Systems Engineering Commons^™

Compartmental Disaggregation: Bridging Simulation And Sampling Methods For Synthetic Population Data Generation, Dylan Mack

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

As agent-based models (ABMs) grow increasingly widespread in public health, their associated challenges have become all the more significant. Lauded for their ability to capture population heterogeneity, nonlinear dynamics, and emergent behaviors, disease ABMs are also computationally expensive and often require detailed inputs that describe each agent at the individual-level, known as synthetic population data. Current approaches for synthetic population data generation generally fall into one of two categories: sampling or simulation. These methods are both feasible only under restricted conditions and suffer from challenges surrounding data availability and computing power. This thesis proposes compartmental disaggregation, an intermediate method for …

Bridging The Gap: Care Team’S Perspectives On Technology And Ai Integration In Healthcare, Sarah Fernandes, Pranathi Boyina, Awatef Ergai Dr., Wellstar Health System, Mohammad Yousef Mousa Naser, Sylvia Bhattacharya Dr.

Symposium of Student Scholars

As healthcare systems increasingly integrate digital solutions, understanding the perspectives of frontline healthcare workers on technology adoption is critical. This study explores how Registered Nurses (RNs), Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs), and Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs), collectively referred to as the Care Team, interact with existing and emerging healthcare technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI). Given the growing reliance on digital tools for clinical and administrative tasks, this research examines the challenges and benefits perceived by healthcare professionals when incorporating AI-driven solutions into their workflows.

A cross-sectional research design was employed, involving 30 semi-structured interviews with Care Team members from an Intensive …

Carbon Accountability Scores: A Process-Oriented Approach For Carbon Offsetting Using Ai Agents, Joshit Mohanty, Vaishali Vaishali

Graduate Student Government Association Research Conference

Conventional carbon offset programs rely on quantified emissions to determine balancing requirements. While this approach offers a standardized means of measuring carbon output, it often provides industries with a loophole—allowing them to offset their emissions by purchasing equivalent credits for activities such as tree planting rather than tackling inefficiencies at the source. This research proposes a process-based framework called Carbon Accountability Scores (CA scores) to offer a proactive strategy for assessing and reducing carbon footprints. Instead of focusing on the mere balancing of emitted and sequestered carbon, CA scores integrate an organization’s operational processes into the calculation, thereby offering the …

Digital Thread: Bridging Macro–Micro Services In System-Of-Systems, Joshit Mohanty

Graduate Student Government Association Research Conference

Organizations and industries increasingly rely on distributed services in decentralized environments—ranging from large-scale, system-of-system architectures to fine-grained, agent-based microservices. While this distributed paradigm offers flexibility and innovation, it presents critical challenges such as interoperability gaps, inconsistent data formats, and a lack of holistic oversight. Traditional integration approaches, including ad-hoc middleware or enterprise service buses, tend to solve these issues reactively. As a result, technical debt accumulates, stakeholder misalignments persist, and scaling to new demands becomes complex.

This research proposes digital thread (DT) as the unifying framework to create an authoritative source of truth: a continuous flow of information across the …

Meta-Clustering For Specialized Language Models: Enhancing Contextual Adaptation And Mitigating Hallucinations In Diverse Healthcare Environments, Joshit Mohanty, Vaishali Vaishali, Sandeep Kumar Nayak, Sumit Lahiri

Graduate Student Government Association Research Conference

Large Language Models (LLMs) have significantly advanced conversational AI by enabling dialogic information-seeking and task execution across diverse domains. However, their extensive parameters and broad domain scope lead to “data hallucinations.” These shortcomings are particularly evident in dynamic and diverse environments like India’s healthcare sector, where myriad languages, regional practices, and cultural nuances demand specialized, localized expertise rather than one-size-fits-all generalist models. This paper introduces a meta-clustering framework that integrates Distilled Language Models (DLMs) and Small/Specialized Language Models (SLMs) with meta-learning principles to address these limitations. By drawing on evidence from works such as MedHalu and Med-HALT, the framework seeks …

Tamos: Task-Aware Multi-Agent Orchestrator System, Joshit Mohanty, Sandeep Kumar Nayak, Sumit Lahiri

Graduate Student Government Association Research Conference

Large language models (LLMs) are increasingly at the core of multi-agent systems (MAS). However, the high resource demand, error propagation, and lack of adaptive evaluation mechanisms pose significant challenges in deploying these agentic solutions at scale. To address these concerns, this research proposes a Task-Aware Multi-Agent Orchestrator System designed to refine the agentic framework, categorizing tasks autonomously, assigning specialized evaluation datasets, and balancing token usage against functional effectiveness. This approach underscores robust data management, including AsyncHow, Mosaic AI, and Synthetic Preference Optimization (PO) corpora. Each dataset targets specific dimensions of agent performance, such as dynamic task decomposition and tool integration …

Graphtreemed: A Hybrid Graph-Tree Rag Architecture For Mission-Critical Medical Applications, Joshit Mohanty, Sandeep Kumar Nayak, Sumit Lahiri

Graduate Student Government Association Research Conference

Studies within engineering management indicate that decision-making is often based on the cognitive processing of grouped and pictographic information clusters entangled with high-level pattern recognition. Similarly, graph-based retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) architectures substantially improve diagnostic accuracy and interpretability, while tree-structured systems reduce critical misses through hierarchical reasoning. However, existing solutions often lack a unified framework that seamlessly integrates these two paradigms to address the multifaceted demands of mission-critical healthcare settings. This proposal introduces GraphTreeMed, a novel hybrid RAG architecture designed to harness the complementary strengths of graph-based and tree-based retrieval mechanisms, thereby advancing the safety and efficacy of clinical decision support …

On The Provenance Of Software Systems: Automating Software Traceability With Knowledge Graph And Large Language Model Synergy, Tyler Procko

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

The present dissertation delineates a system that enables those engaged in software development to automatically generate and maintain project life cycle provenance. All projects are implemented and made manifest with the development of artifacts, e.g., papers, code files, etc. Tools exist to accelerate artifact creation, but little focus is paid to the processes that produce them. In terms of Ontology, or, from Ancient Greek, the study of being, the two most basic entities in reality are Continuant and Occurrent, or, roughly, “Artifact” and “Process”. This dissertation posits that for any created artifact, its process of creation, i.e., its life …

Network Analysis Of Sociotechnical Systems, Siva Kadiresan

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Sociotechnical networks have become integral frameworks in the accomplishment of organizational objectives by increasingly diverse, cross-functional, and technology-enabled modern teams. In cross-disciplinary teamwork, multiple mediating and moderating factors appear to lend context to the effects of team diversity faultlines on team outcomes. In the several decades of research into teamwork from a network perspective, there has been a paucity of empirical studies that examine how team transition processes and cross-disciplinary connections influence the impact of faultlines on team performance. This study investigates the association among perceived teamwork effectiveness, transition processes, cross-functional team connections, and faultlines in the context of sociotechnical …

A Theoretical Framework For Examination Of Context In Complex System Governance, Meggan M. Schoenberg

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

“A complex system’s identity and viability are directly related and affected by its context. It is important to identify, monitor, and manage (or mitigate risk) system contextual elements” (Keating C. B. et al., 2022, p. 209). Despite this importance, there is very limited research and literature on complex systems context. This research seeks to expand our understanding of complex system context and improve our ability to govern complex technology development programs effectively. The ability to analyze complex systems and their problems is necessary for this improvement.

A “clear understanding of the specific complex system context is fundamental to the process …

A Sysml V2 Implementation Of A Traceability And Verification Metamodel For “-Ilities”, Pacifique Munezero

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Multidisciplinary knowledge and exchange of information are two of the most important aspects of complex system design within the Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) domain. The next generation of systems modeling language, SysML v2, is being developed to improve the precision, expressiveness, interoperability, consistency, integration of the language concepts relative to SysML v1, and the implementation and maturation of MBSE approaches. This research focuses on using SysML v2 to model structured notations for -ilities, referred to as non-functional requirements (NFRs), to address how they can be treated with the same rigor as functional requirements and mapped directly and explicitly from the …

A Comparative Study Of Electronic And Paper Ballot Systems In Modern U.S. Elections, Gianna M. Wadowski

Open Access Master's Theses

In-person voting processes that rely on paper ballots have long dominated voting in the U.S. However, following the implementation of the Help America Vote Act in 2002, states rapidly adopted new voting technologies that dramatically changed the in-person voting experience. Since then, states have continued to adopt new voting technologies as new challenges and opportunities have emerged. Although scholarship has demonstrated that new voting technologies can offer benefits, reported improvements to the in-person voting experience are inconsistent. Despite changes in voting equipment and voting methods, voters continue to wait in long lines, affecting turnout and voter confidence. Using observational time …

Smart Manufacturing Readiness Assessment - Analysis Of A Modern Tool From A Sociotechnical Perspective, Todd Lemon

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Smart Manufacturing has emerged out of the pervasive buzzwords in publications as a competitive strategy, characterized by the intensive use of digital information and technology throughout the production processes; shop-floor, people, and systems are married by the Internet creating services critical to manufacturing. The work completed and presented here extends the research in the area of Smart Manufacturing (SM) readiness to include a more comprehensive approach to production floor implementation. The overarching goal is to explore SM implementation in attempt to identify underlying latent factors that relate to preparedness from a joint social and technical perspective, striving for a model …

Accuracy Of Time Phasing Missile And Munition Using The Continuous Distribution Function, Joseph Zobler

Theses and Dissertations

Accurate cost and schedule estimates are crucial for maintaining the U.S. military’s technological and operational superiority, ensuring efficient resource allocation and timely development of advanced defense systems. This research examines S-curve models for time-phasing non-recurring Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation (RDT&E) expenditures in missile and munition acquisition programs. This research evaluates the commonly used 60/40 rule, which assumes 60% of expenditures occur by 50% of the schedule, for its accuracy using Cost Assessment Data Enterprise (CADE) and Earned Value Management Central Repository (EVM-CR) data from 21 missile and munition development programs.

Weighed And Measured: Toward An Evaluation Method For Digital Models In Source Selection, Liam N. O'Neill

Theses and Dissertations

Inspired by a recent model-based source selection conducted by the Advanced Range Threat System (ARTS) Program Office at Hill AFB, this research effort explored the development of new tools the DoD could use when evaluating models submitted with proposals. Specifically, the effort aimed to incorporate the Multi-Objective Decisions Analysis (MODA) framework into SysML diagrams as a solution for technical evaluations on models submitted with offeror proposals, eventually producing the Model-Based Decision Tool (MBDT). The MBDT is built from a Value Hierarchy based on key system requirements, each weighted by priority and measured by their own Single-Dimensional Value Functions (SDVFs). By …

Safety-Driven Concept Development Using System Theoretic Process Analysis Extended For Coordination In A Model Based Environment: A Case Study On Autonomous Satellite Teaming, Taylor L. Matarazzo

Theses and Dissertations

Rigorous system safety analysis methods, allow programs to identify potential problems helping to minimize their impact to program schedules and budgets. In the contested, congested, and competitive space environment, coordination within and between systems is critical to mission success. System Theoretic Process Analysis extended for Coordination (STPA-coord) can prescriptively analyze these coordination interactions. STPA-coord shifts the conversation of system safety from elements ofreliability to elements of control, providing insights that holistically analyze the system. As studies suggest, decisions made early in a systems design determine 80-86% of a programs final cost, therefore integrating system safety as early into design can …

Model-Based Approach To Support Safety Driven Design And Satisfy Mil-Std-882e Requirements With Stpa Coordination: A Case History In Suas Defense Acquisition, Daniel A. Shea

Theses and Dissertations

Increasingly complex defense systems that are routinely overbudget and behind schedule are driving digital engineering initiatives in the defense acquisition industry. MBSE offers a solution to counter this issue but the lack of guidance on how to implement it has led to significant experimentation. One MBSE area of interest is system safety. This research demonstrates how to conduct model-based Systems Theoretic Process Analysis (STPA) to meet the unique system safety process requirements from MIL-STD882E. Based in systems theory, STPA extended for coordination enables a safety-driven design process of complex systems. This research investigated conducting STPA in the SysML-RAAML modeling language …

Performing Requirements Specification And Analysis Through Open Generative Pre-Trained Transformers, Harvey J. Hurst

Theses and Dissertations

Every acquisition program begins with a requirement, and for those programs to succeed, robust requirements engineering (RE) must be implemented. RE encompasses eliciting, analyzing, specifying, and validating requirements—a critical process throughout a program's lifecycle. Despite its importance, RE faces challenges such as scope creep, ambiguity, redundancy, and inadequate automation support, often exacerbated by reliance on historical data. To address these issues, this thesis leverages advancements in Generative Technology, particularly large language models (LLMs) such as Generative Pre-Trained Transformers (GPTs). This research developed two GPT-based tools: the Single Requirement Analysis Tool and the Set of Requirements Analysis Tool. These tools were …

Cloud One Migration Duration And Its Drivers, Grayson T. Hall

Theses and Dissertations

As modern warfare evolves with rapid technological advancements, cloud computing plays a critical role in managing the vast amounts of data required for real-time decision making, as well as enabling seamless organizational access to mission-critical programs and information from around the globe. Recognizing its importance, the Department of Defense (DoD) identified cloud computing as essential for maintaining the military’s technological edge. However, despite cloud computing’s strategic significance, the DoD faces challenges in successfully implementing department-wide cloud computing. In contrast, the Air Force’s cloud computing environment, Cloud One, is fully operational and has already integrated over 145 systems into its platform. …

End-To-End (E2e) Model-Based Systems Engineering (Mbse) Framework, Joshua Adelabu, Bhushan Lohar

Shelby Hall Graduate Research Forum Presentations

This presentation explores the latest advancements in systems engineering, with a particular focus on Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE). It covers key definitions, benefits, applications, and challenges associated with these methodologies, as well as analyzes current frameworks and research methodologies in the field.

End-To-End (E2e) Mbse Framework, Joshua Adelabu, Bhushan Lohar

Shelby Hall Graduate Research Forum Posters

Principles of systems engineering (SE) possess great influence. Frameworks are generated to execute and incorporate such principles. Framework can have various architectural constructs and simultaneously consist of diverse concepts. Concepts like modularity, scalability, integration, and the balance between performance, cost, and risk are guided by SE principles as well as the manufacturability of designed systems due to the migration from mass customization to mass personalization resulting in increased complexity, and as a result need to be guided and gives rise to modularity. However, principles are not enough for effective system design and understanding. There is a need for a framework. …

Advances Towards A Robotic Management Vehicle Suited To Nurse Row Crops To More Efficient Outcomes, Adam Mk Gronewold

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

Enhancing agricultural production while reducing input costs remains a central challenge in modern row-crop management. Recent advances in computation, imagery, and sensors are enabling more efficient practices across various agricultural domains, and automation technologies are increasingly available to manage tasks central to perennial crop development. Automation in row-crop agriculture, by contrast, lags behind. This thesis explores utilizing small, unmanned ground vehicles to transform row cropping through the implementation of unconventional, in-season management strategies. The first focus of this work considers improvements to nitrogen fertilization using small, autonomous vehicles. An agronomy experiment in corn assessed the effects of gradually applying nitrogen …

A Case Study N Modeling The Human Behavior Of Basic Fighter Maneuvers Using Mbse, Josiah J. Franklin

Theses and Dissertations

As fighter aircraft become more complex and technology, such as autonomy, is introduced, it is essential to anticipate the critical tasks and information pilots need to accomplish their mission with these new systems. Fighter pilots operate in highly demanding situations where the consequences of failure are severe and require their systems to provide the right information for the task. Traditionally, these designs are informed through Critical Task Analyses of existing systems. This research produced a method for modeling critical task analysis and information requirements using model-based systems engineering. The scenario was a fighter aircraft conducting basic fighter maneuvers in a …

The Application Of Decision Analysis Theory For Space Allocation At The Air Force Institute Of Technology, Damian N. Soriano

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigates the application of Decision Analysis Theory to optimize space allocation at the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT). Through a Multi-Objective Decision Analysis (MODA) framework, this study addresses existing methodologies for space allocation in military, academic, and office settings; the rules, limitations, and factors influencing space utilization at AFIT; and approaches to improve office and lab allocations for institutional efficiency and fairness. This research incorporates qualitative and quantitative metrics, including faculty and student data, research outputs, and historical space usage. These findings highlight significant complexities in space allocation, particularly in reconciling administrative and research requirements with structural …

An Analysis Of Development Phase Nre/Rec Costs In Dod Acquisition Efforts, Jason Aristizabal

Theses and Dissertations

Estimating Nonrecurring Engineering (NRE) and Recurring Engineering (REC) costs in defense acquisition programs remains challenging, especially in development. While production costs are studied, NRE/REC ratios in development receive little attention. This study analyzes NRE/REC ratios across WBS elements, commodity types, and time periods using defense program data. Results show significant variability, challenging the assumed 1:1 ratio. System Level, PME, and ST&E elements follow distinct trends, highlighting shifting cost structures. These findings stress the need for adaptive methodologies, enabling cost analysts to refine estimates based on historical trends and program-specific factors for improved resource planning.

An Agent-Based Modeling Framework For Evaluating The Linkage Between Disaster Facility Damage And Mental Health, Emily S. Reeves

Theses and Dissertations

This research establishes a novel agent-based modeling framework to establish the linkage between disaster-induced facility damage and mental health outcomes and the evaluation of treatment methods within the civilian and USAF mental health spheres. The study models the degradation and recovery of agent mental health using simulated data and evaluates the efficacy of three distinct treatment approaches through statistical methods. The methodology integrate agent-based modeling with resilient engineering concepts to simulate mental health resilience curves based on vulnerability, exposure, and facility damage. Agents’ mental health indices were tracked through phases of degradation, stagnation, and recovery based on the three treatments …

Using Mbse To Facilitate Integration And Stakeholder Support For Autonomous Aerial Refueling Flight Test, Kevin G. Keth

Theses and Dissertations

he Department of Defense has pushed to implement Digital Material Management, to include Engineering (DE) and Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) into acquisition processes, publishing various supporting documents such as the Systems Engineering Guidebook, DoDI 5000.97 Digital Engineering, and DoD Reference Architecture Description. DE and MBSE aims to establish a digital authoritative source of truth accessible to all stakeholders responsible for system architecture. However, within multidisciplinary teams, individuals often come from diverse professional backgrounds unrelated to DE and systems engineering, making it challenging to fully leverage the benefits of the digital model. This paper describes an MBSE model that adopts a …

Principles And Models Of Construction Of Linear Motion Actuators With Holonomic Structure For Intelligent Robot Movement, Matyokubov Nurbek Rustamovich, Temurbek Omonboevich Rakhimov, Yusupov Bekmurod Bayotovich

Chemical Technology, Control and Management

This article is devoted to the principles and models of building linear motion actuators with holonomic structure for the movement of intelligent robots. Also, the classification of the elements of the linear movement performance according to their interconnections and technical characteristics, taking into account their physical characteristics, was seen. A morphological matrix of the construction of holonomic structured linear motion performance elements based on the classification according to the considered technical specifications is presented. The given morphological matrix of linear motion actuators serves to develop new actuators for intelligent mechatronic and robotic systems. Based on the morphological matrix of the …

Utilizing Ai For Improved Credit Risk Assessment, Emel Baglarbasi

Harrisburg University Dissertations and Theses

As the finance sector continues to evolve, traditional risk assessment methods struggle to calculate default risk and identify nonlinear relationships accurately. This research examines an alternative risk assessment model designed to estimate credit risk more accurately and efficiently in the credit processes of individual customers, which are one of the primary sources of income for the banking sector. It presents the theoretical design of an AI-based model. The use of this AI model can reduce human error in processes, improve risk assessment accuracy, and expedite procedures. The study adopts a postpositivist worldview and employs a quantitative research design. Algorithms including …

Optimized Hiv/Aids Resource Allocation In Ohio: A Linear Programming Approach, Godfred Ahenkroa Kesse

Data Science and Data Mining

This study employs a linear and integer programming approach to optimize HIV resource allocation in Ohio, aiming to minimize new infections and enhance the impact of limited resources. With the advances in HIV prevention and treatment, Ohio faces challenges in addressing disparities in access to healthcare, particularly among high-risk populations. The proposed model integrates data on infection rates, transmission patterns, demographic factors, and cost-effectiveness to provide a decision-support framework for policymakers. Using epidemiological data and equity constraints, the model prioritizes high-risk regions and populations while ensuring fair resource distribution. Results indicate that increased funding allocations significantly enhance the potential to …