The legal infrastructures of nations are built on sociocultural attitudes regarding the function, purpose, appropriate sources, and means of conceptualizing law. The discipline of legal anthropology aims to study conceptions of law cross-culturally. This study aims to understand the systems of social attitudes toward law which serve in constructing the socio-legal frameworks on which legal traditions and the types of legal institutions they beget are based. This examination is made through a case study of the ongoing formation of intergovernmental administrative infrastructure in the Arctic, through the lenses of three of its most influential stakeholders. By analyzing the actions of the governments of Canada, the United States, and the Russian Federation in regards to ratification of multilateral administrative instruments, such as the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, rationales surrounding the implementation of a bilateral treaty to ameliorate Arctic disputes, as well as other tactics used to resolve said disputes, this study hopes to understand how sociocultural attitudes drive the formation of legal institutions. Analysis of the sociocultural attitudes which inform domestic and intergovernmental legal institutions will be done through historical examination of the legal traditions that underpin the standing legal institutions of each of these three states. This examination has demonstrated that Canada and the United States, which are members of the common law legal tradition, that prioritizes use of established precedent in legal decision making, appear more reticent to ratify measures of international law in the Arctic, which do not have substantial precedent. Meanwhile, the Russian Federation, which is rooted in the civil law tradition, which primarily utilizes direct application of legislative enactments and legal scholarship as its means of determining legal action, has ratified and implemented measures on the solely principles of international law in the Arctic more readily.

The direct-to-consumer (DTC) stem cell industry is a novel industry in the United States offering experimental stem cell treatments to patients with little regulatory oversight. The rapid expansion of this industry over the last decade has drawn attention from a number of stakeholders, and there is heated debate about how the industry should be regulated in order to maintain patient safety and treatment efficacy while also promoting innovation. Since 2009, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been the main regulatory agency within the DTC stem cell industry, but it has been criticized for not taking stricter action. To develop a better understanding of the regulatory landscape in the DTC stem cell industry, this study provides a thorough analysis of five effective regulatory pathways: Food & Drug Administration (FDA), Federal Trade Commission (FTC), litigation, state legislation, and state medical boards. The operation of these pathways as regulatory agencies separately and together provide a clearer picture of future regulation in the DTC stem cell industry.

Usability in the Internet of Things (IOT) in the Smart Home is a new concept with limited current research, especially in user perception. User perception is an important aspect in the development of Smart Home Internet of Things systems, including smart home products and devices and in the design of the Smart Home experience. The aim of my thesis is to investigate user perceptions of Smart Home Internet of Things systems to understand how usable current Smart Home Internet of Things systems are from the perception of the user and how that impacts the Smart Home experience. By understanding the usability of Smart Home Internet of Things systems, we can better design Smart Home devices and products for a user-centered experience. My thesis informs the design of user-centered Smart Home Internet of Things systems and experiences.

This study includes a literature review and an empirical study. The empirical study is a usability testing survey that investigates user perceptions of Smart Home technology that make up the Internet of Things system in the Smart Home. Both closed-ended questions and open-ended questions are included in the survey for a comprehensive study. Main results showed that current smart home systems are somewhat usable. Results also showed that smart home users are satisfied with current smart home systems, believes that smart home technology adds value to their lifestyle, and will continue to use smart home technology. Main results showed that the strengths of current smart home systems design are efficiency, learnability, memorability, and enjoyability. Main results showed that there is a trend between age group and smart home user perceptions. These findings inform the design of user-centered smart home systems.

The Skin Cancer Awareness Campaign at Arizona State University is a honors creative project which was implemented to educate young people on the importance of preventative skin care and the risk behaviors that lead to skin cancer, especially tanning bed use and the lack of sun screen use. The primary goals of this campaign included understanding why students engage in these risk behaviors, raising awareness about the consequences of these behaviors, and donating to the cause of skin cancer treatment and education.