21497 research outputs found
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Travel the World: VR Experience
Full text linkAn immersive virtual‑reality journey to iconic sites and everyday street scenes around the globe that lets participants “visit” new places and cultures in minutes
Flag Coloring
No full textA calming, come‑and‑go activity to color national flags while learning quick facts and enjoying stress‑relief during a busy wee
Critical Thinking with AI: Pitfalls and Fact Checking
Full text linkThat doesn’t seem right. Is AI lying to you? This webinar will dive into the common pitfalls associated with generative AI programs and teach you how to critically examine the information you get from generative AI
3.5 Years
No full text“The average American spends over 3.5 years of their life behind the wheel, and a surprising amount of that time isn’t moving here at Riddle, but searching for parking.”Parking scarcity has led to students and faculty spending over 15 minutes searching for spaces, causing wasted fuel, congestion, and frustration. Addressing this challenge is vital as the university grows and aims to enhance both efficiency and environmental responsibility. This study examines the parking shortage at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s Daytona Beach campus and evaluates the feasibility of developing a mobile parking application to improve sustainability and campus mobility.
The research employed a literature review and comparative analysis of U.S. universities with existing smart-parking systems, including the University of Alabama, Louisiana State University, and the University at Buffalo. Parameters included student-to-parking ratios, campus size, available transportation alternatives, and technology types such as crowdsourced, sensor-based, and predictive systems. Findings reveal that campuses using real-time parking apps, such as ParkZen and Modii, significantly reduced search times, emissions, and traffic congestion.
Embry-Riddle already demonstrates internal interest and student research capability in this area. A prior IGNITE-funded project by Lenge (2017) successfully used image processing to detect parking occupancy through live camera feeds, confirming the technical feasibility of smart-parking infrastructure on campus. Building on that foundation, this project explores a more scalable, software-driven approach. Embry-Riddle’s high vehicle dependence and limited alternative transit make a mobile parking app both feasible and impactful, particularly using a crowdsourced model requiring minimal infrastructure investment. Implementing such a system could substantially improve parking efficiency, reduce environmental impact, and enhance overall campus experience, offering a replicable, data-driven sustainability model for other car-dependent universities
Impacts of Changing Beach and Dune Configurations on Coastal Wildlife and Communities: A Case Study along the Coast of East Central Florida
No full textBarrier islands along Florida’s Atlantic coast serve as critical buffers against storm surges and erosion while supporting diverse coastal ecosystems. However, changes in geomorphology from intensified hurricanes, increased development, etc., alter beach and dune configurations, threatening both natural habitats and coastal infrastructure. This research examines the changes in barrier islands along Florida\u27s East Coast, focusing on the impacts of beach and dune configurations on coastal habitat between Ponce Inlet and St. Augustine Inlet. The study aims to analyze changes in dune vegetation, shoreline types (natural vs. armored), and elevation profiles from 2014-2024 using high-resolution satellite imagery and LiDAR elevation data. Additionally, ten years of sea turtle nesting and shorebird data were incorporated in the spatial and quantitative analyses, using Nesting Beach Surveys from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and research-grade Birding Activity data from eBird. Public perceptions of coastal resilience, were also incorporated, previously collected through community surveys during living seawall stakeholder workshops in November 2024 and analyzed using Chi-Square tests. The study results aim to enhance understanding of how a dynamic, changing coast affects community resiliency and the habitat stability of sea turtle nesting and shorebird foraging zones. The findings also broaden scientific understanding, support decision-making, and guide regional stakeholders in mitigating disaster impacts while preserving marine biodiversity and community welfare
Environmental Modulation of JAK3-Mediated Immune Dysregulation in Alopecia Areata
Full text linkAlopecia areata (AA) is an autoimmune disorder characterized by non-scarring hair loss resulting from T-cell–driven destruction of hair follicles. Central to this process is the dysregulation of Janus kinase 3 (JAK3), a non-receptor tyrosine kinase selectively expressed in hematopoietic cells that mediates γc cytokine receptor signaling. Aberrant JAK3 activity disrupts follicular immune privilege and amplifies pro-inflammatory cytokine cascades, sustaining a chronic autoimmune state. While genetic susceptibility contributes to JAK3 overactivation, converging evidence highlights a pivotal role for environmental exposures in modulating its expression and signaling dynamics. In this framework, we focus on urban air pollutants like particularly fine particulate matter, diesel exhaust constituents, and ozone as key modifiers of JAK3 regulation. These exposures promote oxidative stress, aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), and epigenetic alterations that sensitize γc pathways, collectively priming heightened JAK3–STAT signaling in perifollicular immune cells. Complementary influences from heavy metals and endocrine-disrupting chemicals, as well as conditioning factors such as nutritional status and gut microbiome imbalance, may further skew cytokine homeostasis and lower the threshold for JAK3-dependent autoimmune activation. This work integrates a conceptual, multiscale model of JAK3 activation with structural inspection to illustrate how air pollutants interface with intracellular signaling networks to erode immune privilege and intensify follicular inflammation. Rather than reporting new experiments, we synthesize current data to map plausible exposure-to-signaling routes, identify putative regulatory nodes (redox-sensitive phosphatases, AhR-driven chromatin states, γc receptor trafficking), and outline exposure-responsive biomarkers relevant to AA risk and activity
Sustainable Bioplastic Creation: Agar-Natural Polymer Composites for Packaging Applications
No full textGlobal plastic use is projected to triple from 460 million tons in 2019 to 1,321 million tons by 2060, with packaging accounting for 40% of global plastic waste. Conventional plastics accumulate in landfills and oceans without degrading, creating an environmental crisis that demands sustainable packaging alternatives. This research explores biodegradable bioplastics using agar as the primary natural polymer combined with starch to develop advanced composites. Using a solution casting method, agar–starch films with varying ratios were formulated and optimized for consistent film formation and uniform properties. Thermal analysis revealed composition-dependent behavior, with higher agar content improving thermal stability. Water immersion tests showed that lower starch content reduced mass loss, while UV exposure caused measurable color changes. FTIR analysis confirmed physical blending without new chemical bonds, and all formulations exhibited biodegradation under natural conditions. Although the current composites need better mechanical and barrier properties to match conventional plastics, this study provides a framework for advancing agar-based polymers. The approach establishes processing and characterization methods for developing improved composites incorporating chitosan and nanocellulose. Future work can build on these strategies to achieve the performance required for sustainable packaging applications
Stretching the Future: Alternatives for Rubber
No full textRubber is used in countless applications for daily life, consumer products, and the global economy. The majority of rubber still comes from natural latex and elastomers from rubber tree sap. Nearly all natural rubber is grown on man-made orchards in Southeast Asia despite the tree being native to South America. It is prone to many issues affecting its growth, such as climate change and disease. This has caused rubber production to fall short of demand for five consecutive years, making it a volatile commodity in both price and supply, prompting the need for renewable, sustainable, and stable alternatives. This literature review presentation will cover Thermoplastic Polyurethanes (TPUs), which could play a key role in addressing ongoing supply challenges for rubber worldwide. TPUs have the elasticity and reliability of rubber with the added properties of processing advantages and recyclability of thermoplastics, additionally being synthesized from
natural products like castor oil rather than petroleum. The main downside associated with current TPU technology are cost, lack of resources, and poor performance at higher temperature ranges. Current TPU pricing is about 40-50% higher than natural rubber, though manufacturing is significantly easier. Structural integrity degrades above 100 °C, so additional materials will be needed for certain applications. Despite these drawbacks, TPUs remain a highly adaptable material platform. With continued research and innovation in bio-based chemistry, they have the potential to become a cost-effective, recyclable, and sustainable alternative to natural rubber, providing a more resilient foundation for thousands of essential products worldwide
Resilience Beyond Earth: The Human Determinants of Sustainability
No full textAs humanity prepares for a continued presence beyond Earth, sustainability must extend beyond engineering and environmental systems to include the human dimensions of sustainability. Building on resilience science and human systems theory, this work introduces an integrative human systems framework that identifies key psychological, cultural, and institutional drivers shaping how communities adapt and thrive over time in complex environments.
While technology supports survival, long-term sustainability also depends on how human systems evolve together as people maintain well-being, adapt behaviorally, cooperate across cultures, and govern shared resources under constraint. This work highlights four interrelated determinants of sustainable human adaptation including psychological well-being, behavioral adaptation, cultural cohesion, and institutional governance.
Drawing on research in space mission psychology, cross-cultural collaboration, and sustainability governance, the framework demonstrates how integrating these human determinants fosters resilience both beyond Earth and within our own planet’s communities. By understanding and designing for the factors that sustain people rather than only systems, we can build societies that endure and evolve in the face of change
Hot Pot with the Professional Asian Pilots Association (PAPA)
No full textA communal hot‑pot gathering that introduces culinary tradition as a lens for belonging, mentorship, and aviation career stories