Student Research Team that Creates Visual Tracking Software to Study Fish Wins UMD Libraries’ 2025 Gemstone Research Award

Team FSH edged out Teams HEMD and Valve to clinch the UMD Libraries’ Gemstone Research Award at the finalists presentations on March 26, where each team presented their research to a panel of judges. UMD Libraries awarded a first place prize of $2,000 and a $1,000 prize to both runners up. The Gemstone Research Award recognizes student teams that demonstrate excellence in the integration of principles of information literacy into their work and who conduct research with integrity and diligence.

Team FSH, working under the mentorship of Dr. Abhinav Shrivastava and librarian Matthew Cain, created a visual tracking software using machine learning and artificial intelligence to collect data on a family of fish species called African Cichlids to gain knowledge on the mechanisms and evolution of their behavior.

“I have the pleasure of working with Team FSH to enhance their information literacy skills in using the services of the Libraries,” Said Matthew Cain, Life Sciences and Open Science Librarian and Team FSH mentor. “Team FSH showed remarkable utilization of these skills through effective literature searches, database usage, and citation management. They should be proud of their accomplishments with this project and I look forward to the continued success in their studies.”

UMD’s Gemstone Honors Program is a multidisciplinary four-year research program for undergraduate Honors students of all majors. Under the guidance of faculty mentors from across campus and a subject specialist librarian, teams of students design, direct, conduct and often publish original research in a variety of fields. Teams submit their research and three finalists are chosen to present their project to a panel of judges composed of Libraries’ faculty. Libraries’ partnership with Gemstone has been in place since the start of the Gemstone Honors Program over 25 years ago.

Meet the Teams

First Place: Team FSH
Members: Ariel Bazan, Tahir Haroon, Vijay Jayasuriya, William Lamousin, Jason Liu, Cade McGeehan, Ofure Osunbor, Charles Phan, Shubh Sharma, Bhargav Srinivasan.

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Abhinav Shrivastava

Librarian Mentor: Matthew Cain

The goal of this project is to create a visual tracking software (using machine learning and artificial intelligence) to collect data on African Cichlids to gain knowledge on the mechanisms and evolution of their behavior.

Runner-Up: Team HEMD
Members: Abinezer Abate, Safiya Alam, Valerie Hoang, Daniel Hutman, Ian Jackson, Anika Prasanna, Jenna Pratt, Izabella Tucker, Kristin Wiens

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Reza Ghodssi and Dr. Justin Stine

Team Librarian: Isabella Baxter

The team aims to investigate harvesting energy from the body itself for powering wearable medical devices.

Runner-Up: Team Valve
Members: Sophia Brandon, Isabelle George, Manvitha Kalachagari, Iris Kalfa, Malavika Kattuparambil, Anita Ma, Natalia Martinez, Neha Neelam, Madeline Paritsky, Nicholas Santiago

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Alisa Clyne

Team Librarian: Nedelina Tchangalova

The team aims to improve the lifetime of biological heart valves by finding a solution to calcification, mechanical degradation, or pannus growth at the opening of the valve.