Barrett, The Honors College Thesis/Creative Project Collection

Metal oxides are crucial materials that can be applied to sustainable processes for heat storage or oxygen pumping. In order to be able to apply metal oxides to industrial processes, an effective model of the metal oxide’s reduction thermodynamics is required. To do this, Wilson et al., (2023) developed a compound energy formulism (CEF) algorithm to form these models. The algorithm in its current form can effectively form model thermodynamics; however, the data set required for this model is extensive and large, leading to high costs of modeling a metal oxide. Furthermore, the algorithm faces further difficulties with uneven data densities within the set, leading to poorer fits for low density data. To assist in alleviating the cost associated with data collection, data-omitting strategies were performed to find unimportant points, or points that formed models that had good fits to the original model when removed. After conducting these tests, many points and trends were found to be crucial to keep within the data set, but due to uneven data density, no definitive conclusions could be made on how to reduce the algorithm’s data set. The tests gave evidence that points in high data density regions could be removed from the data set due to only the fact that there existed nearby points to provide essential information to closely interpolate/extrapolate the missing data. Although this project currently did not meet the goal of reducing the data set, preliminary findings of what points could be non-crucial to the data set were identified. Future testing with the proposed weighting methods will be conducted to determine what data can be safely removed from the set to form models that properly reflect the metal oxide’s properties.

The purpose of this thesis was to understand the importance of supply chain visibility (SCV) and to provide an analysis of the technology available for achieving SCV. Historical events where companies lacked efficient SCV were assessed to understand how errors in the supply chain can have detrimental effects on a company and their reputation. Environmental, social, and governance standards within the supply chain were defined along with the importance of meeting the legal and consumer expectations of a supply chain. There are many different organizations dedicated to helping companies meet ESG standards to achieve ethical, sustainable supply chains. Examples such as the Responsible Business Association and the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development were considered. A government solution to SCV, called the Freight Logistics Optimization Works Initiative, considered the importance of data sharing for large companies with complex supply chains, and this solution was assessed for understanding. Current companies and technologies available to achieve SCV were examined for understanding as to how the issue of SCV is currently addressed in the industry. A case study on the company Moses Lake Industries looked at how their complicated chemical manufacturing supply chain has adapted to achieve SCV. This included understanding supplier location, manufacturing processes, and risks. Future technologies that are currently being developed which could further benefit the supply chain industry were considered. Other future considerations, such as the movement of manufacturing out of high risk areas and the need for centralization of SCV solution, were also discussed.

The policy design process in the United States has been guiding policymakers for decades. In order to keep up with the developing sustainability challenges that the US is facing, a new method of policy design needs to be determined for long-lasting, sustainable change. Human-centered design principles provide a new, unique perspective for analyzing sustainability challenges. Through the integration of human-centered design principles into policy systems, a new framework for policy design can be created. Through this project, a new framework that allows for the adaptation to new technologies, scientific information, and developments in the sustainability crisis to be accounted for and adequately addressed in future policies has been created.

This thesis is broken into two parts: the research and the toolkit. The research portion examines the benefits posed by the Barrett Student Engagement team to the Barrett Polytechnic community. Literature on student retention and attrition, inside and outside of an honors curriculum, was reviewed to better understand likely factors contributing to an increase of attrition rates. The primary question in focus is: “What are the benefits student engagement poses for Barrett Poly students?” followed by the secondary question of: “How can the student engagement team best support Barrett Poly students?” Data from the past five semesters has been collected and analyzed to determine the general trends and the strengths and weaknesses within each of the six engagement pillars. As the position of Student Engagement Assistant requires a fair amount of training for short-term employment (can be held until graduation from ASU), it is beneficial to have a training manual in place for workers to reference. The project has been made available in a hybrid format to best accommodate future changes in procedures and resources. A summary of the additional materials has been included at the end of this report.