Research & Creative Projects – CONNECTED HUSKIES https://depts.washington.edu/uwbur Experiential Learning Opportunities Database Tue, 10 Feb 2026 00:34:26 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 Market Structure Evolution in the U.S. Automobile Industry (Business/CSS Research Project) https://depts.washington.edu/uwbur/listing/market-structure-evolution-in-the-u-s-automobile-industry-business-css-research-project/ Tue, 01 Apr 2025 17:00:02 +0000 https://depts.washington.edu/uwbur/?post_type=hp_listing&p=4558 Project Description: This study examines the evolution of market structure in the U.S. automobile industry from 1937 to the present, focusing on the application of diversity and concentration metrics. The automobile industry, characterized by significant consolidation and competitive shifts, presents a unique case for analyzing market dynamics through both established and emerging metrics. The key objectives of this research are to assess the changing concentration of market power, evaluate firm turnover, and identify patterns of industry stability and dynamism. We employ metrics such as the Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI) and Comprehensive Concentration Index (CCI), alongside a whole host of newer metrics from fields like ecology and genetics. By applying these metrics to study patterns over time, this paper aims to provide a understanding of market concentration, richness, and diversity in the U.S. automobile sector.

Keywords: U.S. automobile industry, market structure, diversity metrics, concentration, VISPUR framework, marketing analytics, ecology, market power, entropy, marketing analytics

Qualifications & Further Information: Dr. Balakrishnan is seeking up to two Computer Science students (or other students with programming knowledge and an interest in business/marketing research) to support a summer research project. This opportunity is unpaid, but students will be sponsored for the $1500 Summer Research Award and will also receive dedicated mentorship, support in exploring graduate study, and future letters of reference. Many of Dr. Balakrishnan’s research mentees have gone on to be accepted into highly competitive business schools and Ph.D. programs. The project described above is just one of several potential projects students may support. Interested applicants are welcome to reach out to Dr. Balakrishnan to learn about other opportunities.

Project Mentor: Dr. Balakrishan (sundar@uw.edu), School of Business

To apply, please email sundar@uw.edu with a brief description of your qualifications and your interest in the project. (You may find this UW Guide to Reaching out to a Mentor helpful.) You can learn more about the Summer Research Award here.

 

Schools or Related Disciplines:
Business
First Year and Pre-major Program (FYPP)
Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM)
STEM – Computing and Software Systems (CSS)

Category: Research and Creative Projects
Time: estimated hours per week is 1hr – 20hrs
Best for student levels: High school or any undergraduate students
Credit/Compensation Notes: This is a volunteer or unpaid position. Sometimes awards/stipends are available.

Go to project or opportunity website for more information

]]> Ultralight Connected and Automated Vehicles https://depts.washington.edu/uwbur/listing/ultralight-connected-and-automated-vehicles/ Thu, 27 Mar 2025 01:30:48 +0000 https://depts.washington.edu/uwbur/?post_type=hp_listing&p=4523 Electric cars produce no greenhouse gases, but they are not really sustainable. The average US car weighs 4000 pounds and the average American weighs 180. With average car occupancy of 1.5 people, most of the energy is moving the vehicle, not the person. Public transit has a similar vehicle to people weight ratio. When the vehicle weighs less than the riders, small batteries suffice and a new charging infrastructure is not needed. Energy consumed drops by an order of magnitude at the same speed.

UW Bothell has prototypes of ultra-light automated vehicles: two recumbent tricycles in the Embedded Systems Lab and a miniature ATV used by the Electronics club. These vehicles have been project platforms for over 100 students. Past projects have developed electric circuit boards, software, sensors and physical coupling. Students can contribute programming, electronic or mechanical design or web page enhancement. Participation can be capstone, independent study or volunteer. Future projects may cover:

  • Improvements to existing systems
  • Autonomous behavior.
  • Simulation and software regression testing
  • Visually guided lane following
  • Obstacle avoidance
  • Sophisticated control systems
  • Modular vehicles
  • Physical docking and undocking when moving

Contact: To apply, email Tyler Folsom at tfolsom@uw.edu.

Schools or Related Disciplines:
Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences (IAS)
Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM)
STEM – Computing and Software Systems (CSS)
STEM – Engineering and Mathematics
STEM – Physical Sciences

Category: Research and Creative Projects
Best for student levels (to apply and/or participate): Junior, Senior, post-Grad, Graduate level, or Alumni
Credit/Compensation Notes: Academic credit available. This is a volunteer or unpaid position

Contact: Tyler Folsom, Ph.D., tfolsom@uw.edu
Go to project or opportunity website for more information

]]> UW Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine (ISCRM) – UW Bothell Summer Research Program https://depts.washington.edu/uwbur/listing/uw-institute-for-stem-cell-and-regenerative-medicine-iscrm-uw-bothell-summer-research-program/ Sat, 01 Mar 2025 19:09:23 +0000 https://depts.washington.edu/uwbur/?post_type=hp_listing&p=4209 UW Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine (ISCRM) UW Bothell Undergraduate Summer Research program is a competitive fellowship intended to enhance the educational experience of an undergraduate student at UW Bothell while they are engaged in research guided by UW ISCRM faculty. We hope that with this research fellowship, a student may focus more attention and time, deepening their inquiry into a discipline and project with a reduced financial burden.  In 2025, three students will receive a $6,000 award to pursue research in a discipline pertaining to regenerative medicine.  The majority of previous fellows have received further funding (Mary Gates Scholarship, Washington Research Fellowship etc.) to continue their research.

ISCRM is located in Seattle’s South Lake Union.  Please go to this link to see the kinds of research that is done at ISCRM.  It is a phenomenal place—beautiful, state-of-the-art, filled with energetic, amazing, inspiring scientists.  Soon, you might be there too!!

Essential Eligibility Requirements:

  • Applicants must be matriculated UW Bothell undergraduate students registered full time, pursuing a bachelor’s degree. This fellowship is open to U.S. citizens, international students, and undocumented students.
  • Once awarded, recipients must be actively engaged in their research from June 16th – August 21st (40 hrs/wk) and remain full-time undergraduate students for at least one year after the award period.

Applicants do not need to be already engaged in research to be eligible to apply.

Timeline of Application Process:

  • Application call initiated Wednesday, March 5th.  Link to application.
  • Optional Zoom Q/A session at 7 pm on Wednesday, March 12th.  Zoom link.
  • Application deadline Sunday, March 30th.
  • First round candidates interviewed via Zoom April 3rd-5th.
  • Decision conveyed to candidates second or third  week in April.
  • Work in lab starts June 16th, and some communication with lab may start in late spring quarter.

In the news: Undergraduates invited to research stem cells

Schools or Related Disciplines:
Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM)
STEM – Biological Sciences

Category: Research and Creative Projects
Time: estimated hours per week is 30hrs +
Best for student levels (to apply and/or participate): Sophomore, Junior, Senior
Credit/Compensation Notes: A scholarship or stipend is usually provided for this program.

Contact: Bryan White, Ph.D., bdwhite@uw.edu
Go to project or opportunity website for more information

]]> Experimental Condensed Matter Physics https://depts.washington.edu/uwbur/listing/experimental-condensed-matter-physics/ Wed, 05 Feb 2025 17:59:43 +0000 https://depts.washington.edu/uwbur/?post_type=hp_listing&p=4460 Condensed Matter – experimental, specifically interested in studying the thermodynamics of gas adsorption on solid surfaces employing low temperature techniques to explore surface adsorption energy, surface phases and phase transitions. Such studies offer insight into gas-solid interaction in heterogeneous catalysis and gas physisorption/ chemisorption in solids. Of secondary interest is modeling gas-solid interaction using Zacros, a computational chemistry software.

Please contact me after you have completed sophomore physics courses (BPHYS231, 224) for all projects except those which involve electronic circuits and data acquisition.

If you are interested in building circuits and instruments, please contact when you are registered for analog and digital circuits (BPHYS431 and 432) courses.

E-mail: ramacs@uw.edu

Schools or Related Disciplines:
Physical Sciences

Category: Research and Creative Projects
Time: estimated hours per week is 1hr – 3hrs
Best for student levels (to apply and/or participate): Sophomore, Junior, Senior
Credit/Compensation Notes: Academic credit available.

Contact: Subramanian Ramachandran, Ph.D., ramacs@uw.edu
Go to project or opportunity website for more information

]]> Patient Resilience in ICU https://depts.washington.edu/uwbur/listing/patient-resilience-in-icu/ Wed, 20 Nov 2024 17:27:31 +0000 https://depts.washington.edu/uwbur/?post_type=hp_listing&p=4420 Chronic critical illness (CCI) refers to a state where ICU patients, after surviving a severe initial event, remain dependent on prolonged intensive care. Excluding severely injured patients, it is challenging to anticipate patient recovery in advance. This is mainly because the signals leading up to patient deterioration are quite weak. In this project we seek to overcome this limitation by combining machine learning and complex systems modeling. Using data from a Trauma ICU from an academic hospital, we model the patient as a complex adaptive system. By integrating machine learning models with complex systems perspective, patient resilience is measured via dynamic indicators of resilience, signals for critical slowing down are extracted to measure precursors of patient deterioration. We explore how taking a complex systems perspective has implications for our understanding of patient condition, possibilities of assessment and patient recovery.

I am looking for student (undergrads and graduate students) to be part of the project to explore resilience of patients in Trauma ICU settings.

Schools or Related Disciplines:
Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM)
STEM – Computing and Software Systems (CSS)

Category: Research and Creative Projects
Time: estimated hours per week is 4hrs – 15hrs
Credit/Compensation Notes: This is a volunteer or unpaid position

Contact: Muhammad Aurangzeb Ahmad, Ph.D., maahmad@uw.edu
Go to project or opportunity website for more information

]]> Agent-Based Computing https://depts.washington.edu/uwbur/listing/agent-based-computing/ Wed, 13 Sep 2023 22:19:00 +0000 https://depts.washington.edu/uwbur/listing/agent-based-computing/ Distributed System Laboratory (DSL) at the CSS Division in STEM School has been working on agent-based modeling (ABM) that observes emergent group behavior of many objects named agents, each with a little knowledge, (i.e., a few data members) and simple behaviors, (i.e., some methods). For instance, consider ants seeking food. While ants may randomly search for food first, once they found food, they emit pheromones on the route to the food, so that other ants follow this chemical to carry more food. DSL is applying ABM to two areas of study: (1) ABM micro-simulations and (2) data discovery using ABM. The former deals with not only ant simulation but also epidemic, traffic, and biological simulations. For instance, FluTE simulates a nationwide influenza epidemic by generating 280 million people agents, based on the 2000 US Census. MATSim simulates rush hours in a given metropolitan area by moving millions of vehicle agents. On the other hand, the latter tries to find some attributes of a big data set with biologically-inspired algorithms. For instance, the grasshopper optimization algorithm randomly populates grasshopper agents over a data set and lets them search for a maximum or a minimum data item rather than scan all data, where the grasshopper’s agents will be gradually getting closer to what they want to search in a swarm.

The problem in ABM is however to populate and simulate a million agents, which cannot be handled with only a single computer. DSL has been developing MASS: Multi-Agent Spatial Simulation library that executes ABM with multiple computers. MASS is now available in Java, C++, and CUDA languages. We are continuously enhancing the MASS library to cover more ABM micro-simulations as well as data science domains using ABM.

Given these activities, DSL is seeking new undergraduate students who can help us with one of the following projects:

  1. ABM micro-simulations: writing benchmark programs in C++ and/or CUDA to measure the programmability and the execution performance of the MASS C++ or MASS Java.
  2. Data discovery using ABM: developing data science applications with MASS Java to measure the programmability and the execution performance of MASS Java.
  3. The MASS library enhancement: working with our graduate students to hack the MASS library itself to improve the library.

Requirements: Fluent with Java (CSS143 completed) or C++ programming (CSS342 completed), commit to the project for two quarters, must register for CSS497 or CSS499. (If you have taken either CSS422, 430, 432, or 434, you’ll be able to jump on any of the projects DSL is suggesting, which are not mandatory qualifications, though.)

Attend weekly research group meetings. Present a 30-minute research work in DSL each quarter. Demonstrate software deliverables in DSL at the end of the quarter. Document the research outcome as a term paper.

Commitment: Minimum 2 Quarters.

 

Schools or Related Disciplines:
Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM)
STEM – Computing and Software Systems (CSS)

Category: Research and Creative Projects
Time: estimated hours per week is 1hr – 3hrs
Credit/Compensation Notes: This is a volunteer or unpaid position

Contact: Munehiro Fukuda, Ph.D., mfukuda@uw.edu
Go to project or opportunity website for more information

]]> Computational Molecular Design for Applications in Disease Treatment, Renewable Energy, and Countering Bioterrorism https://depts.washington.edu/uwbur/listing/computational-molecular-design-for-applications-in-disease-treatment-renewable-energy-and-countering-bioterrorism/ Wed, 13 Sep 2023 22:19:00 +0000 https://depts.washington.edu/uwbur/listing/computational-molecular-design-for-applications-in-disease-treatment-renewable-energy-and-countering-bioterrorism/ This research focuses on the application of molecular modeling to meet three pressing current needs: disease treatment, renewable energy, and countering bioterrorism. First, we seek to design therapeutic compounds to treat neglected tropical diseases, including tuberculosis and malaria, using computational screening of large compound libraries. Second, we are designing novel enzymes to catalyze the degradation of lignocellulose, an abundant plant material that is a precursor to biofuels. Third, we are discovering small molecules to inhibit high-priority pathogens that represent a significant bioterrorism threat, for instance, smallpox viruses. We are also designing protein receptors that detect and scavenge lethal nerve agents.

Project Goals: goals vary according to the subprojects outlined in the Project Description.

Disease Treatment: The research assistant will computationally discover a set of small, druglike lead compounds that have high-affinity binding to the active sites of key enzymes in Trypanosoma brucei (causative agent of sleeping sickness), in drug-resistant strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (causative agent of tuberculosis), or other pathogens of interest. Time permitting, these lead compounds will be optimized for greater potency.

Renewable Energy: The research assistant will computationally redesign microbial enzymes that catalyze the degradation of lignocellulose to bio-ethanol in order to thermostabilized the enzymes. Through thermostabilization, the enzymes will have longer half-lives and resist unfolding at high, industrially relevant temperatures.

Countering Bioterrorism: The research assistant will computationally design a set of small-molecule inhibitors of enzymes necessary for the reproduction of drug-resistant Yersinia pestis, Variola major, or Arenaviruses, Category A bioterrorism agents that cause plague, smallpox, and hemorrhagic fever, respectively. Alternatively, the research assistant will design a protein receptor that binds with high affinity to analogs of sarin, VX, or soman, which are lethal nerve agents. Designed proteins may be used for the detection and decontamination of nerve agents used as chemical weapons.

Student Outcomes: Students will gain experience in:

  1. performing molecular modeling to solve unmet challenges;
  2. searching and reading scientific literature;
  3. formulating hypotheses and devising research plans to test hypotheses;
  4. analyzing large data sets;
  5. determining whether obtained data support hypotheses;
  6. writing follow-up reports to serve as the basis for peer-reviewed research articles.

Requirements:

  • Required Coursework: Completion of two semesters of organic chemistry and one semester of physical chemistry (B CHEM 401); priority given to chemistry majors.
  • Recommended Coursework: Completion of the first semester of biochemistry.
  • Recommended Skills: Experience using the Linux operating system or ability to learn a basic set of Linux skills.
  • Recommended Interests (at least one): Interface between computing and biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, and basic chemical research, Application of modern computing power to solve problems in human health and/or energy, Molecular modeling, Biochemistry, Structural biology.

Run molecular design calculations on a local computer cluster, analyze and organize data, generate informative figures, and compile reports that can serve as the basis for peer-reviewed journal articles.

Schools or Related Disciplines:
Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM)
STEM – Computing and Software Systems (CSS)
STEM – Biological Sciences
STEM – Physical Sciences

Category: Research and Creative Projects
Time: estimated hours per week is 1hr – 3hrs
Credit/Compensation Notes: This is a volunteer or unpaid position

Contact: Peter C. Anderson, Ph.D., pca4@uw.edu
Go to project or opportunity website for more information

]]> Geography, Expertise and Competition https://depts.washington.edu/uwbur/listing/geography-expertise-and-competition/ Wed, 13 Sep 2023 22:19:00 +0000 https://depts.washington.edu/uwbur/listing/geography-expertise-and-competition/ How does geography affect the formation of professional expertise? How does expertise influence competition? Project goals: create a geographical atlas of auditing expertise in the U.S. and its effect on audit market competition, pricing, and quality.

Student Outcomes: Students will work closely with a senior professor on mapping the activities of U.S. auditing firms. Students will specifically learn to: Identify how geography affects business outcomes, identify business relationships and trends using Big Data methods, and create informative visuals based on quantitative dataRequirements: Interest in creating beautiful and informative visuals, interest in working with large and complex data sets, and having basic knowledge of statistical and graphical packages such as Stata, R, and Tableau.

The research assistant will help to: assemble complex data sets from multiple sources, map economic activity and competition using graphical tools, and create artistic visualizations that reveal how competition affects prices and quality.

Time Commitment: Flexible, based on student availability.

Schools or Related Disciplines:
Business

Category: Research and Creative Projects
Time: estimated hours per week is 1hr – 3hrs
Credit/Compensation Notes: This is a volunteer or unpaid position

Contact: Rajib Doogar, Ph.D., doogar@uw.edu
Go to project or opportunity website for more information

]]> Accelerated Degradation of Wax Binder with UV Oven https://depts.washington.edu/uwbur/listing/uv-oven/ Wed, 13 Sep 2023 19:03:00 +0000 https://depts.washington.edu/uwbur/listing/uv-oven/ UV Degradation Oven is used for simulating the natural UV radiation and temperature from the sun to accelerate the degradation process in natural and synthetic polymeric materials. To analyze the degradation results, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) is used to measure the absorbance of samples, which demonstrates the oxidation oven time by creating an absorbance vs wavenumber curve.

Goal: To mimic year 1 to year 7 (Graph 2) by exposing wax binder samples to the UV Oven at different periods.

Student Outcomes:

  • Accelerate UV degradation of a wax binder used in a polymeric granular composite.
  • Recognizing and interpreting trends in exposure times using FTIR testing.
  • Finding a comparison between accelerated time and real-time exposures.
  • Becoming familiar with materials testing, FTIR testing, and lab procedure.
  • The opportunity to coauthor a journal article given results.
  • Attend weekly research meetings at UWB and maintain the lab.
  • Perform materials testing with UV oven and FTIR
  • Conduct literature searches/assist with journal articles and technical reports

Other Contributors: Cham Hang Yeung, Undergrad, (jackyyeung3405@gmail.com), Brian Farkas, Undergrad, M.E (brian_farkas20@y ahoo.com), and Kaleb Dempsey, Undergrad, M.E (kalebDempsey@aol.com).

Schools or Related Disciplines:
Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM)
STEM – Engineering and Mathematics
STEM – Physical Sciences

Category: Research and Creative Projects
Time: estimated hours per week is 1hr – 3hrs
Credit/Compensation Notes: This is a volunteer or unpaid position

Contact: John Bridge, Ph.D, P.E., jwbridge@uw.edu
Go to project or opportunity website for more information

]]> Privacy in a Sensor-Rich World https://depts.washington.edu/uwbur/listing/privacy-in-a-sensor-rich-world/ Sat, 09 Sep 2023 17:16:00 +0000 https://depts.washington.edu/uwbur/listing/privacy-in-a-sensor-rich-world/ Ever-growing access to inexpensive, wireless camera technology presents people with an opportunity to record more of their lives than ever before. These devices have enabled us to stay more connected with friends and family, archive parts of our lives that might otherwise be forgotten, and help bring to light incidents of illegal and unethical activities; however, along with these opportunities come additional privacy risks that must be addressed. In the past few years, there have been numerous incidents reported where people have deployed hidden cameras or remotely compromised devices with existing cameras to spy on others. This project focuses on techniques that we have developed to detect hidden Wi-Fi cameras with mobile phones. Additionally, we are developing new systems in privacy-preserving video sharing and crowdsourced auditing of video databases. With this work, we are striving to create systems that enable the potential of pervasive technology while simultaneously limiting the privacy risks of that technology.

Student Outcomes: Students will gain a greater understanding of privacy, machine learning, mobile devices, and video processing.

Requirements: Self-motivation, programming knowledge (preferably Python), and knowledge of machine learning or mobile development are a plus.

  • Implement and test algorithms and protocols.
  • Perform extensive evaluation of security systems.
  • Contribute to the writing of papers reporting results.

Resources and additional content:

  • https://faculty.washington.edu/lagesse/publications/HiddenSensorDetection.pdf
  • https://faculty.washington.edu/lagesse/publications/SSO.pdf
  • https://faculty.washington.edu/lagesse/publications/DelayTolerantSSO.pdf
  • https://faculty.washington.edu/lagesse/publications/popshare-demo.pdf

Schools or Related Disciplines:
Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM)
STEM – Computing and Software Systems (CSS)

Category: Research and Creative Projects
Time: estimated hours per week is 4hrs – 9hrs
Credit/Compensation Notes: This is a volunteer or unpaid position

Contact: Brent Lagesse, Ph.D., lagesse@uw.edu
Go to project or opportunity website for more information

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