fall 2020 cst faculty research projects fall 2020 … · regulates the action of rnase iii. these...

Fall 2020 CST Faculty Research Projects

Faculty

Name

Email

Address

Faculty

College

Faculty

Departme

nt

Project title Project Description Project

Location

Important

selection

criteria

Student

Majors

Desired

Class

Preferenc

e

Allen

Nicholson

anichol@t

emple.edu

CST Biology Analysis of a

Gene-

regulatory

Ribonuclease

Complex

Proteomic analyses of protein-protein interactions in the

bacterium Escherichia coli suggest that two

ribonucleases, RNase III and RNase II, as well as the

protein YmdB, function as a complex to process RNA

molecules. We will investigate how RNase III and RNase II

may work in concert to process RNA, and how YmdB

regulates the action of RNase III. These experiments will

use purified recombinant proteins and RNA substrates to

examine the activity of the protein complex and the

individual proteins.

Main Interest in

biochemistry

and molecular

biology; strong

foundation of

basic

biochemical/bi

ological

concepts,

critical thinking

skills, attention

to detail,

willingness to

tackle an early-

stage research

project.

Biology,

Biochemistr

y - Biology

2112,

Genetics,

Chemistry

Allen

Nicholson

anichol@t

emple.edu

CST Biology Understanding

ribonuclease

mechanism and

function in

gene regulation

We apply biochemical and molecular genetic techniques

to probe the mechanism of ribonucleases and their

function in gene expression and RNA stability. Our

primary system is the bacterial cell, and we seek to

understand how bacterial cell motility, biofilm formation,

and response to stress are regulated by ribonucleases.

Main Strong

performance in

biology and

chemistry

courses

(including at

least one

semester of

organic

chemistry)

Biology and

Chemistry

Biochemistr

y, Biology,

Chemistry

majors

7/2/2020 1


Faculty

Name

Email

Address

Faculty

College

Faculty

Departme

nt


Location

Important

selection

criteria

Student

Majors

Desired

Class

Preferenc

e

Amy

Freestone

amy.freest

one@temp

le.edu

CST Biology Temple Ambler

Field Station

To expand opportunities for environmental research and

education, Temple recently established the Temple

Ambler Field Station on the Ambler Campus. Located

about a 50-minute drive north of Main Campus, the Field

Station is situated within the 187-acre Ambler campus

and arboretum, with over 75 acres of woodland, 12

cultivated gardens, over 300 woody plant species,

ephemeral streams, a greenhouse, and a research

garden. We are excited to have undergraduate

researchers join our team to assist with data collection as

we build data resources and a biodiversity inventory and

collection in support of research and educational

activities at the Field Station. Students will learn about

ecological methodologies for field research and

taxonomic identification of species, while exploring our

local biodiversity.

Main A strong

academic

record, a

strong interest

in ecology and

conservation,

and a desire to

apply these

interests in a

research

setting.

Relevant

coursework

(Principles of

Ecology, upper

level ecology

and/or

conservation

electives,

statistics, etc.)

is helpful

but not

required.

Biology,

Environme

ntal Science

Sophomor

e, Junior,

Senior

7/2/2020 2


Faculty

Name

Email

Address

Faculty

College

Faculty

Departme

nt


Location

Important

selection

criteria

Student

Majors

Desired

Class

Preferenc

e

Amy

Freestone

amy.freest

one@temp

le.edu

CST Biology Biogeographic

variation in

interaction

strength and

invasions at the

ocean's

nearshore

(BioVision).

Global patterns of biodiversity demonstrate that most of

the species on earth occur in the tropics, with strikingly

fewer species occurring in higher-latitude regions.

Biologists predict that this global pattern of species

diversity is likely shaped by ecological species

interactions. Yet few detailed experimental data exist

that demonstrate how species interactions influence

ecological communities from the tropics to the arctic.

Therefore, a significant opportunity exists to transform

our understanding of how these fundamental species

interactions shape patterns of biodiversity across the

globe. Furthermore, these species interactions have the

strong potential to limit biological invasions by non-

native species, which are often transported by human

activities that breach historical dispersal barriers, such as

ocean basins and continents. Biological invasions can

cause undesired ecological and economic effects and are

considered one of the primary drivers of global change.

Through extensive field research on marine ecosystems

along the Pacific Coast of North and Central America,

from the tropics to the subarctic, this project is

elucidating ecological factors that shape global patterns

of diversity and limit biological invasions.

Main A strong

academic

record, a

strong interest

in ecology and

conservation,

and a desire to

apply these

interests in a

research

setting.

Relevant

coursework

(Principles of

Ecology, upper

level ecology

and/or

conservation

electives,

statistics, etc.)

is helpful

but not

required.

Biology,

Environme

ntal Science

Sophomor

e, Junior,

Senior

7/2/2020 3


Faculty

Name

Email

Address

Faculty

College

Faculty

Departme

nt


Location

Important

selection

criteria

Student

Majors

Desired

Class

Preferenc

e

Ananias

Escalante

Ananias.Es

calante@t

emple.edu

CST Biology Phylomedicine

of vector-borne

pathogens

It is increasingly evident that genomic information,

together with concepts from epidemiology and

evolutionary biology, allows for testing of hypotheses

and exploration of scenarios that otherwise could not be

investigated by traditional approaches. Our lab

characterizes the processes shaping the genetic variation

of vector-borne parasites and viruses. In particular, we

utilize genetic data to learn how pathogen populations

respond to the selective pressures exerted by the host

immune system or antimicrobial drugs. By comparing

genetic data derived from historical samples and/or

comparing pathogens genomes, we expect to provide

information regarding which types of parasite

populations/dynamics are most prone to the emergence

of drug resistance or how genes encoding antigens that

are vaccine (or diagnostic) targets change in time and

space compromising the efficacy of those public health

interventions/tools. We also utilize the parasite genetic

information to ascertain ongoing epidemiological

processes such as outbreaks or disease transmission

patterns in space. Our approach involves a suite of

methods and models that include population

genetics/genomics analyses, phylogenetics, and

experimental work. The students’ main role will be to

assist in evolutionary genetic analyses. We are looking

for 1 or 2 students interested in analyzing genetic data

(target gene and genomic data) of malarial parasites

(protozoa from the genus Plasmodium) and flaviviruses.

Both pathogens are vector-borne and are actively

transmitted worldwide in tropical and subtropical

regions. The students will assist in analyzing data

generated in our lab and from public databases.

Main I am looking for

highly

motivated

students who

are interested

in gaining

research

experience. A

minimum of

3.7 GPA is

required. Basic

knowledge on

biology

(transcription/t

ranslation; DNA

structure and

replication) and

analytical/com

putational skills

will be

considered as

selection

criteria.

Programming

at a basic level

is considered a

plus, but it is

not required.

Students

should

interview with

the PI. Our

Biology,

Biochem,

Applied

Mathemati

cs, Natural

Sciences

7/2/2020 4


Faculty

Name

Email

Address

Faculty

College

Faculty

Departme

nt


Location

Important

selection

criteria

Student

Majors

Desired

Class

Preferenc

e

Ananias

Escalante

Ananias.Es

calante@t

emple.edu

CST Biology Evolutionary

Bioinformatics

and Molecular

ecology of

parasites

Understanding the evolutionary dynamics of parasites

demand integrating complex data. These projects require

the curation and organization of molecular data from

public databases and their analysis using a suite of

bioinformatics and phylogenetic methods. The projects

involve human malarias and related parasites in wildlife.

By interrogating single gene and genomic data, students

will participate in an individual research project seeking

to understand any of the following questions: the origin

of mutations linked to antimalarial drug resistance, the

evolution of genes encoding antigens considered vaccine

candidates, genes involved in the parasite invasion

process to their host red blood cell or vector,

phylogeographic and community-level (ecological)

patterns of parasite biodiversity, and molecular dating.

These questions relate to a variety of topics

encompassing diverse fields from public health to one

health for those parasites linked to diseases and from

molecular evolution to community ecology. Students

will participate in regular lab meetings. An interview with

the PI is required.

Main No prior

experience is

required.

Biology majors

should be

interested in

learning

bioinformatics

while no-

biology majors

are expected to

learn relevant

concepts in

biology and

genomics. The

students in our

lab participate

in peer review

publications, so

organization

and good work

ethic are

required.

Biology,

Math

(applied or

basic),

Computer

Science,

Data

Science,

other

majors

could be

considered

Freshman -

Sophomor

e

preferred -

or Juniors

7/2/2020 5


Faculty

Name

Email

Address

Faculty

College

Faculty

Departme

nt


Location

Important

selection

criteria

Student

Majors

Desired

Class

Preferenc

e

Ang Sun angsun@te

mple.edu

CST Biology Generate cell

models by

using CRISPR-

cas9 to knock

out the RBL2

gene in normal

and cancerous

colorectal cell

lines

As a member of the retinoblastoma tumor suppressor

gene family, RBL2, which encodes pRb2/p130, has been

investigated over 20 years. It is believed works as a

tumor suppressor. Its function in cell cycle regulation and

histone methylation has been widely reported. However,

its potential role in epigenetics, in particular regulating

DNA methylation, especially at the genome level,

remains to be well studied. As a portion of a larger

project, this project for undergraduates is going to focus

on employing CRISPR-cas9, a revolutionary genome-

editing tool being developed in recent years, to knockout

RBL2 in a normal human colon epithelial cell line (FHC) as

well as a few colorectal cancer cell lines. This will prepare

good cell models for further investigating the role of

RBL2 in epigenetic regulation. In the future, by

comparing wild-type with RBL2 knockout cell lines, the

DNA methylation level in the promoter region of a few

critical tumor suppressor genes and oncogenes will be

examined using a quantitative, fluorescence-based, real-

Main Biology

Blair

Hedges

sbh@temp

le.edu

CST Biology Building a tree

of life with DNA

data

This project involves working with DNA sequence data of

diverse organisms, and software, to help build the tree of

life and better understand evolutionary principles. It

takes place in the Center for Biodiversity and mostly

involves learning and using new computer tools and

applications. The center is located in SERC Building

Main strong

academics

normally

biology but

could be

any major

Blair

Hedges

sbh@temp

le.edu

CST Biology Conserving the

biodiversity of

Haiti

This project involves helping efforts in Temple’s Center

for Biodiversity to learn more about the biodiversity of

Haiti, and to protect it. The multi-faceted team efforts

include discovery of new species, mainly through DNA

sequencing of samples collected in Haiti, ecological and

evolutionary studies, and educational and outreach

components. The center is located in SERC Building

Main strong

academics

normally

biology but

could be

any major

7/2/2020 6


Faculty

Name

Email

Address

Faculty

College

Faculty

Departme

nt


Location

Important

selection

criteria

Student

Majors

Desired

Class

Preferenc

e

Brent

Sewall

bjsewall@t

emple.edu

CST Biology Large-scale

analysis of

correlates of

susceptibility to

white-nose

syndrome, an

emerging

pathogen in

hibernating

bats

White-nose syndrome is an emerging fungal pathogen

affecting hibernating bat populations of eastern North

America. Although it only appeared for the first time in

2006, it has already spread rapidly and has had

devastating effects, including the death of millions of

bats across hundreds of caves and mines. Such losses

have important implications for endangered species

management, conservation biology, and the ecology of

natural communities in North America. Little is known

about the disease, but most research to date has focused

on bat-to-bat transmission and site-level effects.

Recently, however, the disease has spread across a broad

geographic area, and an improved understanding of

factors influencing both the impacts and spread of the

disease is needed. We will investigate factors that may

influence the susceptibility of bats to the disease and its

spread across large geographic scales.

Main Coursework,

training, or

experience in

relevant

subjects such

as statistics,

Geographic

Information

Systems,

epidemiology,

public health,

ecology, or

conservation

biology. Also

strong

motivation for

research and

strong interest

in this topic.

Biology,

Environme

ntal

Science,

Mathemati

cs,

Computer

Science, or

related -

Statistics,

Geographic

Information

Systems

(GIS), or

Epidemiolo

gy (PBHL

3101)

courses or

equivalent (

already

taken or

concurrent

with first

semester

on project)

strongly

preferred

7/2/2020 7


Faculty

Name

Email

Address

Faculty

College

Faculty

Departme

nt


Location

Important

selection

criteria

Student

Majors

Desired

Class

Preferenc

e

Brent

Sewall

bjsewall@t

emple.edu

CST Biology Influence of

vertebrate

frugivory on

plant seed

dispersal and

germination

Vertebrate frugivores (fruit-eating mammal and bird

species) play an essential ecological role, by facilitating

the dispersal and germination of the seeds of a diversity

of plant species. Vertebrate frugivory is therefore a key

determinant of the reproduction of many plants.

Frugivory is especially important in the tropics, where

frugivorous primates, birds, and bats disperse seeds for

up to 90% of tree species in some forests. The foraging

behavior and community ecology of most species of

frugivore, however, are poorly understood. This lack of

understanding hinders our ability to quantify the impact

of specific frugivore species on the plant community or

to conserve threatened frugivore species. In addition,

frugivores are particularly vulnerable to hunting,

fragmentation, and other human-caused threats, but we

still have only a rudimentary ability to predict the effects

of the loss of a specific frugivore species on the plant

community. The objectives of this study, therefore, are

(1) to investigate the influence of frugivore feeding

preferences and frugivore interspecific interactions on

seed dispersal and germination, (2) to examine the

ultimate impact of frugivore species on the composition

of plant species in natural ecosystems, and the

regeneration of plant species in disturbed ecosystems,

and (3) to investigate means by which an improved

ecological understanding of frugivores can contribute to

Main Coursework,

training, or

experience in

relevant

subjects such

as ecology,

statistics,

Geographic

Information

Systems,

animal

behavior,

conservation

biology, and/or

French

language. Also

strong

motivation for

research and

strong interest

in this topic.

Biology,

Environme

ntal

Science, or

related -

Intro Series

in Biology

(Bio 1111,

2112) or

equivalent

required.

Principles

of Ecology

(Bio 2227)

strongly

preferred.

Statistics,

Animal

Behavior

(Bio 3254),

and/or

Conservatio

n Biology

(Bio 3307)

preferred.

7/2/2020 8


Faculty

Name

Email

Address

Faculty

College

Faculty

Departme

nt


Location

Important

selection

criteria

Student

Majors

Desired

Class

Preferenc

e

Brent

Sewall

bjsewall@t

emple.edu

CST Biology Conservation

biology and

community

ecology

My lab is investigating multiple questions in the fields of

conservation biology and community ecology, focusing

on understanding human drivers of change in ecological

systems and developing effective conservation strategies.

Ongoing research projects focus on (1) understanding

pollination and seed dispersal interactions among species

in ecological communities, (2) clarifying the influence of

emerging infectious diseases on wildlife populations, and

(3) identifying management strategies to mitigate the

negative effects of human activities on plant and animal

communities. Research takes place both on campus and

off-campus at field sites. Work may require travel to

remote sites, hiking, and long hours of data collection in

hot and sunny or rainy conditions. Work may also

require data entry, manipulation of data in spreadsheets,

and/or statistical analysis.

Main

and off-

campus

at field

sites

(may

involve

travel)

Interest in the

field of

conservation

biology or

community

ecology;

experience and

skills in biology,

math, and

other relevant

fields; ability to

conduct field

work or engage

in data

manipulation

or both;

willingness to

work hard

under

Biology,

Environme

ntal

Science,

Mathemati

cs, or

related

fields

Darius

Balciunas

darius@te

mple.edu

CST Biology Redundant

roles of Fli

transcription

factors in

regeneration

We are using a combination of molecular genetics

techniques, from conditional gene traps to CRISPR/Cas9

mutagenesis, to analyze the potential roles of two closely

related transcription factors, fli1a and fli1b, in fin and

heart regeneration in zebrafish. The project is currently

being carried out by a graduating senior, and should be

taken over by a junior or sophomore.

Main For more

information,

please see the

lab website

Biology,

Biochemistr

y

7/2/2020 9


Faculty

Name

Email

Address

Faculty

College

Faculty

Departme

nt


Location

Important

selection

criteria

Student

Majors

Desired

Class

Preferenc

e

Darius

Balciunas

darius@te

mple.edu

CST Biology Precision

genome editing

using

CRISPR/Cas9

Unlike humans, zebrafish possess a remarkable

regenerative capacity, including the ability to regenerate

their hearts after severe injury. We are working to figure

out which genes control this process and precisely how.

To achieve this goal, we are using the CRISPR/Cas9

system to introduce precise changes into the zebrafish

genome, including integration of sequences coding for

epitope tags. We are looking for several students to join

this effort. One sub-project is to compare the efficiency

of Cas9 nucleases from two different species,

Streptocossus pyogenes and Streptocossus

thermophilus. Other sub-projects include screening for

CRISPR/Cas9-induced genome editing events and analysis

of generated mutant lines.

Main For more

information,

please see the

lab website

Biology,

Biochemistr

y

David

Libertes

tuf77157@

temple.ed

uq

CST Biology Computational

comparative

genomics to

identify

proteins that

change

function in

particular

species

Students will work by writing computer programs in

using several different model systems to identify proteins

with computational evidence of changing biochemical

function between particular closely related species. The

project will draw upon knowledge in evolutionary

biology, structural biology, mathematics and statistics,

and computer programming. Further details are available

by email.

Main students who

are interested;

prior

programming

experience a

plus as is more

coursework in

mathematics

Biology,

Chemistry,

Physics,

Mathemati

cs,

Computer

Science

7/2/2020 10


Faculty

Name

Email

Address

Faculty

College

Faculty

Departme

nt


Location

Important

selection

criteria

Student

Majors

Desired

Class

Preferenc

e

Erik Cordes ecordes@t

emple.edu

CST Biology Ecology of

Deep-Sea

Chemosyntheti

c Ecosystems

Deep-sea methane seeps are highly productive areas,

where specialized communities thrive on energy

produced chemosynthetically.

Foundation species such as large tubeworms, mussels

and clams host dense assemblages of deep-sea fauna

that vary depending on the successional stage. Once

analyzed, these communities can be mapped to show the

distributions of organisms across different environmental

conditions, as well as increase our understanding of

trophic dynamics and energy flow across methane seep

landscapes. The research scholar would be responsible

for processing samples in the laboratory for isotopic

analysis, genetic analysis (DNA barcoding) and video

analysis that will contribute to our research on how deep-

sea chemosynthetic communities are structured.

Main

Campus

We are

primarily

interested in

students who

intend to

pursue

graduate

school in the

natural

sciences,

ecology and

evolution.

Biology and

environme

ntal science

majors are

preferred,

but the

position

would be

open to

other

students as

well.

Freshman,

Sophomor

e Junior

7/2/2020 11


Faculty

Name

Email

Address

Faculty

College

Faculty

Departme

nt


Location

Important

selection

criteria

Student

Majors

Desired

Class

Preferenc

e

Gianfranco

Bellpanni

gianfranco.

bellipanni

@temple.e

du

CST Biology pygo2

regulation of

WNT/ b-

Catenin

pathway in

zebrafish

b-catenin plays essential roles in cellular physiology being

the pivotal player for Ca+-dependent cell-cell adhesion

and for transduction of Wnt signaling. In the cytoplasm b-

catenin interacts with a-catenin and type I cadherins

mediating cell-cell adherence junctions adhesion, but, in

response to Wnt signaling, it is also transduced into the

nucleus where binds to DNA binding factors of the lef/tcf

family and activates transcription of a battery of Wnt

target genes. Aberrant activity of this factor has been

linked with congenital birth defects and cancer. In our

lab we are interested to study the molecular and cellular

mechanisms leading to the induction and specification of

D/V patterning in the zebrafish embryo via Wnt/ b-

catenin activity. One of the aspects of our research is to

understand at molecular and biochemical level how b-cat

ability to act as transcription factor is regulated by

different splicing variants of the nuclear factor Pygo2.

The goal of this project is to create by CRISPR/Cas9

induced deletion a Null mutant for the pygo2 gene in the

zebrafish and compare the phenotypes of this mutation

with the phenotypes of other (milder) mutations in the

pygo2 gene.

Main

7/2/2020 12


Faculty

Name

Email

Address

Faculty

College

Faculty

Departme

nt


Location

Important

selection

criteria

Student

Majors

Desired

Class

Preferenc

e

Gregory

Smutzer

smutzerg

@temple.e

du

CST Biology Examination of

Human

Chemosensory

Function

Humans perceive five basic taste qualities, which

include sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami taste. In

addition, humans readily detect chemosensory irritants

in the oral cavity, in the nose, and on the surface of the

skin. One important chemical irritant is capsaicin, which

is the pungent chemical that gives chili peppers their

unique taste. Capsaicin is a vanilloid compound that

activates TRPV1 receptors in trigeminal nerves in the oral

cavity, and causes a stinging or burning sensation in the

mouth. We recently developed a novel delivery method

for examining capsaicin perception in the human oral

cavity by incorporating this hydrophobic compound in

edible taste strips. In addition, we recently identified

compounds that temporarily block the stinging sensation

of capsaicin in the oral cavity. Finally, we have found that

capsaicin chemosensation contains both an olfactory and

a trigeminal component. The goal of this research project

is to examine the effect of inhibitors on capsaicin

perception in the oral cavity by means of threshold

studies, whole mouth suprathreshold taste studies, and

regional studies on the tongue surface. Experiments will

also be undertaken to examine how these inhibitors

block TRP receptors when these gene products are

Main Grade point

average of 3.0

or higher.

Ability to learn

basic lab

techniques.

Standard lab

skills include

ability to

prepare

solutions,

ability to use

pipettes, and

ability to carry

out protein

assays.

Willingness to

learn new lab

techniques

such as

mammalian

cell culture and

fluorescence

Biology,

Biochemistr

y,

Chemistry -

7/2/2020 13


Faculty

Name

Email

Address

Faculty

College

Faculty

Departme

nt


Location

Important

selection

criteria

Student

Majors

Desired

Class

Preferenc

e

Gregory

Smutzer

smutzerg

@temple.e

du

CST Biology Inositol 1,4,5-

Trisphosphate

Signaling in

Mammalian

Odontoblast

Cells.

Although calcium is critical for the formation of dentin,

the origin and regulation of calcium during

dentinogenesis is not known. Odontoblasts are

specialized cells that secrete proteins and other

molecules during the formation of dentin in mammalian

teeth. We reported that secretory odontoblasts express

high levels of the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3)

receptor/channel, along with an associated GTP-binding

protein. This receptor/channel releases calcium from the

endoplasmic reticulum of cells. We are currently using

cultured MDPC-23 cells as a model for dentin formation.

The goal of this research is to demonstrate that the IP3

receptor, and a related GTP-binding protein are

expressed in differentiated MDPC-23 cells. In addition,

calcium flux will be measured in differentiated MDPC-23

cells by the calcium indicator dyes Fura-2 and calcium

Main Willingness to

learn new lab

techniques. -

Standard lab

skills including

ability to

prepare

solutions,

ability to use

pipettes, ability

to carry out

protein assays,

ability to carry

out SDS-gel

electrophoresis

, and basic

Biochemistr

y - A year of

General

Biology.

Biology

Chemistry

Jay Lunden jlunden@t

emple.edu

CST Biology Stress

hardening in a

model marine

invertebrate

species

Marine environments are currently experiencing rapid

changes including elevations in temperature, depletions

in oxygen concentration, and increasing acidity. Current

theory suggests that limited acute exposures to stressful

conditions during the larval stage - known widely as

â€œhormesisâ€• - can act to increase species tolerance to

stressful environmental conditions related to global

climate change. This project will explore this question in

a model marine invertebrate, Nematostella vectensis,

that is easily cultured in the lab. The incumbent student

will spawn Nematostella larvae in the lab and develop

different culturing and experimental conditions to test

this idea, which will have broad implications to

understanding how marine species will be able to

tolerate future ocean conditions.

Main

Campus

Students who

are interested

in pursuing

graduate

school in the

natural

sciences,

ecology and

evolution.

Biology and

environme

ntal science

majors are

preferred,

but the

position

would be

open to

other

students as

well.

Freshman,

Sophomor

e Junior

7/2/2020 14


Faculty

Name

Email

Address

Faculty

College

Faculty

Departme

nt


Location

Important

selection

criteria

Student

Majors

Desired

Class

Preferenc

e

Jocelyn

Behm

jebehm@t

emple.edu

CST Biology Urban birds as

ecosystem

service

providers

Birds are important components of biological diversity in

urban areas. Our goal is to better understand how urban

birds benefit people through ecosystem services and how

people can benefit them by improving their habitats. To

accomplish this, we are conducting field studies of birds

and their habitats throughout Philadelphia. Our research

spans green spaces across the city, including Jefferson

Square, Fairmount Park, and Wissahickon Valley Park, as

well as an array of residential neighborhoods. This

project will involve sampling birds through point counts

and transects, sampling trees and other habitat features,

and applying geographic information systems (GIS) tools

to assess landscape-scale habitat.

Main No prior

experience

conducting

field research

necessary,

however

students are

expected to be

organized,

detail-oriented,

and have

interest in

spending time

outdoors.

Biology,

Environme

ntal Science

Sophomor

e, Junio,

Senior

Jocelyn

Behm

jebehm@t

emple.edu

CST Biology Lyme disease

ecology

Lyme disease impacts hundreds of thousands of people

annually, but human risk of getting the disease is related

to complex interactions between ticks, deer, mice, and

their predators. This project involves extensive field work

to survey multiple Lyme disease vectors and hosts. You

will learn skills including vegetation sampling, tick

sampling, small mammal trapping, and camera trapping.

There is also the potential for involvement in future lab

work related to this study.

Main Attention to

detail and

ability to work

independently.

Must be able to

work outside.

Age 21+ and

able to drive a

car preferred,

but not

required.

Biology,

Environme

ntal Science

Sophomor

e, Junio,

Senior

Jody Hey hey@temp

le.edu

CST Biology Evolution and

the Human

Genome

Student's will work on questions about how the human

genome has evolved. Some of the work may involve

comparisons with Ape genomes. Freshmen and

sophomores with interest in bioinformatics or in using

computers to address important biological or medical

questions.

Main all majors

7/2/2020 15


Faculty

Name

Email

Address

Faculty

College

Faculty

Departme

nt


Location

Important

selection

criteria

Student

Majors

Desired

Class

Preferenc

e

Jody Hey hey@temp

le.edu

CST Biology Evolutionary

Genomics

Students will use genomic data to address questions

about natural selection and adaptation Freshmen and

sophomores with interest in bioinformatics or in using

computers to address important biological or medical

questions.

Main all majors

Jody Hey hey@temp

le.edu

CST Biology Population

Genetics

Students will help develop mathematical and statistical

models of evolutionary processes

Main Freshmen and

sophomores

with interest in

mathematical

and

computational

biology

Biology/Ma

th/Comput

er Science

Joel

Sheffield

jbs@templ

e.edu

CST Biology Scanning

Electron

Microscopy of

Developing

Chick Retina

We wish to expand our immunofluorescence studies of

the vascular structure of the chick retina with correlative

electron microscope analysis.

Main Fine Motor

skills

Biology or

Biochem

Junior or

senior

Joel

Sheffield

jbs@templ

e.edu

CST Biology Analysis of

microglia in

retina and

pecten

Immunohistochemical localization of specific antigens

during development of the chick retina.

Main Electrophoresis

, microscopy -

Bio 3096 is a

plus.

Biology

7/2/2020 16


Faculty

Name

Email

Address

Faculty

College

Faculty

Departme

nt


Location

Important

selection

criteria

Student

Majors

Desired

Class

Preferenc

e

Joshua

Schraiber

joshua.schr

aiber@tem

ple.edu

CST Biology Detecting

inbreeding in

ancient humans

We now have ancient DNA sequences from hundreds of

early modern humans spanning the last ~50 thousand

years of human evolution. Many of these individuals

come from nearby sites (such as individuals buried at the

same graveyard), raising the possibility that they are

related to each other. The student will develop an

algorithm that estimates the relatedness of ancient

samples while accounting for genotype uncertainty due

to low coverage sequencing data, and use it to determine

how inbred humans were during the colonization of

Eurasia.

Main Some

programming,

some math,

willingness to

bang head

against hard

problems BIOL

2112 OR MATH

1044 OR CIS

1057

Math,

computer

science

Maria

Pacheco

tug00270

@temple.e

du

CST Biology Biodiversity

and evolution

of parasites

All known multicellular organisms harbor diverse

assemblages of dependent species, many of which are

considered parasites. Despite a growing awareness of the

importance of dependent species for biodiversity,

parasitological investigations have largely focused on the

harm caused by parasites to their hosts. However, the

ecology and evolutionary biology of parasitic organisms

are worthy of study in their own right despite the

challenges that these organisms pose as relatively

unknown elements of biodiversity. Indeed, our ability to

understand the processes shaping parasite diversity and

to mitigate threats to that diversity is limited by gaps in

our knowledge of issues such as species delimitation,

population structure and spatial distribution, and the

dynamics of assemblages which include multiple parasite

and multiple host species. This project seeks to

characterize multiple dimensions of the eukaryotic

endoparasite biodiversity. In particular, we will give

special attention to malarial parasites in the genus

Plasmodium and other related parasitic protozoa. These

species belong to a diverse monophyletic group that is

Main Highly

motivated. A

minimum of

3.7 GPA. Basic

knowledge on

biology

(transcription/t

ranslation and

DNA

replication),

analytical/quan

titative skills

and curiosity

are required.

Programming

at a basic level

is considered a

plus, but it is

not required.

Students

should

Biology,

Applied

Math,

Natural

Sciences,

Information

Science and

Technology,

Computer

Sciences

7/2/2020 17


Faculty

Name

Email

Address

Faculty

College

Faculty

Departme

nt


Location

Important

selection

criteria

Student

Majors

Desired

Class

Preferenc

e

Matthew

Helmus

mrhelmus

@temple.e

du

CST Biology The invasion

meltdown and

how to stop it

In Pennsylvania, the spotted lanternfly (Lycorma

delicatula) is a particularly worrisome invasive. In 2014, it

invaded Berks County on material imported from Asia. It

destroys vineyards, orchards, and timber (industries

worth $18 billion to Pennsylvania). It rains showers of

sticky sap on homeowners and can spread to new

locations by hitchhiking on anything kept outdoors like a

car. It has spread outside the Commonwealth, to Virginia;

economic losses across the U.S. will be disastrous if it

expands unchecked. Contact Dr. Helmus to help the iEco

Lab stop the meltdown.

Main BIO, Math,

CIS,

EES,Phys, &

Chem

Matthew

Helmus

mrhelmus

@temple.e

du

CST Biology The genomics

of scared

tadpoles

Tadpoles just want to grow up to become frogs, but in

nature there are plenty of predators. Luckily, tadpoles

have a defense--when exposed to predators, tadpoles

can radically change their body shapes and musculature

so that they are harder for predators to catch. The goal

of this project is to analyze experimental genomic data

(already collected) to determine gene expression during

body changes. Bioinformatics that may be used are: R

statistical programming, Galaxy bioinformatic pipelines

and BLAST2GO software.

Main Basic computer

programming

Courses in

Genomics

or

Computer

Programmi

ng

7/2/2020 18


Faculty

Name

Email

Address

Faculty

College

Faculty

Departme

nt


Location

Important

selection

criteria

Student

Majors

Desired

Class

Preferenc

e

Matthew

Helmus

mrhelmus

@temple.e

du

CST Biology Are there

universal

patterns in

biodiversity?

Natural selection has caused a spectacular amount of

biodiversity, from flying frogs to legless lizards, yet this

evolution is not random. For example, on distant oceanic

islands, species have evolved from the same types of

natural selection, converging to similar body shapes and

sizes. The goal of this project is to identify these universal

patterns in biodiversity using specimens of lizards and

frogs from across the Caribbean. The student will

measure the body traits of the specimens and then build,

using the R statistical programming language, genetic

trees of evolutionary relationship of species to identify

convergence in biodiversity.

Main Basic excel Biology,

Environme

ntal Science

Rachel

Spigler

rachel.spigl

er@templ

e.edu

CST Biology Plant

Demography

This project will investigate the impact of inbreeding on

seedling germination of a native plant. Students will

conduct field work to create experimental populations

from seed and to monitor germination over the summer.

Students will also have the opportunity to assist on

greenhouse experiments.

Main

Campus

Enthusiasm.

Attention to

detail. Ability

and eagerness

to work

outdoors in

summer for

long periods of

time.

BIO, EES Freshman,

Sophomor

e Junior,

Senior

7/2/2020 19


Faculty

Name

Email

Address

Faculty

College

Faculty

Departme

nt


Location

Important

selection

criteria

Student

Majors

Desired

Class

Preferenc

e

Rob

Kulathinal

robkulathi

nal@templ

e.edu

CST Biology Visual

genomics:

Design and

development of

a population-

based

visualization

platform

Identifying an individualâ€™s unique genetic signature

via genotyping technology has become relatively easy,

fast, and cheap. While genotyping platforms will

eventually be subsumed by complete sequencing

solutions, the sequencing and assembly of whole

genomes remain relatively costly, error-prone,

heterogenous (e.g., many platforms exist in the

sequencing ecosystem), and computationally intensive.

Furthermore, the lack of additional informative variants

in most species as well as the recent advancement of

imputation methods make full sequencing unnecessary.

Currently, microarray chips remain the most effective

genotyping platform and over the past decade, Illumina

has effectively cornered the market, offering hundreds of

low-cost chips across many different species. Such

personal genomic companies as 23andme and

Ancestry.com, and other enterprises with such varied foci

as agriculture, forensics, and basic research employ

Illumina beadchips for their genotyping needs. Each chip

sample and its resulting raw data costing less than $50 an

Main

Campus

We seek an

enthusiastic,

hard-working,

and

independent-

minded

student who is

up for a unique

challenge in

coding. Some

coding will be

required as

well as some

website

development.

Biology,

CompSci,

Math

Freshman

Sophomor

e Junior

seniors

Rob

Kulathinal

robkulathi

nal@templ

e.edu

CST Biology Sutra2DNA Encoding analog data into digital code has facilitated the

democratization of information. Yet, the storage half-life

of digitized data is finite. For example, data on optical

and magnetic devices are generally considered unreliable

within 50 years. In addition, digital data may be

susceptible to censorship or falsification, especially when

cultural heritage data is produced, distributed, and

stored on the internet. In this project, we are developing

novel methods to encode digital text into DNA, a new

Heath

Science

Campus

We seek an

enthusiastic,

hard-working,

and

independent-

minded

student who is

up for a unique

challenge in

CompSci,

Math,

Bio(informa

tics)

Freshman

Sophomor

e Junior

seniors

7/2/2020 20


Faculty

Name

Email

Address

Faculty

College

Faculty

Departme

nt


Location

Important

selection

criteria

Student

Majors

Desired

Class

Preferenc

e

Rob

Kulathinal

robkulathi

nal@templ

e.edu

CST Biology Genomics of

speciation

Is speciation driven by genes involved in reproduction?

In this project, the student will: 1) identify genes under

selection using evolutionary genomic approaches and/or

2) knock-down those genes using ready-made RNAi lines

via our high-throughput behavioral arenas. The student

will be trained by an active team of undergraduate and

doctoral students who are already applying these

powerful approaches using Drosophila.

Main Determination,

curiosity, and

computationall

y-inclined

Biology,

Computer

Science

Rob

Kulathinal

robkulathi

nal@templ

e.edu

CST Biology Genomics of

speciation

Is speciation driven by genes involved in reproduction?

In this project, the student will: 1) identify genes under

selection using evolutionary genomic approaches and/or

2) knock-down those genes using ready-made RNAi lines

via our high-throughput behavioral arenas. The student

will be trained by an active team of undergraduate and

doctoral students who are already applying these

powerful approaches using Drosophila.

Main Determination,

curiosity, and

computationall

y-inclined

Biology,

Computer

Science

7/2/2020 21


Faculty

Name

Email

Address

Faculty

College

Faculty

Departme

nt


Location

Important

selection

criteria

Student

Majors

Desired

Class

Preferenc

e

Vincenzo

Carnevale

vincenzo.c

arnevale@

temple.ed

u

CST Biology Catalytic role of

alumina in

prebiotic

polymerization

of biomolecules

Polymerization of amino acids into polypeptides is a

thermodynamically disfavored process with remarkably

slow kinetics. In cells, this process is catalyzed by the

ribosome, a large protein-RNA complex harnessing

energy from the hydrolysis of ATP. This begs the

question: how could ancestral proteins, which enabled

the emergence of life, be synthesized in absence of these

molecular machineries? We are investigating the

hypothesis that the catalytic properties of mineral-water

interfaces (in particular those involving alumina) might

have favored the synthesis of polypeptides. This

computational research project uses molecular dynamics

simulations and free energy calculations as primary tools

of investigation.

Main Interest in

computational

research,

chemistry and

biochemistry.

Basic

computational

skills preferred

but not

required. The

project is in

collaboration

with the lab of

Eric Borguet

from the

Chemistry

Physics or

Chemistry

sophomor

e, Juniot

or senior

Weidong

Yang

weidong.y

ang@temp

le.edu

CST Biology Super-

resolution

study of

interactions

and

competitions in

normal and

cancer cells

Super-resolution light microscopy won the Nobel Prize in

Chemistry in 2014. In our lab, we combine super-

resolution microscopy with single-molecule tracking,

fluorescence recovery and innovative molecular biology

techniques to study the following projects: 1)

interactions between human cells (normal and cancer

cells) and viruses. 2) trafficking of RNAs, vesicles and

proteins through the nuclear pore complexes in live

human cells. 3) the gating mechanism for

macromolecules transport into the cilium of human cells.

Main Biology,

biochemistr

y,

biophysics

and the

relevant

7/2/2020 22


Faculty

Name

Email

Address

Faculty

College

Faculty

Departme

nt


Location

Important

selection

criteria

Student

Majors

Desired

Class

Preferenc

e

Weidong

Yang

weidong.y

ang@temp

le.edu

CST Biology Study protein

and RNA in

cancer cells

We are highly motivated to develop innovative research

tools to meet the needs of solving challenging biological

and biomedical problems, as we have done in the past

and will be doing in the future. Currently, by developing

and employing high-speed super-resolution microscopy

techniques, our research aims to solve two critical

transport mechanisms involving three sub-cellular

organelles in eukaryotic cells: nucleus, cytoplasm and

primary cilium. Macromolecular trafficking among these

compartments is suggested to be gated by two unique

machineries. One is the nuclear pore complex (NPC)

embedded in the nuclear envelope that mediates the

bidirectional trafficking of proteins and RNAs between

the cytoplasm and the nucleus; the other is the transition

zone (TZ) located at the base of cilium that regulates the

entry of membrane and cytosolic proteins into the

cilium. Due to the challenges in elucidating kinetics and

real-time transport routes for macromolecules through

the sub-micrometer NPC or TZ in live cells, however, the

fundamental gating mechanisms in either of these two

machineries, remain obscure. Moreover, these transport

Main Biology,

Biophysics,

Physics,

computer

science

Sergei

Pond

spond@te

mple.edu

CST Biology

and iGEM

Software

development

and

Bioinformatics

Utilize and develop open-source software to explore DNA

mutations. Using high-performance computing, statistical

techniques, and the latest web technologies, we provide

methods that researchers use to answer questions about

their genetic sequence data. All computational

development and research takes place within iGEM

located in the SERC building (igem.temple.edu).

Main Computer

Science,

Mathemati

cs, Biology,

Physics

Sudhir

Kumar

s.kumar@t

emple.edu

CST Biology

and iGEM

Software

development

and

Bioinformatics

We develop software (including smartphone apps) for

analyzing biological data in the fields of Genomics and

Medicine. All developments will be in a new institute in

SERC.

Main Knowledge of

computer

programming

and/or app

development

All majors

7/2/2020 23


Faculty

Name

Email

Address

Faculty

College

Faculty

Departme

nt


Location

Important

selection

criteria

Student

Majors

Desired

Class

Preferenc

e

Sudhir

Kumar

s.kumar@t

emple.edu

CST Biology

and iGEM

Personalized

medicine and

evolutionary

link between

DNA and

disease

We all have many DNA differences from others. Which of

these personal differences cause disease? We use

computers to study disease variation in humans and

compare it to differences humans show with other

species. We also build predictive methods and tools. All

computational research will be in a new institute in SERC.

Main Interest in the

field,

knowledge of

computers

All majors

Sudhir

Kumar

s.kumar@t

emple.edu

CST Biology

and iGEM

Genomics,

Medicine, and

Evolution

(computer

based)

Students will carry out biological and biomedical

research using computers with emphasis on DNA data

analysis. Biomedical questions will be focused on

Genome Medicine. Biological questions will be on

building the tree of life. Depending on the student's

background, you may conduct primary data analysis

research and/or assist in developing new methods,

software, and databases.

Main Freshmen and

sophomores

with interest in

biology,

medicine, or

computers. No

requirements,

as the projects

will be tailored

to the students'

level of

preparation.

Biology,

Computers,

Physics,

Anthropolo

gy,

Pharmacy,

Chemistry

7/2/2020 24


Faculty

Name

Email

Address

Faculty

College

Faculty

Departme

nt


Location

Important

selection

criteria

Student

Majors

Desired

Class

Preferenc

e

Sudhir

Kumar

s.kumar@t

emple.edu

CST Biology

and iGEM

Genomic

Medicine and

Tree of Life

Evolutionary analytics of mutations, genomes, and

species is the primary focus of my research group. We

use integrative and comparative approaches to make

fundamental discoveries in the fields of medicine,

evolution and genomics. The common theme of all our

research is the use of comparative analysis to reveal

genome differences that are outcomes of natural

selection on novel mutations arising in all species during

their propagation from generation to generation and in

an individual’s lifetime. The resulting patterns of

conservation and divergence of our DNA enables us to

conduct research investigations ranging from establishing

the tree of life scaled to time (TimeTree of Life) and to

forecasting disruptive mutations found in personal

germline and somatic genomes (Phylomedicine). In these

pursuits of biological discoveries, we are also developing

new statistical methods and computer algorithms to

quickly analyze large-scale datasets in these disciplines.

We also develop and disseminate many high-impact

software tools (MEGA and myPEG) and

databases/applications (TimeTree and FlyExpress).

Main Prefer

freshmen or

sophomores

interested in

devoting

multiple years

working in our

group so they

can carry out

real research

and

development

projects,

including the

writing of

research

papers and/or

development

of software and

database tools.

Successful

students will be

provided year-

long wage-

payroll

positions to

Biology,

Computer

Science,

Chemistry,

Physics,

Biomedical

engineering

, and other

biology-

related

department

7/2/2020 25


Faculty

Name

Email

Address

Faculty

College

Faculty

Departme

nt


Location

Important

selection

criteria

Student

Majors

Desired

Class

Preferenc

e

Ann

Valentine

ann.valenti

ne@templ

e.edu

CST Chemistry Bioinorganic

Titanium

Chemistry

The Valentine Lab is interested in hydrolysis-prone metal

ions of biological relevance. The student will investigate

possible ligand systems for stabilization of titanium(IV) in

a water environment, will make and characterize new

inorganic coordination compounds, and will evaluate

their interactions with biomolecules

Main intelligence

enthusiasm

conscientiousn

ess - will teach

skills necessary

chemistry

biochemistr

y

Sophomor

e, Junior

Daniel

Strongin

dstrongi@t

emple.edu

CST Chemistry Reactivity of

Pyrite and Acid

Mine Drainage

The iron sulfide, pyrite, is found at active and abandoned

coal mining sites. Its decomposition in the environment

leads to acid mine drainage (sulfuric acid generation)

which is a significant problems for coal mining companies

and the surrounding environment. The goal of the

project is to look into strategies to suppress the oxidation

of pyrite and the resulting acid generation.

Main Motivation

Academic

performance -

Introductory

Chemistry

Courses with

Laboratory.

Chemistry

ESS

7/2/2020 26


Faculty

Name

Email

Address

Faculty

College

Faculty

Departme

nt


Location

Important

selection

criteria

Student

Majors

Desired

Class

Preferenc

e

Eric

Borguet

eborguet@

temple.ed

u

CST Chemistry Combining

Photons,

Electrons and

Nanoparticles

for Plasmonic

Sensing and

Catalysis

Students will develop and use nanoscale plasmonic

materials for rapid, high sensitivity detection of

biological and chemical agents, as well as catalytic

conversion. They will learn to use a variety of analytical

techniques such as spectroscopy, Atomic Force

Microscopy Curiosity and persistence - Interest in

research - Aptitude for careful laboratory research - -

Undergraduate researchers in my group typically present

at local, regional and even national conferences. Many

have been co-authors on publications.

Main Chemistry,

Physics

Sophomor

e or

Junior

Eric

Borguet

eborguet@

temple.ed

u

CST Chemistry Laser

Vibrational

Spectroscopy

and Dynamics

of Molecular

Species at Bio

and

Geochemical

Interfaces

Research involves learning to use ultrafast lasers (we

make some of the shortest infrared pulses in the world)

to perform vibrational Sum Frequency Generation (SFG)

a technique that provides sensitivity to single molecualr

layers. Students will investigate water, arguably the most

important molecule on the planet at interfaces of

biological and geochemical relevance. Students will

learn about surface chemistry, biointerfaces,

geochemistry and laser spectroscopy.

Main Curiosity and

persistence -

Interest in

research -

Aptitude for

careful

laboratory

research - -

Undergraduate

researchers in

my group

typically

Chemistry,

Physics

Sophomor

e or

Junior

Frank

Spano

spano@te

mple.edu

CST Chemistry Photophtsical

Properties of

Histochemical

Dye

Aggregation

Main Chemistry

7/2/2020 27


Faculty

Name

Email

Address

Faculty

College

Faculty

Departme

nt


Location

Important

selection

criteria

Student

Majors

Desired

Class

Preferenc

e

Graham

Dobereiner

dob@temp

le.edu

CST Chemistry Exploring the

influence of

Lewis Acids on

Organometallic

Compounds

Organometallic complexes, which feature metal-carbon

bonds, underpin key catalytic reactions in chemical

industry. This project will explore the synthesis of new

complexes using air-free technique, and investigate the

reactivity of these complexes in new chemical reactions.

Main Prior classroom

laboratory

experience

(General

Chemistry, and

preferably

Organic

Chemistry).

Chemistry

Katherine

(Kallie)

Willets

kwillets@t

emple.edu

CST Chemistry Plasmonic

nanomaterial

fabrication and

synthesis

In the first semester of research, students learn how to

prepare gold and/or silver nanoparticles using wet

chemistry and templated fabrication techniques (plus we

tell you what a plasmon is!). Students who show interest

and aptitude for research will then work with the PI and

their graduate mentor to design independent research in

subsequent semesters based on their interests (see

willetslab.com for more details on what we do).

Main Interest in

physical/analyti

cal chemistry.

Many

undergraduate

students from

our lab move

on to Ph.D.

programs so

students with

interest in

performing

research for

multiple

semesters and

moving on to

graduate-level

research are

especially

Chemistry

(top

priority).

Physics (if

space).

Sophomor

e, Junior,

Senior

7/2/2020 28


Faculty

Name

Email

Address

Faculty

College

Faculty

Departme

nt


Location

Important

selection

criteria

Student

Majors

Desired

Class

Preferenc

e

Robert J.

Levis

rjlevis@te

mple.edu

CST Chemistry Stand-Off

Detection of

Molecules

using Advanced

Laser

Technology

The ability to detect molecules at distances up to 50

meters is valuable for many applications including

explosives detection, analyzing smoke stacks and probing

urban environments. This project will involve working

with femtosecond laser filamentation ("a light saber")

and a new Raman spectroscopy method developed in the

Center for Advanced Photonics Research. Interested

students should read the publications on the Center's

web site

Main independent

motivation

Neuroscien

ce, Cell and

Developme

ntal Biology

Sophomor

e, Junior,

Senior

Robert J.

Levis

rjlevis@te

mple.edu

CST Chemistry Nanomaterials

by Design

Nanomaterials include size as a design parameter for a

material’s properties. For instance the color of a

quantum dot changes as the size changes from 100nm to

10nm. The aim of this project is to discover new

nanomaterials using femtosecond laser processing of

precursors including chemical compounds, bulk metals,

semiconductors and organic materials. The project

involves the use of lasers and state of the art optics as

well as characterization methods including UV-VIS, mass

spectrometry, transmission electron microscopy,

dynamic light scattering and a nanoparticle size analyzer.

Main independent

motivation

Neuroscien

ce, Cell and

Developme

ntal Biology

Sophomor

e, Junior,

Senior

Robert

Stanley

rstanley@t

emple.edu

CST Chemistry Promiscuous

enzymes and

cofactor

analogs

Enzymes are considered to be very specific chemical

factories, recognizing and processing only very specific

substrates. In contrast, cold-adapted enzymes, from

organisms living at or below 0C, are rather promiscuous,

opening up the possibility of generating product analogs

of greater variety. You will exploit this characteristic by

cloning, overexpressing, and characterizing a few cold-

adapted enzymes that make potential useful cofactor

analogs.

Main Experience

with protein

biochemistry

and molecular

biology

techniques a

real plus.

Biochemsitr

y,

Chemistry,

Physics,

Biology

Sophomor

e, Junior

7/2/2020 29


Faculty

Name

Email

Address

Faculty

College

Faculty

Departme

nt


Location

Important

selection

criteria

Student

Majors

Desired

Class

Preferenc

e

Ross Wang rosswang

@temple.e

du

CST Chemistry Chemical

probes to study

post-

translational

modifications

Chemical biology approaches to the mechanism study,

diagnosis, and treatment of human diseases

II. Chemical proteomics to identify key proteins for the

onset of cancer and inflammatory disorders.

Main Having

completed

General

Chemistry,

Organic

Chemistry I

with a grade of

B or higher.

Preferably with

prior

laboratory

experience in

Chemistry and

Biochemistry

Chemistry,

Biology,

Biochemistr

y,

Pharmaceu

tical

Sophomor

e,

Junior, or

Senior

Ross Wang rosswang

@temple.e

du

CST Chemistry Development

of novel

imaging agents

for image-

guided cancer

therapy


diagnosis, and treatment of human diseases

Main Having

completed

General

Chemistry,

Organic

Chemistry I

with a grade of

B or higher.

Preferably with

prior

laboratory

experience in

Chemistry and

Chemistry,

Biology,

Biochemistr

y,

Pharmaceu

tical

Sophomor

e,

Junior, or

Senior

7/2/2020 30


Faculty

Name

Email

Address

Faculty

College

Faculty

Departme

nt


Location

Important

selection

criteria

Student

Majors

Desired

Class

Preferenc

e

Ross Wang rosswang

@temple.e

du

CST Chemistry Design and

synthesis of

antibody

mimics


diagnosis, and treatment of human diseases Having

completed General Chemistry, Organic Chemistry I with a

grade of B or higher. Preferably with prior laboratory

experience in Chemistry and Biochemistry

Main Chemistry,

Biology,

Biochemistr

y,

Pharmaceu

tical

Sophomor

e,

Junior, or

Senior

Sarah

Wengryniu

k

sarahw@t

emple.edu

CST Chemistry Synthesis of

Novel "PyIX"

Halogenating

Agents

This project involves the development of a new class of

bench stable halogen transfer reagents based on a

hypervalent iodine scaffold. Halogenation of organic

molecules is of fundamental importance to organic

synthesis as these serve as key functional handles in

medicinal chemistry. Students on this project would be

trained the executing multi-step synthetic sequences and

small molecule characterization. Current team consists of

one graduate student and one undergraduate.

Main

Campus

Preferred

Coursework:

Organic I&II

(2202) and

associated labs

with B or

higher

Chemistry Freshman,

Sophomor

e Junior

Spiridoula

Matsika

smatsika@

temple.ed

u

CST Chemistry Modeling

reactions in

chemistry and

biology

Processes initiated by light play an important role in

biological systems with primary examples found in

photosynthesis, vision, and photochemical damage and

repair in DNA. We use computational methods to study

processes important in biology, chemistry,

astrochemistry, and other areas. Part of this research

facilitates development of new fluorescent probes.

Main Chemistry,

Physics,

Biochem,

CIS

Freshman,

Sophomor

e, Junior,

Senior

7/2/2020 31


Faculty

Name

Email

Address

Faculty

College

Faculty

Departme

nt


Location

Important

selection

criteria

Student

Majors

Desired

Class

Preferenc

e

Spiridoula

Matsika

smatsika@

temple.ed

u

CST Chemistry Studying the

photophysics

and

photochemistry

of DNA using

quantum

mechanics

Processes initiated by light play an important role in

biological systems with primary examples found in

photosynthesis, vision, and photochemical damage and

repair in DNA. A fundamental understanding of these

processes reveals the way nature works and also

provides ideas on how to mimic or alter these

mechanisms to our own benefit. The current project

focuses on studies of the photophysical behavior of DNA

bases and their fluorescent analogs. When UV radiation

is absorbed by DNA, photochemical reactions may occur

which can lead to photochemical damage. DNA,

however, is proven to be quite photostable, since the

absorbed energy can be converted to harmless heat. We

examine what happens after one or two bases absorb

Main Students

should be

motivated,

interested in

research and

computational

work, with an

aptitude for

math.

Chemistry,

Physics

Junior or

Senior

Stephanie

Wunder

slwunder

@temple.e

du

CST Chemistry Nanopartile/Lip

id Project

Nanoparticles have high surface/volume ratios so that

characterization of the material on the surface is very

important in applications such as drug/DNA delivery and

nanocomposites. The phase transitions, conformations

and adsorption isotherms of lipids and polymers (both

natural- proteins, DNA, RNA and synthetic-polymers) on

silica nanoparticles of different sizes (from 5-500nm) will

be investigated by a variety of analytical techniques such

as HPLC, FTIR, Raman and fluorescence spectroscopies,

and thermal analysis.

Main Willingness to

work hard,

understanding

of

experimental

techniques and

the importance

of obtaining

reproducible

data - wet

chemistry

techniques

Chemistry,

Biochem -

organic

chemistry I,

analytical

chemistry

Junior or

Senior

7/2/2020 32


Faculty

Name

Email

Address

Faculty

College

Faculty

Departme

nt


Location

Important

selection

criteria

Student

Majors

Desired

Class

Preferenc

e

Stephanie

Wunder

slwunder

@temple.e

du

CST Chemistry Lithium

Batteries &

Fuel Cells:

Materials

preparation &

Characterizatio

n

In order to improve the performance of lithium ion

batteries and fuel cells, it is critical to make advances in

many aspects of the materials used in the electrodes,

electrolytes and separators. This project involves

preparing and characterizing novel nanomaterials to be

employed as separators for NaBH4 fuel cells and lithium

ion batteries. In particular we have functionalized what

are called polyoctahedral silsesquioxanes (POSS), which

are nano silica (SiO1.5) cubes with eight groups at the

corners that contain dissociable Li+, OH- ions or

polyethylene glycol. The project(s) involve incorporation

of these POSS materials with polymers, and the

characterization of the nanocomposites by calorimetric

and electrochemical methods.

Main Willingness to

work hard,

understanding

of

experimental

techniques and

the importance

of obtaining

reproducible

data - wet

chemistry

techniques

Chemistry,

Biochem -

organic

chemistry I,

analytical

chemistry

Junior or

Senior

Steve

Flemming

sfleming@

temple.ed

u

CST Chemistry Virtual Reality

(VR) of Bio-

Organic

Reaction

Animations

(BioORA)

In collaboration with Gillian Queisser. The teaching tool

Bio-Organic Reaction Animations (BioORA) has been

developed to assist student learning. BioORA is available

online and it covers topics that include enzyme

chemistry, lipids, nucleic acids, and carbohydrates. The

animations that are included in the program are based

on 3D data from crystal structures found in the Protein

Data Bank (PDB). This research project

involves developing a pipeline from PDB files to 3D

visualization using Unity3D and Oculus Rift Virtual Reality

hardware. The ultimate goal would be to generate a

new VR-based teaching tool for bio-organic chemistry.

Main Students

working on this

project would

need to have a

basic

knowledge

of scripting

and/or object-

oriented progra

mming languag

es and an

interest in

learning virtual

reality. A good

foundation in

organic

chemistry,

biochemistr

y, CIS, math

Sophomor

e, Junior

or Senior

7/2/2020 33


Faculty

Name

Email

Address

Faculty

College

Faculty

Departme

nt


Location

Important

selection

criteria

Student

Majors

Desired

Class

Preferenc

e

Vincent

Voelz

voelz@te

mple.edu

CST Chemistry Molecular

simulation of

proteins and

peptide mimics

This work involves computational modeling of proteins

and peptide mimics. We simulating the molecular

dynamics of molecules on high-performace computing

platforms, to make predictions about folding and

binding.

Main Some

combination of

programming

experience,

math skills and

physics

knowledge are

important

Math,

physics,

computer

science and

chemistry

Sophomor

e or

Junior

Yugang

Sun

ygsun@te

mple.edu

CST Chemistry Understanding

transformation

of colloidal

nanoparticles

The behavior of colloidal nanoparticles in liquid solution

is very complex and the accurate description of their

behavior is still absent. This project will target this

ground-challenging problem by working with senior

graduate researchers. This research will rely on the

group's unique ability to use the in situ high-energy

synchrotron x-ray techniques to probe the nanoparticle

evolution processes in real time and even under real

reaction conditions. This capability enables the collection

of the unprecedented data, which are impossibly

achieved with traditional methods, from colloidal

nanoparticles. We will process the in-situ data to develop

appropriate models to understand the complex behavior

of colloidal nanoparticles. The understanding will be

helpful to design the synthesis protocol for producing the

best nanomaterials.

Main Chemistry Junior,

Senior

7/2/2020 34


Faculty

Name

Email

Address

Faculty

College

Faculty

Departme

nt


Location

Important

selection

criteria

Student

Majors

Desired

Class

Preferenc

e

Yugang

Sun

ygsun@te

mple.edu

CST Chemistry Microfluidic

synthesis of

graphene-

supported

quantum dots

for

photocatalysis

This project seeks to use the home-built microfluidic

reactor for synthesizing graphene-supported

semiconductor quantum dots, which can adsorb solar

energy to drive useful chemical reactions (i.e.,

photocatalysis). The student will use the method recently

developed in my group to synthesize graphene-

supported semiconductor quantum dots including CdSe

and CdS

Main Wet Chemistry chemistry Seniors

Anduo

Wang

adw@tem

ple.edu

CST CIS A Consistent

SDN

Management

Plane with

Logic Reasoning

My research interests center around improving

networked-systems with database techniques and formal

methods. My current research projects focus on software-

defined networks (SDN).

Main good math,

programming

with Python,

some

understanding

of networking

and database

computer

science

seniors

Bo Ji boji@temp

le.edu

CST CIS Human

behavior

recognition and

tracking

This project aims to develop human behavior recognition

and tracking systems using wireless sensing technologies

such as mmWave Radar.

Main Self-motivated;

hard-working;

Experienced in

Matlab; Basic

knowledge of

signal

processing and

machine

learning is

preferred but

CIS Junior or

senior

7/2/2020 35


Faculty

Name

Email

Address

Faculty

College

Faculty

Departme

nt


Location

Important

selection

criteria

Student

Majors

Desired

Class

Preferenc

e

Bo Ji boji@temp

le.edu

CST CIS Quantum

Machine

Learning

Students will investigate the design of Machine Learning

algorithms in the quantum domain that outperform (e.g.,

providing exponential or quadratic speedup) their

classical counterparts. Examples include solving linear

system of equations, principle component analysis,

support vector machine, reinforcement learning, etc.

Main Basic

knowledge of

machine

learning and

quantum

physics is

preferred but

not required.

CS or Math Junior &

Senior

Bo Ji boji@temp

le.edu

CST CIS Data freshness

optimization

Students will investigate the problem of optimizing data

freshness/timeliness in information-updating systems

and design efficient algorithms for the problem.

Main Basic

programming

experience in

Python or Java

or C++.

CS or Math Junior &

Senior

Bo Ji boji@temp

le.edu

CST CIS Knowledge-

Defined

Networking

Students will work on applying machine learning

techniques to computer networks (e.g., resource

allocation and network operation). Further, using

network theory guided approach to enhance the

developed solution.

Main Python

programming;

Matlab

programming;

basic

knowledge of

machine

learning is

preferred but

not required.

CS or Math Junior &

Senior

7/2/2020 36


Faculty

Name

Email

Address

Faculty

College

Faculty

Departme

nt


Location

Important

selection

criteria

Student

Majors

Desired

Class

Preferenc

e

Bo Ji boji@temp

le.edu

CST CIS Silent speech

recognition

using wireless

sensing

This project aims to develop silent speech recognition

and human identification/authentication using wireless

sensing technologies such as mmWave Radar.


hard-working;

experienced in

Matlab;

basic

knowledge

about signal

processing and

machine

learning is

preferred but

not required

CIS Junior or

senior

Chiu C. Tan cctan@te

mple.edu

CST CIS Security of

civilian-

captured videos

There is a rise in everyday people using their

smartphones to record potential criminal acts, e.g.

people rioting, violence in public spaces, and so on.

Smartphones cameras are not designed to provide

evidence of wrongdoing. The project will explore the

potential security issues related to civilian captured

videos (e.g. potential for fake/tampered videos) and

possible solutions to address them.

Main General

interest in

security. Some

familiarity with

video or photo

manipulation

software like

Photoshop will

be preferred.

CIS, Math,

Physics

Sophomor

e, Juniors,

Seniors


mple.edu

CST CIS Wearable

Computers for

Health Care

The project studies the use of wearable computing

devices to monitor

patients with dementia disorders. The goal is to develop

systems and

algorithms that can enable unobtrusive, long-term

monitoring of high

risk patients to improve early detection and measure

effectiveness of

treatment. The project is suitable for participants with

strong

prototyping skills.

Main Familiar with

Android

programming

and/or Web

programming

CIS/IST,

Math,

Sophomor

e, Junior,

Senior

7/2/2020 37


Faculty

Name

Email

Address

Faculty

College

Faculty

Departme

nt


Location

Important

selection

criteria

Student

Majors

Desired

Class

Preferenc

e


mple.edu

CST CIS Reminder

systems for

patients with

cognitive

problems

Patients with cognitive problems sometimes have

difficult remembering to complete everyday tasks like

taking medication, consuming adequate fluids, and so on.

Reminder systems are systems that help these patients

keep track of these tasks. The project will involves

studying currently available systems and designing better

alternatives.

This project is open to students with or without

computer programming background.

Main Students from

CS

backgrounds

should be

comfortable

with Android

application

programming

and/or web

programming.

Students from

CIS, Pre

Med

Sophomor

e, Juniors,

Seniors

Eduard

Dragut

edragut@t

emple.edu

CST CIS Identifying

Entity Mentions

in Social

Networking

Streams

The project aims to develop methods that are capable to

recognize substrings in user messages that refer to an

entity (e.g., Phila or Philly refers to Philadelphia).

Main Good

programming

and analytic

skills. Ideally, a

student who

would like to

pursue grad

studies.

Math, CS,

ECE

Sophomor

e, Juniors,

Seniors

Eduard

Dragut

edragut@t

emple.edu

CST CIS Herveting User

Comments

from the Social

Networking

Websites

This project aims to develop techniques that allow

automatic harvesting of user comments from microblogs

and other social networking websites. You will work with

Java, Javascript, JSON, MySQL, and other modern Web

programming tools.

Main Good

programming

and analytic

skills. Ideally, a

student who

would like to

pursue grad

studies.

Math, CS,

ECE

Sophomor

e, Juniors,

Seniors

7/2/2020 38


Faculty

Name

Email

Address

Faculty

College

Faculty

Departme

nt


Location

Important

selection

criteria

Student

Majors

Desired

Class

Preferenc

e

Jamie

Payton

payton@te

mple.edu

CST CIS Pervasive

Computing

Community

Networks to

Increase Child

Indepdence

This project will build a pervasive computing technology

infrastructure and associated community connections to

increase social and mobile independence in children. The

project seeks to provide a balance between fine-grained

location tracking using wearable devices capable of

sensing and communication versus completely

untethered, untracked, "free-range kids". We address

engagement and retention of children to the system

using gamification and incentivization to promote

physical and social independence to achieve clearly

stated health, social, emotional, and educational goals.

This project focuses heavily on safety and privacy and on

connecting those elements to parent comfort and peace

of mind.

Main some

programming

experience

ability to apply

math concepts

to solve

problems and

evaluate

solutions

Cs, ISST or

Math

Sophomor

e, Junior

or Senior

Jie Wu jiewu@te

mple.edu

CST CIS WiFi and

mobile phone

app

We focus on building a robust and accurate WiFi sensing

platform for various applications, such as activity

recognition and indoor localization. This project seeks to

largely reduce the training cost of current WiFi sensing

system with the help of transfer learning techniques.

Specifically, we will study what is the minimal number of

training instances needed to ensure good performance

for a new environment. In addition, we will investigate

what domain knowledge in exiting environment can be

transferred to new environments.

Main Strong

programming

skills (perferred

C and Matlab)

and signal

processing

experience

CIS, ECE Sophomor

e, Junior,

Senior

7/2/2020 39


Faculty

Name

Email

Address

Faculty

College

Faculty

Departme

nt


Location

Important

selection

criteria

Student

Majors

Desired

Class

Preferenc

e

Jie Wu jiewu@te

mple.edu

CST CIS Online Job

Scheduling with

Machine

Learning

Techniques

This project aims to develop an online job scheduler for

cloud/edge computing clusters using machine learning or

reinforcement learning techniques. Online job scheduler

is used to determine the priority and the amount of

resource allocated to each job in computing clusters,

which is an important but challenging problem. An

efficient scheduler could significantly reduce the average

job finish time. In the project, we would like to apply

machine learning or reinforcement learning techniques

to solve the scheduling problem.

Main Programming

experience in

Python or

Matlab; Basic

knowledge of

machine

learning

CIS/IST,

Math,

Sophomor

e, Junior,

Senior

Jie Wu jiewu@te

mple.edu

CST CIS Network

security and

forensic

This research focuses on a regular DDoS and transit-link

DDoS mitigation mechanism using a special type of

router called filter router. We are developing a model in

which a victim can protect itself and reduce useless

congestion in the network by sending filters to filter

routers for blocking attack traffic. In this research, the

victim selects a subset of filter routers optimally to

minimize attack traffic and blockage of legitimate users.

Main Basic

IP/Network

knowledge,

linux

shell/terminal,

Programming

languages

(C/C++/JAVA/P

ython)

CIS/IST,

Math,

Sophomor

e, Junior,

Senior

7/2/2020 40


Faculty

Name

Email

Address

Faculty

College

Faculty

Departme

nt


Location

Important

selection

criteria

Student

Majors

Desired

Class

Preferenc

e

Jie Wu jiewu@te

mple.edu

CST CIS Datacenter and

SDN

This research focuses on efficiently and innovatively

leveraging SDN technology in a large-scale datacenter

network. SDN is essentially a way of making a network

programmable by decoupling control from the

underlying hardware and assigning it instead to a

software-based controller. With SDN, updating a policy

or optimizing for resource allocation in a datacenter is a

matter of programming the software, rather than buying

a new appliance or wrangling with a proprietary physical

interface. This project can have multiple interesting

topics of SDN in datacenters, including traffic

engineering, network updates, and resource allocation.

Our computing cluster has already installed a testbed of

a datacenter network, which is able to practically

evaluate a lot of novel research in the rising field of

datacenter and SDN.


hard-working;

Experienced in

python; Basic

knowledge of

networking and

algorithms is

preferred but

not required.

CIS Juniors or

Seniors

Jie Wu jiewu@te

mple.edu

CST CIS Blockchain and

its applications

Blockchain technology has been widely adopted, ranging

from cryptocurrency, financial services, Internet of

Things (IoT) to public and social services, while still at an

early stage of its development. Thus, lots of design

details of this technology need be perfected. In this

project, students may consider to modify existing

consensus protocols to improve Blockchain transaction

throughput or propose new transmission policy to

decrease information propagation delay in Blockchain

networks, both of which would improve the liveness of

Blockchain.

Main Solid math

background

CS or Math Junior or

senior

7/2/2020 41


Faculty

Name

Email

Address

Faculty

College

Faculty

Departme

nt


Location

Important

selection

criteria

Student

Majors

Desired

Class

Preferenc

e

Justin Y.

Shi

shi@templ

e.edu

CST CIS Digital Currency

and Distributed

Computing

The lack of robust security in physical assets fostered the

research in distributed crypto systems like block-chains.

It has been shown that trust in distributed computing is a

better form of currency than the physical currencies.

However, while double-spending can be eliminated by

the use of block-chains, challenges still exist in

preventing money laundering, theft and other forms of

cybercrimes.

Main Basic

knowledge of

programming

and

cryptographic

methods.

CIS, Physics,

Math,

Engineering

- CIS 2168

Juniors or

seniors

Justin Y.

Shi

shi@templ

e.edu

CST CIS Digital Currency

and Distributed

Computing

The lack of robust security in physical assets fostered the

research in distributed crypto systems like block-chains.

It has been shown that trust in distributed computing is a

better form of currency than the physical currencies.

However, while double-spending can be eliminated by

the use of block-chains, challenges still exist in

preventing money laundering, theft and other forms of

cybercrimes.

Main Basic

knowledge of

programming

and

cryptographic

methods.

CIS, Physics,

Math,

Engineering

- CIS 2168

Juniors or

seniors

Krishna

Kant

kkant@te

mple.edu

CST CIS Quality of

Service in

Storage

Systems

This project involves the implementation of end to end

quality of service (QoS) in accessing emerging storage

technologies (Flash, 3D Crosspoint, PCM, etc.) over high

speed data center network. The project will involve

working with cutting edge equipment (e.g., 100 Gb/sec

Intelligent NICs) and emerging storage protocols such as

NVMe over Fabric. Knowledge in systems is a plus, and C-

programming experience is required.

Main Good

programming

abilities are a

must and

familiarity with

communication

s protocols is a

plus.

CS Majors Junior or

Senior

7/2/2020 42


Faculty

Name

Email

Address

Faculty

College

Faculty

Departme

nt


Location

Important

selection

criteria

Student

Majors

Desired

Class

Preferenc

e

Krishna

Kant

kkant@te

mple.edu

CST CIS Building

Magnetic

Communication

Boards

The project concerns the development of circuit board

and protocol for electronic communication through

magnetic induction. The application of interest includes

through the body communications, and will require

considerable effort in enhancing the communications

range. You will be working closely with a Ph.D. student

who is doing research on this topic. The project will

require familiarity with basic background in electronics

and digital circuits and hands-on experience, including

ability to program FPGAs using Verilog or VHDL. Good

programming abilities are a must and familiarity with

communications protocols is a plus.

Main Good

programming

abilities are a

must and

familiarity with

communication

s protocols is a

plus.

CS Majors Junior or

Senior

Lognin Jan

Latecki

latecki@te

mple.edu

CST CIS Deep Neural

Networks and

their

Applications

One of the most innovative and transformative

technologies of our time is deep learning, a form of

machine learning that uses neural networks containing

many hidden layers, which are called deep neural

networks (DNNs). Recent success has led to

breakthroughs in applications in particular in computer

vision. In this project, we will focus in applying DNNs to

various computer vision tasks.

Main Programming

skills in Python

or C or Matlab.

CS, Math Sophomor

e, Junior

or Senior

Longin Jan

Latecki

latecki@te

mple.edu

CST CIS Deep

Convolutional

Neural

Networks for

Computer

Vision

One of the most innovative and transformative

technologies of our time is deep learning, a form of

machine learning that uses neural networks containing

many hidden layers, which are called deep neural

networks (DNNs). The recent success of deep

convolutional neural networks (CNNs) has led to

breakthroughs in applications in particular in computer

vision. In this project, we will focus in applying CNNs to

various computer vision tasks.

Main Linear Algebra.

Programming

skills.

Knowledge of

Python and

Matlab are a

big plus.

Computer

Science,

Math

Sophomor

e, Junior,

Senior

7/2/2020 43


Faculty

Name

Email

Address

Faculty

College

Faculty

Departme

nt


Location

Important

selection

criteria

Student

Majors

Desired

Class

Preferenc

e

Pei Wang pei.wang@

temple.ed

u

CST CIS Testing an

intelligent

reasoning

system

NARS is an intelligent reasoning system that accepts

knowledge and problems in a formal language, and uses

some inference rules to derive new knowledge and to

solve the problems (see online publications and demo).

This system will be applied to various practical situations

to test the expressive power of the language and the

inferential power of the rules. Also under study will be

the possibility of using this logic to reason on structured

knowledge sources, such as databases and the Semantic

Web.

Main Strong interest

in science,

especially in

human and

machine

intelligence;

solid

background in

mathematics

and computer

science. -

knowledge of

formal logic,

computer

and

information

sciences,

mathematic

s

Sophomor

e, Junior

or Senior

Richard

Souvenir

souvenir@

temple.ed

u

CST CIS Identifying

Indoor Scene

Attributes from

Images

The student will apply and adapt recent techniques from

computer vision and machine learning to identify

attributes from images of indoor scenes. This work is part

of an ongoing project to (http://traffickcam.org/about) to

combat human trafficking by identifying hotel room

features from images.

Main Strong

programming

skills

(preferably

Python),

interest or

experience in

image

processing

CS

Richard

Souvenir

souvenir@

temple.ed

u

CST CIS Identifying

Indoor Scene

Attributes from

Images

The student will apply and adapt recent techniques from

computer vision and machine learning to identify

attributes from images of indoor scenes. This work is part

of an ongoing project to (http://traffickcam.org/about) to

combat human trafficking by identifying hotel room

features from images.

Main Strong

programming

skills

(preferably

Python),

interest or

experience in

image

processing

Courses taken

CIS 3223 -

Strong

programming

skills

CS

7/2/2020 44


Faculty

Name

Email

Address

Faculty

College

Faculty

Departme

nt


Location

Important

selection

criteria

Student

Majors

Desired

Class

Preferenc

e

Slobodan

Vucetic

vucetic@te

mple.edu

CST CIS Data Science Scientific and technological advances have allowed us to

collect massive amounts of diverse types of data. There is

an increasing recognition that data created by scientists,

mobile apps, internet, social media, crowdsourcing,

healthcare could be translated into valuable insights. A

data scientist is a person who has the skills, knowledge,

and ability to extract actionable knowledge from the data

-- either for the good of society, advancement of science,

or profit in business. This project will be custom-made to

suit the background and interest of a student and give an

opportunity to get an expertise in all aspects of data

science including collecting, accessing, and processing

large and complex data, applying methods from machine

learning and statistics to analyze data, and presenting the

data and analytic insights through modern visualization

techniques.

Main Some

programming

experience,

good math

background -

Programming

in any language

(Python, Java,

C, Matlab)

Calculus 1

Any CST

major

might find

this project

valuable

Xiaojiang

Du

dux@temp

le.edu

CST CIS Mobile cloud

computing.

Mobile cloud computing is one of today's hottest new

technology markets. In mobile cloud computing, users

lease computing/storage services from cloud service

providers, and access the cloud from their mobile devices

(smart phones, tablets). Gartner (2011) predicts that

mobile cloud computing will reach a market value of

US$9.5 billion by 2014. Mobile cloud computing shares

with cloud computing the notion that some level of

service is provided by a cloud but accessed by mobile

platforms. Typical mobile cloud computing platforms

include smart phones and tablets. The most-used mobile

operating systems are UNIX variations such as Google

Android and Apple iOS. Tablets are larger than a smart

phone but interact with the user in a similar way, using a

Main Good

programming

skills - High

GPA -Solid

math

background -

Good

communication

skills - Team

working skills

CS/IST/Mat

h-CS majors

Sophomor

e, Junior

or Senior

7/2/2020 45


Faculty

Name

Email

Address

Faculty

College

Faculty

Departme

nt


Location

Important

selection

criteria

Student

Majors

Desired

Class

Preferenc

e

Xiaojiang

Du

dux@temp

le.edu

CST CIS Security and

Privacy Issues

of Android

Phones/Tablets

In this project, the undergraduate student will work with

Dr. Du and his Ph.D. students on Security and Privacy

Issues of Android Phones/Tablets. First we will identify

possible attacks on Android Phones security and privacy.

Second, we will design effective security schemes to

defend these attacks. Third, we will implement the

security schemes in real Android Phones. Fourth, we will

perform real experiments on Android Phones to evaluate

the effectiveness of the designed security schemes. If the

experimental results are good, we will write research

papers based on the design and experiments, and submit

to ACM/IEEE conferences.

Main Good

programming

skills - Good

communication

skills

Team working

skills

High GPA

Sound math

background

CS Sophomor

e, Junior

or Senior

7/2/2020 46


Faculty

Name

Email

Address

Faculty

College

Faculty

Departme

nt


Location

Important

selection

criteria

Student

Majors

Desired

Class

Preferenc

e

Xiaojiang

Du

xjdu@tem

ple.edu

CST CIS Internet of

Things (IoT)

Security

Internet of things (IoT) have approached us in the last

few years. For example, Apple Inc. released its first smart

watch in April, 2015; Nest Labs (acquired by Google in

2014) released its 3rd generation learning thermostat in

September 2015. In October 2015, Philips released a new

smart light network bridge that lets you control the

Philips Hue lights using mobile apps. More and more

giant IT companies added their IoT products line. IoT

devices and systems have been widely deployed in

various domains. There will be 20.8 billion IoT devices in

total by 2020. Needless to say, it’s a huge market and a

new technology innovation field.

However, IoT devices are vulnerable to a number of

attacks, either from traditional Internet attacks or from

specifically designed malwares targeting on IoT devices.

Recently, the IoT vulnerability led to a massive DDoS

attack in the US, which caused a large portion of the US

Internet services down for several hours.

In this project, we will study the IoT vulnerabilities and

develop effective security schemes to protect billions of

IoT devices and systems.

Main Good

programming

skills High GPA

Sound math

background

CIS, Math

Zoran

Obradovic

zoran.obra

dovic@te

mple.edu

CST CIS Predictive

analytics in big

data

Predicting the system behaviors by analyzing big data.

Applications include social networks, medicine, climate

and environment.

Main Need to know

Pyton -

Interdisciplinar

y interests; Self-

motivation;

Problem

Computer

Science,

Statistics,

Physics,

Biology,

Chemistry, 7/2/2020 47


Faculty

Name

Email

Address

Faculty

College

Faculty

Departme

nt


Location

Important

selection

criteria

Student

Majors

Desired

Class

Preferenc

e

Alexandra

Davatzes

alix@temp

le.edu

CST EES Provenance of

Mecca Hills

Thin section preparation and analysis of coarse

sandstones from the San-Andreas bounded basin of the

Mecca Hills, CA. Requires extensive knowledge of

petrography and sedimentology.

Main Petrography,

thin-section

preparation,

excel

EES Juior,

Senior

Alexandra

Davatzes

alix@temp

le.edu

CST EES Provenance of

Mecca Hills

Thin section preparation and analysis of coarse

sandstones from the San-Andreas bounded basin of the

Mecca Hills, CA. Requires extensive knowledge of

petrography and sedimentology.

Main Petrography,

thin-section

preparation,

excel

EES Juior,

Senior

Sujith Ravi sravi@tem

ple.edu

CST EES Opportunities

for co-location

of solar energy

(PV) with

agriculture for

cost reductions

and carbon,

water, and

energy

footprint

mitigation

Solar energy installations are rapidly increasing, due to

technological advances and policy support. Even though

solar energy provides several benefits such as reduction

of greenhouse gases, reclamation of degraded land, and

improving the quality of life in developing countries, the

deployment of large-scale renewable energy

infrastructure may negatively impact land and water

resources. A major challenge for the future is how to

meet the ever-expanding energy demand with limited

land and water resources, in the context of increasing

demand for alternative uses such as agricultural and

domestic consumption. This project will explore

opportunities to co-locate solar infrastructures and

agricultural crops to maximize the efficiency of land and

water use. The undergraduate student will involve in

data collection, data management, and visualization.

Main Experience in

data analysis

and data

visualization (in

R or Python) or

interest in

learning these

skills.

Environme

ntal

Science,

Geology,

Biology

Sophomor

e & Junior

7/2/2020 48


Faculty

Name

Email

Address

Faculty

College

Faculty

Departme

nt


Location

Important

selection

criteria

Student

Majors

Desired

Class

Preferenc

e

Sujith Ravi sravi@tem

ple.edu

CST EES Impacts of

biochar

application on

soil hydrologic

properties

Novel carbon sequestration strategies such as large-scale

biochar application may provide sustainable pathways to

increase the terrestrial storage of carbon in agricultural

areas along with increasing crop production. Biochar has

a long residence time in the soil and hence the

environmental impacts of biochar addition needs to be

investigated to identify the tradeoffs and synergies. This

project will investigate the impacts of biochar application

on soil hydrologic properties. The undergraduate student

will assist in laboratory activities including soil sample

preparation, measuring soil hydrologic properties, data

management and visualization. Other duties may be

assigned.

Main Undergraduate

course in

Hydrology/soil

science,

interest in

laboratory

experiments.

Environme

ntal Science

or Geology

Junior,

Senior

Ilya

Buynevich

coast@te

mple.edu

CST EES/Geolo

gy

Neoichnology:

Imaging of

Animal Traces

in Coastal

Sediments

Analysis of modern structures (casts) and georadar

images of several large organisms (crustaceans, reptiles)

that produce bioturbation structures (burrows, nests) in

coastal settings (beaches and dunes). The findings will

have implications to geomorphology,

sedimentology/stratigraphy, petroleum geology

(macroporosity), geoarchaeology, geoforensics, and

conservation (e.g., sea turtle nests).

Main Ability to work

both

independently

and as part of a

research team,

with a

possibility of

field data

collection.

Computer skills

(especially

MATLAB

Geology,

Environme

ntal

Science,

Biology,

Civil

Engineering

Sophomor

e, Junior

or Senior

7/2/2020 49


Faculty

Name

Email

Address

Faculty

College

Faculty

Departme

nt


Location

Important

selection

criteria

Student

Majors

Desired

Class

Preferenc

e

Ilya

Buynevich

coast@te

mple.edu

CST EES/Geolo

gy

Zoogeomorphol

ogy

Analysis of impact of native and invasive species on

landforms (beaches, dunes, river banks), with the goal of

assessing their role in geomorphic cascades and

identifying relict analogs.

Main Ability to work

as part of a

field team,

analysis of

aerial

photography

and satellite

images. This

project may

lead to a

research

publication in a

scientific

journal.

Geology,

Environme

ntal

Science,

Ecology,

Zoology

Sophomor

e, Junior,

Senior

Bojeong

Kim

bkim@tem

ple.edu

CST Geology Phytotoxicity of

metal oxide

nanoparticles

Ecological toxicity of nano-sized materials hasn't been

thoroughly evaluated. Through this project, plant toxicity

of metal oxide nanoparticles will be systematically

examined.

Main I will train

students for

proper skills

that need for

the project. No

skills needed.

Geology,

Environme

ntal

Science,

Chemistry,

Biology

Sophomor

e or

Higher

7/2/2020 50


Faculty

Name

Email

Address

Faculty

College

Faculty

Departme

nt


Location

Important

selection

criteria

Student

Majors

Desired

Class

Preferenc

e

Benjamin

Seibold

seibold@t

emple.edu

CST Mathemati

cs

Understanding

Traffic Flow and

Autonomous

Vehicles via

Robotics,

Simulation, and

Visualization

This project focuses on developing better models and

planning platforms for traffic flow and connected and

automated vehicles. Possible research directions are: (a)

Construct and program robot vehicles to behave like

human drivers or automated vehicles. (b) Devise better

models for stop-and-go traffic waves using real traffic

data. (c) Visualize traffic waves in a virtual reality

environment. No specific course or technical background

is required; but the projects require a keen interest in

mathematical models, simulations, data, programming,

and hardware (all or some of the above). Students will

work in the Center for Computational Mathematics and

Modeling.

Main Experience in

robotics, data

processing,

and/or

visualization

(particularly

Unity) is very

welcome.

Mathemati

cs,

Computer

Science,

Physics

Sophomor

e, Junior,

Senior

7/2/2020 51

fall 2020 cst faculty research projects fall 2020 … · regulates the action of rnase iii. these...

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