Matching Items (14)
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- All Subjects: Sustainability
- Creators: Department of Psychology
- Member of: Barrett, The Honors College Thesis/Creative Project Collection
- Resource Type: Text
Description
The M&G Drive is a proposed venture project lead by Barrett seniors, Elijah Smith and Jenna Fitzgerald. This project aims to educate Arizona State University (ASU) students on the issues of food insecurity around the Phoenix valley and facilitate their involvement in helping alleviate this pressing social matter. Scientific research has shown significant inverse relationships between food insecurity and the following: mental and physical health, social skills, and academic achievement. As the largest public university in the nation, Arizona State holds a self-ascribed responsibility for the health of its communities. In order to address this issue on behalf of Arizona State and from the standpoint of college students, this proposed venture will encourage the ASU student population to reallocate their unused M&G Dollars (ASU’s on-campus currency) to go toward this cause. Rather than being absorbed back by the university system, unused M&G Dollars can instead be used to purchase non-perishables that will then be donated to the local Phoenix community in order to help fight against food insecurity.
ContributorsFitzgerald, Jenna Mary (Co-author) / Smith, Elijah (Co-author) / Mokwa, Michael (Thesis director) / Eaton, John (Committee member) / Department of Psychology (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
Description
As I stare at my closet overflowing with a variety of beloved and colorful garments, I
think about how big of an impact just one of those pieces made in the world before it ended up
in my possession. A tiny spaghetti-strap tank top – bought from my local Goodwill for two dollars, originally purchased at H&M for eight – reminds me that although this square foot of
material might seem minute, it and the thousands of replicas manufactured along with it still
add to the carbon footprint of the fashion industry. Plain and simple – fashion comes at a cost,
whether fashionistas like to be privy to that truth or not. This truth launched an exploration of
my own fashion sense and work to uncover ways to make a difference, birthing ‘K’.
My intention stemmed from my love for clothes, a love rooted in some of my earliest
memories of my mothers’ fashion sense. I found it interesting that for her, and for myself, every
occasion seemed to call for a certain type of dress; occasions like school, church, vacations,
musicals, and nights out on the town to name a few. Not everyone abided by the rules of fashion
that seemed to be so important to me at a young age - no white pants after Labor Day kinds of
things – but, for me, these unspoken rules of dress carried true. Now, as an adult balancing
school, work, and social activity, I like to observe how my peers, coworkers, and friends present
their own sense of style.
After getting a job at a local resale store called Buffalo Exchange, the concept of fast
fashion and the ensuing lack of sustainability fueling it became a concern of interest. Thinking
about the styles of those around me, each completely unique to the wearer but similar in regard
to the individual pieces, struck me that people today are uninformed about the consequences of
their shopping habits. In reality, every consumer partakes in the fashion market in some sense,
meaning that every person feeds into the growing issues associated with fast fashion and similar
business, or join the conversation about sustainable fashion.
Taking my love for resale, a love birthed from ethical sourcing and the giddiness of
finding a good treasure after a big hunt, and partnering my creative skillset for fashion design, I
took on a big project to see for myself what people’s perceptions about resale are and how I
could be a part of the conversation. I began this line thinking about how my unique style always
seems to amass compliments from people liking just how different my items are. I figured that
taking my keen eye for aesthetics and using that to make resale items more desirable, I’d be able
to tap into a market that hardly acknowledges its own existence.
think about how big of an impact just one of those pieces made in the world before it ended up
in my possession. A tiny spaghetti-strap tank top – bought from my local Goodwill for two dollars, originally purchased at H&M for eight – reminds me that although this square foot of
material might seem minute, it and the thousands of replicas manufactured along with it still
add to the carbon footprint of the fashion industry. Plain and simple – fashion comes at a cost,
whether fashionistas like to be privy to that truth or not. This truth launched an exploration of
my own fashion sense and work to uncover ways to make a difference, birthing ‘K’.
My intention stemmed from my love for clothes, a love rooted in some of my earliest
memories of my mothers’ fashion sense. I found it interesting that for her, and for myself, every
occasion seemed to call for a certain type of dress; occasions like school, church, vacations,
musicals, and nights out on the town to name a few. Not everyone abided by the rules of fashion
that seemed to be so important to me at a young age - no white pants after Labor Day kinds of
things – but, for me, these unspoken rules of dress carried true. Now, as an adult balancing
school, work, and social activity, I like to observe how my peers, coworkers, and friends present
their own sense of style.
After getting a job at a local resale store called Buffalo Exchange, the concept of fast
fashion and the ensuing lack of sustainability fueling it became a concern of interest. Thinking
about the styles of those around me, each completely unique to the wearer but similar in regard
to the individual pieces, struck me that people today are uninformed about the consequences of
their shopping habits. In reality, every consumer partakes in the fashion market in some sense,
meaning that every person feeds into the growing issues associated with fast fashion and similar
business, or join the conversation about sustainable fashion.
Taking my love for resale, a love birthed from ethical sourcing and the giddiness of
finding a good treasure after a big hunt, and partnering my creative skillset for fashion design, I
took on a big project to see for myself what people’s perceptions about resale are and how I
could be a part of the conversation. I began this line thinking about how my unique style always
seems to amass compliments from people liking just how different my items are. I figured that
taking my keen eye for aesthetics and using that to make resale items more desirable, I’d be able
to tap into a market that hardly acknowledges its own existence.
ContributorsMickelsen, Karsten Raye (Author) / Gray, Nancy (Thesis director) / Lisjak, Monika (Committee member) / Department of Marketing (Contributor) / Department of Psychology (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
Description
Today’s college students are faced with numerous roadblocks to completing their studies including financial issues, unsustainable housing, and mental health crises. Currently, students are graduating with the highest levels of student debt in recorded history, and studies show that this disproportionately affects minority groups [1]. In addition, many colleges require students to live on campus for their first couple of years, with research showing that student housing costs have increased 10.8% annually for the past 5 years [2]. To make matters worse, college costs have increased 169% over the past four decades while earnings for ages 22-27 have increased by 19% [3]. Consequently, typical living standards today majorly impact the environment in negative ways. For example, in the UK, housing accounts for approximately 27% of carbon emissions due to burning of fossil fuels for electricity and heating [4]. Furthermore, the average size of a home is increasing over time, and thus requiring more electricity. In 2021, the average home is estimated to be 28% bigger than in 1970 [5]. With depression being the number one cause of disability worldwide [6], it is worth analyzing how these factors influence public health. In a survey of almost 300 college institutions, 88% of counseling center directors reported an increase in “severe” psychological problems over the previous 5 years [7]. Estimates also show that more than 1 in 10 college students struggle with an anxiety disorder [7]. Since research shows that participating in travel and leisure positively influences mental health in those receiving psychiatric care [8], we are led to following research question: how can van homes be functionally designed for students as more affordable and sustainably living spaces that are conducive of well-being?
ContributorsArnold, Joy (Author) / Shin, Dosun (Thesis director) / Siyambalapitiya, Nipuni (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / The Design School (Contributor) / Department of Psychology (Contributor)
Created2022-05
Description
Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia is one of the world’s coldest capital cities with roughly 1.5 million residents. About fifty percent of the city’s residents are off the electrical grid and millions continue to live nomadic lifestyles, raising livestock for food. Problematically, residents often turn to raw coal - Mongolia’s largest export - as a means to cook food and stay warm. Project Koyash is a philanthropic engineering initiative that was founded in the Arizona State University Program Engineering Projects in Community Service (EPICS) to combat the air quality crisis plaguing the ger districts of Ulaanbaatar. Koyash has already deployed 13 fully functional and autonomous units consisting of a solar powered air filtration system in Ulaanbaatar. Koyash innovated a solution of solar panels, air filters, batteries, inverters, PCB Arduinos, and other necessary components for providing crucial humanitarian services. The team is working to send more units and develop a local supply chain for the systems. This thesis project explores the development of Koyash, assesses the human health implications of air pollution, and reflects on the entire process.
ContributorsYavari, Bryan (Author) / Hartwell, Leland (Thesis director) / Schoepf, Jared (Thesis director) / Diddle, Julianna (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Psychology (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor)
Created2024-05