From Local Traffic Phenomena to Network Congestion
Student: Sungmin Sohn
Supervisor: Monica Menendez
Description: Traffic congestion is a growing problem for cities across the world, especially as urban population and motorization rates continue to increase. To address such a challenge, transportation entities worldwide are investigating and deploying new traffic management schemes. However, for these management schemes to be effective, we first must fully understand the mechanisms behind the propagation of congestion in urban networks. In this project, we are studying the relationship between local traffic phenomena and overall network congestion. In particular, we are investigating the relationship between the speed at which congestion propagates in a link and the speed at which the network becomes congested. To do so, we are using large-scale traffic simulations and the concepts of the fundamental diagram to model the link and the macroscopic fundamental diagram to model the network.
Employment Discrimination
Student: Soohyun Hwangbo
Supervisor: Kinga Makovi
Description: What drives people to report employment discrimination in their organizations? Soohyun Hwangbo has been mapping organizations where discrimination was alleged using a novel data set of 12,000 discrimination claims that we acquired as a public records request in the state of California, US. Soohyun is exploring how the composition of geographic communities in terms of race, class, population density, as well as the characteristics of the organizations themselves, makes reporting different types of employment discrimination on the basis of race, sexual orientation, gender, etc., more or less likely. In addition to these factors, she is capitalizing on this unique opportunity to understand the impact of the #MeToo movement and the most recent presidential election on reporting dynamics. The CITIES summer research assistantship has allowed Soohyun to develop new data analysis skills in handling geographic data, as well as to explore the literatures on discrimination and organizational culture, which further prepares her to work on her capstone project during her senior year in 2020-’21.
Effect of Microgravity on Physical, Chemical, Microstructural, and Mechanical Properties of Potential Materials for Planetary Construction via 3D Printing
Student: Majid Abduljalil Al-Abbasi
Supervisor: Kemal Celik
Several missions have been conducted or planned for engineers, scientists, researchers, and astronauts, especially those working in the UAE, to discover new knowledge that can pave the way toward creating a livable environment in space. The unique microgravity environment of the International Space Station (ISS) will be an excellent testbed to provide insight into the behavior of construction materials in space. In this context, Mr. Majid Abduljalil Al-Abbasi will conduct a literature review on the potential construction materials for planetary construction via 3D printing at the Advanced Materials and Building Efficiency Research (AMBER) Lab.
Documenting and Visualizing Urban Environments
Student: Tonia Zhang et al.
Supervisor: Felix Beck
Description: A team of NYUAD students, together with Prof. Felix Beck (NTSI Lab), is exploring several ways of documenting and visualizing urban environments. The first result is a photogrammetric 3D model of the southeast side of the NYUAD campus. The team explores visualization techniques of weather conditions (humidity, fog, dust, etc.) and matches the virtual position of the sun with recorded shadows. The same group also works on the integration of a geodesic structure into the virtual model (see screenshot above). The designed structure is planned to host a future building site of a bronze-age boat, as well as several information displays that the team will design together with the Dhakira Heritage Lab. This collaboration with Prof. Robert Parthesius also covers several experimental designs of media installations to visualize and narrate archeological findings, oral history, and experimental archaeology. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to Prof Beck.
Design and Characterization of Ultra-High-Performance Concrete using Reactive Magnesium Oxide Cement
Student: Cornelius Otchere
Supervisor: Kemal Celik
Description: Ordinary Portland cement is responsible for 7-8% of human-made CO2 emissions. Ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) uses twice as much ordinary Portland cement (OPC) as is normally used in conventional concrete. Mr. Cornelius Otchere will be doing a literature review for the effect of materials constituents such as alternative types of cement, fibers, fiber ratios, and carbonation period on compressive, flexural strength, ductility, and fracture properties on UHPC.