My Work
Here you will find a collection of projects I have worked on. Explore these projects to learn more about what I do
01
Masters Thesis
I am a master’s student in the Biological and Agricultural Engineering department doing research with the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) and my advisor, and Extension Agent, Dr. William Hunt. My thesis is about improving the resiliency of stormwater control measures in the face of climate change. Stormwater control measures are infrastructure designed to mitigate the effects of stormwater runoff in urbanized areas. The measures included in my study are bioretention cells, regenerative stormwater conveyance systems, and dry detention basins. Over time and as storms become more frequent and intense, these design measures must be modified to maintain their structural integrity. The main purpose of this research is to find the point of weakness in various stormwater control measures through analytical modeling and make design retrofit recommendations for the Department of Transportation to implement. The subject matter of my research aligns with my desire to become an environmental consultant with a specialization in stormwater once I begin my professional career. My career goal is to promote sustainable development and provide solutions to complex environmental issues.
02
Natural Hazards Case Study
Knowing the defining characteristics of natural hazards and how their effects on human settlements helps me make decisions from a human perspective with consideration for all types of circumstances. There's a lot that can be learned by identifying and exploring pre- and post-disaster actions and their effects, including the perpetuation or reduction of vulnerability in areas impacted by extreme events. Most interesting to me is how disaster responses can hinder or foster equity during disaster recovery processes. Below is a literature review on the urban heat island in global communities.
03
Urban Heat Island Case Study
As an aspiring designer, I have spent time researching how to evaluate the performance of a landscape. For one of my supporting courses, I learned how landscape architecture may impact natural habitats, mental health, water quality, and other factors. For my final project, I got to conduct a field study and measure one of these performance metrics at the North Carolina Museum of Art. Here you can read my case study on how the urban heat island may impact the quality of stormwater runoff at NCMA.
04
Green Infrastructure Design
In a class taught by my very own advisor, Dr. Bill Hunt, I learned how to design a n umber of different stormwater control measures. A local credit union wanted to install a rainwater harvesting system on their property. I determined the irrigation needs, the fraction of runoff that bypassed the system, and the optimum size for the water tanks. The resulting information and design recommendations were consolidated into a brief report.
05
Indigenous Water Rights
When dealing with water issues, it is important to understand cultural context and history. That said, Indigenous communities are often overlooked when it comes to coming up with equitable solutions in the realm of ownership of natural resources. Below you can read my case study on how water ethics impact the Fort Mojave Indians, located along the Colorado River.
06
Engineering Ethics
During a Leadership Ethics Course, I prepared an essay on the importance of ethics in the engineering practice. I focused on how the leading principle of holding Public health and safety paramount is echoed throughout the Engineering code of ethics. Additionally, I filmed and edited a video about engineering ethics. This video was awarded 1st place in the ASABE 2024 Ethics Video Competition.
07
R Coding
I have taken two courses that have helped me to develop great proficiency within R Studio. Thanks to these lessons I can transform and visualize large datasets of all types, and use tools from popular packages. Below you can see a project completed where I explore data related to the damage caused by tornados in the United States.
08
Review of Raleigh, NC Comprehensive Plan
During my undergraduate studies, I enrolled in a course that introduced me to the fundamentals of urban development. To demonstrate my understanding of the principles of design and planning, I completed a case study in an American city of my choice. I chose to evaluate the Comprehensive Development plan for Raleigh, where I happen to move after graduating.
