Climate change and economic factors have led to a considerable increase in demand for renewable power generation in Texas, with yearly renewable generation increasing from 12% in 2015 to 34% in 2025. This study evaluates the feasibility of a 100 MW wind power plant located on the outskirts of El Paso, TX. The plant would require 30 to 40 wind turbines producing 3 MW each, powering up to 75,000 homes on average and providing clean, independent energy to the surrounding metropolitan area. The report focuses on the technical concerns of the proposed wind power plant and predicts its performance based on average hourly weather data in the region.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are man-made chemicals that have become increasingly detected in surface waters worldwide, yet accurate interpretation of environmental monitoring data is often complicated by widespread non-detect observations. This study evaluated PFAS occurrence along the upper Trinity River in north-central Texas and examined how treatment of censored data influences contamination assessment. Ten surface water samples were analyzed using EPA Method 1633, with 31.7% of the measurements below the reporting limit. Multiple imputation was applied to estimate site-level concentrations and quantify uncertainty associated with censored observations. Spatial analysis revealed a 12.8-fold difference in PFAS concentrations between background sites (53.7 ng/L) and hotspot sites (684.9 ng/L). Three sites exhibited fluorotelomer sulfonate signatures consistent with potential influence from aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF). Comparison with conventional RL/2 substitution methods revealed an underestimation of total PFAS concentrations by approximately 30–71 ng/L across sites, with the greatest bias occurring at background sites. All sampling sites exceeded current U.S. EPA drinking water standards for regulated PFAS compounds, suggesting potential implications for downstream drinking water systems. These findings demonstrate that statistical treatment of censored observations can substantially influence PFAS concentration estimates and the interpretation of contamination patterns.

This study established baseline information on bat resource use within the Leopard Ridge property of the Tanglewood Conservation Area in the Eastern Cape of South Africa to support long-term monitoring of a proposed mosaic habitat corridor. We focused on two key bat resources: water sources and a cave roost. Behavioral surveys were conducted at two river sites and one cave from May to July 2025 using infrared video recording paired with ultrasonic acoustic detectors to simultaneously document bat activity and echolocation calls. At water sources, cameras recorded bat presence, drinking events, and foraging behavior within the field of view, while concurrent acoustic recordings were used to identify species and confirm behaviors such as feeding and drinking through characteristic call structures. Drinking events were defined as bats contacting the water surface during flight, while foraging activity was identified by characteristic zig-zagging flight patterns and feeding buzzes in the acoustic recordings. At the cave roost, infrared video footage and automated image analysis were used to estimate nightly emergence counts, while concurrent acoustic recordings were used to estimate species composition among emerging bats. Together, these surveys provide baseline estimates of bat activity, drinking behavior, foraging use of water resources, and roost emergence within the study area. These data establish a reference point for evaluating how bat resource use changes as ecological restoration and corridor development progress within the Tanglewood Conservation Area.

Due to unprecedented urbanization in North Texas, coyotes have become more frequently observed in urban settings. The proposed project will examine the spatial distribution of coyote observations in North Texas, focusing on identifying spatial patterns. It also assesses whether these patterns are indicators of long-term adaptation in response to rapid urbanization in the region.  This study will use spatial analysis techniques to determine whether coyote observations are spatially clustered, identify potential hotspots, and assess whether the clustering is associated with a certain cover type. In addition, visual comparisons of multitemporal observations of data will be conducted to evaluate whether distribution patterns change over time. By integrating hotspot analysis and land cover data, the project aims to better understand how coyotes may be adapting to urban environments in North Texas.

This project proposes using ArcGIS-based spatial analysis to identify various vegetation zones at the Fort Worth Nature Center & Refuge and the surrounding areas, with the goal of supporting ecological management decisions. This will be accomplished through spatial overlay and other GIS analysis tools applied to relevant datasets, including topography (elevation), soil type, land cover, geology, and vegetation distribution derived from existing geospatial datasets. The distribution of plants based on these factors will help identify distinct zones, such as Fort Worth prairie, Cross Timbers savanna, and riparian forest. By compiling the results of the GIS analysis and producing maps to support both visual and statistical analysis, the project will provide insights for end users to identify existing and potentially new zones for ecological management.

By leveraging a two-dimensional derivative thermogravimetric (2D-DTG) mixing ratio framework, my research measures distinct lignocellulosic carbon fractions and assesses their dynamics under different soil management over 19-month period (Jan 2023-Jul 2024). The 2D-DTG mixing ratio technique offers a quick, extraction-free method for delineating lignocellulosic fractions and management-induced alterations in soil organic carbon quality. The result shows that cellulose thermal peaks occurred at 330 ± 10 °C, while lignin peaks were detected at 490 ± 10 °C in NT, CC, and COMP soils but shifted to ~401 °C in CC+C soils. Thermal separation between cellulose and lignin domains decreased from ~180 °C (18 min) in NT to ~70 °C (7 min) in CC+C, indicating stronger coupling of lignocellulosic degradation. Cellulose peak intensity increased from 0.2 × 10⁻⁵ (NT) to 1.1 × 10⁻⁵ (COMP and CC+C), while lignin intensity increased from 0.3 × 10⁻⁶ (NT) to 5.4 × 10⁻⁶ (CC+C). Mixing-ratio analysis showed cellulose contributions of 51–58% and lignin contributions of 42–49% across treatments. Mean SOC increased from 1.95% (NT) to 2.17% (CC+C), with cellulose-derived carbon increasing from 1.01% to 1.27%, indicating enhanced lignocellulosic carbon integration under combined cover crop and compost management. Temporal analysis further showed that Lignin-derived carbon increased in later months, rising from ~38–40% to ~45–49%, indicating progressive labilization of recalcitrant lignin and greater incorporation into SOC pools. These results suggest organic amendments enhance lignin retention and long-term soil carbon storage with benefits for nutrient cycling and soil stability.

This study analyzes the spatial relationship between energy infrastructure and population growth in Texas using GIS. Energy datasets, including power plants and pipelines, are combined with population data to evaluate whether infrastructure aligns with areas of increasing demand. Areas that do not have the infrastructure to handle the demands will result in blackouts and possibly more permanent issues to the power grid. Results are expected to show high energy concentration in low-population regions like West Texas, while rapidly growing urban areas such as Dallas–Fort Worth and Houston may face increasing demand pressures. These findings will inform energy planning and infrastructure development for these various energy companies and ONCOR.

Students find it difficult to work in uncomfortable temperatures. The temperature of the Paschal High School auditorium has been a complaint of students and staff for years. A recent survey found that 75% of students and teachers find the auditorium either uncomfortably cold or uncomfortably hot. This research explores the temperature fluctuations in the auditorium in the context of events taking place in the auditorium. Six sensors were placed around the Paschal High School auditorium and recorded the temperature and humidity every couple of seconds from December 19 to March 1st. From this data, I was able to calculate “feel’s like” temperature, and graph this against time, taking note of any significant events that may have affected temperature.

As climate-related health effects become increasingly more visible, the public perceptions of planetary health education may change. This study explored public expectations for the role of health professionals in planetary health advocacy, education, and clinical practice. A link to an online Qualtrics survey was sent to potential participants through community service events, coalition meetings, and websites. Responses were validated for a final analytical sample of 88 adults aged 18 and older. Results indicate that a large majority of participants have a positive view on environmental conservation, reflected by a mean score of 54.7 (SD 7.8) out of a possible 75 on the New Ecological Paradigm Scale. A majority of respondents indicated they were already observing health impacts of climate change in their daily lives, most commonly as increased allergy-related symptoms (70.2%), injuries due to severe weather events such as storms or floods (64.3%), and heat-related illnesses (57.1%). Respondents indicated that health professionals and professional organizations should play an active role in educating the public and advocating for policy responses to the health effects of climate change. The most frequent responses were found for health professionals bringing climate-health effects to public attention (88.1%), professional organizations engaging in significant advocacy (86.9%), and clinicians leading sustainability efforts in hospitals and clinics (85.7%). Significantly, 78.6% of participants expressed that health professionals have a responsibility to discuss these health effects directly with their patients. Overall, this sample of adults perceives that human health is already negatively affected by environmental changes and strongly supports health professionals to take advocacy and educational roles to address planetary health problems.

The Texas kangaroo rat (Dipodomys elator) is a candidate endangered rodent species whose range has declined substantially across north-central Texas and southwestern Oklahoma. In this study, we conducted behavioral observation surveys focused on identifying signs of mating readiness among the individuals currently housed in the Fort Worth Zoo. Specifically, we compared the behaviors and frequency of behaviors exhibited by isolated individual Texas kangaroo rats with those of paired individuals and among different combinations of paired individuals, including same sex and mixed sex. We identified 18 unique behaviors over the course of our study. Results showed that while a wide range of behaviors were consistently exhibited across trials, clear behavioral indicators of mating readiness were not identified. The behavioral baseline established in this study provides guidance for future studies and contributes to the development of husbandry protocols for the Texas kangaroo rat. Ultimately, this work supports ongoing conservation efforts aimed at maintaining a viable captive population and facilitating future reintroduction initiatives.