Recognition & Honors
Zhigang Deng (Computer Science, co-corresponding author) authored “Real-time Wing Deformation Simulations for Flying Insects” with colleagues from Jiangxi University of Finance and Economics and East China Jiaotong University. The paper, published at the ACM SIGGRAPH 2024 Conference, addresses simulation of intricate wing deformations of insects with applications in fields such as computer animation and virtual reality. The authors designed an efficient skeleton-driven model to simulate realistic wing deformations across a range of insects. They constructed a virtual skeleton, accurately reflecting the distinct morphological characteristics of individual insect species, as the foundation for the simulation of the intricate deformation wave propagation. To reproduce the bending effect in the deformations, they introduced both internal and external forces on the wing joints, drawing on periodic wing-beat motion and a simplified aerodynamics model. Through various simulation experiments, comparisons, and user studies, they demonstrate the model’s effectiveness, robustness, and adaptability. Deng gave an oral presentation on the paper at the ACM SIGGRAPH 2024 Conference, held July 27–August 2, in Denver.
Jimmy Flynn, postdoctoral fellow Travis Griggs (Earth & Atmospheric Sciences), and authors from eight other universities published a paper involving multiple research teams conducting atmospheric studies in Houston. The paper, “Spatially distributed atmospheric boundary layer properties in Houston – A value-added observational dataset,” published in the journal Scientific Data. Houston was the site for field campaigns aiming to further our understanding of the feedbacks between convective clouds, aerosols, and atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) properties. The proximity to the Gulf of Mexico and Galveston Bay motivated the collection of spatially distributed observations to disentangle coastal and urban processes. This paper presents a value-added ABL dataset derived from observations collected by the researchers between June 2–September 18, 2022. The dataset spans 14 sites distributed within a ~80-km radius around Houston.
Dan Hauptvogel and Jinny Sisson (Earth & Atmospheric Sciences), along with former graduate student Michael Comas, finished their second open access lab book, Investigating the Earth: Exercises for Physical Geology. This book is a collection of all new lab exercises for EAS introductory level courses. The lab book is printed by Kendall Hunt Publishing Company, so it will be available to all students in the Cougar Textbook Access Program. For students not participating in that program, a printed copy is available for ~$21 from Lulu Press. The authors had a small grant from the UH Library that funded this project.
Ognjen Miljanić (Chemistry) is one of 11 researchers selected to receive a Research Corporation for Science Advancement Cottrell Plus SEED (Singular Exceptional Endeavors of Discovery) Award for 2024. Each award is $60,000. The competitive Cottrell SEED Award is designed to support members of the Cottrell Scholar community in high-impact research activities. His award is in the New Research Directions category and is for the project, “Putting Water to Work: Binding of Methane Hydrates in Cyclobenzoin Supramolecular Hosts.”
Martin Nuñez (Biology & Biochemistry) co-authored “Disentangling the impacts of plant co-invasions: additive, antagonistic and synergistic” with colleagues from University of Kashmir, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India. Published in Biological Invasions, the paper explores the ecological effects of co-invasion (simultaneous invasion by multiple alien species). Using an analytical framework, the team investigated the individual and combined effects of two global plant invaders (Leucanthemum vulgare and Lupinus polyphyllus) on the aboveground vegetation (plant richness, diversity, and biomass) and belowground soil variables (pH, salinity, electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids, organic carbon, phosphorous, and potassium) of grassland communities in the Himalaya. They studied these ecological variables in comparable plots under four scenarios: both invaders absent, either of the two invaders present, and both invaders present. Based on the insights gained from this study, they highlight priority areas of future research in species co-invasions.
Julia Wellner (Earth & Atmospheric Sciences) was part of an international research team that deployed an unmanned submersible, Ran, underneath 350-meter-thick ice. For 27 days, the submarine travelled over 1,000 kilometers back and forth under the glacier, reaching 17 kilometers into the cavity of the Dotson Ice Shelf, West Antarctica. The craft scanned the ice above it with advanced sonar. Researchers have previously used satellite data and ice cores to observe how ice shelves change over time. Using Ran, the team got back the very first detailed maps of the underside of a glacier, revealing clues to future sea level rise. The findings, which represent a huge progress in the understanding of Antarctica’s ice shelves, were published in Science Advances, “Swirls and scoops: Ice base melt revealed by multibeam imagery of an Antarctic ice shelf.” The imagery from the base of the Dotson Ice Shelf will help researchers interpret and calibrate the data seen from satellites. While some findings were as expected, they saw new patterns on the glacier base that raised questions. The base is not smooth, but there is a peak and valley ice-scape with plateaus and formations resembling sand dunes. They hypothesize these may have been formed by flowing water under the influence of Earth’s rotation.