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.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 16
Description
The inception of the human-powered water pump began during my trip to Maasailand in Kenya over the Summer of 2017. Being one of the few Broadening the Reach of Engineering through Community Engagement (BRECE) Scholars at Arizona State University, I was given the opportunity to join Prescott College (PC) on their annual trip to the Maasai Education, Research, and Conservation (MERC) Institute in rural Kenya. The ASU BRECE scholars that choose to travel were asked to collaborate with the local Maasai community to help develop functional and sustainable engineering solutions to problems identified alongside community members using rudimentary technology and tools that were available in this resource-constrained setting. This initiative evolved into multiple projects from the installation of GravityLights (a local invention that powers LEDs with falling sandbags), the construction/installation of smokeless stoves, and development of a much-needed solution to move water from the rainwater collection tanks around camp to other locations. This last project listed was prototyped once in camp, and this report details subsequent iterations of this human-powered pump.
ContributorsMiller, Miles Edward (Author) / Henderson, Mark (Thesis director) / Abbas, James (Committee member) / Engineering Programs (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
Description
Billions of people around the world deal with the struggles of poverty every day. Consequently, a number of others have committed themselves to help alleviate poverty. Many various methods are used, and a current consensus on the best method to alleviate poverty is lacking. Generally the methods used or researched exist somewhere on the spectrum between top-down and bottom-up approaches to fighting poverty. This paper analyzes a specific method proposed by C.K. Prahalad known as the Bottom of the Pyramid solution. The premise of the method is that large multinational corporations should utilize the large conglomerate of money that exists amongst poor people \u2014 created due to the sheer number of poor people \u2014 for business ventures. Concurrently, the poor people can benefit from the company's entrance. This method has received acclaim theoretically, but still needs empirical evidence to prove its practicality. This paper compares this approach with other approaches, considers international development data trends, and analyzes case studies of actual attempts that provide insight into the approach's potential for success. The market of poor people at the bottom of the pyramid is extremely segmented which makes it very difficult for large companies to financially prosper. It is even harder to establish mutual benefit between the large corporation and the poor. It has been found that although aspects of the bottom of the pyramid method hold merit, higher potential for alleviating poverty exists when small companies venture into this space rather than large multinational corporations. Small companies can conform to a single community and niche economy to prosper \u2014 a flexibility that large companies lack. Moving forward, analyzing the actual attempts provides the best and only empirical insights; hence, it will be important to consider more approaches into developing economies as they materialize.
ContributorsSanchez, Derek Javier (Author) / Henderson, Mark (Thesis director) / Shunk, Dan (Committee member) / Industrial, Systems (Contributor) / Economics Program in CLAS (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-05
Description
In recent history, the world has been inspired to respond to the challenges faced by communities with ‘help’. This help has been administered with moderate success through community engagement strategies traditionally centered on social services provided through non-profit agencies. Social entrepreneurship has emerged in response to the lack of progress made in solving local and global issues with new innovations that have the potential to change the status quo and eliminate the problems for future generations. In social entrepreneurship, concerned individuals saw an opportunity to truly change the world. Higher education leaders have embraced social entrepreneurship, positioning university students as a driving force behind ideating creative and innovative solutions that can be implemented in communities to overcome a vast array of challenges from poverty to environmental sustainability. Despite the efforts of university staff and faculty, many student changemakers struggle to successfully implement their ideas and measure their impact. Factors such as how well the student understands the issue and community in addition to the extent to which the student is experienced in ideation, creative-problem solving, and implementation of projects contribute to the success or failure of a student social effort. Inspired by their experiences serving as director of Changemaker Central, the authors sought to understand the process of preparing students to be agents of change in the community. Having observed the variance in success among aspiring changemakers at Arizona State University (ASU), the researchers studied how to best support students in preparation for a high-impact career. The research analyzed students’ experiences in two of ASU’s social change programs, Changemaker Challenge (CC) and University Service-Learning (USL) and found a need for more cohesion between two programs and their represented methodologies in addition to a need for in-depth analysis on the student journey.
ContributorsMicevic, Vid (Co-author) / Fitzgerald, Kaitlyn (Co-author) / Henderson, Mark (Thesis director) / Smith, Jacqueline (Committee member) / Civil, Environmental and Sustainable Engineering Programs (Contributor) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-05
Description
"Seventy five percent of the world's poor live in rural areas of developing countries, where most people's livelihoods rely directly on agriculture." (USAid, 2014) Reduced levels of crop production and the accompanying problems of malnourishment exist all over the world. In rural Peru, for example, 11 percent of the population is malnourished. (Global Healthfacts.org, 2012) Since the success in agriculture relies importantly on the fertility of the soil, it is imperative that any efforts at reversing this trend be primarily directed at improving the existing soils. This, in turn, will increase crop yields, and if done properly, will also conserve natural resources and maximize profits for farmers. In order to improve the lives of those at the bottom of the pyramid through agriculture, certain tools and knowledge must be provided in order to empower such persons to help themselves. An ancient method of soil improvement, known as Terra Preta do Indio (Indian dark earth), was discovered by Anthropologists in the 1800's. These dark, carbon-rich, soils are notable for their high fertility, high amounts of plant available nutrients, and their high moisture retention rates. The key to their long-lasting fertility and durability is the presence of high levels of biochar, a highly stable organic carbon \u2014 produced when organic matter (crop residues, food waste, manure, etc.) is burned at low temperatures in the absence of oxygen. Research has shown that when charcoal (biochar) and fertilizers are combined, it can yield as much as 880 percent more than when fertilizers are used by themselves. (Steiner, University of Bayreuth, 2004)
ContributorsStefanik, Kathleen Ann (Author) / Henderson, Mark (Thesis director) / Johnson, Nathan (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Human Systems Engineering (Contributor)
Created2014-12
Description
I. Executive Summary Projectors are used in more and more live and corporate events and theatrical productions. In these environments, they are subject to a myriad of conditions. These can include extreme temperatures, atmospheric effects and contaminates, shipping and rough handling, and power issues. The goal is to find ways to extend the reliable and economical lifespan of these machines increasing companies ROI and decreasing environmental damage from more frequent production, repair and disposal. The first area studied was the effect removing the covers has on the projector performance. This is important knowledge for both the research protocols followed in this research and in normal use during maintenance and repair. Testing demonstrated that the removal of covers on small consumer projectors has a profound impact on internal temperatures and can even cause overheating due to the covers being used as air ducting. The main focus of this project was finding effective pre-filters for use around haze, fog and other airborne contaminates. This was successful with two material being demonstrated to be cost effective, filter far superior to factory filters alone, and produce acceptable impacts on projector cooling in several models and types of projector. These filters cost typically less than $1 per filter and reduce the ingress of contaminates by 60-80%. Additionally the effects of improper shutdown versus the manufacturers specified shutdown process were tested. It was determined that the projectors where power was unplugged or turned off had components exceed both operating temperatures and temperatures during the normal shutdown. This shows that following the correct shutdown process keeps components cooler leading to a longer component life and therefore longer projector life and decreased repairs.
ContributorsBooth, Kelsey (Author) / Henderson, Mark (Thesis director) / Pinholster, Jacob (Committee member) / Gaddy, Davin (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2014-05
Description
This Honors thesis is analyzing the Jaipur Prosthetic Foot; we are using a foot from Bhagwan Mahaveer Viklang Sahayata Samiti (BMVSS) to test the durability of the foot and where the critical fatigue points are located. Our testing design will be based off of computer simulation to point out the critical points that the test machinery should accentuate. The machine will be set to sample and save data at interval times throughout the accentuated walking cycle in order to record the point where the foot begins to show wear.
ContributorsChaisson, Nathaniel (Co-author) / Jacobs, Ian (Co-author) / Radda, Nicholas (Co-author) / Henderson, Mark (Thesis director) / Sodemann, Angela (Committee member) / Carberry, Adam (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2015-05
Description
Bangladesh is facing one of the largest mass poisonings in human history with over 77 million people affected by contaminated water each and every day. Over the last few years, the 33 Buckets team has come together to help fulfill this clean water need through filtration, education, and an innovative distribution system to inspire and empower people in Bangladesh and across the world. To start this process, we are working with the Rahima Hoque Girls' school in the rural area of Raipura, Bangladesh to give girls access to clean water where they spend the most time. Through our assessment trip in May 2012, we were able to acquire technical data, community input, and partnerships necessary to move our project forward. Additionally, we realized that in many cases, including the Rahima Hoque school, water problems are not caused by a lack of technology, but rather a lack of utilization and maintenance long-term. To remedy this, 33 Buckets has identified a local filter to have installed at the school, and has designed a small-scale business focused on selling clean water in bulk to the surrounding community. Our price point and association with the Rahima Hoque Girls' school makes our solution sustainable. Plus, with the success of our first site, we see the potential to scale. We already have five nearby schools interested in working to implement similar water projects, and with over 100,000 schools in Bangladesh, many of which lack access to the right water systems, we have a huge opportunity to impact millions of lives. This thesis project describes our journey through this process. First, an introduction to our work prior to the assessment trip and through the ASU EPICS program is given. Second, we include quantitative and qualitative details regarding our May 2012 assessment trip to the Rahima Hoque school and Dhaka. Third, we recount some of the experiences we were able to participate in following the trip to Bangladesh, including the Dell Social Innovation Challenge. Fourth, we examine the technical filtration methods, business model development, and educational materials that will be used to implement our solution this summer. Finally, we include an Appendix with a variety of social venture competitions and applications that we have submitted over the past two years, in addition to other supplementary materials. These are excellent examples of our diligence and provide unique insight into the growth of our project.
ContributorsStrong, Paul Andrew (Co-author) / Shah, Pankti (Co-author) / Huerta, Mark (Co-author) / Henderson, Mark (Thesis director) / El Asmar, Mounir (Committee member) / LaBelle, Jeffrey (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Program (Contributor)
Created2013-05
Description
Access to clean water is an issue that abounds in many areas across the world. It is estimated that over 770 million people lack access to improved sources of water. However, the lack of access to clean water does not just affect people's health; it is a problem that affects three major areas. Because people do not have clean drinking water, millions of school days are missed per year due to water-related disease or children being forced to procure clean water. Also, gender inequalities result from women bearing the majority of the responsibility of walking long distances to find a source of potable water. Therefore, lack of access to clean water affects people's health, their education, and gender equality. The problem is not that there is a lack of technologies to provide clean water; the problem is that these technologies are not being implemented sustainably in the areas that need them most. To bring better access of clean water to people in developing nations, 33 Buckets has designed a distribution platform that uses schools as the central point for water distribution to local communities. A sustainable filtration system will be installed at the school to provide clean water for the people at the school. People in the nearby community will also be able to get free water if they bring their own containers to the school. To maintain the filter and provide it with any repairs that are necessary, water will be sold to nearby businesses lower than the current market prices. These profits will be used to ensure the quality of the filtration system and also to provide educational improvements to the school. An advisory committee made up of men and women will be assembled to run the filtration business and handle the finances. A pilot project to implement this model has been identified as the Rahima Hoque Girls School in rural Bangladesh. The team will travel to Bangladesh in Summer 2014 to install a filter at the school, purchase water testing supplies and containers, and meet with the advisory committee to go over final logistical details. Financial projections show that if the filter operates at 50% of its expected frequency and water is sold 5 days a week for 52 weeks, the school will generate $33,532.31. These profits are more than enough to maintain the system and pay for educational improvements to the school. Once implementation of the site is completed, the project will be monitored to track how the water selling business is operating. If the model is shown to be successful, it can then be scaled to other nearby schools or other countries with water contamination problems.
ContributorsWiegand, Connor James (Author) / Henderson, Mark (Thesis director) / Shrake, Scott (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Harrington Bioengineering Program (Contributor)
Created2014-05
Description
This research focused on how low-income communities in Ghana could convert Waste Vegetable Oil (WVO) into biodiesel to supplement their energy demands. The 2016 World Energy Outlook estimates that about 8 million Ghanaians do not have access to electricity while 82% of the population use biomass as cooking fuel. However, WVO is available in almost every home and is also largely produced by hotels and schools. There are over 2,700 registered hotels and more than 28,000 educational institutions from Basic to the Tertiary level. Currently, most WVOs are often discarded in open gutters or left to go rancid and later disposed of. Therefore, WVOs serve as cheap materials available in large quantities with a high potential for conversion into biodiesel and commercializing to support the economic needs of low-income communities. In 2013, a group of researchers at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Ghana estimated that the country could be producing between 82,361 and 85,904 tons of biodiesel from WVOs generated by hotels alone in 2015. Further analysis was also carried out to examine the Ghana National Biofuel Policy that was introduced in 2005 with support from the Ghana Energy Commission. Based on the information identified in the research, a set of recommendations were made to help the central government in promoting the biodiesel industry in Ghana, with a focus on low-income or farming communities. Lastly, a self-sustaining biodiesel production model with high potential for commercialization, was proposed to enable low-income communities to produce their own biodiesel from WVOs to meet their energy demands.
ContributorsAnnor-Wiafe, Stephen (Author) / Henderson, Mark (Thesis director) / Rogers, Bradley (Committee member) / Engineering Programs (Contributor) / Department of Management and Entrepreneurship (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2017-05
Description
This thesis sought to better understand the process of creating biochar in kilns representative of those used in current biochar processes in Chitwan National Park, Nepal and surrounding areas. The project had two main objectives: First, design and build a scale kiln representative of those in Nepal. This will allow a multitude of future projects to have access to a well-built kiln in which to run experiments, probe conditions and overall understand the process of pyrolysis. After approval of the plan and construction the second phase of the project began. Second, using the scaled kiln, pyrolyze quantities of biomass and capture the temperature profiles as the burn is started through until it is completed. Using qualitative methods the biochar was then analyzed and this quality compared against the temperature profiles captured. Using these profiles it was hoped that a relationship between how the temperature profiles behave and the quality of the biochar can be produced. The maximum temperature was also be analyzed to find useful correlations to the behavior of the process within the kiln. The project did not find any useful correlation between the maximum temperatures, but it did find useful correlations between temperature profiles and the resulting biochar. A description of how to analyze biochar in the field was also established to help researchers and farmers rate biochar quality while in the field. The kiln itself is housed on the Polytechnic Campus of Arizona State University in the Global Resolve outside storage area at the time of writing.
ContributorsCluff, Dallin Michael (Author) / Henderson, Mark (Thesis director) / Roger, Brad (Committee member) / Engineering Programs (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-12