI systems. By the end of the project, students will gain experience collecting and organizing simple data, understand basic ideas such as measurement variation and uncertainty, practice evaluating automated explanations, and present their work in a research presentation or short report. Technology plays a major role in daily life. Students need to understand how data is produced and how conclusions are formed. This project helps students become more careful and thoughtful when working with numbers and computer-generated information. The overall goal is to build strong analytical skills that apply across disciplines

Mentor: Dr. Ilhan

Email: zeki.ilhan@msutexas.edu

Department: McCoy School of Engineering 

Project Title: Calibration and Application of the Analog Output Module in Programmable Logic Controls

Keywords: Automation, Programmable Logic Controller, Human-Machine Interface

Description: 

PROJECT OVERVIEW:

This project proposes a one-month undergraduate summer research study utilizing the newly installed Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) trainers in the McCoy School of Engineering’s Automation Laboratory. PLCs are industrial-grade control computers widely used in automation due to their reliability, modular architecture, rapid response time, and ease of troubleshooting compared to low-cost microcontrollers.

The primary objective of this project is to calibrate and experimentally demonstrate the functionality of the Analog Output module of the Allen-Bradley CompactlLogix PLC system. Unlike digital outputs that provide fixed ON/OFF signals, analog outputs allow continuous voltage variation, enabling precise control of industrial processes.

PLANNED ACTIVITIES:

Two control applications will be implemented: motor speed control and temperature control. For each experiment, the analog output module will first be calibrated to map voltage output to the desired operating range (motor speed or temperature).

Following calibration, ladder logic programs will be developed using Studio 5000 software to regulate a specified setpoint for each application. The control objective will be to maintain a target motor speed and a target temperature under defined operating conditions. System performance will be tested and refined to ensure accurate tracking.

A Human-Machine Interface (HMI) touchscreen will also be designed for each experiment. The HMI will allow users to input setpoints, monitor the process in real-time, and visualize system behavior through plots and interactive buttons. Integration between the PLC logic and HMI interface will be validated experimentally.

EXPECTED OUTCOMES:

- Successful calibration of the analog output module
- Two fully operational PLC-based control demonstrations
- Developed ladder logic programs
- Functional HMI screens
- Complete technical documentation, including wiring diagrams, ladder logic descriptions, and step-by-step HMI development procedures

EDUCATIONAL & INSTITUTIONAL IMPACT:

This project will establish foundational documentation and working demonstrations for the new PLC trainers. The results will enhance laboratory instruction, provide practical exposure to industrial automation systems, and serve as a reference framework for future student projects.
For the undergraduate researcher, this project will strengthen skills in industrial automation, ladder logic programming, HMI development, and technical writing.

 

Mentor: Dr. Elsharafi 

Email: mahmoud.elsharafi@msutexas.edu

Department: McCoy School of Engineering 

Project Title: Electrochemical Potential Study of Produced Water Mud Systems

Keywords: Electrochemical Potential , Produced Water, Mud Solutions

Description: 

Produced water, a saline and mineral-rich byproduct of oil and natural gas extraction, constitutes one of the largest waste streams generated by the energy industry, with annual production in North America estimated to exceed 200 million gallons. Disposal and treatment of produced water present persistent environmental, logistical, and economic challenges, particularly in regions with limited infrastructure or freshwater scarcity. This study will examines the feasibility of repurposing produced water as an electrochemically active medium for energy recovery, reframing it as a reservoir of ionic resources rather than solely a waste product requiring disposal.
An electrochemical system is investigated using a semi-solid mixture composed of produced water and clay-rich soil. The clay mud solution will provides structural stability while facilitating ionic transport, enabling sustained electrochemical interactions within the medium. Clay minerals also contribute surface charge and porosity, which may influence ion mobility and charge-transfer processes. Both anode and cathode electrodes are embedded directly into the produced-water mud mixture to maximize electrode–electrolyte contact and minimize external system complexity, thereby reducing material and operational requirements.
External load resistors spanning a range of resistance values are connected across the electrodes to characterize system performance under varying electrical loads. For each load condition, voltage measurements are recorded across both the mud medium and the external resistor. These measurements are used to calculate current output and construct voltage–current (V–I) characteristic curves. The resulting electrochemical profiles will provide insight into the conductive behavior, internal resistance, and overall electrochemical response of the produced-water mud system. Analysis of the V–I response will enables evaluation of the efficiency of the mud mixture in supporting electron flow, as well as its ability to sustain electrochemical activity under different loading conditions.
The results will demonstrate the produced-water mud which could mixture exhibits measurable and repeatable electrochemical behavior, indicating its capability to function as an energy storage medium. Although power output is limited, the system’s performance could suggests potential for low-power energy recovery applications. Most importantly will be the use of produced after as the electrolyte reduces reliance on freshwater resources and mitigates waste disposal burdens. The result of this work will be highlights the potential of integrating waste-stream reutilization with unconventional electrochemical energy systems. By leveraging the inherent ionic content of produced water within a clay-based matrix, the proposed mud battery can offers a sustainable pathway for resource recovery and waste minimization. The findings contribute to ongoing efforts in circular energy systems and demonstrate how electrochemical technologies can support more sustainable practices within the oil and gas industry.

 

Mentors: Dr. Azzouz 

Email: salim.azzouz@msutexas.edu 

Department: McCoy School of Engineering 

Project Title: Design and Manufacturing of a Spherical Gear

Keywords: Gears, spherical patterns, 3D-printing

Description: 

The purpose of this project is to design a new type of spherical gears. A current spherical gear is a mechanical component featuring interlocking teeth arranged on a curved spherical surface rather than a flat surface or a cylindrical shaped one. The proposed gear is different from standard gears that typically rotate around a single fixed shaft. In this proposed project the new type of spherical gear allows for directional-axis tilting movements along a circular curve. The geometrical characteristics of the gear body is a holistic sphere with teeth arranged in columns that form a special set of repeating longitudinal patterns. The design of the gear is expected to allow for smooth, continuous meshing in multiple vertical directions. The main goal of the project is to 3D-print a set of two different spherical gears and to verify if they mesh smoothly. The second goal of the project is to verify if the rotational speed changes from one gear to the other.

Mentor: Dr. Mahmud 

Email: kashif.mahmud@msutexas.edu

Department: Kimbell School of Geosciences 

Project Title: Where the Rain Goes: Following Water’s Hidden Journey Underground

Keywords: Groundwater, Karst, Natural Bridge Caverns, Subsurface, Heterogeneity 

Description: 

Natural Bridge Caverns (NBC) offers a valuable setting for understanding how rainfall at the land surface is transmitted through limestone and ultimately appears as drip water inside a cave. Above the cave lies a thick epikarst zone that can store water and release it gradually, causing cave drips to respond to rainfall in delayed and complex ways. Rather than showing a simple, immediate response to rain events, drip behavior reflects a combination of slow percolation through soil and rock, faster flow through fractures, and delayed drainage from stored water. These processes may also vary substantially between wet and dry seasons. Although many cave monitoring studies are relatively short, daily observations can still reveal important hydrologic patterns when rainfall is measured directly at the site and drip activity is monitored at multiple locations. In this study, we analyze two years of daily rainfall data collected at NBC together with daily drip counts from 20 drip sites inside the cave. These paired datasets allow us to examine how long water is stored above the cave, how quickly drip sites respond to rainfall, how responses change seasonally, and how drip behavior varies spatially within the cave.

Rainfall and drip records will be aligned on a common daily timeline covering the full monitoring period. Quality control procedures will be applied to identify missing data and potential instrument issues. Drip sites that intermittently stop dripping will be retained in the analysis, as these pauses provide important information about storage depletion and flow-path disconnection. Because drip counts vary widely among sites and often include many zero values, the data will be transformed in a way that enables comparison while preserving periods of no flow.

Seasonality will be examined explicitly. Wet and dry seasons will be defined using an objective, data-driven approach based on rainfall patterns rather than fixed calendar dates. Analyses will be conducted for the full dataset and separately for wet and dry seasons to determine how subsurface flow processes differ under contrasting climatic conditions. To represent water storage above the cave, we will use an Antecedent Precipitation Index (API) that summarizes the cumulative influence of rainfall over preceding weeks to months, with more recent rainfall weighted more heavily than older rainfall. This approach reflects the expectation that stored water contributes to drip flow over extended periods. By calibrating the API separately for each drip site, we can estimate characteristic storage timescales within the epikarst. Daily drip activity will be analyzed using autoregressive time-series models with exogenous inputs (ARX), which relate current drip rates to rainfall, antecedent storage, and previous-day drip behavior. These models allow rapid responses to rainfall to be distinguished from slower, storage-controlled processes and provide a quantitative framework for testing seasonal differences in drip behavior.

Additional analyses will focus on individual rainfall events to assess how quickly and strongly each drip site responds. During extended dry periods, recession analyses will be used to examine how drip rates decline over time, offering an independent estimate of storage drainage behavior. Results from all analyses will then be synthesized to classify drip sites into distinct response types, revealing spatial patterns in flow pathways and storage properties above NBC.

Overall, this study improves understanding of how rainfall becomes cave drip water and ultimately contributes to groundwater recharge in karst systems. By identifying seasonal controls and storage timescales, the work provides insight into effective recharge and aquifer resilience during drought. The approach developed here is broadly applicable to other cave systems and can support improved management of karst aquifers that supply water to communities and ecosystems.

Mentor: Dr. Rosscoe 

Email: steven.rosscoe@msutexas.edu

Department: Kimbell School of Geosciences 

Project Title: Save The Mingus!

Keywords: Geology/Paleontology, Pennsylvanian Period, Field Study

Description: 

The Mingus Shale of North-Central Texas is a thick (nearly 300 feet) deposit of shales and sandstones. Much of the previous work on understanding and interpreting the important rock unit was focused on the sandstones within and the overlying Brazos River Sandstone. The shale, which makes up the majority of the unit has received little attention. In the past year, six sections of the Mingus Shale have been identified and studies have begun. Two of these sections (MSPP and WMTN) are endangered by the development of the Turkey Creek Reservoir Project. WMTN will likely be destroyed as the old road is replaced to become the new Texas Highway 4 around the new reservoir. MSPP will eventually be flooded and be within the new reservoir, once it is completed. These unique geologic sites host a wide variety of secrets within the shales. Marine fossils, abundant plant fossils, weird geochemical anomalies, and even evidence of ancient wildfires from the Pennsylvanian period are found within. The student or students who choose to work on this project will participate in a massive field and laboratory project that is working to gather as much detailed data from these sites to tell their important geologic story before they are lost to the much-needed infrastructure progress in the area. Students with an interest and some class experience in any area of geology (especially petrology, stratigraphy, and geochemistry) or paleontology (especially paleobotany) are highly encouraged to participate. Any student with an interest in preserving the geologic history of the region would be welcome. Weekly field trips to the site, sample preparations, and analysis in the laboratory setting will be integral to the completion of this project. 

Name: Dr. Emishaw

Email: luel.emishaw@msutexas.edu

Department: Kimbell School of Geosciences 

Project Title: Lithospheric structure of the Neoproterozoic Ad Damm and Fatima Fault Zone, Arabian Shield: Implications for the on-land continuation of a Red Sea transform fault

Keywords: Red Sea transform fault, Aeromagnetic data, Heat flow modeling

Description: 

Rarely do we see the processes of ocean formation in action. We study the Atlantic Ocean that has been spreading for hundreds of millions of years, and we wonder how it all began, just as we wonder about the closure of the Pacific Ocean beneath the Pacific Ring of Fire. There are only a few examples in the world that reveal how continents drift apart to form oceans or how oceanic plates initiate subduction. Among these, the Red Sea is a prime example of the birth of an ocean. There is more to the appeal of the Red Sea: it is also among the few places where a transform fault continues on-land into the Arabian Shield, manipulating (mischievously, one might add) the Ediacaran-old NE-SW-trending pre-existing structure called the Ad Damm Fault Zone.

The Ad Damm Fault Zone separates the Neoproterozoic Asir terrane in the southeast from the Jeddah terrane to the northwest, tectonic entities that formed juvenile lithosphere through arc-arc-accretion. Now the Cenozoic descended upon the Ad Damm Fault, with the Red Sea and its transform fault, as the new manipulated the old in deep time, another mischief of tectonics, one could say.

Field, seismic, and geodynamic modeling suggest that the complete eastward shift of the Red Sea Rift is possible over the next 2-5 Ma. My research group also investigated the study area using gravity data and potential-field modeling (under review). The results show considerable crustal heterogeneity, including N-S crustal thinning along the eastern Red Sea Margin (~20-25 km) and across the Fatima Fault Zone (another pre-existing structure) that is exposed within the Jeddah terrane. These findings, along with evidence of dextral strike-slip movement along the Fatima Fault Zone, suggest that the western part of the Arabian Shield is being reactivated, likely accommodating strain from the eastward shift of the Red Sea Rift axis.

It is not, however, just the Ad Damm and Fatima fault zones that are yielding to the forces of the Red Sea. There is an N-S trending localized thinning in the western portion of the Arabian Shield, mostly associated with the opening of the Red Sea. This alignment also coincides with a volcanic lineament that has been active for the past 10 years, known as the Harrat. It is considered that the Harrat might be the new center in which the new oceanic ridge of the Red Sea nucleates in the coming 2-5 Ma.

If that is the case, this volcanic lineament and associated N-S-trending structures should exhibit high heat-flow anomalies. This can be computed from the spectral properties of the aeromagnetic data for the area. UGROW will allow students to model heat-flow anomalies in the western part of the Arabian Shield, particularly those along the Harrat volcanic lineament and its surroundings. The geophysics lab at the Kimbell School of Geosciences will provide the data and the necessary processing software. This result will be accompanied by regional gravity Moho modeling and will likely be published in a high-impact-factor journal once all results are obtained. Therefore, it is likely that the participating student will be a co-author on the paper to be published. In the meantime, the student should be able to produce a heat flow map for a UGROW poster presentation.

Name: Dr. Price 

Email: jonathan.price@msutexas.edu 

Department: Kimbell School of Geosciences 

Project Title: X-rays and amphiboles: a comparative compositional investigation

Keywords: X-ray geochemistry, minerals, magmatic indicators

Description: 

Amphiboles are group of minerals that are exceedingly good at capturing the physical and chemical nature of the Earth systems that produce them. Two x-ray techniques may be applied to evaluate minerals like amphiboles: x-ray diffraction (XRD) and x-ray fluorescence (XRF). XRD uses the physics of waves to understand a mineral's internal structure. XRF uses the energy of electron movements to understand a mineral's composition. This study will use both techniques to compare and contrast two members  of the amphibole group (hastingsite and arfvedsonite). Each is a component within the igneous rocks of the Wichita Mountains of Oklahoma, a vibrant magmatic environment from 530 million years ago.
The work is part of an ongoing effort to use these minerals to fingerprint magmas and explore their processes. Researchers will engage hands-on preparation of samples for XRD and XRF. The bulk of the activity will involve acquiring data through both techniques and exploring tools that permit the integration of both XRD and XRF. The project will culminate in a comparison of the investigated materials: researchers will determine the structural and chemical characteristics of these amphiboles.
No prior experience with x-rays or minerals is required. Researchers will be introduced to concepts, instrumentation, and evaluation of the resulting data. Research will be conducted throughout UGROW on-site in facilities housed within the Kimbell School of Geosciences.

Mentor: Dr. Harris 

Email: eboneigh.harris@msutexas.edu

Department: Institutional Effectiveness 

Project Title: Predictors of Student Success: A Regression Analysis

Keywords: multiple regression model, correlational analysis, data analysis, institutional research, student success, predictors, SPSS, Power BI 

Description: 

This will be a continuation of a previous project where we gather data to identify predictors of student success so that MSU can better support students. Part of this project will be to pull student engagement data from Mustangs Link, clean it, and add it to our current data models to see if student engagement in campus activities/organizations correlates with student success metrics, such as fall-to-fall retention and first term GPA. Students may also work on developing an instrument to be administered to first years in the Fall semesters that will include items that are not currently collected elsewhere, such as financial resources, number of hours worked per week, expectations regarding academic workload, parenting status, academic motivations, etc. Similar to student engagement, we will add these metrics to the model to determine whether any are indicative of later success. This project has the potential to continue into the Fall semester as part of EURECA, where students will have the opportunity to administer the survey and analyze results.

Mentor: Dr. Lockhart

Email: robin.lockhart@msutexas.edu 

Department: Wilson School of Nursing

Project Title: Enhancing Patient Safety: Psychometric Evaluation of an EMAR-based IV Medication Administration Virtual Simulation

Keywords: virtual simulation research, nursing and computers, medication safety, interdisciplinary research

Description: 

This project involves the testing of a virtual simulation designed to measure compliance with safe intravenous (IV) medication infusion rates. The primary purpose of this project is to establish evidence of reliability and validity for the simulation as a performance-based measurement instrument. As part of this validation process, we will examine whether the simulation can accurately detect differences in infusion rate performance under two conditions: medications with embedded alerts and medications without alerts. Specifically, we will test whether the tool demonstrates sensitivity to change by identifying fewer non-compliant infusions when embedded alerts are present. Demonstrating this effect will provide evidence that the simulation functions as intended and can meaningfully measure infusion rate compliance.

Student researchers may engage in multiple aspects of tool development and validation, including:
• Assisting with simulation testing, troubleshooting, and iterative refinement
• Reviewing and documenting evidence-based infusion rate standards to support content validity
• Conducting pilot usability testing and examining system log data to ensure accurate capture of participant performance
• Organizing, cleaning, and preparing dataset outputs (e.g., infusion time in seconds, compliance determinations)
• Assisting with reliability and statistical analyses under faculty supervision
• Contributing to interpretation of findings and preparation of scholarly posters or manuscripts

Through participation in this project, students will gain experience in simulation-based research, psychometric validation, applied statistical methods, and interdisciplinary collaboration between nursing and computer science.

Although the simulation scoring is automated, it functions as a performance-based assessment. Therefore, we will collect evidence of both reliability (score precision), validity (appropriate interpretation of results), and internal consistency. Internal consistency for the 10 binary compliance items will also be examined as a secondary estimate of reliability.

Content validity will be established through expert review of the medication scenarios and verification that infusion rate standards align with evidence-based clinical guidelines. Response process validity will be supported by reviewing system log data and pilot usability testing to ensure that measured times reflect authentic infusion decision-making rather than navigation errors or technical issues.  Internal structure evidence may include examining medication-level performance patterns to ensure items function as expected.

Expected outcomes include a fully functional simulation, and evidence of score reliability and validity.

Mentor: Dr. Cobb 

Email: sarah.cobb@msutexas.edu

Department: Mathematics 

Project Title: Symmetry and Complexity of Swish

Keywords: Recreational mathematics, symmetry, games, algebra, discrete math

Description: 

The field of recreational mathematics is concerned with the study of puzzles and games. Well-designed games have clear rules, an understandable scope, and inherent interest. Those features make them ideal places to develop novel mathematical results and techniques.
Swish is a pattern-matching card game. Each card has one ball and one hoop, and the goal is to find a set of cards from a given collection in which every ball is matched to a hoop on a different card when the cards are stacked. Such a set of cards is called a swish. The cards are transparent, which allows them to be flipped over if needed before matching them, bringing an extra dimension of spatial reasoning into the matching game.
While math teachers and game enthusiasts have recognized the value of Swish as a tool for building spatial reasoning and understanding of symmetry, the game has attracted limited research interest. Algebraic techniques can be used to classify cards in the deck and show that adding some or all of a specific hand of seven cards to a set will always produce a swish (Rowland, 2017). Large sets of cards with no swish have also been studied: the largest such configuration is 28 cards (Dailly, Lafourcade, Marcadet, 2024), nearly half of the sixty cards in the game.
The student researchers on this project will investigate how Swish changes with different cards included or duplicated in the deck, as well as with different numbers of positions on each card.
No specific mathematical background is needed; however, experience with linear algebra, modular arithmetic, and/or discrete math will be useful.

Mentor: Dr. Lee 

Email: juheon.lee@msutexas.edu 

Department: Political Science 

Project Title: Political polarization and the public's trust in the court system

Keywords: Supreme Courts of the United States; trust in court system; political polarization

Description: 

This study investigates the American public’s complex and often ambivalent trust in the judicial system. While courts are constitutionally insulated from direct political pressures, public confidence remains essential to their perceived legitimacy and to the voluntary compliance that underpins the rule of law. Recent national debates—spanning the confirmation of Supreme Court justices, high-profile criminal trials, and disputes over election administration—suggest that attitudes toward courts are increasingly polarized. Yet existing scholarship offers an incomplete picture of how citizens evaluate judicial fairness, neutrality, transparency, and accessibility across different levels of the judiciary. This project seeks to fill that gap by analyzing American people’s trust in overall court system and in the US Supreme Court, using quantitative methods with visualization techniques. American National Election studies, a nationally distributed survey, will be used to measure baseline levels of trust, identify demographic and ideological predictors. Our main question is "Who trusts the court system but not the Supreme Court, and what drives this asymmetry?" By empirically mapping this split, our research contributes to a more nuanced understanding of judicial legitimacy in a polarized society. Ultimately, this research aims to shed light on how Americans differentiate among judicial institutions, what these distinctions reveal about the shifting landscape of political polarization, and how they may influence broader debates about judicial reform, transparency, and democratic resilience. Understanding who trusts the courts—but not the Court—is essential for assessing the long-term legitimacy of the judiciary in an era of deepening political division.