As Cannabis use is becoming more widespread there is growing concern regarding the respiratory exposures of employees working in indoor cannabis processing facilities. Employees in these occupational settings are frequently exposed to volatile organic compounds (VOCs), particulate matter (PM), other respiratory irritants, and allergic sensitizers. These exposures are linked to work related illness and disease, such as occupational asthma. Notably, a fatality, in 2022, in a Cannabis worker due to occupational asthma highlights the urgent need for improved exposure controls. Cannabis processing workers experience prolonged and frequent exposure via inhalation with little knowledge on the respiratory hazards of this work. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of a local exhaust ventilation (LEV) system to reduce exposure to airborne hazards during automated joint filling. Automated joint filling is a common process in Cannabis production facilities, using mechanized equipment pre-ground material is dispensed into pre-rolled cones. This method is preferred in the field as it increases both consistency and efficiency. Over a ~2-hour sampling period across eight batches of pre-rolled joints, we conducted gravimetric sampling for inhalable PM using two inhalable aerosol samplers (IOMs) positioned at the workbench and in the breathing zone. VOC exposure was assessed using thermal desorption tubes and photoionization detectors (PIDs), while continuous respirable PM concentrations were measured using a Nanozen DustCount monitor. Testing air concentration for PM and VOCs with and without the LEV mechanism is being conducted to determine its effectiveness at reducing exposure. We hypothesize that this may be an effective solution, as the LEV has controlled these agents significantly in other similar workplace settings. As this field grows due to recent state by state legalization of Cannabis, these findings hold great impact for workplace safety regulation and solutions. Additional research should be gathered on long-term exposure effects and preventive mechanisms.

Viral evolution theory hypothesizes that specialist strategies increase fitness by reducing interspecific competition, while generalist viruses increase fitness by accessing multiple hosts. However, specialism may come at the cost of infecting few hosts, while generalism may reduce fitness in any single host. These tradeoffs have been demonstrated in Infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV), an aquatic rhabdovirus infecting multiple salmonid species. High rates of viral replication have been observed for specialized subgroups in their respective hosts, while lower rates of replication across multiple hosts have been observed for the generalist subgroup. However, the host-virus mechanisms underlying these replicative differences are unknown. Here, I aim to characterize the early innate immune response of sockeye salmon, the ancestral host of IHNV, to specialist and generalist subgroups at target tissues. Specifically, I seek to test whether sockeye salmon display distinct transcriptomic responses to IHNV specialist and generalist subgroups in the kidney 2 days post-exposure (dpe). To accomplish this goal, RNA was extracted and sequenced from kidney tissue of individuals 2-dpe following exposure to specialist (n=9), generalist (n=9), or control (n=4) IHNV treatments. Overexpressed and underexpressed genes will be identified between each subgroup and control samples. These genes will then be used for pathway enrichment to compare differences in transcriptomic response. Replicative rates have shown a difference between specialist and generalist subgroups of IHNV 2-dpe in the kidney; therefore, we expect to observe differences in the number and magnitude of over- or underexpressed genes and enriched pathways between hosts exposed to specialist and generalist subgroups. Results from this study will aid in characterizing evolutionary mechanisms underlying viral specialism and generalism, understanding host innate immune response and evasion strategies, and identifying biological markers associated with response to viral exposure. This knowledge will be critical in predicting future disease outbreak and informing disease mitigation strategies.

Regulatory T cells (Tregs) play an integral role in self-tolerance and the preventing autoimmunity by suppressing the immune response. As such, inducing Treg expansion is a promising avenue for treating autoimmunity. Previous studies have shown that treatment with an interleukin-2 (IL-2) mutein Fc.Mut24 causes more robust Treg expansion than wildtype IL-2 and is effective at preventing autoimmunity in the non-obese diabetic (NOD) mouse model. In this study, we identified the synergistic roles of the T cell receptor (TCR) and IL-2 receptor in IL-2 Fc.Mut24-mediated Treg expansion, leading to the question of how TCR stimulation is affected during treatment. Classical dendritic cells (cDCs) present antigens to the TCR on Tregs, leading to an increased Treg population to suppress autoimmunity. This study aims to elucidate the role of interactions between Tregs and cDCs during IL-2 Fc.Mut24 treatment using in vivo mouse models. Through the uLIPSTIC (universal labelling immune partnerships by sortagging intracellular contacts) model, we reveal the effect of IL-2 Fc.Mut24 on the frequency of short-range and transient Treg/cDC interactions. Using Zbtb46-DtR bone marrow chimeras to deplete cDCs, we may begin to understand the extent to which cDCs are necessary for the robust Treg expansion typically seen during IL-2 Fc.Mut24 treatment. Preliminary results of cDC depletion do show reduced Treg expansion. We expect to find that IL-2 Fc.Mut24 promotes immunosuppressive Treg/cDC interactions in vivo, as indicated by increased frequency of interaction and cDC-dependent Treg expansion. The findings from this study will contribute to a greater understanding of how IL-2 mutein therapies mechanistically combat autoimmunity, potentially paving the way for identifying new applications to treat disease.

Westfield Southcenter Mall, located in Tukwila, Washington, is one of the largest malls in the nation, and like many malls, its aging retail spaces and surrounding strip malls are becoming less viable. With rising housing costs and a growing regional population, it is clear that spaces like Southcenter must be transformed into affordable, mixed-use districts that can provide housing, vibrant community spaces, and accessible transportation options. This project explores how Southcenter Mall can be redesigned using New Urbanist principles to foster a thriving community. Using site visits and global case studies of recent successful mall redevelopments, it analyzes the current shortcomings of Southcenter Mall and proposes a more successful mixed-use alternative. The final deliverables include a 3D model mock-up of a revitalized Southcenter that includes affordable housing, ground-level retail, and an overhauled transportation framework prioritizing pedestrians and cyclists.

Our goal is to establish water quality baselines and ongoing trends for streams and tributaries of two separate watersheds, both of which drain into Lake Washington through Lake Forest Park, a city in the northwest part of King County, WA. This project is the first intensive multiple-site survey of urban King County watersheds using certified Washington State Department of Ecology methods. In three teams of 4-5 college students, we conducted monthly field tests of 16 sites along tributaries and sub-basins of the McAleer Watershed, and of 6 sites within the Lyon Creek watershed. We used a YSI ProDSS multiprobe meter and a Hach DR 900 colorimeter to collect measurements of air and water temperature, water turbidity, conductivity, % oxygen saturation, dissolved oxygen, pH, total suspended solids, and nitrate and phosphate levels, used Coliform Bacteria R-Cards to measure the quantitative presence of water-borne E. coli. Analysis of these water quality indices for these sites over a 12-month period will allow us to evaluate the overall health of the greater watersheds, and possible causes of poor conditions. Our data will contribute to other conservation research efforts supporting urban watershed health. This work was undertaken as a research project by undergraduates participating in the Urban Stream Ecology Internship and Training (USE-IT) program, funded by a Seattle Waterworks grant to the Stewardship Stream Initiative (SSI), an initiative launched by the Lake Forest Park Stewardship Foundation in 2024.

South Thurston County's car-dependent and low-density built environment can affect the health and economic wellness of its residents. This research investigates the barriers that residents face in getting to work, their daily needs, and things-to-do. What are the best strategies to improve the built environment that provides access to employment, necessities, and entertainment for people in south Thurston County’s SR 507 and Old Highway 99 corridors? A process of observations, community surveys and interviews with government and other agency officials will allow for an understanding of current conditions in the study area, personal viewpoints of community members, and constraints that the government agencies and other organizations might face in making improvements. This project will include investigation into design, policy and economic practices. A free or low-cost guide that would allow rural governments to make economically smart design and planning changes, and help make towns more self-sustainable, will be created after understanding this research. As innovation in planning and re-urbanization occurs increasingly in the United States’ larger metropolitan areas, rural and tribal communities, too, deserve an opportunity at urban core making, simplifying the daily lives of its residents, and maintaining health and wellness for all.

This project examines how industries' return-to-work policies influence public transit ridership patterns across various business sectors in the Puget Sound area. By analyzing ORCA card data from local transit agencies and reviewing company policies, the research tracks the impact of policy on industry ridership trends from January 2018 to January 2025, spanning the pre-pandemic, pandemic, and post-pandemic periods. The findings provide insight into industry-specific ridership changes, revealing which industries in the Puget Sound area have experienced the most significant shifts in public transit ridership post-COVID-19, and how return-to-work policies may have influenced these changes. The results of this research can be used by public transit agencies to focus and adapt their strategies to engage low-ridership sectors. This work can also help advance equitable, sustainable, and resilient public transit systems, particularly in the context of evolving remote work policies.

Our cities and urban needs are constantly changing. The reasons are interdisciplinary and complex—everything from land price, regulation, and inflation contributes to what we build, affecting how we live. Nevertheless, the cold truth is we are not building enough housing, third spaces, and community areas for present and future needs. We need creative solutions to alleviate issue. One highly contested topic is the adaptive reuse of increasingly vacant buildings. There is much to consider when adaptively reusing buildings; even more difficult is finding the right candidates for conversion. Specifically, mid rise buildings are often ideal for adaptive reuse since they balance density and historic value while avoiding the extreme challenges of high-rise; focusing on adaptive reuse policy for mixed-use midrise buildings by analyzing state regulations will be my focus. Conversions are often hindered by restrictive zoning laws, outdated building codes and a lack of policies that support transformation. The challenge lies in identifying buildings for reuse and reforming policies to enable conversions while ensuring environmental, cultural, and social benefits. What are the opportunities and challenges in adaptive reuse, and what policies need to change to support it? In this research paper, I analyzed successful and unsuccessful adaptive reuse case studies and the policy failures preventing success. I conducted interviews with planners and architects to understand the opportunities and challenges of converting vacant spaces. These interviews informed a policy analysis targeting state legislation, identifying state laws, zoning, codes, and financial barriers that hinder adaptive reuse. I analyzed case studies, conducted expert interviews, and examined policies to identify barriers and solutions for adaptive reuse. The result is a checklist of keys needed to greenlight a project. Although location and municipal codes pose limitations, a checklist can help planners assess candidates for adaptive reuse, easing the process of determining feasibility.

Nightlife can drive economic development and cultural vibrancy in cities. Over the past 30 years, urban researchers and policymakers have increasingly recognized the untapped potential of after-dark activity. While promoting the nighttime economy can revitalize urban centers, it can also create conflicts between those who wish to work, party, and sleep. To help policymakers identify which nighttime areas to focus on, this research inventories Seattle businesses operating after dark, analyzes several factors impacting nighttime activity, and creates a series of maps illustrating the spatial and temporal dynamics of the nighttime economy in Downtown Seattle. By aligning with the existing Downtown Activation Plan, this research also supports initiatives aimed at making Downtown Seattle safer, more economically successful, and culturally vibrant.

The Adapting Ownership Project explores how informal placemaking processes in Seattle’s migrant communities help adapt generational relationships with land—specifically related to food and collaborative ownership—in a new environment. Through video documentation of local placemaking case studies, the project highlights gaps in formal design and policies governing public space use that hinder resettlement. Focusing on migrant communities from the Global South, particularly first-generation and working-class migrants, the research addresses the tension in adapting to new environments shaped by forced migration. The project examines how historical migration patterns, driven by labor opportunities and recent political and economic instability, have influenced the cultural and geographical landscape of Seattle. The subsequent transformations, such as restaurants, gardens, and public art, reflect the resilience of migrant communities. By using placemaking to redefine shared spaces, these communities adapt generational knowledge and practices, revealing shortcomings in formal policies. Video documentation serves as a tool to build empathy and challenge dominant narratives about marginalized groups.

This research examines the barriers to aging in place for older adults in Seattle and explores how community-focused housing solutions can address these challenges to support long-term stability and well-being. Situated within the context of affordable housing policy and aging equity, the study specifically addresses the displacement pressures influencing the housing needs of older adults in Seattle. The project investigates strategies for scaling community-based housing solutions to enhance housing stability and facilitate aging in place. The analysis integrates stakeholder interviews and qualitative conceptual content analysis of the collected data. Expected findings include policies that increase funding for senior-focused affordable housing, streamline review and application processes, and expand innovative housing strategies. The final report will present scenario-based solutions and strategies for aging in place, offering actionable policy recommendations and insights on expanding community-based housing models to address the unique challenges faced by older adults in Seattle. This work is significant as it tackles housing stability and displacement issues for older adults, proposing sustainable community-focused housing solutions to enhance equity and community resilience.

Self-organized criticality is the concept that certain systems naturally evolve to a critical point where one more incremental addition will cause the whole system to shift or reorganize. It is thought that many natural phenomena such as earthquakes, avalanches, and wildfires exhibit and can be explained according to this. The probability of a certain size event (“avalanche”) occurring can be described using the power-law distribution. Our work focused on finding the parameterizing exponent of this distribution. To accomplish this, we created computer simulations of Activated Random Walk (ARW) a probabilistic model that exhibits self-organized criticality and has good potential for universality. By finding the critical exponent in the power-law distribution describing ARW stabilization, we advance the understanding of self-organized criticality and add to a body of research which may improve our ability to predict disastrous events and their effects.

In mathematics, a symmetry of an object is an invertible mapping from the object to itself. In classical geometry, symmetries are described by group actions. However, group actions are not enough to capture all of the symmetries of some objects. In particular, algebras have symmetries given by Hopf actions of quantum groups called quantum symmetries. In this project, we aim to classify the quantum symmetries of gentle algebras given by Hopf actions of generalized Taft algebras. Path algebras are algebras associated to a directed graph. All finite dimensional algebras can be understood as quotients of path algebras including gentle algebras. The directed graphs associated with gentle algebras can be obtained by gluing copies of particular directed graphs with 1-4 edges. Our approach is to start by classifying Taft actions on these smaller directed graphs. Then, we will determine how these actions glue together to give us Taft actions on any gentle algebra. There is a known parametrization of Taft actions on path algebras, and this project is a step in generalizing this to Taft actions on any finite dimensional algebra.

Since 1950, there has been an exponential increase in the production of plastic from 2 million to 460 million metric tons produced per year. With this production also comes the exacerbated effects on climate change and health: 2.24 billion metric tons of carbon emitted annually, pollution of ecosystems, and degradation of plastics to microplastics that enter living organisms. There is a clear need to develop eco-friendly plastic alternatives. The Roumeli Research Group has previously observed the ability to form biodegradable plastics (bioplastics) from unprocessed biological matter (biomatter). More specifically, use of whole cells of microalgae spirulina can be processed using conventional plastic manufacturing techniques like hot pressing. My project focuses on understanding the changes in chemical and molecular properties of spirulina that occur during the biomatter to bioplastic transition as a function of processing conditions. I fabricated hundreds of dime-sized samples by hot pressing spirulina powder in customized molds under various temperatures, pressures, and periods of time. I also characterized these samples using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) to inspect the relationship between chemical bonds and spirulina morphology. I analyze these FTIR results in conjunction with creating and pressing samples of biomatter analogues to better understand spirulina’s complex structure. My efforts, along with other characterization techniques like hardness testing and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), will inform modifications of the processing design to obtain desired mechanical properties of the resulting spirulina bioplastic. These findings can be integrated into a machine learning model that concurrently analyzes multiple characterization results to identify trends in the data and further contribute to our understanding of structure as it relates to pressing conditions. 

This research explores the potential implementation of a docked micromobility parking system in Seattle, addressing the question: What would the implementation of a docked micromobility parking system in Seattle entail in terms of infrastructure, capital costs, and impact, and how might it contribute to challenges posed by the existing dockless system? The study evaluates how such a system might mitigate issues such as accessibility concerns, public space obstructions, and environmental inefficiencies stemming from the current dockless micromobility program. By analyzing case studies from cities with established docked systems and reviewing Seattle-specific permitting data, the research investigates the feasibility and benefits of integrating docking infrastructure. Preliminary findings suggest that while docked systems require significant capital investment, they can enhance compliance, reduce sidewalk clutter, and create equitable access to micromobility options. This study contributes to the broader discourse on sustainable urban transportation by proposing strategies to optimize micromobility systems for accessibility and environmental impact in Seattle's landscape.