This thesis was conducted to study and analyze the fund allocation process adopted by different states in the United States to reduce the impact of the Covid-19 virus. Seven different states and their funding methodologies were compared against the case count within the state. The study also focused on development of a physical distancing index based on three significant attributes. This index was then compared to the expenditure and case counts to support decision making.
A regression model was developed to analyze and compare how different states case counts played out against the regression model and the risk index.

For our project, we explored the growth of the ASU BioDesign Clinical Testing Laboratory (ABCTL) from a standard university research lab to a COVID-19 testing facility through a business lens. The lab has pioneered the saliva-test in the Western United States. This thesis analyzes the laboratory from various business concepts and aspects. The business agility of the lab and it’s quickness to innovation has allowed the lab to enjoy great success. Looking into the future, the laboratory has a promising future and will need to answer many questions to remain the premier COVID-19 testing institution in Arizona.

For our project, we explored the growth of the ASU BioDesign Clinical Testing Laboratory (ABCTL) from a standard university research lab to a COVID-19 testing facility through a business lens. The lab has pioneered the saliva-test in the Western United States. This thesis analyzes the laboratory from various business concepts and aspects. The business agility of the lab and it’s quickness to innovation has allowed the lab to enjoy great success. Looking into the future, the laboratory has a promising future and will need to answer many questions to remain the premier COVID-19 testing institution in Arizona.

The ASU COVID-19 testing lab process was developed to operate as the primary testing site for all ASU staff, students, and specified external individuals. Tests are collected at various collection sites, including a walk-in site at the SDFC and various drive-up sites on campus; analysis is conducted on ASU campus and results are distributed virtually to all patients via the Health Services patient portal. The following is a literature review on past implementations of various process improvement techniques and how they can be applied to the ABCTL testing process to achieve laboratory goals. (abstract)

The U.S. Navy and other amphibious military organizations utilize a derivation of the traditional side stroke called the Combat Side Stroke, or CSS, and tout it as the most efficient technique available. Citing its low aerobic requirements and slow yet powerful movements as superior to the traditionally-best front crawl (freestyle), the CSS is the go-to stroke for any operation in the water. The purpose of this thesis is to apply principles of Industrial Engineering to a real-world situation not typically approached from a perspective of optimization. I will analyze pre-existing data about various swim strokes in order to compare them in terms of efficiency for different variables. These variables include calories burned, speed, and strokes per unit distance, as well as their interactions. Calories will be measured by heart rate monitors, converting BPM to calories burned. Speed will be measured by stopwatch and observer. Strokes per unit distance will be measured by observer. The strokes to be analyzed include the breast stroke, crawl stroke, butterfly, and combat side stroke. The goal is to informally test the U.S. Navy's claim that the combat side stroke is the optimum stroke to conserve energy while covering distance. Because of limitations in the scope of the project, analysis will be done using data collected from literary sources rather than through experimentation. This thesis will include a design of experiment to test the findings here in practical study. The main method of analysis will be linear programming, followed by hypothesis testing, culminating in a design of experiment for future progress on this topic.

The definition of "beauty" can be interpreted in many ways but when defining it literally, it is considered as such: "a combination of qualities that pleases the intellect or moral sense" (Oxford Dictionaries). Beauty simply "pleases" the intellect; it does not say that intellect is a factor of beauty itself. Beauty is nice to look at, a mere pleasure to experience in the "moral sense." It does not have anything to do with one's actions, principles or intelligence, but instead the way one presents himself or herself. If someone is deemed as intellectual, does that mean they are not viewed as beautiful? Is that why beauty is rarely associated with brains and vice versa? Has a history of stereotypes and media interference convinced us that these two concepts cannot coexist? And what if we found out that they did? Could we take that person seriously? I decided to challenge the idea of beauty and brains, and see if beauty is in fact measured by its literal definition and controlled by its assumed stereotype, or if other factors apply when deciphering someone's "beauty." First, I will analyze the perceptions and stereotypes of engineers. By looking at the public opinion of both engineers and women engineers, I can show the common struggles engineers face. Next I will look at perceptions of cheerleaders, in particular, professional cheerleaders. Through analyzing current stereotypes and gender roles associated with these women in the spotlight, I can establish how opinions of these women are formed. I will also look at a survey of a sample of Arizona State University students in which we can confirm or deny the results found through research of previous studies. We will also be able to gather personal opinions about why these stereotypes exist and how to break them down. Finally, we will look at personal accounts of current or retired National Football League (NFL) cheerleaders. These will give first-hand examples of what it is like to be both a cheerleader and a woman in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics).

In an increasingly global economy, companies face challenges with implementing successful business and marketing strategies in cultures different from their own. This paper calls upon previous research to compile a per-country outline of general behaviors and expectations when doing business overseas. Using categorical definitions from Hofstede's 1984 study and those found in the Handbook of Global and Multicultural Negotiation, a table has been prepared to group similar countries based on their cultural biases.

Perfection is extremely difficult to achieve when playing team sports. This is especially true for lacrosse, a sport where dropped passes, missed shots and turnovers are prevalent even at the college and professional levels of the game. In order to improve on mistakes, teams must first recognize where the errors are being made. The purpose of this project is to implement the DMAIC process improvement method into lacrosse, with the goal of identifying and implementing improvements, leading to a more successful team.
In order to use DMAIC, lacrosse was expressed as a process that included five phases: offense, defense, riding, clearing and faceoffs. Data was gathered for each phase using game film from the Arizona State Men’s Club Lacrosse Team over the course of the 2019 and 2020 seasons. The data was then analyzed by comparing the output statistics of each phase to the goal differential, number of goals scored, and number of goals against. Once the areas of improvement were determined, additional analysis was done to determine why these certain areas needed improvement. The results provided what changes needed to be made in order to improve the team. In order to ensure the team sustained their success, control measures were put in place to determine what action needs to be taken and when.

For our project, we explored the growth of the ASU BioDesign Clinical Testing Laboratory (ABCTL) from a standard university research lab to a COVID-19 testing facility through a business lens. The lab has pioneered the saliva-test in the Western United States. This thesis analyzes the laboratory from various business concepts and aspects. The business agility of the lab and it’s quickness to innovation has allowed the lab to enjoy great success. Looking into the future, the laboratory has a promising future and will need to answer many questions to remain the premier COVID-19 testing institution in Arizona.

Early on in the pandemic, ASU leadership recognized an opportunity to involve the Biodesign Institute in an effort to keep local communities safe. Equipped with capital investments (and expertise) in diagnostic testing, university president Michael Crow tasked Dr. Joshua LaBaer - the executive director of Biodesign - to begin mapping out the lab’s logistic capabilities and operational plan. While initially testing through nasopharyngeal swabs, the Arizona Biodesign Clinical Testing Laboratory (ABCTL) eventually developed a saliva-based COVID-19 test that demonstrated higher efficacy and resource-efficiency. By maintaining rapid turnaround times for test results, the ABCTL has helped both the university population and local community operate safely. Lauded as a highly innovative testing site, the lab proved to be an essential asset as ASU, and the world, look to return to normalcy. The purpose of this thesis is to analyze the ABCTL’s inception and development using multi-faceted approaches from the business realm. There will be five topics discussed which are: • Volume I- Stakeholder Theory and Analysis Regarding the COVID-19 Bio-design Institute at Arizona State University (Claire Agee), • Volume II- The Lab as a Business Within a University Environment (Samuel Cosgrove) • Volume III- A Managerial Economic Perspective (Michael Qian) • Volume IV- An Analysis of its Upstream Supply Chain ( Kyle Mattson) • Volume V- An Operations Management Perspective (Corinne English) After these volumes, there will be a discussion about the growth and sustainability of the laboratory looking into the future. Although the ABCTL is young,the ever-changing market dynamics leave the organization with critical decisions going forward.