Bringing together innovation, excellence, and impact, the School of STEM held its 2nd annual award recognition ceremony, applauding students, faculty, and community partners who exemplify our dedication to solving the pressing problems and confronting challenges that shape our communities, region, nation, and world.

Today, we come together to recognize those who have gone above and beyond, those who have demonstrated academic excellence, leadership, DEIJ values, innovation, service, and a deep commitment to their disciplines and communities. These awards are more than just honors; they reflect the values we hold dear in the School of STEM.

Jennifer McLoud-Mann, dean, School of STEM

Faculty awards

Sr. Chief Ronald G. Gamboa Endowed 56³Ô¹ÏÍø Bothell STEM Faculty Fellowship Award

In recognition of outstanding contributions in undergraduate research mentorship, broadening participation from underserved communities and inspiring the next generation of 56³Ô¹ÏÍø Bothell School of STEM graduates to make a positive impact in their broader community and the world.

Recipient: Dr. Afra Mashhadi, assistant professor, Computing & Software Systems Division

Michelle Gamboa created this endowment in honor of her father, Sr. Chief Ronald G. Gamboa. Discover the story behind the STEM faculty fellowship Michelle founded and find out how you can establish a fellowship to support the next generation of STEM leaders.

Philanthropic recognition

Scott Grosenick — a proud “Double Dawg,â€� earned both his undergraduate and graduate degrees in Computing & Software Systems here at 56³Ô¹ÏÍø Bothell in 2000 and 2012 — has created an endowment that will make a lasting impact for generations of students to come.

Read more about Grosenick in a 56³Ô¹ÏÍø Bothell article, Inspired by computer science rockstars.

This year, we were able to recognize and celebrate student excellence in an exceptional way, awarding our student honorees a monetary prize made possible by the generous support of Dr. Sheree Wen.

In addition to this support, generous donors came together last year to help fund undergraduate research scholarships for summer 2025. These scholarships open doors for students to engage in meaningful experiential learning, work closely with faculty mentors, and apply what they’ve learned in the classroom to real-world research that prepares them for their future careers.

We are deeply grateful for our donors’ thoughtfulness and generosity to the School of STEM — a testament to the strength of our community and the lifelong connection our graduates and community partners feel to 56³Ô¹ÏÍø Bothell.

Computing & Software Systems (CSS) awards

CSS Best Poster

In recognition of the best Computing & Software Systems (CSS) Division poster presentation during the Capstone Colloquium.

Recipients:

• Spring 2025: Sarah Anderson
• Winter 2025: James Day
• Autumn 2024: Aditya Pillai
• Summer 2024: Lily Aguirre

CSSE Outstanding Academic Performance

In recognition for high academic achievement for students graduating between summer 2024 and spring 2025 with a major in Computer Science & Software Engineering.  

Recipient: Jordan Lavigueure

Applied Computing Outstanding Academic Performance

In recognition for high academic achievement for students graduating between summer 2024 and spring 2025 with a major in Applied Computing.

Recipient: Anni Khanal

CSS Graduate Studies Best Thesis Award

In recognition of the most outstanding thesis from a Computing & Software Systems graduate student during the past year. 

Recipient: Phat Tran

CSS Graduate Studies Best Thesis or Capstone Project that Incorporates Diversity, Equity, inclusion, and/or Justice

In recognition of the most outstanding thesis or project from a Computing & Software Systems graduate student during the past year that made an impact in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and/or Justice. 

Recipient: Elias Martin 

Physical Sciences Division (PSD) awards

Student Success Award

In recognition of outstanding contributions to the chemistry or physics program through achievements in mentoring, service, scholarship, and research.

• Physics: Carol Miu

Academic Achievement Award

In recognition of outstanding performance in chemistry or physics coursework.

• Chemistry: Zach Thomas 
• Physics: Jayron Yucker 
• Earth System Sciences: Dash Paulson

Outstanding Peer Facilitator

In recognition of outstanding accomplishments as a peer facilitator and helping other students achieve their goals and potential.

• Chemistry: Ethan Gause
• Physics: Morrigan

Outstanding Researcher

In recognition of outstanding accomplishments in chemistry or physics research.

• Chemistry: Zach Thomas
• Physics: Liliana Flores
• Earth System Sciences: Brendan McCindle 

Physical Sciences Summer Undergraduate Research Award 

Winners of this award show excellent potential as researchers, and they receive a stipend from the chair of the Physical Sciences Division to support summer research. 

Recipients:

• Kaito T. Hasebe, working with Dr. Joey Shapiro Key on their project “Fast Radio Burstsâ€�
• Jude Pazier, working with Dr. Subramanian Ramachandran on their project “The Design of a Sample Stage and Search for Resistive Transition in the Superconducting State of Bulk MgB2â€�
• Tobias Roetteler, working with Dr. Lori Robins on their project “Stability of Chronic Wound Dressingsâ€�
• Hana Yu, working with Dr. Hyung Kim on their project “New Proteins in the Nitrogen Cycleâ€�

Earth System Sciences Recognition of Community Engagement

In recognition of outstanding contributions to the community through achievements in mentoring, service, scholarship, and research.

Recipient: Aidan McQuilkin

Biological Sciences (BIO) awards

Outstanding Biology Community Engagement Award 

In recognition of outstanding contributions to the community through leadership, outreach, and service. 

Recipient: Jiwan Tib

Outstanding Biology Equity and Justice Award

In recognition of outstanding contributions to the community through equity and inclusion service, outreach, and leadership work. 

Recipient: Gurleen Dosanjh 

Outstanding Biology Peer Facilitator Award

In recognition of outstanding accomplishments as a peer facilitator and helping other students achieve their goals and potential. 

Recipient: Newton Austria Ball 

Outstanding Biology Peer Award

In recognition of outstanding contributions as a peer and colleague, demonstrating kindness, support, collegiality, support, and mentorship to fellow Biology students.  

Recipients:

• Vivian Lam 
• Hadiya Amjad

Outstanding Biology Independent Researcher Award

In recognition of outstanding accomplishments in Biology research. 

Recipients:

• Christian Paulos
• Joanna Agana

Engineering & Mathematics (E&M) awards

E&M Academic Excellence Award

In recognition of outstanding accomplishments in mathematics or engineering research.

• Electrical Engineering: Giovanni Dominguez
• Mechanical Engineering: Charlotte Morrison
• Computer Engineering: Hong K Nguyen
• Mathematics: Alex Lewis
• Mathematics: David Z. Gershnik

E&M Leadership and Service Award

In recognition of contributions to the mathematics or engineering programs through achievements in mentoring, service, scholarship, and research.

• Electrical Engineering: John Vertner
• Electrical Engineering: Jason Truong
• Mechanical Engineering: Brooke Ojala
• Computer Engineering: David Kim
• Mathematics: Cassandra Humarang

E&M Resilience Award

In recognition of resilience in overcoming significant obstacles and challenges in the mathematics and engineering programs.

• Electrical Engineering: Kenneth Ho
• Electrical Engineering: Julianne DeGuzman
• Mechanical Engineering: Haley James
• Computer Engineering: Husai Ehrari
• Mathematics: Bryan Zeutenhorst

Celebrating achievement

Each award recipient demonstrated exceptional dedication and innovation within their respective fields. Their accomplishments reflect academic excellence and highlight their commitment to advancing research, fostering community engagement, and representing the School of STEM’s vision and mission.

The School of STEM congratulates all award winners and expresses gratitude to the countless faculty, staff, students, and partners for their continuous support and contributions to making the 2nd annual STEM Symposium a resounding success.

Learn more about the School of STEM Symposium.

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Dr. Scherr’s research explores hands-on physics labs, faculty development, and inclusive teaching in quantum mechanics. A leader in physics education, she has served as a conference organizer, doctoral advisor and community leader.

In 2017, she was named a fellow of the American Physical Society for her foundational work on energy learning, classroom video analysis, and her leadership in the physics education research community.

Check out the .

Reflecting on the appointment, Dr. Scherr shared, “Peer review is one of the most important forms of communication among scientists. I think of the review process as an authentic conversation between peers about a matter that is important to both of them. A framework of mutual understanding and growth improves the quality of research in the field by creating conditions in which colleagues appreciate peer review as a valuable source of substantive feedback on their work.”

Congratulations, Dr. Scherr! Your continued work enriches the physics education community and helps pave the way for a more inclusive and innovative future in the field. Through her research and leadership, she supports both current educators and the next generation of physicists.

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Building on gravitational wave research from the last decade, the European Space Agency (ESA) teamed up with NASA for the upcoming . NASA’s Astrophysics Division selected six U.S. scientists from all over the nation to serve on the joint ESA-NASA LISA Science Team; they will join a team of eleven European scientists along with two interdisciplinary scientists and a representative from the LISA Consortium.

Among the six U.S. scientists chosen is 56³Ô¹ÏÍø Bothell’s Dr. Joey Shapiro Key, associate professor in physics.  

We’re going to be working hard to ensure the success of the mission. But that is something that I want to contribute my time to.

A multi-generational legacy in astronomy 

During her time in graduate school at Montana State University, Key intended to focus on cosmology but was still unsure of her path. She began working on cosmology research with Dr. Neil Cornish but changed to his research group’s focus on gravitational waves.    

“I was an astrophysics major in college and I worked on cosmology in undergrad,â€� Key said. “But in grad school, I started working on gravitational wave astronomy because that’s what my adviser was working on.â€�   

Key’s research has contributed to LIGO, LISA and NANOGrav, the North American Nanohertz Observatory for Gravitational Waves.    

“These big missions that we do, like LIGO and like LISA, they’re multi-generational,â€� Key said. “I mean, really human generations, scientific generations and academic generations.â€�   

Key’s adviser, Cornish, had been working on these missions long before he taught her, and now she is teaching students who will become leaders in this field in 10 to 15 years. Cornish is also one of the six scientists selected to work on the LISA mission, so after many decades of working and researching, Key and Cornish will reunite for the project as peers and colleagues.    

“I trained with him and learned from him,â€� Key said. “It’s fun and exciting to continue collaborating with him in this new role.”  

Nurturing curiosity and discovery in the classroom 

As an associate professor at 56³Ô¹ÏÍø Bothell, Key incorporates current research and discoveries in her teaching. Because it’s happening in real-time, gravitational wave research makes its way into her physics and cosmology courses, classical mechanics and astronomy 101.    

“It’s natural and timely to include all of this in classes,â€� Key said.    

56³Ô¹ÏÍø Bothell provides programs and opportunities for students to get involved in cutting-edge gravitational wave research. Last year, Jayron Yucker, a senior pursuing his Bachelor of Science in Physics, received an email from Key offering her mentorship. Yucker became involved in Key’s gravitational wave research group and was encouraged to apply for the Washington NASA Space Grant Consortium Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP). In this program, he worked with simulated LISA data – particularly looking at extreme mass ratio inspirals (EMRI), small black holes orbiting supermassive black holes.  

Astronomy is sort of a gateway science. People can get excited even if it doesn’t connect to the details of their everyday life.  

One of the more well-known opportunities at 56³Ô¹ÏÍø Bothell are the Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) programs, which provide students with immersive research experiences over the summer. August Muller, a visiting researcher at 56³Ô¹ÏÍø Bothell, was part of the 2021 Physics REU cohort working with Key on LISA EMRI search techniques. Muller came to 56³Ô¹ÏÍø Bothell because it was one of the only research programs she applied to that would give her hands-on research experience. Even after completing the REU, Muller kept updated on the gravitational wave project and it later became the focus of her bachelor’s thesis. 

“I sort of realized in that moment that I was having more fun in the research that I was doing with Joey,â€� Muller said. “Trying out different fields and really using that as an opportunity to figure out what one likes and doesn’t like as an academic and as a scientist, I think was very useful to me.â€� 

Now, Muller’s beginning a 10-month Fulbright fellowship at the Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics where she will be continuing her gravitational wave research.   

“That’s how the undergraduate research goes,” Key said. “They’re long-term projects that students come on and learn about the project and contribute and then sort of pass it along.â€�   

Due to the generational longevity of this field, K-12 outreach efforts are crucial for engaging high school students in gravitational wave research. Initiatives like the aim to make complex scientific concepts accessible and exciting for younger audiences.   

Through outreach and research opportunities, educators like Key are cultivating the next generation of scholars in this relatively young field.    

“Astronomy is sort of a gateway science,â€� Key said. “People can get excited even if it doesn’t connect to the details of their everyday life.”  

LISA’s unique design: A space-based revolution 

Set to launch in 2035, LISA’s design consists of three spacecraft arranged in an equilateral triangle, with laser beams extending approximately 2.5 million miles on each side measuring the distance between them. When an astronomical event occurs, the gravitational waves will cause the spacecrafts to shift slightly. The lasers will measure that distance and send the signal to scientists down on Earth to analyze – which is the role Key is assisting with.    

Designing this mission to be in space is more complicated according to Key, but it holds a lot of advantages. Because it will operate in space, LISA will span larger than the Earth and be incredibly sensitive to gravitational waves — resulting in LISA collecting a lot of data for scientists. One of the key objectives of the mission is to learn more about supermassive black holes. Located at the center of almost every large galaxy, a supermassive black hole has a mass of hundreds of thousands to billions of times the Sun’s mass, according to NASA. But scientists know very little about them. 

“LISA is our only prospect for observing those kinds of systems,â€� Key said.    

This ability to capture the subtle shifts caused by gravitational waves will revolutionize our understanding of the fundamental nature of gravity, black holes and galaxies.  

Key’s commitment to advancing gravitational wave research 

Due to its incredible sensitivity, LISA will collect a lot of overlapping signals which will need to be analyzed so they aren’t contaminating each other. Key’s role in the mission is to analyze simulated LISA data since the mission has not yet launched.  

“It makes it an interesting data analysis problem,â€� Key said. “Right now, I use simulated LISA data to demonstrate our analysis techniques – that’s what I do with students here at 56³Ô¹ÏÍø Bothell.â€�   

Key’s role in the mission is essential because her work enables LISA’s gravitational wave data to identify the properties of different astrophysical sources. Key’s term on the LISA science team will last three years; collaborating with the other scientists selected and learning more about the data that LISA will collect on its 4.5-year mission orbiting around the Sun. 

“It’s a great honor to be selected,â€� Key said. “Our field is full of smart, talented, motivated scientists working to answer these kinds of questions, this new kind of astronomy and this new way to observe the cosmos and black holes and other kinds of sources. We’re going to be working hard to ensure the success of the mission. But that is something that I want to contribute my time to.â€� 

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The evidence, newly published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters, comes from several teams of researchers, including several from the 56³Ô¹ÏÍø.

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Every year, Rodríguez Hidalgo’s students organize the event as an opportunity to teach the public and their peers on campus about basic astronomy topics — topics the students in the intro class themselves only just learned.

The students each must sign up for at least two hours of teaching in collaboration with a community partner as well.

Through these quarter-long projects, Rodríguez Hidalgo, assistant professor in the School of STEM, employs a model for teaching often referred to as “learning by teaching.â€� The method involves students first learning to gain a comprehensive understanding of a topic and then teaching that same topic to peers or others through a presentation or similar project that can deepen their learning even further.

Tackling even hard topics

Rodríguez Hidalgo first came across this teaching method while working as a visiting assistant professor at the University of Toronto. When she attended a teaching and learning symposium at York University, she heard about dance students going into middle schools in the area at the end of their class to instruct kids on the same moves they had just learned.

“I thought it was a great idea, but several faculty members told me it would be an impossible endeavor in astronomy classes,� she said.

Undeterred, she pursued the idea and, through the university’s Centre for Community Partnerships, connected with program managers at after-school programs in low-income areas around Toronto.

“The rest is history,� she said. “I have been doing this since then and been involved with every service-learning and community-engagement center at every university I have been to. I love it.�

Practicing makes perfect

At the beginning of the quarter, Rodríguez Hidalgo’s students — most in their first year of college — learn about a wide range of astronomy basics. They are then invited to choose a topic previously talked about in class for their own presentations. They’re also told to choose a second topic outside of class to research on their own and incorporate it into a supplementary presentation.

“At the beginning, they are shocked and doubtful that they will be able to teach astronomy after learning it for only one month,� she said. “By the end, it builds up their confidence in public speaking and delivery of knowledge, as they themselves tell me in the post-action reflections we ask them to complete.�

Before presenting to the community, the students have multiple opportunities to present in class and to others outside the class to help learn the material through oral repetition.

“Creating these projects and having to present them over and over really solidifies all the information,� said student Liliana Flores “One of our professor’s key tips is to go around explaining to everyone everything we learn. So, I’ll walk around at home and tell my mom ‘This is what I’ve learned, let me tell you all about it.’

“In doing that, we’ve really got this down pat.�

Engaging with the community

Students also have shared ownership in selecting and working with community partners to arrange educational events. This year’s class presented at one of three venues: Skyview Middle School, Franklin High School and a library in the City of Bothell.

The students who presented at the library gave a preview presentation to the staff there who provided feedback, including ways the students could adapt their presentation for younger library visitors. About 45 people, including young children and their parents, joined in the event on Saturday, June 3.

“It was nice to be able to offer an interactive STEM program for families on Saturday — and we were able to introduce the public library to the 56³Ô¹ÏÍø Bothell students. Many of them said they hadn’t been here before and really liked the space,â€� said Katie Boyes, librarian and information services manager. “We enjoyed the partnership.â€�

At Skyview Middle School, the 56³Ô¹ÏÍø Bothell students attended two after-school programs. The school provided support by encouraging the middle school students to sign up for the presentations. In total, more than 25 signed up to learn about astronomy during their own time after school.

One of Rodríguez Hidalgo’s students who graduated from Franklin High School arranged the presentation there, partnering with his former science teacher and connecting with students through the school’s science club.

As Rodríguez Hidalgo prepared her students to give their own presentations, she not only taught them about astronomy but also gave them important tips on how to teach and present to different audiences.

Shaping young minds

“We started out with the young kids in mind,� said student Gregory Palmer, “so that’s what we shaped our presentation around.�

Students noted that one of the more challenging topics to present was the Big Freeze, a theory on how the universe will die. “It’s a little hard talking to them about how our universe will end. Their eyes will just get really big, and they’re kind of shocked,� said student Angela Duarte Valencia. “But it’s so cute listening to them just ask questions and be interested in this stuff.�

56³Ô¹ÏÍø Bothell Student Gowiria Yousif said that asking the younger students questions to encourage them to think about the information and try to find the answer is instrumental to teaching children. Many of the presentations incorporated interactive components and opportunities to earn small prizes.

“I liked teaching to different people and different age groups,� Flores said. “At Astronomy Day, we taught college students — people our own age — and at the Bothell Library we taught mostly younger kids. It’s just very different but also a cool difference to see.�

The students from Rodríguez Hidalgo’s intro course also appreciated the collaborative nature of teaching as parents eagerly jumped in to help their children grasp what was being presented, said student Aidan Riffle. And oftentimes, younger space enthusiasts knew more about a certain topic than their parents.

A transformative experience

This kind of community-based learning is a passion for Rodríguez Hidalgo and one of the reasons she moved from California to join the 56³Ô¹ÏÍø Bothell faculty.

“It involves a large amount of effort on many fronts,� she said, “but it is completely transformative and removes the ivory tower concept that universities typically portray in our society.�

Over the many years she has used the model of learning through teaching, Rodríguez Hidalgo said she’s seen her students really benefit. In their interactions with younger audiences in the community, for example, her students are surprised to find themselves as role models for younger people.

She recalls one student from her time in Toronto who shared an experience in her post-action reflection about teaching moon phases to a young girl. When the child asked if a woman had walked on the moon, the college student looked it up and told her that, no, there have not been any female astronauts on the moon. The young girl then declared that she would become the first.

“My student wrote that the moment changed the way she saw the power of education — and the influence a student like her could have in her community,� Rodríguez Hidalgo said. “You never know the seeds you might be planting when you do these activities.�

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This year’s symposium hosted presentations by undergraduates from across the three 56³Ô¹ÏÍø campuses. The 56³Ô¹ÏÍø Bothell students presented 20 different research projects and topics, ranging from “Nostalgic Analysis of Tweets During Crisis Eventsâ€� to “Motivation in Non-Profit Organization Workers.â€�

The symposium featured research across a wide array of academic disciplines — from business to STEM — with the projects covering data and information from as far away as black holes in other galaxies to as close as the 56³Ô¹ÏÍø Bothell’s campus wetland.

In opening remarks for the symposium, Ed Taylor, 56³Ô¹ÏÍø’s vice provost and dean of undergraduate affairs, also recognized the faculty support that makes this depth and breadth of student research possible. He then announced and congratulated seven recipients of the  — including Dr. Paola Rodríguez Hidalgo, an assistant professor in 56³Ô¹ÏÍø Bothell’s School of STEM.

Supporting their students

Students presenting in the symposium each year can nominate mentors who have had a profound impact on their education and research. A small committee of faculty and staff then reviews the nominations to select the award recipients.

“It was one of the most beautiful awards,� Rodríguez Hidalgo said. “It’s nice being recognized by the University, but it’s also thanks to my students — and that’s just so beautiful.�

She was nominated by two students from her quasar research group, Easton Robert Pierce and Alex Vong.

“Paola has been an amazing mentor. She has consistently pushed me to go beyond and motivated me to continue even when I’ve hit a wall,� said Pierce in his nomination for Rodríguez Hidalgo.

“Between her meetings, giving talks and writing papers, I’m not sure where she finds the time for it all,� he said. “She truly deserves to be recognized for all the hard work she puts into not only teaching classes but also mentoring students and leading the quasar research group.�

Understanding stars in the universe

Pierce is a senior majoring in physics at 56³Ô¹ÏÍø Bothell. He first developed a love of astronomy when his parents bought him a starter telescope when he was nine years old. He is now a NASA Space Grant scholar.

“What drew me to astronomy is the pure absurdity of the scale and energies of the objects in which we study,� he said.

At this year’s symposium, Pierce presented “� Quasars are a phenomenon where gas and dust from extremely luminous galactic cores fall into a supermassive black hole. This can sometimes produce winds known as outflows. Whether these outflows affect the evolution of their host galaxies remains unknown and continues to be a point of interest in ongoing research.

“Because of the large energies found in extremely high velocity outflows, we believe they may play a large role in the evolution of galaxies, specifically on their ability to form stars,� Pierce said.

Looking at ancient fires and fuels

In her presentation, “â€� Haley Brooks (Conservation & Restoration Science ’23) sampled 34 modern plant species from 56³Ô¹ÏÍø Herbarium collections to study charcoal morphometry — the measurement of sedimentary charcoal particle shape attributes — after burning the samples at 500 degrees Celsius.

Brooks investigated if charcoal aspect ratio is a valid method for determining fuel type. If this method can be used when looking at modern-day plants, she noted, it may provide important insights into ancient fire regimes. Her mentors for this research were both in the 56³Ô¹ÏÍø’s Department of Biology on the Seattle campus: Dr. Caroline Strömberg, professor; and Dr. Christopher Schiller, postdoctoral scholar.

With the rapidly changing climate, Brooks said it’s become a priority to gain a better understanding of how the changes will affect plant life to strategize conservation practices for the near future. “We’re in a climate crisis right now where we’ve never been in this climate zone, but the world has previously.

“So if we’re able to look at the climate zones of ancient fires and look at what burned at that time,� she said, “we can put that into our conservation practices and have retroactive success in protecting those plant species that are used for fuel — before it happens.�

Brooks noted in her presentation that continued research into the verification of charcoal morphometry as a means to verify fuel type could also help increase confidence in paleo reconstructions of ancient fuel types.

Examining learning during the pandemic

In his project, “â€� Eric Yoon Jae Shin analyzed student learning in a statistics course in both a pre-pandemic and pandemic setting. Dr. Caleb Trujillo, assistant professor in the School of Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences, oversaw this research as Shin’s mentor.

“The main thing we wanted to find out was whether or not the COVID-19 disruptions affected students learning,� Shin said, a senior majoring Mathematical Thinking & Visualization.

Searching for answers, he looked to concept models — hand drawn models students use to write statistics concepts — to measure student learning. He analyzed 180 models from two different experiences and quarters: an in-person learning environment in a pre-pandemic quarter and an online learning environment during the pandemic.

“The key finding that we made was that students in the online quarter were adding concepts to their models at a lower rate than students in the previous quarter, which was before the coronavirus pandemic,� Shin said. “We came to the conclusion that the COVID-19 disruption had a major impact on a student’s learning in the statistics course.�

What makes this kind of research so important, Shin noted, is that it can be used by professors to better understand and assist college students as they learn in different spaces.

Discovering the possibilities

The presentations in this year’s symposium represent the broad range of research, scholarship and creative practice projects that students can undertake during their undergraduate studies.

Here is a small sampling of additional oral, poster and visual arts presentations 56³Ô¹ÏÍø Bothell students gave at this year’s symposium:

• “Fairness and Biases in Mobility Modelsâ€�
  • presented by Daniel Wang, a senior in Computer Science & Software Engineering; mentored by Dr. Afra Mashhadi, assistant professor, School of STEM
• “Missing Maps: Identifying Remote Communities Using Satellite Imagery and Machine Learningâ€�
  • presented by Inkar Kapen, a senior in Computer Science & Software Engineering and a Mary Gates Scholar; mentored by Dr. Afra Mashhadi, assistant professor, School of STEM
• “The Effect of Advanced Age and Alzheimer’s Disease Neuropathology on Levels of the Tight Junction Protein, Occludin, in the Brain Microvasculatureâ€�
  • presented by Ali Mirzazadeh, a senior in Biology; mentored by Dr. May Reed, associate professor in the 56³Ô¹ÏÍø’s Department of Medicine, Division of Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine

A complete list of the research projects presented by 56³Ô¹ÏÍø Bothell students this year can be found on the .

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In an interview with Pat Kiernan Thursday night, University of Washington professor Dan Jaffe said smoke from the fires isn’t rising up, like with a campfire, due to the number of fires that are currently burning in Canada.

“[With] small fires, the smoke tends not to rise as much,â€� he said. “This is a lot of small fires that really never got lifted very high. And so, it’s just being pushed down with the low-level winds down towards the eastern U.S.â€�

He emphasized that the smoke will linger at low levels, and going outside without a high-quality mask is not recommended.

 â€œIf I’m going to be outside for an hour, I am absolutely wearing a mask under these conditions – and a good mask: an N95 or KN95,â€� Jaffe said.

However, Jaffe stressed that that does not mean that the air inside is safe either, and provided a useful guide on how to create a simple air purifying system with a box fan and a filter.

Jaffe also noted it may take “a day or two� for the smoke to clear our area.

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CBIT, envisioned by physical sciences professors Hyung Kim and Lori Robins with Leslie Cornick, Dean of the School of STEM, is a collaborative partnership including support from computing & software systems faculty Mark Kochanski and David Socha, along with Surya Pathak from the School of Business. Senators Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray were instrumental in ensuring the funding of this initiative. Cantwell said, “The Puget Sound region is a national hub for biotech research and development…56³Ô¹ÏÍø Bothell’s new Center of Biotech Training and Innovation will provide high-tech training for tomorrow’s biotech workers and help develop the next biotech breakthroughs.” (“”)

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The Earth System Science degree program is only two years old, and yet it already has made a difference in students’ lives, giving one former business major, for example, “permissionâ€� to pursue her passion. Read the story in 56³Ô¹ÏÍø Bothell news.

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