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Recent Submissions
Reducing the Spatial Overhead for Quantum Error Correcting Codes
(2025) Pabla, Aarav; Hong, Yifan; Wang, Yuxin
Quantum computation is becoming increasingly mainstream; however, in order to adopt a fully fault-tolerant quantum computer, one must create robust procedures to correct inevitable errors that occur across a quantum channel. We adopt a mechanism to reduce the spatial overhead of quantum Low-Density Parity-Check (qLDPC) codes while maintaining the codes' useful parameters. Theoretically, the hypergraph product code offers theoretical guarantees of fault tolerance but can have some gaps in practical performance. We choose to study these codes in our work and aim to reduce the number of qubits used to correct errors.
Evaluating Early-Life Behavioral Responses to Social Cues in Cichlid Fish
(2025-07-25) Finch, William; Juntti, Scott; Parker, Coltan
Social behavior can vary across development stages. An animal may prefer to affiliate with a protective parent, groups of peers, or be solitary depending on its age and needs. Cichlid fish are powerful models to study social behavior due to their robust sociality, rapid diversification and genetic tractability. Many mature social behaviors and signaling pathways have been characterized in the cichlid Astatotilapia burtoni. Juvenile A. burtoni (fry) behavior is less understood. Studying fry behavior elucidates early social affiliations, granting ecological significance for survival and social organization as well as a model for the evolution and mechanisms of early behavior. We present fry with social stimuli in a two-choice assay, allowing chemosensory and visual perception to determine if they seek their mother or siblings (kin). We expect fry to prefer their mother or kin over another choice, determined by time spent close to one stimulus over the other. Testing n=4 trials for preference of mother vs. male, our results indicate overall that fry do not show a clear preference for their mother. However, preference shifts with age suggest an onset window for maternal preference with neurosensory maturation. Testing n=6 trials of kin versus non-kin, n=6 trials of kin vs. heterospecifics, and n=2 trials of large vs. small kin groups, our results indicate that fry seek peer groups, but cannot discern their kin from other fry. We propose a model that particular social preferences shift with fry development stages. Further research may test preference onsets with age, determine the influential sensory modalities for fry behavior and their associated neural activity patterns.
Making Place: Framing Stories Wilmer's Park Dreamscapes
(Partnership for Action Learning Sustainability (PALS), 2023-05) Antoine, Wethny; Cheraghali, Awa; Danforth, Rainer; Delgadillo, Luis; Ferreira, Donna; Flowers, Zachary Allen; Perdomo, Christian Alvarado; Randall, Namiko; Robinson, Crystal; Wainaina, Kenneth; Ward, Edwin; Williams, Gary; Eisenbach, Ronit
"Stories are created by people and events in place. Some stories and events are remembered and repeated by individuals and society, some are not. How are events and places intertwined? Which stories are told? Which are not? And why? How do we retell these stories? How do we keep them in conversation with other more visible histories? In many instances, the stories that complicate our understanding of place, his/her/stories of women, African Americans, indigenous peoples are not elevated, and often erased.
This creative placemaking architecture studio explored these questions at Wilmer’s Park, in Brandywine, Maryland, a former music and entertainment venue that catered to the African American population during Jim Crow when segregation laws separated white and black communities. The goal is to leverage the power of arts, culture, and creativity to support vibrant and sustainable communities.
In this project, students created “Dreamscapes,” imagining what could be, by tapping into this cultural landscape to spark conversation about the park’s future. The students’ research and the Dreamscapes will be used by Prince George’s County planners at the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) for scenario planning and community outreach to determine how best to move forward with redevelopment of the historic site as a public park, tourist attraction, and cultural center.
The questions for students, the planners, and the community are How does one tell the story of a place? How can one build upon this cultural landscape and renew it for the next generation? In planning the future, how does one acknowledge the needs and desires of the community that is now there?
This project may be extended to future student groups who will support the development of on-site materials. The studio work is part of a continuum, shifting the memory of a place, and an understanding of its history, and in the case of Wilmer’s Park, helping plant seeds from the past for the future."
Maryland Department of Natural Resources State Parkgoer Survey
(Partnership for Action Learning Sustainability (PALS), 2023-12) Barnholtz, Rebecca; Bellas, Maya; Blaugrund, Riley; Bradley, Dillon; Bruce, Angela; Bunyun, Isaac; Carr, Ryan Christopher; Craig, Hunter; Cullen, Andrew; Devore, Emily; Drake, Keating; Eason, Amanda; El-Amin, Maryam; Garcia, Sophie; Heaphy, Kate; Juarez, Jason; Kantrowitz, Daniel; Leason, Morgan; Levine, Josie; Marfo, Rosalind; Marte Tiburcio, Victoria; Mazur, Ashley; McGee, Natalie; Muldoon, Aidan; Ng, Theo; Niyangoda, Emilia; Ohlke, Anjuna; Paliakas, Leah; Payne, Sara; Pritchett, Alex; Ryder, Olivia; Saidel, Sara; Shami, Hisham; Silderberg, Caroline; Stevens, Breana; Slade, Oliver; Tanaka, Ronak Tallur; Tanaka, Josue; Vangelov, Kasey; Vyas, Reva; Williams, Megan; Zerguit, Adam; Pearson-Merkowitz, Shanna; Taffali, Noor
"This report presents findings from a 2023 survey of 447 Maryland state park visitors, conducted to inform the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) on public priorities and perceptions related to state parks and climate change. Conducted across 16 parks and analyzed by University of Maryland students through the PALS (Partnership for Action Learning in Sustainability) initiative, the survey reveals that parkgoers broadly support increased investment in land preservation, tree planting, and educational opportunities. Respondents also expressed strong support for climate resilience programs for homeowners, with notable differences in policy preference based on income levels.
The findings highlight significant racial and socioeconomic differences in environmental priorities, climate change perceptions, and preferred forms of engagement—volunteering being more appealing than traditional educational programming. Despite general concern about climate change and interest in learning more, many parkgoers report low confidence in the state's ability to address environmental challenges. The report recommends integrating climate education into volunteer activities and tailoring outreach to specific demographic groups to enhance effectiveness and equity in state programming."
Recycled and Salvaged Art: Community Forklift
(Partnership for Action Learning Sustainability (PALS), 2024-05) Assaker, Maya; Barrios, Waldemar; Bonsu, Francine; Carlson, Ari; Carter, Madison; Debrew, Yani; Dzekewong, Leinyuy; Edwards, William; Hall, Jasmine; Madsen, Cathy; Herrera-Navarro, Esmeralda; Jafari, Maryam; Meyers, Micah; Olek, Madeline; Walton, Cydney; Donahue-Shipp, Brandon
This art class is an advanced painting course that is also a part of the Creative Placemaking Minor. It is a class that challenges students to think about painting and art-making in a more public-facing, environmentally aware, and community oriented way. This project incorporates Community Forklift’s mission statement and strives to educate the community about the importance and benefits of reuse. Using recycled objects and salvaged materials, this class added to the ongoing conversation of waste reduction and raised awareness by creating three activities using recycled materials during an outdoor exhibition at Maryland Day on April 27th, 2024.