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Bee Conservation Research
No full textDespite their long-standing relationship with humans, bees have been facing significant population declines globally due to various factors, such as habitat loss, pesticide use, climate change, and widespread misconceptions about their behaviour. In Hong Kong, these issues are intensified by rapid urban development, pollution, and public fear of insects, including bees, leading to negative perceptions that hinder conservation efforts. Ongoing efforts from groups like Beetales, who aim to raise awareness and provide hands-on education about bees. Ultimately there is a the need for greater efforts to protect bees through public education, policy reforms, and innovative conservation strategies to ensure humans and bees can coexist. This study is a smaller part of the larger effort of many conservation groups on the mission for humans and nature to live seamlessly in paralle
Assessing Cuenca's Internationalization Plan
No full textThe city of Cuenca, Ecuador’s Directorate of International Relations (DGRIC) has been furthering the city’s internationalization with the guidance of recommendations made by the 2021-2025 Internationalization Plan. We evaluated the success or failure of six prioritized recommendations to determine the plan's efficacy. Data was gathered via interviews, focus groups, and document analysis. While Cuenca has received millions of dollars in international aid and beneficial culture exchanges, communication around internationalization efforts was lacking. We therefore recommend that the DGRIC increase outreach while continuing to push for more international investment and cultural events
Investigating The Environmental Impact of the Dow Chemistry Kits
No full textIn this project, we investigated the sustainability and environmental impact of Dow Chemistry Classroom (DCC) kits. We performed and compared a carbon footprint analysis (CFA) of the DCC kits and traditional chemistry labs. Additionally, we conducted classroom observations and interviews with secondary school teachers, the university’s lab technicians, and the creators of DCC kits. Through these methodologies, we found that DCC kits produce less waste and have implemented green chemistry principles such as waste prevention, offering a safer alternative to traditional chemistry experiments. Moreover, through the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and other methodologies, we have found that without good practices, the DCC kits’ emissions will be greater than those of their traditional counterparts. However, with good waste management and green chemistry principles, the kits’ emissions are less than those of traditional experiments. Finally, we recommended further LCA of the DCC kits, improvements on DCC kits, and suggestions for future research
The Feasibility of AI in Storytelling at Te Papa
No full textThis project explored the potential for Artificial Intelligence (AI) to create meaningful experiences at Te Papa Tongarewa, the national museum of Aotearoa New Zealand. We evaluated the feasibility of using AI in storytelling by exploring the limitations of AI, gauging visitors’ perceptions of the tool, and assessing preferred engagement in museum platforms. Through participant observation, interviews, archival data analysis, and surveys, we found an opportunity for the museum to serve in an educational capacity about AI. We also noted a need for information accessibility and creative collaboration. Our recommendations included building an exhibition about AI in Aotearoa, creating personalized AI-generated tours, and applying AI in Collections Online to show connections
FinTech Project B24 - MGH-Brigham - In Basket Management (IBO) Enhancement
No full textIn-Basket Optimization (IBO), a topic focused on reducing the time the care-team spends on patient communications and in healthcare software applications outside of work hours, is a recurring and evolving problem for healthcare companies that require efficient staff with reliable availability. Mass General Brigham (MGB), a prominent organization in the healthcare industry, tasked our team to identify inefficiencies regarding the In-basket by studying patient communication, company department analytics, and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) found through the company’s Epic EHR and Snowflake subsystems. The analysis was delivered in the form of a Tableau dashboard reporting trends over time and relationships between KPIs and other variables. The data was automatically cleaned using SQL and Python in a pipeline to Tableau to make it easily presentable. This analysis will help MGB identify and address In-Basket inefficiencies and ultimately streamline workforce distribution to combat care-team burnout
Enhancing School Route Safety: An Analysis of Tactical Urbanism in Cuenca, Ecuador.
No full textTactical urbanism is a strategy of implementing traffic changes catered to improving pedestrian safety using cost effective measures. This project evaluated tactical urbanism measures implemented by Llactalab, a group at the University of Cuenca, at two public schools in Cuenca, Ecuador, through the collection of pedestrian data and interviews with parents and teachers. As our final findings, we found that the implementations brought improvements to pedestrian safety at both schools but changes would be necessary for future iterations
Strategies for Enhancing the St Pancras Community Association Space-for-Hire Program
No full textThe Saint Pancras Community Association (SPCA) is a community organisation in Camden, London who provide services to their community – much of which is funded by hiring out spaces in their facility to local organisations. The goal of this project was to develop a comprehensive strategy that fosters new relationships with social sector organisations and expands SPCA’s space-for-hire programme. To achieve this, we assessed SPCA’s space-for-hire program, conducted benchmarking of similar programs, and identified potential new clients and their needs. Our final recommendations included updating technology amenities, additional catering amenities, pricing changes, new potential clients, and specific marketing platforms and channels
CS: MQP: Generative AI Engine for Hamilton Storage (Sponsored MQP)
No full textProcessing Requests for Information (RFIs) and Requests for Proposals (RFPs) remains a time-intensive and repetitive task that demands high employee engagement. This paper addresses the opportunity for automation by leveraging large language models (LLMs) integrated with Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) techniques. The objective was to design a tool capable of ingesting company data and RFI/RFP queries to generate coherent, accurate responses with verifiable sources. The system development focused on three primary actions. First, a method was implemented to transform unstructured company documents into a structured, query-able format. Second, the processed data was linked to an LLM through a vector-based retrieval mechanism that ensures contextually relevant responses. Third, an interface was developed to enable employees to access the system with ease and efficiency. The approach meets the current requirements of the client while also providing a clear, scalable framework for future improvements with minimal effort. This paper presents system architecture (colloquially referred to as HAM), data processing techniques, data integration methods, and the iterative process behind designing such a system as well as its evaluation
Enhancing Monitoring Methods for Native Skinks of Aotearoa: A Fusion of Mātauranga Māori and Western Science
No full textThis project supports the Predator Free 2050 Goal in Aotearoa New Zealand by analyzing tracking tunnels as part of a conservation initiative for threatened native skink species. We conducted fieldwork to test the outcomes of bait type and other factors that support skink detection. We compared pitfall traps and tracking tunnels using existing data from two local agencies: the GWRC and EcoGecko. To create a strategy that incorporates citizen science and education using a Māori framework, we partnered with the Te Arawa iwi near Rotorua, to learn how youth education programming integrates into conservation. Through testing and analysis, we found that bait is not as useful as originally thought. Additionally, we outlined non-invasive tracking methods for use in conservation education
Species Counterpoint Composer
No full textThis project introduces a command line tool written in the Java programming language to compose in species counterpoint. It prompts the user to choose between several composition-relevant settings, generates all legal melodies given those settings, and offers an opportunity for saving the melodies to a file; repeating this process for each species. In addition, this project has an associated HTML file listing all rules of counterpoint used in the project, citations for the rules, and explanations of how the rules have been implemented in the program when the cited sources are ambiguous or contradict each other