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2026 Capstone Conference Schedule

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Join the celebration of capstone research done by this year's cohort of master's students!

Food and refreshments will be available during the middle portion of each day of the event. Be sure to join us on Friday at 6 p.m. for a reception and performance by SEAS own Ecotones!

For questions, email [email protected].

Return to Capstone event overview page

Time

Room 1028

Room 1040

Room 2024

1–1:30 p.m.

Meijer: Customer Recycling Program Expansion

Presenters: Sachi Patil, MS (SusSys); Angela Lembang, MS (BEC); Zeyuan Fu, MS (SusSys)

Environmental Media Association: Assessing the Environmental Media Association's Green Seal for Production's Impact on Sustainability in the Media and Film Industry

Presenters: Daniela Ifju, MS (EJ); Rezwana Islam, MS (SusDev, ESM); Jaedyn Medrano, MS (BEC, EJ); Sabrina Sugg, MS (ESM, BEC); Han (Aaron) Yang, MS (SusSys)

Lisa Vaiman (ESM) 

Reforming Michigan’s Stance on Bats

1:30–2 p.m.

Meijer: Regenerative Agriculture Roadmap Development

Presenters: Annika Throne, MS(SusDev); Licieli Olivo, MS(SusDev);Tianqi Xu, MS(SusSys); Kejia Chen, MS(SusSys)

MI Hydrogen: Hydrogen Ecosystem Planning in Southeast Michigan for Return-To-Base Trucking

Presenters: Michael Ettlinger, MS (SusSys); Nathaniel Hodgson, MS (SusSys); Brett Johnson, MS (SusSys); Chen-Hao Kao, MS (SusSys); Kevin Losee, MS (SusSys); Anagha Menon, MS (SysSys); Aditya Swarnkar, MS (SysSys)

Aohua Tian (GDS)

Beyond Visual Structure: Examining the Contextual Nature of Urban Perception through Cross-City Semantic Modeling

2–2:30 p.m.

Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum; Leslie Science and Nature Center: Sustainability Assessment and Strategy

Presenters: Eliana Provizer, MS (BEC); Melika Sizar, MS (BEC & EJ); Natalie Dwortz, MS (SusSys)

Council of State Governments (Midwest); National Parks Service- Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance Program; PA Department of Environmental Protection; PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources; Erie County Department of Planning and Community Development: Designing Connections: U.S. Great Lakes Waterfront Trail

Presenters: Christine Sit, MS EPP, BEC, EJ; Emily Carra, MLA; Xiao Chen, MLA; Xingyan Chen, MLA; Roberto Carriedo Ostos, MLA, ESM

Shaman Garcia (ESM)

Camp AGQ Field Guide and Ecological Exploration

2:30–3 p.m.

Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies (CACS): Assessing Spruce Forest Health and Communicating Ecological Services in Homer, Alaska

Presenters: Alex Rosevelt, MS (ESM, GDS); Sarah George, MS (GDS); Tessa Magsoudi, MS (ESM); Yuting Pu, MS (ESM, GDS

City of Detroit Office of Sustainability: Detroit Regenerative Futures: A Gamification Strategy for Vacant Land Activation in Detroit

Presenters: Anya Nona, MLA; Shea Vatalaro, MS (ESM, EJ); Marsalis Jolley, MLA;  Xijuan Xiao MS (SusSys); Jessica Soulliere, MLA

Madisyn Guza (ESM)

Standing Out and Speeding Up: Sexual Dimorphism and Rates of Evolution in Passerine Birds

3–3:30 p.m.

Michigan College of Enginering- Center for Digital Asset Finance, LimnoTech, Triangle Digital: Resilience-Linked Agricultural Finance

Presenters: Katie Kowal (SusSys), Shreya Joshi (SusSys), Mariana Lopes (Erb - MBA/SusSys), Tzu-Ting Lin (SusDev)

Ann Arbor Parks and Recreation: Burns Park Realization

Presenters: Alyssa Murphy, MLA; Hope Fryer, MLA; John Slinkman, MLA; Leah Kauffman, MLA; Yidong Shen, MLA

Yixin Hu (GDS)

A National-scale, Building-level View of Functional Urban Structure in the United States

3:30– 4 p.m.

Energy Equity Project: The National Roadmap for Ending Utility Shutoffs

Presenters: Zoë Bishop MS (EJ); John Blake MS, MPP (EJ, EPP); Melissa Lewis (BEC, EJ); Bibi Macias (EJ) 

Wright Museum: Green Campus Plan for The Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History

Presenters: Emily Blenck, MS (EJ); Keeton Bigham-Tsai, MS (SusSys); Paige Hughart, MLA/MS (ESM); Stevie Lehman, MLA/MS (ESM); Zeyu Wang, MLA 

Yifanzi Zhu (MLA, MS)

Pollutant Source and Rainfall Effects on E. coli levels in 247 Michigan Watersheds

4–4:30 p.m.

Yun Li, MS (GDS)

Health and Climate Benefits of Solar Photovoltaic in European Countries and the Role of Imports

 

Envision Resilience: A Framework for Coastal Resilience: Networks and Strategies in the Envision Resilience Challenge

Presenters: Zekai Zhu, MLA, MS (GDS); Mengran Yin, MLA, MS (GDS); Yunjia Zou, MLA; Xinhe Chen, MLA, MSI; Weizhe Tang, MLA 

Shaoying Zheng (GDS)

Marginal Vegetative Responses to High-Frequency Irrigation in Wheat: A Remote Sensing Analysis

4:30–5 p.m.

Envision The Choptank: Advancing Marsh Adaptation Projects in the Choptank River through Management Assessments and Landscape Change Visualization Products

Presenters: Ilana Greenspan, MS (ESM, GDS); Mia McNinch, MS (ESM, EPP); Paul Cirillo, MS (ESM); Bojun (William) Zong, MS (ESM)

AboutFace Detroit: East Village Catalyst Plan: Building Community-Engaged Resilience in Detroit

Presenters: Geoffrey Batterbee, MS (EJ/EPP); Devin Derr, MLA; Anna Peppet, MS (BEC); Mujie Sui, MS (GDS); Minxuan Zhang, MLA

Jiaying Zhou (SusSys)

Comparative Environmental Impact Assessment of Three Food Waste Management Pathways in Ann Arbor

5–5:30 p.m.

Detroit Community Composting Collective Project (DCCCP); Sanctuary Farms; Detroit Black Community Food Sovereignty Network: Life from Loam in the Motor City

Presenters: Mollie Stadlin, MS (EJ), Mateo Garcia, MS (ESM); Bionca Stewart, MS(SusDev); Natalie Nieman, MS (ESM, BEC)

Matthaei Botanical Gardens & Nichols Arboretum: Ecological Inventory and Monitoring for Biodiversity Conservation

Presenters: Brendan Arnold, MS (ESM); Ally Audia, MS (ESM); Siyu Luo, MS (ESM); Linnea Lyons, MS (ESM, BEC)

Zhiqing Huang (GDS)

Reconstructing Sentinel-2 Rice NDVI Time Series for Cloudy Seasons in India

TimeRoom 1028Room 1040Room 2024
9–9:30 a.m.

Office of Climate and Energy (OCE); Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE); State of Michigan: Funding the Michigan Healthy Climate Plan (MHCP)

Presenters: Marianna Coelho Uchoa, MS (EPP, BEC); Anisa Farrell, MS (EPP, EJ, BEC); Jonathan Rosales, MS (EPP); Maria Sandoval, MS (EPP)"

Huang Giang Duong (GDS)

Climate Migration and Sustainable Urban Growth in the Lake Victoria Basin

Natalie Neumann (ESM)

Growth and Survival of Three Temperate Forest Tree Species in Response to Environmental Conditions

9:30–10 a.m.

Responsible Alpha: Analysis and Recommendations of Global Biodiversity (ESG) Metrics

Presenters: Paul Jonas, MS(ESM, BEC); Jade Jin, MS(SusSys); Xinrui He, MS(ESM); Jerome Williams, MS(SusDev, SusSys)

CIGLR/GLOS: Societal Impacts of Changing Great Lakes Ice Conditions

Presenters: Maryn Cunningham, MS (ESM, BEC); Jack Day, MS (EPP, ESM);  Jia-Jhen Ho, MS (GDS); Kenneth Ho, MS (EPP, ESM); Shannon Turner, MS (EPP, ESM); Sakshi Venkateswaran, MS (EPP)

Yiming Tan (SusSys)

Evaluating Underground Hydrogen Storage Potential in Southeast Michigan: Geologic Characterization, Risk, and Cost Analysis

10–10:30 a.m.

Instituto para la Investigación y Acción en Agroecología - Puerto Rico: Café Gran Batey and the Formation of an Agroecological Landscape in the Mountains of Puerto Rico

Presenters: Tyler Bunday, MS (EJ, ESM); Sofia Jordan, MS (ESM); Isabela Miñana Lovelace, MS (EJ, BEC); Qia Tan, MS (SusDev); Ethan Zerger, MS (ESM)"

Alliance for the Great Lakes: The Story of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative: Past, Present, and Future of Great Lakes Stewardship

Presenters: Chrysi Beltsos, MS (SusSys); Camryn Hurley, MS (EPP & BEC); Emma Kubitz, MS (EJ & EPP); Olivia LaForce, MS (EJ & BEC); Will Tschetter, MS (ESM)"

Megan Roe (ESM)

Assessing the Effects of Glyphosate Exposure on Non-Target Aquatic Macroinvertebrates Utilizing in-situ Field Exposure Technology 

10:30–11 a.m.

ReGenerOsa, Los Higuerones Cooperative: Community Resilience: Diverse Economies, Community Supported Agriculture, and Resource Sharing on the Osa Peninsula

Presenters: Amanda Arendt, MS (GDS, ESM); Fynn Haney, MS (BEC, SusDev); Shreya Mishra, MS (EPP), Laurel Petrides, MS (ESM, BEC); Samantha Wheelis, MS (EJ, ESM); Jenny Zhang, MBA/MS (BEC, SusDev)

Michigan Sea Grant: Planning for More Equitable Implementation of Flooding Infrastructure in Berrien County, MI and Milwaukee, WI


Presenters: Kristen Bashen, MS (EPP); Keyan Li, MS (EPP); Jenny Miller, MS (EPP); Adriana Nieto, MS (SusDev/GDS); Nathan Parr, MS (EJ); Riley Pohlman, MS (EPP)

Kunyu Yang (MLA, GDS)

Mapping Resort Expansion and Ecosystem Impacts Using High Resolution Satellite Imagery

11–11:30 a.m.

Pearl Edison: Residential Decarbonization Simplified: Expanding Pearl Edison’s electrification concierge service to include water heating
 

Presenter: Rebecca Falash (GDS)

Great Lakes Business Network: Addressing Microplastics in the Great Lakes via the Great Lakes Business Network

Presenters: Meredith King, MS (BEC); Claire Newman, MS (EPP); Lily Buckley, MS (EPP), Elissa Adamson, MS (EPP)

Hantao Wang (GDS)

Distinguishing Direct-Seeded and Transplanted Rice Using Sentinel Data and Random Forest Classification in Odisha, India

11:30– 12 p.m.

National Wildlife Federation (NWF): Leveraging Policy and Community Engagement to Promote Responsible Deployment of Large-Scale Solar

Presenters: Ruth Kazmerzak, MS (EPP); Elisabeth Sinclair, MS (EPP); Kate Cochran, MS (EPP); Kelly Biscoglia, MS (EPP);  Peter Rubin, MS (EPP); Alessia Bernocco, MBA/MS (SusSys)"

FLOW Water Advocates: A Groundwater Strategy for Michigan: Protecting the “Sixth Great Lake”

Presenters: Kelsey Campana, MS (EPP, ESM); Paige Lund, MS (EPP, GDS); Lillian Wege, MS (EJ), MURP; Emma Welsh, MS (ESM), ME

Xinyuan Liu (ESM)

Coupling Predation with Intransitive Competition: A Modeling Analysis of Pest Population Dynamics in Coffee Agroecosystems

12–1 p.m.

Lunch and Honors Awards Ceremony

TimeRoom 1028Room 1040Room 2024
1–1:30 p.m.

Fuyao Yang (ESM)

Investigating the Effects of Agricultural Diversification on Soil Organic Carbon Dynamics in Southeastern Michigan 

Indigenous Livelihoods Enhancement Partners (ILEPA): Mapping the Historical Land Loss and Associated Injustices Meted on the Maasai of East Africa: A Digital Analysis of Ancestral Dispossession, Displacement, and Restoration from 1900 to Present

Presenters: Arjun Ramachandran (MS, SusSys); Doris Kiambati (MS, SusDev, EJ); Dillon Foster (MS, SusDev) 

Yaxuan Guo (ESM)

Effects of Dicamba and the Adjuvant PreferenceⓇ on Pollinator Health

1:30–2 p.m.

Southern California Edison: Climate Adaptation Planning for Southern California Edison Transmission And Distribution Systems

Presenters: Brendan Francolini, MS (SusSys); Yoga Nugroho, MS (SusSys); Charlie Lenk, MS (SusSys); Xingning Sa, MS (SusSys)

Buffalo Nations Grasslands Alliance: Supporting Tribal-Led Conservation and Connectivity in the Northern Great Plains Ecoregion: Geospatial and Policy Tools to Prioritize Lands for Restoration and Funding

Presenters: Mary Kelly, MS (GDS); Lu Buller, MS (GDS); Bridget Hennessy, MS (ESM, GDS); Gus Rytting, MS (ESM, GDS); Maya Khesin, MS (EPP, EJ)

Xu Qiang (GDS)

Mapping Distribution of Invasive Plant Species in Michigan Using Citizen Science Data, Remote Sensing, and Deep Learning

2–2:30 p.m.

Myrcella-Selene Kobe Bowen (EJ)

Amphibious Futures in Jefferson-Chalmers, Detroit, MI

Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Natural Resources Dept: Providing Support for Co-Stewardship Efforts of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Through a StoryMap and an Analysis of the Ecological History and Management of Grassy Balds

Presenters: Eleanor Livingston, MS (ESM), Blair Baeten, MS (SusDev)

 

Grace Luo (ESM)

Phosphorus Dynamics in Newly Restored Wetlands

2:30–3 p.m.

Andrew Van Baal (SusSys)

Energizing Equity in Michigan: Analysis & Insights Supporting a Comprehensive Energy and Environmental Justice Utility Strategy

Native Lands Advocacy Project of Village Earth: Indigenous Land Statistics: Navigating Ethical Issues for Conservation

Presenters: Leah Bieniak, MS (EJ); Daniela Cruciani, MS (EPP); Tiffany Harris, MS (EJ); Cole Prescott, MS (EJ)

Jiangpan Bian (GDS)

Estimation of Wheat Sowing Date and Yield Using Sentinel-2 

3–3:30 p.m.

Jeremy Goldberg (ESM)

Ammonia Loss From Conventional and Urine-Derived Fertilizers

Southeast Michigan Urban Deer Coalition and City of Farmington Hills: Supporting Urban Deer Management in Southeast Michigan

Presenters: Lauren Jones, MS (ESM, EPP); Andy Metz (ESM); Zach Cavanaugh (ESM); George Ackerman (EJ), Tristan Compton (ESM, GDS); Chelsea (Muzi) Yang (ESM, GDS)

Magdalia Campobasso (SusSys)

Carbon Sequestration in Maple Sugarbushes: Measurement, Policy, and Best Practices

3:30–4 p.m.

Amelia Clark (ESM)

Land Management and Phosphorus Cycling in Agricultural Soils in the Western Lake Erie Basin

MBGNA, Huron River Watershed Council: Beaver Coexistence: Dam Worth it!

Presenters: Evyn Ladendorf-Lilly, MS (ESM); Sydney Lubeck, MS (ESM); Teresa Li, MS (ESM); Cooper Offord, MS (ESM); Mel Shea, MS (ESM)

Hannah Hale (ESM)

Monitoring the Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake (Sistrurus catenatus) Population at the Matthaei Botanical Gardens to Predict Detectability for Future Designs

4–4:30 p.m.

Zurich Insurance Group: Climate Havens as a Form of Transformative Climate Adaptation: Definitions, Evaluation Framework, and Recommendations

Presenters: Alice Yeom, MS (SusDev, SusSys); Arielle Smith, MS (SusDev, SusSys); Kunjal Parnami, MS (SusSys, SusDev); Yejin Kim, MS (SusDev); Zhao Lu, MS (SusSys)"

U-M Office of Campus Sustainability; U-M Facilities and Operations: U-M Natural Lands Assessment: Measuring What Matters

Presenters: Travis Blume, MS (GDS, ESM); Camryn Brent, MS (BEC, ESM); Brad Davis, MS (ESM, GDS); Olivia Freer, MS (ESM); Sara Kinney, MS (ESM), MURP"

Sarah Backstrand (EPP)

Miners' Voices on the Governance of Artisanal Cobalt in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

4:30–5 p.m.

National Laboratory of the Rockies: A Quantitative and Qualitative Study to Inform a Circular Economy for Solar Photovoltaics in the United States

Presenters: Kade Phoonsiri, MS (SusSys), Jianshen Yu, MS (SusSys), Megan DiFranco, MS (EPP and ESM), Edgar Venegas, MS (SusSys)"

LinkedIn: Assessment of the Embodied Water in Purchased Electricity for LinkedIn

Presenters: Stella Li, MS (SusSys), Treye Meadows (SusSys + SusDev), Roxanne Wang (SusSys), Bonny Wysocki (SusSys and SusDev)"

Major Stevens (EPP)

Decarbonization through Energy Audits: Understanding Energy Audit Information Form & Functions to study Their Impacts on Consumer Decisions

5–5:30 p.m.

Neal Harbaugh (ESM)

Seasonal Climate Effects on Carbon Exchange in a Northern Michigan Temperate Forest

Oikos Tree Crops and Michigan Agroforestry Working Group: Visualizing and Analyzing Agroforestry Crop Scalability & Marketability (Part 1)

Presenters: Milan Anderson, MS (ESM); Ruilin Meng, MS (ESM); Yuxuan Gao, MS (ESM); Qan Xu, MS (ESM)"

Xiaoyuan Wang (EPP)

From Conventional to Precision: A DNDC-Based Life Cycle Assessment of Water–Nitrogen Management Strategies in Apple Orchards

5:30–6 p.m.

Zechen Song (SusDev)

State Power and Environmental Resistance: Comparing the Policy Pathways of the Three Gorges Dam in China and the Tellico Dam in the United States 

Oikos Tree Crops and Michigan Agroforestry Working Group: Visualizing and Analyzing Agroforestry Crop Scalability & Marketability (Part 2)

Presenters: Milan Anderson, MS (ESM); Ruilin Meng, MS (ESM); Yuxuan Gao, MS (ESM); Qan Xu, MS (ESM)"

Simón 'Fime' de la Fuente (EJ, ESM)

Oro Negro <> Agüita de Colonia: 
Overlaying Stories in Borikén Coffee 


(Note: Pre-recorded Presentation)

6–7 p.m.

Reception & Ecotones Performance

Return to Capstone event overview page
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