{"id":32411,"date":"2025-05-23T13:15:18","date_gmt":"2025-05-23T20:15:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/?p=32411"},"modified":"2025-10-21T16:17:01","modified_gmt":"2025-10-21T23:17:01","slug":"student-research-and-capstone-projects-celebrated-in-annual-showcase","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/2025\/05\/23\/student-research-and-capstone-projects-celebrated-in-annual-showcase","title":{"rendered":"Student research and capstone projects celebrated in annual showcase\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

As the end of each spring quarter nears, opportunities abound for students to reflect on the knowledge and skills they\u2019ve gained over the course of the academic year \u2014 and to share that knowledge with others. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On May 13-15, the University of Washington Bothell hosted its third annual Student Academic Showcase to celebrate research and capstone projects from across the campus. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nearly 100 students, representing areas of study across all five schools at UW Bothell, presented projects that applied their education to finding innovative solutions to issues that impact society today. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oral and poster presentations covered topics from the effects of climate change to systemic inequalities, including \u201cDetecting self-harm ideation in social network platforms using AI\u201d to \u201cBlue vs. Red: A data-driven look at GDP across U.S. presidencies.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Left:
UW Bothell Chancellor Kristin G. Esterberg.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Improving access to heart monitoring<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Under the mentorship of Dr. Kaibao Nie, associate teaching professor in the School of STEM<\/a>, Melissa Gofredo, a senior majoring in Electrical Engineering, presented on her project, \u201cFingertip-based ECG monitoring device for convenient heart activity tracking.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her work aimed to create a more convenient monitoring device to record electrocardiogram signals. Currently, most patients must visit a hospital or medical office to get ECG testing, which creates an access barrier for many and can delay detection of cardiovascular diseases. By reading ECG signals from the user\u2019s fingertips, the new device could offer great benefits through its portability. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHopefully, in the future, this device could be available in grocery stores and pharmacies with the same kind of access that blood pressure monitors have today \u2014 perhaps even becoming available as an in-home device,\u201d Gofredo said. \u201cIt may not be as comprehensive as what hospitals offer, but it\u2019s a good first step and a more convenient approach to improving access for early detection of cardiovascular diseases.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gofredo focused on the coding and data input for the device as her part of the project. Looking forward, she said someday she wants to work in biomedical engineering to support the development of pediatric medical devices. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Right: Melissa Gofredo, Electrical Engineering senior.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Leading with inclusion in corporate culture<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As the current political climate continues to present challenges for diversity, equity and inclusion, research into the value of DEI initiatives is more important than ever. Business Administration senior Hannah Youn wanted to explore how gender diversity at the top can impact the success of an organization, so she focused her capstone project on \u201cLeading with inclusion: The impact of female managers on corporate culture and DEI commitments.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Under the mentorship of Daewoung “Joey” Choi, assistant professor in the School of Business<\/a>, Youn examined data on S&P 1500 firms from 2001 to 2013, with the objective of uncovering whether female CEOs fostered a more employee-oriented corporate culture. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI investigated the relationship between CEO gender and corporate commitments to employee relations, diversity and inclusion,\u201d Youn said. \u201cWhat I found is that female-led firms do score higher on employee relations metrics and sustain these gains even in downturns \u2014 signaling that diverse leadership enhances organizational resilience, stakeholder trust and socially responsible governance.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

These findings are particularly relevant today, she added, as DEI practices also face setbacks across all three branches of government. \u201cThe contradictions between proven benefits and declining investment in these practices underscores the stakes facing DEI today.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Passionate about both research and international business, Youn said she plans to become a college professor. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Right: Business Administration senior Hannah Youn.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Investigating perfectionism and self-compassion<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Dhishitha Madhavan, a senior majoring in Psychology, was taking a class with Dr. Jaki Yi, assistant professor in the School of Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences<\/a>, when she became interested in Yi\u2019s research on Asian American mental health. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAs an Asian American, I struggle with perfectionism, and seeing that as one of the topics professor Yi was working on made me really want to learn more,\u201d Madhavan said. \u201cI\u2019m interested in being a practicing psychologist, so I knew learning more about this issue could also allow me to help future patients who struggle with it as well.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the project, \u201cNavigating perfectionism and self-compassion: The role of cultural identity in Asian American mental health,\u201d Madhavan and Yi conducted 12 interviews with Asian American students at UW Bothell to record qualitative data about how they experience and navigate perfectionism in the context of cultural and societal expectations, as well as to what extent they used self-compassion as a coping mechanism. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pair discovered that self-compassion often emerged only after students were already experiencing some degree of burnout. In presenting this research at conferences, they also provided tips for encouraging self-compassion early on \u2014 including a bingo checklist of perfectionistic behaviors that invites people to consider how they would treat a friend experiencing those same behaviors. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat I hope people will take away from this is just the value of checking in with yourself and trying to develop a sense of self-compassion and modeling it for someone that you really care about,\u201d Madhavan said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Left: Dhishitha Madhavan, a senior majoring in Psychology.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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“What I hope people will take away from this is just the value of checking in with yourself and trying to develop a sense of self-compassion and modeling it for someone that you really care about.”<\/p>Dhishitha Madhavan, senior, Psychology <\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Celebrating student work<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

These projects are just a few of the many research and capstone projects UW Bothell students presented in the 2025 Student Academic Showcase. Some of the other presentations included: <\/p>\n\n\n\n