Angela Kim Mallette — Year 2, Life Science Abstract In recent years, an interest in fungi has been on the rise as people have increasingly noticed its medicinal potential, including antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antiproliferative properties. The Reishi mushroom has been one of the most widely researched species due to its bioactive compounds such as polysaccharides […]

Ryan Benhatta — Year 2, Applied Science Abstract Urban stormwater runoff can transport pollutants from roads, sidewalks, parking lots, and rooftops into nearby waterways, making it a large indicator of local environmental quality. This project tested stormwater from five catch basins from comprehensive development, residential, commercial, and industrial land uses. Two rounds of data collection […]

Oliver Guo — Year 2, Applied Science Abstract Roadside flagging places workers close to moving vehicles and remains a safety concern in construction zones. Automated Flagger Assistance Devices (AFADS) reduce exposure, but prior work suggests that cost, setup difficulty, and deployment constraints still limit their use. This project aimed to design a compact prototype flagger […]

Liam Kennedy — Year 2, Applied Science Abstract Carrot agriculture produced over 40 million tonnes world-wide in 2022, yet 12.57% of carrots grown each year are thrown out because they are defective, over-ripe, or under-ripe. This study aimed to create a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) to classify carrot ripeness from an image of the pre-harvest […]

Chloe Chen — Year 2, Life Science Abstract This study tested the antibacterial effects of berberine, a compound found in plants such as Berberis vulgaris and Hydrastis canadensis, against the Escherichia coli (E. coli) K-12 strain using disk diffusion. Two procedures were used with different solvents and concentration methods to measure zones of inhibition. Procedure […]

Jayden Zhang — Year 2, Life Science Abstract Ultraviolet radiation is one of the most powerful and common mutagens on earth, capable of causing direct and indirect DNA damage through lesions and oxidative stress, which can ultimately lead to carcinogenesis. The objective of this study was to observe the susceptibility of E. coli K12 to […]

Elliott Deyell — Year 2, Applied Science Abstract Despite their common use in introductory science demonstrations, bottle rockets are rarely used to investigate advanced physics and engineering concepts. This study examined how varying the throat diameter of a converging-diverging rocket nozzle affects water rocket performance. Using Autodesk Fusion 360, three attachable nozzles were designed and […]

Caitlin Lim — Year 2, Applied Science Abstract In a modern age of phone-based navigation, many pedestrians are in more danger than ever as they shift attention from their surroundings to the directions on their cell phone. This danger is enhanced for visually impaired users, who require all possible attention to navigate their environment safely. […]

Janee Olivia Yeak — Year 2, Applied Science Abstract Music has been long shaped by water, from early hydraulic instruments to modern installations that transform the falling rain into sound. Inspired by such works, this design project explores the creation of a rain-powered instrument that uses raindrop impacts to strike resonating bars. Four xylophone-like prototypes […]

Riya Kumar — Year 2, Life Science Abstract This study investigated the potential protective effects of natural antioxidant extracts against oxidative stress using the eukaryotic model organism Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Plant-derived compounds such as green tea extract, turmeric, and vitamin C have been widely studied for their antioxidant and anticancer properties due to their ability to […]