Digital Commons Network^™

Skid Row To Recuperation Constellation, Nafisa Azad

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

California suffers from more homelessness than any other state in the U.S. This is also true of chronic homelessness – a critical category of homelessness that captures the intersection of homelessness and disability. Indeed, homelessness and disability – both physical and mental - often occur together. This intersection is especially prevalent in Los Angeles. Current approaches to homelessness focus on housing, with insufficient attention paid to the oft equally troublesome disabilities that follow suit. The dearth of attention paid to the intersection between homelessness and disability represents a crucial gap to be filled. This thesis aims to demonstrate how community …

The Slice / Revitalizing Space For Bushwick's Creatives, Nadabya Lorick

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Bushwick has an underlying heritage of being a vital, diverse, energetic neighborhood. Declining infrastructure, fragmented social networks, and a lack of attention to residents’ needs have contributed to the area’s struggles. Despite these challenges, the neighborhood’s vibrant street art culture has emerged as a powerful force for renewal, fostering a sense of identity and drawing widespread appreciation. Reconfiguring a person’s relationship with their existence in Bushwick, NY, sits at the intersection of the wider well-being of humans, which includes intrinsic elements and more social interaction. This looks like repurposing buildings to highlight Bushwick’s unique blend of historical heritage, artistic energy, …

Sardis - The Agonist: A Monument To The Resurrection Of A Dormant Cultural & Commercial Center, Inocencio Ruiz

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

The rural American Southeast is a region of deep cultural significance that is shaped by resilience, adaptation, and an ever-evolving relationship with the land. Sardis, like many crossroad towns in Georgia, bears the imprint of shifting economies, environmental forces, and the enduring spirit of its people. This thesis combines a familiar vernacular of place that is integrated with a neo-cultural sophistication to explore how material details become the foundation for composing and proposing a neo-narrative architecture that represents a people, a region, and its rural southern heritage.

Sardis, Georgia is a complex and historically important small town... the materiality that …

Estimating Pedestrian Crossing Times At Scramble Crossings Via Machine Learning And Agent-Based Modeling, Sho Takami

Honors Capstones

Scramble crosswalks differ from conventional crosswalks in their ability for pedestrians to cross diagonally. This research compares the average crossing times and investigates the walking behaviors that pedestrians adopt to produce the speediest times in the two crosswalk configurations. Identification of the most efficient set of walking behaviors is done through an agent-based model, whereas producing polynomials relating crossing times to the most prominent walking behaviors is done through regression algorithms in machine learning. With the combination of these two approaches, it is revealed that pedestrians must adopt a relaxed walking style to make each crosswalk configuration efficient. Additionally, between …

Gas Turbine Design For Centrifugal Nuclear Thermal Rocket, Nicholas Kanaczet, Sam Ingalls, Ryan Viveiros, Ryan Elias

Mechanical Engineering Capstone Design Projects

The group 11 project is focused specifically on the design of the turbine to provide power and torque to drive the rotation of the Centrifugal Fuel Element (CFE) in the Centrifugal Nuclear Thermal Rocket (CNTR). Design focused on optimization of both high speed power and torque and torque at low speed as well. Other design factor considerations include vibration/resonance, thermal management (in theory, not in testing), and inlet/outlet flow conditions. Combining Computational Fluid dynamics with iterative testing and initial turbine theory, the team was able to successfully design a turbine capable of reaching the 10,000 RPM goal, given further testing …

Nasa Centrifugal Nuclear Thermal Rocket Fuel Tube Gas Flow And Heat Transfer, Ace Ayotte, Peter Martin, Ivan Pantoja, Tom Shearing

Mechanical Engineering Capstone Design Projects

The Centrifugal Nuclear Thermal Rocket (CNTR) is a very unique and complex project that necessitates the need for innovative design solutions. Despite this complexity, the team was able to produce substantial results. The focus of this project was to develop a propellant flow path for the CNTR which would allow for sufficient cooling and rotation of the fuel tube up to 10,000 RPM. The team’s design utilizes a four runner manifold to transport the hydrogen flow in the cooling jacket into the fuel tube to be used for propulsion. From the manifold, the flow enters the nozzle while maximizes the …

Toray Plastics Small Format 4 Inch Diverter Valve, Jake Carter, Tyler Ceseretti, Ryan Mcsweeney, Bryan Perez, Matt Saia

Mechanical Engineering Capstone Design Projects

This project focuses on the design and development of a small-format diverter valve for Toray Plastics, intended to redirect polypropylene pellets between two basins in an industrial production system. The primary goal is to create an efficient, fully automated valve that fits a 4-inch internal diameter, supports smooth pellet flow, and complies with food safety standards. To meet these requirements, the valve is constructed entirely from stainless steel, ensuring compliance with sanitary regulations and long-term durability in a production environment. It is also designed to be lightweight enough for installation in the limited space available and compatible with Toray’s existing …

Mpc Inline Skate Wheel Cleaner, Billy Adamo, Jamal Baptista, Tristan Harrison, Mia Mollicone, Nicholas Santovasi

Mechanical Engineering Capstone Design Projects

This project, sponsored by Mearthane Products Corporation (MPC), focused on improving the labor-intensive and environmentally harmful process currently used to clean and finish high-performance roller skate wheels. MPC’s existing workflow relied heavily on manual labor and the use of solvents like WD-40 and Scotch Brite pads to remove silicone mold release agents and prepare the wheels for UV ink printing. The main objectives of the project were to enhance operator safety and ergonomics, eliminate hazardous and excessive chemical use, increase throughput, and maintain or improve wheel quality as measured by scratch and tape tests.

To achieve these objectives, Team 15 …

Mechanical Car Door Dampening Device, Daniel Fish, Tony Op, Alex Ciulla, Matt Beauregard

Mechanical Engineering Capstone Design Projects

This project focuses on the development and design of a mechanical device that successfully aids in lessening the force in the car door closure process. The goal was to enhance the users experience by obtaining a result in which the door closes softly and quietly. The process started with identifying the necessary components of a soft closing system. One of the crucial components was a pneumatic damper which was purchased online. The main goal was to create one of these systems but achieve a more cost-effective outcome. This is why we decided to make the device fully mechanical. The pneumatic …

Gamma Radiation Spectrum Detector Motion And Remote Operation, Kaelyn Mcevoy, Drew Martin, Kevin Rush, Josh Fielder, Ethan Maione

Mechanical Engineering Capstone Design Projects

This project presents the design, development, and testing of a remotely operated mounting platform for a High-Purity Germanium (HPGe) gamma radiation detector at the Rhode Island Nuclear Science Center (RINSC). The goal was to create a stable, precise, and compact system capable of adjusting the detector’s position in three dimensions, X, Y, and Z, within the spatial constraints of the facility’s dry gamma room. The mount allows for accurate alignment with a beam port used to direct gamma radiation from a submerged fuel element, enabling safe and effective spectral data collection without direct human intervention.

Previous iterations of the detector …

Shark Jet Module, Max Morgado, Patrick Raczkowski, Kevin Raczkowski, David Maciejuk, Moustafa Amer

Mechanical Engineering Capstone Design Projects

In an effort to address significant drawbacks that are presented from traditional underwater propulsion devices such as high costs, heavy designs, complicated setups, limited accessibility for divers, surfers, and small boat enthusiasts, Team 23 was given the task to make their own module that would address these challenges and satisfy various design requirements to ultimately offer a unique improved solution.

This final design report sums up the work of Team 23 throughout their entire research, brainstorming, testing, and overall iterative development of an underwater jet propulsion module during the entirety of the 2024-2025 academic year. The overarching goal of this …

Slow Heating Test Oven For Insensitive Munitions - Preliminary Design Report, Jason Albano, Nick Mckeown, Sam Saleem, Connor Guerrero, Andi Krasnqi

Mechanical Engineering Capstone Design Projects

This capstone project aims to design a slow-heating test oven for insensitive munitions. The test oven is a purpose-built system to address the critical need for safe and compliant munitions testing. This project aims to provide a reliable solution for testing the thermal stability of insensitive munitions under controlled heating conditions, adhering to the stringent requirements of AOP-4382, AOP-39, and AOP-39.1 standards.

The design incorporates a modular, rectangular oven of 4.59 ft3 volume, capable of manual temperature control, achieving a maximum temperature of 300ºC with a uniform heating rate of 15ºC per hour. Throughout the semester, we developed a prototype, …

Assessment And Design Of Materials For Radiation Effects, Robert Viola, Owen Hefferman, Lester Merida, Ian Sroka

Mechanical Engineering Capstone Design Projects

This project investigates the mechanical behavior of neoprene rubber when subjected to gamma radiation, with the goal of evaluating its suitability as a component in radiation shielding systems for use in nuclear submarine environments. Specifically, neoprene sheets were layered between steel plates to simulate a composite barrier structure. The study involved exposing neoprene samples to varying levels of gamma radiation and conducting tensile and compression tests to analyze changes in mechanical properties. Stress-strain data were used to assess material stiffness and brittleness under both loading conditions. The results aim to determine whether neoprene maintains structural integrity in high-radiation settings, and …

Zero Waste Soap Vending Machine, Betty Hasse, Nicholas O'Connor, Lizzie Veechi, Klayton Dasilva, Kevin Perri

Mechanical Engineering Capstone Design Projects

The Zero Waste Soap Vending Machine project aimed to address the growing issue of single-use plastic waste by designing an innovative, sustainable soap dispensing system. This project’s primary objective was to create a vending machine capable of dispensing three forms of soap – liquid, powdered, and bar – while reducing plastic waste by enabling customers to refill their own containers. With a focus on accessibility and environmental sustainability, the design process aimed to produce a modular, user-friendly solution. Together with URI’s Plastics CoLab, the team collaborated with both domestic and foreign partners, such as Dr. Vinka Craver and Everyday Eco …

Nuwc Uuv Internal Impeller Capstone, James Roggero, Marcello Guider, Max Mullen, Connor Marot

Mechanical Engineering Capstone Design Projects

This project focuses on evaluating and implementing an internal impeller system for a compact Unmanned Underwater Vehicle (UUV) intended for naval use. The UUV is designed to operate within tight spatial, energy, and performance constraints associated with launch from a sealed torpedo tube. The main objective was to identify and test commercial water pump solutions, including screw pumps and jet pumps, capable of providing sufficient thrust while maintaining efficiency and compactness.

Throughout the project, the team conducted iterative CAD modeling, integration testing, and component fit evaluations. Several commercial jet pumps were analyzed for flow characteristics, size compatibility, and thrust potential. …

Battery Thermal Runaway Pressure Relief Mechanism, Enrique Echevaria, Larry Lambiase, Madeline Macalister, Matthew Salisbury-Dowling, Ryan Tona

Mechanical Engineering Capstone Design Projects

Thermal runaway in lithium-ion batteries is a serious safety concern, especially as these batteries become more common in electric vehicles and energy storage systems. This report presents the design and testing of a pressure relief mechanism aimed at safely venting pressure buildup during thermal runaway events. Our goal was to create a system that responds quickly, is reliable, and can potentially operate in underwater environments. To test the prototype, we measured how much pressure it took to displace the lid, with results showing that it reached our target displacement of ½ inch at just under 0.85 psi. The data showed …

Magseal Assembly Press Project, Sophia Harper, Aj Coppola, Nicholas Giorgi, Nate Mendoza, Ryan Tocco

Mechanical Engineering Capstone Design Projects

MagsSeal is a leader in the magnetic seal industry and provides uniquely designed seals to much of the aerospace and automotive communities. With highly regulated customers like these, MagSeal’s magnetic rotor seals are held to the highest standard of quality. Currently, MagSeal utilizes a hand operated arbor press to seat the carbon seal ring into the magnetic rotor casing. This poses two issues: there is little consistency in the pressing force applied to their seals and some operators are not able to press seals due to the labor-intensive nature of this task. The MagSeal carbon seal press project aims to …

Capstone Final Report: Coal To Nuclear – Nuclear Power Solutions, Owen Horiagon, James Russell, Thomas Scorpio, Nate Segar

Mechanical Engineering Capstone Design Projects

This project focuses on repurposing the retired Brayton Point coal plant into a next-generation clean energy facility by integrating a small modular reactor (SMR) to power a 250 MW AI data center. The purpose is to demonstrate a sustainable and technically sound solution that addresses both the rising demand for computational power and the need to decarbonize legacy infrastructure. Our objectives include designing and validating the NuScale SMR process, ensuring reliable integration with existing site assets, maintaining strict safety and licensing standards, and achieving zero net carbon emissions. The scope of work encompasses the complete system design, site retrofit planning, …

05.05.2025 Ored Connect, Liz Williamson

ORED Newsletter

Research Showcase Photos

Showcase Raffle Winners

Chancellor's Award for Research and Creative Scholarship

Video of the ORED website

Rotc: Unh’S Pathway To Leadership, Sophie Clark

Digital Edition

No abstract provided.

Initial Scripts And Final Code Data For E2021-260 Study 1, Undergraduates' Access And Usability Of The Contentdm Interface And Irb2022-263 Study 2, Faculty Needs Assessment Of The Library Dam System, Lindsey Memory, Rebecca A. Wiederhold, Abby Beazer, Greg Seppi, Nicole Lewis, Elizabeth Smart, Brent Ellingson

ScholarsArchive Data

Included are the initial scripts and the final qualitative thematic codes (created using the grounded method) of two IRB studies completed by the BYU Library's Digital Collections Systems Management Committee. Study 1, "Undergraduates' Access and Usability of the CONTENTdm Interface" (BYU IRB E2021-260) administered a usability test and an oral survey/interview, resulting in two datasets: codes from video observational data of undergraduate subjects using the library's digital asset management system, CONTENTdm, to complete ten pre-set usability tasks, and also codes from open-ended interview questions about those undergraduate students' perceived effectiveness in the system, and their preferences in a library digital …

First-Principles Studies Of Excited-State Properties In Large-Scale Systems, Du Li

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Density Functional Theory (DFT) is widely used as a powerful tool for studying the electronic structure of materials. However, due to the local or semilocal nature of exchange-correlation functionals, such as the local density approximation and generalized gradient approximation functional, DFT often underestimates the electronic band gap. Many-body perturbation theory (MBPT) within the GW approximation provides more accurate quasiparticle energies calculation by incorporating many-electron screening effects. Additionally, solving the Bethe-Salpeter Equation (BSE) allows for a detailed analysis of excitonic effects in optical spectra. Despite their accuracy, GW-BSE calculations are computationally expensive, particularly for large-scale systems such as defects and substrate-supported …

Expanding The Toolbox For Supramolecular Chemistry: Probing Host–Guest Interactions And Binding With In Situ Ftir Spectroscopy, Shiva Moaven, Douglas A. Vander Griend, Darren W. Johnson, Michael D. Pluth

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

Association constant (Ka) measurements provide fundamental information on host–guest interactions in supramolecular chemistry and other areas of science. Here we report the use of in situ FTIR spectroscopy to measure the Ka values across three classes of host–guest complexes that involve hydrogen bonding and halogen bonding. This approach can be performed with minimal sample preparation, does not require deuterated solvents, can measure association based on changes in host or guest vibrations, and benefits from a much shorter timescale than NMR spectroscopy. Due to its fast timescale, FTIR spectroscopy also provides details on host/guest conformational changes, such as the presence of …

Music As A Method For Conversion In 16th Century New Spain, Liana Howe

USF St. Petersburg campus Honors Program Theses (Undergraduate)

This thesis examines how music contributed to the conversion of Nahuatl-speaking Indigenous peoples in sixteenth-century New Spain during the Spanish “spiritual conquest” that followed the fall of Tenochtitlan. Drawing on historical, anthropological, and psychological scholarship, as well as primary sources from the colonial period, the study compares pre-Columbian Nahua musical traditions with Franciscan missionary practices to explore why music proved to be an effective tool of religious instruction and persuasion. The research demonstrates that music occupied a central role in Nahua religious, educational, and social life prior to Spanish contact, making it a familiar and powerful medium through which missionaries …

The James Museum's "Art In Mind" Program Evaluation, Violet Adams

USF St. Petersburg campus Honors Program Theses (Undergraduate)

This thesis evaluates the effectiveness of the Art in Mind program at the James Museum of Western & Wildlife Art in St. Petersburg, Florida, a therapeutic arts initiative designed for individuals with cognitive impairments, including Alzheimer’s disease, and their caregivers. Drawing inspiration from the Meet Me at MoMA model, the program uses guided art discussions, Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS), and Personal Response Strategies (PRS) to promote social engagement, emotional well-being, and meaningful connections through art. Using pre- and post-tour surveys, the study assessed changes in participants’ mood, communication, and desire for social interaction. While quantitative analyses did not reveal statistically …

Successful Strategies Utilized By Business Leaders To Balance Tax Planning With Profitability, Quarnelia Patterson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The absence of business tax planning strategies can lead to a higher tax burden. Business owners are concerned because a higher tax burden may result in lower after-tax earnings and reduced cash flow. Grounded in the PESTLE analysis framework, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry study was to explore successful strategies that business leaders use to balance tax planning with profitability. The participants were eight small business owners located in the southwest United States who actively engaged in tax planning. Data were collected using semistructured interviews and a review of publicly available documents. Through thematic analysis, nine themes were …

Probation Officers Perceptions Of Probationers Economic Barriers To Successfully Complete Probation In Eastern North Carolina, Dwayne Ponton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This qualitative phenomenological study explored probation officers’ perceptions of the economic barriers that prevent probationers in Eastern North Carolina from successfully completing probation. Challenges such as unemployment, financial sanctions, housing instability, and debt were identified as key obstacles contributing to noncompliance and recidivism. Grounded in Merton’s Strain Theory, the study addressed a gap in research by focusing on the experiences of officers who directly supervise probationers facing economic hardship. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews with twelve officers and analyzed using thematic analysis. The study was guided by two research questions: (1) What economic barriers prevent probationers from successfully completing …

Faculty Perceptions Of Challenges To Faculty Retention In Workforce Training Programs At A Higher Education Center In The Southern United States, Brea Terry

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem addressed in this study is the challenges of retaining faculty in the workforce training program division at a higher education center in the southern United States. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore faculty perceptions regarding challenges to faculty retention in the workforce training program division at a higher education center in the southern United States and their recommendations for improved faculty retention. The conceptual framework that supported the study was Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory. Data were collected through semistructured interviews with eight full-time workforce training faculty members who had been employed with the …

Developing An Effective Business Strategy For Microinsurance Demand In Nigeria, Adewale Ayokunle Adewusi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nigerian insurance leaders face significant challenges in developing a sustainable microinsurance sector. Despite subsidies from governments and donors aimed at increasing demand, microinsurance operators struggle to expand and sustain their customer base, posing a critical challenge for industry leaders. Grounded in the cumulative prospect theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple-case study was to explore strategies some insurance leaders in Nigeria use to grow and sustain business demand for microinsurance products. The participants were five insurance leaders in Nigeria who had employed successful strategies to develop and sustain business demand for microinsurance products. Data were collected using semistructured interviews and …

Recent U.S. Government Policy Literature On Critical And Strategic Minerals, Bert Chapman

Libraries Faculty and Staff Scholarship and Research

Critical and strategic minerals have become increasingly important in U.S. government civilian and military policymaking in recent years. This is demonstrated by the heavy use of such minerals in many critical civilian and military infrastructures. This work will discuss how this subject has been addressed in laws, presidential documents, and works by government agencies along with congressional oversight committees and support agencies. It will stress how the United States is heavily dependent on strategic minerals from adversarial foreign countries such as China and will examine U.S. efforts to increase its ability to produce such materials in the United States by …