I immersed myself in an exploration of character design for animation and gaming, with a central focus on meticulously crafting a chosen bipedal character in the 3D realm. Employing Autodesk Maya for precise modeling and unwrapping, along with Adobe Photoshop for intricate texturing, I breathed life into an illustrious fantasy monarch—a regal warrior of epic proportions. Adding a dynamic layer to this character's presence, I ventured into animation, further enhancing its allure. The journey traced the evolution from raw concepts to refined designs, culminating in the presentation of a comprehensive array of revised ideas and a complete 3D character turnaround. This endeavor revealed the profound influence of design elements—proportion, color, silhouette, and rendering style—in shaping the character's narrative resonance. Embracing the principles of character design and developmental pipelines, this project equipped me with the prowess to meticulously engineer animation-ready characters, thoughtfully tailored to a spectrum of artistic styles.

This research paper examines the issue of representation and inclusion in video game design using the framework of Universal Design. Focusing on the persistent challenges of cultural bias, stereotypes, and marginalization in the gaming industry, the study explores how Universal Design principles can bridge the representation gap and create more inclusive games. The paper analyzes the current state of misrepresentation, discusses the potential of Universal Design, and highlights the need for a transformative shift in game development to empower diverse audiences. By advocating for conscious and responsible game design, this research contributes to the broader conversation about Universal Design's role in fostering inclusivity in various domains.

The adaptive challenge of life extension involves exploring ways to extend the human lifespan and reverse ageing, which raises many ethical, social, and economic questions. The implications of life extension technologies are significant, including potential impacts on resource consumption, environmental sustainability, social stability, and advanced ethical thinking. This paper leverages the tools and techniques learned in class to explore the interconnections and trade-offs across various domains, including science, society, economics, and ethics. Ultimately we propose several interventions and discuss how to achieve better outcomes against this paradigm shift.

This project revolves around a comprehensive analysis and visualization of the global power generation landscape, with a focus on uncovering patterns and insights through data visualization. The core aim is to delve into how nations generate electricity in an environmentally sustainable and efficient manner. Of particular interest is the exploration of their reliance on carbon-emitting energy sources.

Leveraging publicly available data, the project constructs an interactive map on a global scale, showcasing the geographical distribution of power plants, their fuel types, and capacities. This endeavor utilizes diverse AWS services including Amazon S3, Amazon Glue, Amazon Athena, and QuickSight, culminating in a functional tool capable of delivering valuable insights.

The project unfolds through the following phases:

Data Collection and Configuration:

• Creation of an Amazon S3 repository titled "power-plants."
• Uploading a CSV-formatted dataset containing global power plant geocoordinates.

Data Preparation via Amazon Glue:

• Setting up an AWS Glue Crawler to organize data tables within the Glue Data Catalog.
• Tailoring the crawler to extract data from the specified S3 repository, encompassing all subfolders.
• Implementing security protocols and defining IAM roles pertinent to the Glue service.
• Executing the crawler to establish a data table within the AWS Data Catalog.

Data Refinement with Amazon DataBrew:

• Crafting an Amazon DataBrew project for dataset refinement.
• Devising a data cleaning recipe to standardize and cleanse data columns.
• Running a job guided by the cleaning recipe to produce a sanitized dataset.
• Iterating the crawler process to integrate the refined dataset into the AWS Data Catalog.

Data Querying via Amazon Athena:

• Employing Amazon Athena's Query Editor to execute SQL queries on the cleaned dataset.
• Extracting and structuring data in readiness for visualization.

Data Visualization using Amazon QuickSight:

• Establishing security measures and permissions for Amazon QuickSight.
• Forming a dataset within QuickSight using the Athena data source and the refined dataset.
• Capitalizing on QuickSight's "points on map" visualization feature to fashion an interactive map showcasing relevant information.

Outcomes and Insights:

• The interactive map serves as a conduit to unveil noteworthy trends in global power generation.
• Key observations encompass countries like China and India's dependence on coal, the prominence of coal and gas as primary energy sources, and the capacity-driven electricity production leadership of China and the US.
• The project underscores the environmental implications of specific energy choices, presenting a concrete real-world application for data visualization.