Little is known about mammalian diversity in North America during the mid-Cretaceous (Albian-Cenomanian, 120-90 mya). This was an important interval in mammalian evolutionary history, during which metatherian (including marsupials) and eutherian (including placentals) mammals first appeared in North America and multituberculates (a now-extinct group of mammals) began to radiate. Unfortunately, our understanding of this period is poor because mid-Cretaceous mammal-bearing fossil localities are sparse in North America. Accordingly, each newly discovered specimen from this interval could provide important insights into therian and multituberculate diversity and their early stages of evolution. Recent paleontological fieldwork in the mid-Cretaceous (ca. 100 mya) Wayan Formation of eastern Idaho has led to the recovery of 30 mammalian specimens, including 15 metatherians and 13 multituberculates. These specimens, all isolated teeth, were discovered in situ and in the lab. Previous work by myself and other members of the Wilson Lab has focused on describing three metatherian species from this sample, as well as documenting a new occurrence of the genus Targheedelphys. Here, I focus on describing the multituberculates and analyzing their taxonomic diversity, as well as comparing them to those from a larger, contemporaneous sample from the Mussentuchit member of the Cedar Mountain formation of central Utah. Some of the Wayan specimens are attributed to new species and others are referred to previously known species. Current results indicate that multituberculate and metatherian diversity is approximately equal, with three species observed in each group, and each occupying close to fifty percent of the local fauna. The similarities and differences in taxonomic composition and diversity between these two localities will give us important insight about mid-Cretaceous mammalian evolution in North America. Additionally, this information fills a gap in the timeline of mammalian evolution that will further our understanding of mammal evolution through the K-Pg and onward into the Cenozoic.

In order to understand the paleoecology of extinct animals, it is useful to look at extant species for comparison. Due to the shared ancestry between the modern opossum, Didelphis virginiana, and the extinct marsupialiform, Didelphodon vorax, the opossum is often used as an analog for understanding the life history of D. vorax. Didelphodon vorax, which was the largest mammal from the latest Cretaceous of North America (~66 million years ago), is thought to have had an ovivorous (egg eating) or durophagous (hard-shelled eating) diet; however, little is known about its ontogenetic patterns and ecology. Therefore, we aim to construct an age series of D. vorax to gain insight into diet changes throughout its life. A mandibular bending strength analysis investigates the level of force the mandible is capable of withstanding during biting in both dorsoventral and labiolingual directions. Additionally, we can use it to determine variation in bending strength along the body of the jaw, which allows us to further explore feeding behavior. Here, we illuminate cranial ontogenetic patterns in D. vorax by examining different development stages to determine diet variation based on mandibular strength profiles. We analyzed mandibular cross-sectional properties and applied beam theory to 15 D. virginiana and seven D. vorax specimens. Each individual used in the study resulted with a relative force greater than one, which is indicative of an adaptation toward exerting forces directly on prey, whereas a ratio less than one would indicate an adaptation toward withstanding struggling motions or transverse stresses. Finally, we find similar patterns of ontogeny for both species at different tooth positions, which supports the notion that diet changes throughout ontogeny of these marsupials. Thus, comparison of mandibular bending strength between extinct and extant mammals has the ability to gain insight into their feeding behavior and morphological adaptations.

The Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) mass extinction and resulting biotic recovery mark a pivotal moment in mammal evolution. The recovery period, which spanned about 1 million years from the Puercan North American Land Mammal Age (NALMA) to the Torrejonian NALMA, represents a transition from species-poor “disaster” faunas directly following the extinction event to species-rich “recovery” faunas. Though previous research has broadly studied the faunal dynamics of the early Paleogene, the exact mode and tempo of the biotic recovery has not been well examined. To investigate the ecological trends of the “disaster” to “recovery” faunal transition, specifically changes in diet, we analyzed dental evolution within the periptychid and arctocyonid “archaic ungulate” lineages over a time period that spans from the Puercan NALMA to the Torrejonian NALMA. We measured relief index (RFI), a metric that determines the ratio between the 2D and 3D area of mammal teeth, on both the “archaic ungulates” and a set of ecologically diverse extant mammals to identify the dietary ecologies of the extinct mammals. Previous research has demonstrated a correlation between RFI and diet in extant mammals; high RFI values correspond to herbivory and insectivory, while low RFI values correspond to omnivory and frugivory. Our preliminary results suggest an increase in dietary diversity and an overall decrease in RFI during the biotic recovery. This reduction in RFI reflects a trend in “archaic ungulate” dietary preference from insectivory in the Puercan NALMA to omnivory and frugivory in the Torrejonian NALMA. The results of our study will help scientists understand how ecosystems recover from catastrophic events, such as mass extinctions, on large timescales.

The Cretaceous-Paleogene (K/Pg) mass extinction event (~66 million years ago) was a seminal episode in Earth's history. This event resulted in the extinction of up to 76% of all species and led to new evolutionary opportunities for the survivors (e.g., mammals). Accordingly, study of fossils spanning the K/Pg boundary is critical to understanding the dynamics of the extinction and resulting biotic recovery. However, K/Pg sections with vertebrate faunas are presently known only in North America. The Indian subcontinent was geographically isolated from approximately 88 MYA until 55-50 MYA, during which time massive volcanic eruptions (the Deccan Traps) occurred in western India during a four million year span across the K-Pg boundary. These eruptions and their effects have been implicated as causal mechanisms of the K-Pg mass extinction, but few studies have directly tested this hypothesis. Numerous vertebrate fossil localities have been found in India in the sedimentary rocks below (infratrappean) and between (intertrappean) the volcanic basalt flows. Historically, these fossil localities have been considered latest Cretaceous in age, but recent work has refined the stratigraphic and temporal relationships of the fossil localities. This allows us to track species diversity through time during the volcanic eruptions and leading up to and across the K-Pg boundary. In turn, these data can be compiled to determine the timing and magnitude of the extinctions within the context of Deccan volcanism and the mass extinction itself. We have compiled published records of over 1,653 fossil specimens from infra- and intertrappean localities throughout India. From the literature, we recorded demographic and locality information for our database. We will then use this database to characterize vertebrate faunal changes during the volcanic eruptions and across the K-Pg boundary in India, as well as compare the effects of the mass extinction in India with other parts of the world.

The Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) mass extinction event was a pivotal episode in the evolution of mammals. It is widely held that the extinction of non-avian dinosaurs allowed mammals to evolve rapidly into ecological niches previously occupied by dinosaurs. Studies of successive mammalian faunas from northeastern Montana have detailed this pattern, showing that (1) the earliest Paleogene (Puercan 1) ‘survival’ fauna from within 80,000 years of the K-Pg boundary was species poor and included many immigrant taxa and (2) full recovery and expansion of mammalian diversity only occurred 600 to 700 thousand years after the K-Pg event. To better resolve our view of the immediate aftermath following this mass extinction event, previous studies by myself and the Wilson Lab have analyzed a mammalian fossil assemblage from the Constenius locality (UWBM C1665), which documents a ‘survival’ fauna. The Constenius locality is bracketed to within 20,000 years after the K-Pg boundary, thus providing a time-constrained view into which mammals survived the mass extinction and how quickly immigrant taxa invaded this area. Here, I add to our understanding of this fossil assemblage by identifying and describing 23 newly recovered mammalian specimens from the Constenius locality. These specimens, which include isolated teeth and jaw fragments, were discovered in situ in the field and in the lab after screen washing more than 100 kg of bulk sediment. I compared the taxonomic composition and species richness of the Constenius mammalian assemblage to those from the Worm Coulee 1 locality (UWBM C1369), which is bracketed to within 80,000 years of the K/Pg boundary and likely represents a slightly younger assemblage. The results so far indicate that species richness and relative abundance is highest in archaic ungulates and lowest in multituberculates which is consistent and further strengthens previous research done at the Worm Coulee 1 locality within 80,000 years after the extinction event.

A sizable obstacle to the success of wearable devices in supporting good health, independent living, and workplace safety is compliance: is the user wearing the device and wearing it as it was designed? According to the United States Department of Labor, thousands of people are blinded each year from work-related eye injuries; this costs the industry more than $300 million in lost production time, medical expenses, and worker compensation (“Safety and Health Topics | Eye and Face Protection,” n.d.). This loss easily could be prevented by the usage of protective eyewear; thus is it imperative to know whether workers are complying with safety standards. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires that all protective equipment, including personal protective equipment for eyes, face, head and extremities be provided (“General requirements. - 1910.132,” n.d.). Therefore, any manual laborer worker is required comply with safety standards, including wearing protective eyewear. This research investigated inexpensive sensors to monitor compliance with regard to safety goggles and workplace safety. To ensure high fidelity and accurate data, it is paramount to understand user behavior in the wearing and use of these devices. Specifically, detailed knowledge regarding the subject’s usage of protective eyewear, including the orientation and location on the head directly to inform the quality of compliance to safety standards. However, the addition of compliance monitoring functionality is limited by size, power consumption, cost, and form factor constraints inherent to the wearable device of interest. These limitations restrict the types of sensors that can be used to achieve compliance monitoring. After literature review and feasibility study of compliance monitoring techniques and existing biomedical wearables, including assessing electrostatic field sensing, magnetic sensing, and various approaches to eye tracking, we have decided to pursue magnetic sensors as the most viable option for compliance sensing. We are optimistic that magnetic sensing may offer a low cost and low energy solution for the detection of direction and orientation of protective eyewear. Therefore, with magnetic sensing we will determine if the protective eyewear is being worn on the bridge of the nose, on top of the head, or completely off of the body to determine compliance with safety standards. A preliminary design has been modeled and simulated to be evaluated for feasibility.

The Veterans Health Administration teledermatology program is designed to expand access to dermatological care for veterans. This study seeks to evaluate the quality of the store-and-forward teledermatology (SFTD) care provided to veterans in the VISN 20 (Pacific Northwest) region. SFTD incorporates imaging technology to remotely and asynchronously provide dermatology for patients who experience barriers to care. When a patient sees their primary care provider (PCP) with a suspicious skin lesion, they may initiate a SFTD consult. PCPs are trained to evaluate and treat many skin conditions, but a suspicious lesion may require consultation. The suspicious lesion is photographed by a trained imager and the pictures are sent via secure communication to a consulting dermatologist. Within days, the dermatologist assesses the lesion and provides a differential diagnosis and treatment plan. Melanoma, a serious form of skin cancer, was used as an indicator for quality of care. Melanomas found in regional SFTD patients between 2009 and 2011 were extracted from existing datasets. Chart reviews were conducted of these cases to understand how melanomas were handled. Melanomas that were mishandled by SFTD were classified as misdiagnosed, mismanaged, incidental, or a combination. If "melanoma" or "lentigo maligna" was not in the SFTD differential diagnosis, then it was classified as misdiagnosed. If the melanoma was not biopsied on the first encounter, it was classified as mismanaged. If the melanoma was not imaged as a suspicious lesion by the PCP, it was classified as incidental. Of the 7964 patients seen by SFTD between 2009 and 2011, there were 69 diagnosable melanomas. 6 of these were classified as incidental, 16 were classified as misdiagnosed, and 4 were considered mismanaged. These results are far below those predicted by previous studies about the quality of SFTD care.

This project is a modern adaptation of Jason Robert Brown’s musical The Last Five Years, with a specific focus on racial diversity. Diversity in the arts is essential for artistic progression and innovation, and for maintaining sociocultural health; however, the lack of racial diversity in the performing arts has been a persistent, pressing issue. Artists from marginalized groups are grossly underrepresented in all aspects of modern theatre and performance; this prevents new stories and experiences from being developed and shared in the community. Our production has been specifically cast with UW students of color; the play chronicles the relationship between two young artists as they tackle the many challenges they face from society, one another, and themselves. Throughout the rehearsal process, we will inform the original script (which will remain unchanged) with the experiences and perspectives of young artists of colors. We will also explore how the challenges in the play are compounded by factors including gender, class, self-identity, and more; we want this production to address the unique obstacles faced by people from marginalized groups, especially in the arts. This process will culminate in a series of performances at UW’s Ethnic Cultural Theatre from May 20th through the 22nd. Additionally, all proceeds from the show will be donated to arts education in the Seattle area, with a specific focus on underrepresented communities.