Projects and Course Reflections
Hydraulic Transport in Biological Systems
Course Reflection
Fall 2025
My favorite lab in my Hydraulic Transport in Biological Systems class was our final lab involving minor losses. The objective of the lab was to estimate and compare experimental and theoretical discharge coefficients for flow meters and loss coefficients for fittings, in addition to quantifying and comparing the energy loss among the three flow meters in the module: venturi, orifice, and rotameter. Since both rotameter readings and a dump system were used to calculate volumetric flow rate, comparison of those values added another element to observe and discuss. Two Edibon modules were used: the FME05 Energy Losses in Bends Module and the FME18 Flow Meter Module, which involved a combined 20 tubes to read in addition to the rotameter and dump system readings.
This lab was outside of my comfort zone—I had never worked with minor losses before but I had worked with elements of the other labs in the past (namely viscosity and hydrostatic pressure in prior science fair projects). Because I had never worked with calculating and understanding minor losses of different fittings before, this lab had the most significant learning impact on me.
In the lab, I learned how energy losses arise from different flow meters and pipe fittings, as well as how the losses can be described using discharge and loss coefficients. Through the process of analyzing the data, I learned how to translate the readings obtained into head losses and pressure drops, compare theoretical models to experimental values, and interpret the variables that can affect analysis. Beyond the calculations and analysis, I learned how even simple fittings contribute measurably to loss, and it gave me an appreciation for the calculations that are essential parts of safely and efficiently designing hydraulic systems.
This lab also enhanced my ability to work as a team. Because of the massive quantity of data that needed to be collected simultaneously, I had to work with a team of seven other people to make sure every reading was obtained to be analyzed in the report. Communication was key so that we knew when we could move on to the next rotameter reading. Another big element was trust—no one person could read and confirm everything, so each team member had to trust that the others were reading the instruments accurately.
This lab was also very relevant to the direction I anticipate my career heading—this upcoming summer (2026), I am interning with Jacobs Consulting Inc. as a water and wastewater intern. I will have opportunity to work on projects involving hydraulic systems. Now that I have completed the lab, I have a better understanding of how minor losses arise in these systems.
Overall, this was a very involved lab between the quantity of data and the new ideas to understand, but as I worked through the project, I came out as a better teammate and engineer, with both soft skills and technical skills that will carry me through my future experiences.
Another concept I explored as part of my reflection was some hydraulic concepts I had always been curious about prior to this class, including river behavior, water pumps, and above all, capillary action in trees. I recall my ninth-grade biology teacher telling the class that capillary action has height limitations, so the fact that trees are as tall as they are and can transport water to even the very tops of their branches is quite remarkable. While this phenomenon has always been in the back of my mind, I never quite understood how trees make it happen until I took this class.
Upon further research in conjunction with my new understanding of hydraulic transport concepts and applied learning from other classes in my curriculum, I have come to understand that these limitations are overcome by combining elements of water potential, and most importantly, transpiration and negative pressure. For the purposes of walking through this phenomenon, assume that the tree observed has a 45μm radius and is about 40 meters tall.
A concept discussed in length in my Basic Soil Sciences class, water potential, is represents the total energy state of water. Water always moves from higher water potential to lower water potential. Water potential is made up of different components, which relate to different fluid mechanics equations from my BSEN course. The first term, osmotic potential (ψo) governs root intake. Gravitational potential (ψg) is equivalent to ρgL, where ρ is density, "g" is acceleration due to gravity, and "L" is the height of the water column. The next term, the matric potential (ψm), is the capillary action described by Jurin’s Law, which in the case of a tree with xylem radii of 45μm is .33 meters. The final term, (ψP) is the pressure potential, and is derived by the Poiseuille and Bernoulli equations.
The Bernoulli equation, found in Chapter 5 of the textbook and written below, demonstrates that as height increases, pressure must drop.
Since the velocities in the xylem are so small, it can be approximated as zero and the equation becomes:
Therefore, as height (z) increases, pressure (P) must decrease.
Poiseuille's law, from Chapter 8 of the textbook, expands on the Bernoulli equation. For laminar flow through a vertical cylindrical tube, Poiseuille's law is modeled as:
Since the xylem radii are so small in trees, the "r" term, raised to the fourth power, makes the resistance very high, meaning a large negative pressure is required to pull the water upwards.
The rigid-body pressure gradient equation, derived from Newton's Second Law of Motion in Chapter 3 of the textbook, modified for a vertical tube, is as follows:
Assuming steady water flow, acceleration is zero and thus the equation becomes:
Plugging in 1 meter for the height (k) demonstrates that every meter increase in height requires a pressure decrease of .01 MPa; thus, for a tree 40m high, a pressure decrease of .4 MPa is required.
Then, the question becomes, how does the pressure increase so significantly that it is able to send the water up 40meters, or even 100 meters, in the air? Transpiration answers part of this question. Transpiration can be modeled by Fick’s Law from my Heat and Mass transfer class:
(where j = mass flux per unit area, D = diffusion coefficient of water vapor in air, c = vapor concentration, and x = distance across boundary layer)
Transpiration removes water vapor from the leaves, which increases the concentration gradient and thus increases the mass flow rate per area. This evaporation pulls the water from the xylem towards the surface of leaves. As water evaporates, the curvature of the water meniscus increases, and an increase in curvature causes more negative pressure.
Since water molecules are cohesive, this negative pressure pulls water molecules throughout the collective network. Thus, the negative pressure allows the water to be pulled upward and overcome the gravitational potential, resistance, and the height limitations typically found in capillary action systems.
Below you can find a the video presentation of this explanation that ninth-grade me would have loved to watch to solve the "mystery" of water transport in the breathtaking redwood trees.
According to Jurin’s Law from Chapter 2 of our textbook, Fluid Mechanics (Çengel and Cimbala, 2006), describing capillary rise, the smaller the radius of a tube, the higher the capillary rise. At atmospheric pressure, the capillary action in the smallest of xylems found in trees (radius of 45μm) should be height limited at .33 meters based on the Jurin's law, written below. To put that into perspective, the image to the right shows a comparison of the .33 meter height limitation (in blue) compared to a small tree (4 meters tall), a medium tree (24 meters), with the largest of trees, redwoods (over 100 meters tall). The fact that redwood trees still manage to get water up to the very top is remarkable, which is why this part of nature has always piqued my curiosity.
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Overall, in this course, I gained a greater ability to reach the course outcomes of applying mass, momentum, and energy relationships to biological hydraulic systems in order to solve fluid-related problems I will face in my career. By the end of the semester, I found myself able to understand fluid behavior in situations I had not grasped before—like the trees—and I am now more confident in my ability to continue connecting key concepts across many classes to better understand biological systems.
Pulp and Paper Processing Lab
Fall 2025
This lab expanded upon my learning in the spring's Pulp and Paper Technology class. In the previous class, we had learned all about the properties of fibers and the process of papermaking; in this lab, we had the opportunity to implement the knowledge from the class into the actual papermaking principles. We took consistency tests, pulped, dried, and processed fibers to be bleached. We also did an experiment involving beating where we allowed pulp to go through the beater for certain intervals of time. After creating handsheets ourselves, we first-hand examined the results that beating time has on various paper properties through tests in the dry sheet testing lab. Among the tests we conducted were opacity, permeability, and tear, tensile, and burst strengths. It was extraordinarily interesting to go through every step of the papermaking process first-hand, enhancing the textbook knowledge I had obtained in the spring with industry-standard practical knowledge. For our reports, we were required to write very brief memos summarizing what we did in the lab that day. All of my lab memos can be found by following the link below, and the Excel spreadsheet containing the results of the beating experiment handsheet tests are found below as well.
Environmental Ethics
Final Presentation Project
Fall 2025
I enjoyed this class because it challenged my thinking surrounding restoration and preservation, both of which are very relevant to my major. Our final project was to develop an argument surrounding a current issue relating to the environmental ethics topics discussed in the class. My group selected the issue of gray wolves being reintroduced in Northern California.
Gray wolves were reintroduced to the Sierra Valley region in Northern California after seeing the success with Yellowstone. Since the wolves were last wild in this environment, the natural prey of the gray wolves, like elk, were run out of the region as the it lost its "wildness" with the establishment of livestock ranches. Thus, the need for the wolves to source food elsewhere was critical to their survival, so the wolves turned to the prey that was present—cattle. In fact, one pack alone has been responsible for at least 87 cattle kills in the 7 months. Ranchers complained, and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) captured and euthanized some of the wolves, with the goal of eliminating this particular pack in their entirety (even while this species is still endangered). Prior to the euthanization, CDFW attempted non-lethal attempts that proved ineffective at keeping the cattle kills at a minimum. Local ranchers are skeptical that non-lethal methods will ever prove to be effective in that they allow the wolves and farmers to coexist, and even question whether the habitat is suitable for the wolves due to the lack of natural prey. These consequences of the wolf reintroduction were not fully thought out prior to the reintroduction; else, humans would have intervened when the wolves first started killing cattle, and actions could have more likely prevented the culling process (or so some wildlife experts believe). The nature of this situation now serves as “an instructive moment” for California as they continue to work with the endangered wolf populations and other similarly threatened species.
This situation parallels discussions on restoration versus preservation, as mentioned in Hettinger and Throop’s Refocusing Ecocentrism. Hettinger and Throop claim that the stability and integrity of an environment is critical; that focusing on the present reality of an ecosystem with these factors in mind is more important than attempting to recreate past conditions, especially when past conditions cannot be accurately recreated and cause the ecosystem to go out of balance. It is in these situations that restoration efforts can be problematic with human involvement. With this in mind, the reintroduction of the gray wolves can be considered morally and ecologically irresponsible, as it produced predictable harms to the local community—the ranchers, cows, and wolves alike. The case of the gray wolves follows the success of the Yellowstone wolves, where humans saw that removing or reintroducing an apex predator (and arguably a keystone species) can have drastic unanticipated effects on the ecosystem as a whole. This source, in conjunction with the gray wolves story we selected, demonstrates that decisions to remove or reintroduce a species cannot be taken lightly, especially when the balance of an ecosystem is on the line.
We argue that if the changes in the ecosystem had been considered before their reintroduction, then it would have been evident that the reintroduction of the species would not create the restored ecological balance but instead continue a conflict between cattle farmers and the wolves. Considering these factors could potentially have led to the wolves not being reintroduced in the first place, if the true best outcome would have been for that; therefore, there would have been no cause for the unnecessary deaths of the wolves and the cattle prior to their reintroduction.
Our final presentation is linked below, as well as the class resources referenced above that inspired this topic.
Pulp & Paper Technology
Final Presentation Project
Spring 2025
In this class, our culminating project was to present on a topic relating to the pulp and paper industry. Our presentation time limits were twelve minutes of presenting, with three minutes of oral defense. My partner and I selected power boilers as our topic.
I learned so much about the pulp and paper industry, and I was able to use this knowledge of the processes in my internship at International Paper in Prattville in Summer 2025. Prior to taking this class, I did not know how cyclical and complex the process of papermaking was, and I had newfound interest in the management of air and water quality, as well as the chemical cycles throughout the process.
Honors Mechanics of Materials
Final Design Project
Spring 2025
In this class, our culminating project was to design and construct an efficient bridge that supports a 150 lb total design load and satisfies the given design constraints.
The amount and type of structural material was limited to fifteen instructor-supplied sheets of ¾” x 14.5” x 48” expanded polystyrene (EPS), and any adhesives (not including adhesive tape), in addition to other dimensional and technical requirements/limitations of the design.
Pictured to the right is the final design of our bridge, and ultimately it supported approximately 300lbs.
I learned a lot about teamwork in this class, as well as the fact that it is possible to create a structure out of polystyrene that can hold over 150 lbs!
Biological and Bioenvironmental Heat and Mass Transfer
Course Reflection
Spring 2025
In this course, I learned a lot about all the ways that heat can be transferred. There were many processes that I had not considered all the factors of heat transfer for, but once I realized how involved heat transfer is in so many actions and relationships, I was curious about a few things.
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Firstly, the biological heat transfer in living things was one topic that piqued my interest. I recall the very first homework assignment that we were given, in which we had to make such calculations for a singing canary:
Problem 6: We want to calculate the total metabolic heat generated by a singing canary taking into account heat transfer by radiation, convection and exhaling air. The air temperature is 25°C, canary’s body internal and surface temperature is 35°C, external body surface convective heat transfer coefficient is 25.2 W/m2.K, temperature difference between the inhaled and exhaled air is 4.3°C, the ventilation rate is 0.74 cc of air per second, the specific heat of air is 1.0066 kJ/kg.K and density of air is 1.16 kg/m3. Assume the canary’s body is a cylinder with 7 cm diameter and 9 cm length, and heat exchange is from the side as well as the top and bottom of the cylinder. Calculate 1) the net rate of heat lost by radiation; 2) the rate of heat transferred by convection to the surrounding air; 3) the rate of heat transferred in the exhaling air without considering any internal evaporation; and 4) total metabolic power.
To solve this problem, I utilized three equations:
The radiation equation was used for the heat lost naturally to the canary's surroundings. The convection equation was used for the external body surface convective heat transfer. Finally, the last equation was used for the heat transfer of the canary's exhale. All three of these components must be considered since heat is being transferred simultaneously in each of those methods. Adding all of the resulting values of the equations result in total metabolic power. This real-life example serves as an example for heat transfer via convection and conduction, and through solving it I learned how simple such a complicated seeming problem can actually be (although with the simplification of a canary's body being a cylinder).
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In my Pulp and Paper Technology class, we talk a lot about recovery and power boilers, and I was interested to learn about the heat and mass transfer concepts behind these mechanisms. In a boiler, heat is transferred via conduction as heat from the burning fuel is transferred through the walls to the water inside. This scenario can be modeled by Fourier's Law of Conduction:
Next, convection occurs from hot gases in the boiler to the walls, which can be modeled by the equation below. This convection can be natural or forced depending on the flow.
It was very interesting to see concepts from my classes intersecting, and learning these concepts in Heat and Mass Transfer helped better my understanding of boilers in the pulp and paper industry. I know understand how precisely engineered these boilers are, and the knowledge I have learned will help me in my potential future pulp and paper endeavors.
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Finally, the concept of Lumped Parameter Analysis was a new topic that fascinated me. To understand heating limits, we have to determine how heat moves throughout an object and if we can treat the object as having one uniform temperature, or if there is a large enough difference that we have to conduct a more complex analysis. To determine which assumption can be made, we must use the Biot number.
If the Biot number is less than .01, the lumped system approximation is valid, since internal temperature gradients are negligible. The equation for basic lumped system analysis for one-dimensional transient conduction is as follows:
This equation can be used to determine limits in situations such as a battery in a piece of technology heating up. It is incredible to me that lumped system analysis can simplify how temperature changes over time, and do so accurately since the temperature gradients are small. If the Biot number is larger than .01, indicating a larger temperature gradient, either graphical or analytical methods using the formulas listed below must be used to proceed with calculations.
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Many concepts in this class made me realize much more about the heat and mass transfer that happens around us all the time. Having this realization made me much more curious about where these topics apply to my life, and made me consider heat relationships in a different way than I had before. I have started seeking out the applications of the content I learned both in my other classes, and my day-to-day.
Honors Concepts of Chemical Engineering: The Design of Coffee
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Spring 2025
In this class, our culminating project was to roast and brew our own coffee, after learning and experimenting with many variables over the course of the semester, and participate in a class-wide competition, with scores based on energy and taste profiles.
For the competition, my group roasted 110g of green Ethiopian coffee cherries using a Fresh Roast SR540 Roaster at a level 6 fan and level 7 heat for 8 minutes. We then took 15g of roasted beans and ground it at a level 18 grind size to then use in an AeroPress. We used a paper filter and used a 1:10 grounds to water ratio in the AeroPress. After letting it brew with 86 degree Celsius water for 2 minutes, we pushed the liquid out with medium pressure over the course of 30 seconds. We then diluted it with 2 parts brew to 1 part 86 degree Celsius water. We repeated the process until reaching 925g of brew.
Our video part of the project is linked below, describing the process more in depth. In this class, I learned a lot about the scientific process, coffee, and flavor profiles. (Good) black coffee has also grown on me since first starting the class, and now I know what makes black coffee good to me!
Methods for Biosystems Engineering
"Found Materials" Water Filter
Fall 2024
In this class, our culminating project was to construct a water filter made out of "found materials" that could filter highly turbid water to about 10 NTUs or less. My group truly embraced the "found" portion of the challenge, and we constructed our design out of recycled or commonly found materials.
With this project, we used a lot of trial and error. Initially, we had parts that were were planning to 3D print. However; after multiple print fails, and re-evaluation of our design, we decided to re-examine the materials we had and see if we even needed the 3D printed parts. For example, one part we were going to 3D print was a frame that was intended to hold the cheesecloth material tight, pictured on the right. Ultimately, we realized that we could use the lid of the containers we were using to accomplish the same goal.
We ended up using sand, cheesecloth, spongey material, cotton rounds/balls, and coffee filters as our filtering media, all enclosed in three parts of water bottles and other containers with lids to hold it all together, and we got the turbidity down to just above 10 NTUs when we averaged our trials/
In this project, I became a lot more comfortable with CAD modeling, working with the engineering design process, safety procedures, and problem solving. Thanks to the skills and experiences I had in this class, in my future career as an engineer I will be equipped with the skills to succeed in a variety of environments.
Final setup of the water filtration system
Honors Seminar: Week of Service Leadership
Spring 2024, Spring 2025
Upon being selected as a counselor for the
2024 Honors College Week of Service (WoS)
program, I took this honors seminar alongside
my fellow counselors as we prepared for the
2024 WoS. As a part of the class, we read the
book Poverty, By America by Matthew
Desmond, created frameworks for discussions
about social issues and poverty, and even did
our own research into a poverty subject of
choice. I chose to write my report on poverty
amongst graduate level students, and found
that there was limited information and
statistics regarding specifically graduate
students, as opposed to college students as a whole. In the process of writing my report, I developed more research and synthesis skills as I had to read through a large quantity of works to create the full picture of the topic I was researching.
While researching something that did not have a large body of existing knowledge and data was frustrating at times, it challenged me to find connections and attempt to drawing my own conclusions. It sparked an interest in me to continue looking to help populations that may be overlooked as I continue my involvement in the Week of Service program and other service opportunities.
2024 Week of Service Counselors, Head Counselors, and Supporting Staff
I was also selected to be a Head Counselor for the 2025 Week of Service, which meant I got to take the class again in Spring 2025. This time, the goals of the class were a bit different in my new role; I was challenged to guide the counselors we had selected and help them learn how to facilitate discussions, ask questions, and challenge ideas, all while being a leader to the upcoming freshmen class. We read the same book, Poverty, By America, and I also opted to read an additional book with the coordinator of our program, Maggie Rogers. We decided to read The System by Robert Reich, and held book club meetings to discuss the book in the context of Poverty, By America and the rest of the class's content.
Again, we had to do a semester project, although this time there was more freedom as to what form the project may take. I decided to interview Ms. Jennifer Briggs, founder and CEO of Briggs & Associates, based out of the Atlanta area. I then wrote an article-style story reflecting on the discussion I had with Ms. Briggs, detailing everything from how Briggs & Associates came to be to how the work she and her company does helps support underrepresented populations and represent the values of poverty abolition.
In this second semester of taking this course, I had a completely different experience. My leadership skills further developed, shifting from more personal growth to having to also facilitate the development of leadership skills amongst the new counselors. I am also glad I challenged myself to read an additional book, to continue the momentum of adding to the base of knowledge I currently have surrounding the issues we learn about in the class. Finally, it was an absolute joy to have a conversation with Ms. Briggs, and I got to write in a style I have neve written in before. While it was my second time taking this course, I truly feel I was able to embrace the new experiences that came in taking the course in my new role as a Head Counselor.
Honors Organismal Biology
Southern Magnolia Educational Video
Spring 2024
As part of the Honors experience of this course, we created short films for Auburn University's Davis Arboretum, featuring various native plant species. My group selected the Southern Magnolia, a tree which is very symbolic of southern culture.
In order to represent the multi-faceted nature of the Southern Magnolia, we researched it through many lenses, including through social, historical, and scientific lenses. We were challenged to take all this information and create a story that visitors of the Davis Arboretum (of all ages) may be able to enjoy, while learning about the magnificence and important of our native species.
Through this project, and the preparation leading up to it (which included lectures from scientific journalists), I had the opportunity to learn more about the world of scientific storytelling, and how it can be just as important as academic scientific writing. I was able to express my creativity alongside my peers to create a short film that many visitors of the Davis Arboretum will be able to enjoy!
Stills from the Southern Magnolia project
Introduction to Biosystems Engineering
Algae Bioreactor
Fall 2023
The culminating project for the Introduction to Biosystems Engineering class was the creation of an algae bioreactor. This project was challenging for many reasons. First of all, we were assigned groups, meaning we had to work with people who were complete strangers (since it was all our first semester at Auburn). Overcoming the challenges of having to figure out the group dynamic, strengths, and weaknesses took a lot of communication and patience as we were all learning together.
This project was also challenging because no one in the group had ever built an algae bioreactor before, or even had any kind of previous knowledge, which meant we had to do a lot of additional research to try and create a functional device.
Final algae bioreactor setup
Finally, we only had one trial opportunity for the algae to grow; there was no trial and error process due to resources and time constraints. As someone who had done science fair all throughout middle and high school, and is all too comfortable with retesting and changing designs until it performs as desired, not being able to do that for this project was a frustrating challenge. Ultimately, while our design did not vastly improve the growth of the algae, it at least encouraged a little growth. Based on our results, we were able to identify ways that we may be able to improve the design.
While yes, we did build an algae bioreactor, a significant portion of the learning process in this project involved learning how to work in a team of strangers, learning how to write reports, and creating more confidence in researching and developing ideas, all skills that are invaluable to many aspects of academic and professional careers.
Introduction to Biosystems Engineering
Ethics in Engineering Video
Fall 2023
As part of our Introduction to Biosystems Engineering course, we had to create a video that met the requirements of the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers' annual ethics in engineering video contest. Our group selected the topic of properly disposing of waste, as there have been traces of contaminants in Auburn's own Parkerson Mill Creek.
My role in the creation of this video was in filming, editing, and piecing together the whole video. In the process of creating the video, I had to learn new editing software and I explored creative ways to demonstrate ideas besides the skit videos we filmed, and these software programs I now use all the time for projects.
Clips from the video
AP Research Project
Recycling Program Accessibility and Awareness in Rural Georgia
Fall 2022-Spring 2023
In high school, I took the AP Seminar and Research Capstone program, and in the second year of the course, AP Research, I conducted my own study on awareness and accessibility of recycling practices in my rural Georgia community.
Because homes tend to be much more spread out, and there are less infrastructural developments, recycling had a much smaller presence as opposed to my previous suburban home. I was curious about how correlated recycling program accessibility was compared to locations of homes, and in what ways could recycling (or other similar programs) be further encouraged in communities that are not necessarily designed in ways that these kinds of programs may be successful. Thus, I surveyed a vast population of teachers who lived all over the region I was examining and asked a series of questions, not only on recycling programs at their homes, but also in the schools in which they taught or that their children attended. From this, I was able to identify patterns and propose solutions to make recycling participation more effective.
Example of survey population maps
After conducting my study, I wrote a research paper and created a presentation to defend my research to a panel of instructors, administrators, and other guests. I received a perfect score for my project, making me part of the 1.26% of AP Research exam takers that year to receive a perfect score.
I am extraordinarily grateful for the guidance of my instructors in all parts of this capstone course. Through their instruction, I developed many research and academic writing skills that I have only been able to build on through other academic endeavors.