Faculty Email Faculty Project title Project Description ... 2020 CST Faculty Research...Faculty Fall 2019 CST Faculty Research Projects Name Email Address Faculty School or College

Fall 2019 CST Faculty Research ProjectsFaculty

Name

Email

Address

Faculty

School or

College

Faculty

Departmen

t

Project title Project Description Project

Location

Important

selection

criteria

Student

Majors

Desired

Class

Preferenc

e

Allen

Nicholson

anichol@te

mple.edu

CST Biology Analysis of a Gene-

regulatory

Ribonuclease Complex

Proteomic analyses of protein-protein interactions in the

bacterium Escherichia coli suggest that two ribonucleases,

RNase III and RNase II, as well as the protein YmdB,

function as a complex to process RNA molecules. We will

investigate how RNase III and RNase II may work in concert

to process RNA, and how YmdB regulates the action of

RNase III. These experiments will use purified recombinant

proteins and RNA substrates to examine the activity of the

protein complex and the individual proteins.

Main Interest in

biochemistry

and molecular

biology; strong

foundation of

basic

biochemical/bio

logical

concepts,

critical thinking

skills, attention

to detail,

willingness to

Biology,

Biochemistr

y - Biology

2112,

Genetics,

Chemistry

Allen

Nicholson

anichol@te

mple.edu

CST Biology Understanding

ribonuclease

mechanism and

function in gene

regulation

We apply biochemical and molecular genetic techniques to

probe the mechanism of ribonucleases and their function

in gene expression and RNA stability. Our primary system is

the bacterial cell, and we seek to understand how bacterial

cell motility, biofilm formation, and response to stress are

regulated by ribonucleases.

Main Strong

performance in

biology and

chemistry

courses

(including at

least one

semester of

organic

chemistry)

Biology and

Biochemistr

y, Biology,

Chemistry

majors

10/24/2019 1


Name

Email

Address

Faculty

School or

College

Faculty

Departmen

t


Location

Important

selection

criteria

Student

Majors

Desired

Class

Preferenc

e

Amy

Freestone

amy.freest

one@templ

e.edu

CST Biology Biogeographic

variation in interaction

strength and invasions

at the ocean's

nearshore (BioVision).

Global patterns of biodiversity demonstrate that most of

the species on earth occur in the tropics, with strikingly

fewer species occurring in higher-latitude regions.

Biologists predict that this global pattern of species

diversity is likely shaped by ecological species interactions.

Yet few detailed experimental data exist that demonstrate

how species interactions influence ecological communities

from the tropics to the arctic. Therefore, a significant

opportunity exists to transform our understanding of how

these fundamental species interactions shape patterns of

biodiversity across the globe. Furthermore, these species

interactions have the strong potential to limit biological

invasions by non-native species, which are often

transported by human activities that breach historical

dispersal barriers, such as ocean basins and continents.

Biological invasions can cause undesired ecological and

economic effects and are considered one of the primary

drivers of global change. Through extensive field research

on marine ecosystems along the Pacific Coast of North and

Central America, from the tropics to the subarctic, this

project is elucidating ecological factors that shape global

patterns of diversity and limit biological invasions.

Main A strong

academic

record, a strong

interest in

ecology and

conservation,

and a desire to

apply these

interests in a

research

setting.

Relevant

coursework

(Principles of

Ecology, upper

level ecology

and/or

conservation

electives,

statistics, etc.) is

helpful but not

required.

Biology,

Environmen

tal Science

10/24/2019 2


Name

Email

Address

Faculty

School or

College

Faculty

Departmen

t


Location

Important

selection

criteria

Student

Majors

Desired

Class

Preferenc

e

Ananias

Escalante

Ananias.Esc

alante@te

mple.edu

CST Biology Phylomedicine of

vector-borne

pathogens

It is increasingly evident that genomic information,

together with concepts from epidemiology and

evolutionary biology, allows for testing of hypotheses and

exploration of scenarios that otherwise could not be

investigated by traditional approaches. Our lab

characterizes the processes shaping the genetic variation of

vector-borne parasites and viruses. In particular, we utilize

genetic data to learn how pathogen populations respond

to the selective pressures exerted by the host immune

system or antimicrobial drugs. By comparing genetic data

derived from historical samples and/or comparing

pathogens genomes, we expect to provide information

regarding which types of parasite populations/dynamics

are most prone to the emergence of drug resistance or

how genes encoding antigens that are vaccine (or

diagnostic) targets change in time and space compromising

the efficacy of those public health interventions/tools. We

also utilize the parasite genetic information to ascertain

ongoing epidemiological processes such as outbreaks or

disease transmission patterns in space. Our approach

involves a suite of methods and models that include

population genetics/genomics analyses, phylogenetics, and

experimental work. The students’ main role will be to

assist in evolutionary genetic analyses. We are looking for 1

or 2 students interested in analyzing genetic data (target

gene and genomic data) of malarial parasites (protozoa

Main I am looking for

highly

motivated

students who

are interested

in gaining

research

experience. A

minimum of 3.7

GPA is required.

Basic

knowledge on

biology

(transcription/tr

anslation; DNA

structure and

replication) and

analytical/comp

utational skills

will be

considered as

selection

criteria.

Programming at

a basic level is

considered a

Biology,

Biochem,

Applied

Mathematic

s, Natural

Sciences

10/24/2019 3


Name

Email

Address

Faculty

School or

College

Faculty

Departmen

t


Location

Important

selection

criteria

Student

Majors

Desired

Class

Preferenc

e

Ananias

Escalante

Ananias.Esc

alante@te

mple.edu

CST Biology Evolutionary

Bioinformatics and

Molecular ecology of

parasites

Understanding the evolutionary dynamics of parasites

demand integrating complex data. These projects require

the curation and organization of molecular data from

public databases and their analysis using a suite of

bioinformatics and phylogenetic methods. The projects

involve human malarias and related parasites in wildlife. By

interrogating single gene and genomic data, students will

participate in an individual research project seeking to

understand any of the following questions: the origin of

mutations linked to antimalarial drug resistance, the

evolution of genes encoding antigens considered vaccine

candidates, genes involved in the parasite invasion process

to their host red blood cell or vector, phylogeographic and

community-level (ecological) patterns of parasite

biodiversity, and molecular dating. These questions relate

to a variety of topics encompassing diverse fields from

public health to one health for those parasites linked to

diseases and from molecular evolution to community

ecology. Students will participate in regular lab meetings.

An interview with the PI is required.

Main No prior

experience is

required.

Biology majors

should be

interested in

learning

bioinformatics

while no-

biology majors

are expected to

learn relevant

concepts in

biology and

genomics. The

students in our

lab participate

in peer review

publications, so

organization

and good work

ethic are

required.

Biology,

Math

(applied or

basic),

Computer

Science,

Data

Science,

other

majors

could be

considered

Freshman -

Sophomor

e

preferred -

or Juniors

10/24/2019 4


Name

Email

Address

Faculty

School or

College

Faculty

Departmen

t


Location

Important

selection

criteria

Student

Majors

Desired

Class

Preferenc

e

Ang Sun angsun@te

mple.edu

CST Biology Generate cell models

by using CRISPR-cas9

to knock out the RBL2

gene in normal and

cancerous colorectal

cell lines

As a member of the retinoblastoma tumor suppressor gene

family, RBL2, which encodes pRb2/p130, has been

investigated over 20 years. It is believed works as a tumor

suppressor. Its function in cell cycle regulation and histone

methylation has been widely reported. However, its

potential role in epigenetics, in particular regulating DNA

methylation, especially at the genome level, remains to be

well studied. As a portion of a larger project, this project

for undergraduates is going to focus on employing CRISPR-

cas9, a revolutionary genome-editing tool being developed

in recent years, to knockout RBL2 in a normal human colon

epithelial cell line (FHC) as well as a few colorectal cancer

cell lines. This will prepare good cell models for further

investigating the role of RBL2 in epigenetic regulation. In

the future, by comparing wild-type with RBL2 knockout cell

lines, the DNA methylation level in the promoter region of

a few critical tumor suppressor genes and oncogenes will

be examined using a quantitative, fluorescence-based, real-

time PCR method (MethyLight), and then confirmed by

pyrosequencing and bisulfite cloning sequencing; secondly,

methylation of LINE-1, which indicates the global

methylation of the cells will be tested. If promising results

are obtained, further study of the genome-wide DNA

methylation level change will be analyzed by Illumina 450k

methylation array or digital restriction enzyme analysis of

methylation (DREAM).

Main Biology

Anna

Moore

annarmoor

e@temple.

edu

CST Biology Unraveling the

mechanisms of

neuronal plasticity

Students will use molecular biology and genetic

approaches to investigate how different molecules regulate

the excitability of individual neurons. Techniques in the lab

will include PCR, subcloning, tissue culture,

immunolabeling, and confocal imaging.

Main A basic

understanding

of molecular

biology and

genetics is

encouraged. A

desire to learn

new techniques

and think

critically as well

Neuroscienc

e, Biology,

Biochemistr

y

10/24/2019 5


Name

Email

Address

Faculty

School or

College

Faculty

Departmen

t


Location

Important

selection

criteria

Student

Majors

Desired

Class

Preferenc

e

Blair

Hedges

sbh@templ

e.edu

CST Biology Building a tree of life

with DNA data

This project involves working with DNA sequence data of

diverse organisms, and software, to help build the tree of

life and better understand evolutionary principles. It takes

place in the Center for Biodiversity and mostly involves

learning and using new computer tools and applications.

The center is located in SERC Building

Main strong

academics

normally

biology but

could be

any major

Blair

Hedges

sbh@templ

e.edu

CST Biology Conserving the

biodiversity of Haiti

This project involves helping efforts in Temple’s Center for

Biodiversity to learn more about the biodiversity of Haiti,

and to protect it. The multi-faceted team efforts include

discovery of new species, mainly through DNA sequencing

of samples collected in Haiti, ecological and evolutionary

studies, and educational and outreach components. The

center is located in SERC Building

Main strong

academics

normally

biology but

could be

any major

Brent

Sewall

bjsewall@t

emple.edu

CST Biology Large-scale analysis of

correlates of

susceptibility to white-

nose syndrome, an

emerging pathogen in

hibernating bats

White-nose syndrome is an emerging fungal pathogen

affecting hibernating bat populations of eastern North

America. Although it only appeared for the first time in

2006, it has already spread rapidly and has had devastating

effects, including the death of millions of bats across

hundreds of caves and mines. Such losses have important

implications for endangered species management,

conservation biology, and the ecology of natural

communities in North America. Little is known about the

disease, but most research to date has focused on bat-to-

bat transmission and site-level effects. Recently, however,

the disease has spread across a broad geographic area, and

an improved understanding of factors influencing both the

impacts and spread of the disease is needed. We will

investigate factors that may influence the susceptibility of

bats to the disease and its spread across large geographic

scales.

Main Coursework,

training, or

experience in

relevant

subjects such as

statistics,

Geographic

Information

Systems,

epidemiology,

public health,

ecology, or

conservation

biology. Also

strong

motivation for

research and

strong interest

Biology,

Environmen

tal Science,

Mathematic

s, Computer

Science, or

related -

Statistics,

Geographic

Information

Systems

(GIS), or

Epidemiolog

y (PBHL

3101)

courses or

equivalent (

already

10/24/2019 6


Name

Email

Address

Faculty

School or

College

Faculty

Departmen

t


Location

Important

selection

criteria

Student

Majors

Desired

Class

Preferenc

e

Brent

Sewall

bjsewall@t

emple.edu

CST Biology Influence of vertebrate

frugivory on plant seed

dispersal and

germination

Vertebrate frugivores (fruit-eating mammal and bird

species) play an essential ecological role, by facilitating the

dispersal and germination of the seeds of a diversity of

plant species. Vertebrate frugivory is therefore a key

determinant of the reproduction of many plants. Frugivory

is especially important in the tropics, where frugivorous

primates, birds, and bats disperse seeds for up to 90% of

tree species in some forests. The foraging behavior and

community ecology of most species of frugivore, however,

are poorly understood. This lack of understanding hinders

our ability to quantify the impact of specific frugivore

species on the plant community or to conserve threatened

frugivore species. In addition, frugivores are particularly

vulnerable to hunting, fragmentation, and other human-

caused threats, but we still have only a rudimentary ability

to predict the effects of the loss of a specific frugivore

species on the plant community. The objectives of this

study, therefore, are (1) to investigate the influence of

frugivore feeding preferences and frugivore interspecific

interactions on seed dispersal and germination, (2) to

examine the ultimate impact of frugivore species on the

composition of plant species in natural ecosystems, and

the regeneration of plant species in disturbed ecosystems,

and (3) to investigate means by which an improved

ecological understanding of frugivores can contribute to

their conservation.

Main Coursework,

training, or

experience in

relevant

subjects such as

ecology,

statistics,

Geographic

Information

Systems, animal

behavior,

conservation

biology, and/or

French

language. Also

strong

motivation for

research and

strong interest

in this topic.

Biology,

Environmen

tal Science,

or related -

Intro Series

in Biology

(Bio 1111,

2112) or

equivalent

required.

Principles of

Ecology (Bio

2227)

strongly

preferred.

Statistics,

Animal

Behavior

(Bio 3254),

and/or

Conservatio

n Biology

(Bio 3307)

preferred.

10/24/2019 7


Name

Email

Address

Faculty

School or

College

Faculty

Departmen

t


Location

Important

selection

criteria

Student

Majors

Desired

Class

Preferenc

e

Brent

Sewall

bjsewall@t

emple.edu

CST Biology Conservation biology

and community

ecology

My lab is investigating multiple questions in the fields of

conservation biology and community ecology, focusing on

understanding human drivers of change in ecological

systems and developing effective conservation strategies.

Ongoing research projects focus on (1) understanding

pollination and seed dispersal interactions among species

in ecological communities, (2) clarifying the influence of

emerging infectious diseases on wildlife populations, and

(3) identifying management strategies to mitigate the

negative effects of human activities on plant and animal

communities. Research takes place both on campus and

off-campus at field sites. Work may require travel to

remote sites, hiking, and long hours of data collection in

hot and sunny or rainy conditions. Work may also require

data entry, manipulation of data in spreadsheets, and/or

statistical analysis.

Main and

off-

campus

at field

sites (may

involve

travel)

Interest in the

field of

conservation

biology or

community

ecology;

experience and

skills in biology,

math, and other

relevant fields;

ability to

conduct field

work or engage

in data

manipulation or

both;

willingness to

work hard

under

Biology,

Environmen

tal Science,

Mathematic

s, or related

fields

Darius

Balciunas

darius@te

mple.edu

CST Biology Redundant roles of Fli

transcription factors in

regeneration

We are using a combination of molecular genetics

techniques, from conditional gene traps to CRISPR/Cas9

mutagenesis, to analyze the potential roles of two closely

related transcription factors, fli1a and fli1b, in fin and heart

regeneration in zebrafish. The project is currently being

carried out by a graduating senior, and should be taken

over by a junior or sophomore.

Main For more

information,

please see the

lab website

Biology,

Biochemistr

y

10/24/2019 8


Name

Email

Address

Faculty

School or

College

Faculty

Departmen

t


Location

Important

selection

criteria

Student

Majors

Desired

Class

Preferenc

e

Darius

Balciunas

darius@te

mple.edu

CST Biology Precision genome

editing using

CRISPR/Cas9

Unlike humans, zebrafish possess a remarkable

regenerative capacity, including the ability to regenerate

their hearts after severe injury. We are working to figure

out which genes control this process and precisely how. To

achieve this goal, we are using the CRISPR/Cas9 system to

introduce precise changes into the zebrafish genome,

including integration of sequences coding for epitope tags.

We are looking for several students to join this effort. One

sub-project is to compare the efficiency of Cas9 nucleases

from two different species, Streptocossus pyogenes and

Streptocossus thermophilus. Other sub-projects include

screening for CRISPR/Cas9-induced genome editing events

and analysis of generated mutant lines.

Main For more

information,

please see the

lab website

Biology,

Biochemistr

y

Erik Cordes ecordes@t

emple.edu

CST Biology Ecological Project TBD - Please contact Dr Cordes Main Students who

are interested

in pursuing

graduate school

in the natural

sciences,

ecology and

evolution.

Biology and

environmen

tal science

majors are

preferred,

but the

position

would be

open to

other

students as Erik Cordes ecordes@t

emple.edu

CST Biology Molecular stress

response of deep-sea

corals

Field studies and laboratory experiments have revealed the

effects of various anthropogenic stressors (ocean

acidification, oil and dispersant exposure) on deep-sea

corals. The next step is to identify the molecular markers

that underlie these responses. Once identified, these may

reveal the potential for corals to be resilient to stress, or

for use as biomarkers to identify stressed populations in

future incidents. The research scholar(s) would be

responsible for processing samples in the laboratory for a

combination of physiological measures (protein/lipid

analysis, enzyme activity, etc.) and genetic analyses (qPCR,

RNAseq) that will contribute to our research on the effects

of human impacts on the deep sea.

Main Students who

are interested

in pursuing

graduate school

in the natural

sciences,

ecology and

evolution.

Biology and

environmen

tal science

majors are

preferred,

but the

position

would be

open to

other

students as

well.

10/24/2019 9


Name

Email

Address

Faculty

School or

College

Faculty

Departmen

t


Location

Important

selection

criteria

Student

Majors

Desired

Class

Preferenc

e

Gianfranco

Bellpanni

gianfranco.

bellipanni

@temple.e

du

CST Biology pygo2 regulation of

WNT/ b-Catenin

pathway in zebrafish

b-catenin plays essential roles in cellular physiology being

the pivotal player for Ca+-dependent cell-cell adhesion and

for transduction of Wnt signaling. In the cytoplasm b-

catenin interacts with a-catenin and type I cadherins

mediating cell-cell adherence junctions adhesion, but, in

response to Wnt signaling, it is also transduced into the

nucleus where binds to DNA binding factors of the lef/tcf

family and activates transcription of a battery of Wnt

target genes. Aberrant activity of this factor has been

linked with congenital birth defects and cancer. In our lab

we are interested to study the molecular and cellular

mechanisms leading to the induction and specification of

D/V patterning in the zebrafish embryo via Wnt/ b-catenin

activity. One of the aspects of our research is to

understand at molecular and biochemical level how b-cat

ability to act as transcription factor is regulated by

different splicing variants of the nuclear factor Pygo2. The

goal of this project is to create by CRISPR/Cas9 induced

deletion a Null mutant for the pygo2 gene in the zebrafish

and compare the phenotypes of this mutation with the

phenotypes of other (milder) mutations in the pygo2 gene.

Main

10/24/2019 10


Name

Email

Address

Faculty

School or

College

Faculty

Departmen

t


Location

Important

selection

criteria

Student

Majors

Desired

Class

Preferenc

e

Gregory

Smutzer

smutzerg@

temple.edu

CST Biology Examination of Human

Chemosensory

Function

Humans perceive five basic taste qualities, which include

sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami taste. In addition,

humans readily detect chemosensory irritants in the oral

cavity, in the nose, and on the surface of the skin. One

important chemical irritant is capsaicin, which is the

pungent chemical that gives chili peppers their unique

taste. Capsaicin is a vanilloid compound that activates

TRPV1 receptors in trigeminal nerves in the oral cavity, and

causes a stinging or burning sensation in the mouth. We

recently developed a novel delivery method for examining

capsaicin perception in the human oral cavity by

incorporating this hydrophobic compound in edible taste

strips. In addition, we recently identified compounds that

temporarily block the stinging sensation of capsaicin in the

oral cavity. Finally, we have found that capsaicin

chemosensation contains both an olfactory and a

trigeminal component. The goal of this research project is

to examine the effect of inhibitors on capsaicin perception

in the oral cavity by means of threshold studies, whole

mouth suprathreshold taste studies, and regional studies

on the tongue surface. Experiments will also be undertaken

to examine how these inhibitors block TRP receptors when

these gene products are expressed in a stable cell line.

Results from this study could lead to effective oral and

topical treatments for chronic pain.

Main Grade point

average of 3.0

or higher.

Ability to learn

basic lab

techniques.

Standard lab

skills include

ability to

prepare

solutions, ability

to use pipettes,

and ability to

carry out

protein assays.

Willingness to

learn new lab

techniques such

as mammalian

cell culture and

fluorescence

microscopy.

Biology,

Biochemistr

y, Chemistry

-

10/24/2019 11


Name

Email

Address

Faculty

School or

College

Faculty

Departmen

t


Location

Important

selection

criteria

Student

Majors

Desired

Class

Preferenc

e

Gregory

Smutzer

smutzerg@

temple.edu

CST Biology Inositol 1,4,5-

Trisphosphate

Signaling in

Mammalian

Odontoblast Cells.

Although calcium is critical for the formation of dentin,

the origin and regulation of calcium during dentinogenesis

is not known. Odontoblasts are specialized cells that

secrete proteins and other molecules during the formation

of dentin in mammalian teeth. We reported that secretory

odontoblasts express high levels of the inositol 1,4,5-

trisphosphate (IP3) receptor/channel, along with an

associated GTP-binding protein. This receptor/channel

releases calcium from the endoplasmic reticulum of cells.

We are currently using cultured MDPC-23 cells as a model

for dentin formation. The goal of this research is to

demonstrate that the IP3 receptor, and a related GTP-

binding protein are expressed in differentiated MDPC-23

cells. In addition, calcium flux will be measured in

differentiated MDPC-23 cells by the calcium indicator dyes

Fura-2 and calcium green-1. These experiments will

demonstrate the importance of IP3 signaling in controlling

intracellular and extracellular calcium flux during the

formation of dentin by odontoblast cells

Main Willingness to

learn new lab

techniques. -

Standard lab

skills including

ability to

prepare

solutions, ability

to use pipettes,

ability to carry

out protein

assays, ability to

carry out SDS-

gel

electrophoresis,

and basic

computer skills

GPA of 3.0 or

higher in

science.

Biochemistr

y - A year of

General

Biology.

Biology

Chemistry

Jocelyn

Behm

jebehm@te

mple.edu

CST Biology Evaluation of “green”

certification programs

for biodiversity

Starbucks! Chipotle! Target! What do these companies

have in common? They sell products with “green”

certifications, but how green are they? This project

involves evaluating “green” certification programs for how

biodiversity is considered during the certification process.

Main Must be a

creative,

independent

thinker with

good attention

to detail.

Willingness to

learn new skills

Anyone

interested in

both

ecology and

sustainabilit

y (biology,

environmen

tal science, Jocelyn

Behm

jebehm@te

mple.edu

CST Biology Biodiversity and

Ecosystem Services

The reason we have food to eat, oxygen to breathe, and

we’re not up to our shoulders in dead leaves is due to the

services that ecosystems provide us. Despite the clear

importance of ecosystem services, we still have a lot to

learn about how the diverse species in ecosystems perform

these services. This project involves investigating how

biodiversity contributes to ecosystem services.

Main Attention to

detail,

willingness to

work outside,

organized

Biology,

Environmen

tal Science

10/24/2019 12


Name

Email

Address

Faculty

School or

College

Faculty

Departmen

t


Location

Important

selection

criteria

Student

Majors

Desired

Class

Preferenc

e

Jody Hey hey@templ

e.edu

CST Biology Evolution and the

Human Genome

Student's will work on questions about how the human

genome has evolved. Some of the work may involve

comparisons with Ape genomes. Freshmen and

sophomores with interest in bioinformatics or in using

computers to address important biological or medical

questions.

Main all majors

Jody Hey hey@templ

e.edu

CST Biology Evolutionary Genomics Students will use genomic data to address questions about

natural selection and adaptation Freshmen and

sophomores with interest in bioinformatics or in using

computers to address important biological or medical

questions.

Main all majors

Jody Hey hey@templ

e.edu

CST Biology Population Genetics Students will help develop mathematical and statistical

models of evolutionary processes

Main Freshmen and

sophomores

with interest in

mathematical

and

computational

biology

Biology/Mat

h/Computer

Science

Joel

Sheffield

jbs@templ

e.edu

CST Biology Scanning Electron

Microscopy of

Developing Chick

Retina

We wish to expand our immunofluorescence studies of the

vascular structure of the chick retina with correlative

electron microscope analysis.

Main Fine Motor skills Biology or

Biochem

Junior or

senior

Joel

Sheffield

jbs@templ

e.edu

CST Biology Analysis of microglia in

retina and pecten

Immunohistochemical localization of specific antigens

during development of the chick retina.

Main Electrophoresis,

microscopy -

Bio 3096 is a

plus.

Biology

Joshua

Schraiber

joshua.schr

aiber@tem

ple.edu

CST Biology Detecting inbreeding in

ancient humans

We now have ancient DNA sequences from hundreds of

early modern humans spanning the last ~50 thousand

years of human evolution. Many of these individuals come

from nearby sites (such as individuals buried at the same

graveyard), raising the possibility that they are related to

each other. The student will develop an algorithm that

estimates the relatedness of ancient samples while

accounting for genotype uncertainty due to low coverage

sequencing data, and use it to determine how inbred

humans were during the colonization of Eurasia.

Main Some

programming,

some math,

willingness to

bang head

against hard

problems BIOL

2112 OR MATH

1044 OR CIS

1057

Math,

computer

science

10/24/2019 13


Name

Email

Address

Faculty

School or

College

Faculty

Departmen

t


Location

Important

selection

criteria

Student

Majors

Desired

Class

Preferenc

e

Karen B.

Palter

palter@te

mple.edu

CST Biology Does hyperinsulinemia

affect the basal and

induced levels of Upd2

(leptin) in Drosophila?

Patients who are obese are at an increased risk of

developing metabolic syndrome, characterized by impaired

glucose tolerance, abnormal plasmid lipids, hypertension

and development of Type II diabetes. Our laboratory has

shown that Drosophila melanogaster lacking a functional

sialic acid pathway display a range of metabolic defects,

that are similar to those observed in patients with Type II

diabetes. We have demonstrated that one target of

sialylation is a potassium channel in the nervous system.

We propose that the metabolic defects are a result of

excess insulin secretion from insulin producing cells (IPC),

due to channel dysfunction. Marban and Roth (1996) have

shown that transgenic mice that secrete excess insulin

(hyperinsulinemic) become insulin resistant, the hallmark

of Type II diabetes. The mechanism of how

hyperinsulinemia leads to Type II diabetes is not

understood and is being actively studied. In both

Drosophila and humans, the fat body (flies) or adipose

tissue (humans) is a nutrient sensor, and in flies remotely

conveys the nutrient status to the insulin producing cells.

Under conditions of nutritional surplus, upd2, a petide

hormone is secreted from the fat body and binds receptors

on GABAergic neurons relieving their inhibitory effect on

the IPCs to which they project, resulting in fly insulin (dilp2,

3 and 5) secretion. Rajan and Perrimon (2012) recently

identified the cytokine Unpaired 2 (Upd2) as the functional

homolog of human leptin. In humans, leptin produced by

adipose tissue acts on the hypothalamus to regulate

appetite and energy expenditure rather than insulin

secretion although it has many target tissues. As upd2 is a

potent regulator of insulin secretion in response to

Main Motivation,

interest in

project and

academic

accomplishmen

t. Quick

learner, careful

and good at

quantitiative

skills.

Bio,

Biochem or

Neuroscienc

e -

Completed

Biology

1111 and

2112

10/24/2019 14


Name

Email

Address

Faculty

School or

College

Faculty

Departmen

t


Location

Important

selection

criteria

Student

Majors

Desired

Class

Preferenc

e

Karen B.

Palter

palter@te

mple.edu

CST Biology Is there a functional

sialic acid pathway in

the insulin producing

cells (IPCs) of

Drosophila?

Our laboratory has previously shown that Drosophila

melanogaster lacking a functional sialic acid pathway

display a range of metabolic defects, that are similar to

those observed in patients with Type II diabetes. We have

demonstrated that one target of sialylation is a potassium

channel in the nervous system. We hypothesize that the

metabolic defects are a result of excess insulin secretion

from insulin producing cells (IPC), due to channel

dysfunction. However, we have been unable to detect any

RNA encoding the sialic acid pathway enzymes by in situ

hybridization in IPC cells in adult brains, and therefore,

cannot rule out that the metabolic defects could result

from defects in other brain neurons impacting the IPC cells.

In order to establish whether the sialic acid pathway is

functional in IPC cells, we have generated transgenic flies

carrying an ectopic copy of the sialic acid synthase gene

(SAS) under the Dilp2 (insulin promoter) that is active only

in IPC cells. Fly strains were generated that express this

transgene in a SAS 2d/2d (sialic acid synthese null)

background and therefore will express the sialic acid

synthase only in IPC cells. We wish to examine whether

such flies will still exhibit the neuronal phenotypes

characteristic of flies deficient in sialic acid (such as

neurodegeneration), but will no longer display metabolic

defects, establishing that the metabolic defects were due

solely to loss of sialic acid in the IPC cells. A variety of both

behavioral and biochemical assays will be used to assay for

metabolic defects.

Main Motivation,

interest in

project and

academic

accomplishmen

t. Quick

learner, careful

and good at

quantitiative

skills.

Bio,

Biochem or

Neuroscienc

e -

Completed

Biology

1111 and

2112

10/24/2019 15


Name

Email

Address

Faculty

School or

College

Faculty

Departmen

t


Location

Important

selection

criteria

Student

Majors

Desired

Class

Preferenc

e

Karen

Palter

palter@te

mple.edu

CST Biology Investigating the

mechanism of insulin

resistance in Type II

diabetes

Our laboratory has previously shown that Drosophila

melanogaster lacking a functional sialic acid pathway

display a range of metabolic defects. We hypothesize that

the metabolic defects are a result of excess insulin

secretion from the insulin producing cells (IPC). We have

generated transgenic flies carrying an ectopic copy of the

sialic acid synthase gene (SAS) under a Dilp2 (insulin

promoter) that is active only in IPC cells. Fly strains were

generated that have this transgene in a SAS2d/2d

background (null for SAS) and therefore will express the

sialic acid synthase only in IPC cells. All transgenic flies are

male sterile and all exhibit defects in locomotor activity, as

did the original SAS mutant strain. However, all rescued

strains no longer exhibit the metabolic defects

characteristic of the SAS mutant strain, strongly suggesting

that such defects were due to loss of sialic acid directly in

the IPC cells. We have demonstrated that one target of

sialylation (the addition of the terminal sugar to

glycoproteins) is a potassium channel in the nervous

system. We propose that the result of excess insulin

secretion from insulin producing cells (IPC) were due to

channel dysfunction. Marban and Roth (1996) have shown

that transgenic mice that secrete excess insulin

(hyperinsulinemic) become insulin resistant, the hallmark

of Type II diabetes. The mechanism of how

hyperinsulinemia leads to Type II diabetes is not

understood. Our laboratory uses flies as a model organism

to investigate the mechanism of how flies become insulin

resistant and progress to diabetes. We are currently

examining the levels of intermediates in the insulin

signaling pathway in normal and mutant flies using both

Main Motivation and

interest in

research.

Biology 2112

Biochemistr

y or Biology

10/24/2019 16


Name

Email

Address

Faculty

School or

College

Faculty

Departmen

t


Location

Important

selection

criteria

Student

Majors

Desired

Class

Preferenc

e

Maria

Pacheco

tug00270@

temple.edu

CST Biology Biodiversity and

evolution of parasites

All known multicellular organisms harbor diverse

assemblages of dependent species, many of which are

considered parasites. Despite a growing awareness of the

importance of dependent species for biodiversity,

parasitological investigations have largely focused on the

harm caused by parasites to their hosts. However, the

ecology and evolutionary biology of parasitic organisms are

worthy of study in their own right despite the challenges

that these organisms pose as relatively unknown elements

of biodiversity. Indeed, our ability to understand the

processes shaping parasite diversity and to mitigate threats

to that diversity is limited by gaps in our knowledge of

issues such as species delimitation, population structure

and spatial distribution, and the dynamics of assemblages

which include multiple parasite and multiple host species.

This project seeks to characterize multiple dimensions of

the eukaryotic endoparasite biodiversity. In particular, we

will give special attention to malarial parasites in the genus

Plasmodium and other related parasitic protozoa. These

species belong to a diverse monophyletic group that is

found in a broad range of vertebrate hosts, including

primates, lizards and birds. The long-term goals of this

investigation are (i) to characterize geographic patterns of

parasite assemblages in birds and primates; (ii) to explore

the functional and ecological interactions of a group of

malaria parasites sharing one or more hosts in common;

and (iii) to investigate the genetic diversity, host

adaptations and speciation of malaria parasites infecting

several host species. The students’ main role will be to

assist in developing a database of parasites genetic data

and their host by mining published data. They will also

Main Highly

motivated. A

minimum of 3.7

GPA. Basic

knowledge on

biology

(transcription/tr

anslation and

DNA

replication),

analytical/quant

itative skills and

curiosity are

required.

Programming at

a basic level is

considered a

plus, but it is

not required.

Students should

interview with

the PI. Our

expectation is

that the

selected

candidates will

continue to

work with us

after the

summer.

Traditionally,

Biology,

Applied

Math,

Natural

Sciences,

Information

Science and

Technology,

Computer

Sciences

10/24/2019 17


Name

Email

Address

Faculty

School or

College

Faculty

Departmen

t


Location

Important

selection

criteria

Student

Majors

Desired

Class

Preferenc

e

Matthew

Helmus

mrhelmus

@temple.e

du

CST Biology The invasion

meltdown and how to

stop it

In Pennsylvania, the spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula)

is a particularly worrisome invasive. In 2014, it invaded

Berks County on material imported from Asia. It destroys

vineyards, orchards, and timber (industries worth $18

billion to Pennsylvania). It rains showers of sticky sap on

homeowners and can spread to new locations by

hitchhiking on anything kept outdoors like a car. It has

spread outside the Commonwealth, to Virginia; economic

losses across the U.S. will be disastrous if it expands

unchecked. Contact Dr. Helmus to help the iEco Lab stop

the meltdown.

Main BIO, Math,

CIS,

EES,Phys, &

Chem

Matthew

Helmus

mrhelmus

@temple.e

du

CST Biology The genomics of

scared tadpoles

Tadpoles just want to grow up to become frogs, but in

nature there are plenty of predators. Luckily, tadpoles have

a defense--when exposed to predators, tadpoles can

radically change their body shapes and musculature so that

they are harder for predators to catch. The goal of this

project is to analyze experimental genomic data (already

collected) to determine gene expression during body

changes. Bioinformatics that may be used are: R statistical

programming, Galaxy bioinformatic pipelines and

BLAST2GO software.

Main Basic computer

programming

Courses in

Genomics or

Computer

Programmin

g

Matthew

Helmus

mrhelmus

@temple.e

du

CST Biology Are there universal

patterns in

biodiversity?

Natural selection has caused a spectacular amount of

biodiversity, from flying frogs to legless lizards, yet this

evolution is not random. For example, on distant oceanic

islands, species have evolved from the same types of

natural selection, converging to similar body shapes and

sizes. The goal of this project is to identify these universal

patterns in biodiversity using specimens of lizards and frogs

from across the Caribbean. The student will measure the

body traits of the specimens and then build, using the R

statistical programming language, genetic trees of

evolutionary relationship of species to identify

convergence in biodiversity.

Main Basic excel Biology,

Environmen

tal Science

10/24/2019 18


Name

Email

Address

Faculty

School or

College

Faculty

Departmen

t


Location

Important

selection

criteria

Student

Majors

Desired

Class

Preferenc

e

Rachel

Spigler

rachel.spigl

er@temple

.edu

CST Biology The impact of

inbreeding on plant

population growth

What factors influence whether populations of organisms

increase, remain stable, or decline to extinction? This

project will investigate how genetic factors (inbreeding)

might impact population growth of a native wildflower

plant. Students will work in the plant facility on campus,

with opportunities to work out in the field in experimental

plant populations.

Field

locations

in PA and

MD

Strong

academic

record.

Enthusiasm and

attention to

detail. Ability

and willingness

to perform field

work as

schedule allows.

Biology,

Environmen

tal Science

Rachel

Spigler

rachel.spigl

er@temple

.edu

CST Biology Chemical analysis of

floral nectar

Floral nectar is a critical resource for animal pollinators,

essential for metabolism, growth, and reproduction. Plant

species can vary markedly in both the quantity and quality

of nectar they offer. Students will aid in the analysis of

nectar amino acids, sugars, and lipids in various species in

wild populations using HPLC and GCMS.

Main Strong

academic

record and

background in

chemistry.

Attention to

detail and

organizational

Biology,

Chemistry

Rachel

Spigler

rachel.spigl

er@temple

.edu

CST Biology The impact of plant

mating patterns on

population growth

What factors influence whether populations of organisms

increase, remain stable, or decline to extinction? This

project will investigate how genetic factors (inbreeding)

might impact population growth of a native wildflower

plant. Students will work in the plant facility on campus

andout in the field in experimental plant populations.

Main

Campus

& Field

sites

Strong

academic

record.

Enthusiasm and

attention to

detail. Ability

and willingness

to perform

greenhouse and

Biology,

Environmen

tal Science

Rachel

Spigler

rachel.spigl

er@temple

.edu

CST Biology Plant-pollinator

interactions

Nearly 90% of flowering plants rely on animal pollination

for successful seed production, including 75% of the

world’s leading food crops. For pollinators, nectar and

pollen represent an essential resource for metabolism,

growth and survival. We are studying dynamics of this

critical partnership within an entire community of plants

and their pollinators across grasslands in central and

southeastern Pennsylvania. Students will be involved in lab

research, involving microscopy, digital imaging, pollinator

observation/identifcation.

Main Strong

academic

record.

Enthusiasm and

attention to

detail.

Biology,

Environmen

tal Science

10/24/2019 19


Name

Email

Address

Faculty

School or

College

Faculty

Departmen

t


Location

Important

selection

criteria

Student

Majors

Desired

Class

Preferenc

e

Rob

Kulathinal

robkulathin

al@temple.

edu

CST Biology Genomics of speciation Is speciation driven by genes involved in reproduction? In

this project, the student will: 1) identify genes under

selection using evolutionary genomic approaches and/or 2)

knock-down those genes using ready-made RNAi lines via

our high-throughput behavioral arenas. The student will

be trained by an active team of undergraduate and

doctoral students who are already applying these powerful

approaches using Drosophila.

Main Determination,

curiosity, and

computationally-

inclined

Biology,

Computer

Science

Tonia Hsich sthsieh@te

mple.edu

CST Biology Control mechanisms

for counting

unexpected

perturbations during

bipedal running in

lizards

Main Biology

Weidong

Yang

weidong.ya

ng@temple

.edu

CST Biology Super-resolution study

of interactions and

competitions in normal

and cancer cells

Super-resolution light microscopy won the Nobel Prize in

Chemistry in 2014. In our lab, we combine super-resolution

microscopy with single-molecule tracking, fluorescence

recovery and innovative molecular biology techniques to

study the following projects: 1) interactions between

human cells (normal and cancer cells) and viruses. 2)

trafficking of RNAs, vesicles and proteins through the

nuclear pore complexes in live human cells. 3) the gating

mechanism for macromolecules transport into the cilium of

human cells.

Main Biology,

biochemistr

y, biophysics

and the

relevant

10/24/2019 20


Name

Email

Address

Faculty

School or

College

Faculty

Departmen

t


Location

Important

selection

criteria

Student

Majors

Desired

Class

Preferenc

e

Weidong

Yang

weidong.ya

ng@temple

.edu

CST Biology Study protein and RNA

in cancer cells

We are highly motivated to develop innovative research

tools to meet the needs of solving challenging biological

and biomedical problems, as we have done in the past and

will be doing in the future. Currently, by developing and

employing high-speed super-resolution microscopy

techniques, our research aims to solve two critical

transport mechanisms involving three sub-cellular

organelles in eukaryotic cells: nucleus, cytoplasm and

primary cilium. Macromolecular trafficking among these

compartments is suggested to be gated by two unique

machineries. One is the nuclear pore complex (NPC)

embedded in the nuclear envelope that mediates the

bidirectional trafficking of proteins and RNAs between the

cytoplasm and the nucleus; the other is the transition zone

(TZ) located at the base of cilium that regulates the entry of

membrane and cytosolic proteins into the cilium. Due to

the challenges in elucidating kinetics and real-time

transport routes for macromolecules through the sub-

micrometer NPC or TZ in live cells, however, the

fundamental gating mechanisms in either of these two

machineries, remain obscure. Moreover, these transport

mechanisms are not only the fundamental unanswered

questions in cell biology, but also are closely associated

with human diseases. For example, dysfunction of the

nuclear transport through the NPC are linked to numerous

human diseases including leukemias, cancers, and primary

biliary cirrhosis. Also, defects in ciliary structure and/or

function causes a variety of diseases (called ciliopathies)

such as cystic kidney disease, nephronophthisis (NPHP),

and retinitis pigmentosa. Thus, the fundamental

knowledge of understanding the gating mechanisms in

Main Biology,

Biophysics,

Physics,

computer

science

Sergei Pond spond@te

mple.edu

CST Biology and

iGEM

Software development

and Bioinformatics

Utilize and develop open-source software to explore DNA

mutations. Using high-performance computing, statistical

techniques, and the latest web technologies, we provide

methods that researchers use to answer questions about

their genetic sequence data. All computational

development and research takes place within iGEM located

in the SERC building (igem.temple.edu).

Main Computer

Science,

Mathematic

s, Biology,

Physics

10/24/2019 21


Name

Email

Address

Faculty

School or

College

Faculty

Departmen

t


Location

Important

selection

criteria

Student

Majors

Desired

Class

Preferenc

e

Sudhir

Kumar

s.kumar@t

emple.edu

CST Biology and

iGEM

Software development

and Bioinformatics

We develop software (including smartphone apps) for

analyzing biological data in the fields of Genomics and

Medicine. All developments will be in a new institute in

SERC.

Main Knowledge of

computer

programming

and/or app

development

All majors

Sudhir

Kumar

s.kumar@t

emple.edu

CST Biology and

iGEM

Personalized medicine

and evolutionary link

between DNA and

disease

We all have many DNA differences from others. Which of

these personal differences cause disease? We use

computers to study disease variation in humans and

compare it to differences humans show with other species.

We also build predictive methods and tools. All

computational research will be in a new institute in SERC.

Main Interest in the

field,

knowledge of

computers

All majors

Sudhir

Kumar

s.kumar@t

emple.edu

CST Biology and

iGEM

Genomics, Medicine,

and Evolution

(computer based)

Students will carry out biological and biomedical research

using computers with emphasis on DNA data analysis.

Biomedical questions will be focused on Genome Medicine.

Biological questions will be on building the tree of life.

Depending on the student's background, you may conduct

primary data analysis research and/or assist in developing

new methods, software, and databases.

Main Freshmen and

sophomores

with interest in

biology,

medicine, or

computers. No

requirements,

as the projects

will be tailored

Biology,

Computers,

Physics,

Anthropolog

y,

Pharmacy,

Chemistry

10/24/2019 22


Name

Email

Address

Faculty

School or

College

Faculty

Departmen

t


Location

Important

selection

criteria

Student

Majors

Desired

Class

Preferenc

e

Sudhir

Kumar

s.kumar@t

emple.edu

CST Biology and

iGEM

Genomic Medicine and

Tree of Life

Evolutionary analytics of mutations, genomes, and species

is the primary focus of my research group. We use

integrative and comparative approaches to make

fundamental discoveries in the fields of medicine,

evolution and genomics. The common theme of all our

research is the use of comparative analysis to reveal

genome differences that are outcomes of natural selection

on novel mutations arising in all species during their

propagation from generation to generation and in an

individual’s lifetime. The resulting patterns of conservation

and divergence of our DNA enables us to conduct research

investigations ranging from establishing the tree of life

scaled to time (TimeTree of Life) and to forecasting

disruptive mutations found in personal germline and

somatic genomes (Phylomedicine). In these pursuits of

biological discoveries, we are also developing new

statistical methods and computer algorithms to quickly

analyze large-scale datasets in these disciplines. We also

develop and disseminate many high-impact software tools

(MEGA and myPEG) and databases/applications (TimeTree

and FlyExpress).

Main Prefer freshmen

or sophomores

interested in

devoting

multiple years

working in our

group so they

can carry out

real research

and

development

projects,

including the

writing of

research papers

and/or

development of

software and

database tools.

Successful

students will be

provided year-

Biology,

Computer

Science,

Chemistry,

Physics,

Biomedical

engineering,

and other

biology-

related

department

Steve

Flemming

sfleming@t

emple.edu

CST Chemisry Virtual Reality (VR) of

Bio-Organic Reaction

Animations (BioORA)

In collaboration with Gillian Queisser. The teaching tool Bio-

Organic Reaction Animations (BioORA) has been developed

to assist student learning. BioORA is available online and it

covers topics that include enzyme chemistry, lipids, nucleic

acids, and carbohydrates. The animations that are included

in the program are based on 3D data from crystal

structures found in the Protein Data Bank (PDB). This

research project involves developing a pipeline from PDB

files to 3D visualization using Unity3D and Oculus Rift

Virtual Reality hardware. The ultimate goal would be to

generate a new VR-based teaching tool for bio-organic

chemistry.

Main Students

working on this

project would

need to have a

basic

knowledge

of scripting

and/or object-

oriented progra

mming languag

es and an

interest in

learning virtual

chemistry,

biochemistr

y, CIS, math

Sophomor

e, Junior

or Senior

Ann

Valentine

ann.valenti

ne@temple

.edu

CST Chemistry Bioinorganic Titanium

Chemistry

The Valentine Lab is interested in hydrolysis-prone metal

ions of biological relevance. The student will investigate

possible ligand systems for stabilization of titanium(IV) in a

water environment, will make and characterize new

inorganic coordination compounds, and will evaluate their

interactions with biomolecules

Main intelligence

enthusiasm

conscientiousne

ss - will teach

skills necessary

chemistry

biochemistr

y

Sophomor

e, Junior

10/24/2019 23


Name

Email

Address

Faculty

School or

College

Faculty

Departmen

t


Location

Important

selection

criteria

Student

Majors

Desired

Class

Preferenc

e

Carol

Manhart

carol.manh

art@templ

e.edu

CST Chemistry DNA Mismatch Repair

Mechanisms

The Manhart Lab is interested in how proteins that

spellcheck and repair the DNA code identify targets and act

with the required precision necessary to maintain genomic

integrity. Students will investigate catalytic mutants of

repair proteins in in vitro repair reactions and other

biochemical assays. Students will learn molecular biology,

protein purification, and biochemical techniques to

characterize these proteins. Intelligence, organization,

enthusiasm for learning new things,

conscientiousness/good lab citizenship are required. Also

required is a strong interest in biochemistry and enzyme

function.

Main Chemistry,

biochemistr

y

Sophomor

e, Junior

Daniel

Strongin

dstrongi@t

emple.edu

CST Chemistry Reactivity of Pyrite and

Acid Mine Drainage

The iron sulfide, pyrite, is found at active and abandoned

coal mining sites. Its decomposition in the environment

leads to acid mine drainage (sulfuric acid generation) which

is a significant problems for coal mining companies and the

surrounding environment. The goal of the project is to look

into strategies to suppress the oxidation of pyrite and the

resulting acid generation.

Main Motivation

Academic

performance -

Introductory

Chemistry

Courses with

Laboratory.

Chemistry

ESS

Eric

Borguet

eborguet@

temple.edu

CST Chemistry Combining Photons,

Electrons and

Nanoparticles for

Plasmonic Sensing and

Catalysis

Students will develop and use nanoscale plasmonic

materials for rapid, high sensitivity detection of biological

and chemical agents, as well as catalytic conversion. They

will learn to use a variety of analytical techniques such as

spectroscopy, Atomic Force Microscopy Curiosity and

persistence - Interest in research - Aptitude for careful

laboratory research - - Undergraduate researchers in my

group typically present at local, regional and even national

conferences. Many have been co-authors on publications.

Main Chemistry,

Physics

Sophomor

e or Junior

10/24/2019 24


Name

Email

Address

Faculty

School or

College

Faculty

Departmen

t


Location

Important

selection

criteria

Student

Majors

Desired

Class

Preferenc

e

Eric

Borguet

eborguet@

temple.edu

CST Chemistry Laser Vibrational

Spectroscopy and

Dynamics of Molecular

Species at Bio and

Geochemical Interfaces

Research involves learning to use ultrafast lasers (we make

some of the shortest infrared pulses in the world) to

perform vibrational Sum Frequency Generation (SFG) a

technique that provides sensitivity to single molecualr

layers. Students will investigate water, arguably the most

important molecule on the planet at interfaces of biological

and geochemical relevance. Students will learn about

surface chemistry, biointerfaces, geochemistry and laser

spectroscopy.

Main Curiosity and

persistence -

Interest in

research -

Aptitude for

careful

laboratory

research - -

Undergraduate

researchers in

my group

Chemistry,

Physics

Sophomor

e or Junior

Frank

Spano

spano@te

mple.edu

CST Chemistry Photophtsical

Properties of

Histochemical Dye

Aggregation

Main Chemistry

10/24/2019 25


Name

Email

Address

Faculty

School or

College

Faculty

Departmen

t


Location

Important

selection

criteria

Student

Majors

Desired

Class

Preferenc

e

George A.

Petersson

gpetersson

@temple.e

du

CST Chemistry Making high accuracy

affordable through DFT

The coupled-cluster singles and doubles with perturbative

triples complete basis set limit, CCSD(T)/CBS limit [J. Chem.

Phys., 138, 144104 (2013), J. Chem. Phys. 143, 214110

(2015)] offers very high accuracy for much of

thermochemistry, but these calculations are very

expensive. If we limit the CCSD(T) calculations to the

valence electron correlation energy, the remaining small

corrections can be treated by DFT with little loss of

accuracy at dramatically reduced cost. For example, we

recently published [J. Chem. Phys. 143, 214111 (2015)] a

core-valence density functional that requires less time than

a single SCF iteration, but reproduces the CCSD(T)/CBS core-

valence correlation energy to within ±0.27 kcal/mol rms

error. We are now developing density functional methods

covering the elements H through Kr for the geometry

(±0.011 Å which corresponds to ±0.065 kcal/mol rms error

in the energy), zero-point-energy (±0.063 kcal/mol rms

error), scalar relativistic corrections (±0.18 kcal/mol rms

error), and spin-orbit coupling (±0.21 kcal/mol rms error).

These errors all compare favorably with the inherent error

in CCSD(T) energies (±0.56 kcal/mol rms error) with respect

to Full CI energies for these species. This work will include

extending core-valence density functional to the third-row

including the transition metals, and improving on the

generalized Douglas-Kroll-Hess relativistic DFT calculations

of the spin-orbit coupling interactions.

Main The

undergraduate

research

participant

should have a

basic

knowledge of

quantum

mechanics and

computer

programing.

Chemistry,

Physics,

Computer

Science

sophomor

es or

Juniors

10/24/2019 26


Name

Email

Address

Faculty

School or

College

Faculty

Departmen

t


Location

Important

selection

criteria

Student

Majors

Desired

Class

Preferenc

e

George

Petersson

tue44197@

temple.edu

CST Chemistry Spectra of Acridone D

erivatives

Sub tituted acriones are useful as fluorescent dyes for

studies of protein folding. A collaboration with

experimental studies at the University of Pennsylvania will

employ ab initio caculations of

electronic absorption and emission specra to determine

what structural modifications would enhance the useful

ness of these dyes. Method

will include CIS(D), EOM- CSD, and TDDFT. The student will

learn to create input and interpret output using

the program GassView, and learn to run the program

Gaussian16 on the Owl’s Nest Custer at Temple

University. It might also be possible to measure an e

xperimenta l spectrum at Penn if the student wants to.

Main The

undergraduate

research

participant

should have a

basic

knowledge of

quantum

mechanics such

as having

completed

CHEM 3302, or

PHYS 2796 or

PHYS 3701. The

departmental

Chemistry

or CS

Junior or

Senior

George

Petersson

tue44197@

temple.edu

CST Chemistry Interface between

Gaussian16 WindNMR

Ab initio calculated nmr spectra are useful for the

interpretation of expe rimental spectra and m lecular

structural assignments. However, it is very tedious to paste

calculated chemical shifts and spin-spin coupling constants

into a program that simulates a high resolution nmr

spectrum. This project involves writing computer code to

read a Gaussian16 output file and create a data file for the

pro ram WindNMR. This work is a collaboration with

colleagues at the Kitas to Institute in Tokyo. The

undergraduate research participant’s background in

Chemistry and Spectroscopy is far less important than an

aptitude for writing computer code. The departmental

major or class year are unimportant.

Main Chemistry

or CS

Junior or

Senior

Graham

Dobereiner

dob@temp

le.edu

CST Chemistry Exploring the influence

of Lewis Acids on

Organometallic

Compounds

Organometallic complexes, which feature metal-carbon

bonds, underpin key catalytic reactions in chemical

industry. This project will explore the synthesis of new

complexes using air-free technique, and investigate the

reactivity of these complexes in new chemical reactions.

Main Prior classroom

laboratory

experience

(General

Chemistry, and

preferably

Organic

Chemistry

10/24/2019 27


Name

Email

Address

Faculty

School or

College

Faculty

Departmen

t


Location

Important

selection

criteria

Student

Majors

Desired

Class

Preferenc

e

Michael J.

Zdilla

mzdilla@te

mple.edu

CST Chemistry Preparation and

testing of solid

electrolytes for battery

applications

We are seeking undergraduates to aid in the synthesis of

salt-organic hybrid electrolyte materials by co-

crystalizaiton methods, and the assessment of their

conductivity using electrochemical techniques.

Main GPA,

Intent to pursue

Graduate

education.

Skills from

General

Chemistry -

General

Chemistry

completed,

Organic

chemistry

Sophomor

e, Junior

or Senior

Robert J.

Levis

rjlevis@te

mple.edu

CST Chemistry Stand-Off Detection of

Molecules using

Advanced Laser

Technology

The ability to detect molecules at distances up to 50

meters is valuable for many applications including

explosives detection, analyzing smoke stacks and probing

urban environments. This project will involve working with

femtosecond laser filamentation ("a light saber") and a

new Raman spectroscopy method developed in the Center

for Advanced Photonics Research. Interested students

should read the publications on the Center's web site

Main independent

motivation

Neuroscienc

e, Cell and

Developmen

tal Biology

Sophomor

e, Junior,

Senior

Robert J.

Levis

rjlevis@te

mple.edu

CST Chemistry Nanomaterials by

Design

Nanomaterials include size as a design parameter for a

material’s properties. For instance the color of a quantum

dot changes as the size changes from 100nm to 10nm. The

aim of this project is to discover new nanomaterials using

femtosecond laser processing of precursors including

chemical compounds, bulk metals, semiconductors and

organic materials. The project involves the use of lasers

and state of the art optics as well as characterization

methods including UV-VIS, mass spectrometry,

transmission electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering

and a nanoparticle size analyzer.

Main independent

motivation

Neuroscienc

e, Cell and

Developmen

tal Biology

Sophomor

e, Junior,

Senior

Robert

Stanley

rstanley@t

emple.edu

CST Chemistry Promiscuous enzymes

and cofactor analogs

Enzymes are considered to be very specific chemical

factories, recognizing and processing only very specific

substrates. In contrast, cold-adapted enzymes, from

organisms living at or below 0C, are rather promiscuous,

opening up the possibility of generating product analogs of

greater variety. You will exploit this characteristic by

cloning, overexpressing, and characterizing a few cold-

adapted enzymes that make potential useful cofactor

analogs.

Main Experience with

protein

biochemistry

and molecular

biology

techniques a

real plus.

Biochemsitr

y,

Chemistry,

Physics,

Biology

Sophomor

e, Junior

10/24/2019 28


Name

Email

Address

Faculty

School or

College

Faculty

Departmen

t


Location

Important

selection

criteria

Student

Majors

Desired

Class

Preferenc

e

Ross Wang rosswang@

temple.edu

CST Chemistry Chemical probes to

study post-

translational

modifications

Chemical biology approaches to the mechanism study,

diagnosis, and treatment of human diseases

II. Chemical proteomics to identify key proteins for the

onset of cancer and inflammatory disorders.

Main Having

completed

General

Chemistry,

Organic

Chemistry I with

a grade of B or

Chemistry,

Biology,

Biochemistr

y,

Pharmaceuti

cal

Sophomor

e,

Junior, or

Senior

Ross Wang rosswang@

temple.edu

CST Chemistry Development of novel

imaging agents for

image-guided cancer

therapy


diagnosis, and treatment of human diseases

Main Having

completed

General

Chemistry,

Organic

Chemistry I with

a grade of B or

Chemistry,

Biology,

Biochemistr

y,

Pharmaceuti

cal

Sophomor

e,

Junior, or

Senior

Ross Wang rosswang@

temple.edu

CST Chemistry Design and synthesis of

antibody mimics


diagnosis, and treatment of human diseases Having

completed General Chemistry, Organic Chemistry I with a

grade of B or higher. Preferably with prior laboratory

experience in Chemistry and Biochemistry

Main Chemistry,

Biology,

Biochemistr

y,

Pharmaceuti

cal

Sophomor

e,

Junior, or

Senior

Sarah

Wengryniu

k

tuf76212@

temple.edu

CST Chemistry Two possible projects:

"Evaluation of IL-8

inhibitors for inhibition

of cancer metastasis"

and "Development of

novel cyclic ether

synthesis from tertiary

Two possible projects: "Evaluation of IL-8 inhibitors for

inhibition of cancer metastasis" and "Development of novel

cyclic ether synthesis from tertiary alcohols"

Main Having

completed both

Organic 1 and

Organic 2 with a

B or higher in

both courses.

Strong letter of

Chemistry Sophomor

e, Junior,

Senior

Spiridoula

Matsika

smatsika@t

emple.edu

CST Chemistry Modeling reactions in

chemistry and biology

Processes initiated by light play an important role in

biological systems with primary examples found in

photosynthesis, vision, and photochemical damage and

repair in DNA. We use computational methods to study

processes important in biology, chemistry, astrochemistry,

and other areas. Part of this research facilitates

development of new fluorescent probes.

Main Chemistry,

Physics,

Biochem,

CIS

Freshman,

Sophomor

e, Junior,

Senior

10/24/2019 29


Name

Email

Address

Faculty

School or

College

Faculty

Departmen

t


Location

Important

selection

criteria

Student

Majors

Desired

Class

Preferenc

e

Spiridoula

Matsika

smatsika@t

emple.edu

CST Chemistry Studying the

photophysics and

photochemistry of

DNA using quantum

mechanics

Processes initiated by light play an important role in

biological systems with primary examples found in

photosynthesis, vision, and photochemical damage and

repair in DNA. A fundamental understanding of these

processes reveals the way nature works and also provides

ideas on how to mimic or alter these mechanisms to our

own benefit. The current project focuses on studies of the

photophysical behavior of DNA bases and their fluorescent

analogs. When UV radiation is absorbed by DNA,

photochemical reactions may occur which can lead to

photochemical damage. DNA, however, is proven to be

quite photostable, since the absorbed energy can be

converted to harmless heat. We examine what happens

after one or two bases absorb light, and what is the

fundamental mechanism for making these molecules

photostable. We use quantum mechanics to study these

processes. Large scale computations are employed to

solve the Schroedinger equation approximately, and the

results are analyzed to provide the electronic structure,

properties and reactivity of the molecules studied. Apart

from quantitative answers we also obtain qualitative

pictures by visualizing orbitals and other properties, which

give us physical insight.

Main Students should

be motivated,

interested in

research and

computational

work, with an

aptitude for

math.

Chemistry,

Physics

Junior or

Senior

Stephanie

Wunder

slwunder@

temple.edu

CST Chemistry Nanopartile/Lipid

Project

Nanoparticles have high surface/volume ratios so that

characterization of the material on the surface is very

important in applications such as drug/DNA delivery and

nanocomposites. The phase transitions, conformations and

adsorption isotherms of lipids and polymers (both natural-

proteins, DNA, RNA and synthetic-polymers) on silica

nanoparticles of different sizes (from 5-500nm) will be

investigated by a variety of analytical techniques such as

HPLC, FTIR, Raman and fluorescence spectroscopies, and

thermal analysis.

Main Willingness to

work hard,

understanding

of experimental

techniques and

the importance

of obtaining

reproducible

data - wet

chemistry

techniques

Chemistry,

Biochem -

organic

chemistry I,

analytical

chemistry

Junior or

Senior

10/24/2019 30


Name

Email

Address

Faculty

School or

College

Faculty

Departmen

t


Location

Important

selection

criteria

Student

Majors

Desired

Class

Preferenc

e

Stephanie

Wunder

slwunder@

temple.edu

CST Chemistry Lithium Batteries &

Fuel Cells: Materials

preparation &

Characterization

In order to improve the performance of lithium ion

batteries and fuel cells, it is critical to make advances in

many aspects of the materials used in the electrodes,

electrolytes and separators. This project involves preparing

and characterizing novel nanomaterials to be employed as

separators for NaBH4 fuel cells and lithium ion batteries. In

particular we have functionalized what are called

polyoctahedral silsesquioxanes (POSS), which are nano

silica (SiO1.5) cubes with eight groups at the corners that

contain dissociable Li+, OH- ions or polyethylene glycol.

The project(s) involve incorporation of these POSS

materials with polymers, and the characterization of the

nanocomposites by calorimetric and electrochemical

methods.

Main Willingness to

work hard,

understanding

of experimental

techniques and

the importance

of obtaining

reproducible

data - wet

chemistry

techniques

Chemistry,

Biochem -

organic

chemistry I,

analytical

chemistry

Junior or

Senior

Vincent

Voelz

voelz@tem

ple.edu

CST Chemistry Molecular simulation

of proteins and

peptide mimics

This work involves computational modeling of proteins and

peptide mimics. We simulating the molecular dynamics of

molecules on high-performace computing platforms, to

make predictions about folding and binding.

Main Some

combination of

programming

experience,

math skills and

Math,

physics,

computer

science and

chemistry

Sophomor

e or Junior

Yi Rao yirao@tem

ple.edu

CST Chemistry Two-dimensional

Layered Organic-

Inorganic Hybrid for

Photovoltaic

Applications

We will synthesize novel 2D layered materials for

photovoltaic applications. We evaluate and control the

elementary processes that govern the properties and

performance of perovskite materials in photovoltaic and

optoelectronic devices illustrated by dye sensitized solar

cells (DSSC) and light emitting diodes (LED). Application of

these unprecedented measurement capabilities to relevant

materials issues benefits from inter-dependent programs in

materials design, preparation, and processing.

Main Physical

chemistry and

organic

chemistry

chemistry or

physics

Junior,

senior

10/24/2019 31


Name

Email

Address

Faculty

School or

College

Faculty

Departmen

t


Location

Important

selection

criteria

Student

Majors

Desired

Class

Preferenc

e

Yi Rao tuf42202@

temple.edu

CST Chemistry Photovoltaic

applications of

multiple exciton

generation from Ge

nanocrystals

In this undergraduate research, we aim to investigate both

Ge nanocrystal inorganic materials interactions with light

and the potential for unique photovoltaic applications,

including the generation of multiple carrier generations in

Ge nanocrystals. It includes two parts. Part A:

Characterization of linear optical properties of Ge

nanocrystals using absorption, fluorescence, and Raman

scattering spectroscopy. The students will investigate the

optical characteristics of inorganic silicon nanocrystals

using a range of available spectroscopic tools. These

measurements will be performed on samples consisting of

Ge nanocrystals of different sizes at different solvents. The

aim of part A is to understand the basic optical properties

of the potential materials for multiple exciton generation,

and to identify the growth conditions for production of Ge

nanocrystals that exhibit the appropriate band gap and

very high structural quality. Part B is to investigate surface

properties of Ge nanocrystals. These experiments will be

carried out using femtosecond laser systems. For inorganic

Ge nanocrystals, second order properties and surface

modifications of Ge nanocrystals will be examined. The

purpose of the research is to expose undergraduate

students to state-of-the-art ultrafast optical spectroscopy,

and to hands-on train the students how to perform

experiments, analyze data, and present experimental

results.

Main Chemistry,

physics,

engineering

Sophomor

e, Junior,

Senior

10/24/2019 32


Name

Email

Address

Faculty

School or

College

Faculty

Departmen

t


Location

Important

selection

criteria

Student

Majors

Desired

Class

Preferenc

e

Yugang Sun ygsun@te

mple.edu

CST Chemistry Understanding

transformation of

colloidal nanoparticles

The behavior of colloidal nanoparticles in liquid solution is

very complex and the accurate description of their

behavior is still absent. This project will target this ground-

challenging problem by working with senior graduate

researchers. This research will rely on the group's unique

ability to use the in situ high-energy synchrotron x-ray

techniques to probe the nanoparticle evolution processes

in real time and even under real reaction conditions. This

capability enables the collection of the unprecedented

data, which are impossibly achieved with traditional

methods, from colloidal nanoparticles. We will process the

in-situ data to develop appropriate models to understand

the complex behavior of colloidal nanoparticles. The

understanding will be helpful to design the synthesis

protocol for producing the best nanomaterials.

Main Chemistry Junior,

Senior

Yugang Sun ygsun@te

mple.edu

CST Chemistry Microfluidic synthesis

of graphene-supported

quantum dots for

photocatalysis

This project seeks to use the home-built microfluidic

reactor for synthesizing graphene-supported

semiconductor quantum dots, which can adsorb solar

energy to drive useful chemical reactions (i.e.,

photocatalysis). The student will use the method recently

developed in my group to synthesize graphene-supported

semiconductor quantum dots including CdSe and CdS

Main Wet Chemistry chemistry Seniors

Anduo

Wang

adw@temp

le.edu

CST CIS A Consistent SDN

Management Plane

with Logic Reasoning

My research interests center around improving networked-

systems with database techniques and formal methods. My

current research projects focus on software-defined

networks (SDN).

Main good math,

programming

with Python,

some

understanding

computer

science

seniors

Bo Ji boji@templ

e.edu

CST CIS Human behavior

recognition and

tracking

This project aims to develop human behavior recognition

and tracking systems using wireless sensing technologies

such as mmWave Radar.

Main Self-motivated;

hard-working;

Experienced in

Matlab; Basic

knowledge of

signal

processing and

machine

learning is

preferred but

not required.

CIS Junior or

senior

10/24/2019 33


Name

Email

Address

Faculty

School or

College

Faculty

Departmen

t


Location

Important

selection

criteria

Student

Majors

Desired

Class

Preferenc

e

Bo Ji boji@templ

e.edu

CST CIS Quantum Machine

Learning

Students will investigate the design of Machine Learning

algorithms in the quantum domain that outperform (e.g.,

providing exponential or quadratic speedup) their classical

counterparts. Examples include solving linear system of

equations, principle component analysis, support vector

machine, reinforcement learning, etc.

Main Basic

knowledge of

machine

learning and

quantum

physics is

preferred but

not required.

CS or Math Junior &

Senior

Bo Ji boji@templ

e.edu

CST CIS Data freshness

optimization

Students will investigate the problem of optimizing data

freshness/timeliness in information-updating systems and

design efficient algorithms for the problem.

Main Basic

programming

experience in

Python or Java

or C++.

CS or Math Junior &

Senior

Bo Ji boji@templ

e.edu

CST CIS Knowledge-Defined

Networking

Students will work on applying machine learning

techniques to computer networks (e.g., resource allocation

and network operation). Further, using network theory

guided approach to enhance the developed solution.

Main Python

programming;

Matlab

programming;

basic

knowledge of

machine

CS or Math Junior &

Senior

Bo Ji boji@templ

e.edu

CST CIS Silent speech

recognition using

wireless sensing

This project aims to develop silent speech recognition and

human identification/authentication using wireless sensing

technologies such as mmWave Radar.


hard-working;

experienced in

Matlab;

basic

knowledge

about signal

processing and

CIS Junior or

senior

10/24/2019 34


Name

Email

Address

Faculty

School or

College

Faculty

Departmen

t


Location

Important

selection

criteria

Student

Majors

Desired

Class

Preferenc

e

Chiu C. Tan cctan@tem

ple.edu

CST CIS Security of civilian-

captured videos

There is a rise in everyday people using their smartphones

to record potential criminal acts, e.g. people rioting,

violence in public spaces, and so on. Smartphones cameras

are not designed to provide evidence of wrongdoing. The

project will explore the potential security issues related to

civilian captured videos (e.g. potential for fake/tampered

videos) and possible solutions to address them.

Main General interest

in security.

Some familiarity

with video or

photo

manipulation

software like

Photoshop will

be preferred.

CIS, Math,

Physics

Sophomor

e, Juniors,

Seniors


ple.edu

CST CIS Wearable Computers

for Health Care

The project studies the use of wearable computing devices

to monitor

patients with dementia disorders. The goal is to develop

systems and

algorithms that can enable unobtrusive, long-term

monitoring of high

risk patients to improve early detection and measure

effectiveness of

treatment. The project is suitable for participants with

strong

prototyping skills.

Main Familiar with

Android

programming

and/or Web

programming

CIS/IST,

Math,

Sophomor

e, Junior,

Senior


ple.edu

CST CIS Reminder systems for

patients with cognitive

problems

Patients with cognitive problems sometimes have difficult

remembering to complete everyday tasks like taking

medication, consuming adequate fluids, and so on.

Reminder systems are systems that help these patients

keep track of these tasks. The project will involves studying

currently available systems and designing better

alternatives.

Main Students from

CS backgrounds

should be

comfortable

with Android

application

programming

and/or web

CIS, Pre

Med

Sophomor

e, Juniors,

Seniors

Eduard

Dragut

edragut@t

emple.edu

CST CIS Identifying Entity

Mentions in Social

Networking Streams

The project aims to develop methods that are capable to

recognize substrings in user messages that refer to an

entity (e.g., Phila or Philly refers to Philadelphia).

Main Good

programming

and analytic

skills. Ideally, a

student who

would like to

Math, CS,

ECE

Sophomor

e, Juniors,

Seniors

10/24/2019 35


Name

Email

Address

Faculty

School or

College

Faculty

Departmen

t


Location

Important

selection

criteria

Student

Majors

Desired

Class

Preferenc

e

Eduard

Dragut

edragut@t

emple.edu

CST CIS Herveting User

Comments from the

Social Networking

Websites

This project aims to develop techniques that allow

automatic harvesting of user comments from microblogs

and other social networking websites. You will work with

Java, Javascript, JSON, MySQL, and other modern Web

programming tools.

Main Good

programming

and analytic

skills. Ideally, a

student who

would like to

pursue grad

studies.

Math, CS,

ECE

Sophomor

e, Juniors,

Seniors

Jamie

Payton

payton@te

mple.edu

CST CIS Pervasive Computing

Community Networks

to Increase Child

Indepdence

This project will build a pervasive computing technology

infrastructure and associated community connections to

increase social and mobile independence in children. The

project seeks to provide a balance between fine-grained

location tracking using wearable devices capable of sensing

and communication versus completely untethered,

untracked, "free-range kids". We address engagement and

retention of children to the system using gamification and

incentivization to promote physical and social

independence to achieve clearly stated health, social,

emotional, and educational goals. This project focuses

heavily on safety and privacy and on connecting those

Main some

programming

experience

ability to apply

math concepts

to solve

problems and

evaluate

solutions

Cs, ISST or

Math

Sophomor

e, Junior

or Senior

Jie Wu jiewu@tem

ple.edu

CST CIS WiFi and mobile phone

app

We focus on building a robust and accurate WiFi sensing

platform for various applications, such as activity

recognition and indoor localization. This project seeks to

largely reduce the training cost of current WiFi sensing

system with the help of transfer learning techniques.

Specifically, we will study what is the minimal number of

training instances needed to ensure good performance for

a new environment. In addition, we will investigate what

domain knowledge in exiting environment can be

transferred to new environments.

Main Strong

programming

skills (perferred

C and Matlab)

and signal

processing

experience

CIS, ECE Sophomor

e, Junior,

Senior

10/24/2019 36


Name

Email

Address

Faculty

School or

College

Faculty

Departmen

t


Location

Important

selection

criteria

Student

Majors

Desired

Class

Preferenc

e

Jie Wu jiewu@tem

ple.edu

CST CIS Online Job Scheduling

with Machine Learning

Techniques

This project aims to develop an online job scheduler for

cloud/edge computing clusters using machine learning or

reinforcement learning techniques. Online job scheduler is

used to determine the priority and the amount of resource

allocated to each job in computing clusters, which is an

important but challenging problem. An efficient scheduler

could significantly reduce the average job finish time. In

the project, we would like to apply machine learning or

reinforcement learning techniques to solve the scheduling

problem.

Main Programming

experience in

Python or

Matlab; Basic

knowledge of

machine

learning

CIS/IST,

Math,

Sophomor

e, Junior,

Senior

Jie Wu jiewu@tem

ple.edu

CST CIS Network security and

forensic

This research focuses on a regular DDoS and transit-link

DDoS mitigation mechanism using a special type of router

called filter router. We are developing a model in which a

victim can protect itself and reduce useless congestion in

the network by sending filters to filter routers for blocking

attack traffic. In this research, the victim selects a subset of

filter routers optimally to minimize attack traffic and

blockage of legitimate users.

Main Basic

IP/Network

knowledge,

linux

shell/terminal,

Programming

languages

(C/C++/JAVA/Py

thon)

CIS/IST,

Math,

Sophomor

e, Junior,

Senior

Jie Wu jiewu@tem

ple.edu

CST CIS Datacenter and SDN This research focuses on efficiently and innovatively

leveraging SDN technology in a large-scale datacenter

network. SDN is essentially a way of making a network

programmable by decoupling control from the underlying

hardware and assigning it instead to a software-based

controller. With SDN, updating a policy or optimizing for

resource allocation in a datacenter is a matter of

programming the software, rather than buying a new

appliance or wrangling with a proprietary physical

interface. This project can have multiple interesting topics

of SDN in datacenters, including traffic engineering,

network updates, and resource allocation. Our computing

cluster has already installed a testbed of a datacenter

network, which is able to practically evaluate a lot of novel

research in the rising field of datacenter and SDN.


hard-working;

Experienced in

python; Basic

knowledge of

networking and

algorithms is

preferred but

not required.

CIS Juniors or

Seniors

10/24/2019 37


Name

Email

Address

Faculty

School or

College

Faculty

Departmen

t


Location

Important

selection

criteria

Student

Majors

Desired

Class

Preferenc

e

Jie Wu jiewu@tem

ple.edu

CST CIS Blockchain and its

applications

Blockchain technology has been widely adopted, ranging

from cryptocurrency, financial services, Internet of Things

(IoT) to public and social services, while still at an early

stage of its development. Thus, lots of design details of this

technology need be perfected. In this project, students

may consider to modify existing consensus protocols to

improve Blockchain transaction throughput or propose

new transmission policy to decrease information

propagation delay in Blockchain networks, both of which

would improve the liveness of Blockchain.

Main Solid math

background

CS or Math Junior or

senior

Justin Y. Shi shi@templ

e.edu

CST CIS Digital Currency and

Distributed Computing

The lack of robust security in physical assets fostered the

research in distributed crypto systems like block-chains. It

has been shown that trust in distributed computing is a

better form of currency than the physical currencies.

However, while double-spending can be eliminated by the

use of block-chains, challenges still exist in preventing

Main Basic

knowledge of

programming

and

cryptographic

methods.

CIS, Physics,

Math,

Engineering -

CIS 2168

Juniors or

seniors

Krishna

Kant

kkant@tem

ple.edu

CST CIS Collaborative caching

in content centric

networks

The project will involve simulation study of a computer

network designed for distributing content such as

audio/video that is widely accessed and may have varying

levels of demands from different parts of the network. The

purpose of the simulation is to study various collaborative

Main The project

would need

good

programming

skills, exposure

CS Majors Junior or

Senior

Krishna

Kant

kkant@tem

ple.edu

CST CIS Building Magnetic

Communication Boards

The project concerns the development of circuit board and

protocol for electronic communication through magnetic

induction. The application of interest includes through the

body communications, and will require considerable effort

in enhancing the communications range. You will be

working closely with a Ph.D. student who is doing research

on this topic. The project will require familiarity with

basic background in electronics and digital circuits and

hands-on experience, including ability to program FPGAs

using Verilog or VHDL. Good programming abilities are a

must and familiarity with communications protocols is a

plus.

Main Good

programming

abilities are a

must and

familiarity with

communication

s protocols is a

plus.

CS Majors Junior or

Senior

10/24/2019 38


Name

Email

Address

Faculty

School or

College

Faculty

Departmen

t


Location

Important

selection

criteria

Student

Majors

Desired

Class

Preferenc

e

Lognin Jan

Latecki

latecki@te

mple.edu

CST CIS Deep Neural Networks

and their Applications

One of the most innovative and transformative

technologies of our time is deep learning, a form of

machine learning that uses neural networks containing

many hidden layers, which are called deep neural networks

(DNNs). Recent success has led to breakthroughs in

applications in particular in computer vision. In this project,

we will focus in applying DNNs to various computer vision

tasks.

Main Programming

skills in Python

or C or Matlab.

CS, Math Sophomor

e, Junior

or Senior

Longin Jan

Latecki

latecki@te

mple.edu

CST CIS Deep Convolutional

Neural Networks for

Computer Vision

One of the most innovative and transformative

technologies of our time is deep learning, a form of

machine learning that uses neural networks containing

many hidden layers, which are called deep neural networks

(DNNs). The recent success of deep convolutional neural

networks (CNNs) has led to breakthroughs in applications

in particular in computer vision. In this project, we will

focus in applying CNNs to various computer vision tasks.

Main Linear Algebra.

Programming

skills.

Knowledge of

Python and

Matlab are a big

plus.

Computer

Science,

Math

Sophomor

e, Junior,

Senior

Pei Wang pei.wang@

temple.edu

CST CIS Testing an intelligent

reasoning system

NARS is an intelligent reasoning system that accepts

knowledge and problems in a formal language, and uses

some inference rules to derive new knowledge and to solve

the problems (see online publications and demo). This

system will be applied to various practical situations to test

the expressive power of the language and the inferential

power of the rules. Also under study will be the possibility

of using this logic to reason on structured knowledge

sources, such as databases and the Semantic Web.

Main Strong interest

in science,

especially in

human and

machine

intelligence;

solid

background in

mathematics

and computer

science. -

knowledge of

formal logic,

probability

theory, and

computer

programming

computer

and

information

sciences,

mathematic

s

Sophomor

e, Junior

or Senior

10/24/2019 39


Name

Email

Address

Faculty

School or

College

Faculty

Departmen

t


Location

Important

selection

criteria

Student

Majors

Desired

Class

Preferenc

e

Qiang Zeng qzeng@te

mple.edu

CST CIS New security features

of the new Intel

processors

The latest generation of Intel processors provides new

security features, which may bring a revolution of systems

and software security. We will analyze such new features

and consider the fancy applications.

Main Interest in cyber

security. Good

programming

skills in C, C++,

Java or Python.

CIS Juniors or

Seniors

Qiang Zeng qzeng@te

mple.edu

CST CIS New security features

of the new Intel

processors

The latest generation of Intel processors provides new

security features, which may bring a revolution of systems

and software security. We will analyze such new features

and consider the fancy applications.

Main

Campus

Interest in cyber

security. Good

programming

skills in C, C++,

Java or Python.

CIS Juniors or

Seniors

Richard

Souvenir

souvenir@t

emple.edu

CST CIS Identifying Indoor

Scene Attributes from

Images

The student will apply and adapt recent techniques from

computer vision and machine learning to identify

attributes from images of indoor scenes. This work is part

of an ongoing project to (http://traffickcam.org/about) to

combat human trafficking by identifying hotel room

features from images.

Main Strong

programming

skills (preferably

Python),

interest or

experience in

image

CS

Richard

Souvenir

souvenir@t

emple.edu

CST CIS Identifying Indoor

Scene Attributes from

Images

The student will apply and adapt recent techniques from

computer vision and machine learning to identify

attributes from images of indoor scenes. This work is part

of an ongoing project to (http://traffickcam.org/about) to

combat human trafficking by identifying hotel room

features from images.

Main Strong

programming

skills (preferably

Python),

interest or

experience in

image

processing

Courses taken

CIS 3223 -

CS

10/24/2019 40


Name

Email

Address

Faculty

School or

College

Faculty

Departmen

t


Location

Important

selection

criteria

Student

Majors

Desired

Class

Preferenc

e

Slobodan

Vucetic

vucetic@te

mple.edu

CST CIS Data Science Scientific and technological advances have allowed us to

collect massive amounts of diverse types of data. There is

an increasing recognition that data created by scientists,

mobile apps, internet, social media, crowdsourcing,

healthcare could be translated into valuable insights. A

data scientist is a person who has the skills, knowledge,

and ability to extract actionable knowledge from the data --

either for the good of society, advancement of science, or

profit in business. This project will be custom-made to suit

the background and interest of a student and give an

opportunity to get an expertise in all aspects of data

science including collecting, accessing, and processing large

and complex data, applying methods from machine

learning and statistics to analyze data, and presenting the

data and analytic insights through modern visualization

techniques.

Main Some

programming

experience,

good math

background -

Programming in

any language

(Python, Java, C,

Matlab)

Calculus 1

Any CST

major might

find this

project

valuable

10/24/2019 41


Name

Email

Address

Faculty

School or

College

Faculty

Departmen

t


Location

Important

selection

criteria

Student

Majors

Desired

Class

Preferenc

e

Xiaojiang

Du

dux@templ

e.edu

CST CIS Mobile cloud

computing.

Mobile cloud computing is one of today's hottest new

technology markets. In mobile cloud computing, users

lease computing/storage services from cloud service

providers, and access the cloud from their mobile devices

(smart phones, tablets). Gartner (2011) predicts that

mobile cloud computing will reach a market value of

US$9.5 billion by 2014. Mobile cloud computing shares

with cloud computing the notion that some level of service

is provided by a cloud but accessed by mobile platforms.

Typical mobile cloud computing platforms include smart

phones and tablets. The most-used mobile operating

systems are UNIX variations such as Google Android and

Apple iOS. Tablets are larger than a smart phone but

interact with the user in a similar way, using a touch screen

as the primary input device. As of October 2011, the top-

selling tablets are the Apple iPad and Android tablets made

by Samsung, Motorola, and Acer.

Companies are being driven to the mobile cloud by

demand. Customers are demanding smart phone and

tablet applications so they can access key business

applications. Employees are demanding access to

Main Good

programming

skills - High

GPA -Solid math

background -

Good

communication

skills - Team

working skills

CS/IST/Math-

CS majors

Sophomor

e, Junior

or Senior

Xiaojiang

Du

dux@templ

e.edu

CST CIS Security and Privacy

Issues of Android

Phones/Tablets

In this project, the undergraduate student will work with

Dr. Du and his Ph.D. students on Security and Privacy Issues

of Android Phones/Tablets. First we will identify possible

attacks on Android Phones security and privacy. Second,

we will design effective security schemes to defend these

attacks. Third, we will implement the security schemes in

Main Good

programming

skills - Good

communication

skills

Team working

CS Sophomor

e, Junior

or Senior

Xiaojiang

Du

xjdu@temp

le.edu

CST CIS Internet of Things (IoT)

Security

Internet of things (IoT) have approached us in the last few

years. For example, Apple Inc. released its first smart watch

in April, 2015; Nest Labs (acquired by Google in 2014)

Main Good

programming

skills High GPA

CIS, Math

10/24/2019 42


Name

Email

Address

Faculty

School or

College

Faculty

Departmen

t


Location

Important

selection

criteria

Student

Majors

Desired

Class

Preferenc

e

Zoran

Obradovic

zoran.obra

dovic@tem

ple.edu

CST CIS Predictive analytics in

big data

Predicting the system behaviors by analyzing big data.

Applications include social networks, medicine, climate and

environment.

Main Interdisciplinary

interests; Self-

motivation;

Problem solving

skills; Some

programming

experience in

any language -

the projects will

be tailored to

the students'

level of

preparation.

Computer

Science,

Statistics,

Physics,

Biology,

Chemistry,

Pharmacy,

Geology,

Environmen

tal Science

Alexandra

Davatzes

alix@templ

e.edu

CST EES Geochemical analysis

of a Paleoarchean

impact event.

Student will be completing a detailed geochemical analysis

of a section of rock collected from an impact boundary.

Main Completed

classes in

General

chemistry and

Geochemistry

or Petrology.

Skilled in Excel;

willing to work

hard. - Gen

Chem I, and

Geochemistry

or Petrology

Geology Juniors or

Seniors

Laura

Toran

ltoran@te

mple.edu

CST EES Stormwater

monitoring

Use data loggers, sampling, and other instruments to

understand how stormwater moves through and affects

urban ecosystems

Philadelp

hia

Comfortable

with field work

and with using

computers to

analyze data.

Geology,

Environmen

tal Science,

Physics

sophormo

re or

higher

10/24/2019 43


Name

Email

Address

Faculty

School or

College

Faculty

Departmen

t


Location

Important

selection

criteria

Student

Majors

Desired

Class

Preferenc

e

Sujith Ravi sravi@tem

ple.edu

CST EES Opportunities for co-

location of solar

energy (PV) with

agriculture for cost

reductions and carbon,

water, and energy

footprint mitigation

Solar energy installations are rapidly increasing, due to

technological advances and policy support. Even though

solar energy provides several benefits such as reduction of

greenhouse gases, reclamation of degraded land, and

improving the quality of life in developing countries, the

deployment of large-scale renewable energy infrastructure

may negatively impact land and water resources. A major

challenge for the future is how to meet the ever-expanding

energy demand with limited land and water resources, in

the context of increasing demand for alternative uses such

as agricultural and domestic consumption. This project will

explore opportunities to co-locate solar infrastructures and

Main Experience in

data analysis

and data

visualization (in

R or Python) or

interest in

learning these

skills.

Environmen

tal Science,

Geology,

Biology

Sophomor

e & Junior


ple.edu

CST EES Post-fire sediment

transport

Many drylands are undergoing changes in fire regimes and

increased fire frequency as a result of climate change and

human activities. Aeolian processes are considered to be a

significant but largely underestimated mechanism for the

removal and deposition of post-fire soil and nutrients

immediately following wildfires. Considering the

deleterious impact of airborne contaminants on air quality

Main Interest or

experience in

conducting

laboratory

soil/sediment

analysis using

ICP-OES and

Geology,

Environmen

tal Science,

Biology

Sophomor

e or Juniot

10/24/2019 44


Name

Email

Address

Faculty

School or

College

Faculty

Departmen

t


Location

Important

selection

criteria

Student

Majors

Desired

Class

Preferenc

e


ple.edu

CST EES Belowground

responses to climate

change: Root imaging

and analysis

Belowground processes such as root dynamics can alter

nutrient and water cycles and impact the response of

terrestrial ecosystems to changing climate and disturbance

regimes. Despite the relevance of belowground processes,

studies addressing the response of fine roots to changing

environmental conditions are rare, mostly due to the

difficulties in quantifying root dynamics (production,

growth and longevity) by non-destructive methods. This

project will investigate the belowground responses of

plants to simulated changes in climate, in particular

warming and droughts. We will analyze a time series of

below ground (root) images from a simulated climate

change experiment (combination of warming and drought),

collected using the unique minirhizotron root imaging

system. This technique will enable us to observe root

growth over time and trace single roots in the course of

their development. The methods involve computer-based

image analysis using the open source software application

– Rootfly – and statistical techniques for simultaneous

calculation of fine root production, length, mortality and

turnover.

Main interest in the

project/researc

h, critical

thinking,

quantitative

ability - Basic

statistics,

interest in

image

processing,

mostly

computer-

based project

Biology,

Computer

science,

Environmen

tal Sciences

Sophomor

e & Junior

10/24/2019 45


Name

Email

Address

Faculty

School or

College

Faculty

Departmen

t


Location

Important

selection

criteria

Student

Majors

Desired

Class

Preferenc

e


ple.edu

CST EES Belowground

responses to climate

change: Root imaging

and analysis

Belowground processes such as root dynamics can alter

nutrient and water cycles and impact the response of

terrestrial ecosystems to changing climate and disturbance

regimes. Despite the relevance of belowground processes,

studies addressing the response of fine roots to changing

environmental conditions are rare, mostly due to the

difficulties in quantifying root dynamics (production,

growth and longevity) by non-destructive methods. This

project will investigate the belowground responses of

plants to simulated changes in climate, in particular

warming and droughts. We will analyze a time series of

below ground (root) images from a simulated climate

change experiment (combination of warming and drought),

collected using the unique minirhizotron root imaging

system. This technique will enable us to observe root

growth over time and trace single roots in the course of

their development. The methods involve computer-based

image analysis using the open source software application

– Rootfly – and statistical techniques for simultaneous

Main interest in the

project/researc

h, critical

thinking,

quantitative

ability - Basic

statistics,

interest in

image

processing,

mostly

computer-

based project

Biology,

Computer

science,

Environmen

tal Sciences


ple.edu

CST EES Impacts of biochar

application on soil

hydrologic properties

Novel carbon sequestration strategies such as large-scale

biochar application may provide sustainable pathways to

increase the terrestrial storage of carbon in agricultural

areas along with increasing crop production. Biochar has a

long residence time in the soil and hence the

environmental impacts of biochar addition needs to be

investigated to identify the tradeoffs and synergies. This

project will investigate the impacts of biochar application

on soil hydrologic properties. The undergraduate student

will assist in laboratory activities including soil sample

preparation, measuring soil hydrologic properties, data

management and visualization. Other duties may be

assigned.

Main Undergraduate

course in

Hydrology/soil

science, interest

in laboratory

experiments.

Environmen

tal Science

or Geology

Junior,

Senior

10/24/2019 46


Name

Email

Address

Faculty

School or

College

Faculty

Departmen

t


Location

Important

selection

criteria

Student

Majors

Desired

Class

Preferenc

e

Ilya

Buynevich

coast@tem

ple.edu

CST EES/Geolog

y

Neoichnology: Imaging

of Animal Traces in

Coastal Sediments

Analysis of modern structures (casts) and georadar images

of several large organisms (crustaceans, reptiles) that

produce bioturbation structures (burrows, nests) in coastal

settings (beaches and dunes). The findings will have

implications to geomorphology,

sedimentology/stratigraphy, petroleum geology

(macroporosity), geoarchaeology, geoforensics, and

conservation (e.g., sea turtle nests).

Main Ability to work

both

independently

and as part of a

research team,

with a

possibility of

field data

collection.

Geology,

Environmen

tal Science,

Biology, Civil

Engineering

Sophomor

e, Junior

or Senior

Bojeong

Kim

bkim@tem

ple.edu

CST Geology Phytotoxicity of metal

oxide nanoparticles

Ecological toxicity of nano-sized materials hasn't been

thoroughly evaluated. Through this project, plant toxicity

of metal oxide nanoparticles will be systematically

examined.

Main I will train

students for

proper skills

that need for

the project. No

skills needed.

Geology,

Environmen

tal Science,

Chemistry,

Biology

Sophomor

e or

Higher

ILYA

BUYNEVICH

coast@tem

ple.edu

CST Geology Zoogeomorphology Analysis of impact of native and invasive species on

landforms (beaches, dunes, river banks), with the goal of

assessing their role in geomorphic cascades and identifying

relict analogs.

Main Ability to work

as part of a field

team, analysis

of aerial

photography

and satellite

images. This

project may

lead to a

research

publication in a

Geology,

Environmen

tal Science,

Ecology,

Zoology

Sophomor

e, Junior,

Senior

10/24/2019 47


Name

Email

Address

Faculty

School or

College

Faculty

Departmen

t


Location

Important

selection

criteria

Student

Majors

Desired

Class

Preferenc

e

Benjamin

Seibold

seibold@te

mple.edu

CST Mathemati

cs

Understanding Traffic

Flow and Autonomous

Vehicles via Robotics,

Simulation, and

Visualization

This project focuses on developing better models and

planning platforms for traffic flow and connected and

automated vehicles. Possible research directions are: (a)

Construct and program robot vehicles to behave like

human drivers or automated vehicles. (b) Devise better

models for stop-and-go traffic waves using real traffic data.

(c) Visualize traffic waves in a virtual reality environment.

No specific course or technical background is required; but

the projects require a keen interest in mathematical

models, simulations, data, programming, and hardware (all

or some of the above). Students will work in the Center for

Computational Mathematics and Modeling.

Main Experience in

robotics, data

processing,

and/or

visualization

(particularly

Unity) is very

welcome.

Mathematic

s, Computer

Science,

Physics

Sophomor

e, Junior,

Senior

Benjamin

Seibold

seibold@te

mple.edu

CST Mathemati

cs

Real-Time Interactive

High-Performance

Computing with Virtual

Reality

The traditional paradigm of high-performance computing is

that computations are run on a parallel computer for some

time, and then the simulation results are visualized for a

human user afterwards. Students participating in this

project will help develop a new paradigm: to run a

computation on a virtual reality (VR) environment that

enables the user to be immersed in the simulated world

and to affect the simulation while it is running. The project

requires a keen interest in programming (particularly

Unity), using VR hardware, and mathematical modeling

and simulation. Students will work in the Center for

Computational Mathematics and Modeling.

Main

Campus

Good

programming

skills and firm

proficiency in

Calculus are

required.

Experience in

Unity, and

background in

differential

equations,

numerical

analysis, or

Mathematic

s, Computer

Science,

Physics

Sophomor

e, junior,

senior

Charles

Osborne

cosborne@

temple.edu

CST Mathemati

cs

The Collatz Conjecture The Collatz conjecture is a claim relating to a famous open

problem in number theory. The problem is simply stated

and accessible at the undergraduate level. It has been

studied

extensively by many leading number theorists, including

Paul Erd}os. Our work currently approaches the problem in

two directions. The first approach uses classical

mathematical methods to show that certain subsets of the

integers cannot contain the minimal counterexample to

the Collatz conjecture (if such a counterexample exists).

The second focuses on interpreting the graphs that arise

Main Reasoning and

Quantitative

ability, interest

in mathematics,

either

completion of a

3000 level

mathematics

course or

computer

programming

Mathematic

s, Computer

Science

Junior,

Senior

10/24/2019 48


Name

Email

Address

Faculty

School or

College

Faculty

Departmen

t


Location

Important

selection

criteria

Student

Majors

Desired

Class

Preferenc

e

Daniel

Szyld

szyld@tem

ple.edu

CST Mathemati

cs

Bipartite matrices and

Perron Frobenius

property

This is an advance Linear Algebra project. If a matrix A is

nonnegative and irreducible and if r is its spectral radius, it

is known that -r is an eigenvalue if and only if the matrix is

bipartite, that is, its corresponding graph is bipartite (it has

two separate connected components). The goal of the

project is to explore similar properties when A is not

nonnegative.

Main Students should

have completed

the basic linear

algebra course,

and possibly the

second linear

algebra course.

Knowledge of

graph theory is

desirable. An

Mathematic

s or CIS

Sophomor

e, Junior,

Senior

Gillian

Queisser

gillian.queis

ser@templ

e.edu

CST Mathemati

cs

Grid generation and

convergence analysis

for the Poisson-Nernst-

Planck equations

The student researcher will work on developing automated

ways to generate grids for the numerical computation of

the Poisson-Nernst-Planck (PNP) equations. PNP equations

describe the behavior of charged particles under diffusive

and electrical fluxes. Using an established numerical

framework for solving the PNP equations this project will

focus on ways to automatically create test geometries

(grids) and to use these to investigate the convergence

behavior of different numerical solvers. The goal is to

streamline numerical testing and finding ideal numerical

solvers for the PNP equations.

Main Programming

skills (scripting

language

and/or object-

oriented

language) and

an interest in

applied

mathematics/n

umerics

Mathematic

s, Computer

Science

Juniors or

Seniors

Gillian

Queisser

gillian.queis

ser@templ

e.edu

CST Mathemati

cs

Simulating networks of

brain cells under

synapse loss

The student researcher will get to know novel simulation

tools to simulate neural networks and use these tools to

investigate the behavior of networks when connections

between cells, so called synapses, are lost. This effect is

common in diseases like Alzheimer's and identifying ways

for cells to compensate synapse loss is of great importance.

The focus of this project is to systematically simulate

network behavior under various neuro-degenerative

conditions with the goal of identifying cellular components

that can compensate synapse loss.

Main Programming

skills (scripting

language

and/or object-

oriented

language) are a

plus.

Mathematic

s, Computer

Science,

Biology

Juniors or

Seniors

10/24/2019 49


Name

Email

Address

Faculty

School or

College

Faculty

Departmen

t


Location

Important

selection

criteria

Student

Majors

Desired

Class

Preferenc

e

Gillian

Queisser

gillian.queis

ser@templ

e.edu

CST Mathemati

cs

Vector graphic export

of two- and three-

dimensional scientific

data

The student researcher will develop export routines for

scientific data in two and three dimensions. The

visualization of scientific data is critical when conveying

new research results. The goal of this project is to develop

ways to export ugx-data (an xml-based scientific computing

file format) to vector graphics formats, such as svg. The

students results can be included in broadly used open-

source projects (uG4, NeuroBox and others).

Main Programming

skills (scripting

language

and/or object-

oriented

language)

Mathematic

s, Computer

Science

Juniors or

Seniors

Gillian

Queisser

gillian.queis

ser@templ

e.edu

CST Mathemati

cs

Modeling and

Simulation of Calcium

Dynamics in Healthy

and Diseased Neurons

In this project the student researcher will use novel

simulation tools to simulate and evaluate the dynamics of

calcium signals in neurons. Calcium is one of the most

important molecules in neuronal signaling and is implicated

in multiple ageing-related neurodegenerative diseases. The

project will focus on systematically simulating cell-calcium

dynamics under the influence of calcium regulating

parameter sets representing healthy and disease-state

neurons. The goal is to identify critical components in the

calcium signaling cascade towards and into the cell

nucleus, which eventually give rise to new insights into

ageing-related diseases.

Main Programming

skills (scripting

language

and/or object-

oriented

language) are a

plus.

Mathematic

s, Computer

Science,

Biology

Juniors or

Seniors

Gillian

Queisser

gillian.queis

ser@templ

e.edu

CST Mathemati

cs

3D printing -

optimizing printing

procedures

This project revolves around 3D printing, a technology that

is gradually turning into a main stream application.

However, scientific research of 3D printing algorithms

could significantly improve material consumption and

structural stability of printed objects. Students will study

3D printing infrastructure and analyze methods and

printing algorithms from a mathematical and

computational perspective. The project will be carried out

at the Center for Computational Mathematics and

Modeling.

Main Knowledge of

programing

languages is

beneficial, as

well as a strong

interest in

applying

mathematical

and algorithmic

concepts in a

hands on

research

project.

Math,

Computer

Science,

Physics

Sophomoe

, Juniors

or Seniors

10/24/2019 50


Name

Email

Address

Faculty

School or

College

Faculty

Departmen

t


Location

Important

selection

criteria

Student

Majors

Desired

Class

Preferenc

e

Isaac

Klapper

klapper@te

mple.edu

CST Mathemati

cs

Modeling of biofilm-

host interactions

Biofilms are well protected microbial communities found

throughout the environment. In hosts (e.g., humans),

biofilms are frequently associated with both long-term

health and with chronic infections. Interactions between

these microbial communities and host immune systems are

important but poorly understood. Mathematical models

can provide a platform on which to test and generate new

hypotheses about these interactions.

Main Programming

skills are

helpful.

Any Sophomor

e or Junior

Shumo Cui shumo.cui

@temple.e

du

CST Mathemati

cs

Analyzing phantom

traffic jams

How annoying is it when traffic comes to an inexplicable

stop for no apparent reason before starting right back up?

In fact, besides the psychological consequence, those so-

called phantom traffic jams also contribute to increased

fuel consumption, vehicle emissions, accidents and delay.

Using the novel mathematical models and simulation tools,

we will investigate and analyze the interaction of phantom

traffic jams and their stability. The results of this research

will enable researchers to improve the ability of

mathematical models to describe the real traffic.

Main Good

programming

skills

Mathematic

s, Computer

Science

Junior,

Senior

Yury

Grabovsky

yury@temp

le.edu

CST Mathemati

cs

Computation of

rotationally invariant

Jordan multialgebras

with Maple

Effective properties of composite materials strongly

depend not only on the

composition, but also on the microstructure. However, in

some special

situations it is possible to derive formulas relating effective

properties of

the composite and properties of the constituent materials,

no matter what the

microstructure is. There is a general theory for identifying

all such special

situations, called "exact relations". Each exact relation can

be described in

terms of a nice algebraic object: a subspace of matrices,

which is closed with

respect to several special multiplications (different from

Main Interest in

theoretical

research. Strong

mathematical

background.

Strong

programming

skills. Grade A in

Theoretical

Linear Algebra

MATH 3051.

programming

skills. Grade A in

Theoretical

Linear Algebra

Mathematic

s

Juniors or

Seniors

10/24/2019 51


Name

Email

Address

Faculty

School or

College

Faculty

Departmen

t


Location

Important

selection

criteria

Student

Majors

Desired

Class

Preferenc

e

Adrienn

Ruzsinszky

aruzsinszky

@temple.e

du

CST Physics Implementation and

application of

advanced electronic

structure methods

This project requires advanced programming skills either in

Python or Fortran. In our research group we are developing

approximations based on Density Functional

Theory/Nonlocal Many Body Theory that need to be

implemented in electronic structure codes. These

approximations require thorough testing on molecules and

solids. Within this project during the implementation,

students can learn about the strengths and limitations of

these methods along with acquiring practice in

computation.

Main advanced

programming

skills in Python

or Fortran,

some basic

knowledge in

Quantum

Mechanics

Physics/Che

mistry

Juniors or

Seniors

Adrienn

Ruzsinszky

aruzsinszky

@temple.e

du

Science

and

Technolo

gy

Physics Accurate electronic

structure of negatively-

charged water clusters

The hydrated electron, as the simplest reducing agent,

captures intense interest in the scientific community.

Anionic water clusters are relatively simple systems to

model hydrated electrons. These clusters are generally

considered to be extremely challenging for theoretical

models due to the diffuse nature of the excess electron

distribution.

The many-body GW approximation has become an

available tool to predict charged excitations in materials.

Within this project we aim to make a systematic

assessment of various GW-based methods for the

ionization energies and electron affinities of negatively

charged water clusters.

With these approaches we can not only gain more insight

into the role of the electron correlation in the binding of

the excess electron but the results can serve as

benchmarks for the scientific community.

Main

Campus

Serious interest

in

computational

work.

Responsibility

and motivation.

A basic

experience with

Linux platform.

Physics/Che

mistry

Junior,

Senior

10/24/2019 52


Name

Email

Address

Faculty

School or

College

Faculty

Departmen

t


Location

Important

selection

criteria

Student

Majors

Desired

Class

Preferenc

e

Adrienn

Ruzsinszky

aruzsinszky

@temple.e

du

School of

Science

and

Technolo

gy

Physics Accurate many-body

calculations of

negatively-charged

water clusters

The hydrated electron, as the simplest reducing agent,

captures high interest in the scientific community. Anionic

water clusters are relatively simple systems to model

hydrated electrons. These negative clusters are generally

considered to be extremely challenging for theoretical

models due to the diffuse nature of the excess electron

distribution.

The many-body GW approximation has become an

available tool to predict charged excitations in materials.

Within this project we aim to make a systematic

assessment of various GW-based methods for the

ionization energies and electron affinities of negatively

charged water clusters. With these approaches we can not

only gain more insight about the role of the electron

correlation in the binding of the excess electron, but the

results can serve as benchmarks for the scientific

community.

Main

Campus

I am expecting

hard-working

students with

an interest in

computational/t

heoretical work.

Students at

junior/senior

level are

welcome to

work with me

and one of my

graduate

students. Some

basic Linux

knowledge can

be useful.

Physics/Che

mistry

Junior,

Senior

Bernd

Surrow

surrow@te

mple.edu

CST Physics Automated Leakage

Current Measurements

This project requires a lot of hands-on lab time.

The student will develop a graphical user interface (GUI) via

MATLAB/LABVIEW that can interact with the measurement

devices, which supplies a voltage to a micropattern

detector and reads the resulting current. The GUI will then

be automated to record the voltage and current at a

specific frequency, and plotting the values as a function of

Main Physics or

Math

Sophomor

e, Junior,

Senior

C. J.

Martoff

martoff@te

mple.edu

CST Physics MOT Gradient Coil

Design for HUNTER

see website for description of experiment:

https://phys.cst.temple.edu/hunter/

The experiment requires a set (2 or 4) of magnet coils to

produce a magnetic field gradient needed to maintain the

laser atom trap. We have to design these coils-

mechanically, electrically, magnetically, thermally, using

freshman physics principles and sophisticated simulation

software.

Main Sophomor

e, Junior,

Senior

10/24/2019 53

Documents

Faculty Email Faculty Project title Project Description ... 2020 CST Faculty Research...Faculty Fall 2019 CST Faculty Research Projects Name Email Address Faculty School or College