Theses and Dissertations from UMD

Permanent URI for this communityhttp://hdl.handle.net/1903/2

New submissions to the thesis/dissertation collections are added automatically as they are received from the Graduate School. Currently, the Graduate School deposits all theses and dissertations from a given semester after the official graduation date. This means that there may be up to a 4 month delay in the appearance of a give thesis/dissertation in DRUM

More information is available at Theses and Dissertations at University of Maryland Libraries.

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    Development of Low-Cost Autonomous Systems
    (2023) Saar, Logan Miles; Takeuchi, Ichiro; Material Science and Engineering; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    A central challenge of materials discovery for improved technologies arises from the increasing compositional, processing, and structural complexity involved when synthesizing hitherto unexplored material systems. Traditional Edisonian and combinatorial high-throughput methods have not been able to keep up with the exponential growth in potential materials and relevant property metrics. Autonomously operated Self-Driving Labs (SDLs) - guided by the optimal experiment design sub-field of machine learning, known as active learning - have arisen as promising candidates for intelligently searching these high-dimensional search spaces. In the fields of biology, pharmacology, and chemistry, these SDLs have allowed for expedited experimental discovery of new drugs, catalysts, and more. However, in material science, highly specialized workflows and bespoke robotics have limited the impact of SDLs and contributed to their exorbitant costs. In order to equip the next generation workforce of scientists and advanced manufacturers with the skills needed to coexist with, improve, and understand the benefits and limitations of these autonomous systems, a low-cost and modular SDL must be available to them. This thesis describes the development of such a system and its implementation in an undergraduate and graduate machine learning for materials science course. The low-cost SDL system developed is shown to be affordable for primary through graduate level adoption, and provides a hands-on method for simultaneously teaching active learning, robotics, measurement science, programming, and teamwork: all necessary skills for an autonomous compatible workforce. A novel hypothesis generation and validation active learning scheme is also demonstrated in the discovery of simple composition/acidity relationships.
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    Empower Housing
    (2013) Boliek, Alison Lanford; Bell, Matthew J; Architecture; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    This thesis examines Wilmington, Delaware's low-income urban community and explores through innovative programming and design propositions the potential for future housing to facilitate healthy, responsive living, thereby better empowering the community and the residents it serves. All too often, this disadvantaged demographic lacks access to the most basic of human needs, let alone the more diverse opportunities of upward mobility, self-empowerment, and healthy social and cultural lives. Among the community's most pressing concerns is the limited availability of fresh produce - a vital ingredient for healthy living. This thesis hypothesizes that the pairing of housing with a farmers' market and some basic community amenities in a mixed-use project will yield a result that is greater than the sum of its parts. The primary agenda is to design homes which encourage healthy lifestyles while simultaneously engaging a variety of stakeholders in order to benefit not only residents living in the housing but the greater community. The resulting positive ripple effects will allow the region to reknit itself through these newly formed relationships, creating a stronger empowered community.
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    MASS PRODUCING AMERICA, NEIGHBORHOOD REVITILIZATION IN NORTH LAWNDALE - CHICAGO
    (2005-08-25) Cross, Marcus A; Bennett, Ralph; Architecture; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    This thesis, which has been branded the MPA Project (Mass Producing America) is an exploration into the creation of an infill affordable housing solution to meet the needs of the North Lawndale Community of Chicago. Plagued by crime, violence, and economic disinvestment, it has been a victim of extreme urban blight. Economic conditions are now favorable for revitalization and the area is ideal for an exploration such as this. Within the project area are over two-hundred available building sites. This project explores how contemporary construction ideas can be used to make affordable, flexible and customizable homes. Moreover, since this problem is not unique to Chicago, it is possible that this solution could be applied in any number of cities throughout the country.