NASA RockOn! 2026

In June 2026, I participated in the NASA RockOn! Program with students Lucas Baldwin and Ryan Schulz, after they applied for and were accepted into the program. We built a payload consisting of a variety of sensors, which was launched on a sounding rocket from the Wallops Flight Facility on Wallops Island, VA. The data was collected and analyzed. We are now looking to participate in the 2027 NASA RockSat Program.

Student Software Projects

Over the years, I have mentored numerous software engineering capstone projects for the COSC 425 / COSC 426 year-long sequence. The resulting software platforms for the two most recent cohorts are included here.

Recent Student Research Projects

Sean Shockley. Analysis of Null-Bounded Linear Finite Cellular Automata Reversibility Using Generalized Toeplitz Systems. 2026 Summer Support funded by the Office of Grants and Sponsored Research. Presented at the 2026 Summer Research Showcase.

Sean Shockley. Boundary Conditions and the Invertibility of Linear Finite Systems. Funded by the 2025 Guerrieri Undergraduate Research Summer Program. Presented at the 2025 Research Showcase, SUSRC 2026, and accepted for Posters on the Bay 2026.

Sophie Reister. Human and Artificial Intelligence Communication: Strengths and Weaknesses of Conversing with AI for Coding Mathematical Models. Presented at the Posters on the Bay 2025.

Sophie Reister. Human and Artificial Intelligence Communication: Strengths and Weaknesses of Conversing with AI for Coding Mathematical Models. Presented at NCUR 2025 in Pittsburgh, PA.

Kyle Tranfaglia, Dustin O'Brien, and Timothy McKirgan. Celite: A Collection of Cellular Automaton Simulators. Presented at the SUSRC 2025.

Abigail Pierson. Periodic Behavior in Finite Linear Cellular Automata. Funded by the 2024 Guerrieri Undergraduate Research Summer Program. Presented at the 2024 Research Showcase.

Abigail Pierson. Periodic Behavior in Finite Linear Cellular Automata. Presented at SUSRC 2025.

Nikolai Vukov, Dylan Williams, Brian Keenan, Abigail Pierson, Lilly Ngo. Zero Locations and Growth Rate Dimensions for Non-Zero Elements in Cellular Automata. Presented at SUSRC 2024.

Lilly Ngo. Investigations of Fractal Dimensions in Group-Generated Cellular Automata. Funded by the 2024 Guerrieri Undergraduate Research Summer Program. Presented at the Research Showcase.

Hannah Hall. Investigating Areas of Overlap in 2-Dimensional Cellular Automata. Presented at SUSRC 2021.

Lela Boes. On the Calculation of Dimensions for Non-Deterministic L-Systems. Honors Thesis leading to Departmental Honors, 2020.

Chris Arausa. Worked on an add-on package for his Math 425/426 L-System software to compute the box-counting fractal dimension of the 3-D systems, 2020.

Student Publications

Tucker, Shealyn. Isomorphic Circulant Graphs and Applications to Homogenous Linear Systems, NCUR 2014 Proceedings.

Seaborn, Joseph, Churchill, Aaron, Mummert, Philip, and Bardzell, Michael. The Evolution of Finite 1-Dimensional Cellular Automata updated with k-Rules. Journal of Cellular Automata. Volume 6, Number 6. 2011. p. 505-515.

Shifler, Ryan. Universal Groebner Bases of Circulant Polynomial Systems. Proceedings of NCUR 2011.

Childers, Katelin; Craig, Erin; Taha, Israa; Poimenidou, Eirini; Bardzell, Michael. A p-adic Approach to Binomial Identities. The Pi Mu Epsilon Journal. Volume 13, Number 3. Fall 2010. pp. 133-142.

Laurushchyk, Valiantsina. Measuring Fractal Dimension in 2-D Cellular Automata, Proceedings of NCUR (National Conference on Undergraduate Research) 2008.

Griffin, Brandy. The Lucas Correspondence Theorem and Discrete Dynamical Systems, Proceedings of NCUR 2008.

Taha, Israa. Combinatorial and Number Theoretic Properties of Cellular Automata, Proceedings of NCUR, 2007.

Eckert, Lauren. Measuring Fractal Dimensions of Cellular Automata in 2D & 3D Space; Proceedings of NCUR 2005.

Miller, Nicole; Bardzell, Michael. The Evolution Homomorphism and Permutation Actions on Group Generated Cellular Automata; Complex Systems, Volume 15, Issue 2, pp. 121-136, 2004.

Calloway, April. Information Entropy in Discrete Dynamical Systems; Proceedings of NCUR 2003.

Gymnich, Stephan. A Classification of Simple 1-Dimensional Automata Generated over Cyclic Groups, Proceedings of NCUR 2002.

Miller, Nicole. Periodicity and Long-Term Evolution of 2-D Cellular Automata; Proceedings of NCUR 2001.

Kenyon, Paula; Bardzell, Michael. Can We Learn Calculus From A Jerk? PRIMUS, Volume XI Number 2, pp. 97-110, June 2001.

Student Recognitions

Amy Vennos. Cycle Structures for Finite Cellular Automata Generated over Groups, Rings, and Fields. Amy won first place in the student poster session at the MAA spring meeting 2019.

Samim Manizade. Computational Modeling of Robotic Arm Kinematics. One of 60 students accepted out of 800 applicants to present at the Council on Undergraduate Research's (CUR) Posters on Capitol Hill event, 2013. Samim was the only student representative from a Maryland campus.

Ryan Shifler. Universal Groebner Bases of Circulant Polynomial Systems. Ryan won second place at the MD/DC/VA Sectional Meeting of the MAA in the student research presentation category, 2011.

Katie Walsh. The Dynamics of Finite Cellular Automata with Null Boundary Conditions. Katie won second place in the student presentation category at the MD/DC/VA Sectional Spring Meeting of the MAA at Virginia State University, April 2010.

Barbara Hensel won second place in the original research category of the Student Poster Session during the spring 2004 MD-VA-DC Sectional of the MAA.

Brenda Russo won a Pi Mu Epsilon Award for outstanding paper in the Pi Mu Epsilon student session at MathFest, Boulder, Colorado.

Calloway, April; Information Entropy in Discrete Dynamical Systems; 2003 CUR (Council on Undergraduate Research) – Posters on the Hill. April Calloway’s work was one of 60 posters chosen nationally across all the sciences to present to members of Congress and the Senate. (April had to cancel at the last minute due to a family emergency)

Miller, Nicole; Periodicity and Long-Term Evolution of 2-D Cellular Automata. 2001 CUR – Posters on the Hill. Nicole was one of 68 students chosen nationally across all the sciences to present to members of Congress and the Senate.

Other Student Presentations

Chris Viqueira. Computer Simulated Orbital Mechanics. Joint work with physics major Sam Williams. Presented at SUSRC 2015.
James Goodwyn. Examining Eigenvalues and Eigenvectors in the Time Evolution Map. Honor's Project for the SU Honors Program. Presented at SUSRC 2015 and the SU Honors Conference.
Shealyn Tucker. Isomorphic Circulant Graphs and Applications to Homogeneous Linear Systems, NCUR 2014.
Shealyn Tucker. Isomorphic Circulant Graphs and Applications to Homogeneous Linear Systems, Summer Research Showcase 2014.
Amy Vennos. Cycle Structures for Finite Cellular Automata Generated over Groups, Rings, and Fields. Presented at SUSRC 2019 and was her Honors Thesis for Departmental Honors.
Samim Manizade. Computational Modeling of Robotic Arm Kinematics, Spring 2013 Maryland/DC/VA Sectional Meeting of the Mathematical Association of America.
Samim Manizade. Computational Modeling of Robotic Arm Kinematics, SUSRC 2012.
Shifler, Ryan. Universal Groebner Bases of Circulant Polynomial Systems, NCUR 2011.
Laurushchyk, Valiantsina. Measuring Fractal Dimension in 2-D Cellular Automata, NCUR 2008, Salisbury, MD.
Griffin, Brandy. The Lucas Correspondence Theorem and Discrete Dynamical Systems, NCUR 2008, Salisbury, MD.
Taha, Israa; Combinatorial and Number Theoretic Properties of Cellular Automata, 2007 NCUR, San Rafael, CA (April 2007).
Miller, Jonathon; Fractal Dimensions of Infinite Cellular Automata; 2006 NCUR, Asheville, NC.
Churchill, Aaron; Life and Death of a Finite 1-D Cellular Automata; 2006 NCUR, Asheville.
Eckert, Lauren; Measuring Fractal Dimensions of Cellular Automata in 2D & 3D Space; 2005 NCUR, Lexington, VA.
Eckert, Lauren; Measuring Fractal Dimensions of Cellular Automata in 2D & 3D Space; Central Virginia Regional Undergraduate Research Mathematics Conference, January 2005, University of Mary Washington, Fredericksburg, VA.
Eckert, Lauren; Measuring Fractal Dimensions of Cellular Automata in 2D & 3D Space; University System of Maryland Student Research Day, March 5, 2005; Annapolis, MD.
Hensel, Barbara; An Investigation of Periodic Cycles for Finite Cellular Automata. Student Poster Session during the spring 2004 MD-VA-DC Sectional of the MAA, Salisbury University, Salisbury, MD.
Russo, Brenda; Calculating Dimension of Discrete Dynamical Systems using Iterated Automorphism Systems; 2004 Joint National AMS/MAA meetings, Phoenix, Arizona.
Russo, Brenda; Algebraic Structures and the Long Term Behavior of Discrete Dynamical Systems in the Pi Mu Epsilon student session at MathFest, Boulder, Colorado, 2003.
Calloway, April; Information Entropy in Discrete Dynamical Systems; 2003 NCUR, Salt Lake City, Utah.
Calloway, April; "Entropy in Cellular Automata". 2002 Board of Regents Visit to Salisbury University.
Miller, Nicole; The Evolution Homomorphism and Classification of Cellular Automata; MathFest, Burlington, VT, 2002.
Gymnich, Stephan; State Transition Diagrams for Group Generated Automata; 2002 NCUR, University of Wisconsin, Whitewater.
Tighlman, Dana; Fractal Growth in Cellular Automata; 2001 Board of Regents Visit to Salisbury University.
Miller, Nicole; Periodicity and Long-Term Evolution of Cellular Automata; MathFest, University of Wisconsin, Madison, 2001.
Miller, Nicole; Periodicity and Long-Term Evolution of 2-D Cellular Automata; 2001 NCUR, University of Kentucky.
Guarraci, Brian; Bardzell, Michael; Hit Counting Algorithms for 2-D Cellular Automata; 2000 Sectional Fall MAA Meeting at American University, Washington, D.C.
Winter, Daniel; Modeling Cellular Automata Using Virtual Reality and Animations; 2000 NCUR, University of Montana, Missoula.
Townsend, Bianca; Self-Similar Patterns in Pascal's Triangle Under Cyclic Group Multiplication; 1999 NCUR, University of Rochester, New York.
Cone, Randy; On the Edge: Visual Representations of Digraphs with Java; 1998 NCUR, Salisbury State University, Salisbury, Maryland.
Kenyon, Paula; Jerk: The Third Derivative; 1997 NCUR, University of Texas, Austin, Texas.
Kenyon, Paula; Jerk: The Third Derivative; 1996 MAA Sectional Fall Meeting, Hood College, MD.

Student Funded Research

Amy Vennos. Cycle Structures for Finite Cellular Automata Generated over Groups, Rings, and Fields. Funded by the Guerrieri Undergraduate Research 2017 Summer Program Fund.

Shealyn Tucker. Circulant Homogeneous Linear Systems and Applications to Discrete Dynamical Systems. Summer 2014 Bridges Undergraduate Research Program.

Samim Manizade. Computational Modeling of Robotic Arm Kinematics. Bridges to Success Summer Research Program, 2012.

Val Laurushchyk (2007). Received a student research stipend from the 2nd NSF supported PascGalois grant and participated in the Henson School of Science and Technology Student Summer Research Program. Val investigated fractal dimensions of 2-D cellular automata.

Brandy Griffin (2007). Supported by a Guerrieri Summer Research grant (proposal written by Bardzell) as part of the Henson School of Science and Technology Student Summer Research Program. Brandy investigated generalizations of the Lucas Correspondence Theorem to group generated cellular automata.

Israa Taha (2006). Supported by a Guerrieri Summer Research grant (proposal written by Bardzell) as part of the Henson School of Science and Technology Student Summer Research Program. Israa investigated combinatorial properties of Pascal’s triangle modulo a prime.

Jonathon Miller (2005). Received a student research stipend from the 2nd NSF supported PascGalois grant and participated in the Henson School of Science and Technology Student Summer Research Program. Jon’s research focused on iterated automorphism systems.

Aaron Churchill (2005). Supported by a Guerrieri Summer Research grant (proposal written by Bardzell) as part of the Henson School of Science and Technology Student Summer Research Program. Aaron investigated algebraic properties of finite 1-D cellular automata.

Lauren Eckert (2004). Received a student research stipend from the 2nd NSF PascGalois grant to support her programming research in 3-D representations of discrete dynamical systems.

Brenda Russo (2003). Completed a summer research project in fractal dimensions for group generated cellular automata.

April Calloway (2002). Received a student research stipend from the 1st NSF PascGalois grant to support her research in entropy and also tested classroom materials developed for the grant.

Danielle Stancil (2002). Supported by the Science Mentor Program, a grant designed to increase and enhance the retention of minority persons in the Henson School of Science and Technology at Salisbury University, completed a coding research project using C++.

Nicole Miller (2001). Supported by the 1st NSF PascGalois grant, investigated finite 2-D cellular automata and tested classroom materials developed for the grant.

Dana Tilghman (2001). Investigated fractal properties of infinite 1-D cellular automata and tested classroom materials developed for the grant.

Bianca Townsend (1999). Participated in the SURE (Summer Undergraduate Research Experience) supported by the Henson School, Salisbury State University and researched combinatorial properties of Pascal’s triangle mod n.