Department of Fisheries Oceanog raphy
\nPhD Dissertation Proposal Defense
\n"Fishery Interacti ons\, Capture Stress\, and Post-Release Survival of Three Prohibited Shark Species in the Northeast U.S."
\nBy: Lindsay L. Graff
\nAdvis or
\nDr. Lauran Brewster (UMass Dartmouth)
\nCommittee Members
\nDr. Steven X. Cadrin (UMass Dartmouth)\, Dr. Geoffrey Cowles (UMa ss Dartmouth)\, Dr. Tobey Curtis (NOAA)\, and Dr. Gregory Skomal (MA DMF)< /p>\n
Wednesday May 20\, 2026
\n10:00 AM
\nSMAST East 101-10 3
\n836 S. Rodney French Blvd\, New Bedford
\nand via Zoom
\n\n
Abstract:
Incidental capture in non-target c ommercial and recreational fisheries can contribute to mortality of prohib ited dusky (Carcharhinus obscurus)\, sand tiger (Carcharias taurus)\, and white (Carcharodon carcharias) sharks. Slow growth\, late maturity\, low r eproductive output\, and prolonged recovery make these species especially sensitive to even modest levels of fishing-related mortality\, particularl y when mortality occurs during immature life stages or through delayed pos t-release effects. Fishery interactions\, capture stress\, and post-releas e outcomes will be examined across the Northeast U.S. by integrating comme rcial fishery observer data\, blood-based indicators of capture stress\, a nd satellite telemetry. Fleetwide bycatch and at-vessel mortality in North east and Mid-Atlantic commercial gillnet and trawl fisheries are quantifie d using long-term observer records (Chapter 1). The physiological effects of recreational rod-and-reel capture in the New York Bight will be evaluat ed using blood-based indicators of capture stress and associated capture m etadata (Chapter 2)\, and post-release behavior\, recovery\, and apparent survival after recreational capture will be evaluated using satellite tele metry\, with emphasis on short-term recovery trajectories\, delayed mortal ity\, and variability in vertical behavior after release (Chapter 3). Toge ther\, these chapters are intended to provide a more complete understandin g of how incidental capture affects prohibited sharks by integrating fishe ry interactions\, capture stress\, and post-release outcomes across commer cial and recreational fisheries\, while generating information directly re levant to mortality estimation\, handling guidance\, and conservation mana gement in the Northeast U.S.
\nJoin Meeting
\nhttps://umassd.z oom.us/j/91339993877
\nNote: Meeting ID and passcode required. Pleas e email contact to obtain.
\nFor additional information\, please con tact Callie Rumbut at c.rumbut@umassd.edu
Event page: https://www.umassd.edu/events/cms/fishery-interactions-capture-stress-an
d-post-release-survival-of-three-prohibited-shark-species-in-the-northeast
-us.php
Event link:
https://umassd.zoom.us/j/91339993877
Advisor: Dr. Wei-Shun Chang\n
Committee Members: Dr. Brian Blanchette\, Dr. Jamie Lawton
\n< p>Abstract: Anisotropic gold nanoparticles are of significant interest due to their tunable aspect ratios\, which directly influence their optical p roperties and plasmonic behavior. Control over these parameters enables en hancement of plasmon resonance for applications in catalysis\, photochemis try\, and nanotechnology. However\, a major challenge in nanoparticle asse mbly is achieving a high yield of dimers while suppressing the formation o f larger\, uncontrolled aggregates. This research focuses on optimizing re action conditions to promote selective dimer formation of anisotropic gold nanoparticles through wet chemical methods with particular emphasis on pH control and reaction kinetics. By fine-tuning these parameters\, the work aims to regulate interparticle coupling and minimize aggregation beyond t he dimer state. Dimerized nanoparticles enable strong plasmonic coupling a nd localized electromagnetic field enhancement\, which are critical for hi gh sensitivity of plasmonic sensing applications. Structural and optical c haracterization was conducted using scanning electron microscopy\, UV-Vis spectroscopy while dynamic light scattering and circular dichroism is disc ussed as a complementary technique for evaluating size distribution\, surf ace charge in solution\, and chirality signal. Overall\, this work provide s insight into the controlled formation of gold nanorod dimers and establi shes strategies to enhance yield.\nZoom Meeting: Meeting ID: 852 4961 5385 Passcode: cw0NBu
Event page: https://www.umassd.edu/
events/cms/ms-thesis-defense-by-kayla-darosa.php
Event link: https://us05web.zoom.us/j/85249615385?pwd=WOarhV9YbHM2bKbbLVjv7hfPQYb
RnF.1
Advisor: Dr. Long Jiao\, Comput
er & Information Science
Committee Members:
Abstract:
\nAI agents have seen rapid adoption in recent years\, and many of them
now include a memory database that allows them to store information about
their users and reference it across separate conversations. However\, thi
s feature also creates a new attack surface\, where adversaries can inject
poisoned memories into the database of an agent in order to degrade its p
erformance. Previous research in this area has focused on attacks that eit
her insert poisoned memories directly into the memory store or assume that
the attacker knows in advance which questions the agent will be asked. Th
is thesis attempts to poison a memory database without either of those cap
abilities\, relying only on conversation history that has already been sto
red in memory and on knowledge of the type and retrieval policy of the mem
ory system. From this corpus\, it selects up to k conversations using clos
eness to the hubs of the memory database — regions of the embedding spac
e where many unrelated user queries tend to retrieve from — as the guidi
ng selection criterion. Conversations chosen in this way are disproportion
ately retrieved across a wide range of future queries\, displacing legitim
ate context and broadly degrading the agent's responses. Results show that
this is an effective way to reduce overall AI agent performance with mini
mal information about the agent itself. This research demonstrates that
the embedding geometry of retrieval-based memory systems is itself a vulne
rability: an adversary can exploit the structure of the embedding space wi
thout ever needing to know what the agent will be asked.
Fo
r further information please contact Dr. Long Jiao at ljiao@umassd.edu
Undergraduate & Graduat e Student Ceremony I
\nCressy Field at 10 a.m. on Thursday\ , May 21\, 2026 - Add t o Calendar.
\nFor students from the:
\nTentative Schedule:
\ n
Event page: https://www.umassd.edu/
events/cms/undergraduate--graduate-student-commencement-ceremony-i.php
Event link: https://www
.umassd.edu/commencement/
Doctoral Ceremony
\nMain Auditorium at 4 p.m. on Thursday\, May 21\, 2026 - Add to Calendar.
\nTentative Sc hedule:
\nEvent page: https://www.umass
d.edu/events/cms/doctoral-commencement-ceremony.php
Event link: https://www.umassd.edu/commenc
ement/
Undergraduate & Graduat e Student Ceremony II
\nCressy Field at 10 a.m. on Friday\, May 22\, 2026 - Add to Calendar.
\nFor students from th e:
\nTentative Schedule:
\nEvent page: https://www.umassd.edu/events/cms/undergraduate--graduate-student-comm
encement-ceremony-ii.php
Event link: https://www.umassd.edu/commencement/
Financial Aid Services wants to remind all students to file their FAFSA! Join Financial Aid Services for Zoom FAFSA Help Labs on Fridays from 2-3pm for help filing your FAFSA and learning more about financial aid.
Event page: ht
tps://www.umassd.edu/events/cms/summer-financial-aid-zoom-fafsa-help-labs-
-1.php
Event link: https://umassd.zoom.us/j/93075462260?p
wd=JhUkTxOEnyX3q6xrQZN5LPHDFjqHOD.1
School of Law Ceremony< /strong>
\nMain Auditorium at 3:30 p.m. on Friday\, May 22\, 2026 - Add to Calendar.
\nTentative Schedule:
\nEvent pa
ge: https://www.umassd.edu/events/cms/school-of-law-commencement
-ceremony.php
Event link: https://www.umassd.edu/law/commencement/
Faculty Supervisor: Long Jiao\,
Computer & Information Science
Committee Members:
Dr
. Joshua Carberry\, Computer & Information Science
Dr. Lance Fiondell
a\, Electrical & Computer Engineering
Abstract: Large vision-
language models rely on pretrained vision encoders to translate images int
o feature representations used by downstream language models. This creates
a security risk when the encoder is compromised by a stealthy backdoor at
tack\, such as BadVision\, where a subtle trigger causes an image to be ma
pped toward an attacker-chosen target representation while clean inputs re
main largely unaffected. Because the model behaves normally under standard
evaluation\, these attacks are difficult to detect. This thesis investiga
tes controlled noise injection as a lightweight input-side defense against
BadVision-style backdoors. The proposed approach adds small perturbations
to input images before they enter the vision encoder\, with the goal of d
isrupting the trigger while preserving the semantic content of clean image
s. Several perturbation types are evaluated\, including Gaussian noise\, r
andom noise\, salt-and-pepper noise\, low-frequency noise\, geometric tran
sformations\, occlusion\, scaling\, rotation\, and channel-based distribut
ions. Experimental results show that geometric and channel-based transform
ations have limited effect on the backdoor\, while pixel-level statistical
perturbations significantly reduce target similarity\, increase feature-s
pace distance from the attacker’s target representation\, and lower atta
ck success. These findings suggest that stealthy encoder-level triggers de
pend on fragile statistical patterns and can be weakened through controlle
d noise injection without requiring retraining of the full multimodal mode
l.
For further information please contact Dr. Long Jiao at
ljiao@umassd.edu
Topic: Nanoscale MIM Plasmonic Sensors for Real-Time Marine Environmental Monitoring
\nAbstract: Plasmonic sensing has emerged as a promising approach for high sensitivity \, label free detection in environmental and marine monitoring application s. However\, existing plasmonic sensor designs are often limited by single parameter operation\, insufficient spectral selectivity\, channel interfe rence\, and lack of robustness in saline environments. These limitations r estrict their ability to perform simultaneously\, accurately\, and real ti me detection of multiple seawater parameters and emerging contaminants. As a result\, current sensing platforms are not well suited for integrated\, in situ monitoring systems that require compactness\, high resolution\, a nd multi analyte capability.
\nTo address these limitations\, this thesis develops advanced metal insulator metal waveguide based plasmonic sensors that enable simultaneous multi parameter and multi analyte detecti on. The proposed designs leverage tailored resonator geometries\, optimize d material compositions\, and enhanced light matter interaction to improve sensing performance while maintaining compact device footprints. A multi- channel sensing configuration is established to allow independent and simu ltaneous sample analysis without cross contamination. The incorporation of corrosion resistant materials enhances the operational stability of the s ensors in saline environments\, enabling reliable long-term use. In additi on\, nanostructure assisted resonant configurations are introduced to ampl ify localized surface plasmon effects\, significantly improving the detect ion of subtle refractive index variations associated with salinity\, tempe rature\, nanoplastic concentration\, microplastics\, and aquatic microorga nisms. These structures exhibit high sensitivity\, figure of merit\, and l ow detection limits\, enabling precise identification of low concentration analytes. The proposed models are validated through comprehensive numeric al simulations\, and key performance metrics are evaluated to assess their effectiveness. The results demonstrate that the developed sensor architec tures achieve significant improvements over conventional plasmonic designs in terms of sensitivity\, multi parameter capability\, and robustness und er realistic environmental conditions. Overall\, this thesis establishes a unified and scalable framework for next generation plasmonic sensing plat forms\, providing a pathway toward compact\, high performance\, and real t ime marine monitoring systems.
\nAdvisor(s): Dr. Mohammad Karim\, Professor\, Dept. of Electrical & Computer Engineering\, UMASS Dartmouth
\nCommittee Members: Dr. Yifei Li\, Professor\, Dept. of Electrical & Computer Engineering\, UMASS Dartmouth\; Dr. Md Habibor Rahman\, Assist ant Professor\, Mechanical Engineering\; Dr. Tariq Manzur\, Adjunct Profes sor\, Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering\, UMASS Dartmouth an d Scientist & Engineer\, Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC)
\nNOTE : All ECE Graduate Students are ENCOURAGED to attend. All interested parti es are invited to attend. Open to the public.
\n*For further informa tion\, please contact Dr. Mohammad Karim email at mkarim@umassd.edu
Event page: https:/
/www.umassd.edu/events/cms/ele-master-of-science-thesis-defense-by-tahmina
-tabassum-treena---ece-department.php
Event link: https:/
/umassd.zoom.us/j/93281343753?pwd=UWd5TGsweFpyMC9ydWhzaWErZnlndz09
College of Nursing and Health S
ciences - PhD Dissertation Defense
Aaron Gendreau-Visco\, MBA\, BSN\,
RN\, PhD Candidate
Date: May 27\, 2026
Time: 10 am – 12 no
on
Place: LIB 314
ZOOM: contact dhoffman@umassd.edu for link< /p>\n
Title: The Experience of Professional Nurse Sexual Identity Manage ment: A Descriptive Qualitative Study
\nDissertation Committee: Susa n Hunter Revell PhD\, RN (chair)\, Jennifer Viveiros PhD\, RN\, CNE\, CHSE \, Kristen Clark PhD\, RN\, Mary McCurry PhD\, RNBC\, ANP\, ACNP
\nA bstract: Sexual identity management is a complex process that includes rep eated decisions to disclose over time. This qualitative\, descriptive stud y aimed to better understand the experience of sexual identity management for lesbian\, gay\, and bisexual (LGB) professional nurses and the factors that influence sexual identity disclosure in the workplace. Rubin and Rub in’s responsive interviewing methodology was used to solicit narrative a ccounts from 10 practicing acute care nurses with at least one year of exp erience. Semi-structured interviews revealed a process the nurses used to manage their sexual identity in the workplace. Eight major themes emerged: initial assessment\, being myself\, relating to coworkers\, comfort/trust \, informed disclosure\, in the wake of disclosure\, intentional non-discl osure\, and in the wake of silence. The combination of themes revealed was dependent on whether the disclosure was to a coworker or patient. The dec ision to disclose was influenced by the individual nurse’s history\, and nursing unit and organizational factors.
\nThe impact of past and c urrent discrimination and minority stress on the decision to disclose sexu al identity included two major themes: carrying the weight and cognitive v igilance. This is the first study to examine the experiences of LGB nurses managing their sexual identity in the workplace. Findings also provide in sight into the factors that both enable and hinder their decision to discl ose\, providing a resource to guide practicing nurses and nurse researcher s. Study findings may also inform nurse managers and nurse educators who a re responsible for the culture they create and provide future support of p rofessional LGB nurses in the classroom and on the clinical unit.
Ev ent page: https://www.umassd.edu/events/cms/the-experience-of-professional-nur se-sexual-identity-management-a-descriptive-qualitative-study.php< /p> DTSTAMP:20260520T161328 DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260527T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260527T120000 LOCATION:Library 314 SUMMARY;LANGUAGE=en-us:The Experience of Professional Nurse Sexual Identity Management: A Descriptive Qualitative Study UID:d90d7f011ead031e9d9e8a1df49ff222@www.umassd.edu END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT CATEGORIES:College of Arts and Sciences,College of Engineering,Thesis/Disse rtations DESCRIPTION:Topic: High-order Conservative Discontinuous Galerkin Methods via Implicit Penalization for the Generalized Korteweg--de Vries Equation and the Hirota--Satsuma KdV SystemAbstract: We develop a new cons ervative discontinuous Galerkin (DG) methods for nonlinear wave problems, focusing on the generalized Korteweg–de Vries (gKdV) equation and the co upled Hirota–Satsuma KdV (HS-KdV) system. The proposed methods preserve mass through the single-valued structure of numerical traces, while energy and Hamiltonian conservation are enforced by implicitly determining penal ty parameters in the numerical traces through auxiliary conservation const raints. In our previous work, we developed a conservative DG method for th e gKdV equation; however, that formulation involves the time derivative of the jump of the approximate solution, which complicates extensions beyond second-order temporal accuracy. Our new formulation overcomes this limita tion by introducing a redesigned trace configuration that eliminates the d erivative-of-jump term. This novel enhancement seamlessly paves the way fo r higher-order time discretizations and requires solving fewer nonlinear s ystems per time step than the previous approach. For the coupled HS-KdV sy stem, we present the first conservative DG method capable of preserving al l three invariants of the exact solution. Numerical results demonstrate th e accuracy and expected convergence behavior of the proposed methods, as w ell as long-time stability and strong conservation properties for both the gKdV equation and HS- KdV system. ADVISOR(s): Dr. Bo Dong, Department of Mathematics (bdong@umassd.edu) Dr. Yanlai Chen, Chief Research Officer (yanlai.chen@umassd.edu) COMMITTE E MEMBERS: Dr. Zheng Chen, Department of Mathematics Dr. Mazdak Tootkabon i, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering NOTE: All EAS Stud ents are ENCOURAGED to attend.\nEvent page: https://www.umassd.edu/events/ cms/eas-doctoral-proposal-defense--by-muhammad-shan-tariq.php X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:
Topic:
\nHigh-order Con servative Discontinuous Galerkin Methods via Implicit Penalization for the Generalized Korteweg--de Vries Equation and the Hirota--Satsuma KdV Syste mAbstract:
\nWe develop a new conservative discontinuous Gal erkin (DG) methods for nonlinear wave problems\, focusing on the generaliz ed Korteweg–de Vries (gKdV) equation and the coupled Hirota–Satsuma Kd V (HS-KdV) system. The proposed methods preserve mass through the single-v alued structure of numerical traces\, while energy and Hamiltonian conserv ation are enforced by implicitly determining penalty parameters in the num erical traces through auxiliary conservation constraints. In our previous work\, we developed a conservative DG method for the gKdV equation\; howev er\, that formulation involves the time derivative of the jump of the appr oximate solution\, which complicates extensions beyond second-order tempor al accuracy. Our new formulation overcomes this limitation by introducing a redesigned trace configuration that eliminates the derivative-of-jump te rm. This novel enhancement seamlessly paves the way for higher-order time discretizations and requires solving fewer nonlinear systems per time step than the previous approach. For the coupled HS-KdV system\, we present th e first conservative DG method capable of preserving all three invariants of the exact solution. Numerical results demonstrate the accuracy and expe cted convergence behavior of the proposed methods\, as well as long-time s tability and strong conservation properties for both the gKdV equation and HS- KdV system.
\nADVISOR(s):
\nCOMMITTEE MEMBERS:
\nNOTE: All EAS Student s are ENCOURAGED to attend.
Event page: https://www.umassd.edu/events/cms/eas-doctoral-proposal-defense--by-muhamm ad-shan-tariq.php
DTSTAMP:20260520T161328 DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260528T093000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260528T110000 LOCATION:TXT 105 - CSCDR SUMMARY;LANGUAGE=en-us:EAS Doctoral Proposal Defense by Muhammad Shan Tari q UID:1ebe55812b3d9e7212cab1ba18b115cf@www.umassd.edu END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT CATEGORIES:Lectures and Seminars,SMAST DESCRIPTION:Hosted by the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth School for Marine Science and Technology Scientist Stories is a live, participato ry event that brings together early career scientists at UMass Dartmout h and community members to share and hear stories about science, the envi ronment, and our human connection to it. Featuring live storytellers telli ng short 5–8-minute stories in New Bedford, MA, this is a unique oppo rtunity for storytellers to share their stories of hope with the community in a relatable, entertaining and engaging way to a large and diverse au dience. Storytellers will be selected from a range of backgrounds and ex periences and will receive support and 1 on 1 coaching to craft compelli ng, heartfelt stories —whether through moments of resilience in the fac e of environmental challenges, surprising connections between people and p lace, or personal journeys sparked by science. Whether funny, poignant, or powerful, each story will shine a light on the personal connections of s cientists to their science. Storytellers may be students, staff, and e arly career faculty at UMass Dartmouth with a science-related story to tel l. We define “science” very broadly, and include social, natural, ph ysical, and related sciences. The event will take place at The First Un itarian Church in New Bedford, located at 71 8th Street, New Bedford, MA. There will be street parking available and the rear entrance is fully acc essible.\nEvent page: https://www.umassd.edu/events/cms/umass-dartmouth-sc ientist-stories-a-live-storytelling-event.php X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Hosted by the University of Ma ssachusetts Dartmouth School for Marine Science and Technology
\nS cientist Stories is a live\, participatory event that brings together ea rly career scientists at UMass Dartmouth and community members to share and hear stories about science\, the environment\, and our human connecti on to it. Featuring live storytellers telling short 5–8-minute stories in New Bedford\, MA\, this is a unique opportunity for storytellers to s hare their stories of hope with the community in a relatable\, entertaini ng and engaging way to a large and diverse audience.
\nStorytelle rs will be selected from a range of backgrounds and experiences and will r eceive support and 1 on 1 coaching to craft compelling\, heartfelt stori es —whether through moments of resilience in the face of environmental challenges\, surprising connections between people and place\, or personal journeys sparked by science. Whether funny\, poignant\, or powerful\, eac h story will shine a light on the personal connections of scientists to their science.
\nStorytellers may be students\, staff\, a nd early career faculty at UMass Dartmouth with a science-related story to tell. We define “science” very broadly\, and include social\, natur al\, physical\, and related sciences.
\nThe event will t
ake place at The First Unitarian Church in New Bedford\, located at 71 8th Street\, New Bedford\, MA. There will be street parking avail
able and the rear entrance is fully accessible.
Event page: https://www.umassd.edu/events/cms/umass-dartmout h-scientist-stories-a-live-storytelling-event.php
DTSTAMP:20260520T161328 DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260528T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260528T210000 LOCATION:First Unitarian Church of New Bedford SUMMARY;LANGUAGE=en-us:UMass Dartmouth Scientist Stories: A Live Storytelli ng Event UID:54929969cff76b37df426327e8c750ad@www.umassd.edu END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT CATEGORIES:Financial Aid DESCRIPTION:Financial Aid Services wants to remind all students to file the ir FAFSA! Join Financial Aid Services for Zoom FAFSA Help Labs on Fridays from 2-3pm for help filing your FAFSA and learning more about financial ai d.\nEvent page: https://www.umassd.edu/events/cms/summer-financial-aid-zoo m-fafsa-help-labs--1.php\nEvent link: https://umassd.zoom.us/j/93075462260 ?pwd=JhUkTxOEnyX3q6xrQZN5LPHDFjqHOD.1 X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Financial Aid Services wants to remind all students to file their FAFSA! Join Financial Aid Services for Zoom FAFSA Help Labs on Fridays from 2-3pm for help filing your FAFSA and learning more about financial aid.
Event page: ht
tps://www.umassd.edu/events/cms/summer-financial-aid-zoom-fafsa-help-labs-
-1.php
Event link: https://umassd.zoom.us/j/93075462260?p
wd=JhUkTxOEnyX3q6xrQZN5LPHDFjqHOD.1
Learn how to look up budget balances and run monthly Revenue and Expe nse\, Open Encumbrance and Transaction Detail reports in PeopleSoft Financ e.
\nOpen to Faculty and Staff. Please register via email to receive zoom link and room details. email: jschlesinger@umassd.edu
Event page: https://www.umassd.edu/events/cms/peoplesoft-financi
al-reporting-and-budget-inquiry-training--.php
Event link: https://www.umassd.ed
u/peoplesoftfinance/training/
Open to Faculty and Staff.
Learn how to look up Budget Balances\, Revenue and Expense Det
ails\, Open Encumbrances and Transaction Detail using the Department Manag
ement dashboard for financials.
Please register. Email jschlesinger@umassd.edu to sign u p and receive location/zoom details.
Event page: https://www.umassd.edu/events/cms/summit-financial-reporting-101.php
DTSTAMP:20260520T161328 DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260403T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260403T111500 LOCATION:Zoom SUMMARY;LANGUAGE=en-us:Summit Financial Reporting 101 UID:bf361851760f34db3ff1e416662b4bd8@www.umassd.edu END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT CATEGORIES:Financial Aid DESCRIPTION:Financial Aid Services wants to remind all students to file the ir FAFSA! Join Financial Aid Services for Zoom FAFSA Help Labs on Fridays from 2-3pm for help filing your FAFSA and learning more about financial ai d.\nEvent page: https://www.umassd.edu/events/cms/summer-financial-aid-zoo m-fafsa-help-labs--1.php\nEvent link: https://umassd.zoom.us/j/93075462260 ?pwd=JhUkTxOEnyX3q6xrQZN5LPHDFjqHOD.1 X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Financial Aid Services wants to remind all students to file their FAFSA! Join Financial Aid Services for Zoom FAFSA Help Labs on Fridays from 2-3pm for help filing your FAFSA and learning more about financial aid.
Event page: ht
tps://www.umassd.edu/events/cms/summer-financial-aid-zoom-fafsa-help-labs-
-1.php
Event link: https://umassd.zoom.us/j/93075462260?p
wd=JhUkTxOEnyX3q6xrQZN5LPHDFjqHOD.1
The NAACP New Bedford Chapter ’s annual Freedom Fund Breakfast is a longstanding community tradition t hat honors local leaders\, celebrates civil rights advocacy\, and raises f unds to support scholarships and ongoing equity work across the region. Th e event brings together students\, educators\, activists\, and community p artners for a morning of recognition\, reflection\, and inspiration\, high lighting award recipients whose service and leadership advance justice and strengthen the New Bedford community.
Event page: ht tps://www.umassd.edu/events/cms/naacp-new-bedford-freedom-fund-breakfast.p hp
DTSTAMP:20260520T161328 DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260606T090000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260606T110000 LOCATION:Century House, Acushnet MA SUMMARY;LANGUAGE=en-us:NAACP New Bedford Freedom Fund Breakfast UID:df5207991d8659a0dedc97c5e56d154d@www.umassd.edu END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT CATEGORIES:College of Engineering,Thesis/Dissertations DESCRIPTION:Thesis Advisor: Dr. Gokhan Kul, Computer and Information Scienc e Committee Members: Dr. Debarun Das, Computer and Information Science Prof. Clinton Rogers, Computer and Information Science Abstract: Side cha nnel attacks are an increasingly relevant hardware security threat to mode rn computing systems and embedded systems. While gamification has proven e ffective for cybersecurity education, existing tools for side-channel anal ysis are either inaccessible to undergraduate students, limited to non-int eractive formats such as board games and questionnaires or designed for co mpetitive play like CTF games rather than structured learning. The goal of this thesis is to design, develop a gamified interactive education tool, and evaluate whether this project can improve student understanding of the rmal side-channel attack concepts by making them more accessible and under standable. Toward this end, we created a Unity-based educational game desi gned to teach thermal side-channel attack concepts through interactive vis ualization. The project comprises two game modes: one that teaches passive side channel analysis on a simplified CPU pipeline by visualizing heat pa tterns across instruction execution phases, and another that introduces th ermal analysis of memory access patterns through a heatmap-guided search f or a hidden cryptographic key. Both game modes feature progressive difficu lty supporting incremental learning. The game is deployed as a WebGL appli cation for browser-based access and was evaluated through a classroom surv ey consisting of Computer Science students. Preliminary design feedback an d evaluated survey outcomes suggest that the game can make side-channel co ncepts more accessible to students across various technical backgrounds. For further information please contact Dr. Gokhan Kul at gkul@umassd.edu. \nEvent page: https://www.umassd.edu/events/cms/learning-thermal-side-chan nel-attacks-through-gamification.php\nEvent link: https://teams.microsoft. com/meet/215023432773961?p=dcEIALLC4lAHKne7WD X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Thesis Advisor:
\nDr. Gok han Kul\, Computer and Information Science
\nCommittee Members:
\nAb stract:
\nSide channel attacks are an increasingly relevant hardware security threat to modern computing systems and embedded systems. While g amification has proven effective for cybersecurity education\, existing to ols for side-channel analysis are either inaccessible to undergraduate stu dents\, limited to non-interactive formats such as board games and questio nnaires or designed for competitive play like CTF games rather than struct ured learning. The goal of this thesis is to design\, develop a gamified i nteractive education tool\, and evaluate whether this project can improve student understanding of thermal side-channel attack concepts by making th em more accessible and understandable. Toward this end\, we created a Unit y-based educational game designed to teach thermal side-channel attack con cepts through interactive visualization. The project comprises two game mo des: one that teaches passive side channel analysis on a simplified CPU pi peline by visualizing heat patterns across instruction execution phases\, and another that introduces thermal analysis of memory access patterns thr ough a heatmap-guided search for a hidden cryptographic key. Both game mod es feature progressive difficulty supporting incremental learning. The gam e is deployed as a WebGL application for browser-based access and was eval uated through a classroom survey consisting of Computer Science students. Preliminary design feedback and evaluated survey outcomes suggest that the game can make side-channel concepts more accessible to students across va rious technical backgrounds.
\nFor further information please cont act Dr. Gokhan Kul at gkul@umassd.edu.
Event page: https://www.umassd.edu/events/cms/learning-thermal-side-ch
annel-attacks-through-gamification.php
Event link: https://
teams.microsoft.com/meet/215023432773961?p=dcEIALLC4lAHKne7WD \;
DTSTAMP:20260520T161328
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260609T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260609T140000
LOCATION:Online - https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/215023432773961?p=dcEIAL
LC4lAHKne7WD
SUMMARY;LANGUAGE=en-us:Learning Thermal Side Channel Attacks Through Gamifi
cation
UID:c3e5a04b6f3c81d5639351a0b04ef81f@www.umassd.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
CATEGORIES:College of Engineering,Thesis/Dissertations
DESCRIPTION:Biomedical Engineering & Biotechnology BMEBT MS Thesis Defense
by Sean Crowley Date: June 11, 2026 Time: 12:30 PM Location: TEX 219 Title
: Comparison of Ribose and Glucose for In Vitro Glycation of Human Cortica
l Bone Abstract: Patients with diabetes are at a much higher risk of exper
iencing bone fractures compared to non-diabetic populations. This happens
despite diabetics having relatively normal or high bone mineral density, c
ausing questions as to why this occurs. Past research has shown that diabe
tic bone tissue has a higher prevalence of non-enzymatic glycation, a spon
taneous process where the aldehydes of sugars react with ε-amino groups o
n proteins in the bone matrix to eventually form advanced glycation end-pr
oducts (AGEs). AGEs alter cross-links within the matrix, which can lead to
stiffer tissue and deteriorated mechanical properties. High AGE accumulat
ion can occur over decades, which makes it a challenge to obtain represent
ative data from diabetic patients or cadaveric bone tissue in order to stu
dy these mechanisms. In vitro incubation simulations have been successfull
y used to reflect the process of non-enzymatic glycation in bone tissue, w
ith AGE accumulating in a matter of days/weeks. These simulations normally
use ribose as the extracellular sugar source. Even though glucose is more
physiologically relevant, it has little documentation in its usage in the
se simulations. This project investigates the effectiveness and difference
s in reactions of both ribose and glucose with human cortical bone. Bone s
amples were incubated with control, ribose, and glucose solutions, and wer
e then tested to measure key mechanical properties as well as AGE accumula
tion. Differences in results are reported, analyzed, and discussed within
this thesis, providing more insight into the mechanisms of non-enzymatic g
lycation’s effect on bone properties. Advisor: Dr. Lamya Karim, Dept. of
Bioengineering (lkarim@umassd.edu) Committee Members: Dr. Tracie Ferreira
, Dept. of Bioengineering Dr. Qinguo Fan, Dept. of Bioengineering All BMEB
T graduate students are encouraged to attend, and all interested parties a
re invited.\nEvent page: https://www.umassd.edu/events/cms/bmebt-ms-thesis
-defense-by-sean-crowley.php
X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:
Biomedical Engineering & Biotec hnology
\nBMEBT MS Thesis Defense by Sean Crowley
\nDate: June 11\, 2026
\nTime: 12:30 PM
\nLocation: TEX 219
\nTitle: Comparison of Ribose and Glucose for In Vitro Glycation of Human Cortical Bone
\nAbstract: Patients with diabetes are at a much higher risk o f experiencing bone fractures compared to non-diabetic populations. This h appens despite diabetics having relatively normal or high bone mineral den sity\, causing questions as to why this occurs. Past research has shown th at diabetic bone tissue has a higher prevalence of non-enzymatic glycation \, a spontaneous process where the aldehydes of sugars react with ε-amino groups on proteins in the bone matrix to eventually form advanced glycati on end-products (AGEs). AGEs alter cross-links within the matrix\, which c an lead to stiffer tissue and deteriorated mechanical properties. High AGE accumulation can occur over decades\, which makes it a challenge to obtai n representative data from diabetic patients or cadaveric bone tissue in o rder to study these mechanisms. In vitro incubation simulations have been successfully used to reflect the process of non-enzymatic glycation in bon e tissue\, with AGE accumulating in a matter of days/weeks. These simulati ons normally use ribose as the extracellular sugar source. Even though glu cose is more physiologically relevant\, it has little documentation in its usage in these simulations. This project investigates the effectiveness a nd differences in reactions of both ribose and glucose with human cortical bone. Bone samples were incubated with control\, ribose\, and glucose sol utions\, and were then tested to measure key mechanical properties as well as AGE accumulation. Differences in results are reported\, analyzed\, and discussed within this thesis\, providing more insight into the mechanisms of non-enzymatic glycation’s effect on bone properties.
\nAdvisor : Dr. Lamya Karim\, Dept. of Bioengineering (lkarim@umassd.edu)
\nCo mmittee Members:
\nDr. Tracie Ferreira\, Dept. of Bioengineering
\nDr. Qinguo Fan\, Dept. of Bioengineering
\nAll BMEBT graduate s tudents are encouraged to attend\, and all interested parties are invited.
Event page: https://www.umassd.edu/events/cms/bmebt-m s-thesis-defense-by-sean-crowley.php
DTSTAMP:20260520T161328 DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260611T123000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260611T133000 LOCATION:TEX 219 SUMMARY;LANGUAGE=en-us:BMEBT MS Thesis Defense by Sean Crowley UID:188eecee00ba226de7ee6455c764620e@www.umassd.edu END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT CATEGORIES:Financial Aid DESCRIPTION:Financial Aid Services wants to remind all students to file the ir FAFSA! Join Financial Aid Services for Zoom FAFSA Help Labs on Fridays from 2-3pm for help filing your FAFSA and learning more about financial ai d.\nEvent page: https://www.umassd.edu/events/cms/summer-financial-aid-zoo m-fafsa-help-labs--1.php\nEvent link: https://umassd.zoom.us/j/93075462260 ?pwd=JhUkTxOEnyX3q6xrQZN5LPHDFjqHOD.1 X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Financial Aid Services wants to remind all students to file their FAFSA! Join Financial Aid Services for Zoom FAFSA Help Labs on Fridays from 2-3pm for help filing your FAFSA and learning more about financial aid.
Event page: ht
tps://www.umassd.edu/events/cms/summer-financial-aid-zoom-fafsa-help-labs-
-1.php
Event link: https://umassd.zoom.us/j/93075462260?p
wd=JhUkTxOEnyX3q6xrQZN5LPHDFjqHOD.1
Partial abstract:
\nWhen a micro/nano-textured superhydrophobic surface is submerged underwater\, a thin layer of gas\, known as a plastron\, can be trapped between the soli d surface and the liquid. This trapped gas layer enables a wide range of applications\, including drag reduction\, anti-biofouling\, anti-icing\, and enhanced boiling heat transfer. However\, the plastron can gradually dissolve into the surrounding liquid due to...
\nFor the complete a bstract\, please contact: hling1@umassd.edu -or- scunha@umassd.edu. Th ank you!
Event page: https:// www.umassd.edu/events/cms/mechanical-engineering-mne-ms-thesis-defense-by- mr-umang-panchal.php
DTSTAMP:20260520T161328 DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260618T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260618T120000 LOCATION:Library, Room 426 (LIB-426) SUMMARY;LANGUAGE=en-us:Mechanical Engineering (MNE) MS Thesis Defense by Mr . Umang Panchal UID:f286f0399b90d97538911f101638bb7b@www.umassd.edu END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT CATEGORIES:College of Engineering,Thesis/Dissertations DESCRIPTION:Partial abstract: Accurate and drift-free velocity estimation r emains a critical challenge in underwater navigation, particularly for com pact and low-cost Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUVs) operating in GPS-den ied environments. Conventional approaches, such as Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs) and Doppler Velocity Logs (DVLs), suffer from fundamental lim itations, including cumulative integration drift, high cost, bulkiness, an d sensitivity to environmental conditions. For the full abstract, plea se contact: kihan.park@umassd.edu. Thank you.\nEvent page: https://www.u massd.edu/events/cms/mechanical-engineering-mne-ms-thesis-defense-by-md-ma inuddin-sagar.php X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Partial abstract:
\nAccur ate and drift-free velocity estimation remains a critical challenge in und erwater navigation\, particularly for compact and low-cost Unmanned Underw ater Vehicles (UUVs) operating in GPS-denied environments. Conventional approaches\, such as Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs) and Doppler Velocit y Logs (DVLs)\, suffer from fundamental limitations\, including cumulative integration drift\, high cost\, bulkiness\, and sensitivity to environmen tal conditions. For the full abstract\, please contact: kihan.park@uma ssd.edu. Thank you.
Event page: https://www.umassd.edu/events/cms/mechanical-engineering-mne-ms-the sis-defense-by-md-mainuddin-sagar.php
DTSTAMP:20260520T161328 DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260629T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260629T120000 LOCATION:Library, Room 426 (LIB-426) SUMMARY;LANGUAGE=en-us:Mechanical Engineering (MNE) MS Thesis Defense by Md Mainuddin Sagar UID:936c7d91969f16882d7c9096d2f37acc@www.umassd.edu END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT CATEGORIES:Financial Aid DESCRIPTION:Financial Aid Services wants to remind all students to file the ir FAFSA! Join Financial Aid Services for Zoom FAFSA Help Labs on Fridays from 2-3pm for help filing your FAFSA and learning more about financial ai d.\nEvent page: https://www.umassd.edu/events/cms/summer-financial-aid-zoo m-fafsa-help-labs-.php\nEvent link: https://umassd.zoom.us/j/93075462260?p wd=JhUkTxOEnyX3q6xrQZN5LPHDFjqHOD.1 X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Financial Aid Services wants to remind all students to file their FAFSA! Join Financial Aid Services for Zoom FAFSA Help Labs on Fridays from 2-3pm for help filing your FAFSA and learning more about financial aid.
Event page: http
s://www.umassd.edu/events/cms/summer-financial-aid-zoom-fafsa-help-labs-.p
hp
Event link: https://umassd.zoom.us/j/93075462260?pwd=J
hUkTxOEnyX3q6xrQZN5LPHDFjqHOD.1
Learn how to look up budget balances and run monthly Revenue and Expe nse\, Open Encumbrance and Transaction Detail reports in PeopleSoft Financ e.
\nOpen to Faculty and Staff. Please register via email to receive zoom link and room details. email: jschlesinger@umassd.edu
Event page: https://www.umassd.edu/events/cms/peoplesoft-financi
al-reporting-and-budget-inquiry-training--.php
Event link: https://www.umassd.ed
u/peoplesoftfinance/training/
Open to Faculty and Staff.
Learn how to look up Budget Balances\, Revenue and Expense Det
ails\, Open Encumbrances and Transaction Detail using the Department Manag
ement dashboard for financials.
Please register. Email jschlesinger@umassd.edu to sign u p and receive location/zoom details.
Event page: https://www.umassd.edu/events/cms/summit-financial-reporting-101.php
DTSTAMP:20260520T161328 DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260403T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260403T111500 LOCATION:Zoom SUMMARY;LANGUAGE=en-us:Summit Financial Reporting 101 UID:c5ab8a4185ec507a1abfdac848e49dcc@www.umassd.edu END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT CATEGORIES:Financial Aid DESCRIPTION:Financial Aid Services wants to remind all students to file the ir FAFSA! Join Financial Aid Services for Zoom FAFSA Help Labs on Fridays from 2-3pm for help filing your FAFSA and learning more about financial ai d.\nEvent page: https://www.umassd.edu/events/cms/summer-financial-aid-zoo m-fafsa-help-labs-.php\nEvent link: https://umassd.zoom.us/j/93075462260?p wd=JhUkTxOEnyX3q6xrQZN5LPHDFjqHOD.1 X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Financial Aid Services wants to remind all students to file their FAFSA! Join Financial Aid Services for Zoom FAFSA Help Labs on Fridays from 2-3pm for help filing your FAFSA and learning more about financial aid.
Event page: http
s://www.umassd.edu/events/cms/summer-financial-aid-zoom-fafsa-help-labs-.p
hp
Event link: https://umassd.zoom.us/j/93075462260?pwd=J
hUkTxOEnyX3q6xrQZN5LPHDFjqHOD.1
Financial Aid Services wants to remind all students to file their FAFSA! Join Financial Aid Services for Zoom FAFSA Help Labs on Fridays from 2-3pm for help filing your FAFSA and learning more about financial aid.
Event page: http
s://www.umassd.edu/events/cms/summer-financial-aid-zoom-fafsa-help-labs-.p
hp
Event link: https://umassd.zoom.us/j/93075462260?pwd=J
hUkTxOEnyX3q6xrQZN5LPHDFjqHOD.1
Financial Aid Services wants to remind all students to file their FAFSA! Join Financial Aid Services for Zoom FAFSA Help Labs on Fridays from 2-3pm for help filing your FAFSA and learning more about financial aid.
Event page: http
s://www.umassd.edu/events/cms/summer-financial-aid-zoom-fafsa-help-labs-.p
hp
Event link: https://umassd.zoom.us/j/93075462260?pwd=J
hUkTxOEnyX3q6xrQZN5LPHDFjqHOD.1
Financial Aid Services wants to remind all students to file their FAFSA! Join Financial Aid Services for Zoom FAFSA Help Labs on Fridays from 2-3pm for help filing your FAFSA and learning more about financial aid.
Event page: http
s://www.umassd.edu/events/cms/summer-financial-aid-zoom-fafsa-help-labs-.p
hp
Event link: https://umassd.zoom.us/j/93075462260?pwd=J
hUkTxOEnyX3q6xrQZN5LPHDFjqHOD.1