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.
Water scarcity has become an especially urgent problem in Maasailand. Maasailand is one of the major worldwide destinations for wildlife game drives in Africa. In this project, a recyclable car wash system is considered for design in Maasailand, Kenya. Background research was conducted to see the feasibility of the design. Water filtration methods such as coagulation were researched, analyzed and tested to ensure all the customer needs were met. The washing and collection aspects of the car wash were also further explored and designed. This joint project which is part of capstone is to also be implemented into the bigger project known as the Maasai Autotmotive Education Center and in support of the Mara Guide Association (MGA), an organization run by the Masaai people in Kenya.
In the current age of modernization, the traditional way of living seems to be the way of the past. The Masai Mara Game Reserve, one of the world’s finest wildlife reserves, the nation's top tourist attractions became a big part of the Nation's economy post-independence after 1963. Seeing the potential of the tourism market, the Kenyan Government, back in 1960’s, passed various laws for land escheatment from the protected Maasai Reservation for key positions in politics (Olo-Dapash, 2001). This subsequently divided the Mara, allowed for foreign bodies to buy land, eventually leading to a rise in the cost of living. The traditional Maasai are currently fighting for a way to preserve their culture while still being able to live in their ancestral land. To combat high costs, many Maasai have turned to giving tours in the Mara as tour guides. The Maasai Education, Research, and Conservation (MERC) partnering with the Mara Guide Association created a facility, the Dopoi Center, to help the Maasai become independent. This research focuses on the limited medical facilities the Maasai have access to, and the feasibility of having a medical center at the Dopoi Center.