Contraceptive methods are vital in maintaining women’s health and preventing unintended pregnancy. When a woman uses a method that reflects her personal preferences and lifestyle, the chances of low adoption and misuse decreases. The research aim of this project is to develop a web-based decision aid tailored to college women that assists in the selection of contraceptive methods. For this reason, My Contraceptive Choice (MCC) is built using the gaps identified in existing resources provided by Planned Parenthood and Bedsider, along with feedback from a university student focus group. The tool is a short quiz that is followed by two pages of information and resources for a variety of different contraceptive methods commonly used by college women. The evaluation phase of this project includes simulated test cases, a Google Forms survey, and a second focus group to assess the tool for accuracy and usability. From the survey, 130 of the 150 (80.7%) responses believe that the recommendations provided can help them select a birth control method. Furthermore, 136 of the 150 (90.0%) responses believe that the layout of the tool made it easy to navigate. The second focus group feedback suggests that the MCC tool is perceived to be accurate, usable, and useful to the college population. Participants believe that the MCC tool performs better overall compared to the Planned Parenthood quiz in creating a customized recommendation and Bedsider in overall usability. The test cases reveal that there are further improvements that could be made to create a more accurate recommendation to the user. In conclusion, the new MCC tool accomplishes the aim of creating a beneficial resource to college women in assisting with the birth control selection process.

Lithium ion batteries are quintessential components of modern life. They are used to power smart devices — phones, tablets, laptops, and are rapidly becoming major elements in the automotive industry. Demand projections for lithium are skyrocketing with production struggling to keep up pace. This drive is due mostly to the rapid adoption of electric vehicles; sales of electric vehicles in 2020 are more than double what they were only a year prior. With such staggering growth it is important to understand how lithium is sourced and what that means for the environment. Will production even be capable of meeting the demand as more industries make use of this valuable element? How will the environmental impact of lithium affect growth? This thesis attempts to answer these questions as the world looks to a decade of rapid growth for lithium ion batteries.