About Me

My name is Cynthia Lu and I am a Senior at Carleton College studying Computer Science and Studio Art.


What are the Digital Arts and Humanities?


Digital Arts and Humanities is an interdisciplinary field that merges technology use with humanities research. Through the use of digital methods including but not limited to: 3D modeling, GIS mapping, and other computational analyses and methods, humanists are able to create collaborative projects to relay information that immerses and educates in novel ways. My work in particular focuses on the intersection of fine art and computational power, focusing on the ways artists have incorporated technology into their process and the implications behind various contexts of technological tool usage.

Development

This section documents the development processes behind my work at Carleton. It highlights group collaborative technical projects that aim to solve and analyze solutions to both societal and recreational issues.

SoFIFA

SoFIFA

"SoFIFA" is a fantasy soccer desktop application made with React and MaterialUI. It features real-time updates for current season players and teams. I collaborated with a partner to develop interactive data visualizations and graphs to showcase live player and team performance statistics. We also developed and executed end-to-end automated tests with WebdriverIO, ensuring reliability, functionality, and accessibility of the application.

Link to Github Repository
ReturnToCart

ReturnToCart

"ReturnToCart" is a Flask and PostgreSQL web application that allows users to search and filter FDA recall data through custom SQL queries. Users would be able to monitor when a product containing a certain allergen or ingredient has been recalled, thus improving accessibility of critical health information. I develoepd this application with group mates for my Software Design class. We implemented the UI using custom HTML/CSS, creating a clean and user-friendly interface for search and analysis. We also created a cohesive test suite using Python's unittest framework to validate data filtering, search funcitonality, and overall application reliability.

Link to Github Repository
COMPAS Analysis

COMPAS Recidivism Analysis

I collaborated with group members to develop a machine learning pipeline to predict recidivism outocmes using criminal justice and demographic data. We trained and evaluated classification models(Logistic Regression, Decision Tree, and Random Forest) on two feature sets. One includes demographic features like age, race, and gender, while the other excludes those demographic features. We compared the models using accuracy, precision, recall, and fairness metrics to examine potential biases and trade-offs between predicitve power and equity.

Link to Github Repository

Design

Water Lily Dance

“Water Lily Dance" is an interactive Arduino art project that simulates the movement of flowers and a water fountain using ultrasonic sensors and servos.

Crab Bracelet

As part of a chain link bracelet project for my casting class, I designed links in Fusion360 and 3D printed them using purple casting wax.

Tangerine Pins

As part of a pin swap project for my casting class, I designed links in Fusion360 and 3D printed them using purple casting wax.

Exploring the Ancient city Chang' an

“Exploring the Ancient city Chang' an" is an interactive storymap that follows the history of the ancient city Chang' an.

Visualizing Carleton College's Campus Over Time

"Visualizing Carleton College's Campus Over Time" is an interactive storymap that follows the building changes made at Carleton over time.

Peacock Pendant/Brooch

As part of a pendant and brooch combination project for my casting class, I designed a pendant base in Fusion360 and 3D printed them using purple casting wax.

How Can I help?

"How Can I Help?" is a suite of oil and acrylic paintings featuring scenes of environmental degradation.

You're Not Human

"You're Not Human" is an acrylic painting featuring a crosswalk with individuals being identified via facial recognition with racial biases.