This year, the Sustainability Institute (SI) was a proud partner of the 30th Annual Richard J. and Martha D. Denman Undergraduate Research Forum, a showcase for undergraduate student researchers to share their research with the university community. Thirty students showcased sustainability-related research at the Denman Forum, nine of which were selected by a university review team and SI staff members as finalists for the SI Research in Sustainability Award.
From the finalists, SI awarded three recipients, Hannah Bernstein, Emma Maher, and Mia Wang, for their innovative research. These award recipients were selected based on their ability to communicate their research to an interdisciplinary audience, connect their findings to sustainability topics, and consider multiple perspectives. These undergraduate researchers focused on agriculture practices, heat and urbanization, and microplastics in their sustainability research.
“The Sustainability Institute is pleased to recognize these students for their commitment to sustainability research,” said Gina Jaquet, the SI Director of Sustainability Education and Learning. “Each of the projects we reviewed clearly demonstrated that sustainability is interdisciplinary at its core and each awardee incorporated creative, systems thinking in their approach to their projects and their presentations of the material.”
The 2025 SI Research in Sustainability Award recipients include:
Impact of tillage practices on soil microbiome
Hannah Bernstein, a fourth-year Food, Agricultural & Biological Engineering student, researched the impact of tillage, a farming practice, on microbial communities in soil. Her project focuses on how different management strategies affect microbial communities and soil organic carbon, determining soil microbiome’s potential to sequester carbon from a genetic lens.
Tillage uses a plow to turn over and break soil, removing weeds and setting the soil for plant growth. However, tilling increases erosion and reduces the biodiversity of soil species, reducing soil health. In addition, tilling releases carbon from the soil into the atmosphere, which depletes the soil of a needed nutrient and adds to greenhouse gas emissions. Implementing no-till practices can improve soil health for better plant growth and help agricultural lands serve as carbon sinks, sequestering carbon in the ground.
Silt and clay loam soils samples were collected from long-term tilled and no-till (NT) fields in Coshocton, Ohio, in addition to compiling data on the tillage history, pH, irrigation, cover crops, and soil composition of the samples. DNA was also extracted from these samples to understand the differences in carbon sequestration genes between tilled and NT soils. Bernstein used 16s rRNA amplicon sequencing (AMF) and Internally Transcribed Spacer Sequencing (ITS) on soil samples to quantify the impacts of tillage on soil microbiomes.
In the experiment, 48 samples were collected from different soil types in Ohio. DNA and RNA were extracted from these samples to map their microbial genomes. Non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) was used to understand the differences in community composition among samples, including what contributes to those differences and patterns of species distribution.
By also performing taxonomy, which scientifically classifies and describes organisms based on traits and relationships, and a differential abundance analysis, Bernstein found tillage significantly impacts the soil microbiome, aligning with and confirming previous research. Bernstein notes that keystone taxa can indicate a change in microbial community structure and composition turnover, emphasizing the importance of taxonomy of microorganisms to understand processes in soil.
Bernstein also confirmed that the polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) production process in soil provides organic carbon sources, which increases soil microbial activity and enhances soil health. Extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) producers, which are made by microorganisms such as bacteria, yeast, and fungi, can also enhance soil ecosystem health and form organic carbon. Keystone taxa also play a role in carbon cycling. In addition to these findings, Bernstein’s research highlighted nitrogen fixation is needed to understand dynamics among different farming practices.
“I have been privileged to work under Dr. Virginia Rich and mentored by her graduate student, Afaf Abdelrahim,” said Bernstein. “They both encouraged me to share my research by presenting it to the lab, Denman, or in my thesis. I am super grateful for this experience to meet other scientists and learn more about what other undergraduate students are researching.”
Extreme heat, urban experimentation, and visions of past futures in Seville, Spain
Emma Maher, a fourth-year Geography and International Studies student, focused on the development of climate adaptation strategies in Seville, Spain. In July 2019, Seville declared a climate state of emergency and is projected to face temperatures over 122 degrees Fahrenheit over the next decade. Maher found that bioclimatization could help Seville adapt to the impacts of climate change.
Bioclimatization utilizes architectural design and passive systems to generate thermal comfort in a building or open space that is suitable for the local climate. CartujaQanat, a street-scale pilot project in Seville, is testing bioclimatization to cool the surrounding area by up to 50 degrees Fahrenheit, expand adaptation technologies in other urban public spaces, and “revitalize street life.”
The first open space experimentation of bioclimatization in Seville was held in the Isla de la Cartuja during the 1992 Universal Exposition. Intensive vegetation, double coverings, and other passive cooling systems created a microclimate for outdoor thermal comfort. Even though these efforts were abandoned after the Exposition, Maher sought to understand the feasibility and implications of its current revival in Seville through the CartujaQanat project on the Isla de la Cartuja site and the roles of engineers, architects, planners, and civil society.
Stakeholder interviews, field visits, and primary and secondary research enhanced Maher’s understanding of the impacts and trajectory of bioclimatization efforts in Seville. Maher found that a lack of political will and efficient coordination across government agencies in Seville are the main obstacles to integrating bioclimatization in heat adaptation solutions. CartujaQanat is an example of how private businesses and non-state partners are investing in adaptation solutions with the city, but this model continues in niche spaces as part of a neoliberal climate urbanism. The city government and its partners must commit to turn these bioclimatization models into reality and make them accessible to the most vulnerable citizens.
“Working on this research over the past year has been one of the most challenging yet rewarding experiences during my time at Ohio State,” said Maher. “I am grateful for the support from my advisor, Dr. Max Woodworth, financial support from the College of Arts and Sciences and Summer Research Opportunities Program, and the opportunity to present at the Denman Forum. I was able to share my work with other passionate undergraduate student researchers and learn more about Seville, the climate crisis, and my own capabilities as a researcher.”
Influence of Different Coagulants on Microplastics Removal
Mia Wang, a fourth-year Environmental Engineering student, researched how effectively different chemicals substances remove microplastics (MPs) from surface water from the Olentangy River. These chemical substances, known as coagulants, cause undissolved particles in water to accumulate into larger particles that can be removed through settling processes. As microplastics become a more common contaminant in drinking water, Wang sought to understand how unique environmental MPs interact with the chemical coagulants, which can affect the coagulation processes that reduce MPs.
Raw water from the Olentangy River underwent coagulation, flocculation, andsedimentation processes through jar testing to become treated water. The river water samples were coagulated, filtered, and chemically processed to isolate the plastic particles. Then, Wang used scanning electron microscope (SEM) imaging to identify particle number, size, and shape of MPs and Optical Photothermal IR (OPTIR) to classify different types of polymers of MPs in raw and treated water.
The chemical coagulants in this experiment were aluminum sulfate, the most used coagulant in drinking water plants, ferric chloride, an effective coagulant for removing natural organic matter, and aluminum chloralhydrate, which reduces the production of sludge.
Wang determined that coagulation significantly reduced MPs in the water samples and aluminum chloralhydrate has the highest removal efficiency for particles per liter and micrograms per liter. Although aluminum sulfate is the most used coagulant in drinking water testing plants, it had the highest turbidity removal but lower MPs removal, signifying that turbidity is not an effective indicator of removing MPs.
Wang also confirmed that all polymers identified in this experiment are common plastics in raw and treated waters, including nylon (PA), found in textiles and household goods, polycarbonate (PC), used in safety gear and electronics, polyethylene (PE), used in food and drink packaging, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), used in construction and medical materials, and rubber. The most common polymer in the raw and treated water samples was rubber.
“It was inspiring to connect with university members and undergraduate student researchers from diverse backgrounds and engage in conversations about how their personal experience relate to my research,” said Wang. “I am grateful for the unique opportunity to present at the Denman Forum, and it has sparked excitement for the many opportunities that research offers.”
Learn more about the Denman Forum and all the 2025 undergraduate student researchers.
Story by Christine Andreeva, SI Student Communications Assistant