Digital Commons Network^™

Laser Assisted Direct Writing Of Liquid Metal For Microprinting Applications, Olga Vargas Cruz

Theses and Dissertations

This paper presents a research study for potential printing of a Liquid Metal (LM) Eutectic Gallium Indium alloy (EGaIn) through the applications of the innovative additive manufacturing technology LIFT (Laser Induced Forward Transfer). LIFT is a precise printing technology that allows to create small, detailed printing. The liquid metal in study, EGaIn, has demonstrated great potential for microelectronics applications due to its minimum toxicity and high conductivity. Throughout this research different printing parameters are studied to comprehend the behavior of EGaIn printing with LIFT technique, these include laser energy, laser pulse, receiver material substrate, donor layer thickness, and …

Stability And Control Flight Testing Of A Modified Cessna 172, Tatiana Dirrigl Forbes

Theses and Dissertations

The Cessna 172N is a small, fixed-wing, single-engine aircraft. The modified Cessna 172N included a swapped engine to a Lycoming O-360-A4M, tuned exhaust, and variable timing ignition installed. Test flights on this aircraft were performed order to evaluate the stability and control characteristics of the Cessna 172N, and compare them with the regulations in the Title 14 CFR Part 23 Airworthiness Standards for Normal, Utility, Acrobatic, and Commuter Category Airplanes. The flight test consisted of four separate tests performed during a single flight, departing from and returning to Melbourne Orlando International airport (KMLB). The data was collected through static and …

Forecasting Retention Among At-Risk College Freshmen Students Through Completion Of A Stem Intervention, Edna Orozco

Theses and Dissertations

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) areas are one of the fastest-growing majors in the nation, engineering, is projected to add the second largest number of new jobs from 2016 to 2026 with 140,000 new jobs (Torpey, 2018). Unfortunately, there is a disparity between enrollment and graduation rates (Chen, 2015; Lucas & Spina, 2022). According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) (2017) despite all the research done throughout decades to improve the issue of retention in STEM areas about half of the students who pursue a degree in Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics (STEM) will either leave or …

Can Video Comparison Facilitate Children's Stem Learning?, Alexis Rene Colwell

Theses and Dissertations

The goal of the current study was to examine the effectiveness of a video comparison activity in teaching 6- and 7-year-old children that a diagonal brace provides stability in structures, which is an important engineering principle. Children were randomly assigned to one of three groups: Comparison, Single Model, or No Training. The children in the Comparison group saw two metal towers in a training video where the researcher pushed on the towers to demonstrate that one was stable (diagonal brace tower), and one was unstable (horizontal crosspiece tower). Children in the Single Model group saw a video of the one …

A Screening Tool For The Implementation Of Electric And Thermal Energy Storage Systems At Commercial And Industrial Facilities, Mckenna P. Amerson

Theses and Dissertations

The integration of on-site renewable systems with energy storage devices is an important topic in improving energy management for commercial buildings and industrial facilities. Energy storage technologies have the ability to impact the end user’s power reliability while creating measurable energy and cost savings. However, the potential yet remains to increase the application of these systems. To determine the feasibility of renewables and energy storage in commercial and industrial applications, a pre-screening software tool is developed using data-driven algorithms to complete an energy, cost, and carbon savings analysis of storage implementation. A case study of a standalone retail building is …

An Electric Commerce Platform For Material Testing Laboratories, John Ferris Mitchener

Theses and Dissertations

The emergence of the Internet has allowed businesses to create new sales and marketing channels to provide value for their customers in the marketplace. Engineering manufacturers and suppliers have taken advantage of the internet to automate the customer service aspects of their businesses as well as to market their services in a cost-effective but widespread manner. This work aims to apply the practices and benefits of electronic commerce (e-commerce) to a material testing laboratory through the creation of a functioning website with e-commerce features. The effects of Search Engine Optimization, website accessibility issues, marketing considerations, security concerns, and common business …

Advancing The Engineering Workforce By Enhancing Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion In The Engineering Classroom, Phoneia Hughes Myers

Theses and Dissertations

Society’s dependence on engineered products is steadily increasing. This dependence requires the engineering workforce to continually innovate and design new advancements. In pursuit of this, engineering employers are implementing diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives to attract prime candidates and retain employees. For employers to achieve the goals of their initiatives, engineering colleges and universities must produce a diverse pool of graduates. The purpose of this thesis report is to investigate how the diversity, equity, and inclusion concept can be implemented into engineering education to assist with producing diverse graduating classes. A universal methodology is proposed to provide a roadmap on …

Recruiting More U.S. Women Into Engineering Based On Stories From Morocco: A Qualitative Study, Soundouss Sassi

Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this project is to examine the differences between Moroccan and American students with regards to the cultural influences that led them to pursue an engineering degree. Annually since 2015, a partnership between a university in Morocco and MSU allows senior engineering Moroccan students to study at MSU to obtain their graduate degree in aerospace or mechanical engineering. The roughly equal gender representation in most Moroccan cohorts prompted our research question: “How do students from Morocco and the United States describe the cultural reasons that factored into their choice to pursue an engineering degree?” This exploratory qualitative study …

The Perceived Impact Of Project-Based Learning (Pbl) On Middle School Students’ Science, Technology, Engineering, And Mathematics (Stem) Identity And Engagement, Jonathan Olivera

Theses and Dissertations

Despite multiple calls to action, the United States educational system is not producing enough viable contributors in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). These fields continue to grow, and the STEM workforce continues to expand. However, the pool of citizens prepared to enter these professions is not keeping up with the demand. Part of this issue can be attributed to a diminishing interest in STEM by students, particularly during their identity forming adolescent years. Active learning strategies have proven successful in preventing this decline with project-based learning (PBL) being one of the most successful active learning strategies. …

Characterization Of Hydrogen Embrittlement Sensitivity In High Hardness Steels, David Ahlen Salley

Theses and Dissertations

High hardness steels can be affected by delayed brittle cracking often attributed to hydrogen embrittlement. Improved resistance to hydrogen embrittlement would be beneficial to many industries including military, automotive, and high-rise construction. While other prevention methods include coating, trapping, and barriers, design efforts in this study were focused on improving intrinsic properties to be more resistant to hydrogen embrittlement. Four alloys targeting 477 – 534 HB were designed and produced in-house and compared against a commercial grade 500 HB alloy. Charpy V-notch (CVN) impact toughness and tensile specimens were made according to ASTM E23 and ASTM E8 to characterize mechanical …

Cadent Diffusion: Permeating The Membrane, Isabella M. Kubo

Theses and Dissertations

cadent diffusion: permeating the membrane explores and documents KUBO's journey of cultivating a sustainable and curious artistic practice during their Master’s program in Richmond, Virginia (Powhatan Land) from the Fall of 2020 to the Spring of 2022.

KUBO's practice is the affirmation between life and change in an attempt to work along the forces of singularity; to free lines, scores, concepts, and events from structures that otherwise bind them.The cadent diffusion is the rhythm in this force. Or perhaps, it is the force itself.

Implementation Of Stereo Digital Image Correlation For In-Plane Strain Measurements To Quantify The Anisotropic Behavior, Plastic Flow, And Strain Hardening Of Extruded Aluminum Alloy, Farzana Yasmeen

Theses and Dissertations

The efficient use of metals is important in various industries, including aerospace, automotive, and energy systems. In each case, the type and range of combined loading conditions can be quite different. The approaches to stress analysis of such complex engineering components and assemblies often are limited to elastic conditions. For those cases where components are relatively thin, elastic-plastic conditions are present; there is continuing interest in assessing the accuracy of analytic and computational models for combined loading conditions. In such cases, experiments performed with axial and shear loads (e.g., tension-torsion) provide baseline data regarding the relationship between applied stresses and …

An Investigation Of The Impact Gender-Specific Course Grouping Has On Female Middle-School Students' Concept Of And Interests Toward Technology And Engineering, Thomas Broderick Walsh

Theses and Dissertations

Attempts to improve retention, interest, and enrollment of females in Technology & Engineering Education courses have included a variety of approaches including female-only classes. However, the implications of such courses have not been thoroughly investigated. Therefore, an investigation of female-only classes was undertaken; the findings revealed that the overall enrollment of females went up in the course and in subsequent classes, these students maintained their interests and attitudes towards Technology and Engineering, their perceptions of an engineer's gender changed from that of mostly male to mostly female, and their concepts of what an engineer does changed from mostly building or …

A Phenomenological Study Of The Lived Experiences Of African American Women In Undergraduate Stem Degree Programs, Vernon H. Smith

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation was designed to provide a better understanding of the lived experiences of African American women in STEM undergraduate degree programs at a 4-year degree granting institution in the southernmost part of central Virginia. The central problem is that there is disparity between the number of African American women with STEM degrees and that of other races in the STEM job market. The existing literature has gaps in the research of African American women’s perception of undergraduate STEM programs. Further, the researcher posits there is a lack of consideration for diversity that is detrimental to the United States; …

Logics Of Collaboration: An Ethnography Of Codesign In The Brazilian Amazon, Jacob Hartt Wixom

Theses and Dissertations

Engineers working internationally are increasingly concerned with the social impacts of their work. New frontiers in design show promise in helping practitioners address these concerns. One of these is codesign, a practice of making stakeholders co-decision-makers in the design process. Codesign has the potential to greatly improve the social sustainability of engineered products, but some concerns remain surrounding codesign’s practicability in engineering. I explore three such concerns: that conflicting institutional logics may undermine codesign’s collaborative aspirations, that codesign can perpetuate developmental idealism, and that codesign may insufficiently account for the needs and perspectives of marginalized populations. Through more than a …

Protein Co-Assembly And Its Application In Enzyme Engineering, Libo Zhang

Theses and Dissertations

Enzymes, as highly efficient biocatalysts, have been researched extensively in both academia and industry because of their distinct advantages including high substrate specificity, high regio- and stereoselectivity, environmentally benign process, etc. Though enzyme catalysis has been scaled up for commercial processes in the pharmaceutical, food and beverage and detergent industries, technical barriers associated with enzyme implementation persist, i.e., low catalytic efficiency at non-natural environment, exhausting product separations, high cost of certain enzymes, etc. Moreover, currently most industrial enzymes are used in single-step reactions; however, multistep and multienzyme catalysis with optimal efficiency could greatly expand its potential for synthetic applications to …

Observing The Impact Of An Engineering-Based Unit Of Instruction On 6th Grade Students' Attitudes Towards Engineering As Theyengage In Building Electric Bikes, Gregg Allred Olsen

Theses and Dissertations

In the past few decades, science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education has become a driving force for innovators throughout the world (Atkinson & Mayo, 2010; Bybee, 2010). STEM education has also become an economic factor in developing countries (Kennedy & Odell, 2014). Currently, many countries are struggling with how to effectively promote STEM education. The United States (U.S.) provides an interesting case study. Despite being one of the global economic leaders, it is behind in STEM education compared to other nations (Atkinson & Mayo, 2010; Dugger, 2010). STEM education helps to build world leaders including marketable and knowledgeable employees …

Adipose Tissue Engineering: A Therapeutic Strategy For The Treatment Of Obesity And Glucose Intolerance, Michael A. Hendley

Theses and Dissertations

Despite available treatment options, the number of people afflicted by type 2 diabetes has steadily risen for decades. Nearly 90% of the diabetic population also suffers from obesity and the link between the two diseases is undeniable. Characterized by rapid expansion of the adipose tissue and improper lipid storage, the mishandling of lipids by adipose tissue promotes the diabetic state. Excess lipids, unable to be properly stored, build up in peripheral tissues promoting insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. Therapeutic strategies designed to address adipose tissue lipid handling could represent a promising treatment strategy for obesity associated type 2 diabetes. …

Agricultural Educators’ Personal Characteristics And Self-Efficacy Beliefs Regarding Stem Education, Rachel Hendrix

Theses and Dissertations

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education is becoming an integral part of modern agricultural education. If the integration of STEM into agricultural education is to succeed, it is vital that educators feel confident in their ability to teach such material. This study examines Tennessee and Mississippi agricultural educators’ personal teaching efficacy and outcome expectancy levels towards STEM subjects and identifies factors that may play a role in the development of STEM teaching efficacy. Analysis indicated that educators felt most confident in their ability to teach science, followed by technology, mathematics and then engineering. Factors that influenced STEM personal teaching …

Investigating The Impact Of Stereotype Threat On Undergraduate Engineering Students, Carla Grimes

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation is to explore how stereotype threat impacts women and minorities within the College of Engineering. Within this study, I present a mixed-methods study that begins with an exploratory qualitative study into an sequential explanatory study. The purpose of the first study, Manuscript 1, was to identify common barriers present to women in engineering that negatively impact their motivations within engineering. During the analysis of this data, stereotype threat emerged as a common theme which lead to a literature review and subsequent explanatory study. A quantitative study, using Picho and Brown’s Social Identities and Attitudes Scale, …

Analysis Of Cross-Cultural Training Provided To United States Air Force Civil Engineer Officers, And How Engineering Efforts Are Affected On Overseas Air Force Installations: A Delphi Study, Bianca E. Boney

Theses and Dissertations

U.S. military personnel perform a wide array of roles and missions at locations all over the world. As such, this research investigates and describes the current process of cultural training, its adequacy, and examines how cultural differences and collaboration efforts may impede or enhance project management and engineering efforts. This qualitative analysis is conducted through a Delphi study of U.S. Air Force officers consisting of 15 subject matter experts (SMEs) with experiences from 13 different countries. All reported to have daily to weekly interactions with locals and foreign partners due to job requirements; however, no set standard of cultural training …

Counseling Program Intervention For Improving African American Students’ Science, Technology, Engineering, And Mathematics Dual Enrollment Participation, Sonja L. Taylor

Theses and Dissertations

African Americans are underrepresented at all points in the STEM pipeline from K-12 coursework into professional careers. The reasons for this underrepresentation are varied and reflect a myriad of contributing factors based on early academic experiences, sociocultural influences, and the effects of standardized testing. The three-fold purpose of this study was to implement a counseling program to inform nine African American study participants about the dual enrollment opportunity at their high school, to gain perspective about the factors which shaped their STEM disposition, and to determine the effect of the program on their attitudes about dual enrollment participation. The study …

Living-Learning Communities: The Impact Of Freshmen Engineering Students And Influence Of Student Workers, Felicia Crockett

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of an engineering learning community (ELC) on freshmen engineering students and the influence of student workers. This study used a total population of the Engineering Learning Community (ELC), which included 127 freshmen engineering students, 69 participated in the survey and five volunteered to participate in a focus group interview. The survey collected demographic information and responses to statements regarding students transition to college, their connectedness to Rowan, their peer interaction, faculty interaction, and their overall satisfaction at Rowan. The interview questions asked about their most and least satisfying aspects of …

Multivariate Calibration Of A Load Sensor For Dynamic And Static Freight Railcar Applications, Dylan Michael Blackwell

Theses and Dissertations

Determination of the load carried by each bearing in a railcar system is crucial to the integrity of the railroad industry. With accurate load measurement, the process of filling a railcar with its specified cargo can be optimized to provide the maximum amount of cargo without exceeding the upper weight limits imposed by the Associations of American Railroads (AAR). An accurate load measurement will additionally make it possible to identify any load imbalance that occurs during periods of travel which result in having a detrimental effect on the health of the bearing. Previous work conducted with a strain-gauge load sensor …

An Analysis Of Support For Elementary Engineering Education Offered In The Science Teacher Journal Science And Children, Tawnicia Meservy Stocking

Theses and Dissertations

Teachers use professional journals such as Science and Children for ideas to incorporate into their own teaching. As such the purpose of this study was to investigate the support offered for integrating engineering education into science instruction. The research methodology for this was a qualitative content analysis inferring categories based on the information presented. Twenty-three issues of the journal were read, spanning two and a half volume years. The categories that emerged were mentioning, implementing, and integrating. Deeper examples of integration were found to match the mapping and infusion strategies presented by the National Academy of Engineering and National Research …

An Investigation Of The Impact A Rov Competition Curriculum Has On Student Interest In Stem, Specifically Technology And Engineering, Daniel Gordon Bates

Theses and Dissertations

This research investigates the impact a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) program has on student interest in, and perception of, technology and engineering (sTEm). ROV programs embed areas of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) into their curriculum; however, emphasis for this study is placed on interest and perception of the "T" and "E" of STEM. Although there are many articles detailing the benefits of ROV programs, there is little empirical data documenting the impact on student interest and perception of sTEm. This study outlines the background of a few major ROV programs in the U.S.; specifically Utah Underwater Robotics (UUR), …

The Effects Of Gender, Race, And Grade Level On Interest, Relevance, And Perceived Confidence In Science Among Middle School Students In The Deep South, Jennifer Carruth

Theses and Dissertations

This study looks at middle school students’ attitudes toward three dimensions of perceptions of science (interest, relevance, and competence) and compares student attitudes by gender, age, and race. These measures are expected to reflect the varying potential of these students’ interest in pursuing careers in STEM. A sample of 719 students in East-Central Mississippi were asked to rate their level of agreement with statements taken from common surveys for measuring attitudes towards science, the Test of Science Related Attitudes 2 (TOSRA 2) and the Views on Science and Education (VOSE) questionnaires. Logistic regression analyses showed that age is a more …

Everyday Workplace Ethics For The Millennial Business And Engineering Undergraduate Student: A Situated Learning Model, Nisha Kumar

Theses and Dissertations

Undergraduate ethics instruction in business and engineering can be broadly divided into two models – disciplinary ethics (integrated within a course where discussions about ethics pertain to a particular profession or discipline) and standalone ethics (where the concept of ethics and ethical conduct are discussed in broad, theoretical terms). While both these models have educational value, they have not been able to help the millennial undergraduate student with everyday routine ethical decision making that they might encounter in the workplace. This is largely because both these models do not consider the organizational or the cultural context (the context in which …

High Speed Serial Links For On-Chip Networking, Abdelrahman Hesham Elsayed Ahmed

Theses and Dissertations

Future technologies will allow the integration of hundreds of billions of transistors on a single chip allowing the fabrication of chips with hundreds of processing cores. So, IC designers should focus on the communication between these cores in order to meet the design requirements in terms of speed, area, power consumption, and time to market constraints. Using conventional parallel buses to transmit data on-chip is not efficient anymore in terms of area, given that in new technologies interconnects do not scale at the same rate as transistors do, and in terms of power due to the large number of drivers, …

Modification And Evaluation Of A Brain Computer Interface System To Detect Motor Intention, Christopher V. Hagerty-Hoff

Theses and Dissertations

It is widely understood that neurons within the brain produce electrical activity, and electroencephalography—a technique used to measure biopotentials with electrodes placed upon the scalp—has been used to observe it. Today, scientists and engineers work to interface these electrical neural signals with computers and machines through the field of Brain-Computer Interfacing (BCI). BCI systems have the potential to greatly improve the quality of life of physically handicapped individuals by replacing or assisting missing or debilitated motor functions. This research thus aims to further improve the efficacy of the BCI based assistive technologies used to aid physically disabled individuals. This study …