Virtual reality (VR) provides significant opportunities for students to experience immersive education. In VR, students can travel to the international space station, or go through a science experiment at home. However, the current tactile feedback provided by these systems do not feel real. Controllers do not provide the same tactile feedback experienced in the physical world. This dissertation aims to bridge the gap between the virtual and physical learning environments through the development of novel haptic devices capable of emulating tactile sensations found in physical science labs. My research explores haptic devices that can emulate the sensations of fluids in vessels within the virtual environment. Fluid handling is a cornerstone experience of science labs. I also explore how to emulate the handling of other science equipment. I describe and research on four novel devices. These are 1) SWISH: A shifting-weight interface of simulated hydrodynamics for haptic perception of virtual fluid vessels, 2) Geppetteau, 3) Vibr-eau, and 4) Pneutouch. SWISH simulates the sensation of virtual fluids in vessels using a rack and pinion mechanism, while Geppetteau employs a string-driven mechanism to provide haptic feedback for a variety of vessel shapes. Vibr-eau utilizes vibrotactile actuators in the vessel’s interior to emulate the behavior of virtual liquids. Finally, Pneutouch enables users to interact with virtual objects through pneumatic inflatables. Through systematic evaluations and comparisons with baseline comparisons, the usability and effectiveness of these haptic devices in enhancing virtual experiences is demonstrated. The development of these haptic mechanisms and interfaces represents a significant step towards creating transformative educational tools that provide customizable, hands-on learning environments in both Mixed (MR) and Virtual Reality (VR) - now called XR. This dissertation contributes to advancing the field of haptics for virtual education and lays the foundation for future research in immersive learning technologies.

In the age of 5th and upcoming 6th generation fighter aircraft one key proponent of these impressive machines is the inclusion of stealth. This inclusion is demonstrated by thoughtful design pertaining to the shape of the aircraft and rigorous material selection. Both criteria aim to minimize the radar cross section of these aircraft over a wide bandwidth of frequencies corresponding to an ever-evolving field of radar technology. Stealth is both an offensive and defensive capability meaning that service men and women depend on this feature to carry out their missions, and to return home safely. The goal of this paper is to introduce a novel method to designing disordered two-phase composites with desired electromagnetic properties. This task is accomplished by employing the spatial point correlation function, specifically at the two-point level. Effective at describing the dispersion of phases within a two-phase system, the two-point correlation function serves as a statistical function that becomes a realizable target for heterogeneous composites. Simulated annealing is exercised to reconstruct two-phase composite microstructures that initially do not match their target function, followed by two separate experiments aimed at studying the impact of the provided inputs on its outcome. Once conditions for reconstructing highly accurate microstructures are identified, modifications are made to the target function to extract and compare dielectric constants associated with each microstructure. Both the real and imaginary components, which respectively affect wave propagation and attenuation, of the dielectric constants are plotted to illustrate their behavior with increasing wavenumber. Conclusions suggest that favorable values of the complex dielectric constant can be reverse-engineered via careful consideration of the two-point correlation function. Subsequently, corresponding microstructures of the composite can be simulated and then produced through 3-D printing for testing and practical applications.

This thesis aims to delve into the multifaceted views of renowned author and theologian C.S. Lewis on the institution of marriage, as presented through his literary works. Although Lewis does not dedicate one single work to the importance of Christian marriage, he does provide various insights throughout his fictional and nonfictional works, which, when considered within his philosophical, moral framework, offer a compelling case for why marital commitment is conducive to helping shape moral individuals regardless of faith or background. This research seeks to synthesize Lewis’ nuanced perspectives on marital relationships through a comprehensive analysis, shedding light on their significance within his broader theological and philosophical framework. The objective of this thesis is not to defend Lewis’ (or the Christian) conception of marriage but merely to attempt to show that his rational arguments, bridging the gap between faith and reason, can appeal to a larger audience.

Cancer poses a significant worldwide burden where ongoing efforts are targeted towards improving patient outcomes in which a significant contribution results from cancer screening. Multi-cancer early detection tests have been introduced which measure a series of biomarkers to detect signals that may indicate carcinogenesis in its earliest stages and work in tandem with other diagnostic techniques to localize and verify tumor formation across multiple cancer types. Molecular biomarkers such as autoantibodies are promising candidates for early detection across multiple cancers. This study identifies autoantibodies that are aberrantly expressed across multiple cancer types that may be used to discriminate between healthy individuals and those with cancer from a single serum sample. Multiple datasets are integrated from prior studies to examine 8,200 sera autoantibodies from 5 cancer types including lung adenocarcinoma, basal-like breast cancer, advanced colorectal cancer, ovarian cancer, and HER2+ breast cancer. The diagnostic utility of these autoantibodies is assessed for combined cancer types by meta-receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. A meta-analysis data processing pipeline is utilized for processing each biomarker with statistical analysis performed across ROC metrics for each meta-curve including partial area under the curve and sensitivity at a 90% specificity threshold. Results identified 26 autoantibody biomarkers that are useful for multi-cancer detection and may be developed for future clinical applications in cancer screening.

Mealworms (Tenebrio molitor), the larval stage of yellow mealworm beetles, are a popular feeder insect for birds, amphibians, reptiles, fish, and even human populations throughout the world. As such, the goal of this work was to understand how the diet of mealworms impacts their nutritional quality as variations in quality can impact the animals (and humans) that consume them. In this study, 500 mealworms were divided among each of the following substrates designed to model food sources available in urban versus rural, more natural areas: 100% wheat germ (control); 100% Styrofoam; mixture of soil, grasses, and leaves from urban lawns; a mixture of soil, grasses and leaves from rural lawns; 50% mixture of wheat germ + carrots; natural fertilizer; or fertilizer with weed killer. The mealworms were maintained at room temperature and the diets were replaced bi-weekly to prevent spoilage and to remove mealworm waste. Once a week for three weeks, mealworms were sampled from each substrate and frozen at -20°C. After 3 weeks, mealworms housed in wheat germ + carrots weighed significantly more than all other groups (p<0.05), whereas those housed in Styrofoam or urban lawn substrates weighed significantly less at week 3 as compared to week 1 (p<0.01). The urban lawn substrate resulted in greater molting and contained the highest number of pupae, but also the greatest mortality among the substrates. The Bradford method measured the total protein content of mealworms homogenized in phosphate-buffered saline. Mealworms maintained on wheat germ had significantly greater total protein content as compared to mealworms transitioned to any other diet (p<0.05). So, compared to wheat germ, urban foods generally reduced protein, total sugars, and crude fat, although they also decreased oxidized lipoproteins. Urban lawn had lower oxidized lipoprotein content than wheat germ, but levels were higher compared to wheat germ with carrots and natural fertilizer. In addition, urban foods generally increase the water content in mealworms. Urban foods were not much different from rural lawns as no there was difference between urban and rural lawns. Differences in body mass and total protein support the hypothesis that mealworms' nutritional quality is altered by ingesting urban substrates. These data suggest that mealworms (and potentially other insects) in cities may be exposed to food substrates that result in less nutritional value than those living in more natural areas as mimicked by the rural lawn substrates and wheat germ control, although they may be higher in water content.

Single-cell DNA sequencing (scDNA-seq) can identify genetic differencesbetween individual cells and has broad applications in studying biology. For example, because scDNA-seq preserves haplotypes, it enables the addition of information about the fitness of different combinations of mutations into studies that quantify the fitness of individual mutations. However, it requires separating cells manually or using machinery, which is time-consuming and costly as every cell requires a separate reaction. Thus, most studies are limited to a few hundred cells, and scaling up is expensive and challenging. This problem also makes it difficult to multiplex samples or to study multiple sample types in the same experiment. To solve these problems, I introduce a novel method for sequencing DNA in heterogeneous cell populations by using the cell itself as a container for sequencing reactions, eliminating the need to isolate individual cells. The method involves diffusing DNA polymerase and barcoded primers into intact cells and amplifying its DNA Intracellularly. To ensure that DNA from each cell can be uniquely identified, I use combinatorial barcoding, which assigns a specific barcode to each cell using a unique combination of non-unique nucleotide block sequences. This allows for the pooling of cells, making the method multiplexable and enabling the analysis of dozens of samples containing thousands of cells. The method is flexible and allows for targeted sequencing of a region of interest and whole genome sequencing. I optimize the method for various organisms and applications so it can be made accessible to a wide range of research groups.

Higher education is widely recognized as a pathway out of poverty. However, its unintended consequences, such as brain drain—where students leave their hometowns and do not return—can exacerbate poverty in those regions. This dissertation explores the dynamics between higher education and hometown retention, emphasizing the overlooked aspect of graduate migration and its contributions to regional economic disparities and the distribution of intellectual wealth.Addressing this critical issue, the current exploratory research investigates how interactions with one’s hometown during college affect attitudes toward returning and contributing to these communities post-graduation. Central to this investigation is the hypothesis that increased interaction with one's hometown during college years can mitigate brain drain in the long run by strengthening community ties among students. To explore this hypothesis, the study utilized an online questionnaire completed by 95 students from a public university during the 2020-2021 academic year. It provides a detailed analysis of these interactions. Findings suggest that while college education is transformative, it does not necessarily change students' intentions to return to their hometowns. However, increased interaction significantly enhances the likelihood of returning by 15% and involvement in local development by 27%, highlighting the critical role of maintaining connections during college years. The results also reveal notable differences among student groups. First-generation, Hispanic, and Native students are more likely to return and engage with their hometowns compared to their White and African American counterparts. Factors such as higher income levels, employment status, and relationship commitments are identified as competing priorities that diminish the likelihood of returning. In conclusion, the study suggests that fostering connections between students and their hometowns can counteract the effects of brain drain. Targeted strategies that cater to diverse student groups may effectively encourage return and engagement post-graduation, supporting the revitalization of underprivileged communities and positioning education as a potent tool for equitable development across regions. This work enriches scholarly discourse on geographic disparities and graduate migration and offers critical insights into potential policy implications for educational and community planning.

Subjectivity, phenomenology, and the expression of the human/nonhuman other are critical impasses for makers to challenge, curate, or circumvent within Posthumanism. Through an Abnatural aesthetic ungrounding of the WE as self/other/avatars, identities of a maker are infinitely reconstituted into variable signatures, logics, ethics, and moralities.Avatars exist as differentiable iterations of the perceived self, but they are also independent beings that flicker between states of the real/fake as simulacrums and contradictions embedded within the WE. This unfixity of a formal silhouette provides the self, as a maker, the opportunity to move beyond Paragonical structures toward x. Troubling in an unpredictable liminal directionality, the WE is subjected to another kind of alterity that fronts imperceivable biases. This process, rather than being extractive and intrusive, seeks expansive freedoms into the unexplored landscapes of each maker by dismantling the socio-cultural confines of practice. As an amateur, as a maker, and as an avatar, the WE is challenged to perceive otherness from within. In so doing, it becomes embedded, knowable, demystified, and embodied as a new modality for made/maker. How far can these tentacular forms reach, stray, and grasp? Pushing toward a nonhuman space, to critique the Posthuman, an Abnatural aesthetic produces elastic, generative collaborations that simultaneously critique the WE. Through case studies on Combinatorial strategies to frame objects, subjects, and making practices, an asymptote of trouble arises where subjects are entangled within their unfixable subjectivity. Experiencing as an avatar, how can an Abnatural aesthetic generate pathways toward inclusive and expansive making practices?

This dissertation recognizes the role of often underestimated housing typologies within the dichotomic framework of formal and informal settlements. Focusing on the City of Puebla, Mexico, the research delves into the development of workers' housing spanning from 1920 to 2000. This was a post-revolutionary period in Mexico characterized by debates on national identity, modernization, and the construction of the built environment still latent in the 21st century. To examine the evolution of workers' housing, this study revisits housing settlements focusing on three distinct demographic segments: laborers in agricultural and industrial sectors, individuals engaged in popular occupations, and a subset of workers emerging from these demographics. This investigation establishes connections between existing settlements from the first half of the century—colonial, industrial, and agricultural—and the modern housing developments during the latter half. By analyzing the interaction between these housing settlements, the research reveals a range of housing types, including vecindades (shared houses), altered casonas (houses), factory-adjacent worker housing, housing in agricultural colonies, and housing within workers' neighborhoods, commonly referred to as viviendas populares. This study aims to foster a more inclusive understanding of Puebla’s growth during the 20th century through a threefold contribution. First, reviewing the historical dynamics facilitating the development of workers’ housing in Puebla and emphasizing the significance of community-driven efforts and housing production processes. Second, detecting marginalized housing typologies beyond the traditional formal/informal settlement dichotomy and demonstrating their cultural assets through qualitative studies. Last, extracting lessons from case studies that recognize the value of underestimated housing settlements, often labeled as popular settlements or popular housing.

This thesis presents a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model of fluid flow driven by the motion of cilia, a cellular appendage found in organisms used to either move the fluid around them or to move themselves by propelling the fluid. Originating from an initial investigation to the flow patterns inside the third ventricle of a rat’s brain, this project expanded to improve the inadequacies of existing models of ciliary motion in fluid. This model was developed using the actuator line model to include the cilia motion to get an accurate representation of the cilia motion and its effect on the flow. This model not only provides exciting potential in various fields including soft robotics, biomedical research, environmental engineering, but also holds promise for drug delivery systems, and enhancing microfluidic designs. This thesis investigates the effect of the phase difference, the spacing and the frequency of the cilia motion on the fluid flow and the formation of the metachronal waves.