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MEMS 4110: N1 Precise Water Distribution System
No full textThe aim of the project is to construct a precise water distribution system for anthropology graduate student Christina Youngpeter, who is studying the impact of hydration levels on the growth of quinoa plants. As her experiment grows in scale, she increasingly needs a system that can measure and distribute water for her, saving hours otherwise spent meticulously measuring water for 36 plants and counting. The system must measure water accurately and distribute it to the plants cleanly and efficiently. It should also be scalable and autonomous, requiring minimal human intervention
MEMS 4110: Precise Water Distribution System
No full textThis project focuses on designing and prototyping an automatic precise watering system to support plant research conducted in the Washington University greenhouse. The customer, graduate student Christina Youngpeter, needs a reliable method for delivering accurately measured water volumes to individual plants as part of a study on hydration effects. Manual watering can be time consuming, our system will provide a programmable, repeatable, and low maintenance solution
MEMS 4110: Egg Peeler Group L1
No full textNeon Greens is a quick-serve salad concept located in St. Louis, MO. Part hydroponic farm andpart restaurant, they focus on growing a majority of their greens in-house, and emphasizetransparency in food systems.In recent months, they added a ‘Protein Caesar’ salad to the menu. That salad features two‘jammy’ boiled eggs which are cut in half. Staff at Neon Greens steam eggs precisely in theirCombi oven and shock them to stop the cooking process. They then peel those eggs by hand.On some days, they must process \u3e100 eggs, which can take up to 1.5 hours of a teammember’s day. After exhaustive research online, it became clear that the only existingmechanized peelers were manufactured overseas, were quite expensive, and might not work.Neon Greens’ owner, Josh Smith, is hoping for a solution that could save both time and $.Important factors for the product include:• The device should not need hard plumbing, (if water is used, it’s a closed-loop system)• The device should be compact (no more than 3’ x 1.5’ x 1.5’ footprint)• The device should not require much training to learn how to use• The device should operate at 70db or less – it will be operating in an open kitchen• Debris from the ‘peeling’ should be self-contained within the machine• The device should enable peeling significantly faster than the current method(manually, we peel on average 1 egg per minute)• Electrical and mechanical safety are critical – if parts of the device require jets of wateror other potentially unsafe elements, safety measures must be applied to protect users
Public Spaces for Community Campuses and Universities
No full textThis volume explores the growing significance of open public spaces within università campuses—spaces that go far beyond their functional role to become essential arenas for social interaction, informal learning, well-being, and urban integration.
Rooted in the research projects LOVE Sapienza and NARRATES both founded by Sapienza Universita di Roma, and enriched by contributions from a 2025 international conference at DICEA-Sapienza University of Rome, this book provides guiding principles for designing open spaces that promote inclusion, health, and sustainability— on campus and beyond. Far from being passive backdrops, these environments shape the daily experiences of students, researchers, faculty, and visitors, offering settings that foster connection, creativity, and community. The book presents a critical reflection on how well-designed open spaces contribute to the quality of campus life and their evolving role as urban microcosms. It also examines how campuses can serve as active agents in urban regeneration and resilience, addressing environmental challenges through sustainable and adaptive design solutions. Structured around three interconnected themes—Campus and Public Spaces, Campus and University Communities, and Campus and the City—the volume gathers international best practices, offering an insightful tool for students, academics, designers, administrators, and urban thinkers.
Chapter: Modern Pedestrian Campus Design in North America, 1940s-70s, Eric Mumford, pages 13-22https://openscholarship.wustl.edu/books/1071/thumbnail.jp
Towards Fair Sequential Resource Allocation: Algorithmic Designs, Interventions, and Evaluations
No full textThis thesis develops a comprehensive framework for fair sequential resource allocation in multi-agent systems where a centralized allocator coordinates actions under global feasibility constraints, while satisfying preferences of different agents. Ranging from ridesharing platforms and homelessness intervention programs to power grid management, such systems play a critical role in shaping access to essential resources. Yet, existing approaches to resource allocation often prioritize aggregate utility, leading to systematic inequities across individuals and groups, particularly in sequential settings where decisions unfold over time. To address this challenge, we introduce the Distributed Evaluation, Centralized Allocation (DECA) framework, which unifies a broad class of real-world allocation problems. DECA separates agent-side evaluation from a central allocator that must satisfy feasibility constraints while also respecting agents\u27 preferences. Building on this framework, we develop methods to (i) detect and quantify temporal inequities through empirical studies and visualization tools, and (ii) design interventions that balance fairness and efficiency with controllable trade-offs. These interventions span post-processing corrections for deployed systems, learning-based in-processing methods that incorporate fairness during training, and data-centric pre-processing approaches that reduce downstream bias. Our contributions include fairness analyses of real-world domains such as ridesharing, homelessness services, and power grid operations, as well as algorithmic methods that operationalize fairness under centralized feasibility constraints. Viewing online data collection as a resource allocation problem, we also develop methods to improve fairness in mobility prediction through equitable online data collection. We further extend fairness audits to contemporary AI systems by detecting biases in reward models used in reinforcement learning from human feedback (RLHF) for large language models, connecting classical fairness concerns to modern AI training pipelines. Together, these frameworks, methodologies, and empirical studies advance the design of AI systems that allocate resources not only efficiently but also equitably. By integrating fairness into sequential resource allocation, this work contributes toward building AI systems that are more accountable, trustworthy, and socially responsible
Enhancing Renewable Energy from Waste: Innovative Strategies for Biogas Upgrading and Polishing
No full textBiogas upgrading via CO2 conversion to CH4 offers a promising pathway to recover renewable energy from organic waste while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This dissertation advances both the fundamental understanding and practical implementation of H2-assisted biological methanation and complementary CO2 capture strategies, with a focus on brewery wastewater as a representative high-strength industrial effluent. First, a meta-analysis of 46 publications established the most comprehensive quantitative benchmark to date for biological biogas upgrading via hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis. The analysis confirmed a strong positive relationship between the H2:CO2 ratio and methane content, and showed that, near the stoichiometric 4:1 ratio, ex-situ reactors consistently achieved higher CH4 purities (~92%) than in-situ systems (~85%), while temperature and operation mode had no statistically significant effects on biological biogas upgrading. Building on these insights, a three-phase upflow biogas upgrading reactor with gas-permeable membrane H2 delivery was developed to overcome gas-liquid mass-transfer limitations. With continuous H2 supply, the reactor produced upgraded biogas containing ~92% CH4 at an optimal H2:CO2 ratio of 4.4, and up to ~95% CH4 at higher ratios, while maintaining \u3e90% organic removal and enriching hydrogenotrophic methanogens in the membrane-supported biofilm. To further couple CO2 conversion with electrochemical H2 generation, a membrane electrochemical cell was integrated with an anaerobic digester treating brewery wastewater to produce hythane (CH4/H2 mixtures). Under optimized conditions, the system generated hythane containing ~71% CH4, ~27% H2, and ~2% CO2, achieved \u3e90% CO2 removal and \u3e99% H2S removal, and increased net energy output by more than 50% relative to raw biogas. Finally, a membrane-integrated anaerobic system was combined with a downstream adsorption column to produce pipeline-quality renewable natural gas (RNG) from brewery wastewater. By optimizing H2 dosage, mixing intensity, and hydraulic retention time, the integrated process reliably delivered upgraded biogas with \u3e90% CH4, and a polished RNG stream exceeding 97% CH4 while meeting stringent H2S limits. Complementary work on flame spray pyrolysis of MgO nanoparticles demonstrated a scalable route to high-surface-area sorbents and elucidated trade-offs between pellet strength, porosity, and CO2 uptake, informing the design of solid sorbents for compact polishing units. Collectively, this work provides a multi-scale framework: from global data synthesis to reactor design and sorbent engineering, for converting organic waste streams into high-purity RNG and hythane, and outlines pathways for integrating renewable H2 and modular upgrading systems into future low-carbon energy infrastructure
Translational Ultrasound-Photoacoustic Imaging for Quantitative and Functional Cancer Diagnosis
No full textCancer remains a leading cause of death worldwide, underscoring the need for imaging technologies that provide both structural and functional insights into cancer biology. Photoacoustic imaging (PAI), which detects ultrasonic signals generated by optical absorption, combines the strengths of both modalities, achieving optical contrast with ultrasonic resolution and depth. When co-registered with ultrasound (US), the hybrid US-PAI platform offers a unique combination of high-resolution anatomical and functional imaging that can improve cancer diagnosis, characterization, and treatment monitoring. This dissertation explores the clinical translation of US-PAI through innovations in imaging system design, computational analysis, and clinical validation across three major cancer types: ovarian, rectal, and breast cancer. In ovarian cancer, quantitative vascular biomarkers from photoacoustic tomography combined with multiparametric and radiomic analysis on co-registered ultrasound enabled improved differentiation between benign and malignant ovarian lesions. In rectal cancer, deep learning analysis of co-registered ultrasound-photoacoustic microscopy provided early indicators of response to neoadjuvant therapy by quantifying vascular remodeling that occurred prior to anatomical recovery. In breast cancer, diffuse optical tomography, photoacoustic tomography, and ultrasound were integrated to jointly reconstruct optical absorption and scattering maps, yielding more accurate quantitation of hemoglobin and oxygenation biomarkers while preserving vascular detail. In addition, this work extended to optical coherence tomography and photoacoustic microscopy for high-resolution microvascular and morphological imaging of endometrial cancer, exploring both conventional computer vision methods and deep learning based analysis to characterize endometrial tissue microarchitecture. Together, the studies presented in this dissertation establish a consistent imaging framework that correlates PAI-derived functional parameters with underlying cancer biology across different organ systems and cancer types. By combining structural and functional imaging within a single clinically translatable platform, the work demonstrates the potential of US-PAI to improve diagnostic accuracy, enable early treatment assessment, and support precision oncology
Faith’s Midwest Modern Forms: Midcentury Catholic Churches in St. Louis by Murphy and Mackey, Architects
No full textThis project originated in my research on three modernist churches commissioned by the Catholic Archdiocese of St. Louis from 1948-54 which was then under the progressive leadership of Archbishop (later Cardinal) Joseph E. Ritter. What factors accounted for these unprecedented forms for sacred architecture? The architectural partnership of Murphy and Mackey designed the churches in accordance with the new liturgical reform protocols that were embedded in the designs of the German architect, Rudolf Schwarz and his colleagues and disseminated through Catholic pastors of German origin in the St. Louis parishes. Other strands of modernism were also implicated in Murphy and Mackey’s church designs, for example from their direct encounter with the celebrated German émigré architect, Eric Mendelsohn during the construction of B’nai Amoona Synagogue in St. Louis. Murphy and Mackey were also exposed to Eliel Saarinen’s design ideas through a web of connections with the Cranbrook Academy of Art in Detroit, Michigan. The postwar Catholic Church was faced with the challenge of modernizing in order to remain relevant in the lives of the Catholic faithful, including accepting new ideas about design of the modern church. I explore Archbishop Ritter’s willingness to embrace modern architecture within the larger sphere of his moral and ethical stance on social justice issues, in particular his early integration of St. Louis’s parochial schools. I argue that the completion of three modernist churches before the immediate postwar decade ended made religious architecture a leader in the adoption of modernism in St. Louis. At the same time, Ritter saw in modernist design the potential to turn the Church’s attention to the future. This project addresses and accounts for the convergence of extraordinarily rich strands of architectural thinking in St. Louis in the immediate postwar decade including the thinking of the leading international modernist Le Corbusier and Eero Saarinen. I characterize the architectural context around Murphy and Mackey’s St. Louis churches by taking their parabolic plan for Resurrection Church as a point of departure for examining the notable incidence of curvilinear form in St. Louis architecture in the period, the leading example being Saarinen’s Gateway Arch. The advent of the parabola-based Arch as the centerpiece of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial (renamed Gateway Arch National Park in 2018) and designed in collaboration with the landscape architect Dan Kiley, coincided with curvilinear experimentation that resounded throughout St. Louis’s postwar architectural landscape
Defining the Roles of cDCs in Antigen Presentation: from Tumor to mRNA Vaccines
No full textPriming CD8 T cells against pathogens, tumors, and vaccinations results largely from cross-presentation of exogenous antigens by type 1 conventional dendritic cells (cDC1s). While cDC2 and monocyte-derived cells can cross-present in vitro, their physiological relevance remains unclear. Here, we used genetic models to define the distinct roles of cDC subsets in presentation of various antigen forms in vivo: tumor antigens, immune complexes, and vaccines comprised of mRNA and lipid nanoparticles (mRNA-LNP). For tumor antigen, cDC1s were necessary and sufficient to prime both CD4 and CD8 T cells. In contrast, for immune complexed antigen, either cDC1 or cDC2, but not monocyte-derived cells, could prime CD8 T cells via a shared WDFY4-dependent pathway. Notably, mRNA-LNP vaccinations elicit potent CD8 T cell responses independently of cDC1, WDFY4, and even MHC-I expression on APCs. Instead, cDC2s are a prominent component driving mRNA-LNP-mediated CD8 T cell responses and engage cross-dressing of peptide-MHC-I complexes from non-hematopoietic cells. Single cell analyses further revealed the phenotypic differences in CD8 T cells primed by cDC1 versus cDC2, suggesting their possible functional discrepancies between mRNA-LNP vaccinations and natural infections
Understanding Pancreatic Islet Stress Responses and Developing Strategies to Improve Transplantation Grafts
No full textDiabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disorder affecting millions worldwide, characterized by hyperglycemia resulting from defects in insulin secretion or action. While current treatments range from pharmacotherapy to experimental cell-based therapies, progress remains hampered by donor scarcity and an incomplete understanding of islet stress responses. This dissertation investigates cellular stress responses in pancreatic islets and strategies to improve stem cell-derived islet (SC-islet) transplantation. The first chapter provides an overview of diabetes pathophysiology, modeling approaches, and treatment options. In the second chapter, we use single-cell RNA sequencing to investigate cell-type-specific responses to diabetes-associated stress in primary human islets exposed to endoplasmic reticulum and inflammatory stress. Notable, we found that not only do β-cells exhibit a robust response to stress, but α-cells and ductal cells do as well. We also characterized β-cell-specific responses to stress. Building on these findings, the dataset enabled the identification of drug and gene candidates to enhance islet stress resilience, leading to the discovery of CIB1 as a regulator of SC-islet function and apoptosis. The third chapter employs whole-genome CRISPR screening to identify genes that improve SC-islet transplantation in mouse models. FCAMR overexpression significantly reduced blood glucose and increased C-peptide in subcutaneous transplantations, and induced weight gain in intramuscular and kidney transplantation models. Overall, this dissertation analyzes cell-type-specific responses to diabetic-associated stress and establishes FCAMR as a target for enhancing SC-islet transplantation therapy