Thesis | Engineering
Stability of Alginate Scaffolds for Stromal and Salivary Gland Epithelial Cell Growth
(2022-12-05) Toro, Miriam
There is a need for understanding and recreating salivary gland stromal and epithelial cell interactions to enable simulation of the process of branching morphogenesis to create gland structure and induce polarization of salivary epithelial cells to enable gland function. Previously our lab designed a method to create biocompatible “off-the-shelf” alginate hydrogel microtubes to mimic the microenvironment of salivary gland cells. Alginate hydrogels provide a useful option for a 3D scaffold due to their biocompatibility and proven use for 3D cell culture and tissue engineering. However, alginate hydrogels, in particular, those crosslinked by Ca2+ are not especially stable in the presence of phosphate, which exists in cell culture media and is required for cell growth.
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Thesis | Information Design & Technology
The Intersection of Emoji and Data Visualization: Creating Effective and Engaging Visualizations
(2023-05-01) Tomono, Mai
The project delves into effective data visualization techniques to describe the story of emojis through data. The current era is marked by an overwhelming amount of information, with data quality becoming increasingly complex. While the term big data has gained popularity in recent times, there is a growing desire to derive meaning from data. Emojis have had a significant impact on how people communicate in the digital age. They serve as a visual communication system, allowing individuals to express themselves in a playful and intimate way. Over time, they have evolved to fill an emotional gap in the way we express ourselves online, allowing for greater nuance and depth in our digital conversations.
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Thesis | Information Design & Technology
Creating Prototypes: Products of the Design Thinking Process
(2022-05-01) Moon, Alex
In a product design scenario, the design thinking process (made up of five phases: Empathy, Define, Ideate, Prototype, and Test) helps to find solutions to problems by putting the needs of the target audience first. Studying how people connect to a product (or to their environment in general) and collecting data based on those findings allows designers to craft answers to everyday problems in a myriad of unique and creative ways.