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2025 Central Washington University Commencement, Central Washington University

Commencement Programs

A commencement program from graduation ceremonies at Central Washington University.

A Manufacturing Process For Interdigitated Microelectrodes On Glass Wafers, Wyatt W. Warfield

Master's Theses

This study presents work done to optimize the process parameters to produce interdigitated electrodes on a borosilicate wafer. Using designed experiments and statistical analysis, the error in pattern transfer was minimized using for key process steps including exposure time, develop time and post exposure bake duration. Similarly, statistical analysis was used with profilometry data to fine tune the develop times. Qualitative analysis was used to assess thin film deposition. The resulting process produced wafers with improved pattern transfer and adequate film adhesion

Video Game Hacking, A General Problem With Generalized Solutions, Luke Rowe

Master's Theses

As video games continue to get more popular and lucrative, the number of malicious actors seeking to exploit them grows with it. As this industry expands, so does the importance of securing games against cheating and abuse. This thesis aims to educate developers to help mitigate the abuse of video games by these malicious actors. The goal of this thesis is to provide a foundational framework for thinking like a hacker and how to make games harder to abuse once a hacker bypasses conventional anti-cheat software.

This thesis outlines some of the most common cheating methods and provides general context …

Sustainable Solutions For Managing Overcrowding At Pinecrest Lake, Andre Brisk, Kyle Ralston, John King

Civil, Environmental and Sustainable Engineering Senior Theses

This senior design project presents a comprehensive infrastructure improvement plan for Pinecrest Lake, a popular recreation area in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The multidisciplinary approach addresses key issues including parking and traffic flow, public restroom upgrades, water treatment plant analysis, and day-use area enhancements. Special attention is given to long-term sustainability and stakeholder engagement across diverse user groups. Data collection and site analysis were conducted to inform decisions on circulation redesigns, potential tolling, environmental impact mitigation, and improved amenities that reflect both user needs and regulatory compliance.

The project emphasizes future-proofing and resiliency through cost-benefit analyses, scalable design strategies, and …

Lab Building With Atrium, Reagan Lawson

Fire Protection Engineering: Culminating Experience Project Reports

This report includes a prescriptive and performance-based analysis on a university life sciences building hereafter referred to as “Lab Building”. The code-based analysis includes the review of the following components: Occupancy classification and construction type, Egress, Control areas, Structural fire protection, Fire alarm and fire sprinkler systems, and Smoke control.

The Lab Building is of type IB construction and is four stories above grade with one story below grade. The building uses a non-separated mixed occupancy approach with Group A- 3 bring the most restrictive occupancy classification. Additionally, the building is fully sprinklered with a fire alarm and emergency voice …

Low-Power Association And Periodic Data Exchange Mechanisms For Wi-Fi Iot Devices, Vikram Kumar Ramanna

Engineering Ph.D. Theses

The adoption of Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11) for Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity presents energy efficiency and reliability challenges, particularly for devices operating under stringent power constraints. Although recent enhancements such as Power Save Mode (PSM) and Target Wake Time (TWT) offer mechanisms for power savings, Wi-Fi was originally designed for high-throughput, continuously connected applications, and does not natively accommodate the low duty-cycle requirements typical of many IoT scenarios. This dissertation addresses the problem of how Wi-Fi-based IoT systems can achieve energy efficient and reliable connectivity while supporting periodic data exchange.

The investigation is structured through three empirical studies. The first …

Ai Assisted Literature Review Tools For Undergraduates: Restrict, Embrace Or Curate?, Aaron Tay

Research Collection Library

As AI-driven literature review tools become widespread, academic librarians must grapple with a fundamental question—should we ban these tools, selectively curate their use, or embrace them fully? This keynote explores the three competing schools of thought shaping AI’s role in undergraduate literature reviews.

The Restrict school argues that students who have not proven capable of writing quality literature review should be restricted from use of such tools. Much like handing a preschooler a calculator before they understand basic arithmetic will affect the learning of arithmetic, premature use of such tools has the potential to shortcut the research learning process. If …

Vector Extension On A Risc-V Cpu, Muhammad Ibrahim Lawai, Niels Holzmann, Khondakar Mujtaba

Electrical and Computer Engineering Senior Theses

Electricians face significant health and safety hazards when inspecting drop ceilings, including exposure to dust, asbestos, and the risk of falls. To address these challenges, this project proposes a lightweight, autonomous robot capable of inspecting drop ceilings and assisting with wire tracing tasks—thereby distancing electricians from hazardous environments. The robot employs tread-based mobility to navigate fragile ceiling panels, integrated ultrasonic sensors and bumpers for obstacle avoidance, and an antenna system to detect and follow energized wire signals. Visual feedback is provided to the operator through a real-time video feed over a secure NoMachine interface, with manual and semi-autonomous operation modes …

Open Source Arm Cortex M0 Processor, Zack Boyle

Electrical and Computer Engineering Senior Theses

Despite becoming a standard for low-power microcontrollers, the ARM Cortex- M0’s proprietary nature poses difficulties for developers looking for cost, flexibility, and transparency, especially in startup, academic, and hobbyist contexts. In order to overcome these drawbacks, this paper offers an open-source implementation of the ARM Cortex-M0 processor that is easily accessible and customizable. My design encourages development of open-source hardware while still maintaining compatibility with the vast ARM software ecosystem. Unlike other architectures, such as RISC-V, which do not have native support for ARM-based infrastructure, my technology allows for easy integration into current development processes. With this research, I hope …

Optimizing Microfluidic Murine Fibroblast And Human Epidermal Keratinocyte Cell Culture In 70Μm Microwells, Christian Navarro

Master's Theses

Cell culture is an essential technique utilized in biotechnology and medicine to remove systemic influences to study cellular behavior and morphological development of individual cell lines. However, conventional cell culture is two-dimensional and static meaning it can’t easily mimic in vivo conditions such as multicellular cell to cell interactions, fluid perfusion, or 3D structures which might alter cellular behavior and morphology. Microfluidic cell culture allows for the incorporation of in vivo conditions such as perfusion and chemical gradients allowing for more physiologically accurate models. The goal of this study is to develop a protocol for testing a microfluidic chip designed …

Underground Lrt Station- Final Project, Itay Mesika

Fire Protection Engineering: Culminating Experience Project Reports

This project presents a comprehensive fire protection analysis for an underground light rail transit (LRT) station that also serves as a civil defense shelter. The station comprises two underground levels with a total area of 4,500 square meters and is designed to accommodate up to 1,470 passengers during peak hours.

Design Approach: The project adopts a hybrid approach combining prescriptive and performance-based design in accordance with NFPA 130 standards. This methodology ensures compliance with baseline requirements while enabling optimization for the facility's unique dual function as both a transportation hub and civil defense shelter.

Key Fire Protection Systems: The station …

Fire Protection And Life Safety Analysis Report, Ayoung Yun

Fire Protection Engineering: Culminating Experience Project Reports

This report evaluates the fire and life safety performance of the proposed building, a two- story, mixed-occupancy facility designed to serve as a civic and cultural hub. The analysis was prepared to assess compliance with the 2021 International Building Code (IBC), NFPA 13, NFPA 72, and related standards, with a particular focus on areas where occupant egress paths challenge prescriptive limitations. The project includes assembly, business, and storage occupancies, and features a large auditorium, classrooms, an exhibition hall, a restaurant, offices, and a double-height atrium. The building is designed as a non-separated mixed-use facility and is classified under Groups A-1, …

Fire Safety Design For Los Angeles County Fire Station 171, Ryan Murrieta

Fire Protection Engineering: Culminating Experience Project Reports

This report provides a fire safety analysis for Los Angeles County Fire Station 171. To accomplish this, the fire station is analyzed using both a prescriptive and performance-based design approach. With this in mind, the report will show areas where Fire Station 171 is in compliance with codes and standards outlined in the International Building Code (IBC) and the National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA). This report will also recommend improvements for the fire station in areas where the building is not up to current standards and codes.

Fire Station 171 is a two-story Type IIA construction fire station that also …

Ymca Building, Tomas Lins

Fire Protection Engineering: Culminating Experience Project Reports

This project consists of the prescriptive and performance-based analysis of the fire protection and life safety features of the YMCA building in the city of Grants Pass, OR. The building was opened to the public in 1983 and was expanded in 2003. The initial construction is classified as Type IV and is not protected by a sprinkler system. The expanded section has a construction classification of Type II-B and is fully sprinklered. The main occupancies found in the building are Groups A and B. The building includes daycare room classified as Group E. The four core areas of prescriptive analysis …

(R2119) New Algorithms For Independent Component Analysis Based On A General Class Of Dependence Criteria, Fatemeh Asadi, Hamzeh Torabi, Hossein Nadeb

Applications and Applied Mathematics: An International Journal (AAM)

The objective function of numerous well-established Independent Component Analysis (ICA) algorithms calculate based on specific dependence criteria. This study introduces a distinctive dependence criterion based on the cumulative distribution function (CDF) for characterizing the independence between two random variables and some of its properties are examined. Then, we propose a class of ICA algorithms based on the introduced dependence criterion. The performance of the algorithm is systematically compared to some previous similar algorithms. The results indicate that the suggested algorithm have fruitful performance rather than some similar previous known algorithms. Subsequently, the proposed algorithms are applied to real-time series data, …

Evaluating The Viability Of Shared Electric Vehicle Fleet Services For A Higher Education Campus Through An Assessment Of Current Commuter Behaviors, Gabriel Denson

Master's Theses

The transportation sector remains the largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in the United States, with single-occupant personal automobile travel accounting for a significant portion of total emissions. While sustainable mobility solutions such as electric vehicles (EVs) and shared transportation services have emerged as potential strategies to reduce environmental impact, adoption rates remain slow due to behavioral, economic, and infrastructural barriers. This research explores the feasibility of a shared electric vehicle fleet service to reduce vehicle miles traveled (VMT) and improve mobility in and around college campuses, using California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, as a case study.

Through …

Prompt Engineering In Primo Research Assistant Vs. Llms, Benjamin L. Hockenberry

Lavery Library Faculty/Staff Publications

The recently-released generative artificial intelligence integration in Ex Libris Primo VE uses a different model than users may be used to. In this session, we will explore techniques to tailor results in the Primo AI assistant, with its limitations and opportunities, and how to supplement it with broader LLMs like ChatGPT, CoPilot, Gemini, and Claude.

Tiny-Tlic: Lightweight Transformer Based Lossy Image Compression, Chen Li

Computer Science and Engineering Master's Theses

This thesis presents a comprehensive study on image compression, beginning with a review of both traditional and learning-based methods. Building upon the conventional Variational Autoencoder (VAE) framework, we explore the integration of Vision Transformer (ViT) architectures into the image compression pipeline to leverage their global modeling capabilities. Based on this, we propose Tiny-TLIC (Tiny Transformer-Based Lossy Image Compression), a lightweight yet effective model that introduces two novel components: Integrated Convolution and Self-Attention (ICSA) for enhanced feature representation, and a Multistage Context Model (MCM) for improved entropy estimation. To validate our approach, we train both a baseline Transformer-Based Image Compression (TIC) …

Ambulatory Monitoring Of Biomarkers For Enhanced Recovery, Guneet Grewal, Grace Kurilo, Maggie Nostrand, Vismaya Panicker

Bioengineering Senior Theses

The objective of our project is to create, design and test a fully functional continuously monitoring hydrogen peroxide sensor. This sensor aims to identify early detection of diseases associated with oxidative stress which can include certain types of cancer, neurodivergent diseases and cardiovascular diseases. Early detection of hydrogen peroxide levels can provide patients with early treatment and can help reduce disease progression. Overall, the biosensor prioritizes early detection of ROS levels allowing various consumers such as healthcare sectors, patients, and research institutions to benefit from continuous monitoring for health management and disease prevention.

Educational Efficacy Of Private Well-Testing Workshops And The Surveillance Of Private Drinking Water Quality In Connecticut, Alec Janis, Michael Dietz, Meredith Metcalf

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

More than 820,000 Connecticut residents rely on groundwater from private wells, yet minimal regulations address well water quality. Extension programs across the United States have begun to provide private drinking water education and testing assistance to address this public health gap. Few studies have analyzed the efficacy of these programs.

We delivered four workshops across Connecticut, from November 2022 to November 2023, where participants were given an educational presentation on private drinking water and an opportunity to test their well-water quality at a subsidized cost. After participating in the workshops, participants believed they were more confident to begin annual testing, …

Enhancing Stability And Emissions In Metal Halide Perovskite Nanocrystals Through Mn2+ Doping, Thi Thu Trinh Phan, Thi Thuy Kieu Nguyen, Trung Kien Mac, Minh Tuan Trinh

Chemistry and Biochemistry Student Research

Metal halide perovskite (MHP) nanocrystals (NCs) offer great potential for high-efficiency optoelectronic devices; however, they suffer from structural softness and chemical instability. Doping MHP NCs can overcome this issue. In this work, we synthesize Mn-doped methylammonium lead bromide (MAPbBr₃) NCs using the ligand-assisted reprecipitation method and investigate their structural and optical stability. X-ray diffraction confirms Mn²⁺ substitution at Pb²⁺ sites and lattice contraction. Photoluminescence (PL) measurements show a blue shift, significant PL quantum yield enhancement, reaching 72% at 17% Mn²⁺ doping, and a 34% increase compared to undoped samples, attributed to effective defect passivation and …

Wofford Today Summer 2025, Wofford College. Office Of Marketing And Communications

Wofford Today

No abstract provided.

Harnessing Redox-Active Molecules In Alkylammonium Halide-Based Eutectic Solvents For Redox Flow Batteries, Zeru Syum, Jesse Wainright, Desiree Mae Prado, Burcu Gurkan, Palani Sabhapathy, Clemens Burda, Matthew Vasil, Robert Savinell

Faculty Scholarship

Redox flow batteries (RFBs) are promising for large-scale energy storage, however, advancements in performance and cost-effectiveness are critical factors for adoption. Here we report on alkylammonium halide based eutectic solvents (ESs) and found that a ESs comprising of diethylammonium chloride or bromide, in ethylene glycol demonstrated exceptional stability and a wide electrochemical stability window, making it a promising candidate for RFB applications. The electrochemical stability and redox behavior of the alkylammonium halide-based ESs are significantly influenced by hydrogen-bonding interactions, modulated by the alkyl chain length of the cation and the nature of the anion. A redox-active eutectic electrolyte containing 0.45 …

Evaluation Of Gold Helical Microwire Structure Electrode For Long-Term Rodent Nerve Stimulation, Danny V. Lam, Kevin Yang

Faculty Scholarship

Objective. The development of electrodes for chronic peripheral nerve stimulation faces several challenges, including complex compositions, intricate manufacturing processes, and high costs associated with the availability and fabrication of suitable materials. These limitations hinder the accessibility and feasibility of producing effective devices for chronic preclinical studies. This study evaluated the feasibility of a simple-to-manufacture gold helical microwire structure electrode (Au-HMSE) for peripheral nerve stimulation, electromyography (EMG) recording, and preliminary tissue response on the rat sciatic nerve. Approach. Manufactured electrodes were used for up to 8 weeks in rats for nerve stimulation and EMG recordings, with electrode-tissue impedances and motor thresholds …

Addressing Urban Traffic Congestion: A Deep Reinforcement Learning-Based Approach, Tairan Liu

Mineta Transportation Institute

In an innovative venture, the research team embarked on a mission to redefine urban traffic flow by introducing an automated way to manage traffic light timings. This project integrates two critical technologies, Deep Q-Networks (DQN) and Auto-encoders, into reinforcement learning, with the goal of making traffic smoother and reducing the all-too-common road congestion in simulated city environments. Deep Q-Networks (DQN) are a form of reinforcement learning algorithms that learns the best actions to take in various situations through trial and error. Auto-encoders, on the other hand, are tools that help simplify complex data, making it easier for the DQN to …

Strategized Reduction Of Greenhouse Gas Emissions Through Predicting And Extending The Service Life Of Concrete Pavements And Bridges, Fariborz M. Tehrani

Mineta Transportation Institute

Strong, durable concrete is key to resilient, long-lasting transportation infrastructure—especially in the face of climate change. This project explores innovative strategies for predicting and enhancing the service life of concrete in pavement and bridge systems, addressing the pressing need for sustainable transportation infrastructure. As concrete is pivotal to the durability and resilience of such structures, its environmental impact demands urgent attention. This project aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions throughout their lifecycle by extending the service life of concrete pavements and bridge decks. A significant focus of the research is on the indications of chloride ion penetration in concrete, which …

I-280/Wolfe Road Interchange Redesign, Mitchell Wong, Dave Liang

Civil, Environmental and Sustainable Engineering Senior Theses

With the increasing population, there is an increasing need for traffic efficiency and road safety. Roadways that were once considered adequate may be unable to accommodate the growing number of vehicles on the road. In this paper, we analyze the I-280/Wolfe Road Interchange to determine its safety and efficiency inadequacies and propose an improved interchange design to fix these issues. Our analysis reveals that there is room for improvement in the safety of drivers, bikers, and pedestrians, as well as opportunities to enhance the efficiency of sections of the road that require it. We identified the lack of protective barriers …

Unh: The Magazine Of The University Of New Hampshire, Summer 2025, Unh Magazine

UNH Magazine

No abstract provided.

Ecological Footprint Analysis Of Chatgpt (Gpt-3), Isabella Boulais

Computer Science and Software Engineering

Climate change is an escalating crisis that demands immediate action from all sectors, including the rapidly advancing field of artificial intelligence (AI). While AI offers climate solutions, its own environmental impact raises concerns. Unfortunately limited research due to rapid development, system complexity, and lack of standardized methodologies hinders our understanding of AI’s environmental consequences. This project aims to conduct a comprehensive ecological footprint analysis of OpenAI’s GPT-3 model that is used to power ChatGPT, establishing guidelines for assessing AI systems’ environmental impact and proposing a framework for improvement. Going beyond tracking carbon emissions, this project will outline the broader lifecycle …

Enhancing Fishnet For Wireless Network Simulation, Cameron J. Mcclure-Coleman

Computer Science and Software Engineering

This report documents the senior project focused on enhancing the Fishnet network simulation library used in Cal Poly’s CPE 464 (Introduction to Computer Networks) course. The primary goal was to implement features for simulating wireless networks and introducing discrete-event simulation (DES) capabilities to increase computational efficiency. These enhancements aim to better support the curriculum transition as Cal Poly switches from quarters to semesters. The project successfully established foundational components for wireless network simulation, including node positioning in three-dimensional space, signal propagation modeling, multiple interface nodes, and wireless collision domains. While the complete implementation of discrete-event simulation and YAML configuration features …