Our project will focus on the evaluation of how the introduction of invasive fire ant species has affected horned lizard populations. The fire ant species is not native to the greater Texas area and, when introduced, preyed on the Texas horned lizard’s primary food source, the harvester ant. This has greatly reduced the lizard’s range, as it consumes few other insects. Its status as the university mascot further highlights its vulnerability to the TCU community. This study examines the impact of invasive fire ants on horned lizard populations in Texas. We will accomplish this through two approaches in the ArcGIS environment: first, by comparing maps of the lizard’s historical and current ranges, and second, by analyzing the temporal distribution of fire ant populations to determine whether a correlation exists with changes in the lizard’s range.

The Fort Worth metropolitan area faces increasing roadway congestion, automobile dependency, and growing accessibility challenges for households with limited vehicle and physical access. Although Tarrant County contains several rail assets, much of the regions' transit network remains limited in coverage and connectivity compared to neighboring systems in Dallas. Rather than proposing new infrastructure, this study aims to evaluate the existing rail corridors within Tarrant County to identify where improvements could generate the greatest mobility, equity, and connectivity benefits.

Using ArcGIS Pro, a weighted multi-criteria analysis is applied to three existing corridors where freight lines are already present: a south-to-north line dubbed the “Green Line”, with termini in Burleson and Keller, a west-to-east line dubbed the “Blue Line”, with termini in Benbrook and Arlington, and a southwest-to-northeast line dubbed the “Purple Line”, with termini in Crowley and Euless/Grapevine. Each corridor meets at Fort Worth T&P / Central stations and stops in significant population/economic centers. Buffers surrounding each corridor are analyzed to evaluate demographic demand, transportation efficiency, connectivity, and physical feasibility. Key variables include the percentage of households without vehicles, median income, senior and disability populations, highway congestion proximity, risk factors, and major destinations served.

By integrating demographic vulnerability indicators with transportation demand and physical constraints, this study identifies which existing retail corridors demonstrate greatest need and potential for targeted improvements. The results provide a GIS-based framework for prioritizing transit investments in automobile-dependent metropolitan regions and offer data-driven guidance for improving rail accessibility and connectivity across Tarrant County.

This project will study how rare earth elements (REEs) and other important critical materials can be released (leached) from coal and coal ash. Coal ash is produced in large amounts across the United States, and many studies show that it can contain valuable elements that are needed for electronics, renewable energy technology, and national defense. However, we still do not fully understand how easily these elements can be removed from the ash or what chemical conditions make them more or less available. Learning this will help determine whether coal ash can be used as a practical source of critical materials and how it should be safely managed.

We are looking to map sea-level rise along the California coast from 2000 to 2026. The sea level is currently rising approximately .25 inches per year. We are going to focus on how this is affecting California, and we are going to pair this information with properties in California that will be underwater by 2050. It is estimated that 10 billion dollars' worth of property will be underwater in the next 30 years. The part of California that is under the highest risk is Northern California, specifically the Bay Area. We will be mapping floodplains and low-lying areas in the Bay Area to show what areas are at the highest risk of water damage.

Landslides are among the most common and, at times, the most destructive natural hazards, posing significant risks to infrastructure, ecosystems, and human populations. Central Texas, particularly the Texas Hill Country, is recognized as a landslide-susceptible region due to its rugged topography and variable geology. This project maps landslide susceptibility across the region using spatial analysis techniques in a GIS framework. Multiple datasets were integrated, including Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) to derive slope and flow accumulation, as well as geologic formations, soils (hydrologic and erosion data), and stream networks. Each variable was reclassified according to relative landslide risk and combined using a weighted overlay analysis to generate a landslide susceptibility map identifying areas of high, moderate, and low risk. The resulting analysis provides a framework for environmental hazard assessment and can inform land-use planning and risk mitigation strategies in Central Texas.