Nyu Abu Dhabi Class of 2019 Capstone Projects
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NYU ABU DHABI CLASS OF 2019 CAPSTONE PROJECTS NYU ABU DHABI 1 2 CAPSTONE PROJECT 2019 CLASS OF 2019 CAPSTONE PROJECT FOREWORD 2 THE FILM 3 ARTS AND HUMANITIES 4 ARAB CROSSROADS ART AND ART HISTORY FILM AND NEW MEDIA HISTORY LITERATURE AND CREATIVE WRITING MUSIC THEATER ENGINEERING 14 CIVIL ENGINEERING COMPUTER ENGINEERING ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING MECHANICAL ENGINEERING SCIENCE AND MATHS 20 BIOLOGY CHEMISTRY COMPUTER SCIENCE MATHEMATICS PHYSICS PSYCHOLOGY SOCIAL SCIENCE 36 ECONOMICS ECONOMICS AND MATHEMATICS ECONOMICS AND POLITICAL SCIENCE ECONOMICS AND FINANCE POLITICAL SCIENCE SOCIAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC POLICY NYU ABU DHABI 1 FOREWORD The Capstone Project is one of the culminating ex- arship and creative accomplishments, leading the periences for all students at NYU Abu Dhabi. This students that have completed them to obtain great yearlong endeavor engages students first-hand in academic distinctions, such as winning prestigious the discovery and production of knowledge, result- awards and prizes, including the Rhodes Scholar- ing in a deep intellectual experience. As the final ship, as well as opening doors to the finest grad- step before graduating from NYU Abu Dhabi, no uate programs and job opportunities in the world. other project better embodies our conviction that significant research and original creative works are As a companion to this anthology, Alexis Gambis — essential elements of the highest quality undergrad- NYUAD professor, filmmaker, and biologist — has uate education. produced a short film entitled The Capstone Project (2019). The cumulative effect of the film is a striking This publication presents an anthology of abstracts testament to the prolific talent, extraordinary ingenu- from Capstone projects across the university’s ac- ity, and powerful creativity that distinguish our stu- ademic majors, spanning the arts, engineering, dents. In the years to come, this anthology and the humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences. companion film will serve as an archive of the Cap- The resulting projects highlight the formidable stone project and a reminder of an extraordinary class intellectual insights and creative accomplishments that has undergone intellectual growth and ethical of an extraordinary cohort of international students maturation, and forged lifelong values and friendships from more than 75 countries. during these formative years at NYU Abu Dhabi. NYUAD students demonstrate a rare combination As this undergraduate chapter draws to a close, of global perspective and international diversity in we take this moment in the academic career of the addition to traditional analytical prowess and intel- Class of 2019 to celebrate their pioneering intel- lectual fortitude. Through sustained critical inquiry, lectual accomplishments — and to recognize their intensive research and creative activity, they pose incredible potential to contribute to Abu Dhabi novel questions, identify key trends, offer solutions and the world. to real-world problems, and grow in ways that will prepare them for the next chapter of their lives. Fabio Piano These projects include examples of the finest schol- Provost, NYU Abu Dhabi 2 CAPSTONE PROJECT 2019 THE FILM The Capstone Project (2019) Alexis Gambis The Capstone Project attempts to distill the essence of a yearlong intellectual endeavor into a mosaic illustrating the rich diversity of ideas and nationalities that make up the fabric of NYU Abu Dhabi. To celebrate the end of their undergraduate careers, members of the Class of 2019 summarize their creative and intellectual discoveries on camera. Each student explains his or her Capstone project in just 10 seconds while standing in front of a green screen constructed from an image, video, or keyword related to their project. The film is directed by Alexis Gambis, assistant professor of biology, film and new media, and science. Alexis Gambis NYUNYU ABU ABU DHABI DHABI 3 ARTS AND HUMANITIES of "agency vs choice" in the subjects' stories. The photo- ARAB CROSSROADS graphic series is printed on fabric and embroidered with traditional Moroccan Akeeka which is a form of embroidery Carl Alexander Burlin that originates in the city of Marrakech. For my Capstone "A New Paradigm" for Syrian Refugees?: I traveled to Morocco and befriended members of the tex- Development, Displacement Management tile workforce. I documented individual interviews through and (Dis-)Empowerment in Jordan videos and photographs. I connected with a national law- yer who specializes in women and children, and went on This paper researches the intersection of security politics, visits to numerous women and children organizations development, and humanitarianism in the context of the where I learned about the issues that most affect them. Syrian refugee crisis in Jordan. In doing so, it traces how The organizations work to ensure the safety of the work the strategic response to the Syria crisis transformed from environments. The artisan masters offered work samples a short-term humanitarian mission focusing on emergen- and brochures which I will incorporate in my gallery. My cy relief, to a long-term development enterprise centering Capstone idea is inspired by the Moroccan labor march macroeconomic interventions, empowerment programs, which happened in Rabat and refugee integration. Based on fieldwork conducted in Jordan over the summer of 2018, as well as a close read- ing of NGO reports and policy documents, I argue that the turn to development planning has failed to address the Sarah Al Mehairi specific challenges of the refugee crisis in Jordan. As a Between "globalised blueprint" of displacement management, the new policy framework attempts to tackle complex social, memories in the physical political and economic issues with simple, technical and a root to be revived generalizing development interventions. In doing so, it has color is colorless not only been unable to fulfill its macroeconomic targets of when there is no mass strengthening the Jordanian economy, but also its human- Between is an exhibition of mixed media works exploring itarian goal of empowering the Syrian refugee community. themes of memory and location, as well as the playfulness and joy of working with color, form, and materiality. Con- sisting of both narrative and abstract work, a dialogue is David Curcubet created between past and present. From drawing upon childhood memories in Tennessee to experimenting with Student Politics in the Cold War Era systems of color, Al Mehairi translates textures, gestures, European Kurdish Diaspora and fragments across different materials.Between is an ex- ploration of personal identity and of being an artist, while The project studies the overlap of left-wing and national- seeking to understand the ‘betweenness’ amidst it all. The ist ideology production by the Kurdish Student Society in exhibition creates connections, plays with language, and Europe from the late 1950s to the early 1980s. While using draws upon the process. left-wing politics to advance one's nationalist aspirations was not unique in that time period, the case of the Kurdish diaspora is understudied. The intervention of this project is an analysis of the ideology production of the KSSE in Maha Al Yousefi the Kurdish diaspora in conversation with the broader dias- Nafseeya pora, Kurds in the homeland, European governments and international organizations, and global leftist movements. The exhibition Nafseeya explores the stigma of mental ill- ness and the effects of this nature in the Arab world. It is dedicated to those who have been misunderstood and have suffered in silence. It is a testament to the bravery, ART AND ART HISTORY wisdom, and resilience of people who have come forward to share their experiences, despite the social pressure to Hajer Al Mansouri maintain an "unstained reputation." In this space where we The Breadwinner are supported, lifted, and gifted each other's stories, we no longer stand alone. My Capstone project is a documentary photography se- ries revolving around artisan work and labor conditions in contemporary Morocco. It features numerous conditions in which women, children, people with special needs, and the elderly live and work. The project highlights complications 4 CAPSTONE PROJECT 2019 Don Cho María Laura Mirabelli Unrealized Dreams Espantos I build objects that poetically float and surround a cen- In Costa Rican folklore, espantos are specters whose pres- terpiece, which is incomplete and unrealized. If there is ence incites terror, doomed for eternity to warn humans anything I could write to sway the audience with words, about the consequences of defying the laws of good be- it is this: The works convey a feeling embedded in failure, havior. In a world plagued by conflict, violence, and envi- a source of nostalgia and desolation. But audiences are ronmental destruction, Costa Rica often stands out as a those who see, and few hear the whispers of disquiet. Can peaceful haven of natural beauty and tranquility. Yet es- someone be blind and alone? A feast of silent gathering, a pantos roam the country's rolling hills and sandy beaches, subliminal space of unrealized dreams, and an agora with evidences of a rottenness that coexists with the idyll, not figures suspended between the sky and earth–these are a necessarily hidden but often camouflaged. Locals acknowl- few modes of expression constituting the whole. A multi- edge and fear them. Outsiders tend to ignore them until media installation where the composites yearn for meaning the consequences are too obvious to overlook. My work in what is a rubbish heap. explores these new ghosts for the contemporary moment through the same lens that would traditionally exploit the paradisiacal image of Costa Rica for the enjoyment of for- Shenuka Corea eigners and the benefit of locals... But for how long can this ideal image last when apparitions lurk in the dark? Manthiram Manthiram is a series of vignettes of the Mannar pearl fish- eries off the coast of Sri Lanka. The graphic novel explores Metha Naser humanity's enchantment with the sea and all its contents, رثن and the enchantments with which we attempt to commune Nathir with it.