Barrett, The Honors College Thesis/Creative Project Collection
Barrett, The Honors College at Arizona State University proudly showcases the work of undergraduate honors students by sharing this collection exclusively with the ASU community.
Barrett accepts high performing, academically engaged undergraduate students and works with them in collaboration with all of the other academic units at Arizona State University. All Barrett students complete a thesis or creative project which is an opportunity to explore an intellectual interest and produce an original piece of scholarly research. The thesis or creative project is supervised and defended in front of a faculty committee. Students are able to engage with professors who are nationally recognized in their fields and committed to working with honors students. Completing a Barrett thesis or creative project is an opportunity for undergraduate honors students to contribute to the ASU academic community in a meaningful way.
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- Creators: Simonson, Mark
- Creators: Civil, Environmental and Sustainable Eng Program
Description
Educational institutions are in a unique position to take advantage of computers and software in new, innovative ways. The Mechanics Project at Arizona State University has done an exceptional job integrating many new ways of engaging students and providing resources that can help them learn course material in a way that they can understand. However, there is still very little research on how to best compose multimedia content for student use.
This project aims to determine what students struggle with in these courses and develop multimedia content to support their education in Dynamics specifically.
This project aims to determine what students struggle with in these courses and develop multimedia content to support their education in Dynamics specifically.
ContributorsBadahdah, Adam Salim (Author) / Hjelmstad, Keith (Thesis director) / Chatziefstratiou, Efthalia (Committee member) / Civil, Environmental and Sustainable Eng Program (Contributor) / School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
Description
The National Basketball Association is a star driven league, more so than any other sports league in the world. Basketball is played with five players on the court at a time, with rotations of eight or nine players being commonplace for most teams. Compared to a sport such as football where there are eleven starters on defense and eleven starters on offense, it makes sense that a single player in basketball will have more impact on the game than a single player in football. Players such as James Harden and LeBron James create top teams in the league that would otherwise be mediocre because of the presence that they bring to the basketball court.
Every owner and general manager of every team in the National Basketball Association desires a superstar that can vault a franchise to the next level. This is easier said than done. There are only a limited number of franchises that can attract stars through free agency, and teams do not often give up their best players through trades. Even when a star does become available through trade, the price to acquire that star is often so steep that the team trading for him fails to improve in the process. While one player can have a huge impact in basketball, it is still necessary to surround that player with players that have a proper skillset. For James Harden and LeBron James to have the most impact on the court, it is best to surround them with good three-point shooters that can give them space to drive to the rim and provide them with the option to pass the ball out to the perimeter.
Every owner and general manager of every team in the National Basketball Association desires a superstar that can vault a franchise to the next level. This is easier said than done. There are only a limited number of franchises that can attract stars through free agency, and teams do not often give up their best players through trades. Even when a star does become available through trade, the price to acquire that star is often so steep that the team trading for him fails to improve in the process. While one player can have a huge impact in basketball, it is still necessary to surround that player with players that have a proper skillset. For James Harden and LeBron James to have the most impact on the court, it is best to surround them with good three-point shooters that can give them space to drive to the rim and provide them with the option to pass the ball out to the perimeter.
ContributorsKnowlton, Bradley Edward (Author) / Simonson, Mark (Thesis director) / Hoffmeister, J (Committee member) / Department of Finance (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
Description
The preceding paper analyzes the effects of UV radiation in plastic reinforcement and its effects on the fracture properties of cement-based materials. Three point tests were performed on notched beams, which called for the consideration of the Type II Size Effect. A comparison of the ductility of beams with and without polyethylene plastic powder reinforcement was done through the calculation of the fracture parameters Gf and cf, which represent the initial fracture energy and the characteristic length respectively. Although there was an observed increase in ductile behavior and properties in beams with polyethylene reinforcement, there did not seem to be a significant effect caused by the UV radiation. The hydrophilicity of the polyethylene powder was successfully increased through UV radiation and validated through water retention tests, which showed that the UV-treated polyethylene was retaining more water than the non-treated polyethylene, yet there was no extra increase in ductility of the cement beams compared to using non-treated polyethylene. The Type II Size Effect analysis was performed and compared to the stress analysis results of the experiment. For future research, it is recommended that a higher volume of polyethylene per 1000 grams of cement powder be used, as well as increasing the strength of the UV chamber to achieve a larger increase in the hydrophilicity of the polyethylene. Also, perhaps using more precise equipment to cut the notches in the beams would be helpful in ensuring that all specimens are identical and there is no error in notch depth caused by inaccurate use of the hacksaw or radial saw. Further experiments will be conducted.
ContributorsMardambek, Karim (Author) / Hoover, Christian (Thesis director) / Kazembeyki, Maryam (Committee member) / Civil, Environmental and Sustainable Eng Program (Contributor, Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
Description
This project report contains the design of a low-cost structural model of a residential structure in the City of Phoenix, AZ. The structural unit will be part of a residential area in Ahwatukee Foothills Village located just south of South Mountain. The residential structure is 3600 square feet and consists of three bedrooms (including the master bedroom), two bathrooms (including the master bathroom), a 2-car garage, laundry room, kitchen, dining room, and a living room. There are two elevation options (A & B) for the roof framing plan. Elevation A includes a straight forward truss package consisting of two truss designs with no hip or girder trusses. Elevation B includes a more complex truss package which includes girder trusses, hip trusses, and corner jacks. Within both elevations, the trusses run perpendicular to the ridge of the structure as displayed in the Architectural Floor Plan (see Figure 4) with the exception of the hip trusses and corner jacks in Elevation B.
The design objective is to meet all safety specifications while minimizing the total cost of members and member connections. The design also aims to streamline the construction time and resources by using standard member cross section dimensions. This residential building report is carried out in accordance with the City of Phoenix standards and follows the ASCE7-10 code for the dead and live load combinations and wind pressures. This report also references the National Design Specifications (NDS) 2005 for the column design. HT Consulting Group is excited to create a safe and sustainable development for the residents within Ahwatukee Foothills Village.
The design objective is to meet all safety specifications while minimizing the total cost of members and member connections. The design also aims to streamline the construction time and resources by using standard member cross section dimensions. This residential building report is carried out in accordance with the City of Phoenix standards and follows the ASCE7-10 code for the dead and live load combinations and wind pressures. This report also references the National Design Specifications (NDS) 2005 for the column design. HT Consulting Group is excited to create a safe and sustainable development for the residents within Ahwatukee Foothills Village.
ContributorsHerrera-Theut, Joseph James (Author) / Ward, Kristen (Thesis director) / Morgan, John (Committee member) / Civil, Environmental and Sustainable Eng Program (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
Description
I will begin my paper by briefly describing the background which led to this paper, as well as stating my thesis. Next, I will define the term terrorism and explain the difference between it and the associated terms of insurgency and guerrilla warfare. Further, I will briefly go over the history of terrorism and the methods employed by terrorist organizations. After this introductory element, I will proceed to explore how terrorism has been funded in the past and how it is being funded at present. Lastly, I will present an overview of future methods of financing and make a proposal as to how the United States and the rest of the world could possibly disrupt these forms of financing. This paper is not intended to be comprehensive in nature, as this would be too large in scope, but rather use specific examples to illustrate certain methods and uses of terrorist financing
ContributorsWonderly, Frank (Author) / Simonson, Mark (Thesis director) / Smith, Geoffrey (Committee member) / Department of Military Science (Contributor) / School of Accountancy (Contributor) / Department of Finance (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
As structural engineers in practice continue to improve their methods and advance their analysis and design techniques through the use of new technology, how should structural engineering education programs evolve as well to match the increasing complexity of the industry? This thesis serves to analyze the many differing opinions and techniques on modernizing structural engineering education programs through a literature review on the content put out by active structural engineering education reform committees, articles and publications by well-known educators and practitioners, and a series of interviews conducted with key individuals specifically for this project. According to the opinions analyzed in this paper, structural engineering education should be a 5-year program that ends with a master’s degree, so that students obtain enough necessary knowledge to begin their positions as structural engineers. Firms would rather continue the education of new-hires themselves after this time than to wait and pay more for students to finish longer graduate-type programs. Computer programs should be implemented further into education programs, and would be most productive not as a replacement to hand-calculation methods, but as a supplement. Students should be tasked with writing codes, so that they are required to implement these calculations into computer programs themselves, and use classical methods to verify their answers. In this way, engineering programs will be creating critical thinkers who can adapt to any new structural analysis and design programs, and not just be training students on current programs that will become obsolete with time. It is the responsibility of educators to educate current staff on how to implement these coding methods seamlessly into education as a supplement to hand calculation methods. Students will be able to learn what is behind commercial coding software, develop their hand-calculation skills through code verification, and focus more on the ever-important modeling and interpretation phases of problem solving. Practitioners will have the responsibility of not expecting students to graduate with knowledge of specific software programs, but instead recruiting students who showcase critical thinking skills and understand the backbone of these programs. They will continue the education of recent graduates themselves, providing them with real-world experience that they cannot receive in school while training them to use company-specific analysis and design software.
ContributorsMaurer, Cole Chaon (Author) / Hjelmstad, Keith (Thesis director) / Chatziefstratiou, Efthalia (Committee member) / Civil, Environmental and Sustainable Eng Program (Contributor, Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
Oxic beds containing basic oxygen furnace slag were evaluated as potential post-treatment method for sulfate reducing bioreactor (SRB) treatment of acid rock drainage. SRB effluent was pumped into BOF slag/sand leach beds, also known as oxic slag beds (OSBs), at various flow rates. OSB influent versus effluent concentrations of dissolved metals (specifically magnesium and manganese) and water quality parameters (pH, dissolved oxygen concentration, and conductivity) were compared. The OSBs increased the pH of the SRB effluents from 6.2–6.7 to 7.5–8.3. Dissolved oxygen concentration increased from 2-4 mg L^(-1) to approximately 8 mg L^(-1). Conductivity remained similar, with some effluent values being less than influent. Manganese concentration was observed to be reduced through OSB post-treatment by an average of 8.2% reduction and a maximum of 23 % reduction. Magnesium was not reduced during OSB post-treatment. Other metal concentrations changes were analyzed. Recommendations the design of OSBs for future studies were made, and a proposed design was configured.
ContributorsReep, Jeffrey Kyle (Author) / Delgado, Anca G. (Thesis director) / Hamdan, Nasser (Committee member) / Civil, Environmental and Sustainable Eng Program (Contributor) / School of Sustainable Engineering & Built Envirnmt (Contributor) / Watts College of Public Service & Community Solut (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
Terrestrial crude oil spills compromise a soil’s ability to provide ecosystem services by inhibiting plant life and threatening groundwater integrity. Ozone gas, a powerful oxidant, shows promise to aid in soil recovery by degrading petroleum hydrocarbons into more bioavailable and biodegradable chemicals. However, previous research has shown that ozone can change the soil pH and create harmful organic compounds.
The research objective was to determine the short-term ecological toxicity of ozonation byproducts on seed germination of three distinct plant types (radish, lettuce, and grass) compared to untreated and uncontaminated soils. We hypothesize that the reduction of heavy hydrocarbon contamination in soil by ozone application will provide more suitable habitat for the germinating seeds. The effect of ozone treatment on seed germination and seedling quality was measured using ASTM standards for early seedling growth in conjunction with a gradient of potting soil amendments. Ozonation parameters were measured using established methods and include total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH), dissolved organic carbon (DOC), and pH.
This study demonstrated the TPH levels fall up to 22% with ozonation, suggesting TPH removal is related to the amount of ozone delivered as opposed to the type of crude oil present. The DOC values increase comparably across crude oil types as the ozonation dose increases (from a background level of 0.25 g to 6.2 g/kg dry soil at the highest ozone level), suggesting that DOC production is directly related to the amount of ozone, not crude oil type. While ozonation reduced the mass of heavy hydrocarbons in the soil, it increased the amount of ozonation byproducts in the soil. For the three types of seeds used in the study, these changes in concentrations of TPH and DOC affected the species differently; however, no seed type showed improved germination after ozone treatment. Thus, ozone treatment by itself had a negative impact on germination potential.
Future research should focus on the effects of post-ozonation, long-term bioremediation on eco-toxicity. By helping define the eco-toxicity of ozonation techniques, this research can improve upon previously established ozone techniques for petroleum remediation and provide economic and environmental benefits when used for soil treatment.
The research objective was to determine the short-term ecological toxicity of ozonation byproducts on seed germination of three distinct plant types (radish, lettuce, and grass) compared to untreated and uncontaminated soils. We hypothesize that the reduction of heavy hydrocarbon contamination in soil by ozone application will provide more suitable habitat for the germinating seeds. The effect of ozone treatment on seed germination and seedling quality was measured using ASTM standards for early seedling growth in conjunction with a gradient of potting soil amendments. Ozonation parameters were measured using established methods and include total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH), dissolved organic carbon (DOC), and pH.
This study demonstrated the TPH levels fall up to 22% with ozonation, suggesting TPH removal is related to the amount of ozone delivered as opposed to the type of crude oil present. The DOC values increase comparably across crude oil types as the ozonation dose increases (from a background level of 0.25 g to 6.2 g/kg dry soil at the highest ozone level), suggesting that DOC production is directly related to the amount of ozone, not crude oil type. While ozonation reduced the mass of heavy hydrocarbons in the soil, it increased the amount of ozonation byproducts in the soil. For the three types of seeds used in the study, these changes in concentrations of TPH and DOC affected the species differently; however, no seed type showed improved germination after ozone treatment. Thus, ozone treatment by itself had a negative impact on germination potential.
Future research should focus on the effects of post-ozonation, long-term bioremediation on eco-toxicity. By helping define the eco-toxicity of ozonation techniques, this research can improve upon previously established ozone techniques for petroleum remediation and provide economic and environmental benefits when used for soil treatment.
ContributorsJanuszewski, Brielle (Author) / Rittmann, Bruce (Thesis director) / Yavuz, Burcu (Committee member) / Civil, Environmental and Sustainable Eng Program (Contributor) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor) / School of Politics and Global Studies (Contributor, Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
Volunteering can lead to many positive outcomes on individuals in terms of social, psychological, and professional development. This study sought to understand the process and mindset of volunteers and how their experience affects attitudes towards environment. The purpose of this study is to analyze the attitude change of volunteers toward the environment, culture, and community after volunteering at a community of a background different than theirs. In this study, the volunteer setting is in Shonto, a Native American community in the Navajo Nation, Arizona. This study utilized a qualitative research approach. A total of 12 participants were interviewed in this study. All participants were members of Engineers Without Borders (EWB) at Arizona State University and have traveled to Shonto. Questions were asked to participants about their experiences with EWB and their volunteering experiences in Shonto. The main findings were categorized into four themes: 1) motivations; 2) preconceived perceptions and exposure; 3) collaboration and connection; and 4) commonality and reflection. The findings can be described as a process that participants go through in their entire volunteering experience. The first two themes occur before individuals volunteer and the last two themes occur after. First, individuals develop certain motivations to volunteer. Then, the preconceived perceptions of individuals were analyzed, and it was presumed that these perceptions were a result of their upbringing and exposure, or lack thereof, to the community they volunteer at. The last two themes occur after the individuals have volunteered. Individuals are able to collaborate and form a connection with the community, which influences their awareness and their ability to reflect on their experiences. These last two themes are important because they indicate the change of perceptions that volunteers perceive. These findings connect the motivations that volunteers have all the way to their attitude changes after volunteering. Further, findings demonstrate that the preconceived perceptions are influenced by an individual’s upbringing or exposure, but these misconceptions are changed after volunteering experience, which supports contact theory. Through these findings the study contributes to the existing literature on voluntourism. This study is applicable to organizations and tour operators who offer volunteer tourism programs and work with communities of different backgrounds. It can provide individuals an insight to other volunteering experiences.
ContributorsRoman, Brian (Author) / Nyaupane, Gyan (Thesis director) / Legg, Eric (Committee member) / Civil, Environmental and Sustainable Eng Program (Contributor, Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
Opening a business is often an exciting time in one’s life, as they take their business idea into the marketplace. But, most individuals fail to adequately address whether their business can actually succeed before entering the marketplace. The thesis, Creating a Successful Gluten-Free Bakery: A Financial Model and Analysis analyzes whether or not a gluten-free bakery is a viable business to open in today’s marketplace. By costing the main financial variables, creating a financial model of a gluten-free bakery, and running scenario analysis, I was able to find whether or not opening a gluten-free bakery was a viable business in today’s marketplace.
ContributorsDantonio, Adam (Author) / Simonson, Mark (Thesis director) / Arthur, Budolfson (Committee member) / Department of Finance (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-12