Web cookies (also called HTTP cookies, browser cookies, or simply cookies) are small pieces of data that websites store on your device (computer, phone, etc.) through your web browser. They are used to remember information about you and your interactions with the site.
Purpose of Cookies:
Session Management:
Keeping you logged in
Remembering items in a shopping cart
Saving language or theme preferences
Personalization:
Tailoring content or ads based on your previous activity
Tracking & Analytics:
Monitoring browsing behavior for analytics or marketing purposes
Types of Cookies:
Session Cookies:
Temporary; deleted when you close your browser
Used for things like keeping you logged in during a single session
Persistent Cookies:
Stored on your device until they expire or are manually deleted
Used for remembering login credentials, settings, etc.
First-Party Cookies:
Set by the website you're visiting directly
Third-Party Cookies:
Set by other domains (usually advertisers) embedded in the website
Commonly used for tracking across multiple sites
Authentication cookies are a special type of web cookie used to identify and verify a user after they log in to a website or web application.
What They Do:
Once you log in to a site, the server creates an authentication cookie and sends it to your browser. This cookie:
Proves to the website that you're logged in
Prevents you from having to log in again on every page you visit
Can persist across sessions if you select "Remember me"
What's Inside an Authentication Cookie?
Typically, it contains:
A unique session ID (not your actual password)
Optional metadata (e.g., expiration time, security flags)
Analytics cookies are cookies used to collect data about how visitors interact with a website. Their primary purpose is to help website owners understand and improve user experience by analyzing things like:
How users navigate the site
Which pages are most/least visited
How long users stay on each page
What device, browser, or location the user is from
What They Track:
Some examples of data analytics cookies may collect:
Page views and time spent on pages
Click paths (how users move from page to page)
Bounce rate (users who leave without interacting)
User demographics (location, language, device)
Referring websites (how users arrived at the site)
Here’s how you can disable cookies in common browsers:
1. Google Chrome
Open Chrome and click the three vertical dots in the top-right corner.
Go to Settings > Privacy and security > Cookies and other site data.
Choose your preferred option:
Block all cookies (not recommended, can break most websites).
Block third-party cookies (can block ads and tracking cookies).
2. Mozilla Firefox
Open Firefox and click the three horizontal lines in the top-right corner.
Go to Settings > Privacy & Security.
Under the Enhanced Tracking Protection section, choose Strict to block most cookies or Custom to manually choose which cookies to block.
3. Safari
Open Safari and click Safari in the top-left corner of the screen.
Go to Preferences > Privacy.
Check Block all cookies to stop all cookies, or select options to block third-party cookies.
4. Microsoft Edge
Open Edge and click the three horizontal dots in the top-right corner.
Go to Settings > Privacy, search, and services > Cookies and site permissions.
Select your cookie settings from there, including blocking all cookies or blocking third-party cookies.
5. On Mobile (iOS/Android)
For Safari on iOS: Go to Settings > Safari > Privacy & Security > Block All Cookies.
For Chrome on Android: Open the app, tap the three dots, go to Settings > Privacy and security > Cookies.
Be Aware:
Disabling cookies can make your online experience more difficult. Some websites may not load properly, or you may be logged out frequently. Also, certain features may not work as expected.
Senior design projects are currently being solicited for the 2025-2026 academic year. Projects can be a part of an ongoing long-term research project or a real-world educational project. The project problems can range from design concept development, feasibility studies, proof-of-concepts, prototyping, process or application development to the redesign of existing products. For examples on past projects that students have embarked on, please see theSenior Design Day site.
The Nursing and Engineering Innovation Center will support collaborative senior design projects between the College of Engineering and School of Nursing. The projects must entail interdisciplinary healthcare technologies that address unmet clinical needs. Projects can be sponsored by UConn faculty, startups, industries, government agencies, and individuals. The Nursing and Engineering Innovation Center will support the projects, depending on the project, sponsor, engagement level, and department and faculty involvement.
For more information and to propose projects, please contactDr. Patrick Kumavor.
Senior Design Projects 2024 – 2025
PROJECT 1:
Pulse Oximetry to Account for Variations in the Skin Spectrum
Description:
Traditional pulse oximeters may not accurately detect low blood oxygen levels (hypoxemia) in patients with darker skin, such as Black individuals, compared to White individuals. This may lead to disparate outcomes, such as misdiagnoses or delayed care. This issue arises inhow pulse oximeters measure oxygen levels, using a limited set of wavelengths that donot fully account for variations in skin tone. Our project aims to address this issue by integrating a compact spectrometer into the pulse oximeter, allowing it to better account for factors like melanin content that affect skin absorption. By measuring the skin absorption spectrum at a patient’s fingertip, we aim to develop a more accurate and inclusive diagnostic tool for hypoxemia that works for all patients, regardless of skin color.
