Pollinator Panic! is an educational tool developed by students in collaboration with the Center for Pollinator Research to communicate the complexity of bee community dynamics and promote awareness for bee conservation. The player acts as a field researcher who sets out to restore a damaged habitat using flora and bee species. By examining how these species interact to build a more stable community, the game illustrates research vital to the ecological health of pollinators.

This study used the "Positive Deviance" approach to assess lifestyle and food behavior differences in reproductive-age Ghanaian women based on micronutrient and health status. Quantitative and qualitative data were used. The study found that consumption of turkey berry (high in iron), ownership of home and agricultural land, and exposure to the healthcare system were higher among the positive deviants (healthiest women), while consumption of starchy foods and sugary drinks were higher among negative deviants.

Wire arc additive manufacturing is a process that deposits material using a heat source (TIG welder) and wire as the build material. My research is on developing a system to control he current of the welder automatically by measuring the temperature of the weld pool to improve weld quality/material deposition.

The proposal is about the study on a relatively new technology with good prospects - SERS (surface-enhanced Raman enhancement). We did experiments to prepare, transfer graphene, apply testing sample, and measure for proportion and categories of substances in the sample. We also worked on a program to analyze the SERS result and get the data of proportion and categories. Further experiments are needed for exploring how changing of conditions of SERS will affect the result.

Empathy is an important leadership skill that is often overlooked.  In this study, I will be using a version of the Empathy Selection Task developed by Cameron and colleagues (under review) to explore the relationship between being assigned a leadership role and avoiding or choosing empathy to solve workplace problems.  I will also explore how effortful choosing empathy is, as well as social desirability norms associated with choosing empathy in the workplace.

Fusarium oxysporum (Fo) is a soil-borne fungus causing disease in over 120 crops worldwide. The mechanism of Fo-host interactions remains unclear but is fundamental to disease management. Secreted In Xylem (SIX) putative effector genes are traditionally associated with pathogenicity. However, most SIX gene functions have not been studied. SIX genes were recently detected in non-pathogenic isolates from banana. In this study, we detected SIX genes in Fo non-pathogenic isolates from chickpea and tomato.

First step in development of a digital tutoring process preparing emergency responders based on curriculum written by the National Disaster Life Support Foundation (NDLSF).  This step defines the target emergency responder audience, and declarative to procedural (D2P) material learning objectives, based on the Core/Civil Disaster Life Support® V.3.0 module of the NDLSF curriculum. The project involves analysis of NDLSF content, subject matter expert interviews, creation of a java-based tutor, and scenarios developed using Unity 3D.

The purpose of our study was to compare total step counts obtained by Fitbit Charge HR, Fitbit Blaze and Apple Watch with observed step counts obtained by video recordings during a treadmill protocol to evaluate the accuracy of the devices in determining step counts. Fifty participants completed a 4-stage treadmill protocol with all devices worn on the participant’s non-dominant wrist. No significant differences in steps for all devices when compared with observed video step counts.

Late blight (LB), caused by Phytophthora infestans, is a destructive disease of tomato in PA. Experimental hybrids were developed from PSU elite tomato breeding lines with superior horticultural characteristics for production in PA, containing a combination of the commercially-available LB-resistance gene Ph-3 and a new LB-resistance gene Ph-5, identified at Penn State. Molecular marker genotyping and disease screening of the hybrids demonstrated successful incorporation of both resistance genes, and the advantage of hybrids containing both.

Outrage media, which embodies the angry figure behind the desk reading the news and presenting news with a partisan twist, has grown through the expansion of cable television and the internet. Previous research has focused on the distribution of outrage news through the media outlets. This project used an experiment that mimicked the news cycle during a presidential campaign to explore which factors affect how individuals consume outrage media, thus filling the gap in research.

Over the summer of 2017, the vegetation both inside and outside of two deer exclosures in Wayne County, Pennsylvania were studied to measure the impact of deer browsing on forest regeneration. Estimates of groundcover along with surveys of flowers, fruits, and seedlings were conducted. Measurements of stem density and size of sapling and mature trees were also taken. Results indicate that current deer populations severely restrict reproduction of native herbs and regeneration of canopy trees.