UWSpace

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Recent Submissions

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    GASTON: Graph-Aware Social Transformer for Online Networks
    (University of Waterloo, 2026-01-16) Wloch, Olha
    Online communities have become essential digital third places for socialization and support, yet they also possess toxicity, echo chambers, and misinformation. Mitigating these harms requires computational models that can understand the nuance of online interactions to accurately detect harmful content such as toxicity and norm violation. This is difficult because the meaning of an individual post is rarely self-contained; it is dynamically constructed through the interplay of what is written (textual content) and where it is posted (social structure). We require models that effectively fuse these two signals to generate representations for online entities such as posts, users, and communities. Current approaches often treat these different signals in isolation: text-only models analyze content but miss the local social norms that define acceptable behavior, while structure-only models map relationships but ignore the semantic content of discussions. Recent hybrid approaches attempt to bridge this gap but some rely on simple text averaging mechanisms to represent a user and a community, and in so doing flatten the rich, norm-defining identity. To address this limitation, this thesis proposes GASTON (Graph-Aware Social Transformer for Online Networks), a graph learning framework designed to capture the essence of online social networks. It does so by modeling connections between all online entities, such as users, communities, and text. This makes it possible to ground user and text representations in their local norms, providing the necessary context to accurately classify behaviour in downstream tasks. The heart of our solution is a contrastive initialization strategy which pre-trains community representations based on user membership patterns, effectively capturing the unique signature of a community's user base before the model processes any text. This allows GASTON to distinguish between communities (e.g., a support group vs. a hate group) based on who interacts there, even if they share similar vocabulary. We evaluate GASTON across a diverse set of socially-aware downstream tasks, including mental health stress detection, toxicity scoring, and norm violation detection. Our experiments demonstrate that GASTON outperforms state-of-the-art baselines, particularly in tasks where social context is critical for classification, such as detecting norm violations. Furthermore, we illustrate that these learned representations provide interpretable insights, offering a path toward user-empowered transparency in online spaces.
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    Transcending the Settled Ground: Mapping Obligations of Settler Architects in Canada
    (University of Waterloo, 2026-01-16) Hu, Anita
    This research begins with the recognition that architecture, as both a discipline and a practice, has never been neutral. The design process has long been entangled with histories of colonization, where land was surveyed and transformed into property. In Canada, these processes were instrumental in establishing a settler-colonial relationship to land, one that privileges extraction and productivity over reciprocity and care. This study asks how the architectural design process reproduces these colonial structures and how settler architects might begin to take responsibility for the histories that shape their work. In the outskirts of Sarnia, Ontario, an area known as Chemical Valley sits on the traditional territory of the Chippewa, Odawa, and Potawatomi peoples, collectively known as the Anishinaabeg. It is home to the Aamjiwnaang First Nations reserve and a dense concentration of petrochemical refineries. The term “Chemical Valley” dates back to 1947 as a symbol of national progress, but is now used by Aamjiwnaang First Nations and activists to draw attention to the negative impacts of this industrial corridor. The proximity between the two landscapes exposes how colonial systems of land use and resource extraction persist in shaping environmental and social conditions today. By tracing the evolution of architectural and planning tools, from early land surveys to contemporary zoning and professional standards, this research uncovers how these systems continue to define who has access to land and who bears the burden of its consequences. Through archival analysis and an examination of city planning and architectural practice, this work delineates how the design process itself has been used to legitimize and justify land dispossession. Acts of measuring and drawing are political gestures that determine what is seen, valued, and remembered. Confronting this legacy requires a reorientation of architectural practice, one that shifts toward methods grounded in care and reciprocity, prioritizing relationships with the land.
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    Addressing Informal Caregiver Burden: Technology and Toolkit for Medication Management in Older Adults
    (University of Waterloo, 2026-01-16) Ghanem, Karyman Ahmed Fawzy
    Background: Older adults with multiple chronic conditions often manage complex medication regimens. Age-related physical and cognitive impairments further complicate this process and increase the risk of medication errors and non-adherence. Informal caregivers, including family, friends, and neighbors, play a crucial role in supporting this process. However, many caregivers feel unprepared for the complex and time-consuming tasks involved in medication management. As a result, they may experience significant caregiver burden, which affects their emotional, social, financial, and physical well-being and can contribute to anxiety, poor self-care, sleep disruption, social isolation, or even suicidal thoughts. Objectives: 1. To evaluate the impact of an automated medication dispenser (AMD) on compassion fatigue, satisfaction, and medication administration hassles. 2. To develop a medication management toolkit to support family caregivers with medication management at home. Methods: Study one is a pilot mixed-methods study that recruited 7 pairs of family caregivers and their older care recipients. Caregivers completed the Family Caregiver Medication Administration Hassles Scale (FCMAHS) and the Professional Quality of Life Scale (ProQoL) at baseline, 2 weeks, and 3 months after implementing AMD in care recipients’ homes. Caregivers were interviewed before and after using AMD. The interviews were recorded, transcribed, and thematically analyzed. Study two is a qualitative study in which 16 family caregivers participated in focus group discussions to identify medication management challenges and solutions that will inform the development of the toolkit. Results: In study one, Friedman tests showed no significant change in FCMAHS subscale scores over time after Bonferroni correction (α =0.0125; all p > 0.0125). The total score (primary outcome) was assessed without correction (α = 0.05) and was not significant. Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Tests showed a similar pattern, except for a significant reduction in total score from baseline to 3 months (p=0.02). Both tests showed no significant change in scores for the subscales of ProQoL after Bonferroni correction (α= 0.0167); all p > 0.0167). Three themes emerged from the pre-intervention interviews: becoming a caregiver, approaches to support medication management, and caregiver experience and well-being. Four themes emerged from the post-intervention interview analysis: usability and functionality, experience with remotely delivered pharmacy services, caregiver experience and well-being, and impact on the caregiver–recipient relationship. Six themes emerged from study two: caregiver–recipient relationship and caregiving context; challenges with medication management; medication management strategies; non-medication management tasks; caregivers’ preferences for toolkit format and content; and additional support with medication management. Conclusion: Study one shows that the long-term use of AMD has the potential to be beneficial for caregiving burden related to medication management but is influenced by the caregiver’s adjustment period. Future research should verify these pilot findings. Study two shows that family caregivers manage medications across several domains in which they face challenges, including scheduling doses, supporting adherence, tracking medication supplies, and communicating with healthcare professionals. To assist with these tasks, caregivers often rely on simple and traditional tools and strategies.
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    Development Workflow Generation Methodology Applied to a Propulsion Supervisory Controller for Battery Electric Vehicles
    (University of Waterloo, 2026-01-16) Rofiq, Henri
    The increasing integration of software in modern vehicles has transformed the automotive industry, enabling advanced functionalities across the domains of safety, performance and user experience. However, the design and development of vehicle control systems is a complex process that requires familiarity with specialized tools and validation practices. These skills are typically not taught during university and thus, this thesis presents a comprehensive methodology for generating and implementing a control logic development workflow. The application of this methodology is demonstrated through its successful application to the design of a Propulsion Supervisory Controller (PSC) for deployment to a Cadillac LYRIQ, developed as part of the EcoCAR EV Challenge (EVC). The proposed workflow provides a structured approach to tackle software tool and hardware selection, requirements generation, software design principles, testing strategies and codebase maintenance considerations. Application of this workflow results in the generation of the UWAFT controls development methodology which uses the MathWorks (MATLAB/Simulink) toolchain and Speedgoat hardware, where the team developed software that was a “pipes and filters”, layered and component-based control architecture. UWAFT employed Agile-hybrid principles for the comprehensive development of requirements which originate from supplier documentation, team goals as well as safety analyses. Finally, software was integrated using version control via Git and emphasized comprehensive verification which includes extensive “-in-the-loop” (XIL) testing. Application of this methodology enabled UWAFT to achieve consistent and high-quality software development under resource constraints, leading to successful deployment and validation of vehicle control features such as torque management and directional control. Furthermore, the generated software also led to success at year-end competitions where the PCM team was able to successfully achieve a 3rd place finish. Beyond technical outcomes, the workflow improved collaboration, documentation and onboarding within the student team, bridging the gap between academic learning and industry-standard experience. An assessment of limitations and areas for future improvement is presented, including enhanced CI/CD automation, cross-project integration and adaptation of the workflow for internal combustion architectures. Overall, this research contributes a modular and educationally valuable framework that can be adopted by student design teams and research groups to produce reliable automotive control software.
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    A Sanctuary inspired by Gurbani in Gati Harike, Punjab: A Spiritual Journey of Awakening
    (University of Waterloo, 2026-01-16) Devgan, Jasmine
    This research investigates the profound connection between spirituality, architecture, and urban design, aiming to create built environments that express spiritual values and evoke deep presence, meaning, and emotional resonance. Drawing upon the universal teachings of Gurbani, the project translates the Elements of Creation and the energy of Chakras into a transformative spatial design language for a "Journey of Awakening." The thesis posits that humanity should strive for total consciousness, or Mukti (liberation), by transcending Trigun Maya to realize divine truth, emphasizing "truth in design" over mere aesthetics. The study explores how metaphysical principles can imbue built spaces with meaning, facilitating a journey from an "enslaved (under the impact of five vices: Lust, Anger, Greed, Attachment, and Ego driven by desires) to a free (filled with Divine Virtues) person" through experiential understanding of the five elements of nature and the practical implementation of divine wisdom. It argues that architecture plays a pivotal role in shaping emotions, behaviors, and consciousness, and that a lack of spiritually attuned design contributes to modern societal issues. Employing an interdisciplinary methodology spanning cultural history, philosophy, psychology, neuroscience, and phenomenology, this research examines the reciprocal relationship between human neural processing, architectural stimuli, and spiritual experiences. The proposed ISHQ-E-SAT (meaning "Love is Truth") sanctuary, an eco-sensitive retreat within the Harike Wetland, Punjab, exemplifies these principles. Its design organizes the site into seven chakra-aligned nodes, integrating the Five Elements, sacred geometry, Punjabi vernacular architecture, and symbolic elements. This fosters spiritual resonance, cultural rootedness, and community empowerment through sustainable, inclusive practices. Ultimately, this work seeks to enrich architectural practice, guiding individuals toward self-reconnection, spiritual awakening, and harmonious living with nature and humanity.