Marquette faculty and staff grants from April 2022

An icon graphic representing Research in Action, from the Beyond Boundries Strategic PlanMarquette University’s Office of Research and Sponsored Programs has announced the following grants awarded to university faculty and staff in April 2022.

Synthetic infiltration and nutrient treatment media for stormwater management

$50,000 – The Lafferty Family Foundation

  • Anthony Parolari (PI), assistant professor of civil, construction, and environmental engineering; Dr. Brooke Mayer, associate professor of civil, construction, and environmental engineering; and Dr. Alison Murray, assistant professor, mechanical engineering; all in the Opus College of Engineering.
  • Abstract: This project brings together three distinct research groups within the Opus College of Engineering and Water Quality Center to address the challenges of green infrastructure (GI) soil degradation and nutrient treatment reliability by engineering, manufacturing, and testing novel materials with improved stability and treatment capabilities. Because GI designs remain unreliable to date, the search for innovative materials to improve reliability is critical. The results of this research will generate preliminary data that the project team can use to apply for additional external funding to further develop and deploy novel materials for stormwater treatment in GI.

Fundamental Anaerobic Biotech Improvement for Waste Treatment and Renewable Energy

$50,000 – The Lafferty Family Foundation

  • Daniel Zitomer, chair and professor of civil, construction, and environmental engineering in the Opus College of Engineering.
  • Abstract: Anaerobic digestion is a waste treatment process in which microorganisms convert organic wastes to biogas that contains methane. The methane is burned in boilers and engine generator sets to produce heat and electricity. Therefore, anaerobic digestion is also a renewable energy producer. This project will look for ways to improve the financial and environmental sustainability of anaerobic digesters. One improvement involves digesting more waste to produce more methane and electricity.

Neuroimaging and behavioral evidence of subjective cognitive decline in adults at-risk for Alzheimer’s disease

$7,407 – Medical College of Wisconsin (CTSI)

  • Jacklynn Fitzgerald, assistant professor of psychology in the Klingler College of Arts and Sciences.
  • Abstract: Subjective cognitive decline (SCD) may be an early clinical marker of Alzheimer’s Disease, yet there remains no objective evidence of impairment for these individuals on present-day administered clinical neuropsychological tests. The overall goal of this study is to use well-established and sensitive research measures of cognitive and affective behavioral functioning to improve detection of potentially pathological SCD and to examine related neurobiological underpinnings using advanced multimodal neuroimaging techniques.

Actively Designing Green Stormwater Infrastructure to Stop Antibiotic Resistance

$50,000 – The Lafferty Family Foundation

  • Patrick McNamara (PI), associate professor; Dr. Walter McDonald, assistant professor; and Kassidy O’Malley, a Ph.D. student; all in the Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering in the Opus College of Engineering.
  • Abstract: This research team has developed a novel area of research that intertwines stormwater and antibiotic resistance. Now that the researchers have developed methods and employed them to understand basics about antibiotic resistance in stormwater, they are ready to take the next steps to understand how and why green stormwater infrastructure can alter antibiotic resistance.

Design and Experimental Validation of Space Latching Mechanisms

$25,000 – Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium – State

  • Philip Voglewede, associate professor of mechanical engineering in the Opus College of Engineering.
  • Abstract: Researchers will investigate developing new latching mechanisms theory for space missions that is validated through experimental testing. This project will open new lines of space-related research infrastructure at both Marquette and MSOE.

Orthodontic diagnosis with Artificial Intelligence

$20,000 – American Association of Orthodontists Foundation

  • Shivam Mehta (PI), clinical assistant professor of dental developmental sciences, and Dr. Dawei Liu, associate professor of orthodontics, in the School of Dentistry.
  • Abstract: This project entails the development of a user-friendly artificial intelligence-based decision making for orthodontic diagnosis. It will utilize more than 14,000 cephalometric radiographs and a multicomponent model using the deep learning technique, regression convolutional neural networks (RCNN).