NE North Dakota News

Graduate Research Achievement Day (GRAD) recently took place at Memorial Union, where students from various disciplines showcased their research. The event featured studies that could impact energy sustainability, workplace learning, and radon testing.

Scott Snyder, vice president for Research and Economic Development, emphasized the importance of such events in his introduction to the award ceremony. "All of you, regardless of the discipline that you are in, are active in discovering," he said. "You are pushing forward the boundaries of knowledge through all of the work that you do, and you should be incredibly proud of yourselves."

Over 200 participants gathered to discuss research projects at UND. Among them was Ashraf Mohammed, a master's student in geological engineering who focused on enhanced geothermal systems. His research involves using biopolymer gel to seal fractures in North Dakota's Deadwood Formation for better heat retention and electricity generation. "We’re testing whether biopolymer gel can block fractures and improve heat retention," Mohammed explained.

Muhammad Alam, a doctoral student in electrical engineering, explored using artificial intelligence to stabilize wind and solar energy sources amid unpredictable circumstances. He noted that "if we can integrate AI with traditional power systems, we can make renewable energy more reliable and efficient."

Sike Olateru-Olagbegi investigated microlearning as a way to enhance workplace training efficiency by delivering short sessions instead of traditional hour-long modules. Her study showed no significant difference in information retention between groups trained with different methods.

Sydney Rea worked with Soojung Kim on the Radon Outreach And Research (ROAR) initiative to increase awareness about radon risks in North Dakota. They aim to use calendar app notifications to remind residents to use free radon test kits provided by public libraries.

The GRAD Day event awarded several students across different categories for their outstanding research contributions. Sponsors included local organizations like the city of Grand Forks and Northrop Grumman.