Announcements

Title: Navigating Covid-19 Uncertainties: Postsecondary Language Instructors’ Experiences
Major Professor: Heidi R. Bacon
Date: August 31, 2026
Location: Wham 112
Time: 10:00 a.m.
Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic left a lasting impact on second and world language education. Although extensive literature has focused on student experiences, instructors’ voices are often left out of the conversation. Language teaching relies heavily on relational, interactive communication, making sudden disruptions to physical classrooms especially complex. Postsecondary language instructors had mixed experiences with these changes, navigating heavy stress and emotional exhaustion while finding opportunities to build new practices and develop growth mindsets. To capture and understand how language instructors lived through these transitions before, during, and after the pandemic, I conducted this narrative inquiry through the lens of pragmatic constructivism. I interviewed seven postsecondary language instructors at a Midwestern U.S. public university, including faculty and graduate teaching assistants, and incorporated aspects of self-study through reflective journaling. Our collective experiences are revealed through these individual and shared accounts and practices. To analyze the data, I used Braun and Clarke’s (2022) six-phase thematic analysis and generated three key themes: surviving the shifts and refining instruction, steering disconnection and reclaiming the classroom community, and sustaining the self and re-evaluating professional values. Despite persistent challenges associated with changes in instructional locations and modalities, the instructors pursued student-centered pedagogies and prioritized students’ changing needs. Over time, these experiences reshaped their teaching efficacy and overall outlook on the profession. I share theoretical and practical implications for language instruction and higher education, pointing to the need for healthy professional boundaries and institutional support for language educators. Methodologically, I recommend extending this inquiry through longitudinal designs to track instructors’ ongoing experiences or expanding the self-study by fully embracing fluid, autoethnographic approaches. I also recommend investigating how emerging technologies and automated tools continue to shape language instructors’ professional identities and efficacy.

Title: Assessing Water and Sediment Control Basins (WASCoBs) on Trapping Sediment and Nutrients in Southern Illinois: Influence on Water Quality
Major Professor: Jon Schoonover
Committee Members: Karl Williard, Samuel Indorante
Date: August 24, 2026
Location: AG 209
Virtual Link: Join Durga Kandel's Thesis Defence via Teams
Time: 2:00 p.m.
Abstract: Agricultural non-point source pollution is a major cause of water quality degradation in the United States, primarily due to sediment and nutrient runoff from intensified agricultural practices. This has increased the need for effective Best Management Practices (BMPs) to mitigate soil erosion and reduce the export of sediment and nutrients to receiving waters. In-field structural BMPs, such as Water and Sediment Control Basins (WASCoBs), are considered effective and have been widely implemented by landowners to reduce soil and nutrient losses from agricultural fields. While some studies have evaluated their sediment trapping efficiency, limited research exists on their nutrient retention performance and on quantifying annual sediment deposition within basins, particularly under real-world field conditions. Over a two-year period, this study quantified sediment accumulation in thirty-two WASCoBs in Randolph, Jackson, and Williamson counties of southern IL, where six basins were intensively monitored for water quality using inflow and outflow during runoff-generating rainfall events. Runoff samples were collected from these watersheds and analyzed for total suspended solids (TSS), total phosphorus (TP), dissolved reactive phosphorus (DRP), ammonium-N, and nitrate-N. Annual sediment accumulation was measured from all 32 WASCoBs using feldspar pads and compared with UAV-derived digital surface models. An Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) was used to estimate sedimentation rates and proved to be effective for multi-year sediment estimates rather than annual estimates, as it is difficult to detect small accumulation annually, with an observed error of ±3 cm. These WASCoBs were highly effective in trapping sediment and total phosphorus, with average trapping efficiencies of 89% for TSS and 64% for TP. In contrast, dissolved nutrients exhibited substantially lower retention efficiencies, with 21% for DRP, 47% for ammonium, and 16% for nitrate, reflecting their mobility in solutions. Rainfall and slope were found to be significant drivers of sediment and nutrient transport. Along with that, field management practices played a critical role, with tilled and fallow conditions producing significantly higher sediment and nutrient loads compared to planted conditions. Feldspar pads placed within the basins showed varied accumulation of sediment across basins, ranging from 24.7 to 44,602 kg/ha annually, and trapped phosphorus ranged from 0.005 to 13.5 kg/ha, with a strong positive correlation between sediment deposition and trapped phosphorus (R² = 0.97, pp < 0.001). UAV photogrammetry was effective for estimating multiyear sediment accumulation (RMSE = 3.52cm), although surface residue and vegetation contributed to overestimation of sediment deposition in some basins. These results suggest that WASCoBs are highly effective in trapping sediment and particulate nutrients from agricultural fields to receiving waterways. However, to enhance WASCoB performance for overall nutrient retention, including water-soluble nutrients, WASCoBs should be combined with improved land management practices, such as reduced tillage and cover cropping. Additionally, consistent monitoring and maintenance can further improve their long-term performance. Therefore, the continued and integrated implementation of WASCoBs has strong potential to support sustainable agricultural production while achieving water quality and soil conservation goals.

Title: Radiometric Dating and Isotope Analysis to Determine the Source and Timing of Rare Earth Element-Bearing Fluid Mineralization at Hicks Dome, Hardin County, Illinois
Major Professor: Daniel Hummer
Committee Members: Liliana Lefticariu, Jarek Trela
Date: August 10, 2026
Location: Parkinson Laboratory Rm 104
Time: 2:00 p.m.

Title: Cannabis Programs at U.S. Colleges and Universities: A National Inventory of Accredited, Credit-Bearing Offerings
Major Professor: Jose da Cunha Leme Filho
Committee Members: Karla Gage, Steven Still
Date: July 24, 2026
Location: Agriculture Building, Room 209
Time: 3:00 p.m.
Abstract: Cannabis legalization has expanded across the United States, increasing demand for trained professionals across agriculture, healthcare, business, and public policy. No standardized national inventory of accredited, credit-bearing cannabis programs existed at the time of this study. This study aimed to compile a national inventory of accredited, credit-bearing cannabis programs and apply a Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP)-like framework to support analysis of disciplinary distribution and credential structure. Using a state-by-state search of institutional catalogs restricted to 3,362 regionally accredited U.S. colleges and universities, this study compiled a dataset of 980 courses across 67 institutions in 23 states, representing approximately 2% of the eligible institutional search pool. Program distribution is geographically uneven, with Illinois, Colorado, and California accounting for the largest concentrations. Disciplinary emphasis is led by agriculture, followed by multidisciplinary offerings, business, and health professions. Certificate-level credentials predominate; bachelor's and graduate-level pathways remain limited. Required credit hours are consistent within credential types across states, suggesting informal convergence toward field-wide norms. This inventory provides a replicable baseline for monitoring curricular growth, supporting workforce planning, and informing policy in both the cannabis and hemp sectors.

Title: Community Ecology of a Pre-restoration Brownfield and Vocalization Activity and Detectability of Grassland Winter Bird Communities
Major Professor: Brent Pease
Committee Members: Michael Eichholz
Date: June 22, 2026
Location: Agriculture Building, Room 209
Time: 9:00 a.m.
Abstract: Grasslands and prairies are one of the most imperiled land covers in Illinois, with an estimated 0.01% remaining of the historic distribution. Because of this, grassland restoration efforts are widespread and opportunistic, frequently targeting land with presumed low wildlife and economic value, such as brownfield sites. While it is often assumed that brownfields have little wildlife value, and thus prime candidates for grassland restoration, recent research has shown that some brownfields may harbor surprisingly large amounts of biodiversity and rare species, and that restoration of these sites may have unintended negative consequences on biodiversity. Therefore, it is important that those involved in brownfield restoration assess the flora and fauna that actively exist on the site, and how these species may be impacted by restoration efforts. To illustrate this, I conducted surveys for arthropods, birds, snakes, salamanders, and small mammals on a brownfield site (17.8 ha) slated for grassland restoration and for birds, snakes, and small mammals on restored grasslands of various sizes (5.5 - 145 ha) which served as reference sites in comparison to the brownfield. Year-round Hill numbers richness (qD) of all bird species and species of conservation concern was statistically comparable between all grassland sites and the brownfield, but Hill numbers richness of grassland-obligate species during the breeding season was statistically higher on all grassland sites compared to the brownfield. The brownfield had lower small mammal richness, but similar abundance to restored grasslands, but richness and abundance of snakes was lowest at the brownfield. While restoring brownfields to grasslands may result in some localized loss of generalist wildlife, it may be necessary for grassland-dependent wildlife, the more imperiled group, to persist and potentially recover in historic areas. As a result of the widespread loss of grasslands is the steep decline in populations of grassland-obligate bird species. While studies of grassland birds during the breeding season are common, studies during the non-breeding season are sparse. Additional bird surveys during the non-breeding season could further our ecological understanding of winter bird communities and improve study design during the nonbreeding season. However, current knowledge on the detectability of grassland species during the nonbreeding season is lacking. Here, I present results from non-breeding season surveys conducted during December 2024 - March 2025 using Passive Acoustic Monitoring at 15 sampling units across three grassland sites in Southern Illinois. My objectives were to assess how temporal and climatic factors such as day of season and temperature impact vocal activity and detectability. I used generalized additive models to estimate detection probabilities and AIC to rank detection models for each species. I documented species vocal activity and detectability to be highest for most species at the beginning of the season and decrease as the season progresses. Additionally, increasing temperature has a positive effect on detection probability across species. These results suggest that most species can be effectively surveyed during the non-breeding season using PAM.

Title: Habitat Suitability Analysis using Hydraulic Parameters the Endangered Higgins' Eye Perlymussel in Upper Pool 16 of The Mississippi River
Major Professor: Jonathan Remo
Committee Members: Justin Schoof, Ruopu Li
Date: June 18, 2026
Location: Faner C Wing, Room 4523
Time: 9:00 a.m.
Abstract: Degradation of riverine habitat and water quality caused by river engineering, urban development, and industrial agriculture has led to many freshwater mussel species (Unionidae) being designated as species of concern by state and federal agencies. The Higgins’ eye pearlymussel (Lampsilis higginsii) is a federally listed endangered species that historically occupied the Upper Mississippi River (UMR; upstream of the Missouri River confluence). The UMR was extensively modified during the 1930s through the construction of a series of low-head dams to support commercial navigation. These structures created a sequence of navigation pools and established a nine-foot navigation channel to facilitate commercial barge traffic. Maintaining this channel requires routine dredging, which disturbs the benthic environment and has been identified as a primary stressor affecting aquatic habitats along the UMR. Dredging activities can directly disrupt mussel beds by removing or burying individuals, altering substrate composition, and degrading habitat conditions essential for survival and reproduction. Despite these ongoing disturbances, the Higgins’ eye persists in some segments of the UMR. However, the extent to which channel maintenance dredging contributes to impacts on mussel populations remains insufficiently quantified, representing a critical gap that this study seeks to address. This study focuses on identifying and quantifying suitable habitat for large freshwater mussel species within the UMR’s Pool 16 using hydraulic and hydrologic variables that have been identified as important predictors of mussel habitat (i.e., frequency and magnitude of suitable shear stresses or flow velocities). The hydraulic variables are quantified using a 2D hydrodynamic model developed in HEC-RAS using a high-resolution topographic and bathymetric elevation model.  Model predictions were calibrated and validated using three longitudinal water surface elevation surveys along with other observed hydrologic data. Using this model derived, hydraulic variables, and mussel survey data; a habitat suitability analysis was undertaken. The suitability analyses were validated using mussel survey data collected in Pool 16 from 2019 to 2024. Results showed that shear stress values between 0.96 and 2.9 N/m² were most favorable for large mussel species, consistent with theoretical and analytical thresholds. Approximately 85% of surveyed mussels occurred in areas that remained inundated and experienced shear stress within this range at least 20% of the time, indicating a preference for locations with moderate flows capable of flushing fine-grained sediments from mussel beds at least annually. Preferred velocity ranges derived from the literature (0.3–1.0 m/s) were also evaluated, and mussels were found to occupy areas within this range at least 50% of the time, primarily under moderate to low flow conditions (40–90% daily exceedance probability). However, shear stress was ultimately selected as the primary habitat suitability metric because it directly reflects substrate stability and near bed hydraulic conditions than modeled depth averaged velocity. These findings have direct implications for navigational and environmental management by identifying areas where mussel habitat is more likely to occur. Habitat suitability analysis can be used to support management decisions regarding dredge spoil placement by helping managers minimize hazardous impacts to areas that are likely to support mussel habitat. This approach can assist in balancing navigational needs with the protection of endangered species.

Title: Still the Same Daughter, Still the Same Friend: How Social Media Enables Role Continuity in Transnational Relationships
Major Professor: Christina L. Ivey
Committee Members: Sakshi Bhati
Date: May 20, 2026

Title: Secure, Adaptive, and Efficient Heterogenous Federated Learning for Resource-Constrained Edge Intelligence
Major Professor: Koushik Sinha
Committee Members: Ansuman Bhattacharya, Abdur Rahman Bin Shahid, Gayan Amarasuriya Aruma Baduge
Date: May 15, 2026
Virtual Link: Join Sai Mani Teja Puppala 's Thesis Defense via Teams 
Time: 3:30 p.m.
Abstract: Federated learning enables distributed model training while preserving data privacy, but real-world edge environments remain difficult due to heterogeneous data, limited device resources, unreliable networks, high communication cost, and the need for personalization. This dissertation develops secure, adaptive, and communication-efficient federated learning frameworks for resource-constrained and heterogeneous edge intelligence. First, it introduces a self-regulated clustered federated learning system that forms clusters using data similarity, device capability, and geographical proximity. Driver nodes perform local aggregation, reducing global communication while improving robustness through checkpointing, peer-to-peer sharing, health verification, and dynamic driver selection. Second, the work extends federated learning to smart agriculture, where tractors and sensor-equipped edge devices operate under dynamic rural network conditions. The proposed architecture supports secure model-update transmission, adaptive clustering, checkpoint-based filtering, and network-aware communication while keeping raw agricultural data local. Third, a satellite-assisted hierarchical federated learning framework is proposed for large-scale precision agriculture. By combining ground-based learning with LEO and GEO satellite aggregation, the system improves connectivity, reduces communication cost, and supports fairness-aware learning across regions with unequal network access. Finally, this dissertation presents VGM$^2$, a personalized federated learning framework that communicates compact geometry-based statistics instead of model weights or gradients. Overall, this dissertation advances federated learning for secure, efficient, adaptive, and personalized model training across dynamic edge environments, with applications in smart agriculture, remote sensing, autonomous machinery, and distributed intelligent systems.

Title: Habitat Selection and Movement of Bobcats in a Fragmented Landscape
Major Professor: Clay Nielsen
Committee Members: Brent Pease, Eric Holzmueller, Jennifer Weber
Date: May 8, 2026
Virtual Link: Join Ellen Audia's Thesis Defense via ZoomLocation: Agriculture Building, Room 209
Time: 9:00 a.m.
Abstract: Bobcats (Lynx rufus) are a mesocarnivore capable of functioning as apex predators across many parts of North America. Despite their adaptability and generalist ecology, bobcats remain sensitive to habitat loss and fragmentation. In Illinois, bobcats were extirpated in the 1960s due to habitat loss and fragmentation as well as overexploitation but began recolonizing many areas in the late 1990s after receiving statewide protection. I investigated how a recolonized population of bobcats in the highly fragmented, agriculturally dominated landscape of north-central Illinois responds spatially to habitat loss and fragmentation by examining drivers of home range size, approaches for characterizing second order resource selection, and fine-scale habitat selection and movement behavior. Bobcats maintained substantially larger home ranges in north-central Illinois than populations in southern Illinois and other parts of their North American range, with larger home ranges containing less forest cover. Increased daily and monthly movement were the mechanisms behind larger home ranges. Despite challenges and tradeoffs associated with characterizing second order resource selection, I found that bobcats selected home ranges with greater forest cover that were generally concentrated along the Illinois River. Forests as well was their edges were also important at finer scales, with sex- and age- specific responses to them. Adult females and juvenile males generally exhibited different selection of forest edge types within bi-annual periods, whereas adult male selection was more consistent in direction across forest edge types. In contrast, adult males showed greater avoidance behavior of roads while juvenile males and adult females did not, however, all were generally more likely to move across roads in areas of greater forest cover. Overall, my research identifies mechanisms and patterns underlying bobcat spatial behavior in fragmented landscapes and provides insights relevant to bobcat and other mesocarnivore conservation and management in Illinois and similar Midwestern ecosystems.

Title: Nitrogen Dynamics in Riverine Wetlands of the Leveed Middle Mississippi River Floodplain
Major Professor: Jonathan Remo                                                                                                      
Committee Members: Marjorie Brooks, Steven Esling, Scott Hamilton-Brehm
Date: May 8, 2026                                                                                                                      
Location: Parkinson Laboratory Room 104
Time: 9:00 a.m.                                                                                                                      
Abstract: Excess dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) exported from agricultural landscapes within the Mississippi River basin degrades aquatic ecosystems and drinking water quality. Riverine wetlands can mitigate these impacts by providing hydrologic and geochemical conditions that support sediment microbial processes such as nitrification and denitrification, which convert reactive nitrogen to inert atmospheric gases. Wetlands associated with higher order rivers receive large DIN loads and therefore have high potential value for nutrient processing. This dissertation evaluates the capacity of wetland microecosystems to remove DIN within riverine wetlands along the middle Mississippi River (MMR), with a focus on the role of hydrologic connectivity. The MMR floodplain historically supported extensive wetlands, but levee construction and drainage reduced floodplain inundation and disconnected much of the valley from direct river flooding. Using an integrative, two-year field study, this research quantified water exchange, nitrogen dynamics, redox conditions, carbon availability, and microbial community composition within representative river connected and river disconnected wetlands. Methods included hydraulic measurements, calibrated surface water and groundwater models, stable isotopes, nutrient monitoring, sediment incubations, and 16S rRNA microbial sequencing. Results show that only river connected wetlands consistently support DIN removal. Episodic river flooding creates alternating oxidizing and reducing conditions that promote coupled nitrification and denitrification, resulting in nitrate reductions exceeding 87% within hyporheic splay sediments during spring and summer. River disconnected wetlands lack this hydrologic sequencing and instead function as net nitrate sources due to partial nitrification of groundwater derived DIN. Microbial analyses corroborate these findings, revealing greater diversity and functional potential for complete denitrification in connected wetlands. Collectively, these results demonstrate that hydrologic connectivity is a necessary condition for sustained DIN removal in MMR floodplain wetlands and highlight the importance of preserving or restoring river–floodplain interactions for basin scale nitrogen mitigation.

Title: Habitat Selection and Movement of Bobcats in a Fragmented Landscape
Major Professor: Clay Nielsen 
Committee Members: Brent Pease, Eric Holzmueller, Jennifer Weber
Date: May 8, 2026                                                                                                                 
Virtual Link: Join Ellen Audia's Thesis Defense via Zoom 
Time: 9:00 a.m.                                                                                                            
Abstract: Bobcats (Lynx rufus) are a mesocarnivore capable of functioning as apex predators across many parts of North America. Despite their adaptability and generalist ecology, bobcats remain sensitive to habitat loss and fragmentation. In Illinois, bobcats were extirpated in the 1960s due to habitat loss and fragmentation as well as overexploitation but began recolonizing many areas in the late 1990s after receiving statewide protection. I investigated how a recolonized population of bobcats in the highly fragmented, agriculturally dominated landscape of north-central Illinois responds spatially to habitat loss and fragmentation by examining drivers of home range size, approaches for characterizing second order resource selection, and fine-scale habitat selection and movement behavior. Bobcats maintained substantially larger home ranges in north-central Illinois than populations in southern Illinois and other parts of their North American range, with larger home ranges containing less forest cover. Increased daily and monthly movement were the mechanisms behind larger home ranges. Despite challenges and tradeoffs associated with characterizing second order resource selection, I found that bobcats selected home ranges with greater forest cover that were generally concentrated along the Illinois River. Forests as well was their edges were also important at finer scales, with sex- and age- specific responses to them. Adult females and juvenile males generally exhibited different selection of forest edge types within bi-annual periods, whereas adult male selection was more consistent in direction across forest edge types. In contrast, adult males showed greater avoidance behavior of roads while juvenile males and adult females did not, however, all were generally more likely to move across roads in areas of greater forest cover. Overall, my research identifies mechanisms and patterns underlying bobcat spatial behavior in fragmented landscapes and provides insights relevant to bobcat and other mesocarnivore conservation and management in Illinois and similar Midwestern ecosystems.