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Dissertation Structure & Layout 101: How to structure your dissertation, thesis or research project.

By: Derek Jansen (MBA) Reviewed By: David Phair (PhD) | July 2019

So, you’ve got a decent understanding of what a dissertation is , you’ve chosen your topic and hopefully you’ve received approval for your research proposal . Awesome! Now its time to start the actual dissertation or thesis writing journey.

To craft a high-quality document, the very first thing you need to understand is dissertation structure . In this post, we’ll walk you through the generic dissertation structure and layout, step by step. We’ll start with the big picture, and then zoom into each chapter to briefly discuss the core contents. If you’re just starting out on your research journey, you should start with this post, which covers the big-picture process of how to write a dissertation or thesis .

*The Caveat *

In this post, we’ll be discussing a traditional dissertation/thesis structure and layout, which is generally used for social science research across universities, whether in the US, UK, Europe or Australia. However, some universities may have small variations on this structure (extra chapters, merged chapters, slightly different ordering, etc).

So, always check with your university if they have a prescribed structure or layout that they expect you to work with. If not, it’s safe to assume the structure we’ll discuss here is suitable. And even if they do have a prescribed structure, you’ll still get value from this post as we’ll explain the core contents of each section.  

Overview: S tructuring a dissertation or thesis

• Acknowledgements page
• Abstract (or executive summary)
• Table of contents , list of figures and tables
• Chapter 1: Introduction
• Chapter 2: Literature review
• Chapter 3: Methodology
• Chapter 4: Results
• Chapter 5: Discussion
• Chapter 6: Conclusion
• Reference list

As I mentioned, some universities will have slight variations on this structure. For example, they want an additional “personal reflection chapter”, or they might prefer the results and discussion chapter to be merged into one. Regardless, the overarching flow will always be the same, as this flow reflects the research process , which we discussed here – i.e.:

• The introduction chapter presents the core research question and aims .
• The literature review chapter assesses what the current research says about this question.
• The methodology, results and discussion chapters go about undertaking new research about this question.
• The conclusion chapter (attempts to) answer the core research question .

In other words, the dissertation structure and layout reflect the research process of asking a well-defined question(s), investigating, and then answering the question – see below.

To restate that – the structure and layout of a dissertation reflect the flow of the overall research process . This is essential to understand, as each chapter will make a lot more sense if you “get” this concept. If you’re not familiar with the research process, read this post before going further.

Right. Now that we’ve covered the big picture, let’s dive a little deeper into the details of each section and chapter. Oh and by the way, you can also grab our free dissertation/thesis template here to help speed things up.

The title page of your dissertation is the very first impression the marker will get of your work, so it pays to invest some time thinking about your title. But what makes for a good title? A strong title needs to be 3 things:

• Succinct (not overly lengthy or verbose)
• Specific (not vague or ambiguous)
• Representative of the research you’re undertaking (clearly linked to your research questions)

Typically, a good title includes mention of the following:

• The broader area of the research (i.e. the overarching topic)
• The specific focus of your research (i.e. your specific context)
• Indication of research design (e.g. quantitative , qualitative , or  mixed methods ).

For example:

A quantitative investigation [research design] into the antecedents of organisational trust [broader area] in the UK retail forex trading market [specific context/area of focus].

Again, some universities may have specific requirements regarding the format and structure of the title, so it’s worth double-checking expectations with your institution (if there’s no mention in the brief or study material).

Acknowledgements

This page provides you with an opportunity to say thank you to those who helped you along your research journey. Generally, it’s optional (and won’t count towards your marks), but it is academic best practice to include this.

So, who do you say thanks to? Well, there’s no prescribed requirements, but it’s common to mention the following people:

• Your dissertation supervisor or committee.
• Any professors, lecturers or academics that helped you understand the topic or methodologies.
• Any tutors, mentors or advisors.
• Your family and friends, especially spouse (for adult learners studying part-time).

There’s no need for lengthy rambling. Just state who you’re thankful to and for what (e.g. thank you to my supervisor, John Doe, for his endless patience and attentiveness) – be sincere. In terms of length, you should keep this to a page or less.

Abstract or executive summary

The dissertation abstract (or executive summary for some degrees) serves to provide the first-time reader (and marker or moderator) with a big-picture view of your research project. It should give them an understanding of the key insights and findings from the research, without them needing to read the rest of the report – in other words, it should be able to stand alone .

For it to stand alone, your abstract should cover the following key points (at a minimum):

• Your research questions and aims – what key question(s) did your research aim to answer?
• Your methodology – how did you go about investigating the topic and finding answers to your research question(s)?
• Your findings – following your own research, what did do you discover?
• Your conclusions – based on your findings, what conclusions did you draw? What answers did you find to your research question(s)?

So, in much the same way the dissertation structure mimics the research process, your abstract or executive summary should reflect the research process, from the initial stage of asking the original question to the final stage of answering that question.

In practical terms, it’s a good idea to write this section up last , once all your core chapters are complete. Otherwise, you’ll end up writing and rewriting this section multiple times (just wasting time). For a step by step guide on how to write a strong executive summary, check out this post .

Need a helping hand?

Table of contents

This section is straightforward. You’ll typically present your table of contents (TOC) first, followed by the two lists – figures and tables. I recommend that you use Microsoft Word’s automatic table of contents generator to generate your TOC. If you’re not familiar with this functionality, the video below explains it simply:

If you find that your table of contents is overly lengthy, consider removing one level of depth. Oftentimes, this can be done without detracting from the usefulness of the TOC.

Right, now that the “admin” sections are out of the way, its time to move on to your core chapters. These chapters are the heart of your dissertation and are where you’ll earn the marks. The first chapter is the introduction chapter – as you would expect, this is the time to introduce your research…

It’s important to understand that even though you’ve provided an overview of your research in your abstract, your introduction needs to be written as if the reader has not read that (remember, the abstract is essentially a standalone document). So, your introduction chapter needs to start from the very beginning, and should address the following questions:

• What will you be investigating (in plain-language, big picture-level)?
• Why is that worth investigating? How is it important to academia or business? How is it sufficiently original?
• What are your research aims and research question(s)? Note that the research questions can sometimes be presented at the end of the literature review (next chapter).
• What is the scope of your study? In other words, what will and won’t you cover ?
• How will you approach your research? In other words, what methodology will you adopt?
• How will you structure your dissertation? What are the core chapters and what will you do in each of them?

These are just the bare basic requirements for your intro chapter. Some universities will want additional bells and whistles in the intro chapter, so be sure to carefully read your brief or consult your research supervisor.

If done right, your introduction chapter will set a clear direction for the rest of your dissertation. Specifically, it will make it clear to the reader (and marker) exactly what you’ll be investigating, why that’s important, and how you’ll be going about the investigation. Conversely, if your introduction chapter leaves a first-time reader wondering what exactly you’ll be researching, you’ve still got some work to do.

Now that you’ve set a clear direction with your introduction chapter, the next step is the literature review . In this section, you will analyse the existing research (typically academic journal articles and high-quality industry publications), with a view to understanding the following questions:

• What does the literature currently say about the topic you’re investigating?
• Is the literature lacking or well established? Is it divided or in disagreement?
• How does your research fit into the bigger picture?
• How does your research contribute something original?
• How does the methodology of previous studies help you develop your own?

Depending on the nature of your study, you may also present a conceptual framework towards the end of your literature review, which you will then test in your actual research.

Again, some universities will want you to focus on some of these areas more than others, some will have additional or fewer requirements, and so on. Therefore, as always, its important to review your brief and/or discuss with your supervisor, so that you know exactly what’s expected of your literature review chapter.

Now that you’ve investigated the current state of knowledge in your literature review chapter and are familiar with the existing key theories, models and frameworks, its time to design your own research. Enter the methodology chapter – the most “science-ey” of the chapters…

In this chapter, you need to address two critical questions:

• Exactly HOW will you carry out your research (i.e. what is your intended research design)?
• Exactly WHY have you chosen to do things this way (i.e. how do you justify your design)?

Remember, the dissertation part of your degree is first and foremost about developing and demonstrating research skills . Therefore, the markers want to see that you know which methods to use, can clearly articulate why you’ve chosen then, and know how to deploy them effectively.

Importantly, this chapter requires detail – don’t hold back on the specifics. State exactly what you’ll be doing, with who, when, for how long, etc. Moreover, for every design choice you make, make sure you justify it.

In practice, you will likely end up coming back to this chapter once you’ve undertaken all your data collection and analysis, and revise it based on changes you made during the analysis phase. This is perfectly fine. Its natural for you to add an additional analysis technique, scrap an old one, etc based on where your data lead you. Of course, I’m talking about small changes here – not a fundamental switch from qualitative to quantitative, which will likely send your supervisor in a spin!

You’ve now collected your data and undertaken your analysis, whether qualitative, quantitative or mixed methods. In this chapter, you’ll present the raw results of your analysis . For example, in the case of a quant study, you’ll present the demographic data, descriptive statistics, inferential statistics , etc.

Typically, Chapter 4 is simply a presentation and description of the data, not a discussion of the meaning of the data. In other words, it’s descriptive, rather than analytical – the meaning is discussed in Chapter 5. However, some universities will want you to combine chapters 4 and 5, so that you both present and interpret the meaning of the data at the same time. Check with your institution what their preference is.

Now that you’ve presented the data analysis results, its time to interpret and analyse them. In other words, its time to discuss what they mean, especially in relation to your research question(s).

What you discuss here will depend largely on your chosen methodology. For example, if you’ve gone the quantitative route, you might discuss the relationships between variables . If you’ve gone the qualitative route, you might discuss key themes and the meanings thereof. It all depends on what your research design choices were.

Most importantly, you need to discuss your results in relation to your research questions and aims, as well as the existing literature. What do the results tell you about your research questions? Are they aligned with the existing research or at odds? If so, why might this be? Dig deep into your findings and explain what the findings suggest, in plain English.

The final chapter – you’ve made it! Now that you’ve discussed your interpretation of the results, its time to bring it back to the beginning with the conclusion chapter . In other words, its time to (attempt to) answer your original research question s (from way back in chapter 1). Clearly state what your conclusions are in terms of your research questions. This might feel a bit repetitive, as you would have touched on this in the previous chapter, but its important to bring the discussion full circle and explicitly state your answer(s) to the research question(s).

Next, you’ll typically discuss the implications of your findings . In other words, you’ve answered your research questions – but what does this mean for the real world (or even for academia)? What should now be done differently, given the new insight you’ve generated?

Lastly, you should discuss the limitations of your research, as well as what this means for future research in the area. No study is perfect, especially not a Masters-level. Discuss the shortcomings of your research. Perhaps your methodology was limited, perhaps your sample size was small or not representative, etc, etc. Don’t be afraid to critique your work – the markers want to see that you can identify the limitations of your work. This is a strength, not a weakness. Be brutal!

This marks the end of your core chapters – woohoo! From here on out, it’s pretty smooth sailing.

The reference list is straightforward. It should contain a list of all resources cited in your dissertation, in the required format, e.g. APA , Harvard, etc.

It’s essential that you use reference management software for your dissertation. Do NOT try handle your referencing manually – its far too error prone. On a reference list of multiple pages, you’re going to make mistake. To this end, I suggest considering either Mendeley or Zotero. Both are free and provide a very straightforward interface to ensure that your referencing is 100% on point. I’ve included a simple how-to video for the Mendeley software (my personal favourite) below:

Some universities may ask you to include a bibliography, as opposed to a reference list. These two things are not the same . A bibliography is similar to a reference list, except that it also includes resources which informed your thinking but were not directly cited in your dissertation. So, double-check your brief and make sure you use the right one.

The very last piece of the puzzle is the appendix or set of appendices. This is where you’ll include any supporting data and evidence. Importantly, supporting is the keyword here.

Your appendices should provide additional “nice to know”, depth-adding information, which is not critical to the core analysis. Appendices should not be used as a way to cut down word count (see this post which covers how to reduce word count ). In other words, don’t place content that is critical to the core analysis here, just to save word count. You will not earn marks on any content in the appendices, so don’t try to play the system!

Time to recap…

And there you have it – the traditional dissertation structure and layout, from A-Z. To recap, the core structure for a dissertation or thesis is (typically) as follows:

• Acknowledgments page

Most importantly, the core chapters should reflect the research process (asking, investigating and answering your research question). Moreover, the research question(s) should form the golden thread throughout your dissertation structure. Everything should revolve around the research questions, and as you’ve seen, they should form both the start point (i.e. introduction chapter) and the endpoint (i.e. conclusion chapter).

I hope this post has provided you with clarity about the traditional dissertation/thesis structure and layout. If you have any questions or comments, please leave a comment below, or feel free to get in touch with us. Also, be sure to check out the rest of the  Grad Coach Blog .

Psst... there’s more!

This post was based on one of our popular Research Bootcamps . If you're working on a research project, you'll definitely want to check this out ...

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36 Comments

many thanks i found it very useful

Glad to hear that, Arun. Good luck writing your dissertation.

Such clear practical logical advice. I very much needed to read this to keep me focused in stead of fretting.. Perfect now ready to start my research!

what about scientific fields like computer or engineering thesis what is the difference in the structure? thank you very much

Thanks so much this helped me a lot!

Very helpful and accessible. What I like most is how practical the advice is along with helpful tools/ links.

Thanks Ade!

Thank you so much sir.. It was really helpful..

You’re welcome!

Hi! How many words maximum should contain the abstract?

Thank you so much 😊 Find this at the right moment

You’re most welcome. Good luck with your dissertation.

best ever benefit i got on right time thank you

Many times Clarity and vision of destination of dissertation is what makes the difference between good ,average and great researchers the same way a great automobile driver is fast with clarity of address and Clear weather conditions .

I guess Great researcher = great ideas + knowledge + great and fast data collection and modeling + great writing + high clarity on all these

You have given immense clarity from start to end.

Morning. Where will I write the definitions of what I’m referring to in my report?

Thank you so much Derek, I was almost lost! Thanks a tonnnn! Have a great day!

Thanks ! so concise and valuable

This was very helpful. Clear and concise. I know exactly what to do now.

Thank you for allowing me to go through briefly. I hope to find time to continue.

Really useful to me. Thanks a thousand times

Very interesting! It will definitely set me and many more for success. highly recommended.

Thank you soo much sir, for the opportunity to express my skills

Usefull, thanks a lot. Really clear

Very nice and easy to understand. Thank you .

That was incredibly useful. Thanks Grad Coach Crew!

My stress level just dropped at least 15 points after watching this. Just starting my thesis for my grad program and I feel a lot more capable now! Thanks for such a clear and helpful video, Emma and the GradCoach team!

Do we need to mention the number of words the dissertation contains in the main document?

It depends on your university’s requirements, so it would be best to check with them 🙂

Such a helpful post to help me get started with structuring my masters dissertation, thank you!

Great video; I appreciate that helpful information

It is so necessary or avital course

This blog is very informative for my research. Thank you

Doctoral students are required to fill out the National Research Council’s Survey of Earned Doctorates

wow this is an amazing gain in my life

This is so good

How can i arrange my specific objectives in my dissertation?

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This collection of MIT Theses in DSpace contains selected theses and dissertations from all MIT departments. Please note that this is NOT a complete collection of MIT theses. To search all MIT theses, use MIT Libraries' catalog .

MIT's DSpace contains more than 58,000 theses completed at MIT dating as far back as the mid 1800's. Theses in this collection have been scanned by the MIT Libraries or submitted in electronic format by thesis authors. Since 2004 all new Masters and Ph.D. theses are scanned and added to this collection after degrees are awarded.

MIT Theses are openly available to all readers. Please share how this access affects or benefits you. Your story matters.

If you have questions about MIT theses in DSpace, [email protected] . See also Access & Availability Questions or About MIT Theses in DSpace .

If you are a recent MIT graduate, your thesis will be added to DSpace within 3-6 months after your graduation date. Please email [email protected] with any questions.

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MIT Theses may be protected by copyright. Please refer to the MIT Libraries Permissions Policy for permission information. Note that the copyright holder for most MIT theses is identified on the title page of the thesis.

Theses by Department

• Comparative Media Studies
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• Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics
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Collections in this community

Doctoral theses, graduate theses, undergraduate theses, recent submissions.

The properties of amorphous and microcrystalline Ni - Nb alloys. 

Towards Biologically Plausible Deep Neural Networks 

Randomized Data Structures: New Perspectives and Hidden Surprises 

UKnowledge > College of Engineering > Mechanical Engineering > Theses & Dissertations

Theses and Dissertations--Mechanical Engineering

Theses/dissertations from 2024 2024.

The Determination of Darcy Permeabilities and Slip Parameters in Porous Thermal Protection Media via Pressure-Driven Steady Flows at Varying Levels of Thermal Decomposition , John Ryan O'Nan

Theses/Dissertations from 2023 2023

Utilization of Uncrewed Aircraft Systems Towards Investigating the Structure of the Atmospheric Surface Layer , Loiy Al-Ghussain

MECHANICAL ENERGY HARVESTER FOR POWERING RFID SYSTEMS COMPONENTS: MODELING, ANALYSIS, OPTIMIZATION AND DESIGN , Alireza Babaei

Impact of spallation and internal radiation on fibrous ablative materials , Raghava Sai Chaitanya Davuluri

ANISOTROPIC MATERIAL BEHAVIOR OF 3D PRINTED FIBER COMPOSITES , Jordan Garcia

Stratospheric Glider Measurements of Atmospheric Parameters , Anisa Haghighi

Attrition Study of Copper-Supplemented Iron-Based Oxygen Carrier for Chemical Looping Combustion , Neng Huang

MACHINE LEARNING FOR ADVANCING AUTOMATION AND QUALITY CONTROL IN ROBOTIC WELDING , Joseph Kershaw

A computational fluid dynamic analysis of oxyacetylene combustion flow for use in material response boundary conditions , Craig Meade

MULTISCALE MODELING OF CARDIAC GROWTH AND BAROREFLEX CONTROL , Hossein Sharifi

Precision Meteorological Prediction Employing A Data-Driven, Adaptive, Real-Time (DART) Approach , Sujit Sinha

Parallel Real Time RRT*: An RRT* Based Path Planning Process , David Yackzan

Theses/Dissertations from 2022 2022

IN-SITU CHARACTERIZATION OF SURFACE QUALITY IN γ-TiAl AEROSPACE ALLOY MACHINING , David Adeniji

NUMERICAL AND SCALING STUDY ON APPLICATION OF INKJET TECHNOLOGY TO AUTOMOTIVE COATING , Masoud Arabghahestani Dr.

EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION OF ROUGHNESS AND BLOWING EFFECTS OVER ABLATOR-LIKE SURFACES , Colby Borchetta

Energy and Economic Modeling of Stillage Dewatering Processes in Kentucky Bourbon Distilleries , William Brennan

Peridynamic Material Correspondence Models: Bond-Associated and Higher-Order Formulations , WaiLam Chan

A Decoupled Engineering Methodology for Accurate Prediction of Ablative Surface Boundary Conditions in Thermal Protection Systems , Justin Cooper

QUANTITATIVE METHODS FOR TOTAL LIFECYCLE RISK LIKELIHOOD AND IMPACT ASSESSMENT IN SUSTAINABLE PRODUCT DESIGN DECISION MAKING , Christian Enyoghasi

Numerical Investigation of an Oxyacetylene Torch With Regards to an Ablative Material , Luke Fortner

Formation Control with Collision Avoidance for Fixed-Wing Unmanned Air Vehicles With Speed Constraints , Christopher Heintz

Radiative Conductivity Estimation Using Direct Approach For Fibrous Materials , Mohammad Khaleel

Modeling Human Control Behavior in Command-following Tasks , Sajad Koushkbaghi

Formation Control with Bounded Controls and Collision Avoidance: Theory and Application to Quadrotor Unmanned Air Vehicles , Zachary S. Lippay

Small-Satellite Attitude Control Using Sinusoidal Actuator Motion: Experiments on the International Space Station , K. Ryan Lush

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Digital Commons @ USF > College of Engineering > Computer Science and Engineering > Theses and Dissertations

Computer Science and Engineering Theses and Dissertations

Theses/dissertations from 2023 2023.

Refining the Machine Learning Pipeline for US-based Public Transit Systems , Jennifer Adorno

Insect Classification and Explainability from Image Data via Deep Learning Techniques , Tanvir Hossain Bhuiyan

Brain-Inspired Spatio-Temporal Learning with Application to Robotics , Thiago André Ferreira Medeiros

Evaluating Methods for Improving DNN Robustness Against Adversarial Attacks , Laureano Griffin

Analyzing Multi-Robot Leader-Follower Formations in Obstacle-Laden Environments , Zachary J. Hinnen

Secure Lightweight Cryptographic Hardware Constructions for Deeply Embedded Systems , Jasmin Kaur

A Psychometric Analysis of Natural Language Inference Using Transformer Language Models , Antonio Laverghetta Jr.

Graph Analysis on Social Networks , Shen Lu

Deep Learning-based Automatic Stereology for High- and Low-magnification Images , Hunter Morera

Deciphering Trends and Tactics: Data-driven Techniques for Forecasting Information Spread and Detecting Coordinated Campaigns in Social Media , Kin Wai Ng Lugo

Deciphering Trends and Tactics: Data-driven Techniques for Forecasting Information Spread and Detecting Coordinated Campaigns in Social Media , Kin Wai NG Lugo

Automated Approaches to Enable Innovative Civic Applications from Citizen Generated Imagery , Hye Seon Yi

Theses/Dissertations from 2022 2022

Towards High Performing and Reliable Deep Convolutional Neural Network Models for Typically Limited Medical Imaging Datasets , Kaoutar Ben Ahmed

Task Progress Assessment and Monitoring Using Self-Supervised Learning , Sainath Reddy Bobbala

Towards More Task-Generalized and Explainable AI Through Psychometrics , Alec Braynen

A Multiple Input Multiple Output Framework for the Automatic Optical Fractionator-based Cell Counting in Z-Stacks Using Deep Learning , Palak Dave

On the Reliability of Wearable Sensors for Assessing Movement Disorder-Related Gait Quality and Imbalance: A Case Study of Multiple Sclerosis , Steven Díaz Hernández

Securing Critical Cyber Infrastructures and Functionalities via Machine Learning Empowered Strategies , Tao Hou

Social Media Time Series Forecasting and User-Level Activity Prediction with Gradient Boosting, Deep Learning, and Data Augmentation , Fred Mubang

A Study of Deep Learning Silhouette Extractors for Gait Recognition , Sneha Oladhri

Analyzing Decision-making in Robot Soccer for Attacking Behaviors , Justin Rodney

Generative Spatio-Temporal and Multimodal Analysis of Neonatal Pain , Md Sirajus Salekin

Secure Hardware Constructions for Fault Detection of Lattice-based Post-quantum Cryptosystems , Ausmita Sarker

Adaptive Multi-scale Place Cell Representations and Replay for Spatial Navigation and Learning in Autonomous Robots , Pablo Scleidorovich

Predicting the Number of Objects in a Robotic Grasp , Utkarsh Tamrakar

Humanoid Robot Motion Control for Ramps and Stairs , Tommy Truong

Preventing Variadic Function Attacks Through Argument Width Counting , Brennan Ward

Theses/Dissertations from 2021 2021

Knowledge Extraction and Inference Based on Visual Understanding of Cooking Contents , Ahmad Babaeian Babaeian Jelodar

Efficient Post-Quantum and Compact Cryptographic Constructions for the Internet of Things , Rouzbeh Behnia

Efficient Hardware Constructions for Error Detection of Post-Quantum Cryptographic Schemes , Alvaro Cintas Canto

Using Hyper-Dimensional Spanning Trees to Improve Structure Preservation During Dimensionality Reduction , Curtis Thomas Davis

Design, Deployment, and Validation of Computer Vision Techniques for Societal Scale Applications , Arup Kanti Dey

AffectiveTDA: Using Topological Data Analysis to Improve Analysis and Explainability in Affective Computing , Hamza Elhamdadi

Automatic Detection of Vehicles in Satellite Images for Economic Monitoring , Cole Hill

Analysis of Contextual Emotions Using Multimodal Data , Saurabh Hinduja

Data-driven Studies on Social Networks: Privacy and Simulation , Yasanka Sameera Horawalavithana

Automated Identification of Stages in Gonotrophic Cycle of Mosquitoes Using Computer Vision Techniques , Sherzod Kariev

Exploring the Use of Neural Transformers for Psycholinguistics , Antonio Laverghetta Jr.

Secure VLSI Hardware Design Against Intellectual Property (IP) Theft and Cryptographic Vulnerabilities , Matthew Dean Lewandowski

Turkic Interlingua: A Case Study of Machine Translation in Low-resource Languages , Jamshidbek Mirzakhalov

Automated Wound Segmentation and Dimension Measurement Using RGB-D Image , Chih-Yun Pai

Constructing Frameworks for Task-Optimized Visualizations , Ghulam Jilani Abdul Rahim Quadri

Trilateration-Based Localization in Known Environments with Object Detection , Valeria M. Salas Pacheco

Recognizing Patterns from Vital Signs Using Spectrograms , Sidharth Srivatsav Sribhashyam

Recognizing Emotion in the Wild Using Multimodal Data , Shivam Srivastava

A Modular Framework for Multi-Rotor Unmanned Aerial Vehicles for Military Operations , Dante Tezza

Human-centered Cybersecurity Research — Anthropological Findings from Two Longitudinal Studies , Anwesh Tuladhar

Learning State-Dependent Sensor Measurement Models To Improve Robot Localization Accuracy , Troi André Williams

Human-centric Cybersecurity Research: From Trapping the Bad Guys to Helping the Good Ones , Armin Ziaie Tabari

Theses/Dissertations from 2020 2020

Classifying Emotions with EEG and Peripheral Physiological Data Using 1D Convolutional Long Short-Term Memory Neural Network , Rupal Agarwal

Keyless Anti-Jamming Communication via Randomized DSSS , Ahmad Alagil

Active Deep Learning Method to Automate Unbiased Stereology Cell Counting , Saeed Alahmari

Composition of Atomic-Obligation Security Policies , Yan Cao Albright

Action Recognition Using the Motion Taxonomy , Maxat Alibayev

Sentiment Analysis in Peer Review , Zachariah J. Beasley

Spatial Heterogeneity Utilization in CT Images for Lung Nodule Classication , Dmitrii Cherezov

Feature Selection Via Random Subsets Of Uncorrelated Features , Long Kim Dang

Unifying Security Policy Enforcement: Theory and Practice , Shamaria Engram

PsiDB: A Framework for Batched Query Processing and Optimization , Mehrad Eslami

Composition of Atomic-Obligation Security Policies , Danielle Ferguson

Algorithms To Profile Driver Behavior From Zero-permission Embedded Sensors , Bharti Goel

The Efficiency and Accuracy of YOLO for Neonate Face Detection in the Clinical Setting , Jacqueline Hausmann

Beyond the Hype: Challenges of Neural Networks as Applied to Social Networks , Anthony Hernandez

Privacy-Preserving and Functional Information Systems , Thang Hoang

Managing Off-Grid Power Use for Solar Fueled Residences with Smart Appliances, Prices-to-Devices and IoT , Donnelle L. January

Novel Bit-Sliced In-Memory Computing Based VLSI Architecture for Fast Sobel Edge Detection in IoT Edge Devices , Rajeev Joshi

Edge Computing for Deep Learning-Based Distributed Real-time Object Detection on IoT Constrained Platforms at Low Frame Rate , Lakshmikavya Kalyanam

Establishing Topological Data Analysis: A Comparison of Visualization Techniques , Tanmay J. Kotha

Machine Learning for the Internet of Things: Applications, Implementation, and Security , Vishalini Laguduva Ramnath

System Support of Concurrent Database Query Processing on a GPU , Hao Li

Deep Learning Predictive Modeling with Data Challenges (Small, Big, or Imbalanced) , Renhao Liu

Countermeasures Against Various Network Attacks Using Machine Learning Methods , Yi Li

Towards Safe Power Oversubscription and Energy Efficiency of Data Centers , Sulav Malla

Design of Support Measures for Counting Frequent Patterns in Graphs , Jinghan Meng

Automating the Classification of Mosquito Specimens Using Image Processing Techniques , Mona Minakshi

Models of Secure Software Enforcement and Development , Hernan M. Palombo

Functional Object-Oriented Network: A Knowledge Representation for Service Robotics , David Andrés Paulius Ramos

Lung Nodule Malignancy Prediction from Computed Tomography Images Using Deep Learning , Rahul Paul

Algorithms and Framework for Computing 2-body Statistics on Graphics Processing Units , Napath Pitaksirianan

Efficient Viewshed Computation Algorithms On GPUs and CPUs , Faisal F. Qarah

Relational Joins on GPUs for In-Memory Database Query Processing , Ran Rui

Micro-architectural Countermeasures for Control Flow and Misspeculation Based Software Attacks , Love Kumar Sah

Efficient Forward-Secure and Compact Signatures for the Internet of Things (IoT) , Efe Ulas Akay Seyitoglu

Detecting Symptoms of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Congestive Heart Failure via Cough and Wheezing Sounds Using Smart-Phones and Machine Learning , Anthony Windmon

Toward Culturally Relevant Emotion Detection Using Physiological Signals , Khadija Zanna

Theses/Dissertations from 2019 2019

Beyond Labels and Captions: Contextualizing Grounded Semantics for Explainable Visual Interpretation , Sathyanarayanan Narasimhan Aakur

Empirical Analysis of a Cybersecurity Scoring System , Jaleel Ahmed

Phenomena of Social Dynamics in Online Games , Essa Alhazmi

A Machine Learning Approach to Predicting Community Engagement on Social Media During Disasters , Adel Alshehri

Interactive Fitness Domains in Competitive Coevolutionary Algorithm , ATM Golam Bari

Measuring Influence Across Social Media Platforms: Empirical Analysis Using Symbolic Transfer Entropy , Abhishek Bhattacharjee

A Communication-Centric Framework for Post-Silicon System-on-chip Integration Debug , Yuting Cao

Authentication and SQL-Injection Prevention Techniques in Web Applications , Cagri Cetin

Multimodal Emotion Recognition Using 3D Facial Landmarks, Action Units, and Physiological Data , Diego Fabiano

Robotic Motion Generation by Using Spatial-Temporal Patterns from Human Demonstrations , Yongqiang Huang

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Home > Engineering & Technology > Engineering Management & Systems Engineering > ETDs

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Theses and dissertations published by graduate students in the Department of Engineering Management and Systems Engineering, College of Engineering, Old Dominion University since Fall 2016 are available in this collection. Backfiles of all dissertations (and some theses) have also been added.

In late Fall 2023 or Spring 2024, all theses will be digitized and available here. In the meantime, consult the Library Catalog to find older items in print.

Theses/Dissertations from 2024 2024

Dissertation: Understanding the Impact of Emergent Conflict on Communication and Team Cognition: A Multilevel Study in Engineering Teams , Francisco Cima

Theses/Dissertations from 2023 2023

Dissertation: Systemic Risk Analysis of Human Factors in Phishing , Mark Guilford

Dissertation: Human Psychology Factors Influencing Agile Team Autonomy in Post-Pandemic Remote Software Organizations , Ravikiran Kalluri

Dissertation: Reinforcing Digital Trust for Cloud Manufacturing Through Data Provenance Using Ethereum Smart Contracts , Trupti Narayan Rane

Dissertation: Electric Vehicle Routing Problem – Models and Algorithms , Hesamoddin Tahami

Theses/Dissertations from 2022 2022

Dissertation: A Systems Theory-Based Framework for Environmental Scanning in Complex System Governance , Dale E. Baugh

Dissertation: Learning Curve Characterization Within Complex Low-Rate Production Environments , Robert J. Gies

Thesis: Acquisition Career Progression Model for Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal Officers , Andrew John Heckel

Dissertation: Hard-Real-Time Computing Performance in a Cloud Environment , Alvin Cornelius Murphy

Dissertation: A Quality Systems Economic-Risk Design Theoretical Framework , Abdallah S. Thefeid

Dissertation: Predictors of Email Response: Determinants of the Intention of not Following Security Recommendations , Miguel Angel Toro-Jarrin

Dissertation: Complex System Governance Leadership , David C. Walters

Theses/Dissertations from 2021 2021

Thesis: Quantifying Cyber Risk by Integrating Attack Graph and Impact Graph , Omer F. Keskin

Dissertation: Cybersecurity Risk Assessment Using Graph Theoretical Anomaly Detection and Machine Learning , Goksel Kucukkaya

Dissertation: Application of a Blockchain Enabled Model in Disaster Aids Supply Network Resilience , Farinaz Sabz Ali Pour

Theses/Dissertations from 2020 2020

Dissertation: A Framework for Adaptive Capacity in Complex Systems , Abdulrahman Alfaqiri

Thesis: Engineering Management Competencies: A Framework for Present and Future Engineering Environments , Christopher Vaughn Barrett

Dissertation: DOD Mission Engineering and Integration Explorative-Exploitative Architecture for Technology Innovation , Jose L. Bricio-Neto

Dissertation: A Quest to Identify the Emerging Leadership Skills in VUCA World and Investigation of Their Applications in Various Organizational Levels and Security Environments , Ali Can Kucukozyigit

Dissertation: Cyber-Assets at Risk (CAR): Monetary Impact of Personally Identifiable Information Data Breaches on Companies , Omer Ilker Poyraz

Dissertation: Using Interacting Multiple Model Filters to Indicate Program Risk , Amy Sunshine Smith-Carroll

Dissertation: An Investigation on the Effectiveness of a Problem Structuring Method in a Group Decision-Making Process , Ying Thaviphoke

Dissertation: A Core Reference Hierarchical Primitive Ontology for Electronic Medical Records Semantics Interoperability , Ziniya Zahedi

Dissertation: Human Error in Commercial Fishing Vessel Accidents: An Investigation Using the Human Factors Analysis and Classification System , Peter J. Zohorsky

Theses/Dissertations from 2019 2019

Dissertation: Evaluating Stakeholder Bias in Stakeholder Analysis In Social Media , Ahmad A. Bajarwan

Dissertation: An Investigation of General Criteria for Assessing Space Flight Systems of Diverse Mission Concept Designs , Cindy L. Daniels

Dissertation: Knowledge Sharing and Creative Confidence in Promoting Employees’ Creative Behavior , Elnaz Dario

Dissertation: Optimization of Automated Guided Vehicles (AGV) Fleet Size With Incorporation of Battery Management , Ahmed Hamdy

Dissertation: An Exploratory Study of Engineering Identity Development in African American Youth , Coletta Elayne Johnson Bey

Dissertation: Identifying and Quantifying Personnel Skills Gaps , Martin Joseph McKenney

Dissertation: Measuring Risks of Interdependencies in Enterprise Systems: An Application to Ghana’s Salt Enterprise , Yaw Mensah

Dissertation: Quantifying Impact of Cyber Actions on Missions or Business Processes: A Multilayer Propagative Approach , Unal Tatar

Dissertation: Development and Initial Evaluation of a Reinforced Cue Detection Model to Assess Situation Awareness in Commercial Aircraft Cockpits , Aysen K. Taylor

Dissertation: A Comparison of Multi-Attribute Utility Theory, the Analytic Hierarchy Process, the Analytic Network Process, and New Hybrid Approaches for a Case Study Involving Radon , Jesse Ray Toepfer

Dissertation: The Resilient City: A Platform for Informed Decision-Making Process , Jarutpong Vasuthanasub

Theses/Dissertations from 2018 2018

Dissertation: A Framework for Executable Systems Modeling , Matthew Amissah

Dissertation: The Influence of Engineers on Public Policy , Sarah Bouazzaoui

Dissertation: Contextual Framework of Communications Functions Supporting Complex System Governance , Charles Wesley Chesterman Jr.

Dissertation: A Representation of Tactical and Strategic Precursors of Supply Network Resilience Using Simulation Based Experiments , Yaneth C. Correa-Martinez

Dissertation: Sequence-Based Simulation-Optimization Framework With Application to Port Operations at Multimodal Container Terminals , Mariam Aladdin Kotachi

Dissertation: Human-Intelligence and Machine-Intelligence Decision Governance Formal Ontology , Faisal Mahmud

Dissertation: Exploring Critical Success Factors of Community Development Projects , Kevin Wanjama Muchiri

Dissertation: A Multi-Level Longitudinal Investigation of Transformational Leadership Influence on Team Members Development in Engineering Project Teams , Nathapon Siangchokyoo

Dissertation: Understanding the Impact of Large-Scale Power Grid Architectures on Performance , Ange-Lionel Toba

Dissertation: Case Study on the Development of Engineering Design Modification Projects for U.S. Nuclear Power Plants: A Knowledge Retention Tool in Support of the Longevity and Resilience of the Nuclear Power Industry , Pamela M. Torres-Jiménez

Theses/Dissertations from 2017 2017

Thesis: Role of Requirements Engineering in Software Project’s Success , Sujatha Alla

Dissertation: A Hilbert Space Geometric Representation of Shared Awareness and Joint Decision Making , Mustafa Canan

Dissertation: An Investigation into Perceived Productivity and Its Influence on the Relationship Between Organizational Climate and Affective Commitment , Kaitlynn Marie Castelle

Dissertation: Emergency Diesel-Electric Generator Set Maintenance and Test Periodicity , Stephen John Fehr

Thesis: Initiating Event Analysis of a Lithium Fluoride Thorium Reactor , Nicholas Charles Geraci

Thesis: Impact of a Localized Lean Six Sigma Implementation on Overall Patient Safety and Process Efficiency , Luvianca G. Gil-Moreno

Dissertation: Diversity Team Building: Impact on Virtual Team Performance , Nina C. Magpili-Smith

Dissertation: Implementation of a Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) Toolkit to Aid in Ranking Naval Mission Vessel Combinations With Uncertainty , Andrew R. Miller

Dissertation: A Predictor Analysis Framework for Surface Radiation Budget Reprocessing Using Design of Experiments , Patricia Allison Quigley

Dissertation: Analysis of Project Management System Structure Using the Viable System Model (VSM) , Joseph A. Sisti

Dissertation: Planning and Team Shared Mental Models as Predictors of Team Collaborative Processes , Zikai Zhou

Dissertation: Methodology to Perform Cyber Lethality Assessment , Matthew W. Zurasky

Theses/Dissertations from 2016 2016

Dissertation: Systems Theory Based Architecture Framework for Complex System Governance , Bry Carter

Dissertation: Profit Based Simulation Model for The Rail Transportation Industry , Mark Patrick Doran

Thesis: Design and Implementation of a Virtual Team Collaboration System , Syed Ehsan

Dissertation: A General Theory of Emergence in Engineered Systems , John J. Johnson IV

Dissertation: Improvement of Work Process Performance with Task Assignments and Mental Workload Balancing , Cansu Kandemir

Dissertation: An Outcome-Based Competency Model for Systems Engineering Trainees , Vanessa J. Pietrzyk

Dissertation: A Hybrid Tabu/Scatter Search Algorithm for Simulation-Based Optimization of Multi-Objective Runway Operations Scheduling , Bulent Soykan

Thesis: Extension of the Gravity Model: A Risk Integrated Approach Towards the Impact Analysis of Mega Sports Events on Inbound Tourist Arrivals , Abdul Sami Stanekzai

Dissertation: A Retrospective Study of Amusement Ride Restraint and Containment Systems: Identifying Design Challenges for Statistically Rare Anthropometric Cases , Paula M. Stenzler

Theses/Dissertations from 2015 2015

Dissertation: An Approach for the Development of Complex Systems Archetypes , Walter Lee Akers

Dissertation: Meta-RaPS Hybridization with Machine Learning Algorithms , Fatemah Al-Duoli

Dissertation: Management and Leadership Style: Is Style Influenced by Engineering Education? , Jesse Levi Calloway

Dissertation: Key Factors Driving Personnel Downsizing in Multinational Military Organizations , Ilksen Gorkem

Dissertation: A Framework to Simplify the Choice of Alternative Analysis and Selection Methods , James Paul Lewis Holzgrefe

Dissertation: Systems Theory-Based Construct for Identifying Metasystem Pathologies for Complex System Governance , Polinpapilinho F. Katina

Dissertation: An Analysis of the Relationship Between Military Leaders' Operational Adaptability and Knowledge Transfer , Vahap Kavaker

Thesis: Improving Response Characteristics of Split Ring Resonators Using Experimental Designs , Omer Faruk Keskin

Dissertation: Examining the Relationship Between Leadership Decision Making Styles and Personality Type Within the Department of Defense , Antoine Lamont Prince Sr.

Dissertation: Command and Control in the Information Age: A Case Study of a Representative Air Power Command and Control Node , Marvin Leo Simpson Jr.

Dissertation: The Role of Diversity on Team Effectiveness in a Multinational and Multicultural Military Environment , Mustafa Utoglu

Dissertation: Safety Culture Monitoring: A Management Approach for Assessing Nuclear Safety Culture Health Performance Utilizing Multiple-Criteria Decision Analysis , James Harold Warren Jr.

Theses/Dissertations from 2014 2014

Dissertation: A Systems-Based Framework for the Assessment of Performance Measurement System Implementations in R&D Organizations , Kenneth S. Baggett Jr.

Dissertation: Human Capital Management Within the Federal Government Utilizing Generational Stratification With a Focus on Generation Y , Ian Nathaniel Barford

Dissertation: Time-Based Collision Risk Modeling for Air Traffic Management , Alan E. Bell

Dissertation: An Investigation of Business Transformation Disruptors at the Military Strategic Command Level , Thomas Bock

Dissertation: Systems Theory Based Framework for Competency Models , Joseph M. Bradley

Thesis: Emergency Diesel-Electric Generator Set Maintenance and Test Periodicity , Stephen John Fehr

Dissertation: An Instrument to Assess Individual Capacity for System Thinking , Ra'ed M. Jaradat

Thesis: Simulation Modeling and Analysis of Customs-Regulated Container Terminal Operations with Multimodal Transportation , Mariam A. Kotachi

Thesis: Assessing Organizational Effectiveness Through the Competing Values Framework A Data Envelopment Approach , Raghavender Macherla

Dissertation: Assessing the Impact of Electronic Health Record Systems Implementation on Hospital Patient Perceptions of Care , Katherine Sofia Palacio Salgar

Dissertation: Graphical Display of the Effect of Three Cash Flow Elements for Sensitivity Analysis , Kawintorn Pothanun

Dissertation: Self-Regulating Teamwork Behaviors in Low-Volume & High-Complexity Production , Aaron W. Powell

Dissertation: An Investigation into the Analysis of Truncated Standard Normal Distributions Using Heuristic Techniques , John Walter Ralls

Dissertation: A Method to Define Requirements for System of Systems , Randy Gene Walker

Dissertation: The Relationship Among HFACS Levels and Analysis of Human Factors in Unmanned and Manned Air Vehicles , Veysel Yesilbas

Theses/Dissertations from 2013 2013

Dissertation: System Governance Analysis of Complex Systems , Behnido Y. Calida

Dissertation: Shared Leadership in Six Sigma Teams From the North Shore-LIJ Health System , Brian J. Galli

Dissertation: An Expert Based Multi Attribute Group Decision Making (MAGDM) Model for Portfolio Evaluation: Application on Ground Force Units , Metin Gultekin

Dissertation: Approximate Algorithms for the Combined arrival-Departure Aircraft Sequencing and Reactive Scheduling Problems on Multiple Runways , Gulsah Hancerliogullari

Dissertation: The RQ-Tech Methodology: A New Paradigm for Conceptualizing Strategic Enterprise Architectures , Christine Ann Hoyland

Dissertation: Micro to Macro Dynamics of Shared Awareness Emergence in Situations Theory: Towards a General Theory of Shared Awareness , Samuel F. Kavacic

Dissertation: Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division Engagement Systems (G) Department Development of a Plan to Maintain, Expand, and Create Corporate Knowledge , Luis J. Rodriguez

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Home > USC Columbia > Engineering and Computing, College of > Electrical Engineering > Electrical Engineering Theses and Dissertations

Electrical Engineering Theses and Dissertations

Theses/dissertations from 2023 2023.

Robust Deep Learning Models For Multi-label Image Classification In Limited And Free Annotation Scenarios , Rabab Ezzeldin Rabie Abdelfattah

Analysis, Measurement, and Modeling of Millimeter Wave Channels for Aviation Applications , Zeenat Afroze

Physics-Based and Behavioral Models for Fuel Cells , Charles Chima Anyim

Simulation-based Optimization Of A Dc Microgrid: With Machine-learning-based Models And Hybrid Meta-heuristic Algorithms , Tyler Van Deese

Novel Structures and Thin Film Techniques for Reconfigurable RF Technologies With Improved Signal Integrity , Jinqun Ge

Suitability of Quantized DEVS-LIM Methods for Simulation of Power Systems , Navid Gholizadeh

Novel Approach To In-situ Mocvd Oxide/dielectric Deposition For Iii-nitride-based Heterojunction Field Effect Transistors , Samiul Hasan

Quantized State Simulation of Electrical Power Systems , Joseph Micah Hood

Circularly-shifted Chirps For Triple Functionality: Communications, Radar, And Computation , Safi Shams Muhtasimul Hoque

Optimization of Ultrawide Bandgap Semiconductor Materials for Heterostructure Field Effect Transistors (HFETs) , Mohi Uddin Jewel

Design And Fabrication Of High-resolution Epitaxial 4h-sic Metal Insulator Semiconductor Detectors , Omerfaruk Karadavut

Deep Learning Based Fault Diagnosis and Prognosis for Bearing , Guangxing Niu

High-Performance Wide Bandgap Semiconductor Power Modules Enabled by Advanced Two-Phase Mini-Channel Cooling , Bo Tian

Magnetic Softness Tuned Superparamagnetic Nanoparticles for Highly Efficient Cancer Theranostics , Jie Wang

Probabilistic Cable Aging Diagnosis And Prognosis With Reflectometry And Capacitance Methods , Xuan Wang

Robustness Of Convolutional Neural Networks: Analysis And Applications , Xin Zhang

Theses/Dissertations from 2022 2022

MIMO Antenna Systems for Wireless Handheld Devices , Ahmed H. Abdelgawwad

Applications of Laser Liftoff Technique for Wide Bandgap Power and Flexible Electronics , Md Didarul Alam

Non-intrusive Microwave Surface Wave Technique For Cable Damage and Aging Detection , Ahmed Shah Arman

Pulse Width Modulation-Based Voltage Balancing and Circulating Current Control for Modular Multilevel Converters , Md Multan Biswas

Networked Digital Predictive Control for Modular DC-DC Converters , Castulo Aaron De la O Pérez

Development of Micro-Sized Algan Deep Ultraviolet Light Emitting Diodes and Monolithic Photonic Integrated Circuits , Richard Speight Floyd III

Distributed Interdigital Capacitor (IDC) Sensing for Cable Insulation Aging and Degradation Detection , Md Nazmul Al Imran

Epitaxial 4H-SiC Radiation Detectors for Harsh Environment Applications , Joshua W. Kleppinger

Growth, Characterization and Evaluation of CdZnTeSe Single Crystals for Room Temperature Radiation Detectors , Ritwik Nag

Automated Contingency Management for Water Recycling System , Shijie Tang

Closed Form Implicitly Integrated Models for Computationally Efficient Simulation of Power Electronics , Andrew Wunderlich

Theses/Dissertations from 2021 2021

Real Time Simulation and Hardware in the Loop Methods for Power Electronics Power Distribution Systems , Michele Difronzo

Time-Domain Measurement of Magnetization Dynamics in Ferrofluids , Brian Egenriether

Increased Detectivity and Low Temperature Performance Analysis of Sub-20μm Micropixel Array A1GaN UV Photodiodes , Samia Islam

Operating Strategies and Disturbance Characterization for DC Microgrids , Miles Leonard-Albert

Real-Time Probabilistic Solvers for Digital Twins of Power Electronic Systems , Matthew Aaron Milton

Ultrawide Bandgap Algan-Channel Metal Oxide Semiconductor Heterostructure Field Effect Transistors With High- K Gate Dielectrics , Md Abu Shahab Mollah

Temperature Dependence of Electroluminescence and Current-Voltage Characteristics of Arrays of Deep Ultraviolet Algan Micropixel Led , Dhruvinkumar Prakashchandra Patel

Robust Adaptive Model Predictive Control of Nonlinear Sample-Data Systems , Lixing Yang

Theses/Dissertations from 2020 2020

Methods for Dynamic Stabilization, Performance Improvement, and Load Power Sharing In DC Power Distribution Systems , Hessamaldin Abdollahi

Data-Driven Modeling Through Power Hardware in the Loop Experiments: A PV Micro-Inverter Example , Hayder Dawood Abbood Almukhtar

Novel Multi-User Chirp Signaling Schemes for Future Aviation Communication Applications , Nozhan Hosseini

The Hybridization of a Graphene and Silicon Carbide Schottky Optoelectronic Device by the Incorporation of a Lead Sulfide Quantum Dot Film , Joshua Letton

Channel Modeling and Tropospheric Effects on Millimeter Wave Communications for Aviation Applications , Jinwen Liu

30 GHz Path Loss Modeling and Performance Evaluation for Noncoherent M-ary Frequency Shift Keying in the 30 GHz Band , Mohanad Razak Mohsen

Room Temperature Semiconductor Radiation Detectors Based on CdZnTe and CdZnTeSe , Mohsin Sajjad

Optimization of Vehicle to Grid System in a Power System With Unit Commitment , Charles Uko

Design of High Efficiency Wireless Power Thansfer System With Nonlinear Resonator , Yibing Zhang

Theses/Dissertations from 2019 2019

DC Bus Stabilization and Dynamic Performance Improvement of a Multi-Converter System , Silvia Arrua

Fabrication and Characterization of Thin Films for Heterojunction Solar Cells and Radiation Detectors , Towhid A. Chowdhury

Low Frequency Injection as a Method of Low-Level DC Microgrid Communication , Matthew Davidson

Modeling and Loss Analysis of SiC Power Semiconductor Devices for Switching Converter Applications , Soheila Eskandari

Path Loss Models for Two Small Airport Indoor Environments at 31 GHz , Alexander L. Grant

Wireless RF Induced Energy Absorption and Heating of Lanthanum-Nickel Alloy in the Near-Field , Michael Dillon Lindsay

Fractional Order and Virtual Variable Sampling Design of Repetitive Control for Power Converters , Zhichao Liu

Curbside Antenna to Vehicle Path Loss Measurements and Modeling in Three Frequency Bands , Patrick Murphy

Finite Element Electromagnetic (EM) Analyses of Induction Heating of Thermoplastic Composites , Ankit Patel

Constrained Consensus in Continuous-Time Multi-Agent Systems , Zheqing Zhou

Theses/Dissertations from 2018 2018

Study Of 4H-SiC And ALxGA1-xN Based Heterojunction Devices For Ultraviolet Detection Applications , Venkata Surya Naga Raju Chava

Photovoltaic Inverter Control to Sustain High Quality of Service , Yan Chen

Novel Wideband EBG Structures For Isolation Improvement Between Cosite Antennas , Paul John Czeresko III

High Resolution Radiation Detectors Based On 4H-SiC N-Type Epitaxial Layers And Pixilated CdZnTe Single Crystal Devices , Cihan Oner

Ku-Band AG Channel Modeling , Albert Smith

Quantifying Time Retarded Electromagnetic Fields and Their Applications in Transmission Lines , Brandon Thomas Gore

Structurally Integrated Reconfigurable Wideband Array For Conformal Applications , Michael Damon Wright

Multifunction Radio Frequency Composite Structures , David L. Zeppettella

Theses/Dissertations from 2017 2017

Dynamic Model and Control of Quadrotor in the Presence of Uncertainties , Courage Agho

Ultra High-Speed Signaling and Return on Technology Investment (ROTI) for the Electrical Interconnects Sector , Azniza Abd Aziz

High Quality Low Offcut 4h-Sic Epitaxy and Integrated Growth of Epitaxial Graphene for Hybrid Graphene/Sic Devices , Anusha Balachandran

Cable Health Monitoring System Built Into Power Converter Using Time Domain Reflectometry , Hossein Baninajar

Low Bandwidth Communication for Networked Power Hardware-In-The-Loop Simulation , Sean Borgsteede

Fault Protection In DC Microgrids Based On Autonomous Operation Of All Components , Qiu Deng

Distributed Optimization Method for Intelligent Control of DC Microgrids , Yuanyuan Fan

Three Segment Adaptive Power Electronic Compensator for Non-periodic Currents , Amin Ghaderi

Study of Mos2 and Graphene-Based Heterojunctions for Electronic and Sensing Applications , Ifat Jahangir

Evaluation Of Multicarrier Air Interfaces In The Presence Of Interference For L-Band And C-Band Air-Ground Communications , Hosseinali Jamal

Analysis and Design of a Highly Compact Ellipse-Shaped Ultra-Wideband Bandpass Filter (Uwb-Bpf) with a Notched Band , Xuetan Liu

Study of Ultra Wide Band Gap AlxGa1-xN Field Effect Transistors For Power Electronic Applications , Sakib Mohammed Muhtadi

Growth and Characterization of Anisotropic GaSe Semiconductor for Radiation Detection and THz Applications , Haseeb Nazir

Physical Characterization of Electrodeposited PCB Copper Foil Surfaces , Blessing Kolawole Ojo

Wideband Low Side Lobe Aperture Coupled Patch Phased Array Antennas , Dhruva Poduval

Software Modelling For Real World Faults On AC Transmission Protective Systems Analysis And Effects , Iandale Tualla

Improved N-Type 4h-Sic Epitaxial Layer Radiation Detectors and Noise Analysis of Front-End Readout Electronics , Khai V. Nguyen

Integrating Nano-Patterned Ferromagnetic and Ferroelectric Materials For Smart Tunable Microwave Applications , Tengxing Wang

An Application of Dempster-Shafer Fusion Theory to Lithium-ion Battery Prognostics and Health Management , John Weddington

A Lebesgue Sampling based Diagnosis and Prognosis Methodology with Application to Lithium-ion Batteries , Wuzhao Yan

Theses/Dissertations from 2016 2016

Positive Feedforward Control Design For Stabilization Of A Single-Bus DC Power Distribution System Using An Improved Impedance Identification Technique , Silvia Arrúa

Simulation Of GaN Based MIS Varactor , Bojidha Babu

High Gain Pattern Reconfigurable Antenna Arrays for Portable and Body-Centric Wireless Applications , Nowrin Hasan Chamok

An Improved Ship Design Tool for Comparing Performance of Multiple Ship Designs across User-Defined Missions , Helder Jose de Almeida Pais

Estimating Local Average Power In A Line-Of-Sight Indoor Channel: Spatial Sampling And Processing , Israt Jahan Disha

Time-Domain Measurement Of Ultrafast Magnetization Dynamics In Magnetic Nanoparticles , Brian Egenriether

Finite Control Set Model Predictive Control Of Direct Matrix Converter And Dual-Output Power Converters , Ozan Gulbudak

Distributed Optimization And Control Of Islanded Microgrids , Md Rishad Hossain

Engineering Model Of III-Nitride Power Heterostructure Field Effect Transistor On Silicon Substrate , Mohammad Mirwazul Islam

A Comparison Of FPGA Implementation Of Latency-Based Solvers For Power Electronic System Real-Time Simulation , Matthew Aaron Milton

Investigation Of Wide Bandgap Semiconductor Devices For Radiation Detection Applications , Rahmi Orhon Pak

Modeling and Loss Analysis of Wide Bandgap Power Semiconductor Devices , Kang Peng

Miniaturized RF Components With A Novel Tunable Engineered Substrate For Wireless Communication Systems , Yujia Peng

Wireless Channel Modeling For Networks On Chips , William Rayess

Comparative Analysis Of Current Control Methods For Modular Multilevel Converters , Jordan D. Rogers

Applications Of Impedance Identification To Electric Ship System Control And Power Hardware-In-The-Loop Simulation , Jonathan Siegers

System Level Analysis And Design For Wireless Inter-Chip Interconnection Communication Systems By Applying Advanced Wireless Communication Technologies , Xin Zheng

Theses/Dissertations from 2015 2015

Design, Fabrication, and Characterization of Pseudomorphic and Quasi-Pseudomorphic AlGaN Based Deep Ultraviolet Light Emitting Diodes Over Sapphire , Fatima Asif

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Thesis Proposal

Note: This article is partially based on the 2017-2018 MechE Graduate Student Guide (PDF) . Please check the latest guide for the most-up to date formatting requirements.

Criteria for Success

A strong thesis proposal…

• Motivates your project and introduces your audience to the state-of-the-art for the problem you’re working on.
• Explains the limitations in the current methods through literature review and/or original analysis. This should also explain why the limitations matter and why they’re the right ones to focus on.
• Clearly explains your technical approach to make specific improvements to some part of the field.
• Uses original analysis and literature to support the feasibility of the approach.
• Describes what is original about your work.
• Provides a practical outline for completing this research : a degree timeline laying out quantifiable hypotheses, experimental/numerical/theoretical techniques, and metrics for evaluation .

Structure Diagram

Meche-specific structure requirements.

Your thesis proposal should be limited to 6 pages including figures and references.

In addition, you need a cover page that (only) includes:

• tentative title of the thesis
• brief abstract
• committee chair and/or advisor should be indicated
• include their official titles, departmental affiliations, and email addresses

The purpose of your thesis proposal is to introduce your research plan to your thesis committee. You want the committee members to come away understanding what your research will accomplish, why it is needed ( motivation ), how you will do it ( feasibility & approach ), and most importantly, why it is worthy of a PhD ( significance ).

You intend to solve a real and important problem, and you are willing to dedicate years of your life to it, so use your proposal to get the committee excited about your research!

Analyze your audience

Unlike many of the papers and presentations you will write during graduate school, only a select few people will read your thesis proposal. This group will always include your PhD committee and your research advisor, and may include other interested MechE faculty or scientists and engineers at your funding source.

Therefore, you will typically have a good understanding of your audience before it is written. This can allow you to tailor your message to the technical level of your specific audience. If you aren’t sure what your audience could reasonably be expected to know, be conservative! Regardless, your audience is always looking to answer the questions: “ what is this research, how will you perform it, and why does it matter?”

While the small audience may make you less interested in committing time to your proposal, the exercise of motivating and justifying your work plan will be critical to your PhD.

Follow the standard structure for research proposals

While some variation is acceptable, don’t stray too far from the following structure. See also the Structure Diagram above.

• Introduction . Provide only the necessary information to motivate your research, and show how it fits into the broader field. What is the problem you are trying to solve? By the end of the introduction, your audience should understand the basics of what you will do and why you will do it.
• Background/Methodology . Describe the current state of the art and related research fields in sufficient technical detail. The goal is provide just enough detail to give the reader a sound understanding of the limitations and the need for new work. Do not go into detail that does not directly help in understanding your You are not trying to make your reader understand everything about the topic or demonstrate how much you know.
• Objectives . Although not strictly necessary, this section lets you summarize concrete goals of your work, and can help to serve as a checklist for yourself as you move through the process. This is best for projects that tackle many interrelated problems. Think of this as a list of concrete (quantifiable) goals that you want to accomplish.
• Proposed Work. Explain how your work will solve the problems that you have identified. How will you address the objectives above? Provide just enough technical specificity to leave the reader with a firm grasp of what you will do.
• Provide a set of time-structured goals and deliverables. While this is not strictly necessary, your committee will want a timeline when you meet with them, so it can help to start planning now. You want to graduate, so make sure that you have a plan to do so!
• This is a standard section listing references in an appropriate format (MLA, APA, etc.)

Consider the logical sequence of your sections. After the introduction, your audience should be intrigued by a key problem, and intrigued that you know how to solve it. Through the background, they learn that this problem is more difficult than they originally realized. Finally, in the proposed work they learn that your proposal addresses the additional complexity introduced in the background, and they have confidence that you can actually solve the problem.

Summarize the current research field

You need to have a strong grasp of the broader research community. How can you contribute, if you don’t know what is done and what needs to be done?

The point here is not to educate your audience, but rather to provide them with the tools needed to understand your proposal. A common mistake is to explain all of the research that you did to understand your topic and to demonstrate that you really know your field. This will bore your audience, who either already knows this information or does not see why they should care. It’s more important to show where current gaps are. Cut anything that doesn’t answer the what and why of what people are doing. Your depth of knowledge will come through in your thoughtful proposal.

Justify the significance of your work

Answer the question: “What happens if your work is successful?” Again, you are trying to convince your readers either to give you funding or to work with you for three (or more) years. Convince them that your project is worth it.

Your research doesn’t have to revolutionize your field, but you need to explain concretely how it will move your field forward. For example, “Successful development of the proposed model will enable high-fidelity simulation of boiling” is a specific and convincing motivation, compared to, “The field of boiling modeling must be transformed in order to advance research.”

Justify your research plan

Identify the steps needed to overcome your identified problem/limitation. Though your PhD will evolve over time, the tasks and timeline that you identify in your proposal will continue to help determine the trajectory of your research. A good plan now can save a lot of work a few years down the road.

A strong research plan answers three key questions:

• g., “In order to engineer material properties using mesoscopic defects, it is necessary to characterize the defects, measure how they affect material response, and identify techniques to reproducibly create the defects at specific sites within a material.”
• g., “In my PhD, I will focus on developing high-speed dynamic imaging techniques to characterize transient defect states in metallic nanowires. I will then use these techniques to measure the properties of nanowires fabricated with three different processes known to produce different defect structures.”
• How will you evaluate success in each step? These metrics should be concrete and measurable! Putting the thought into metrics now will make it easier for your committee (and yourself) to check a box and say ‘you can graduate.’

Each of these questions should be supported by details that reflect the current state of the art. Technical justification is critical to establish credibility for your plan. Reference the material that you introduced in the background section. You should even use your research plan to tailor your background section so that your committee knows just enough to believe what you’re claiming in your plan.

Based on the tasks and metrics in your plan, establish specific reflection points when you’ll revisit the scope of your project and evaluate if changes are needed.

Include alternative approaches

You won’t be able to predict all of the challenges you will encounter, but planning alternative approaches early on for major methods or decision points will prepare you to make better game-time decisions when you come up against obstacles. e.g.,

I will develop multi-pulse, femtosecond illumination for high speed imaging following Someone et al. Based on the results they have shown, I expect to be able to observe defect dynamics with micron spatial resolution and microsecond temporal resolution. If these resolutions are not achievable in the nanowire systems, I will explore static measurement techniques based on the work of SomeoneElse et al.

Resources and Annotated Examples

Annotated example 1.

This is a recent MechE thesis proposal, written in the style of an IEEE paper. 1,022 KB

• Study and research support
• Academic skills

Dissertation examples

Listed below are some of the best examples of research projects and dissertations from undergraduate and taught postgraduate students at the University of Leeds We have not been able to gather examples from all schools. The module requirements for research projects may have changed since these examples were written. Refer to your module guidelines to make sure that you address all of the current assessment criteria. Some of the examples below are only available to access on campus.

• Undergraduate examples
• Taught Masters examples

PhD Dissertation Defense Slides Design: Start

• Tips for designing the slides
• Presentation checklist
• Example slides
• Additional Resources

Purpose of the Guide

This guide was created to help ph.d. students in engineering fields to design dissertation defense presentations. the guide provides 1) tips on how to effectively communicate research, and 2) full presentation examples from ph.d. graduates. the tips on designing effective slides are not restricted to dissertation defense presentations; they can be used in designing other types of presentations such as conference talks, qualification and proposal exams, and technical seminars., the tips and examples are used to help students to design effective presentation. the technical contents in all examples are subject to copyright, please do not replicate. , if you need help in designing your presentation, please contact julie chen ([email protected]) for individual consultation. .

• Example Slides Repository
• Defense slides examples Link to examples dissertation defense slides.

Useful Links

• CIT Thesis and dissertation standards
• Dissertations and Theses @ Carnegie Mellon This link opens in a new window Covers 1920-present. Full text of some dissertations may be available 1997-present. Citations and abstracts of dissertations and theses CMU graduate students have published through UMI Dissertation Publishing. In addition to citations and abstracts, the service provides free access to 24 page previews and the full text in PDF format, when available. In most cases, this will be works published in 1997 forward.
• Communicate your research data Data visualization is very important in communicating your data effectively. Check out these do's and don'ts for designing figures.

Power Point Template and other Resources

• CEE Powerpoint Slide Presentation Template 1
• CEE Powerpoint Slide Presentation Template 2

Source: CEE Department Resources https://www.cmu.edu/cee/resources/index.html

• CMU Powerpoint Slide Template

Source: CMU Marketing and Communications

https://www.cmu.edu/marcom/brand-standards/downloads/index.html

• Use of CMU logos, marks, and Unitmarks

Email me for questions and schedule an appointment

Top 7 tips for your defense presentation

1. show why your study is important, remember, your audience is your committee members, researchers in other fields, and even the general public. you want to convince all of them why you deserve a ph.d. degree. you need to talk about why your study is important to the world. in the engineering field, you also need to talk about how your study is useful. try to discuss why current practice is problematic or not good enough, what needs to be solved, and what the potential benefits will be. , see how dr. posen and dr. malings explained the importance of their studies..

• Carl Malings Defense Slides with Notes
• I. Daniel Posen Defense Slides with Notes

2. Emphasize YOUR contribution 

Having a ph.d. means that you have made some novel contributions to the grand field. this is about you and your research. you need to keep emphasizing your contributions throughout your presentation. after talking about what needs to be solved, try to focus on emphasizing the novelty of your work. what problems can be solved using your research outcomes what breakthroughs have you made to the field why are your methods and outcomes outstanding you need to incorporate answers to these questions in your presentation. , be clear what your contributions are in the introduction section; separate what was done by others and what was done by you. , 3. connect your projects into a whole piece of work, you might have been doing multiple projects that are not strongly connected. to figure out how to connect them into a whole piece, use visualizations such as flow charts to convince your audience. the two slides below are two examples. in the first slide, which was presented in the introduction section, the presenter used a flow diagram to show the connection between the three projects. in the second slide, the presenter used key figures and a unique color for each project to show the connection..

• Xiaoju Chen Defense Slides with Notes

4. Tell a good story 

The committee members do not necessarily have the same background knowledge as you. plus, there could be researchers from other fields and even the general public in the room. you want to make sure all of your audience can understand as much as possible. focus on the big picture rather than technical details; make sure you use simple language to explain your methods and results. your committee has read your dissertation before your defense, but others have not. , dr. cook and dr. velibeyoglu did a good job explaining their research to everyone. the introduction sessions in their presentations are well designed for this purpose. .

• Laren M. Cook Defense Slides with Notes
• Irem Velibeyoglu Defense with Notes

5. Transition, transition, transition

Use transition slides to connect projects , it's a long presentation with different research projects. you want to use some sort of transition to remind your audience what you have been talking about and what is next. you may use a slide that is designed for this purpose throughout your presentation. , below are two examples. these slides were presented after the introduction section. the presenters used the same slides and highlighted the items for project one to indicate that they were moving on to the first project. throughout the presentation, they used these slides and highlighted different sections to indicate how these projects fit into the whole dissertation. .

You can also use some other indications on your slides, but remember not to make your slides too busy.  Below are two examples. In the first example, the presenter used chapter numbers to indicate what he was talking about. In the second example, the presenter used a progress bar with keywords for each chapter as the indicator. 

Use transition sentences to connect slides 

Remember transition sentences are also important; use them to summarize what you have said and tell your audience what they will expect next. if you keep forgetting the transition sentence, write a note on your presentation. you can either write down a full sentence of what you want to say or some keywords., 6. be brief, put details in backup slides , you won't have time to explain all of the details. if your defense presentation is scheduled for 45 minutes, you can only spend around 10 minutes for each project - that's shorter than a normal research conference presentation focus on the big picture and leave details behind. you can put the details in your backup slides, so you might find them useful when your committee (and other members of the audience) ask questions regarding these details., 7. show your presentation to your advisor and colleagues, make sure to ask your advisor(s) for their comments. they might have a different view on what should be emphasized and what should be elaborated. , you also want to practice at least once in front of your colleagues. they can be your lab mates, people who work in your research group, and/or your friends. they do not have to be experts in your field. ask them to give you some feedback - their comments can be extremely helpful to improve your presentation. , below are some other tips and resources to design your defense presentation. .

• Tips for designing your defense presentation

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• Last Updated: Jan 9, 2024 11:18 AM
• URL: https://guides.library.cmu.edu/c.php?g=883178

Engineering: The Literature Review Process

• How to Use This Guide

What is a literature review and why is it important?

Further reading ....

• 2. Precision vs Retrieval
• 3. Equip Your Tool Box
• 4. What to look for
• 5. Where to Look for it
• 6. How to Look for it
• 7. Keeping Current
• 8. Reading Tips
• 9. Writing Tips
• 10. Checklist

A literature review not only summarizes the knowledge of a particular area or field of study, it also evaluates what has been done, what still needs to be done and why all of this is important to the subject.  

• The Stand-Alone Literature Review A literature review may stand alone as an individual document in which the history of the topic is reported and then analyzed for trends, controversial issues, and what still needs to be studied.  The review could just be a few pages for narrow topics or quite extensive with long bibliographies for in-depth reviews.   In-depth review articles are valuable time-savers for professionals and researchers who need a quick introduction or analysis of a topic but they can be very time-consuming for authors to produce. Examples of review articles:   Walker, Sara Louise (2011)   Building mounted wind turbines and their suitability for the urban scale - a review of methods of estimating urban wind resource .   Energy and Buildings  43(8):1852-1862. For this review, the author focused on the different methodologies used to estimate wind speed in urban settings.  After introducing the theory, she explained the difficulty for in-situ measuring, and then followed up by describing each of the different estimation techniques that have been used instead.  Strengths and weaknesses of each method are discussed and suggestions are given on where more study is needed.   Length: 11 pages. References: 59. Calm, J.M. (2008)   The next generation of refrigerants - historical review, considerations, and outlook.   International Journal of Refrigeration  31(7):1123-1133. This review focuses on the evolution of refrigerants and divides the evolution into 4 generations.  In each generation the author describes which type of refrigerants were most popular and discusses how political, environmental, and economic issues as well as chemical properties effected choices.  Length: 11 pages.  References: 51.  
• The Literature Review as a Section Within a Document Literature reviews are also part of dissertations, theses, research reports and scholarly journal articles; these types of documents include the review in a section or chapter that discusses what has gone before, how the research being presented in this document fills a gap in the field's knowledge and why that is important.   Examples of literature reviews within a journal article:  Jobert, Arthur, et al. (2007) Local acceptance of wind energy: factors of success identified in French and German case studies.  Energy Policy  35(5):2751-2760.  In this case, the literature review is a separate, labeled section appearing between the introduction and methodology sections.  Peel, Deborah and Lloyd, Michael Gregory (2007)   Positive planning for wind-turbines in an urban context.   Local Environment  12(4):343-354. In this case the literature review is incorporated into the article's introduction rather than have its own section.   Which version you choose (separate section or within the introduction) depends on format requirements of the publisher (for journal articles), the ASU Graduate College and your academic unit (for ASU dissertations and theses) and application instructions for grants.   If no format is specified choose the method in which you can best explain your research topic, what has come before and the importance of the knowledge you are adding to the field.    Examples of literature reviews within a dissertation or thesis :  Porter, Wayne Eliot (2011)   Renewable Energy in Rural Southeastern Arizona: Decision Factors: A Comparison of the Consumer Profiles of Homeowners Who Purchased Renewable Energy Systems With Those Who Performed Other Home Upgrades or Remodeling Projects .    Arizona State University, M.S. Thesis.  This author effectively uses a separate chapter for the literature review for his detailed analysis.  Magerman, Beth (2014)   Short-Term Wind Power Forecasts using Doppler Lidar.   Arizona State University, M.S. Thesis. The author puts the literature review within Chapter Two presenting it as part of the background information of her topic.   Note that the literature review within a thesis or dissertation more closely resembles the scope and depth of a stand- alone literature review as opposed to the briefer reviews appearing within journal articles.  Within a thesis or dissertation, the review not only presents the status of research in the specific area it also establishes the author's expertise and justifies his/her own research.   

Online tutorials:

• Literature Reviews: An Overview for Graduate Students Created by the North Caroline State University Libraries

Other ASU Library Guides: 

• Literature Reviews and Annotated Bibliographies More general information about the format and content of literature reviews; created by Ed Oetting, History and Political Science Librarian, Hayden Library. ​

Readings: 

• The Literature Review: A Few Tips on Conducting It Written by Dena Taylor, Health Sciences Writing Centre, University of Toronto
• Literature Reviews Created by The Writing Center at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. 
• << Previous: How to Use This Guide
• Next: 2. Precision vs Retrieval >>
• Last updated: Jan 2, 2024 8:27 AM
• URL: https://libguides.asu.edu/engineeringlitreview

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Home > Engineering > CEE > CE_THESES

Civil Engineering Masters Theses Collection

Theses from 2024 2024.

Machine and Statistical Learning for Sustainable Infrastructure and Mobility Systems , Atanas Apostolov, Civil Engineering

Theses from 2023 2023

The Current State of Practice of Building Information Modeling , Kevin P. Brooks, Civil Engineering

Loads Analysis of Fixed-Bottom and Floating Offshore Wind Structures , Michael G. Davis, Civil Engineering

Comparison Of Scaling Performance Between Sidewalks Placed Using Hot and Cold Weather Concreting Procedures , Likhitha Rudraraju, Civil Engineering

CORRELATION BETWEEN LABORATORY TESTING RESULTS AND IN-SITU SIDEWALK SCALING , Brian R. Shea, Civil Engineering

The Effects of Hurricane Wind Field Characteristics on Wind Blade Loads , Michael S. Tsai, Civil Engineering

Post-Fire Damage Inspection of Concrete Tunnel Structures , James Viglas, Civil Engineering

Theses from 2022 2022

Measuring Accessibility to Food Services to Improve Public Health , Efthymia Kostopoulou, Civil Engineering

Euplectella Aspergillum’s Natural Lattice Structure for Structural Design & Stability Landscape of Thin Cylindrical Shells with Dimple Imperfections , Zoe Y. Sloane, Civil Engineering

Theses from 2021 2021

Post-Fire Assessment of Concrete Tunnel Structures , Nicholas C. Menz, Civil Engineering

Utilizing Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) for the Estimation of Beam Corrosion of Steel Bridge Girders , Gabrielle Pryor, Civil Engineering

Parametric Study of Integral Abutment Bridge Using Finite Element Model , Asako Takeuchi, Civil Engineering

Theses from 2020 2020

School Bus Routing To Allow Later School Start Times , Rana Eslamifard, Civil Engineering

QUANTIFICATION OF THERMAL BRIDGING EFFECTS IN COLD-FORMED STEEL WALL ASSEMBLIES , Divyansh Kapoor, Civil Engineering

Theses from 2019 2019

Sustainable Travel Incentives Optimization in Multimodal Networks , Hossein Ghafourian, Civil Engineering

High Fidelity Modeling of Cold-Formed Steel Single Lap Shear Screw Fastened Connections , Rita Kalo, Civil Engineering

Modeling the Effect of New Commuter Bus Service on Demand and the Impact on GHG Emissions: Application to Greater Boston , Christopher Lyman, Civil Engineering

Performance of Concrete Tunnel Systems Subject to Fault Displacement , Michael Morano, Civil Engineering

Behavior of Prestressed Concrete Bridges with Closure Pour Connections and Diaphragms , Gercelino Ramos, Civil Engineering

Analysis of Adhesive Anchorage Systems Under Extreme In-Service Temperature Conditions , Rachel Wang, Civil Engineering

Theses from 2018 2018

Driver Understanding of the Flashing Yellow Arrow and Dynamic No Turn on Red Sign for Right Turn Applications , Elizabeth Casola, Civil Engineering

Evaluating the Impact of Double-Parked Freight Deliveries on Signalized Arterial Control Delay Using Analytical Models and Simulation , Aaron J. Keegan, Civil Engineering

Reward Allocation For Maximizing Energy Savings In A Transportation System , Adewale O. Oduwole, Civil Engineering

Impact of S-Curve on Speed in a Modern Roundabout , Akshaey Sabhanayagam, Civil Engineering

All-Red Clearance Intervals for Use in the Left-Turn Application of Flashing Yellow Arrows , Francis Tainter, Civil Engineering

Theses from 2017 2017

Evaluation of New England Bridges for Bat Roosting Including Methodology and Case Studies , Angela Berthaume, Civil Engineering

Evaluating Variances Between Departments of Transportation in New England to Create a Strategic Transportation Workforce , Chelsea Bouchard, Civil Engineering

Development of High Early-Strength Concrete for Accelerated Bridge Construction Closure Pour Connections , Stephanie Castine, Civil Engineering

I. THE HIGH STRAIN RATE RESPONSE OF HOLLOW SPHERE STEEL FOAM; II. THE DYNAMIC RESPONSE OF AN AMERICAN ELM TREE , Ignacio Cetrangolo, Civil Engineering

Performance of Adhesive and Cementitious Anchorage Systems , Mirna Mendoza, Civil Engineering

Theses from 2016 2016

Integrated Solar Technologies with Outdoor Pedestrian Bridge Superstructure Decking , Richard K. Racz, Civil Engineering

LIVE LOAD DISTRIBUTION FACTORS FOR HORIZONTALLY CURVED CONCRETE BOX GIRDER BRIDGES , Mohammed Zaki, Civil Engineering

Theses from 2015 2015

Bonded Anchors in Concrete Under Sustained Loading , Douglas Droesch, Civil Engineering

An Observational Evaluation of Safety Resulting from Driver Distraction , Christina M. Dube, Civil Engineering

Measuring the Resilience of Transportation Networks Subject to Seismic Risk , Mark N. Furtado, Civil Engineering

Nano-Scale Investigation of Mechanical Characteristics of Main Phases of Hydrated Cement Paste , Shahin Hajilar, Civil Engineering

Driver Behavior Evaluation of Variable Speed Limits and a Conceptual Framework for Optimal VSL Location Identification , Curt P. Harrington, Civil Engineering

A Real-time Signal Control System to Minimize Emissions at Isolated Intersections , Farnoush Khalighi, Civil Engineering

Structural Vulnerability Assessment of Bridge Piers in the Event of Barge Collision , David A. Ribbans, Civil Engineering

Towards Sustainable Roundabouts: An Evaluation of Driver Behavior, Emissions, and Safety , Derek Roach, Civil Engineering

Resilience of Transportation Infrastructure Systems to Climatic Extreme Events , Alexandra C. Testa, Civil Engineering

Theses from 2014 2014

Short and Long-term Performance of a Skewed Integral Abutment Prestressed Concrete Bridge , Rami Bahjat, Civil Engineering

Performance of Circular Reinforced Concrete Bridge Piers Subjected to Vehicular Collisions , Nevin L. Gomez, Civil Engineering

Field and Analytical Studies of the First Folded Plate Girder Bridge , Man Hou Sit, Civil Engineering

Theses from 2013 2013

The Effect of Roadside Elements on Driver Behavior and Run-Off-the-Road Crash Severity , Cole D. Fitzpatrick, Civil Engineering

Evaluating At-Grade Rail Crossing Safety along the Knowledge Corridor in Massachusetts , Timothy P. Horan, Civil Engineering

An Evaluation of Alternative Technologies to Estimate Travel Time on Rural Interstates , Qiao Li, Civil Engineering

Operational and Safety-based Analyses of Varied Toll Lane Configurations , Ian A. Mckinnon, Civil Engineering

Preferred Sensor Selection for Damage Estimation in Civil Structures , Matthew Styckiewicz, Civil Engineering

An Evaluation of Drivers’ Cell Phone Use Prevalence and Safety Related Impacts , Keith E. Wenners, Civil Engineering

Theses from 2012 2012

Probabilistic Analysis of Offshore Wind Turbine Soil-Structure Interaction , Wystan Carswell, Civil Engineering

Vehicle Miles Traveled (vmt) Fee Financing Alternatives: Lessons Learned and Future Opportunities , Ashley L. Costa, Civil Engineering

Evaluating and Modeling Traveler Response to Real-Time Information in the Pioneer Valley , Tyler De Ruiter, Civil Engineering

An Optimal Adaptive Routing Algorithm for Large-scale Stochastic Time-Dependent Networks , Jing Ding, Civil Engineering

A Quantitative Analysis of the Impacts from Selected Climate Variables Upon Traffic Safety in Massachusetts , Katrina M. Hecimovic, Civil Engineering

Automated Enforcement Using Dedicated Short Range Communication , Gilbert Kim, Civil Engineering

New Technologies in Short Span Bridges: A Study of Three Innovative Systems , Andrew Lahovich, Civil Engineering

Driver Dynamics and the Longitudinal Control Model , Gabriel G. Leiner, Civil Engineering

Interfacial Strength Between Prestressed Hollow Core Slabs and Cast-in-Place Concrete Toppings , Ryan M. Mones, Civil Engineering

User Equilibrium in a Disrupted Network with Real-Time Information and Heterogeneous Risk Attitude , Ryan J. Pothering, Civil Engineering

Spatial and Temporal Correlations of Freeway Link Speeds: An Empirical Study , Piotr J. Rachtan, Civil Engineering

Evaluation of Live-Load Distribution Factors (LLDFs) of Next Beam Bridges , Abhijeet Kumar Singh, Civil Engineering

Material Characterization and Computational Simulation of Steel Foam for Use in Structural Applications , Brooks H. Smith, Civil Engineering

Varied Applications of Work Zone Safety Analysis through the Investigation of Crash Data, Design, and Field Studies , Erica Swansen, Civil Engineering

Using Micro-Simulation Modeling to Evaluate Transit Signal Priority in Small-to-Medium Sized Urban Areas; Comparative Review of Vissim and S-Paramics Burlington, Vermont Case Study , Joseph C. Tyros, Civil Engineering

Theses from 2011 2011

Evaluating Alternative Toll-Based Financing Approaches: A Case Study of the Boston Metropolitan Area , Rosaria M. Berliner, Civil Engineering

Analysis of Measurement Errors Influence on the Quantitative and Qualitative Results of Car-Following Model Calibration , Mariya A. Maslova, Civil Engineering

Development of Anchorage System for Frp Strengthening Applications Using Integrated Frp Composite Anchors , Geoffrey N. Mcguirk, Civil Engineering

An Application of Spatially Based Crash Analyses and Road Safety Investigations to Increase Older Driver Safety , Deanna A. Peabody, Civil Engineering

Safety and Operational Assessment of Gap Acceptance Through Large-Scale Field Evaluation , Steven Maxwell Tupper, Civil Engineering

Theses from 2010 2010

Historic Bridge Evaluation Using Finite Element Techniques , Helena M. Charron, Civil Engineering

A Quantitative Analysis of the Impacts from Selected Variables Upon Safety Belt Usage in Massachusetts , Samuel W. Gregorio, Civil Engineering

Analysis of Curved Integral Abutment Bridges , Emre Kalayci, Civil Engineering

Material Characterization and Structural Response of Historic Truss Bridges , Sean L. Kelton, Civil Engineering

Earthquake Engineering Simulation with Flexible Cladding System , Jun Jie Li, Civil Engineering

Route Choice Behavior in Risky Networks with Real-Time Information , Michael D. Razo, Civil Engineering

Route Choice Behavior in a Driving Simulator With Real-time Information , Hengliang Tian, Civil Engineering

Investigation of the Behavior of Open Cell Aluminum Foam , Patrick J. Veale, Civil Engineering

Theses from 2009 2009

Computer-Assisted Emergency Evacuation Planning Using TransCAD: Case Studies in Western Massachusetts , Steven P. Andrews, Civil Engineering

Value of Traveler Information for Adaptive Routing in Stochastic Time-Dependent Networks , He Huang, Civil Engineering

Analytical Modeling of Tree Vibration Generated during Cutting Process , Payman Karvanirabori, Civil Engineering

Optimal Adaptive Departure Time Choices with Real-Time Traveler Information Considering Arrival Reliability , Xuan Lu, Civil Engineering

Seismic Energy Dissipation of Steel Buildings Using Engineered Cladding Systems , Quan Viet Nguyen, Civil Engineering

Developing an Evaluation Approach to Assess Large Scale Its Infrastructure Improvements: I-91 Project , Melissa Paciulli, Civil Engineering

Enhancing Concrete Barrier Reflectivity With A Focus On Recycled Glass Aggregate Replacement , Regina Shklyan, Civil Engineering

Theses from 2008 2008

Performance Evaluation Of Existing Steel And Concrete Girder Bridges Through Non-destructive Live-load Testing , Andrew E. Jeffrey, Civil Engineering

Evaluation of Traffic Simulation Models for Work Zones in the New England Area , Pothu Raju Khanta, Civil Engineering

The Application of Traffic Calming and Related Strategies in an Urban Environment , Stacy A. Metzger, Civil Engineering

Terrazzo Cracking: Causes and Remedies , Michael J. Mitchell III, Civil Engineering

Anchorage of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymers to Reinforced Concrete in Shear Applications , Carl W. Niemitz, Civil Engineering

Measurement and Computational Modeling of the Mechanical Properties of Parallel Strand Lumber , Russell S. Winans, Civil Engineering

An Evaluation of Simulation Models To Assess Travel Delay In Work Zones , Fan Wu, Civil Engineering

Theses from 2007 2007

An Analysis Of The Saftey Effects Of Crosswalks With In-pavement Warning Lights , George Gadiel, Civil Engineering

The Development of a Dynamic-Interactive-Vehicle Model for Modeling Traffic Beyond the Microscopic Level , Dwayne A. Henclewood, Civil Engineering

A Comparative Evaluation of Crash Data Quality Identification Methods , Arianna M. Mickee, Civil Engineering

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AUTOMATED ADAPTIVE HYPERPARAMETER TUNING FOR ENGINEERING DESIGN OPTIMIZATION WITH NEURAL NETWORK MODELS

Neural networks (NNs) effectively address the challenges of engineering design optimization by using data-driven models, thus reducing computational demands. However, their effectiveness depends heavily on hyperparameter optimization (HPO), which is a global optimization problem. While traditional HPO methods, such as manual, grid, and random search, are simple, they often fail to navigate the vast hyperparameter (HP) space efficiently. This work examines the effectiveness of integrating Bayesian optimization (BO) with multi-armed bandit (MAB) optimization for HPO in NNs. The thesis initially addresses HPO in one-shot sampling, where NNs are trained using datasets of varying sample sizes. It compares the performance of NNs optimized through traditional HPO techniques and a combination of BO and MAB optimization on the analytical Branin function and aerodynamic shape optimization (ASO) of an airfoil in transonic flow. Findings from the optimization of the Branin function indicate that the combined BO and MAB optimization approach leads to simpler NNs and reduces the sample size by approximately 10 to 20 compared to traditional HPO methods, all within half the time. This efficiency improvement is even more pronounced in ASO, where the BO and MAB optimization use about 100 fewer samples than the traditional methods to achieve the optimized airfoil design. The thesis then expands on adaptive HPOs within the framework of efficient global optimization (EGO) using a NN-based prediction and uncertainty (EGONN) algorithm. It employs the BO and MAB optimization for tuning HPs during sequential sampling, either every iteration (HPO-1itr) or every five iterations (HPO-5itr). These strategies are evaluated against the EGO as a benchmark method. Through experimentation with the analytical three-dimensional Hartmann function and ASO, assessing both comprehensive and selective tunable HP sets, the thesis contrasts adaptive HPO approaches with a static HPO method (HPO-static), which uses the initial HP settings throughout. Initially, a comprehensive set of the HPs is optimized and evaluated, followed by an examination of selectively chosen HPs. For the optimization of the three-dimensional Hartmann function, the adaptive HPO strategies surpass HPO-static in performance in both cases, achieving optimal convergence and sample efficiency comparable to EGO. In ASO, applying the adaptive HPO strategies reduces the baseline airfoil's drag coefficient to 123 drag counts (d.c.) for HPO-1itr and 120 d.c. for HPO-5itr when tuning the full set of the HPs. For a selected subset of the HPs, 123 d.c. and 121 d.c. are achieved by HPO-1itr and HPO-5itr, respectively, which are comparable to the minimum achieved by EGO. While the HPO-static method reduces the drag coefficient to 127 d.c. by tuning a subset of the HPs, which is a 15 d.c. reduction from its full set case, it falls short of the minimum of adaptive HPO strategies. Focusing on a subset of the HPs reduces time costs and enhances the convergence rate without sacrificing optimization efficiency. The time reduction is more significant with higher HPO frequencies as HPO-1itr cuts time by 66%, HPO-5itr by 38%, and HPO-static by 2%. However, HPO-5itr still requires 31% of the time needed by HPO-1itr for the full HP tuning and 56% for the subset HP tuning.

Degree Type

• Master of Science in Aeronautics and Astronautics
• Aeronautics and Astronautics

Campus location

• West Lafayette

Advisor/Supervisor/Committee Chair

Additional committee member 2, additional committee member 3, usage metrics.

• Aerospace engineering not elsewhere classified

Researchers at UC Davis and Oak Ridge National Laboratory Develop New Tool for Neuron Experiments 

• by College of Engineering Communications
• June 04, 2024

A collaboration between Adam Moulé , the Joe and Essie Smith Endowed Chair of Chemical Engineering at the University of California, Davis, former UC Davis Ph.D. student Daniel Vong, and Luke Daemen, a researcher at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, or ORNL, has resulted in rotating sample holder that enables new types of neuron experiments.   

The sample holder tumbles powdered photochemical materials within a neutron beamline. The rotating holder exposes more of the material to light for increased photoactivation and better photochemistry data capture. Conventional sample holders were unable to rotate, or tumble, powdered samples, which meant light could only reach and activate molecules on the sample’s surface, reducing the amount and quality of data that could be captured.   

The new sample holder has already enabled the first neutron scattering observations of an optically excited photon splitting into two particles  —  a process that could lead to increased solar energy conversion efficiency in photovoltaic devices, such as solar cells or solar panels, and industrial processes.   

Vong, the first author of the paper for this research , was a researcher in Moulé’s Renewable Energy Electronics Lab while pursuing his doctorate in materials science and engineering at UC Davis. He spent a year at ORNL collaborating with Daemon on developing the new sample environment based on Moulé’s ideas.   

Vong is now at Intel in Portland, Oregon, and Moulé and his lab group continue to collaborate with Daemon. They plan to do more experiments this year.   

“The collaboration was a win-win, demonstrating how the university and ORNL scientists can work together successfully,” said Moulé. “It was a great opportunity for one of our researchers to intern at ORNL, learning from an expert instrument scientist and having access to the resources needed to build such an innovative sample holder.”   

Read about the collaborative research at ORNL

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