Date of Award

6-3-2025

Document Type

Thesis

Publisher

Santa Clara : Santa Clara University, 2025

Department

Computer Science and Engineering

First Advisor

Sharon Hsiao

Abstract

Santa Clara University (SCU) hosts a flourishing undergraduate research program, but discovering research opportunities remains inefficient due to inconsistent information channels. Students rely on informal communication and disconnected departmental web pages to find research roles. In response, our senior design team developedWeSearch: a centralized, web-based platform that consolidates research opportunities across all SCU laboratories. It allows students to browse labs, projects, and apply directly to open positions. Faculty members can create lab profiles, post research openings, manage applications, and assign administrative roles to student assistants.

The platform was designed using Figma and implemented with React.js on the front-end. Firebase was used for real-time data storage, with Google OAuth providing secure user authentication. We integrated Elasticsearch via a Node.js backend to deliver efficient search capabilities. The system was containerized using Docker and deployed through a continuous integration/continuous development (CI/CD) pipeline to SCU’s Google Cloud Platform (GCP) infrastructure, ensuring scalability and maintainability.

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