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Handbook of Rahmah: Palestinian Practices, Lifeworlds, Love and Resistance
Get PDFThis thesis is a reflection on Palestinian practices as a form of preservation, resistance, and love. Titled “A Handbook of Rahmah,” this handbook is an attempt to contribute to an archive against erasure - inspired by the Palestinian craft of “tatreez” (Palestinian cross-stitch embroidery) in a meditation on the tools, instruments, and symbols of collective memory, homing, and environmental literacy as a form of resistance. A conceptual counter to Theo Deutinger’s “Handbook of Tyranny,” this “Handbook of Love” is a project of anti-erasure and anti-displacement, particularly considering the ongoing genocide, urbicide, and scholasticide of Palestinian lifeworlds (as of April 2, 2025). The erasures of entire families from the civil registry, the decimation of schools and homes, and the reach of these violences beyond borders, including Lebanon - my home - necessitate a project of tender recording
Overcoming the Challenges of Rural Electrification in Senegal: Identifying and Addressing Barriers to the Implementation of National Programs
Get PDFIn 2022, an estimated 571 million people in sub-Saharan Africa lacked access to electricity, with rural areas disproportionately affected. Despite gradual progress, achieving universal electrification remains a challenge, particularly in Senegal. This study evaluates the implementation of Senegal’s rural electrification programs and examines the factors hindering the country’s goal of 100% electrification. Through a comprehensive literature review and interviews with technical experts and rural residents benefiting from mini-grids, the research identifies key obstacles, including inadequate strategic planning, limited financing, institutional coordination challenges, and governance issues. Additionally, technical constraints, such as poor mini-grid sizing and maintenance delays, alongside administrative inefficiencies, contribute to implementation delays. Addressing these challenges requires stronger policy coordination, increased financial and technical support, and governance reforms to enhance efficiency and accountability. The findings provide insights into improving rural electrification strategies in Senegal and offer recommendations for sustainable and inclusive energy access
Takeover Warning Design in Conditionally Automated Vehicles: The Effect of Information Content and Placement on Takeover Success
Get PDFAutonomous vehicles are becoming increasingly integrated into modern transportation. Level 3 autonomous vehicles still require drivers to take over manual control, known as a takeover, which can be challenging as drivers are often distracted with non-driving related tasks. Two studies investigated how takeover alert design affects performance in conditionally automated vehicles. In Experiment 1, 36 undergraduates drove a simulated autonomous vehicle and responded to either a single or two-stage alert. Two-stage alerts led to better takeover performance than single-stage alerts. Experiment 2 expanded on these results by delivering pre-warnings on the dash versus infotainment screen, and pre-warnings that were static versus dynamic. Forty-eight undergraduates completed the second study. Measures of takeover performance were recorded from the simulator. Infotainment-based and dynamic pre-warnings led to faster takeovers, and were rated as more helpful than dash-based and static alerts. Findings may guide future takeover alert development to enhance performance and driving safety
Discrete-Event System Specification Modelling Methods for Improving the Study of Policies for Disasters
Get PDFModern modelling and simulation techniques allow us to safely test the policies used to mitigate disasters, but these techniques have high development costs. In this thesis we demonstrate how the DEVS formalism can be used to reduce these costs by exploiting its modularity. We accomplish this with two case-studies. first, we show how DEVS can be used to create inexpensive epidemiology models for workplaces and demonstrate it with Carleton University’s campus and COVID-19. Second, we explain how a policymaker’s existing models can be recreated with DEVS models so they may be reused in any new models. This reduces future development costs by decreasing the number of new models that need to be made. We recreate a sequential decision model of an arctic major maritime disaster as a DEVS model to demonstrate this method. These case-studies show how the modularity of DEVS can be exploited to reduce costs
Reimagining the Socialist Blocks of New Belgrade: Exploring Rehabilitation and Identity through Architectural Inquiry
No full textThe fall of socialism across Eurasia in the 1990s led to housing decentralization, severe welfare cuts, and the rise of private real estate markets. Serbia has since struggled to maintain its building stock, leading to declining conditions, particularly in large housing districts like New Belgrade. This thesis draws from archival sources, field observations, and resident interviews to examine New Belgrade’s layered histories and contemporary challenges. It proposes design strategies that materially improve building conditions while fostering residents’ agency in shaping their spaces. The research explores occupants’ lived experiences and expressions of identity in private and public spaces, balancing both physical repair and socio-cultural investment. The work ranges in scale, done to achieve a flexible design specific to individual priorities while staying aware of community needs