April 2021

Bertrand Cambou, professor in the Department of Applied Physics and Materials Science (APMS), had a patent granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office titled, “Generation of Keys of Variable Length from Cryptographic Tables.” The patent is for a cryptographic infrastructure that provides an approximation of the one-time pad scheme where a cryptographic table is shared between a message sender and recipient by a secure transfer.

Fatemeh Afghah, associate professor in the School of Informatics, Computing, and Cyber Systems (SICCS), co-authored the article, “Green internet of things using UAVs in B5G networks: A review of applications and strategies” published in Ad Hoc Networks. The article is an overview of the techniques and strategies proposed to achieve green internet of things (IoT) devices by using unmanned aerial vehicle infrastructure.

SICCS Regents’ professor Andrew Richardson and assistant professor Igor Steinmacher co-authored the article, “A Model-Independent Data Assimilation (MIDA) module and its applications in ecology,” which is forthcoming in Geoscientific Model Development. The study developed a model-independent data assimilation module that works in three steps to alleviate some of the technical burdens when applying data assimilation to ecology.

From SICCS, assistant research professor Patrick Jantz, postdoctoral scholar Richard Massey, postdoctoral scholar Chris Hakkenberg and professor Scott Goetz co-authored the article, “Mapping tree diversity in the tropical forest region of Chocó-Colombia” published in Environmental Research Letters. The study developed a methodology to map tree diversity in tropical forest regions using α-diversity estimates from inventories as response variables and forest structural metrics and environmental variables as predictors.

Michael McCarthy, associate professor of social work; Morgan Lee-Regalado Hustead, graduate student; Rachel Bacon, administrative services assistant with the Center for Service and Volunteerism and the Center for Health Equity Research (CHER); Evie Garcia, associate professor of educational psychology; Heather Williamson, assistant professor of occupational therapy; Julie A. Baldwin, Regents’ professor of health sciences and director of CHER; and Dorothy Dunn, retired associate professor of educational psychology, co-authored the article, “Development and Validation of a Community Assessment Survey for Diverse Rural Family Caregivers of People with Alzheimer Disease and Related Dementias” published in Family and Community Health. The study detailed the development and content validation process for a community assessment survey for rural white, Latinx and American Indian/Alaska Native caregivers for people with Alzheimer disease and related dementias.

Linnea Evans, assistant professor of health sciences and CHER, co-authored the article, “How are social determinants of health integrated into epigenetic research? A systematic review” published in Social Science Medicine. The study reviewed literature on social epigenetics and examined how empirical research to date has conceptualized and operationalized social determinants of health.

Professor of forestry Carol Chambers gave an invited plenary to the Canadian section and Ontario chapter of The Wildlife Society Virtual Conference Plenary titled, “Being a Wildlife Professional.” In terms of conservation goals, the Ontario Chapter seeks to evaluate and respond to principles involved in societal actions that affect wildlife or its habitats.

Brian Petersen, associate professor of geography, planning and recreation, received a grant of $98,436 from the Southwest Climate Adaptation Science Center for a project that works to understand how land managers in the Southwest perceive and respond to drought and fire-induced ecosystem stress. The project will involve colleagues from the U.S. Geological Survey agency and funds will cover travel costs and support from a graduate student for two years.

Professor of forestry Kristen Waring co-authored the article, “Adaptive evolution in a conifer hybrid zone is driven by a mosaic of recently introgressed and background genetic variants” published in Communications Biology. The study unraveled the genetic architecture of adaptive evolution in a conifer hybrid zone formed between pinus strobiformis and flexilis.

Morgan Vigil-Hayes, assistant professor in the School of Informatics, Computing, and Cyber Systems, co-authored the article, “Too Late for Playback: Estimation of Video Stream Quality in Rural and Urban Contexts” published in Passive and Active Measurement as part of the Lecture Notes in Computer Science book series. The study looked at how quality of service metrics could be used to infer quality of experience in LTE networks.

Professor of SICCS Kevin Gurney and postdoctoral scholar of SICCS Geoffrey Roest co-authored the article, “Estimating nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions for the Los Angeles Megacity using mountaintop remote sensing observations” published in Remote Sensing of Environment. The study derived urban N₂O emissions for the Los Angeles megacity using a unique dataset from a mountaintop remote sensing instrument.

Assistant professor of SICCS Truong Nghiem co-authored two articles. “ADMM-based Adaptive Sampling Strategy for Nonholonomic Mobile Robotic Sensor Networks” discussed the adaptive sampling problem in a nonholonomic mobile robotic senor network for efficiently monitoring a spatial field. “Distributed Experiment Design and Control for Multi-agent Systems with Gaussian Processes” focused on distributed learning-based control of decentralized multi-agent systems modeled by Gaussian Processes. Both articles were co-authored by SICCS graduate student Viet-Anh Le.

Associate professor of SICCS Fatemeh Afghah co-authored the article, “UAV-Assisted Communication in Remote Disaster Areas Using Imitation Learning” published in IEEE Open Journal of the Communications Society. The study looked at solutions to disturbed communication services for cellular users when cell towers were damaged during natural and man-made disasters. She also co-authored the article, “Green IoT using UAVs in B5G Networks: A Review of Applications and Strategies” which is a survey that presented an overview of the techniques and strategies proposed recently to achieve green Internet of Things using unmanned aerial vehicles infrastructure for a reliable and sustainable smart world.

Assistant professor of SICCS Igor Steinmacher and associate professor of SICCS Marco Gerosa co-authored two articles. “Quality Gatekeepers: Investigating the Effects of Code Review Bots on Pull Request Activities” analyzed the effects that software bots bring to Open Source Software and investigated how several activity indicators changed after the adoption of a code review bot. “Don’t Disturb Me: Challenges of Interacting with Software Bots on Open Source Software Projects” identified several challenges caused by software bots in pull request interactions of Open Source Software projects.

Assistant research professor of SICCS Logan Berner was named a 2021 Champion of the Environment by the ARCS Foundation for his research which focuses on how forests and tundra ecosystems are impacted by climate change. The ARCS Foundation is a national nonprofit organization founded and run entirely by women with the goal advancing American leadership, science, and technology.

Several individuals from the Department of Astronomy and Planetary Science (APS) spoke at the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy conference titled, “Rock, Dust and Ice: Interpreting planetary data.” The conference was a four-day virtual workshop which brought together observers, modelers and laboratory astronomers to discuss the interpretation of observations of rocks, ices and dust on and around solar system objects. The following presenters are listed below.

• • Josh Emery, associate professor
  • Eric MacLennan, former NAU undergrad
  • Patrick Tribbett, doctoral student
  • Audrey Martin, doctoral student
  • Annika Gustafsson, doctoral student
  • Will Grundy, adjunct of the Astrophysical Ice Lab

• MacLennan and Emery also co-authored the article, “Thermophysical Investigation of Regolith in the Asteroid Population I: Characterization of Thermal Inertia” published in Earth and Planetary Astrophysics. The study presents new thermal inertias for 239 asteroids and models object size, rotation period and heliocentric distance in a multi-variate model of thermal inertia.
• Chad Trujillo, associate professor of APS, co-authored the article, “The Reactivation of Main-belt Comet 259P/Garradd (P/2008 R1)” published in The Planetary Science Journal. The study presents observations of main-belt comet 259P/Garradd from four months prior to its 2017 perihelion passage to five months after perihelion, a time when the object was confirmed to be active.
• The National Science Foundation Office of Polar Programs selected a proposal led by Mark Salvatore, associate chair of APS, titled, “Moving Beyond the Margins: Modeling Water Availability and Habitable Terrestrial Ecosystems in the Polar Desert of the McMurdo Dry Valleys.” The collaborative project totals more than $1 million and focuses on remotely quantifying habitable environmental conditions throughout the McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica using a combination of satellite imagery, high-frequency meteorological data and ecological modeling.
• The NASA James Webb Space Telescope Cycle 1 proposal selections chose seven proposals from NAU in the sub-area of solar system science. David Trilling, interim chair of APS; Cristina Thomas, assistant professor of APS; Emery; and doctoral student Audrey Martin were either principal investigators or co-co-principal investigators on the selected projects. The seven proposals represent about 244 hours of telescope time.

Benjamin Ruddell, director of the School of Informatics, Computing, and Cyber Systems (SICCS), co-authored a paper that was selected to receive the Ecological Society of America’s Sustainability Science Award. The article titled, “US cities can manage national hydrology and biodiversity using local infrastructure policy” was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The award recognizes a contribution to the emerging science of ecosystem and regional sustainability through the integration of ecological and social sciences.

Associate professor in the School of Earth and Sustainability Laura Wasylenki co-authored the article, “Nickel isotopes link Siberian Traps aerosol particles to the end-Permian mass extinction” published in Nature Communications. The study reports on nickel isotopes for Permian-Triassic sedimentary rocks from Arctic Canada.

Bertrand Cambou, professor of applied physics and materials science (APMS); Michael Gowanlock, assistant professor of SICCS; and Bahattin Yildiz, associate professor of mathematics and statistics co-authored the article, “Post Quantum Cryptographic Keys Generated with Physical Unclonable Functions” published in Applied Sciences. The study described practical ways to generate keys from physical unclonable functions for lattice and code-based cryptography.

Professor of mechanical engineering Peter Vadasz co-authored the article, “On habit and habitat” published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society. The paper focuses on a link to a factor called ‘resource utilization’ which extends the context of population growth and predictive modelling of microorganisms.

Professor of SICCS Scott Goetz and assistant research professor of SICCS Patrick Jantz co-authored the protocol, “Aboveground Woody Biomass Validation Good Practices Protocol” published with the Committee on Earth Observation Satellites. The document provides accepted good practices in an open and transparent way for those involved in the production and validation of satellite-based woody aboveground biomass products.

Professor of mechanical engineering Peter Vadasz published two articles. “Centrifugal buoyancy in a rotating fluid layer next to and distant from the rotation axis” was published in Physics of Fluids and is an analytical investigation of the stability and onset of natural convection in a rotating fluid layer subject to a centrifugal body force. “A Hidden Anomaly in the Binary Mixture Natural Convection Subject to Flux Boundary Conditions” was published in Physics and investigates an anomaly regarding natural convection in a binary mixture subject to realistic boundary conditions.

Igor Steinmacher, assistant professor in the School of Informatics, Computing, and Cyber Systems (SICCS), and associate professor of SICCS Marco Gerosa co-authored the article, “Can I Solve It? Identifying APIs Required to Complete OSS Task” in Software Engineering. The study investigates the feasibility and relevance of labeling and issues in regards to Open Source Software projects. Gerosa also co-authored the article, “How Do Software Developers Use GitHub Actions to Automate Their Workflows?” published in Software Engineering. The study evaluated the use of GitHub Actions, a tool that provides automated workflows for repository maintainers.

Octaviana Trujillo, professor in the Department of Applied Indigenous Studies, was the recipient of the Mike Charleston Award sponsored by the Indigenous Peoples of the Americas Special Interest Group for the American Educational Research Association. The award recognizes distinguished contributions to research in Indigenous education.

Research professor of forestry Nadine Laporte was an expert panelist for the event, “Carbon Dioxide Removal Program 2021 Deep Dive” organized by ClimateWorks Foundation. Panelists discussed case studies in countries where significant potential exists for natural carbon capture in farms and forests.

Professor of forestry Carol Chambers contributed to the USDA’s final report for the Blue Ribbon Panel titled, “Surveillance, Management and Research of Vampire Bats and Vampire Bat Rabies in the U.S.” The report is the result of a 34-person panel discussion on vampire bat surveillance, management, research needs and communication strategies with a primary focus to address potential range expansion of a novel species and rabies virus into the U.S.

Associate professor of forestry Matthew Bowker presented his work titled, “Wonders of dryland moss: Syntrichia from genomes to ecosystems” at the UC Berkeley Jepson Herbarium workshop. The workshop was funded by an NSF Dimensions of Biodiversity grant which funded six partner institutions including NAU.

Professor of English Nicole Walker was featured in the interview, “‘Processed Meats’: Author Nicole Walker Looks At Personal Life To Explore Ties Between Communities, Individuals” published by KJZZ Radio Show. Walker discussed the construction and themes of her latest collection of essays, Processed Meats.

Assistant professor of anthropology Emery Eaves was on Flagstaff’s “20 Under 40” list. The Arizona Daily Sun and the Greater Flagstaff Chamber of Commerce have partnered to recognize local business and professional leaders achieving success in their field before the age of 40.

Assistant professor of forestry Alark Saxena, part-time faculty of forestry Alder Keleman Saxena and assistant research professor of SICCS Patrick Jantz presented at an international webinar titled, “Impacts of the pandemic on forest communities and forest resource use – What do we know, what do we need to know and how to find out?” The title of their presentation was “The Role of Forests in a ‘Green Recovery’ from the COVID-19 Pandemic and Beyond.”

Arden Day, research associate with the Institute for Human Development (IHD); Michele Lee, research coordinator for IHD; Ronda Jenson, associate professor of psychological sciences; Erica McFadden, IHD; Maureen Russell, assistant research professor in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences; Kelly Roberts, executive director of IHD and professor of educational specialties; John McDermott, IT support analyst at IHD; and Nicholas Blum, community program coordinator with IHD co-authored the article, “Coming Together during COVID-19: A Mixed Methods Exploratory Study on Collective Efficacy in a State Developmental Disabilities Network” published in Developmental Disabilities Network Journal. The study examines reported attributes of collective efficacy prior to COVID-19 and the predicted likelihood CE attributes will continue in the future among Developmental Disability Network members and their partners.

Russell; Cathron Donaldson, assistant director of IHD; Jill Pleasant, assistant director of IHD; and Roberts co-authored the article, “Using Telehealth to Adapt Service Delivery for Children during the COVID-19 Pandemic” published in Developmental Disabilities Network Journal. The article discusses the processes and the decisions that were made when converting several services offered by IHD to telehealth services during the pandemic.

Jenson co-authored the article, “The Impact of COVID-19 on Disability Services and Systems: Perspective from the Field,” published in the Developmental Disabilities Network Journal. The study looked at the effects experienced by individuals with disabilities and caregivers, the shifts in practice and research and supportive systems.

Heather Williamson, assistant professor of occupational therapy, co-authored the article, “Adapting Participatory Action Research to Include Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities during the COVID-19 Global Pandemic” published in Developmental Disabilities Network Journal. The study shares ideas and ways to include more researchers with disabilities in ongoing research efforts during the pandemic.