Matching Items (827)
Description
An entire collection of people today are connected by one common denominator: the desire to escape reality. To lose themselves in the digital world of gaming, animation, adventure, seeking thrills, companionship, and great memories. The entertainment industry represents a huge market of people who are constantly seeking new ways to enjoy new technology with the people they care about. From the latest games being released to newest VR headsets, the industry is booming, and companies are emerging for a slice at the profits. In a saturated market like the entertainment industry, there are only so many new business models that can successfully infiltrate the preexisting landscape.
If you were to look at the gaming industry you’d see lots of innovative product lines like PC’s, accessories, headsets including the latest creative video games. If you were to look at the amusement park industry of roller coasters, merchandise, food sales, ticket fees, there is a lot of ways to profit off of people’s desires to escape from reality. What if the combination of both industries: gaming (e-) and amusement becomes a new market entity called “emusement.” Emusement embodies a traveler’s destination that provides a one-of-a-kind experience with access to the newest technology you can play with friends or family.
Emusement is just an idea to be explored with the potential to become a large player in the entertainment industry. Not only would the profitability of such a business be astronomical, but the success of a business like this could lead to expanding the accessibility and growth of new gaming technologies.
ContributorsShaw, Aja (Author) / Murff, Scott (Thesis director) / Spellman, Catherine (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Dean, W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / The Design School (Contributor)
Created2024-05
Description
Ice rinks are unique structures that provide communities with a space for socializing,
exercise, and entertainment; however, these structures have traditionally been energy-intensive and unsustainable. Creating and maintaining the sheet of ice consumes large amounts of energy while producing harmful pollutants, with the refrigeration system accounting for almost half of the rink’s energy use. Therefore, my Barrett Honors Creative Thesis Project is to research and design a net-zero community ice rink that utilizes sustainable practices to create a system that works with the environment rather than against it. Through waste heat recovery, renewable solar energy, biomimicry, rainwater collection, and other sustainable practices, I will design innovative and environmentally friendly solutions to the current issues circulating traditional ice rinks. Looking at nature as a measure, mentor, and model instead of a resource to be inappropriately used will allow me to utilize the systems within an ice rink for benefit rather than waste.
ContributorsHughes, Brad (Author) / Spellman, Catherine (Thesis director, Committee member) / Murff, Warren (Thesis director, Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Dean, W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / The Design School (Contributor)
Created2024-05
Description
This creative project explores the design and creation of a dance studio that promotes mental and physical wellbeing for the dancers within it. This project utilizes multiple design tactics that challenge and transform the traditional ways of dance into a modernized space that is more conducive to a dancer’s physical and mental health. The challenge of tradition through the implementation of design in this light is essential and can affect an extensive range of people. This project is vital as it can benefit and improve the overall health of those using the designed space. The users can include any range of dancers and performers open to exploring an innovative space designed with their health at the center of it.
ContributorsParker, Meghan (Author) / Murff, Scott (Thesis director) / Spellman, Catherine (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / The Design School (Contributor) / School of Sustainability (Contributor)
Created2024-05
Description
The town of Visaginas, originally known as Sniečkus, is a small city in Lithuania located about a two hour drive from the country's capital of Vilnius. While Vilnius is a lively and big city of about 600,000 that draws people in and acts as the country’s hub, Visaginas is a small and quiet town. The town is a Soviet-planned city, and was fully established in 1975 almost exclusively to house workers of the Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant. Its ties to Russia and nuclear energy give Visaginas a complex history. Almost all workers at the nuclear plant came from the Soviet Union, so the community served as an instrument for Russification. Visaginas' geographically isolated location and predominantly Russian speaking demographic effectively makes it an exclave in Lithuania. When the decommissioning of the INPP was completed, Visaginas lost its main source of economic revenue, but it was also a huge loss to the community because their sense of identity was strongly tied to the nuclear plant. Visaginas provides a one of a kind case study and a unique opportunity to examine the energy justice implications of the end of the nuclear industry.
The complex relationship between Lithuania and the Soviet Union, succeeded by Russia, has played a major role in shaping Visaginas as well as contributing to some of the ongoing struggles in the region. This thesis will aim to address the history of Visaginas in relation to the geopolitics between Russia and Lithuania and examine the lifespan of the Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant. The decommissioning will be framed through the lens of energy justice by examining the distributive, participatory, and recognition justice implications that stemmed from the decommissioning process. Finally, the paper will address the era of post-nuclear urbanism in Visaginas, Lithuania, and explore possible future avenues for the town. This thesis is a comprehensive literature review of relevant research and studies completed relating to the topic, and elements informed by the Generator Project week-long field school, a European Humanities University energy justice fellowship.
ContributorsBussiere, Jacqueline (Author) / Richter, Jennifer (Thesis director) / Kelman, Jonathan (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Social Transformation (Contributor) / School of Sustainability (Contributor)
Created2024-05
Description
Nitrate (NO3-) pollution in surface and groundwater, worsened by nitrogen-rich fertilizers in agriculture, poses a significant challenge. Conventional methods remove NO3- physically, yielding concentrated reject water needing further treatment. Electrochemical processes use electrons to convert NO3- into ammonia (NH3) or dinitrogen (N2). This project explores photoelectrocatalysis, enhancing selectivity for NH3 as an added-value product using a photocathode based on tri-layers.
Titanium oxide (TiO2) nanorods modified with Ag and CuOx nanoparticles that exhibit high NO3- conversion rates and exceptional NH3 selectivity. Mechanism evaluation reveals additive effects between photocatalysis and electrocatalysis, surpassing individual performances. This approach offers promising solution for NO3- pollution remediation and sustainable resource recovery in agriculture.
ContributorsButzine, Noah (Author) / Garcia-Segura, Sergi (Thesis director) / Cerron-Calle, Gabriel (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Sustainable Engineering & Built Envirnmt (Contributor) / School of Sustainability (Contributor)
Created2024-05
Description
As climate change accelerates worldwide, coastal communities face escalating threats, including sea level rise, saltwater intrusion, erosion, and flooding, jeopardizing their physical, economic, and cultural integrity. In the coastal community of Charlotteville, a non-profit organization called the Environmental Research Institute of Charlotteville (ERIC) is dedicated to creating a “mutually beneficial relationship between the coastal communities and ecosystems of North East Tobago”. Their work includes the training and staffing of Community-Based Field Technicians (CBFTs) - Charlotteville residents who have been trained by ERIC in their conservation work and practices and now work for the organization within their community. This research delves into the intricate relationship between cultural narratives and community resilience in Charlotteville, Tobago. Through targeted surveys of Charlotteville residents, ERIC, and CBFTs, this research explores how cultural traditions and conservation work can impact a community’s resilience to climate change. Initial findings suggest the profound significance of the sea to Charlotteville residents and potentially echo a collective desire to safeguard marine resources for future generations. Moreover, aligning conservation projects with immediate community needs and securing additional funding could potentially bolster resilience-building initiatives. The CBFTs emerge as a potentially crucial stakeholder, as survey data suggests that they facilitate communication, collaboration, and knowledge sharing between ERIC and the community. By beginning to illuminate the complex relationship between cultural heritage, environmental stewardship, and community resilience, this research offers potential insights for fostering resilience in coastal communities worldwide.
ContributorsValencia Neyra, Maria (Author) / Briggs, Georgette (Thesis director) / Martin, Thomas (Committee member) / Fanovich, Lanya (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Sustainable Engineering & Built Envirnmt (Contributor) / School of Sustainability (Contributor)
Created2024-05
Description
Human beings have always created shelters in order to live within the context of Earth’s natural processes. Of course, different places have yielded different solutions. Dictated by climate, physical conditions, natural resources, and hazards, people have both adapted to the environments in which they live and shaped them over time. Inevitably, the relationship between humans and the planet has shifted over time, as the effects of climate change increase with rising global temperatures, natural disasters are increasing in frequency and intensity (Fig. 1). Consequently, establishing precedents for increasingly effective temporary disaster relief housing is a crucial step toward supporting at-risk communities. Implementing clear and efficient procedures in areas around the world with a natural proclivity for geophysical, climatological, hydraulic, and meteorological disasters is paramount. Time-efficient, sustainably built, and cost-effective temporary housing and community support spaces that inherently promote the social-cultural values of at-risk areas will help mitigate the lasting detriment of disasters. This proposal advocates for a new precedent in designing disaster relief housing to address the pressing global issue of community displacement resulting from natural disasters.
ContributorsCicero, Isabella (Author) / Bernardi, Jose (Thesis director) / Dal Martello, Chiara (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Art (Contributor) / The Design School (Contributor)
Created2024-05
Description
Founded in August 2023, BunnyBeadz is a recently established, small jewelry business aiming to merge sustainability, self-expression, and fashion. BunnyBeadz specializes in hand-crafted beaded jewelry, influenced by popular culture. Dedicated to sustainability, the business will donate one tree to be planted in the Amazon Rainforest for every item sold, offsetting the carbon needed to produce the materials for the bracelet itself. As of April 2024, BunnyBeadz has sold a total of 212 items and will continue selling for the foreseeable future.
ContributorsBejarano, Elizabeth (Author) / Byrne, Jared (Thesis director) / Thomasson, Anna (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / The Design School (Contributor)
Created2024-05
Description
Sustainability has become an increasingly important field over the past few decades, especially in relation to the field of urban planning and development. Sustainable communities play a pivotal role in balancing residents' current and future needs while nurturing diversity within the community. Elements such as economic diversity, mixed land use, walkability, green spaces, varying age groups, and efficient resource and service provision cultivate sustainable communities that encourage residents to age in place. Urban planning is focused on promoting the presence of these elements in communities, but the process of turning them into reality is often difficult due to existing infrastructure, lack of resources, and failure to receive government approval. When communities fail to provide residents with the facilities necessary to foster sustainability, instability often follows as residents do not favor aging in place in communities that do not meet their current needs or will not meet their future needs. Accessory dwelling units have emerged as a strategy for encouraging and allowing aging in place to occur in the United States. Some states have legalized the development of these units to increase urban density and to provide affordable housing options in cities where residents might not be able to afford other options. Accessory dwelling units are a potential solution to address the housing affordability crisis in Hawaii by encouraging aging in place and supporting multigenerational families. Encouraging aging in place allows Hawaiian communities to become more sustainable by supporting multiple generations. Hawaii is one of the states that have legalized accessory dwelling units to address issues in the state housing market, which has provided the state with a new opportunity to experiment with an affordable housing solution that aligns with the state’s cultural values. The island state of Hawaii provides a unique opportunity to dissect the importance of sustainable communities and aging in place. Native Hawaiians place tremendous cultural emphasis on the family unit, which makes the state an excellent place to encourage sustainable design in communities to facilitate aging in place. Hawaii has struggled to develop sustainable communities historically with a growing tourism industry that provides significant revenue to the state government playing a large role in the state’s housing market. This has contributed to an unsustainable situation in Hawaii where it has become more difficult to age in place over time. Given this situation, this report will address the following research question:
What factors limit the ability of Hawaiians to “age in place” and how might accessory dwelling units help promote an environment of sustainable communities in Hawaii that fosters such aging in place?
To address this question, the existing literature will be utilized to highlight areas that promote housing affordability and aging in place as well as to highlight areas that are detrimental to aging in place across the state and at the county level. This thesis seeks to provide context for the factors that have prevented sustainable community development by conducting a literature review that encompasses the current state of housing development in Hawaii. Data from the University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization will be used to portray the current state of housing development in each Hawaiian county. My methods will examine how the state of Hawaii has previously utilized accessory dwelling units and discuss the potential for these developments given the statewide barriers Hawaiians face and the connection between Hawaiian culture and these units.
ContributorsStrydom, Dylan (Author) / Kelley, Jason (Thesis director) / Pfeiffer, Deirdre (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Sustainability (Contributor)
Created2024-05
Description
This paper delves into the strategies and practices employed by DJs (disc jockeys) in the electronic music industry to achieve success and maintain relevance in an ever-evolving landscape. In the rapidly evolving landscape of the modern digital world, both established and up-and-coming DJs face unique challenges in marketing themselves and creating a distinctive brand identity within the highly competitive electronic music industry. As the digital era continues to redefine the music landscape, traditional promotional strategies no longer suffice, and emerging DJs must navigate a complex ecosystem of online platforms, social media, streaming services, and live events to effectively promote their music and differentiate themselves from their peers. Through a comprehensive analysis of three DJs with varying levels of popularity, the study aims to identify the key factors contributing to their success, as well as areas for potential improvement. The objectives of the research are to understand the different approaches adopted by DJs, assess their effectiveness in engaging audiences and building a fan base, and offer insights into the evolving role of DJs in the digital age. The methodology involves a qualitative analysis of each DJ's career trajectory, including their musical style, branding, social media presence, and live performances. Additionally, the study incorporates survey data collected from Electronic Dance Music (EDM) fans to understand audience preferences and effective social media strategies, as well as interviews with DJs to gain firsthand insights into their experiences and perspectives. The results of the analysis reveal the diverse strategies employed by DJs to connect with audiences, ranging from innovative live performances to strategic social media engagement. Furthermore, the study highlights the importance of developing a unique musical identity and leveraging technology to enhance the live experience. In conclusion, the paper underscores the significance of adaptability, creativity, and authenticity in the success of DJs, while also acknowledging the challenges and opportunities presented by the digital age.
ContributorsBauer-Bedrick, Hugo (Author) / Hinderaker, Luke (Co-author) / Dong, Xiaodan (Thesis director) / Shea, Nicholas (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / The Design School (Contributor) / Department of Marketing (Contributor)
Created2024-05