iSchool Capstone

2023

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HazingInfo.org: Bringing Transparency to Hazing Incidents in College Greek Life

Hazing is a widespread problem on college campuses that is amplified by a lack of access to transparent safety information. Developed in partnership with the Houtz/Martinez family, HazingInfo.org is a web application and database that addresses this issue by providing prospective Greek life students and their families with accessible safety information. Schools are assigned letter grades based on the data collected, allowing users to make educated decisions about joining Greek life. HazingInfo.org aims to inform prospective students and their families about Greek chapters, leading to a decrease in hazing incidents and a safer environment for all. One of two identical entries to include all students. See more project members.
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HEART

Despite its importance, creativity is often overlooked in society. Creativity promotes innovative solutions to complex problems and celebrates creatives in a variety of creative mediums. HEART is a platform that lowers the barrier of entry for anyone who wants to post and express their creative endeavors. Whether you're a seasoned artist or a beginner trying to explore your creativity, HEART welcomes you to share your work with the world. The heart of HEART is to bring people together.
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Hobbio: Bringing people together through the joy of hobbies

Hobbio is a free online platform dedicated to bringing people together from all walks of life through the joy of hobbies. With a variety of classes from a wide range of hobbies, we help connect you with certified teachers. Whether you’re interested in learning a new skill, exploring a passion, or simply connecting with like-minded individuals, we’ve got you covered. Starting a new hobby can be a difficult task as it often requires expensive equipment, pricey classes, and sometimes, lots of self-discipline. With Hobbio, we recognize these challenges and aim to alleviate them by promoting knowledge-sharing and fostering meaningful connections.
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How to Find the Right Capstone Sponsor: A Guide on Maintaining Sponsor Relationships and Communications (for the iSchool)

The information problem I addressed with my project was the difficulties surrounding UW students’ abilities to find a sponsor and maintain relationships with them throughout their Capstone. To solve the issue, I created a student-written Sponsor Handbook, which navigates students through the process of finding a sponsor, interviewing them, maintaining communication, and utilizing conflict resolution techniques in the event the relationship deteriorates. As a result, students now have a resource that expands on the iSchool’s current Capstone resources regarding sponsor relations. This project will give students more confidence while searching for a sponsor and ease their anxieties about Capstone.
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Howler: A Place That's Here to Hear Your Howl

University campuses across the nation find themselves in a mental health crisis and the University of Washington is no exception. With campus resources overburdened, our goal is to provide a resource which strengthens student resilience by positively affecting conversations about mental health. Howler is an anonymous online forum made just for UW students that allows them to safely and creatively express their experiences and find solidarity among their peers. Howler's diverse system of forums, or "packs," curates stories and reinforces community, and its multimedia storytelling supports connection and health coping processes.
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Hybrideation: Creative Solutions to Epic Problems

Our team was tasked with updating the Fortnite Creative Documentation and Unreal Editor Fortnite keyword taxonomy and processes to improve engagement, scope, and scalability. We evaluated the current documentation and gameplay to build our foundational knowledge of the issues in the space. Our next step involved interviewing team members to uncover areas of opportunity. We made changes to the current taxonomy based on feedback. Lastly, we developed a governance plan to create standards for maintaining and modifying the taxonomy as the space evolves. Our efforts will help onboard users, remove roadblocks, and increase the usability of the taxonomy.
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iConnect: Helping UW Students Build Connections With Alumni

Many college students have difficulties connecting with alumni of interest despite the current opportunities offered to them, but networking is crucial to college students’ success. Engaging with alumni allows students to access information and gain insights that help them pursue their academic and career goals. Our solution is iConnect, a simple web application that allows college students and alumni to engage with each other and find others they want to connect with. This project provides a platform for students and alumni to form relations with each other and expand their network while supporting their academic and career development.
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Implementing Change: A Cultural Humility Resource Guide for Health-related Programs and Services

Sponsored by the Network of the National Library of Medicine (NNLM), Region 5, this capstone project focused on developing a cultural humility resource guide for health-related library programs and services. Cultural humility is “a practice of self-reflection on how one’s own background and expectations impact a situation, of openness to others’ determining the relevance of their own identities to any given situation, and of committing to redress the effects of power imbalances” (American Library Association). Accessible through the NNLM’s curated digital resources collection, this guide supports the implementation of equitable and inclusive services for libraries and community-based organizations.
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Interactive Data Visualization for Distributed Acoustic Sensing

Geohazards in the Pacific Northwest cause significant annual financial losses. To address this, the University of Washington's Photonic Sensing Facility (PSF) collects seismic data using advanced Distributed Acoustic Sensing technology. Their primary objective is to develop a user-friendly web application for widespread data access and visualization. The target audience includes researchers, public scientists, geohazard enthusiasts, and educators. This initiative aims to enhance geohazard monitoring, mitigate risks, and promote knowledge sharing. PSF's efforts contribute to addressing the pressing issue of geohazards monitoring while facilitating collaboration and informed decision-making.
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iSchool Student Services: Automating Academic Advising with ISAAC

The iSchool Advising Team, along with other educational student services, encounter obstacles in delivering swift guidance due to outdated technologies and an ever-expanding student-to-adviser ratio. In response, we introduce ISAAC (Informatics Student Auto Advising Cyclopedia), an open-source information architecture that centralizes advising information. By incorporating advanced features like searchable indices and data analytics, ISAAC facilitates prompt assistance for basic student inquiries and enables advisers to prioritize complex student interactions. With its extensible nature, ISAAC revolutionizes advising with the potential to adapt to future student service requirements, guaranteeing enhanced efficiency and accessibility to advising information for everyone.