Engineering Commons^™

Adsorption Of Pfas On Bridged Functionalized Organosilica Materials, Elisha Lawerh Kabutey

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

PFAS are hazardous contaminants that have a devastating impact on human health and the environment. Their hazardous nature has led to the development of various adsorption methods for removing these contaminants from water sources. In this study, functionalized organosilica materials were synthesized from bis[3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl] amine using the sol-gel method. The surface amino groups of the organosilica were converted into amine hydrochloride groups. Their adsorption properties were evaluated using salts of perfluorooctanoic acid, perfluorooctanesulfonic acid, and perfluorobutanesulfonic acid. Results showed excellent adsorption capacity of the materials. Adsorption of PFAS leads to particle agglomeration and flotation of the spent material. A column …

An Experimental Study Of The Morphology Of Dna-Carbon Nanotube Hybrid Structures In Direct Dna Sequencing, Avery P. Davis

Biomedical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Hybrid structures formed between single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) and single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) have emerged as promising components in future direct DNA sequencing technologies due to their unique morphological and electronic properties. The nanoscale configuration of these hybrids, including the DNA wrapping angle, pitch, and contour behavior, directly influences their potential for stable electronic readout. This thesis presents an experimental study of DNA-SWCNT hybrid morphology using a fixed, reproducible wrapping protocol designed to minimize environmental variability and isolate the influence of DNA nucleotide sequence on hybrid structure. As described in prior work, this protocol produces well-dispersed hybrids suitable for high-resolution imaging. …

Effects Of A Passive Assistive Hamstring Device On Overground Running Kinematics And Hamstring Activation., Quinn Castner

All Theses

Hamstring strain injuries are among the most common and recurring injuries in sports, occurring most often during the terminal swing phase of gait. Despite progress in rehabilitation, the incidence of injury has only increased, suggesting a need for a novel intervention. We designed a passive, assistive, wearable device with two specific criteria in mind: to offload the hamstrings during running, and do so without hindering normal kinematic patterns. The device consists of an adjustable elastic band anchored proximally at the waist and distally just above the ankle joint center. It stretches and shortens with the hamstrings, providing passive hip extension …

Robustness Of Vision Language Models For Pedestrian Detection Tasks, Ostonya K. Thomas

All Theses

Autonomous vehicle (AV) systems typically employ modular systems in which discrete components handle separate tasks such as perception, computation, and path planning. While flexible, this approach allows errors to propagate and compound across the pipeline, and many AI systems offer little transparency into their internal decision-making. Such limitations are particularly concerning in safety-critical domains where failures can carry lethal consequences. Vision Language Models (VLMs) have emerged as a promising alternative because they support end-to-end implementations that bypass compounding error risks and provide natural language explanations of their outputs. Despite these advantages, prior research has demonstrated that both computer vision systems …

Improving Fairness On Semantic Segmentation Using Large Language Models, Samuel E. Burggraf

Electrical & Computer Engineering Projects for D. Eng. Degree

As machine learning systems are increasingly integrated into critical decision-making processes, ensuring fairness in their design and implementation has become a significant concern. While fairness research has primarily focused on specific protected attributes, less attention has been given to spatial fairness, which can affect individuals at specific locations. If fairness is not addressed, models may systematically underperform in certain regions or across populations which can lead to unequal access to accurate predictions and potentially biased decision-making. Fairness considerations should extend across all machine learning applications to align with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) guidelines of fair and …

Enhanced Situational Awareness Of Solar Pv Plants For Near Real-Time Planning And Operation In Modern Power Systems, Michael A. Walters

All Theses

Solar photovoltaic (PV) plant development and utilization is increasing worldwide but remains intrinsically challenged by its large dependence on highly variable weather conditions and operating states. This paper presents a framework to leverage three new situational awareness indices (SAIs), namely: weather condition index (WCI) to gauge operational performance based on environmental states, operational complexity index (OCI) to indicate the severity of power generation reductions, and photovoltaic generation index (PVGI) to provide a final determination of the impact on power generation and to bolster situational awareness in planning and operational contexts for solar PV plants. This is accomplished by exploiting the …

Harness: Hybrid Architecture For Resilience In Networked Engineering System Simulations, Daniel Scott

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation presents the development of HARNESS, a unified, domain-agnostic framework for the modeling, optimization, and evaluation of complex systems under conditions of degradation and uncertainty. The research addresses a persistent challenge in systems engineering: the lack of a generalizable, behaviorally grounded approach for quantifying resilience and robustness across diverse domains. HARNESS integrates graph-theoretic dependency modeling, GPU-accelerated evolutionary optimization, and agent-based simulation into a modular architecture that enables both system design and diagnostic analysis. The framework models system interdependencies through user-defined components, parameters, and constraints, allowing architectures to evolve dynamically while maintaining structural validity. A mutation-only genetic algorithm with a …

An Energy- And Area- Efficient Two-Stage Latch Comparator Using Common-Mode Reset, Larry Yu

Electrical Engineering Theses and Dissertations

This thesis presents an energy-and-area-efficient two-stage comparator implemented in TSMC 65 nm CMOS that incorporates a Floating Inverter Amplifier (FIA) followed by a latch using a common-mode reset scheme. The FIA improves input sensitivity and reduces kickback noise by isolating the input nodes from large latch voltage swings. The proposed latch resets its output nodes to a common-mode voltage rather than one of its supply rails, thereby reducing switching energy during the reset phase. The comparator can resolve differential input voltages as small as 2 mV with a clock period of 500 ps, achieving 74.33 μV input-referred noise while consuming …

Recovery And Evaluation Of A Germanium Infrared Camera, Michael Paszek

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Short-wave infrared imagers made of germanium are a promising way to extend silicon-compatible imaging beyond the visible spectrum. They also use mature CMOS fabrication and readout electronics. This thesis details the recovery, initialization, and evaluation of a germanium focal plane array (FPA) infrared camera system using both a sealed TriWave camera and a modular prototype platform. Functionality was restored to this legacy hardware, and repeatable testing workflows were established for evaluating packaged infrared imagers under controlled indoor and outdoor conditions. The prototype used a custom software interface named Merlott for evaluation, and it followed a standard sequence that included checking …

Polymer Charge Effects On Scaling In Membrane Distillation, Lucia Milans Del Bosch

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

This research evaluates the effectiveness of polymeric inhibitors at suppressing scaling during direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD). Anionic polyacrylic acid (PAA), neutral polyethylene glycol (PEG), and cationic polyethyleneimine (PEI), were investigated. Experiments were conducted using both hypersaline single-salt and multi-component mixed-salt feeds to determine how the presence of different ions influences performance. Results from single-salt experiments showed that PAA and PEG effectively maintained permeate flux through chelation and steric hindrance, respectively, while PEI caused rapid membrane failure due to interfacial aggregation and pore wetting. In complex mixed-salt solutions, PEG was the additive, maintaining a steady flux with only a 7.33% …

Surface-Functionalized Silica Nanoparticles For Enhanced Bioavailability In Ophthalmic Mucoadhesive Drug Delivery Applications, Kaylee M. Drake

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

This study investigates the stimuli-responsive behavior of porcine gastric mucin (PGM) as a model for the conjunctival mucous membrane of the human eye to optimize mucoadhesive ophthalmic drug delivery. As a versatile biopolymer, PGM has a dynamic matrix structure that functions as a selectively permeable barrier, regulating transport across mucosal membranes. To improve drug bioavailability and retention in ocular treatments, silica nanoparticles (SiNPs) were modified with varying surface functional groups and incorporated into the mucin at different physiological pH levels to examine the resulting microstructural changes. Leveraging the amphiphilic and negatively charged characteristics of mucin, positively charged and hydrophobic SiNPs …

The Influence Of Social Media On The Product Life Cycle In Fast Fashion: A Shein Case Study On Environmental And Social Impacts, Clara R. Devine

Industrial Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Fast fashion has transformed global consumer culture through its rapid product cycles, affordability, and accessibility. However, this model has also contributed significantly to environmental degradation, excessive textile waste, and unethical labor practices. Social media platforms have accelerated these patterns by amplifying short-lived trends and influencing consumer purchasing behavior. This study aims to analyze the relationship between social media activity and the fast-fashion life cycle, with a focus on how online engagement drives consumption, production speed, and environmental impact. The research utilized a quantitative and analytical approach, combining correlation analysis and time-series data to evaluate the connection between SHEIN’s growing user …

Performance Comparison Of A Two-Level And A Three-Level 1500v Three-Phase Grid-Tied Solar Inverter, Shawn Sproles

Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

With the global switch to renewable energy sources, photovoltaic energy has become an integral source to harvest from. When solar panels convert sunlight into a DC voltage, a grid-tied inverter is needed to transform this DC voltage into an AC voltage to interface with the AC grid. The most widely used topologies for grid-tied solar inverters are two-level three-phase inverters and three-level NPC three-phase inverters. Compared to two-level inverters, three-level NPC inverters have advantages such as lower EMI, lower THD, and lower switching losses. Moreover, three-level NPC inverters are shown to have higher efficiency in low-voltage applications at medium to …

A Full System Co-Simulation Platform For Evaluating Edge Machine Learning Inference Using Compute-In-Memory, Belsen Lee

Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (MS) Theses

We present a full-system co-simulation platform for evaluating embedded machine learning (ML) inference using compute-in-memory (CIM). CIM architectures aim to reduce data movement overhead by performing matrix operations in memory, but end-to-end benefits depend on system-level integration costs that are difficult to assess with isolated hardware models alone. To address this gap, we develop an integrated RISC-V QEMU-SystemC co-simulation environment that allows standard embedded Linux to interact with a transaction-level CIM accelerator model via memory-mapped I/O, direct memory access (DMA), and interrupts. To evaluate performance, we benchmark an MNIST image inference workload and a synthetic fully connected neural network, comparing …

Transformation Efficiency And Gfp Expression In E. Coli, Jessica H. Hobbs

Honors Theses

Genetic transformation of bacteria is a foundational technique in molecular biology and biotechnology, enabling the introduction and expression of foreign genes for research, industrial, and educational applications. This thesis investigates the transformation efficiency and green fluorescent protein (GFP) expression in Escherichia coli using the pGLO plasmid system, with the primary objective of supporting the development of a graduate-level laboratory course focused on bioprocess engineering and molecular biotechnology. The pGLO plasmid contains a GFP reporter gene regulated by an arabinose-inducible promoter and an ampicillin resistance gene that allows for selective growth of transformed cells. Competent E. coli HB101 K-12 cells were …

Salt-Dependent Purification Of Green Fluorescent Protein Via Hydrophobic Interaction Chromatography, Katie L. Collins

Honors Theses

Green fluorescent protein, GFP, is a widely used fluorescent reporter, and its purification provides a clear model for studying downstream bioprocessing. This thesis investigates how binding-buffer salt strength affects GFP retention and elution during hydrophobic interaction chromatography, HIC, by comparing three conditions (1.0×, 0.8×, and 0.6×). GFP-expressing E. coli were lysed and clarified, and the lysate was purified on HIC columns; collected fractions were evaluated qualitatively under UV illumination to track fluorescence distribution. Results showed a salt-dependent trend in which higher salt improved retention and shifted fluorescence toward later elution fractions, while reduced salt weakened hydrophobic interactions and increased earlier …

Study On The Effects Of Molecular Layer Deposition Coating And Mechanical Pressure On Lithium Metal Anodes, Cameron Mondl

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Lithium (Li) metal is a highly promising anode material for next-generation energy storage systems due to its outstanding theoretical capacity and low electrochemical potential. However, its commercialization implementation has been hindered due to interfacial instability and uncontrollable dendrite formation, leading to poor cycling efficiency and thermal runaway. Among the most promising stabilization strategies, protective interfacial coatings have emerged as an effective solution to promote more uniform Li deposition and suppress erratic morphological inconsistencies. In particular, molecular layer deposition (MLD) enables uniform film thickness through layer-by-layer deposits, offering a highly versatile approach to protective interfacial layers. In addition to interfacial engineering, …

Capacity Reduction Factors For Steel Beam Ends With Holes, Kevin Saleh Makubuli

Masters Theses

The presence of holes at steel beam ends can decrease the nominal resistance (capacity) of beam ends. Codes such as AASHTO LRFD and AISC include equations for evaluating the nominal resistance of steel beam ends. While these equations are appropriate for as-designed beam ends, they may not apply to deteriorated beam ends, such as those with holes. Thus, this study aims to develop procedures to calculate the capacity of steel beam ends with holes. First, the FEA of an as-designed beam is performed for capacity evaluation (numerical result). The latter is compared with the analytical result (as-designed beam capacity) to …

Transformer Vulnerability To Geomagnetically Induced Currents Using Layered Soil Conductivity Models, Junior A. Sterling

Masters Theses

Geomagnetically induced currents (GICs) pose a significant threat to modern power transformers connected to long high-voltage transmission systems, particularly in regions with low subsurface electrical conductivity. During geomagnetic disturbances (GMDs), time-varying magnetic fields induce surface electric fields that drive quasi-DC currents through grounded transformer neutrals. These currents can bias transformer cores, leading to saturation, waveform distortion, and potential system instability. Despite extensive research, the role of regional Earth conductivity in shaping electric fields and transformer response remains an area requiring deeper investigation.

This study analyzes how contrasting Earth conductivity profiles influence GIC magnitude and transformer saturation risk using two representative …

Transient Mitigation In Dual Active Bridge Converter Using An Auxiliary Converter With High-Frequency Selective Control For Load Step-Down Condition, Sachith Dilshan Wijesooriya

Masters Theses

Dual Active Bridge (DAB) converters are widely utilized in applications such as electric vehicles, renewable energy systems, and solid-state transformers due to their high efficiency, galvanic isolation, and bidirectional power transfer capability. However, during rapid load transitions, DAB converters frequently exhibit significant output voltage overshoot and prolonged settling times, which increase device stress and adversely affect system reliability. This thesis proposes an auxiliary-circuit-based transient mitigation method to address these limitations. The auxiliary circuit, implemented as a bidirectional Buck–Boost stage, operates in Boost mode during load step-down events to absorb excess energy and suppress the resulting voltage overshoot. The design of …

Central Pattern Generator Test Bench Report, Stephanie Wing-Yee Lee, Dustin Wong, Joseph Hernandez

Electrical Engineering

The project presents the design, fabrication, and implementation of a PCB test bench that interfaces with a custom VLSI chip designed to emulate the neural activity of a Central Pattern Generator (CPG). The test bench provides a precise and reliable platform for supporting signal operations and validating neuromorphic functionality. The design integrates both analog and digital circuitry to provide stable biasing, signal routing, and measurement access for chip characterization. The incorporation of op-amp buffers and adjustable potentiometers enables precise voltage tuning, resulting in controlled neuron-like behavior within the custom IC. The two-layer PCB supports modular interfacing with standard laboratory instruments …

Developing Warning Signage For Harmful Algal Blooms At Lake Fayetteville, Abigail R. Evans

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

The presence of harmful algal blooms (HABs) poses many risk factors for human health, and once microcystin concentration has reached a certain level, that water source will be closed for the duration of the bloom. Agencies tend to use static signage with limited information to inform the public about the current status of the water, but a sign similar to the one used by the National Fire Danger Rating System can allow for constant updates detailing specific risk levels for the public. Using previously reported data on Lake Fayetteville, thresholds for risk factors that are easily measurable were determined. The …

An Investigation Of The Restrained Expansion Behavior Of Bcsa And Sbcsa Concretes And Their Chemical Prestress Potential, Adhish Paudel

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Belitic calcium sulfoaluminate (BCSA) cement, an alternative cement, is increasingly used in the United States for its fast-setting and rapid strength gain characteristics, particularly for rapid pavement construction and repair. In addition, BCSA exhibits some early age expansion when moist cured due to the formation of ettringite. Under restrained conditions, expansive cements can be used to generate chemical prestress in reinforced concrete or to offset prestress losses in prestressed concrete. This study investigates the restrained expansion of concrete made from traditional BCSA and a new BCSA cement formulation intended to provide increased initial expansion behavior. Concrete samples were tested using …

Enhancing Methods For Load Rating Bridge Timber Piles, Aashish Ghimire

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Timber piles are widely used in bridge foundations across the United States due to their low cost and ease of installation. The strength of a timber pile is dependent on many factors including wood species, unbraced length, support conditions, age and cross-sectional properties. Cross-sectional properties are highly impacted by the progression of biological deterioration which often is undetected when using standard DOT inspections methods. Current inspection practices rely primarily on subjective methods that provide limited quantitative information about a pile’s existing load-carrying capacity. Consequently, timber piles are inaccurately assessed and prematurely replaced. In response, this thesis investigates the relationship between …

Assessing Diffusive Gradients In Thin Films Passive Samplers For Pfas Quantitation In Aqueous Systems, Brianna Harris

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Diffusive gradients in thin-films (DGT) passive samplers are an alternative to grab sampling for quantifying time-weighted average (TWA) concentrations of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in aqueous systems. DGTs may enable long-term PFAS site characterization in a more time and cost-effective manner compared to grab sampling, but critical information is lacking in PFAS diffusion coefficient (DGel) uncertainty, PFAS quantitation limits, and environmental impacts on DGT performance. This work provides a thorough evaluation of DGT performance for a suite of 32 PFAS through (i) determining gel-layer PFAS diffusion coefficients and their associated error (i.e., 95 % confidence intervals (CIs)), (ii) assessing …

An Evaluation Of Leading Indicators In The Construction Industry And Their Relationship With Incident Rates, Kitti Miller Whalen

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Improving safety programs has been a focus of organizations for decades. Historically, focus has been directed towards lagging indicators such as recordable incident rates and experience modification rate (EMR). While these remain beneficial, they are only one component of the broader framework. In recent years, companies have started to examine what occurs prior to an incident, which are known as leading indicators. The research into leading indicators is promising, however research into the area is limited. The focus of this study is to identify which leading indicators are most strongly associated with improved incident rates in the construction industry specifically. …

A Study Of Visualized Diagnostics In Early Stage Digital Twin Implementation Of An Industrial Control System, Michael R. Kinzel

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Industrial Control Systems (ICS) are used for process control in almost all industries. An ICS combines Operational Technologies (OT) with Information Technologies (IT) to allow human supervision of a process through surveillance of process variables and manipulation of controlling elements such as valves to maintain stable process conditions. ICSs have been in-service for several decades and may remain operational past their technological service life. Organizational personnel interact with the ICS through visual displays that both indicate the process variables and also the controlling elements. The Human Machine Interface (HMI) allows visibility of the process and the ability to manipulate controlling …

Automated Circuit Design Algorithm And Implementation For Asynchronous Reset (Ares) Physically Unclonable Functions, Andrew Michael Felder

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Technology is increasingly interwoven in all aspects of society as it solves new problems, creates new possibilities, and enables new conveniences. With its unceasing evolution, environments handling protected information such as military, finance, and medicine demand ever-evolving threat mitigation. Combating attackers’ abilities to spoof devices, uncover cryptographic keys, and bypass security features is a never-ending task which drives technological advancement to improve existing capabilities and develop entirely new methodologies. In this dissertation work, the hybrid Asynchronous RESet Physically Unclonable Function (ARES PUF) is evaluated at the circuit to determine its merits as a PUF. As part of this evaluation, results …

Experimental Data-Driven System Identification Of Scale-Model Airboat Dynamics For Control And Autonomy Applications, Miguel A. Trejos

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

To achieve autonomous control of a surface watercraft requires an accurate model describing the dynamics of the system. To this end, the modeling of dynamics of an airboat with a combustion engine-based propulsion system is investigated. Specifically, a black-box data-based approach using neural networks. To facilitate this, a custom data collection system was developed to record linear and rotational motion during field tests. Due to the airboats unique ability to traverse different terrains, not just water, the modeling of dynamics on different terrains was investigated.

A Comparative Analysis Of Macro-Scale And Micro-Scale Pcswmm Models For Urban Flood Simulation In The Ormond Drainage System, Binit Gautam

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This research utilized an existing SWMM modeling framework of the Ormond area within St. Charles Parish, Louisiana. A micro scale PCSWMM model was updated using GIS Derived values for CN, percent imperviousness, and subcatchment slope and compared to an macro-scale model. Models were compared under several storm events, which included the recent May 14, 2020 storm as well as 2-, 10-, and 100-year design storms. Peak flow, total inflow volume, and hydrograph characteristics were analyzed to assess response of each model.

The results show that the macro-scale model generally produces higher peak flows and total volumes, while the micro-scale model …