2016 Research Symposium Building a Culture of Transdisciplinary Research

Opening Session (8:30-10:00): Welcome Watt Family Innovation Center Auditorium

Bob Jones, Provost Tanju Karanfil, Vice President for Research

Jason Osborne, Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School Jim Bottum, Vice Provost and Chief Information Officer

Chris Vinson, Head of Library Technology

Session 1 (10:00-11:30): Centers and Resources

Watt Family Innovation Center Auditorium Ken Marcus, Moderator

Research Compliance at Clemson Tracy Arwood; Assistant Vice President for Research Compliance & Research Safety In this presentation, I will provide an overview of the services provided by the Office of Research Compliance. This overview will include the following topics: protocol review by regulatory committees, responsible conduct of research training, investigation of research misconduct and export controls. Partner in Research-The Office of Research Safety Jim Grieger; Director of the Office of Research Safety The presentation will include an introduction to the services of the Office of Research Safety and how we support research at Clemson. We will highlight specific research projects and activities we support, how we fit in with Responsible Conduct of Research and how we are positioned to support Clemson in achieving its Strategic Planning goal of growing the research enterprise. The Office of Grants and Contracts Administration Roberta Elrod; Director of Grants and Contracts Administration The Office of Grants and Contracts Administration (GCA) provides post-award management of all awards received to fund research and oversees sponsored projects. This session is designed to remind investigators of the resources available through GCA and demonstrate what happens after an award is received. Representatives from GCA will also be available in the Atrium during lunch to answer any individual questions that may arise. Got Data. Now What? Ben Sharp and Patrick Gerard; Statistics and Mathematics Consulting Center The Statistics and Mathematics Consulting Center (SMCC) in the Department of Mathematical Sciences provides analytical assistance on a wide variety of projects across campus. It was started in 2014 to giving structure to consulting traditionally done on campus. The SMCC serves as a collaboration hub for faculty and students by bridging researchers between different disciplines on projects and providing a more direct connection to compatible

statisticians and mathematicians. The SMCC offers an interdisciplinary environment for collaboration and consultation in terms of statistical guidance, interpretation, and mathematical modeling. Electron Microscopy Facility Lax Saraf; Director of the Electron Microscopy Facility Clemson University Electron Microscopy Laboratory is a multi-user service and scientific user laboratory that provides instrumentation and scientific expertise for electron/ion microscopy based integrated experimental analysis resources significantly contributing in to the discovery and technological innovation needs at CU, state of South Carolina, private industries and the nation. In this presentation, new researchers at Clemson University can learn about various electron microscopes and related analytical instruments available to use. Digital Research Services at Clemson University Libraries Christopher Vinson; Head of Library Technology Emerging technologies have transformed many aspects of traditional research and scholarship. As one of the largest service and research support organizations on campus, Clemson Libraries is well positioned to help researchers navigate this new landscape with a suite of digital research services. These services are designed to make the process easier throughout the research lifecycle, from proposal to post-award. This presentation will provide an overview of how the Libraries support researchers in a variety of ways, including the creation of multimedia works, data management and storage, geospatial technologies, digital humanities, compliance with federal open access mandates, copyright consultation, and digital publishing. The Proposal Development Center Jane Jacobi & Sarah Jaeschke; Team Lead & Program Manager of the Proposal Development Center The Proposal Development Center (PDC) serves as a University-wide resource designed to identify strategic funding opportunities, expand research collaborations across colleges, and cultivate faculty grantsmanship skills. In this brief presentation, PDC staff will provide an overview of services available to Clemson University faculty. Staff will be available before and after the presentation to answer questions.

Session 1 (10:00-11:30): Advanced Materials Watt Family Innovation Center Room 106

Brian Powell, Moderator

Integrated approach for the fabrication of multifunctional metal and metal oxide nanoparticles: Particles, Polymers, and Potential Thompson Mefford; Associate Professor, Materials Science and Engineering The group’s main focus is on the synthesis, modification, and characterization of nanoscale colloids. Over the past decade there has been extended interest in the use of magnetic nanoparticles for both imaging and therapeutic applications in medicine, as well as assessing the environmental impact of metal oxides. Key to the success of these opportunities is the preparation of well-characterized materials with tailored magnetic, thermal, colloidal, and bio-interaction properties. To address these issues we have focused our efforts on three distinct areas in this problem: 1.) Nanoparticle synthesis and morphology, 2.) Surface-ligand interfaces, and 3.) Specialized surface moieties for additional imaging, therapy, and targeting. In addition to these aspects of material design, issues of colloidal stability and magnetic relaxitivity, potential of low cost nano-patterning, and issues related to the environmental transport of these functionalized materials are currently under investigation in our laboratory.

Li-ion battery safety mechanisms based on responsive polymers Mark Roberts; Assistant Professor, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Due to their thermal instability, Li-ion batteries currently have a limited role in large-format applications, such as transportation and energy storage for renewable and intermittent sources. Here, I will present a new approach to achieve thermal stability based on an electrolyte system that contains a polymer designed to phase separate from solution at high temperature. The phase separation leads to a solid or gel-like polymer coating on the electrode, which increases the internal resistance and prevents current flow. This approach is advantageous over existing safety methods because the polymer phase separation is a localized process that covers hot spots where thermal failure originates, thereby preventing catastrophic failure. Advanced Solid State Ionic Materials and Devices for Energy Conversion and Storage Jianhua “Joshua” Tong; Associate Professor, Materials Science and Engineering Solid state ionic materials with fast ion conductivity can find versatile applications in energy devices such as fuel cells, catalytic membrane reactors, and redox cycle reactors etc. Here, the low temperature protonic ceramic fuel cells and solar thermochemical hydrogen production by water splitting will be briefly discussed. Advanced materials for electrochemical energy conversion and storage Steve Creager; Professor, Chemistry My research program is focused on the intersection of advanced materials development, chemical measurements, and device fabrication and testing, insofar as these elements relate to electrochemical energy conversion and storage technologies, e.g. with advanced batteries, fuel cells, electrolysis cells, and capacitors. We collaborate across many disciplines to synthesize a variety of new materials including polymer electrolyte membranes, mixed ionic/electronic conductors, and nanoporous catalyst supports, and we subject these materials to a wide range of chemical measurements aimed at evaluating materials properties to learn fundamental things about electrochemical materials and phenomena and to evaluate the potential utility of new materials for improving engineering devices. This lecture will cover select recent results from our research in this area. HYPR-Beads: Nanoparticle Polarization Agents for DNP-NMR Leah B. Casabianca; Assistant Professor, Chemistry Dynamic Nuclear Polarization (DNP) is used to improve the sensitivity of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, a versatile yet insensitive characterization technique. Our group has recently developed HighlY-effective Polymer/Radical beads (HYPR-beads), which are nanoparticle polarization agents for DNP. These HYPR-beads are currently being developed as model nanoparticles for DNP-enhanced NMR studies of nanoparticle surface structure and interactions. We will present proof-of-principle results of DNP studies using HYPR-beads, with the aim of developing collaborations in the areas of nanoparticle toxicity and the structure of the nanoparticle protein corona. Computational modeling of soft matter: The toolbox for a virtual laboratory Ulf D. Schiller; Assistant Professor, Materials Science and Engineering Computer simulation techniques have become standard tools in science and engineering that cross boundaries between traditional disciplines and help tackle challenging problems such as pharmaceutical drug discovery and design of new materials. In this presentation, I will give an overview of computational models that can capture essential details of physical, chemical, and biological processes that give rise to the properties of advanced materials. I will briefly discuss models for polymers, droplets, and cells, and present some examples to demonstrate that computer simulations are a versatile tool for a wide range of scientific and engineering challenges.

Driving Materials Design using Insights from Computational Chemistry Rachel B. Getman; Assistant Professor, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering How materials function for specific applications is often driven, at least in part, by their electronic properties. In this presentation, we demonstrate the use of computational chemistry for interrogating the electronic properties of advanced materials. We give examples of how material function can be correlated to electronic properties. Forming these correlations is an important step in rational (i.e., computationally-guided) materials design. Seven Computational Math Problems Related to Shaped Polymer Fibers Chris Cox; Professor & Interim Chair, Mathematical Sciences Capillary-channeled polymer (C-CP) fibers have 2.5 to 3 times the surface area of round fibers with the same cross-sectional area, which makes them attractive for applications in filtration and separations. We'll present a brief (admittedly incomplete) history of Clemson’s involvement with shaped fibers, then provide synopses of seven modeling problems: particulate filtration, extrusion, wicking, optimal shape determination, virtual domain set-up, average inter-fiber distance calculation, and flow and transport. The latter three topics pertain to the use of shaped fibers in high performance liquid chromatography. These problems arose from interactions with Phil Brown (School of Materials Science and Engineering) and Ken Marcus (Department of Chemistry).

Session 1 (10:00-11:30): Human Resilience Watt Family Innovation Center Room 208

Fred Switzer, Moderator EMAG!NE: Inspiring the Next Generation of STEM Leaders Brad Putman; Associate Professor and Director of Outreach and STEAM Initiatives, Civil Engineering Across the US, too many people lack the education and skills necessary to meet the workforce demands of industries that address society’s modern challenges, drive our economy, and maintain our competitiveness in global markets—specifically in STEM fields. To address this critical issue in South Carolina, EMAGINE was founded at Clemson University in 2012 to provide STEM outreach for middle and high school students with the primary goal to inspire more students to pursue STEM careers. Since then, the program has grown into a truly college-wide outreach network of more than 100 faculty, students, and staff that develop and deliver STEM outreach to students across South Carolina in a variety of formats and support teachers with the integration of engineering in their curriculum. This presentation will discuss the EMAG!NE network and the opportunities and resources available to faculty and research teams to broaden the impacts of research through outreach and education. Promoting Positive and Healthy Development in Youth: A Research and Evaluation Program at Clemson Edmond Bowers, William Quinn, Barry Garst, and Marian Robinson; Assistant Professor, Professor, Associate Professor, and Community Liaison, Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Management The faculty in Youth Development Leadership are committed to the advancement of knowledge and application of the discipline of Youth Development that will foster youth well-being and preparation for a successful adulthood. Faculty study positive and healthy development of young people to inform youth-serving professionals, policy-makers, educators, and parents in enacting strategies to serve and empower youth to reach their potential through several projects. Current partnerships include school-based projects, youth well-being and advocacy in communities, and outcome evaluations with camps and other out of school time providers. Faculty projects also focus on how parents, mentors, coaches, and program staff may promote the growth and success of youth. Finally, faculty collaborate with

youth-serving organizations, corporations, and private foundations to evaluate and implement support mechanisms and initiatives that build coping and resiliency skills for youth in military families. The impact of linguistic choices in multilingual or international contexts Jae DiBello Takeuchi; Assistant Professor, Languages My research explores multilingual or international contexts such as those found in the classrooms and labs on Clemson’s campus, study abroad and internship programs overseas, and international workplaces in the U.S. and around the world. In such contexts, the ability to communicate effectively is essential for both the success of individuals’ integration into a group and for the ability of the group to function smoothly. Linguistic beliefs influence speakers’ linguistic choices, which in turn influence their interactions with the people around them. My research focuses on the struggles that may arise as speakers negotiate linguistic choices such as which language to use and how to speak with people who do not share the same native language. Nouns and verbs in Spanish and English bilingualism Daniel J. Smith; Associate Professor, Languages This study compares noun and verb insertion in bilingual clauses in a Spanish and English bilingual data corpus collected in northeast Georgia. Even though Myers-Scotton and Jake (2014) have given grammatical reasons why the content stems of verbs theoretically can be as easily inserted as the content stems of nouns, most bilingual data sets, including this one, show that far more nouns than verbs of one language are inserted into clauses of the other language. Analysis of the northeast Georgia data reveal that some social factors are associated with higher verb insertion as compared to noun insertion. This sociolinguistic study is an attempt to better understand language contact in its varied forms, including second language acquisition. Desolation Row: Sustainability for the Oft-Forgotten Gary Machlis; University Professor of Environmental Sustainability Efforts to advance sustainability by governments, NGOs, and the private sector have oft forgotten the needs of specific classes of persons--in particular the underclass, natural hazards victims, the oppressed, refugees, and the poorest of the poor. As a locus of desolation, these classes of persons may require distinctive and targeted approaches to sustainability. This multinational research project includes describing the distribution and scale of the problem, identifying the processes of exclusion that marginalize the oft-forgotten, and proposing potential remedies to expand the scope of sustainability policy and practice. Stress: Just Another Day in the Life June Pilcher; Alumni Distinguished Professor, Psychology My presentation will cover the major areas of my research interest: stress-stress-stress. My presentation will include ideas from my research on a wide range of potential stressors including sleep deprivation, sedentary lifestyle, and environmental stressors such as cold exposure. Studying the Determinants of Individual, Team, and Organizational Resilience Thomas W. Britt; Trevillian Distinguished Professor, Psychology Past research purporting to study resilience in organizational settings suffers from a lack of conceptual clarity about the resilience construct as well as methodological designs that examine resilience without ensuring the occurrence of significant adversity. The present talk will address our contemporary understanding of individual, team, and organizational resilience, and identify pathways for the future advancement of resilience research in the workplace.

We discuss methods used to examine resilience, with an emphasis on distinguishing the capacity for resilience and the demonstration of resilience in different entities. The talk concludes with recommendations for future research studying resilience in the workplace, including documenting significant adversity, assessing multiple outcomes, using longitudinal designs with theoretically-supported time lags, and broadening the study of resilience to teams and organizations. Reaching Across Campus with Sports Media: An Interdisciplinary, Intra-university Research Opportunity within a Graduate Course Angela N. Pratt; Assistant Professor, Communication As a second-year, tenure-track assistant professor in the Department of Communication, teaching within our Master of Arts in Communication, Technology and Society (MACTS) program is an opportunity to find connections between my research interest in sports communication, and the interests of students across campus. This semester, an MACTS student, a Graphic Communications master’s student, and a Clemson Academic Success Center academic advising and coaching specialist—all members of my Sports Media graduate course, COMM 8270—worked with me to study undergraduate students’ sports-viewing habits. We researched student preferences regarding streaming media vs. traditional cable, which was a new topic of study for all of us, and in which very little published scholarship currently exists. In addition to producing a study that will be submitted for conference presentation and publication, this learning endeavor resulted in a greater understanding of how cross-campus perspectives enhance academic collaboration by providing a platform for each member to share insight from her field of study and work experiences.

Special Announcement Watt Family Innovation Center Auditorium

Jim Clements, President Tanju Karanfil, Vice President for Research

Lunch

Watt Family Innovation Center Atrium

Session 2 (1:00-2:30): Centers and Resources Watt Family Innovation Center Auditorium

Amod Ogale, Moderator James C. Kennedy Waterfowl & Wetlands Conservation Center: Coupling Expertise Across Campus Richard Kaminski; Director, James C. Kennedy Waterfowl & Wetlands Conservation Center The James C. Kennedy Waterfowl & Wetlands Conservation Center was dedicated in November 2015 at Clemson's Belle W. Baruch Institute of Coastal Ecology and Forest Science near Georgetown, South Carolina. The Center was established through a $3.3 million gift from James C. Kennedy, Chairman of Cox Enterprises, Inc., Atlanta, Georgia. The mission of the Center is to "lead in science and education to sustain South Carolina Atlantic coastal ecosystems." The Center, its Director (Dr. Richard M. Kaminski), staff, and graduate students conduct research on waterfowl and other wetland wildlife and plants to understand the community ecology of coastal ecosystems amid environmental and human dynamics, with a goal of conserving these systems. The Director will describe the teaching, research, and outreach functions of the Center and seek collaboration in research and outreach from interested faculty and graduate students.

Advanced Fibers, Composites, and Films Research: A CAEFF Perspective Amod A. Ogale; Advanced Fibers, Composites, and Films Research: A CAEFF Perspective Center for Advanced Engineering Fibers and Films (CAEFF), a self-sustaining graduated NSF-ERC, provides an interdisciplinary research environment for the systems-oriented study of high performance fibers, films, and composites for applications ranging from military to medical uses. CAEFF was established in 1998-99 and received $ 29 million dollars from NSF over the maximum 10-year funding cycle. Faculty and students from six academic departments (ChE, MSE, Chemistry, Math, ME, and BioE) continue to conduct research involving about twenty sponsored projects with annual expenditures of over $ 2 million. The broad topics include: fibers for high-strength, thermal/electrical conductivity, and composites; fiber-based bio-medical devices; fibers/films for separations; and modeling. Multi-User Analytical and Metabolomics Facility: the one-stop-shop for all small molecule and oligomer analyses Nishanth Tharayail; Associate Professor, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Multi-User Analytical Lab and Metabolomic Core (MUAL) is the analytical core facility in the College of Agriculture, Forestry and Life Sciences primarily aimed at assisting researchers to undertake complex analytical experiments in biology, environmental sciences, and related fields. The facility primarily focuses on mass spectrometry based experiments including quantitation of small molecules and oligomers from a variety of biological and environmental matrices, comprehensive metabolomic analysis (including extensive [isomer] profiling of sugars, lipids, amino compounds and secondary metabolites) in plants, microbes and cell cultures, characterization of biopolymers in biomass, quantitative proteomic experiments, isotope-based metabolic flux analyses, accurate mass measurement, isotope-modeling and fragmentation for the structural analyses of unknown compounds etc. The facility also offers researchers a wealth of post-analyses services including compound identification using in-house mass-spectral libraries, multivariate statistical analyses of complex data, and metabolic pathway analysis to contextualize the metabolomic data. Being a user-facility, MUAL also has a strong educational emphasis through graduate course work (PLPA8090), and provides hands on training for graduate students and postdocs in sample collection, processing, analytical method development, and instrument operation. The MUAL collaborates with Thermo Scientific in the area of plant metabolomics through their Academic Partnership Program, which provides unlimited on-site application support and access to application scientists at Thermo. The facility also collaborates with mass-spec core facilities in other universities for advanced proteomic experiments. The facility is operated on a fee-for-service basis and is open to researchers across all disciples and colleges, with equal access to everyone. Center of Excellence for Next Generation Computing & Creativity - Transforming Research & Education Through Collaboration Kuang-Ching Wang; Associate Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering The Center of Excellence for Next Generation Computing and Creativity (CoE) is created out of partnership among faculty, students, CCIT, and staff from across the university to transform Clemson's research and education through collaboration. The Center facilitates building collaborative teams on and beyond Clemson to approach strategic opportunities for computing-enabled research and education. The Center also develops innovative learning facilities and services to empower our students and faculty. In this talk, we will introduce ongoing Center initiatives and opportunities to collaborate. The transdisciplinary efforts at the Institute for Biological Interfaces of Engineering Joseph Singapogu; Assistant Professor, Institute for Biological Interfaces of Engineering

IBIOE’s transdisciplinary efforts include interfacing engineering with biological sciences, with Greenville Health Systems, and in enhancing the advancement of regulatory science, supporting startup activities and promoting diversity. The CU Genomics and Computational Biology Facility Christopher Saski; Director, Genomics and Computational Biology Facility The mission of the CU Center for Genomics and Computational Biology is to develop and offer high quality, sophisticated solutions and services to competitively address complex problems in focus areas such as genomics, biodiversity, bioinformatics, computational/molecular and cell biology. The unit operates in a secure, centralized, and easily accessible infrastructure that supports collaborative data intensive research.

Session 2 (1:00-2:30): Energy, Transportation, and Advanced Manufacturing Watt Family Innovation Center Room 106

Brian Powell, Moderator Clemson University Biomanufacturing and Bioproduct Innovation Consortium (CUBBIC) Mark Blenner; Assistant Professor, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Biological systems are some of the most advanced manufacturing platforms. Biomanufacturing using living systems and biomolecules is increasingly important for chemical production, biofuels, nutraceuticals, materials, therapeutics & diagnostics, and sensors. The Clemson University Biomanufacturing & Bioproducts Innovation Consortium is being organized as a virtual center to facilitate collaborative efforts and leverage the expansive expertise of faculty throughout Clemson University. Creating High-Value Lignin Products to Enable a Viable Biofuels Industry Mark Thies; Dow Professor of Chemical Engineering Development of a viable lignocellulosic biofuels industry has been hindered by poor process economics. The currently practiced lignocellulosic deconstruction methods fail to utilize the lignin from biomass, even though it is quite substantial (~30%) in volume. We are trying to establish a Center for Lignin Applications and Products focused on high-value or high volume uses of lignin. With our recent discoveries in the solvation, fractionation, and purification of both lignin-rich biomass streams and lignin itself, we are now uniquely situated to identify, characterize, and recover from lignin with properties tailored to high-value applications, such as carbon fibers, lightweight materials, and construction materials. We hope to find additional collaborators with interesting end-applications for lignin. Control and Coordination of Network Systems Yongqiang Wang; Director, Assistant Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering Synchronization in time is essential for most distributed network applications ranging from shared channel coordination, sensor-network based object localization and tracking, to duty cycling. Synchronization in motion is also crucial for various applications of vehicle/robot networks such as multi-vehicle search and rescue, mobile sensor deployment, and cooperative robots. Existing synchronization approaches are inefficient in meeting the increasingly stringent requirements on accuracy and energy-efficiency. By analyzing and further optimizing biological synchronization mechanisms, I proposed time and motion synchronization approaches that are scalable, accurate and energy-efficient. The proposed approaches have been adopted by industry and applied to an actual gunfire localization system.

Next-Generation Logistics Systems Bill Ferrell; Fluor Professor, Industrial Engineering Current logistics systems are inefficient and unsustainable. A number of trends like the growth of eCommerce, ever-shortening times to fulfill an order, the proliferation of additive manufacturing, and increasing urbanization suggest pressure on current systems is only going to increase. A new paradigm seems to be needed ... and other countries, especially in Europe, are already working on this. It’s time for the US to get busy. Local DC Power: Transformation of Global Electricity Infrastructure Rajendra Singh; D. Hoser Banks Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering Our ability to generate ultra-low cost electrical power by photovoltaics, storage of electrical energy in low cost batteries , semiconductor based electronics, intelligent control and cyber secured communication is allowing us to transform the traditional alternating current based centralized power generation, transmission and distribution by local direct current power based electrician infrastructure. Other than electrical power sector, DC power based fast charging will enable the transformation of fossil fuel based transport sector into electrical power based surface and water transport sector. The ultra-cost feature of local DC power will remove global energy poverty and bring affordable electrical power to underprivileged people all over the world. Smart Grid Research, Education and Innovation-Ecosystem Kumar Venayagamoorthy; Duke Energy Distinguished Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering The modernization of the electric power grid can be viewed as a digital upgrade of the existing electricity infrastructure with the vision to lower the cost of energy delivered with improved reliability, resilience, efficiency and sustainability. There exist numerous challenges, known and unknown, to realizing this vision. The monitoring, optimization and control systems for smart grids will require real-time intelligence enabled by computational systems thinking machines (CSTMs) to handle the ‘Big Data’, increased variability and uncertainties caused by high-levels of penetration of variable renewable energy resources. This talk will provide insight into the research, development and innovation of real-time intelligent systems for sustainable electric grid operations. Big Data Focused Data Delivery Infrastructure for Connected Transportation Systems Mashrur Chowdhury, Professor, Civil Engineering; Amy Apon, Professor, School of Computing; and Kakan Dey, Postdoctoral Fellow, Civil Engineering Surface transportation systems are being transformed through interconnections between smart vehicles, mobile devices, and communication networks. A complex and massive amount of data will be collected from on-board sensors of connected vehicles, infrastructure data sources (e.g., roadway sensors and traffic signals), mobile data sources (e.g. cell phones), social media sources, and news and weather data sources. In this presentation, a strategy for creating an efficient and low latency distributed data delivery system for connected transportation ecosystems using message brokers will be presented. This strategy enables large-scale ingestion, curation, and transformation of unstructured traffic-related and non-traffic-related data into labeled and customized topics.

Session 2 (1:00-2:30): Health Innovations Watt Family Innovation Center Room 208

Cheryl Dye, Moderator

Understanding of molecular mechanism of nutrient metabolism in Toxoplasma gondii, a human protozoan pathogen Zicheng Dou; Assistant Professor, Biological Sciences Toxoplasma gondii is one of the most successful parasites on the earth, infecting nearly one third of the global human population. The infection can cause severe diseases affecting the eyes, brain, and heart of the people with a weakened immune system, such as AIDS patients and pregnant women. Our previous findings have revealed that the deletion of a major protease within the digestive vacuole of parasites leads to compromised replication and virulence, and substantial loss of cyst formation. My own group will focus on the detailed mechanism of how Toxoplasma parasites acquire host macromolecular nutrients through their endolysosomal system to support their intracellular growth, and further identifying the therapeutic targets within this pathway to intervene in Toxoplasma infection. Turnover Timer App: A Visual Management Tool for Turnover Time Improvement Robert Allen; Research Assistant Professor, School of Health Research The turnover timer app works as a both a visual management tool as well as a data collection tool for measuring and reducing turnover times between surgical cases. A trial study is being conducted at Greenville Memorial Hospital and expected results would indicate that there is an increased efficiency of the operating room through increased accountability for delays in the turnover of the operating room. The “OR Timer App”, if successful in promoting accountability for delays in the operating room, will open the way for similar research being conducted as part of a larger grant with the National Science Foundation. Cardiovascular emotional dampening, threat appraisal and risk behavior: Resting blood pressure predicts risky driving in women James McCubbin; Professor, Psychology Elevated resting blood pressure (BP) is associated with dampened responses to aversive stimuli; this cardiovascular emotional dampening may also influence threat appraisal and, hence, motivation to avoid risk. The present study was designed to determine if resting BP is associated with risky driving behavior assessed in a high fidelity driving simulator. Our results indicate that higher resting diastolic, and to a lesser degree, systolic BP measured prior to a simulated driving task is associated with more risky driving in women. We suggest that interacting central nervous system mechanisms controlling cardiovascular function and emotional responsivity mediate the relationship between BP and risk appraisal. Multidisciplinary Research: The Means for Improving the Lives of Individuals with Disabilities Joseph Ryan; Professor, School of Education This presentation will provide an overview of how multidisciplinary research has helped enhance the Clemson LIFE (Learnings is for Everyone) program at Clemson University (CU). Clemson LIFE is a post-secondary education program for young adults with Intellectual Disabilities (ID). The Executive Director will share findings from both past and ongoing multidisciplinary research studies working in collaboration with researchers from ICAR, Nutrition Science, PRTM, and School of Computing that have significantly improved the lives of young men and women with ID in the areas of job training, time management, health fitness, and driver readiness. The presentation will also

address the current needs of this population to identify researchers from other disciplines interested in making a meaningful difference in the lives of young men and women with disabilities. Cancer Biomechanics for Drug screening with Atomic Force Microscopy Jorge I Rodriguez; Research Assistant Professor, Bioengineering Interested in understanding how the extra- and extracellular elements present on cancer tissues dictate the nanomechanical properties of cancer and its fate. And to engineered a more physiological in vitro model to predict a better cancer treatment outcome. Rethinking the Treatment of Creatine Transporter Deficiency Modi Wetzler; Research Assistant Professor, Chemistry Creatine transporter deficiency produces severe intellectual disability in more than a million people worldwide. Like in most intellectual disability treatments, the focus is on the symptoms instead of the underlying biochemistry. In contrast, our interdisciplinary, collaborative Clemson-Greenwood-Genetics-Center team is focused on treating the underlying cause. Size Matters! Carlos D. Garcia; Professor, Chemistry The field of miniaturization in chemical analysis has seen tremendous growth in the last few decades enabling the collection, pre-treatment, separation, and detection of minute amounts of materials with minimal human intervention. Despite these advances, a key shortcoming of miniaturization is the lack of integration of many analytical steps into a single device. Aiming to address this gap in current technology, our group is focused on the development, characterization, and integration of nanomaterials onto microfluidic devices. The resulting devices provide significant savings in cost and time with minimal compromises in analytical performance. The presentation will provide background information and will discuss recent results from our group regarding the development of paper-based microdevices that integrate nanostructured carbon electrodes developed by pyrolysis. As example of the impact of the proposed technology in the biomedical field, a number of applications will be also discussed.

Session 2 (1:00-2:30): Sustainable Environment Academic Success Center Room 118

Joseph Culin, Moderator

Fluidic origami metastructure: Combining plant nastic movements with paper folding art Suyi Li; Assistant Professor, Mechanical Engineering In this talk I will introduce my current research on fluidic origami metastructure, which is developed by combining the physical principles behind the impulsive plant movements and the rich designs of paper folding art. Fluidic origami is a multi-functional adaptive structure that can rapidly change shape and stiffness, isolate vibrations, absorb impacts, and provide acoustic cloaking. I will also discuss how my applied origami research could benefit from and contribute to other research disciplines across campus, including mathematics, material science, and maybe even plant biology. Research in Agricultural Machine Systems Engineering Bulent Koc; Assistant Professor, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences

The goal of my research program is to develop new technologies and concepts in agricultural machine systems to optimize crop production. In my presentation, I will discuss the investigation of the effects of power ultrasound on shearing characteristics of soil, and UAV-assisted water sampling and remote sensing for sustainable crop production. Modeling Extremes with Application to Environmental Data Brook Russell; Assistant Professor, Mathematical Sciences My research focuses on creating and utilizing statistical tools to increase understanding of the upper tails of the distribution of response variables. The application of interest is often environmental in nature, and I am interested in integrating methods from spatial statistics and functional data analysis. In this talk, I will briefly describe some current and recent projects, and describe how they fit into the plans for my future research. Multiphysics modeling of membrane processes David Ladner; Assistant Professor, Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences Membrane processes are useful for drinking water treatment and a host of other separations in industrial and research settings. We are using computational modeling of fluid dynamics, chemical concentrations, membrane materials, and membrane surface patterns to develop new membranes and configurations to reduce energy and increase rejection of target species. The Impacts of Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) on the Domestic and Foreign Agricultural Markets Lisa Zhang; Assistant Professor, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) is designed to address food from domestic and foreign origins in order to establish and enforce food safety standards by shifting the focus of federal regulators from responding to contamination to preventing it. The purpose of my study is to estimate the changes in quantity demanded for U.S food consumers and changes in revenues and profits for U.S. and for other food producers exporting food commodities to the U.S., after the adoption of the FSMA. Combined biological and chemical strategies for solving environmental and energy challenges Kevin Finneran; Associate Professor, Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences Historic approaches to environmental restoration have focused on either biological activity or chemical reactions. Recently, we have developed a number of strategies that combine these mechanisms, which has led to new technologies that are more efficient and effective for environmental remediation. We will present our work in this area related to explosives, insensitive munitions, and chlorinated solvents.

Session 3 (2:45-4:00): Centers and Resources Watt Family Innovation Center Auditorium

Amod Ogale, Moderator

Why Research Cores Work (Debunking the "Bad" Myths about Cores) Terri F. Bruce; Academic Program Director, Clemson Light Imaging Facility My presentation will outline common myths (or arguments) against the use of cores and present the opposing supportive view of using core research facilities. I will highlight ongoing research in the CLIF and discuss the equipment, services and expertise available in the facility. If a table or booth is available, we would like to highlight images from our imaging contest and be available to answer questions and pass out literature for the CLIF.

NMR Facilities at Clemson Alex Kitaygorodskiy; Senior Lecturer, Chemistry The current state of NMR instrumentation at Clemson is discussed. Technology Transfer, Licensing, Intellectual Property Andy Bluvas, Chris Gesswein, Charlie Shaw; Technology Commercialization Officers, Clemson University Research Foundation To introduce and provide an overview of the technology transfer process at Clemson University and how CURF can assist the researcher in meeting his/her obligations to federal sponsors (Bayh-Dole Act), in identifying potential commercial opportunity for research outcomes (inventions, know-how), and in protecting, marketing, and licensing of intellectual property. The Center for Nuclear Environmental Engineering Sciences and Radioactive Waste Management (NEESRWM) Brian A. Powell; Associate Professor, Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences This presentation will give an overview of the Center for Nuclear Environmental Engineering Sciences and Radioactive Waste Management (NEESRWM). NEESRWM serves as a focal point for research and education in the characterization, evaluation, and remediation of radioactive contamination as well as the evaluation and development of processes for the management of radioactive wastes. The goal of the Center is to conduct research related to the environmental aspects of nuclear technologies and naturally occurring radioactivity and radiation and in doing so to contribute to the education of graduates who are capable and qualified to take future leadership roles in the nuclear environmental community within South Carolina, the nation, and the world. Within the center we conduct basic and applied research in environmental health physics, environmental radiochemistry, and environmental radioecology. These are intradisciplinary fields which draw broadly from other fields such as chemistry, physics, materials science, hydrology, and environmental engineering. We actively seek collaborators who wish to participate in the center activities supporting basic research or assist government and industry in the characterization, evaluation, and remediation of radioactive contamination from both natural and anthropogenic sources and in the evaluation and development of processes for the management of radioactive wastes.

Session 3 (2:45-4:00): Cyberinfrastructure and Big Data Science Watt Family Innovation Center Room 106

Fred Switzer, Moderator Advanced Algorithms for Design, Optimization, and Control of Chemical and Energy Systems Joseph Scott; Assistant Professor, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering This presentation will provide a brief overview of the Scott groups activities in computer-aided design, optimization, and control, with the aim of finding experimental collaborators looking for computational support. Technological advances in areas from renewable energy to bioengineering and automation have led to a host of modern processes characterized by (1) non-standard design/control specifications, including stringent safety and environmental considerations, robustness to uncertainty, and fault tolerance, and (2) the need for advanced modeling techniques incorporating features such as stochasticity, multiscale physics, and hybrid discrete-continuous dynamics. Although simulation techniques for these processes have advanced considerably in recent years, many design and control challenges posed by these processes remain beyond the state-of-the-art. In the Scott group, we draw from expertise in mathematical analysis, numerical simulation, dynamic systems theory, and optimization theory to develop new theoretical and computational techniques to address these challenges.

Mining Gene Expression Relationships at the Terascale Alex Feltus; Associate Professor, Genetics and Biochemistry The prime goal of the Feltus group is to identify the right mix of genes to accelerate the crop development cycle in a world where the historical patterns of natural resource usage may not be indicative of the future. Network (graph) biology techniques allow for the measurement, modeling and interpretation of gene expression relationships and gene product physical interactions on a global scale. The problem with all of this is that graph construction, alignment, interpretation, and visualization has become a Big Data problem. Therefore, the Feltus lab has found itself smack dab in the middle of exciting research into fast data transfer networks, software defined networking, workflow parallelization, and utilization of advanced computer environments including the Palmetto Cluster and Open Science Grid. Solutions via Surrogate Models Cameron J. Turner; Associate Professor, Mechanical Engineering Surrogate Models use a variety of technique to reduce complex (often nonlinear) problems into a surrogate representation that is easier to analyze and optimize. If the surrogate is suitably representative of the actual problem, the solution to the surrogate is often representative of the solution to the actual problem. By designing and implementing surrogate models, applications in design-by-analogy, biomechanics, robotics and automation, and engineered materials design are discussed. Cybersecurity Test and Evaluation Jeff McNeil; Research Professor, Watt Family Innovation Center Cybersecurity is an increasingly ubiquitous aspect of our lives. I will provide an overview of my current research efforts in support of the Department of Defense to improve Cybersecurity test and evaluation policies, procedures and infrastructure to meet emerging threats. This includes the use of DoD cyberspace ranges such as the National Cyber Range, and their applicability for broader research, education and private sector use.

Session 3 (2:45-4:00): Health Innovation Watt Family Innovation Center Room 208

Cheryl Dye, Moderator Impact of Surgical Resident Training on Operating Room Time and Hospital Labor Costs Robert Allen; Research Assistant Professor, School of Health Research The training of surgical residents must include time spent in the OR, but that experience comes with a time cost to the surgeon and hospital. This presentation presents a comprehensive analysis of the impact of resident training on 29,134 cases covering 246 procedures. The total financial impact (in terms of OR labor costs) at our partnering hospital was found to be $2,257,433, or $492,889 per year. Knowing the impact on operative time and OR costs allows managers to make smart decisions when considering alternative educational and training techniques. Tool Development for Engineering Cells and Biomolecules Mark Blenner; Assistant Professor, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering My research group is focused on protein and metabolic engineering. Our activities include the design of proteins (enzymes, antibodies, regulatory proteins) with improved properties, improving protein production, and the development of genetic engineering tools, including promoter engineering, and CRISPR-Cas9 systems. We are

interested in collaborating with health and biologically focused researchers to address current shortcomings in biotechnological tools. Computational and Experimental Engineering Approach to Cardiovascular Medicine Ethan Kung; Assistant Professor, Mechanical Engineering The Cardiovascular Modeling & Experimentation Research Laboratory (CMERL) at Clemson focuses on translational research which integrates experimental and computational tools to help advance cardiovascular medical devices, diagnostics, and clinical procedures. We work closely with surgeons and clinicians to apply computational fluid dynamics, benchtop flow experiments, and computational physiology models to help answer clinical questions on a patient-specific basis. This research continues to bring the goal of personalized medicine steps closer to reality. Activities and Opportunities in the Multiscale Manufacturing Laboratory Rodrigo Martinez-Duarte; Assistant Professor, Mechanical Engineering Here I will present the research activities of the Multiscale Manufacturing Laboratory in Health Innovation and Advanced Manufacturing. In Health Innovation we are targeting basic research with eventual application in clinical diagnostics (detection of the pathogen causing sepsis) and global health diagnostics (detection of the parasite causing Chagas Disease). Regarding Advanced Manufacturing, we are developing methods to fabricate carbon-based shapes using additive manufacturing, origami-inspired techniques and nanobiomanufacturing. Imaging in Biogeosciences and Biosystems Engineering Christophe Darnault; Assistant Professor, Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences Our collaborative research efforts in imaging in the fields of biogeosciences and biosystems engineering focus on the development and use of novel methods/tools to visualize and monitor biological/environmental systems and processes, as well as to detect, measure and quantify flow, reaction and transport processes in soil-water-plant systems. We study the hydrologic, geochemical, and microbiological processes at any range of scales (micro to global) that impact water quality and quantity in order to protect ecosystems and the public health, and the flow and transport phenomena in complex surface and subsurface environments. Particularly, we are developing imaging tools to investigate and visualize flow, geochemical processes, and radionuclides transport in the subsurface environment as a function of the plant root system, and microbes. Our research is also involved in the development of imaging tools to characterize the fate and transport of nanoparticles in porous media, as well as their effects on plant root system, in order to assess their environmental risks and toxicity. Physical Principles of Biological Phenomena Joshua Alper; Assistant Professor, Physics The Alper Lab uses single-molecule experiments and models to study the physical principles that underlie biological phenomena at the cell level. We are currently using optical tweezers and high resolution microscopy to investigate the coordination mechanisms of the molecular motor proteins that drive the oscillatory beat of eukaryotic cilia and flagella, using the green algae Chlamydomonas as our model organism. Our instruments can apply and measure forces at the picoNewton and nanometer scales, and we have experience modeling phenomena across multiple length scales. We are eager to collaborate with labs from across the University, including cell and microbiologists, geneticists, biochemists, chemists, bioengineers, mechanical engineers, chemical engineers, materials scientists, nanotechnologists, and mathematicians on experiments and models of molecular, cellular, and engineered biophysical systems.

Session 3 (2:45-4:00): Sustainable Environment Academic Success Center Room 118

Joseph Culin, Moderator Research Challenges on Sustainable Use of Marine Resources and Biodiversity Discovery in Tropical Diversity Hotspots J. Antonio Baeza; Assistant Professor, Biological Sciences The Laboratory of Integrative & Evolutionary Biology at the Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, conducts research along four main foci: [i] biodiversity discovery in marine environments, including the description of species new to science, [ii] molecular phylogenetics, including research on diversification and evolutionary innovations, [iii] formal testing of sexual selection, sex allocation, and mating systems theories using experimental and comparative approaches, and [iv] conservation of marine and freshwater socio-economically important resources. In this talk, the laboratory PI, Dr. J. Antonio Baeza, will highlight current research on biodiversity discovery in the Indo-Pacific and Caribbean regions and on the sustainable use and conservation of marine resources presently impacted by human activities and global climate change. New avenues of research in collaboration with other colleagues/laboratories at the new College of Sciences will be proposed. Molecular evolution and population dynamics of herbicide resistance in Amaranthus palmeri and genus Amaranthus: rapid proliferation of a highly conserved gene shaped by population structure Amy Lawton-Rauh; Associate Professor, Genetics and Biochemistry Gene copy number proliferation is one mechanism amongst several involved in the origin and spread of resistance and stress resilience in many organisms. To understand the mechanistic origins of rapid, massive gene copy number proliferation during resistance adaptation and the subsequent population level processes expanding resistance, we investigated genus Amaranthus and populations of the species with the most rapidly spreading glyphosate herbicide resistance, Amaranthus palmeri. Outside of glyphosate-resistant biotypes of some species, EPSPS is present in single copy, is highly conserved, and contains a binding domain that is the target site of glyphosate across genus Amaranthus, in ancestral A. palmeri, and other plant families. Estimates of EPSPS gene copy numbers, EPSP synthase abundances, glyphosate resistance bioassay responses, and contemporary vs. ancestral genetic population structures of A. palmeri across the U.S.A. indicate independent origins of glyphosate resistance in A. palmeri and that recently-founded resistant populations have differing levels of variance in massive amplification of the EPSPS gene (from ancestral single copy state to over 100 copies). Genetic reconstruction of the introduction history of an invasive tropical plant Saara DeWalt; Associate Professor, Biological Sciences I am tracking down the native source of introduced genotypes of an aggressive invasive plant called Clidemia hirta (Melastomataceae) using molecular tools and comparisons of morphological characteristics. Whereas the native range harbors a great deal of genetic variation, I have found only two multilocus genotypes in the introduced range. The origin of one introduced genotype is northern South America, whereas the other appears to have been introduced from southeastern Brazil. I will discuss how this information is being incorporated into experiments to test the pathogenicity and virulence of different strains of a proposed biological control agent, the nematode Ditylenchus gallaeformans.

How does a plant "decide"? Julia Frugoli; Alumni Distinguished Professor, Genetics and Biochemistry My lab focuses on understanding the systemic communication that plants, which are unable to move, use to sense and respond to their environment. Focusing on the legume/rhizobia symbiosis, which allows plants to use nitrogen from the air for growth by housing bacteria in their roots, we utilize gene discovery & mutation, microscopy, proteomics, Laser Capture Microdissection, RNAseq, and physiology & grafting experiments to test our hypotheses. Our goal is to understand the sequence of molecular events in a plant that results in a “decision” which then affects root & shoot growth. Understanding the decision-making process is critical for manipulating plants for increased agricultural productivity. Plant Bioreactors and Smart Vessels Jeffrey Adelberg; Professor, Horticulture Producing plant material that is true-to-type and free of pests is a difficult task in clonally propagated crops. The biotechnology tools based on “agar-gels” work well in the laboratory, but does not serve the scale or allow physiological transitioning of plants to outdoor field conditions. Our laboratory has designed, and prototyped bioreactors and vessel systems to bridge the gap between biotechnology and field production.

Poster Presentation and Interfacing Hour (4:00-5:00) Watt Family Innovation Center Atrium

Jim Spencer and Dolores Stegelin, Moderators

The role of methylotrophs in estuarine communities Kristin Miller; Postdoctoral Fellow, Biological Sciences Methanol is an abundant hydrocarbon naturally generated by plants in the marine ecosystem. Methanol-degrading bacteria, known as methylotrophs, use methanol as both a carbon and energy substrate and, as such, prevent the accumulation of methanol in the environment. Aquatic samples were collected seasonally from surface water of the Delaware Bay across a salinity gradient, and metagenomic data were analyzed. Computational pipelines are being developed to investigate the abundance, activity, and diversity of methanol genes in the Delaware Bay to better understand the role of methylotrophs in the estuarine community. Calendered Polypropylene-Discontinuous Carbon Fiber Composites Sam Lukubira; Postdoctoral Fellow, Chemical Engineering Discontinuous fiber reinforced thermoplastic polymer composites (DFRTPCs) are attractive because they can be processed using fast, high volume processes. Typical processing of DFRTPCs involves extruding a dry blend of polymer pellets or powder and chopped fibers into extrudates that are then pelletized and subsequently molded (injection or compression mold). Extrusion produces well-dispersed fibers. However, there are difficulties of feeding the dry blend of fibers and matrix and significant fiber breakage due to high shear stresses, which results in lower mechanical properties of the composites. In the current studies, a modified calendering process was developed using a two-roll mill to produce sheets of DFRTPCs. The objective of the studies was to assess the effect of the roll nip opening on the mechanical and morphological properties of the composites. The preform sheets were produced by calendering carbon fibers with polypropylene at 185 °C, 5 RPM and a gap of 0.1 – 0.75 mm. It was observed that carbon fibers were effectively distributed to form a uniform sheet by the roll mill and composite tensile strength increased with a larger gap opening due to reduced fiber breakage. Multi-layer Soil Moisture Estimation Data Assimilation Methods Di Liu; Postdoctoral Fellow, Civil Engineering Role of soil moisture in the land-atmosphere interactions based on observed data and numerical modeling. Experimental site multi-layer soil moisture estimation with data-driven method and data assimilation technique. Regional or global soil moisture

estimation with land surface model and remote sensing data. Cryptococcus neoformans Xfp1, motif ‘s "RIFSP" phosphorylation is crucial for its virulence Satyanarayana Lagishetty; Postdoctoral Fellow, Genetics and Biochemistry Cryptococcus neoformans is an invasive opportunistic pathogen of the central nervous system and the most frequent cause of fungal meningitis, infecting about 1 million people every year and killing more than 625,000 per year worldwide (CDC report 2009). At present general fungicides like fluconazole for pulmonary infection and amphotericin B in combination with flucytosine for Cryptococcus meningitis are given for treatment (Lupetti et al., 2002). Both of these drugs are involved in inhibition of ergosterol biosynthesis and toxic to human cells. Acetate has been shown to be a major fermentation product during Cryptococci infection, but the significance of this is not yet known (Ingram-Smith et al., 2006, Bubb et al., 1999). We have identified two potential pathways for acetate production and the genes encoding enzymes from these pathways have been shown to be upregulated during infection, suggesting that acetate production may be a necessary and required part of the pathogenic process. One of two possible pathways is composed of the xylulose-5-phosphate/fructose-6-phosphate phosphoketolase1 (XFP1) - acetate kinase (Ack) pathway. xfp1 and xfp2 knock out mutants display reduced survival rate in mouse macrophages. An intelligent chemical sensor for biomedical internal fixation implant Md Arifuzzaman; Postdoctoral Fellow, Chemistry This work of us reports about making an easy, robust, non-invasive detection method of infections around orthopedic internal fixation implant. A chemical sensor which would mainly detect pH around implanted medical devices is fabricated by synthesizing a polymer hydrogel film containing a carboxylic acid group in the repeat unit. The sensor, which is actually a covalently cross-linked polymer mesh, expands or contracts itself remarkably as per existing H+ concentration on the vicinity of implanted plate surface; such deformation is resulted due to the occurrence of spontaneous swelling/de-swelling caused by forward and reverse diffusion of H+ relative to the interior of the sensor, a flexible soft and wet polymer hydrogel matrix. Based on the investigated results of the work, we claim successful invention of a simple, easy and intelligent chemical sensor which would detect the infection level around biomedical implants non-invasively. Two High-Resolution Systems for Measuring Ground Deformation During CO2 Injection Scott DeWolf; Postdoctoral Fellow, Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences Injecting fluids into a well deforms the enveloping rocks in a complex pattern that increases in magnitude and expands outward with time. This evolving strain field creates space needed to store these fluids, and maintaining stresses below a critical stress state is important for limiting the risk of faulting and subsequent leakage. Since it is impossible to measure stresses directly, the approach is to measure displacement or strain, and then calculate stress change. The geodetic research community has developed borehole strainmeters capable of measuring the horizontal strain tensor with high resolution, but these require permanent installation and are too expensive to be abandoned after short term studies. We have developed two far less expensive, multi-component instruments capable of measuring the ground deformation that occurs during CO2 injection. A diversity-based haploblocking approach across diverged genotypes using re-sequenced genomes in Malus x domestica (apple) Subodh K Srivastava; Postdoctoral Fellow, Genetics and Biochemistry We performed genome-wide analyses of more than 20 Malus species (Malus x domestica; apple and wild relatives) and developed a DNA sequence diversity based approach to discover (and eventually diagnose) common SNPs and haploblocks and associated with candidate genes for quantitative traits. We further analyzed a set of fruit quality genes within a specific region for linkage disequilibrium (LD) to infer recombination history and potential for germplasm improvement. The observed high LD amongst some genes in this region suggests non-random associations of SNPs, where as low LD amongst other genes suggests randomized SNPs. The diversity-based haploblocking approach that we have developed has the potential to improve predictions of crossing selected and wild germplasm lines for incorporating alleles present in haploblocks that improve desirable traits. Engineering Oleaginous Yeast to Utilize Lignocellulosic Biomass Gabriel Rodriguez; Postdoctoral Fellow, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Advancements in lignocellulose degradation have made unconventional sugars such as xylose abundant. The increasing availability of xylose have made metabolic engineering for alternative sugar consumption critical for improving economical microbial production of chemicals. The oleaginous yeast, Yarrowia lipolytica, has been utilized as an industrial host for 60 years

for various applications, but is unable to utilize Xylose as a sole carbon source. Given the desirability of having a xylose utilizing strain of Y. lipolytica, we have engineered this organism to efficiently consume xylose by optimizing the existing components of its xylose metabolic pathway. The spider and the sandfly: A Leishmania secretion system for the production of spider silk mimics Todd Andrew Lyda; Postdoctoral Fellow, Genetics and Biochemistry Here, we report our findings for an expression system involving the secretion of major ampullate spidroin protein mimics (rMaSp1R8 and rMaSp2R8). In this pilot study, we chose the protozoan parasite Leishmania tarentolae as the expression host. The spidroin mimics were successfully expressed, secreted, purified and hand-pulled into fibers. The use of Leishmania tarentolae as an expression system for the production of secreted recombinant mini spidroin mimics and eventual fiber assembly has proven to be a promising endeavor for the advancement of recombinant spider silk production. Tuning Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance Wavelengths of Silver Nanoparticles by Mechanical Deformation Fatima S. Ameer; Postdoctoral Fellow, Chemistry We describe a simple technique to alter the shape of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) by rolling a glass tube over them to mechanically compress them. The resulting shape change in turn induces a red-shift in the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) scattering spectrum and exposes new surface area. The simple technique employed here requires no lithographic templates and has potential for rapid, reproducible, inexpensive and scalable tuning of nanoparticle shape, surface area, and resonance while preserving particle volume. Spatial and Temporal Resolution of mRNA Profiles During Early Nodule Development Suchitra Chavan; Postdoctoral Fellow, Genetics and Biochemistry Understanding the signaling during the establishment of the legume-rhizobial symbiosis is essential towards establishing this nitrogen-fixing symbioses in other crops. The signal transduction events in this symbiosis involve communication between cells layers in tissues, between the organs in the plant, and across time, from the induction of the first chemical response to the establishment of nitrogen fixation in the nodules. The goal of our recently funded project is to measure the transcriptome for each cell type involved in nodule formation in space and time in a coherent manner. To accomplish this, Laser Capture Microdissection (LCM) is used to capture individual cell types at defined points in nodulation, RNA isolated from the cells, and a library for RNA seq analysis is generated for the cell types involved in nodulation, sequenced and analyzed to create a gene co-expression network for each cell type and time point in order to identify differentially expressed gene patterns in a network biology context. This spatiotemporal analysis of individual cell transcriptome will greatly expand our knowledge of nodulation signaling in roots and serve as a data mining resource for the symbiosis community. Communication, Coordination and Collaboration: Understanding the Nature of Work for Pre-operative and Post-operative Nurses in Ambulatory Surgical Environments Zahra Zamani; Postdoctoral Fellow, Architecture The purpose of this research study was to understand the nature of work (communication, coordination and collaboration patterns) and functional comfort preferences of nurses in pre-operative and post-operative work spaces of ambulatory surgery centers. In-depth case studies were conducted using a multi-method approach consisting of behavior mapping, semi-structured interviews, and surveys with the healthcare staff. The study found the most common activity during nurses to nurse or patient/care partner to nurse was face-to-face communication (talking or listening). In general, staff appreciated healthcare facilities with comfortable temperatures, acoustical comfort, adequate storage space, break areas, and collaborative spaces that offered views towards nature, privacy, and daylight. High Pressure, High Temperature, Hydrothermal Synthesis of New Transition Metal Vanadate Chloride Materials Tiffany Pellizzeri; Postdoctoral Fellow, Chemistry Inorganic oxide materials display a wide array of applications in both chemistry and materials science, and they can also possess many interesting properties including optical activity, catalytic activity, and of specific interest to our group, magnetic properties. Our group is interested in the exploratory synthesis of metal oxide materials to produce single-crystals through a high temperature (500-700°C) hydrothermal route. Recent success in the synthesis of transition metal vanadates utilizing hydroxide mineralizers

has led us to investigate the use of mixed chloride/hydroxide mineralizers, which has led to the synthesis of several new and interesting vanadate transition metal chloride compounds. Crystal Growth and Spectroscopic Characterization of Dy-doped Lu2O3, YAG and LuAG Duminda Sanjeewa; Postdoctoral Fellow, Chemistry The complex energy level structure gives Dy3+ a very detailed absorption spectrum. Lasers doped with dysprosium are of interest for a few reasons. Their yellow emission near 583 nm, a result of the 4F9/2 → 6H13/2 transition, is an uncommon region of the spectrum for direct lasing emission. In this poster, a possible use of Dy-doped Lu2O3, YAG and LuAG as a suppression of amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) of Yb-doped lasers will be discussed. Using foraminifera to decipher the fate and characteristics of dispersed oil remnants from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill Kelly Lazar; Postdoctoral Fellow, Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences Six years after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon spill, one of the largest questions still remains - what happened to the oil that 'disappeared' after official remediation was completed? Tar balls and oil patches still find their way onto beaches from Louisiana to Florida, suggesting large volumes of dispersed oil remain on the seafloor. Collecting these petroleum remnants from affected beaches and separating the sand and biologic material could yield valuable information for determining the water depth and depositional environments where the tar is emplaced. Locating remnant oil from the Deepwater Horizon spill could then be used as a predictive tool for targeting water depths and environments for future spills, help remediation teams more effectively target dispersed oil on the seafloor, and mitigate the continuing negative human health effects. Development of Radiocatalytic Methods Towards Water Treatment Sushant Sahu; Postdoctoral Fellow, Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences In this presentation, we would like to show our results on development of radiocatalytic methods for complete mineralization of phenol under X-ray illumination. With brief introduction to principles of radiocatalysis and related materials development in our lab, our most recent findings will be summarized and possible future directions will be presented. Multifactor Experimental Design of Experiments to Model Plant Growth in Controlled Environments Rabia El-Hawaz and Jeffery Adelberg; Postdoctoral Fellow and Professor, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences A series of DOE response surface experiments were conducted on the medicinally important crop, turmeric (Curcuma longa L., clone L 35-1) to identify the effects of mineral nutrition and plant density in vitro on laboratory and greenhouse production. Another multifactor mineral experiment was conducted on genotypes L35-1 and L22-5 and compared various optimized media to an MS control. Optimizing in vitro medium for turmeric greenhouse growth can be used as a model to identify optimum medium for other crops, so laboratories can create more value for their customers. Our next multifactor nutrient uptake models will be developed for consumer products, microgreens, to improve human nutrition for the elements P, Ca, Mg and K. Protozoan hexokinases as therapeutic targets: Trypanosoma brucei and Plasmodium falciparum in the crosshairs Jimmy Suryadi; Postdoctoral Fellow, Genetics and Biochemistry Glucose metabolism is critical for the African trypanosome Trypanosoma brucei and the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. Structural modifications of the lead compound ML205 have improved its in vivo activity towards T. brucei but not active against P. falciparum HK (PfHK). We have improved the expression and purification of PfHK as a first step toward x-ray crystallography and a similar strategy has been applied to TbHK1 for obtaining a higher resolution model from cryo-EM. The structural information is critical for structure-based guidance of HK inhibitor development. Dissecting spider silk assembly and spider silk inspired biomaterials Congyue Peng; Postdoctoral Fellow, Genetics and Biochemistry Spiders produce an amazing array of different spider silks with varying properties that allow them to survive and which can be manipulated by man to produce amazing biodegradable and biocompatible material with numerous potential uses in medical and industrial fields. One component of spider silk proteins, the N-terminal domain (NTD) is important in fiber formation and has been analyzed to better understand the mechanism behind its role in fiber formation. Spider silk-like proteins with native

NTD, native C-terminal domain (CTD) and an abbreviated number of core repetitive domains have been recombinantly produced and purified. The self-assembly process of these recombinant spider silk-like proteins mimics that of the spider silk producing gland and is suitable for the production of macro-fibers, hydrogels and coatings. Screening for activity and selectivity in the oxidative upgrading of ethane to ethanol with small metal-based catalysts Steven Pellizzeri; Postdoctoral Fellow, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Recent advances in atomic layer deposition (ALD) in metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have presented an avenue to produce atomic scale catalysts with uniform structural and electronic isolation. We aim to identify the atomic scale properties that drive catalytic activity on atomically precise catalyst clusters that are similar to those that could be grafted onto a MOF, particularly for the direct conversion of ethane to ethanol. A simplified model gas phase analogue derived from potential metal oxide clusters that could be grown via ALD on the heme-like linkers of the Zr6-based MOF, PCN-222, are being tested for both activity and selectivity for this conversion. Big Data Analytics for Healthcare Applications Talayeh Razzaghi; Postdoctoral Fellow, School of Computing Data Analytics, particularly Predictive models now play the central role in the healthcare applications that aim to improve the health and wellness of patients while decreasing the costs of care. In this talk, we present new challenges and related solution techniques in benefiting from Analytics in healthcare domain, and bring in the advancements from the computing aspect to effectively make true interpretations from voluminous and heterogeneous healthcare data. LEAP: A Computing Platform for Forecasting the Newsworthiness of Developing Events through Real-Time Analysis of Online Conversations Jerome McClendon; Postdoctoral Fellow, School of Computing The objective of this research is to create an autonomous computing platform that is capable of forecasting the newsworthiness of developing events by analyzing conversations taken from online communities. For our project, newsworthiness is defined by the number of conversations taking place surrounding an event along with an analysis of the linguistic intent of these conversations. To measure the level of newsworthiness, our approach involves the following four steps: listen, extract, aggregate and predict. If successful, a platform with these forecasting capabilities could be used as an early indicator for significant events developing offline such as political revolutions, shifts in the economy, and disease outbreaks. Three Medicago truncatula guanine exchange factors (GEFs) interact with SUNN and are involved in nodulation Ashley D. Crook; Postdoctoral Fellow, Science The control of nodule number on the roots of legumes relies on signaling through a receptor kinase, SUNN; however, the mechanism and other proteins involved in this signal transduction cascade remain largely unknown. We show positive protein-protein interactions between SUNN and several guanine exchange factors, proteins that activate G-proteins for downstream signaling events, using bimolecular fluorescence microscopy. Additionally, RNAi of these guanine exchange factors in roots show a hypernodulation phenotype consistent with a role in nodule number control. Identifying and characterizing proteins that are involved in nodule number control and can directly interact with SUNN will assist in unraveling this crucial signal transduction pathway. Examining the role of leaders in reducing occupational stress Gargi Sawhney; Postdoctoral Fellow, Business and Behavioral Science Occupational stress has become a common phenomenon in modern organizations. The goal of this presentation is to examine the negative impact of stressors on work- and person-related outcomes. Additionally, the presentation will explore the intervening role of leaders in reducing the impact of workplace stressors. Selones as Novel, Multifunctional Antioxidants Upali Patel; Postdoctoral Fellow, Chemistry Thione and selone-containing compounds and their metal complexes are of considerable current interest as antioxidants, antithyroid drugs, and as starting materials for metal-sulfide and -selenide materials. Selone-containing compounds are excellent

antioxidants, preventing iron and copper-mediated DNA damage at low micromolar concentrations. These selone compounds were also investigated for glutathioneperoxidase (GPx)-like antioxidant activity using phenyl thiol as a glutathione alternative. Initial rates for H2O2 reduction by thiol in the presence of various selones were determined using UV-vis spectroscopy. These selone compounds show four to nine times the GPx-like activity of ebselen, a selenium antioxidant in clinical trials. Compounds with two selone groups have almost double the GPx-activity compared to compounds with a single selone group. The detailed mechanism for this GPx-like activity is under investigation. This work represents the first determination of GPx-like activity for selone compounds, and establishes these compounds as potent, multifunctional antioxidants. Electrostatic interaction is a key factor for dynein walking along microtubule Lin Li; Research Associate, Physics Developing and using a Multi Scale Simulation Package (MSSP), we investigate the mechanism of dynein, which is a molecular motor. Our calculations reveal the important role of electrostatic interaction in dynein’s motions. The results show that the electrostatic interaction on microtubule attracts and guides dynein binding into the biding pocket. Moreover, strong evidences indicate that the electrostatic binding affinity is also a key factor to determine dynein’s velocity and run length. Electrochemically-Preadsorbed Collagen Promotes Adult Human Mesenchymal Stem Cell Adhesion on Carbon Nanostructured Substrates Tomas Enrique Benavidez; Research Assistant, Chemistry The effect of electric potential on the adsorption of collagen type I onto optically transparent carbon electrodes and its mediation on subsequent adhesion of adult, human, mesenchymal stem cells was studied. The best cell adhesion was obtained when +800 mV were used to adsorb the collagen. Longitudinal Study of the Relationship of Objective and Subjective Neighborhood Environments to Health among Older Adults Ye Luo; Associate Professor, Sociology and Anthropology The proposed research will use data from multiple waves of the Health and Retirement Study to examine the relationship between objective and subjective neighborhood environments and health trajectories in old age. It will also explore the mechanisms of these effects. The potential mediating factors to be examined include subjective assessment of neighborhood characteristics and psych-social-economic resources.

Craniofacial Fluctuating Asymmetry as an Indicator of Demographic Changes in Mortality Patterns Katherine Weisensee; Associate Professor, Sociology and Anthropology Craniofacial fluctuating asymmetry provides a marker of developmental instability and reflects the inability of an individual to buffer against environmental and genetic stressors during growth and development. This study examines secular changes in craniofacial fluctuating asymmetry in individuals born between the 17th and 20th centuries using landmark-based three-dimensional geometric morphometric methods. There were several important shifts in demographic parameters at occurred during the time period under study, including significant declines in infant and juvenile mortality. This study demonstrates significant change in the level of fluctuating asymmetry associated with the demographic transition. Scalable Multilevel Support Vector Machines Talayeh Razzaghi; Postdoctoral Fellow, School of Computing Solving the optimization model of support vector machines is often an expensive computational task for very large healthcare training sets. We propose an efficient, effective, multilevel algorithmic framework that scales to very large data sets. Our multilevel framework substantially improves the computational time without loosing the quality of classifiers for balanced and imbalanced datasets. Application of polydiacetylenes for Food Safety Paul Dawson; Professor, Food, Nutrition, and Packaging Science This research program is a joint effort by the Food, Nutrition and Packaging Science Department at Clemson University and the Chemistry Departments of Clemson and Furman University. The program examines the application of polydiacetylene (PDA) to detect the presence of bacteria in the food processing environment. Rapid detection of bacteria using PDA biosensors will improve the capability of food processors to optimize sanitation and food processing for a safe food supply

Hindsight Bias in Accolade Courage: Does it Extend to Risks as Well as Goals? Cindy Pury, Professor; Charlie Starkey, Acting Chair and Associate Professor; Psychology People overwhelmingly report actions as courageous when they made the situation better and not worse; moreover, hypothetical actors are rated as more courageous for pursuing a risky action if they succeeded in reaching their goal than if they failed (Pury & Hensel, 2010). The current study extends this research to include risks as well as goals: based on the hindsight bias, we predict risky actions in which the actor was harmed will be rated as more courageous than actions in which the actor risked (but did not experience) harm. Twelve scenarios were written with varying endings indicating a successful or failed action, and harm or no harm to the actor. As predicted, college student participants (N = 179) rated actions as more courageous when they were successful F (1, 178) = 23.5, p < .001, and when harm occurred to the actor, F (1, 178) = 19.9, p < .001.

Also available in the Atrium will be representatives of the following Centers, Core Facilities, and Research-related Resources during the Lunch Hour and Poster Session:

Baruch Institute CCIT Center for Advanced Engineering Fibers and Films Clemson Light Imaging Facility Clemson University Research Foundation CU Institute for Engaged Aging Eukaryotic Pathogen Innovation Center Genomics and Computational Biology Laboratory Godley-Snell Research Center Grants and Contracts Administration Institute for Biological Interfaces of Engineering James C. Kennedy Waterfowl & Wetlands Conservation Center MSE Analytical and Physical Testing Services Multi-User Analytical Lab and Metabolomic Core Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Facilities Nuclear Environmental Engineering Sciences and Radioactive Waste Management Office of Industry Contracts Office of Research Safety Office of Sponsored Programs Proposal Development Center Research Compliance Statistics and Mathematics Consulting Center University Libraries