February 7, 2024: Jessica Striker, Department of Mathematics
"Unraveling a web of mysteries"
Dynamical algebraic combinatorics studies actions on mathematical objects with strikingly nice counting formulas and algebraic significance. Often, the study of such dynamics provides insight into the structure of the objects, revealing hidden symmetries and connections. In this talk, I'll describe some recent work on mathematical objects called webs, in which we found a beautiful, visual explanation of nice dynamical behavior which led us to a solution of a 30-year old problem. (Joint work with Christian Gaetz, Oliver Pechenik, Stephan Pfannerer, and Joshua Swanson.)

April 25, 2024: Round table with Caroline Hackerott 
(Department of Landscape Architecture, Disaster Resilience, and Emergency Management)

March 2, 2023: Lydia Tackett, Department of Earth, Environmental, and Geospatial Sciences
"Marine vertebrate evolution as told by the tiniest fossils"

Vertebrate evolutionary history is obscured by their generally poor preservation as fossils. The numerous and articulated skeletal components are easily disaggregated and eroded beyond recognition in most depositional environments. Teeth, however, are more easily preserved and can be small enough to be incorporated as sediments in sedimentary rock, and their morphology is informative for diet. Accessing these tiny isolated fossils requires the dissolution of sedimentary rocks and sorting processes based on mineral densities. Here, I present data on vertebrate microfossils from different types of sedimentary rocks, and discuss the ways these vertebrate occurrences change our understanding of marine predators in the early Mesozoic. This work provides new evidence for the ecosystem-scale influence of changing predation patterns on morphology and behaviors of prey.

May 3, 2023: Research presentations by graduate students: Maliha Elma, Shivani Gautam, Sampada Koirala, Komila Rasuleva, Mahek Sapid

April 21: 
We are excited to meet again after a two-year pause in WIR events! Join us for lunch and a discussion on how we have all coped  with the changes and challenges in teaching and research during the pandemic.

November 30: Sumitha George, Electrical and Computer Engineering
"Memory System Design Using Emerging Technologies"

Technology changes can bring fundamental transformations on how a system works. As CMOS scaling reaching its physical limits and with the increasing demand for large volume data applications and low energy devices, emerging technologies seem to offer promising opportunities. In this talk, I will present the intriguing possibilities by the co-design of the device-circuit-architecture in the context of emerging devices focusing on the memory aspect. I will discuss the feasibility of using Ferroelectric FET (FEFET) as a potential choice for memory exploiting its unique features. In addition, I will introduce how emerging technologies enable new features such as Multi-Dimensional Access (MDA) in memories. The MDA memory circuit transfers data both in horizontal and vertical directions as opposed to the strict row-adjacency based memory transaction in conventional memories. Many applications, especially vision and matrix applications frequently generate sequences of data requests that belong to different rows in the memory and are therefore less efficient.This is solved by flexible access of MDA memories and would expedite applications from the fields of big data analytic,artificial navigation, and the Internet of Things (IoT) etc.This talk will also introduce future research directions including the utilization of emerging technologies for hardware security. 

February 5: Beena Ajmera, Civil and Environmental Engineering
"Reductions in the Undrained Shear Strength of Fine-Grained Soils during Earthquakes"

Dynamic loads can result in damage to buildings and structures, ground cracking and slope instability. This presentation highlights the effect of plasticity characteristics and mineralogical composition on dynamic soil properties. Extensive laboratory test results show that for two materials with the same plasticity index, the cyclic resistance in soils containing montmorillonite as the clay mineral was substantially higher than the cyclic resistance in soils containing kaolinite as the clay mineral. A relationship was established between the degradation in undrained shear strength and the post‐cyclic effective stress ratio (PC‐ESR), which is defined as the ratio of the consolidation pressure to the effective vertical stress after cyclic loading. Additionally, relationship between the ratio of the post‐cyclic undrained strength ratio with the undrained strength ratio of a normally consolidated soil and the PC‐ESR was also developed. Results from natural samples agreed well with the relationships developed from the laboratory prepared mineral mixtures.

Beena Ajmera is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at North Dakota State University (NDSU). She received her B.Sc. in Civil Engineering, B.A. in Applied Mathematics and M.Sc. in Civil Engineering from CSUF before obtaining her Ph.D. in Civil Engineering with focus in Geotechnical Engineering from Virginia Tech in 2015. Dr. Ajmera is a licensed professional engineer in the State of California.

October 2: LinLin Chai, College of Business
"Effect of Individualism on Online User Ratings: Theory and Evidence"

This research examines the effect of individualism on online user ratings. We develop a theory based on expectation disconfirmation theory and prospect theory, and posit that user review ratings by consumers from individualistic cultures (e.g., America), as compared to collectivistic cultures (e.g., China), are likely to be lower, and the effect is moderated by customer-based brand equity and experience of premium product variants (e.g., business class travel). We test our hypotheses on a data set gathered from online user reviews by customers from 166 countries for airlines across the world and find support. In addition, customer-based brand equity and experience of premium product variantshave positive direct effects on user rating valence. We also test our hypotheses on recommendation intent of users and control for fixed effects and find support. Managerial implications and future research avenues are discussed.

November 21: Laura Aldrich-Wolfe, Biological Sciences
"Linking the coffee in your cup to biodiversity in the field"

As human demand for coffee has grown, coffee has replaced forest throughout the montane systems of the tropics. Yet coffee, unlike most other crops, can be grown from full sunlight to deep shade. Does how coffee is grown matter for conservation of biodiversity? Does conserving biodiversity matter for coffee production? We know management of coffee agroecosystems can influence coffee’s potential to support mammals, birds and insects. How does coffee change the soil biodiversity that is largely invisible yet underpins all life on land? In this talk, I will present some of the research in my lab that explores the diversity of fungi that live in association with coffee belowground and discuss how the way in which coffee is grown, and those labels on the coffee we buy at the grocery store or our favorite coffee shop, affect belowground interactions between organisms and the long-term implications of agriculture for conservation of biodiversity and sustainability of agroecosystem

Laura Aldrich-Wolfe earned her B.A. in Ecology & Evolution and Latin American & Iberian Studies at the University of California at Santa Barbara
and her Ph.D. in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. She was an Assistant and Associate Professor at Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota prior to moving to Biological Sciences at NDSU in Fall 2016.

February 20: Kristin Simons, Plant Science
"Overcoming Challenges in Agriculture Research"

Agricultural research faces many challenges towards increasing global food production and security.  Some of the challenges include increasing production under drought, flooding, and increasingly variable weather conditions. However, opportunities to increase the capabilities of our food system can be exploited from five major scientific breakthroughs, use of a systems approach, sensitive field sensors, real-time data management, genomics in breeding, and the microbiome. 
A systems approach promotes collaboration and generates new avenues of research combining science, technology, policy, and human behavior.  Deployable, sensitive field sensors can help pinpoint areas of need in a timely fashion such as dry areas requiring irrigation.  Real-time data management allow the information obtained in the laboratory setting to be transferable to the field more rapidly.  Breeding programs can exploit genomics using genomic selection or genome editing. The microbiome is a new area of research that can be used to boost yields and resilience. Any and all five of these breakthroughs can be exploited to help overcome challenges in agriculture research to increase food production and food security.

Kristin's education background includes a B.S. in Biotechnology from NDSU, a M.S. in Plant Sciences from NDSU and a Ph.D. in Molecular Plant Pathology from Kansas State University.  Kristin has served as a Research Geneticist in with the USDA-ARS studying the expression of a domestication gene in wheat
and mapping disease resistance and bread quality traits.  She has also looked at the recombination landscape in maize and studied pathogens affecting pulse crops.  She recently became a Fellow with the Plant Science department.

April 11: Graduate Student Presentation of Research:

• Lina Alhalhooly, Physics

• Jerika Cleveland, Electrical and Computer Engineering

• Mousam Hossaim, Electrical and Computer Engineering

• Manisha Maharjan, Electrical and Computer Engineering

• Sayantica Pattanayak, Computer Science

• Amanda Savitt, Emergency Management

April 13: WIR and Forward Joint Event
Canan Bilen-Green, Simone Ludwig, Kara Gravley-Stack 

February 21: Christi McGeorge Human Development and Family Science
 “Ethical Challenges to Providing Competent Therapy to LGB Clients: Beliefs and Practices of Family Therapists.”

September 26:  Ying Huang, Civil Engineering
"Smart Concrete Pavement System for Integrated Performance and Traffic Monitoring"

November 8: Samantha Montano, Emergency Management
"Disaster Volunteerism"

Volunteers are important contributors to response and recovery. Little is known about their engagement, particularly in terms of comparing the engagement  of response volunteers to recovery volunteers. This presentation reports the findings of a study that sought to explore volunteer engagement in response and
recovery in the case of flooding experienced by a number of communities in East Texas  following flooding in 2016. Data was gathered through interviews with 72 response and recovery volunteers  and key informants, an analysis of key documents, and first-hand observations. This presentation will discuss a list of factors that were found to explain volunteer engagement in East Texas, note how these findings compare with factors suggested by the literature, and suggest implications for disaster volunteerism more broadly.

Samantha Montano’s education background includes a B.S. in Psychology from Loyola University New Orleans and a M.S. and Ph.D. in Emergency Management from North Dakota State University. She is currently a Visiting Assistant Professor in the Department of Emergency Management.

September 27:  Anne Denton (Computer Science)
“Challenges in the Data Science for Food”

November 15: Lydia Tackett (Geosciences)
“Untangling predator-prey dynamics in deep time using field, lab, and analytical tools”

February 18: Katie Reindl, Assistant Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences
“Food Fight! Nutrition for Cancer Prevention”

April 6: Round Table Discussions

• Estelle LeClerc – School of Pharmacy
• Ann Burnett – Women and Gender Studies / Department of Communication
• Carrie Anne Platt – Department of Communication
• Jill Nelson – School of Education
• Krishnan Sumathy - Department of Mechanical Engineering

Best Advice from WIR Roundtables:

• Protect your time! Schedule the big rocks first. Choose commitments carefully.
• Cut yourself some slack in the first few years. Take time to find direction & choose your focus.
• To schedule big tasks and allow time for work:life balance. Learn to say no and prioritize time.
• Discussion of the book “ The Five Choices” to help with work/life balance
• We are all too busy and it might be our fault!
• Graduate students need lots of direction.
• Seeking out feedback other than just positive or “you did great on…” I will be mindful of pursuing feedback on how to improve or grow. (However painful or uncomfortable that might be.)
• When applying for a job, explain how you can utilize campus & community resources to extend your research.
• Job interviews/cover letter: If you don’t know something then say so; don’t lie or try to cover it up. Be confident!
• “Happify” • Prepare well on the topic that you are going to present.
• Find more friends to support you and forma supporting network.
• Think more about your future direction and prepare early for your career.
• Pay attention to researchers/faculty’s cues and interactions during interviews to see what the workplace culture is like and if you want to be in a place like that.
• Try to handle your time. Work out time with your family more.
• Don’t feel guilty! Take care of yourself.
• Set the obvious goal and try to achieve it. Follow the priority.
• Keep your professional and personal life different.
• “Eat the frog first” (do the worst/least desirable task first in the day instead of saving it for last).
• “Comparison is the thief of joy” (be wary of comparing yourself to others; instead determine what success looks like for you and work on achieving that).
• Make a plan for the week and each day. Track daily activities.
• Give students a clear expectation.
• Do work at work and home at home.
• Work is work and home is home!

October 7: Yechun Wang, Associate Professor in English
“Dynamics of Droplets and Fluid Interfaces”

November 10: Wendy Troop-Gordon, Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology
“What Science Can Tell Us About Bullying”

February 6: Amy O’Connor, Associate Professor and Director of Graduate Studies of Communication
“How NGOs and corporations communicate their partnerships to stakeholders”

March 6: Miriam Mara, Associate Professor in English
“Kenyan Healthscapes: Oncogenic Women in Fiction and Health Documents”

April 24: Sangita Sinha, Assistant Professor in Chemistry and Biochemistry
“Nature’s ‘Green’ Health Care Plan: Cellular Recycling by Autophagy”

October 18: Svetlana Kilina, Assistant Professor in Chemistry and Biochemistry
“How to make carbon nanotubes brighter?"

October 26: Speedy Networking Reception with UND Faculty
This is an event co-organized and co-sponsored by NDSU Advance FORWARD program. The speed networking event is designed to accelerate research collaboration and collegial contacts. The event involves a number of participants gathering and greeting each other in a series of brief exchanges during a set period of time. During each exchange, participants share their professional research backgrounds and research goals. Participants in speed networking are generally seeking exposure to new venues of research collaboration.

November 7: Sreekala Bajwa, Professor and Chair of Agricultural & Biosystems Engineering
"Effective Student Advising & Mentoring - My Experience"