¡Dále! Inverted Exclamation D A(con tilde) L E Exclamation: A Solo Performance Through Mess and Joy

Thesis (Master's)--University of Washington, 2026Isa bursts into rooms with light and joy. Until she stops. Her sparkle is fizzling out. One day she decides to ¡Dále! Go ahead and bring the messy joy back into the room by leaving home and becoming a piñata. In a world where there is hardship, embracing our joy can bring us back to fondest memories of joy with loved ones. We can be connected by one goal, go after that joy from within. ¡Dále! Inverted Exclamation D A(con tilde) L E Exclamation: A Solo Performance Through Mess and Joy gives La Piñata permission. It gives her permission to arrive from a box, make a mess and share that with the audience. She searches for her family’s love and joy through Clowning. Within the audience her family is found. There is a realization that the joy from within La Piñata must be shared with everyone. Surrounded by entrails of streamers, papier-mâché and candy wrappers, she did it. She brought them joy. She created it. She also destroyed herself for them to experience it, but it is all worth it

Bridging the Housing Divide: Building an Equitable Recovery Ecosystem to Support Two-Parent Families in Recovery

Two-parent families affected by substance use disorder (SUD) face a critical and largely unaddressed gap in Washington State’s recovery landscape: the absence of integrated housing that allows parents to remain together while accessing structured supports. Existing systems prioritize individual-focused or single-caregiver models, often resulting in family separation, unsafe living conditions, or increased child welfare involvement. Guided by family systems theory and the socio-ecological model, this capstone examines how structural barriers such as housing instability, childcare shortages, financial strain, and systemic distrust undermine whole-family recovery. A community-based needs assessment revealed strong consensus that two-parent recovery housing is urgently needed and must include wraparound supports such as childcare, couples and family therapy, employment pathways, and coordinated system navigation. In response, this project proposes the Integrated Family Residential Model, a family-centered transitional housing program designed to strengthen recovery capital, preserve family unity, and promote long-term stability through comprehensive, relational, and community-based supports

Spatio-Temporal Statistical Inference for Human Mobility Using GPS Data

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Washington, 2026Understanding where individuals spend their time over space and time is a central question in the study of human mobility. The increasing availability of high-resolution GPS data provides unprecedented opportunities to address this question, but also poses substantial statistical challenges arising from measurement error, heterogeneous sampling frequencies, and complex temporal structure. This dissertation develops a unified spatio-temporal statistical framework for modeling and estimating interpretable summaries of long-term human mobility from GPS data. At the core of the framework is a stochastic representation of daily mobility patterns, in which GPS observations are viewed as noisy measurements of latent spatio-temporal movement processes. Within this data-generating view, key inferential targets are formulated as time-allocation functionals that quantify the proportion of time individuals spend in different spatial regions. Estimation procedures are constructed by combining time-weighted representations of observed locations with aggregation across days, yielding activity-related summaries with well-defined statistical properties. This approach shifts attention from trajectory reconstruction to the principled estimation of time allocation over space. The central inferential construct emerging from this modeling strategy is the activity space, defined as a time-weighted characterization of routine spatial behavior. Rather than treating movement paths as primary objects of analysis, activity spaces are derived as functionals of latent daily processes, allowing for coherent inference under realistic measurement conditions. The framework accommodates multiple spatial supports, including continuous domains, geometrically constrained environments, and aggregated regional contexts. The dissertation consists of three complementary main chapters. Chapter 2 establishes the foundational modeling and estimation framework for daily mobility processes and derives statistical properties for time-proportion estimators. Chapter 3 extends this framework to polygon-network representations, incorporating geometric constraints into both modeling and inference. Chapter 4 integrates the resulting mobility summaries into applied analysis, demonstrating how time-weighted activity measures can be combined with external spatial information to study contextual exposure in public health settings. Together, these contributions provide a coherent model-based approach to spatio-temporal inference on human mobility that links data generation, estimation, spatial representation, and scientific application within a unified statistical framework

Drug Combination Nanoparticles Carrying Gemcitabine and Paclitaxel: Formation Mechanism Influencing Pharmacokinetics, Drug Metabolism, and Efficacy in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Mouse Models

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Washington, 2026Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is one of the most aggressive subtypes of breast cancer and remains a major clinical challenge due to the absence of hormone receptors and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), rapid disease progression, and limited treatment options. Conventional combination chemotherapeutics are effective but limited by poor drug solubility, rapid systemic clearance, and a lack of synchronized delivery. Addressing these challenges requires an advanced drug delivery system capable of synchronizing the delivery of chemotherapeutics with diverse physicochemical properties to tumors in a long-acting and in vivo stable manner. To address this need, our research team developed a drug combination nanoparticle (DcNP) that enable the co-assembly of physicochemical diverse drugs, such as hydrophilic gemcitabine (G) and hydrophobic paclitaxel (T), into a nanoparticle, referred to as GT-in-DcNP. We previously demonstrated that one GT-in-DcNP composition achieves long-acting pharmacokinetics and synchronized delivery of both drugs in mouse models. However, the impact of the formation mechanism on in vivo pharmacokinetics (PK), metabolic protection of gemcitabine, and therapeutic efficacy across different GT-in-DcNP compositions remains unclear. To address these questions, various GT-in-DcNP compositions were designed and first characterized in vitro, where they exhibited comparable physicochemical properties. These formulations were subsequently evaluated for in vivo pharmacokinetics and therapeutic efficacy in both early- and late-stage TNBC mouse models. Mechanistic studies revealed that key preparation processes, such as controlled solvent removal, are essential for enabling short-acting gemcitabine to transition into a long-acting form in vivo. Using subcutaneous administration, a selected GT-in-DcNP composition effectively targeted lymphatic-vessel-rich 4T1 primary tumors in the mammary fat pads. GT-in-DcNP significantly increased tumor accumulation of both drugs, approximately 10-fold higher than that of the equivalent free-drug combination, resulting in primary tumor regression and restoration of mammary fat pad tissue. For systemic drug exposure, intravenous administration was employed to treat lung-metastatic tumor nodules in a 4T1-bearing mouse model. The PK behavior of multiple GT-in-DcNP compositions was first evaluated in healthy mice, confirming long-acting PK for both drugs across all formulations. In parallel, DcNP was shown to protect gemcitabine from rapid metabolism by cytidine deaminase, which likely contributes to its prolonged systemic exposure. This protective effect also enabled synchronized delivery of both drugs, with approximately 98% in vivo association efficiency of gemcitabine across compositions. Taken together, this dissertation elucidates the critical role of formulation mechanisms in enabling long-acting and synchronized delivery of physicochemical diverse drugs at various ratios using the DcNP platform, as demonstrated by GT-in-DcNP

Scan-to-BIM Process Framework for Energy Retrofits of Academic Facilities

Thesis (Master's)--University of Washington, 2026Aging academic buildings present significant challenges for operational energy retrofit planning due to incomplete documentation and evolving building conditions and the resource intensity of reconstructing reliable as-existing records. At the knowledge level, while scan-to-BIM research has advanced geometric reconstruction and automation, existing approaches have not been structured around the specific informational requirements of operational energy retrofit planning in institutional contexts, a gap this study addresses. The aim of this study is to develop and demonstrate a structured scan-to-BIM framework tailored to support operational energy retrofit planning in aging academic facilities. This aim is pursued through the following objectives: to identify limitations and challenges in existing scan-to-BIM approaches for energy retrofit contexts; to design an integrated framework; to implement it in a real-world case study and identify implementation challenges; and to evaluate its practical relevance through practitioner feedback. The central research question is: how should a scan-to-BIM workflow be structured to support operational energy retrofit planning in academic buildings? Using a Design Science Research methodology, this study develops a structured four-stage scan-to-BIM framework that integrates energy-oriented considerations from data acquisition through BIM model readiness. Framework development was informed by a structured literature review of scan-to-BIM technologies, BIM-based energy modeling, and operational energy retrofit practice in academic facilities. The framework was demonstrated through a case study implementation in a century-old academic facility using terrestrial laser scanning and BIM reconstruction. Implementation included structured acquisition planning, segmented point cloud processing, and development of an enclosure-consistent BIM model prepared for future energy attribute integration. The framework was then evaluated through semi-structured interviews with six facilities management professionals; interview data were analyzed using thematic analysis. To evaluate practical relevance, semi-structured interviews were conducted with six facilities management professionals. Thematic analysis revealed strong support for improved documentation reliability and retrofit scoping clarity, while highlighting concerns regarding modeling granularity and mechanical system representation. The findings suggest that aligning scan planning and BIM structuring with energy retrofit objectives can enhance decision-support capability within institutional contexts. Theoretically, this study contributes to the scan-to-BIM literature by repositioning operational energy retrofit requirements as a governing driver of workflow structure rather than a downstream consideration — an integration not previously formalized for academic facility contexts. While full energy simulation integration was beyond the scope of this study, the proposed framework establishes a structured foundation for energy-oriented scan-to-BIM workflows in academic facilities

Computational Investigation into the Multi-Axial Response of Quasi-Isotropic and Discontinuous Fiber Composites

Thesis (Master's)--University of Washington, 2026Discontinuous Fiber Composites (DFCs) have surfaced as a feasible substitute fortraditional continuous fiber laminates owing to their superior manufacturability, geo- metric adaptability, low production costs and suitability for high-volume production. Their platelet-based stochastic meso-structure facilitates the formation of intricate shapes while preserving advantageous mechanical properties. The unpredictability in platelet orientation and distribution results in variations in strength, stiffness and fracture characteristics. Despite extensive research aimed at characterizing the ten- sile and shear fracture responses of DFC coupons, most investigations are limited to uniaxial loading conditions. In actual structural components, composite materials are rarely exposed to pure tension or pure shear forces. Brackets, joints, stiffened panels, and molded automotive and aerospace components undergo combined tension-shear loading, with the inter- play of normal and shear loads determining the onset and progression of damage. In multi-axial stress states, fiber-matrix interactions and gradual stiffness degradation are pivotal in the progression of failure. Current strength assessment methods that concentrate exclusively on tensile or shear properties are inadequate for capturing the coupled stress interactions and the nonlinear structural response. his study conducts a computational analysis of the multi-axial behavior of Quasi- Isotropic (QI) continuous fiber and Discontinuous Fiber Composite notched coupons under combined loading circumstances. Experimental data acquired by an Arcan fixture are utilized to determine stress envelopes, load–displacement responses and energy dissipation patterns under different ratios of normal and shear stress. A fi- nite element framework is established in Abaqus/Explicit utilizing the integrated Hashin failure criteria to represent fiber and matrix failure processes. The formula- tion includes damage initiation based on discrete failure modes and gradual stiffness degradation to model failure development in notched specimens under various loading angles. The suggested framework enhances traditional uniaxial composite characterisa- tion by advancing to a comprehensive multi-axial damage evaluation. The model- ing approach facilitates the capture of advanced composite failure mechanisms, such as matrix splitting and distributed fracture processes in QI laminates, along with platelet-driven damage in DFC systems

3D Chitosan-Based Microenvironments to Regulate Cellular Fate For Tissue Engineering and Drug Screening Applications

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Washington, 2026Conventional two-dimensional (2D) cell culture systems fail to recapitulate the spatial organization, mechanical cues, and biochemical complexity of native tissues, limiting their predictive value in disease modeling, drug discovery, and regenerative medicine. Although three-dimensional (3D) culture platforms improve physiological relevance, widely used matrices such as Matrigel remain xenogeneic, compositionally undefined, mechanically unstable, and poorly suited for scalable manufacturing or clinical translation. These limitations underscore the need for tunable, xeno-free biomaterial systems capable of not only supporting cells structurally but actively regulating cellular plasticity and tissue morphogenesis.This dissertation advances a microenvironment engineering strategy based on tunable 3D chitosan-based porous scaffolds designed to function as active regulators of cell fate. Cellular plasticity—the ability of cells to alter phenotype, transcriptional programs, or lineage identity in response to environmental cues—plays a central role in cancer progression, stem cell reprogramming, and tissue development. The central hypothesis of this work is that precisely engineered 3D scaffold architectures can modulate mechanical, spatial, and biochemical signals to control cellular state transitions while maintaining translational feasibility. To establish this framework, freeze-drying–based fabrication strategies were systematically investigated to define how processing parameters—including polymer concentration, solution depth, mold geometry, freezing temperature, freezing direction, and cooling rate—govern pore size, anisotropy, and mechanical properties. By linking thermal gradients and ice crystal dynamics to scaffold microstructure, an integrated design framework was developed to enable predictable customization of 3D microenvironments tailored to specific biological applications. Building on this architectural foundation, three major applications were pursued. First, tunable chitosan–hyaluronic acid porous scaffolds were developed as high-throughput platforms for glioblastoma modeling and drug screening. Controlled modulation of pore size and structural organization revealed that scaffold architecture regulates tumor cell morphology, gene expression, phenotypic heterogeneity, and therapeutic response, demonstrating that 3D microenvironmental cues directly influence cancer cell plasticity. Second, a virus-free nanoparticle–scaffold system was engineered by integrating polymeric gene delivery nanoparticles with a 3D chitosan microenvironment. This platform significantly enhanced human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) reprogramming efficiency and enabled a continuous, selection-free workflow. Transcriptomic analyses revealed that 3D scaffold culture reshapes transcriptional programs by suppressing inflammatory and extracellular matrix–associated pathways while promoting chromatin remodeling and pluripotency networks, thereby facilitating controlled cell-state transitions and improving reprogramming stability. Third, a xeno-free chitosan–alginate scaffold was developed to support hiPSC-derived epithelial–mesenchymal recombination for dental organoid formation and early tooth regeneration. The scaffold enabled coordinated epithelial–mesenchymal interactions, progressive odontogenic differentiation, and mineralized matrix deposition in vitro. Following orthotopic implantation, cell-laden scaffolds supported early tooth-like tissue organization and localized mineral formation, demonstrating the potential of engineered 3D scaffolds to guide hard tissue morphogenesis. Collectively, this work establishes design principles for engineering 3D porous scaffolds as active regulators of cellular plasticity across disease modeling, cell reprogramming, and regenerative tissue formation. By integrating scaffold architecture control, gene delivery technologies, and organoid-based regeneration within a unified microenvironment engineering framework, this dissertation provides a translationally relevant strategy for next-generation biomaterial platforms in biomedical engineering

A multi-methods implementation research evaluation of a program scale cluster randomized trial to improve integration of HIV prevention and treatment services in family planning clinics in Kenya

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Washington, 2026Funding cuts to the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) undermine the global HIV response and threaten harm reduction efforts across low-and middle-income countries (LMICs). In the current geopolitical and funding landscape, the urgency of integrating HIV services within broader health systems is greater than ever to sustain hard-won gains. Integrating HIV prevention and treatment services into family planning (FP) clinics offers a promising strategy to address HIV and unwanted pregnancy simultaneously while supporting the UNAIDS 95-95-95 targets for testing, treatment, and prevention. However, evidence on how best to integrate these two services in LMICs remains limited. The FP HIV SCALE study is a hybrid type II effectiveness-implementation trial that evaluates the effectiveness of the Systems Analysis and Improvement Approach (SAIA) as an implementation strategy to increase the integration of HIV prevention and treatment services at program scale in FP clinics when implemented by the Mombasa County public health workforce in Kenya. The work described in this dissertation is nested within the FP HIV SCALE study. We applied a combination of multi-method analytical approaches, including linear regression models, mixed-methods studies, and a rigorous configurational comparative method called coincidence analysis (CNA) to conduct an implementation evaluation for the FP HIV SCALE study. The primary aims were to: 1) evaluate associations between organizational readiness for change, organizational climate, and successful integration of HIV counseling, HIV testing, screening and linkage for PrEP, and linkage to HIV care in FP clinics; 2) evaluate implementation outcomes of acceptability, appropriateness, and feasibility from healthcare workers’ perspectives of using a modified national register (research record) to document programmatic integrated FP/HIV performance data; and 3) define the difference-makers of SAIA micro-interventions that are necessary or sufficient for the successful integration of HIV counseling and testing in FP clinics. In the first aim, we did not observe associations between organizational readiness, organizational climate metrics, and clinical outcomes for integrated HIV services. We identified organizational climate metrics that are important predictors of readiness for change. For both FP clinic staff and clinic managers, upward communication and innovation/flexibility metrics were predictive of organizational readiness. Furthermore, clinic managers’ perceptions of management support and commitment to the facility were strongly associated with organizational readiness. The second aim used a convergent mixed-methods approach to evaluate the research record, applying the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) to assess outcomes of acceptability, appropriateness, and feasibility from Proctor’s Implementation Outcomes Framework. Family planning clinic staff and managers in intervention and control clinics found the research record highly acceptable, appropriate, and feasible for documenting integrated outcomes in a single place. Finally, the third aim on CNA identified difference-makers of SAIA micro-intervention categories that resulted in achieving success of integrated HIV counseling and testing in FP clinics. For HIV counseling, three candidate models each with three pathways were identified. A sufficiency model with three pathways was identified as the best because of its high coverage scores compared to the other two models. The patient education category of micro-interventions was a sufficient condition for achieving the outcome. The other two pathways represented the data quality category bundled with either the training category or the external support category of micro-interventions. For HIV testing, we identified a single model consisting of two pathways. The training category of micro-interventions alone was sufficient for producing the outcome, and a second pathway was a conjunct of patient education and data quality micro-interventions. This dissertation offers novel insights that are broadly relevant in the field of implementation research, as well as a roadmap for integrating HIV prevention and treatment services into FP clinics. By applying implementation science to real-world scale-up efforts, this work helps bridge the “know-do gap” in integrating health services. These findings deepen our understanding of how we and others have hypothesized the relationship between readiness and clinical outcomes while also highlighting potential gaps in measurement, the practical tools essential for integration, and the optimal combination of factors that drive success of integrated outcomes. Collectively, these findings offer important lessons for LMICs and provide actionable insights for researchers and policymakers working to advance the integration of HIV and FP services globally

“Our Life is a Movie”: The Portrayal of Iraqi Intergenerational Trauma In Mohamed Al-Daradji’s Films

Bachelor of Arts (BA)This presentation will examine the representation of Iraqi generational trauma in film. Particularly, it will focus on films directed by Mohamed Al-Daradji, an Iraqi director who creates films focusing on political issues in Iraq and how they impact individuals and interpersonal relationships. This is an important topic because Iraq has gone through various political and social challenges throughout history, and in a way, it still is. Those events have caused trauma among its citizens, and this trauma can be transmitted down to younger generations through epigenetics, parenting styles, and systemic injustices. Furthermore, trauma has been associated with “loss of language” and silence; thus, many cultures that experience trauma tend not to discuss it or try to heal from it. Therefore, films can be a powerful mode of processing the traumatic events and the traumatic cycles that were passed down through generations. This topic is great for this year’s themes of the Western Regional Honors Council since it analyzes the global issue of generational trauma and focuses on a country outside of the United States to do so. Therefore, this research will analyze this global issue and possibly how the findings may apply to other populations around the globe. Three of Al-Daradji’s films will be analyzed: Ahlaam (2005); War, Love, God, & Madness (2008),and Son of Babylon (2009). To analyze the films, a psychological criticism approach to content analysis will be used, wherein the characters are treated as simulated humans with their own psychological dimensions (Ryan & Lenos, 2020). The presentation will also use an interdisciplinary approach to examine the interdependencies in various systems, including political, social, cultural, and economic systems. The project may produce recommendations about the use of film to heal from generational trauma and process traumatic political events among communities that experienced them

Health in a Changing Environment: Impacts and Adaptation in the WWAMI Region

Climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of climate-sensitive hazards, such as wildfire smoke and extreme heat. Climate-sensitive hazards pose an urgent threat to population health and require a coordinated response from the public health and healthcare systems. The University of Washington REACH Center’s Community EngagementCore (CEC) hosted a virtual symposium on July 30, 2025, to discuss climate-sensitive hazards, disproportionately impacted populations, risk reduction strategies, facilitators and barriers of those strategies, and next steps. The Health in a Changing Environment symposium convened 29 clinical practitioners, public health practitioners, and researchers from across five Western US states