All Presenters & Abstracts
2025 World AIDS Remembrance
Presentation Year:2026
Paul Michael
Atienza,
Faculty,
Critical Race, Gender & Sexuality Studies
The 2025 World AIDS Remembrance was a two-week program of events and displays that brought awareness and learning opportunities about the ongoing HIV/AIDS crisis around the world. It was one of several Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) Grant Program recipients for the 2025-2026 academic year. Lead organizer, Dr. Paul Michael L. Atienza, collaborated with on and off campus partners to provide a variety presentations from public health professionals, community organizers, film screenings, and the Eureka Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. Over 100 community members participated and experienced the events.
2026 MCM Problem A: Modeling Smartphone Battery Drain
Presentation Year:2026
Jonathan David
Juarez,
Undergraduate Student,
Mathematics & Data Science
This study develops a continuous-time model of smartphone battery discharge incorporating activity-dependent current demand and temperature-driven degradation. Simulations evaluate battery performance under common usage scenarios and varying states of health. Results indicate that high-energy activities significantly accelerate depletion, while battery aging and elevated temperatures reduce overall runtime. Model predictions align with benchmark data and observed usage patterns, demonstrating the framework’s ability to replicate realistic discharge behavior. The model provides a practical approach for estimating battery life and assessing the impact of user behavior and thermal conditions.
A Breath of Fresh Dust: Health Costs of California’s Shrinking Salton Sea
Presentation Year:2026
Brendan
Yoder,
Undergraduate Student,
School of Applied Health
Literature review investigating the adverse health effects of the continued drying of the Salton Sea in Southern California.
A Comparative Study of the Presence of Omnivores in Suburban Spaces
Presentation Year:2026
Jazmine
Busteed,
Undergraduate Student,
Wildlife
This study will test the daily/nightly presence/absence of raccoons (Procyon Lotor), striped skunks (Mephitis mephitis), gray foxes (Urocyon cinereoargenteus), black bears (Ursus americanus), and Virginia opossums (Didelphis virginiana), and compare it to human presence (an aggregate of cars, humans, and domesticated animals) and temperature. Camera traps will be deployed at 7 sites in suburban neighborhoods in Arcata, CA, with data collection spanning 5 weeks in February and March. The implications include a better understanding of the suburban gradient as a suitable habitat for mammalian species
A Lifetime of Play
Presentation Year:2026
Aaron
Muscarello,
Undergraduate Student,
Other
This is a research poster on play over the span of a human lifetime.
A&E Food Donation Club
Presentation Year:2026
Suki
Frease-Renfree,
Undergraduate Student,
College Corp
Through the College Corp program, fellows and I started a new Registered Student Organization (RSO) called A&E. A&E’ Mission is to reduce on-campus food waste while supporting people affected by food insecurity. We have created 5 food drop-off/pick-up systems on campus which will later be delivered to our community partner. We aim to change how students see the unhoused and engage with the wider Arcata community. By raising awareness of local food banks and volunteer opportunities we can strengthen the connection between Cal Poly Humboldt and the surrounding community through shared service and engagement.
Abiotic Factors Influences in Marine Mammal Strandings
Presentation Year:2026
Lisa
Leen,
Undergraduate Student,
Wildlife
A study on how abiotic factors such as beach aspect, driftwood coverage, sediment size, and beach shape can influence the amount of marine mammal carcasses stranded per beach per year. With stranding data provided by the Maine Mammal Research and Education Program for 2025 along the Humboldt coastline of pinnipeds and cetaceans. This study can help allocate the effort based beach surveys performed by the Marine Mammal Reseach and Education Program (MMERP).
Abiotic Factors of Marsh Water Affecting Habitat Use of American Wigeons
Presentation Year:2026
Mandy
Garcia,
Undergraduate Student,
Wildlife
My research project is on how the abiotic factors of water at the arcana marsh affect habitat use of American wigeons. This was done by testing water quality for pH, salinity, and temperature and conducting bird counts from several stations around 10 water features at the marsh.
Activity Budgets of Belted Kingfishers in Humboldt County
Presentation Year:2026
Thomas
Pietrowicz,
Undergraduate Student,
Wildlife
This study investigated belted kingfisher behaviors in order to understand how they manage their time within the coastal wetland habitats at the the Arcata Marsh. I recorded the total length of time (in seconds) that an individual kingfisher spent perched, preening, and foraging across various wetland habitat types at the Arcata Marsh, in multiple 30-minute observation periods. The number of individual foraging attempts (defined as a dive into the water) and the outcome of each attempt was also recorded during each observation period. The data was used to calculate activity budgets and evaluate their foraging efficiency. A statistical analysis of the data was used to compare behavior durations, and differences across multiple times throughout the day. Overall, the study will provide baseline insights into belted kingfisher behavior, and how it is influenced by environmental conditions.
Adverse Effects of Sleep Deprivation on Athletic Performance
Presentation Year:2026
Armando
Morales,
Undergraduate Student,
School of Applied Health
Sleep is crucial to physical recovery, brain function, and health which contribute greatly to athletic performance. Athletes often find themselves sleep deprived due to training demands, academic or work obligations, travel, and stress related to competition. Studies have shown that lack of sleep can have adverse effects on the body and brain. Endurance, recovery, reaction time, and decision making can all be decreased by sleep deprivation. This article reviews how sleep deprivation as well as sleep quality affect athletes' performance.
AI in Healthcare: Enhancement not Replacement
Presentation Year:2026
Daniel
Pappalardo,
Undergraduate Student,
School of Applied Health
KINS 492 senior project. Research poster on the future of AI in healthcare, arguing that AI will enhance current healthcare work instead of replacing human doctors.
American College Theatre Festival - Scenic Design
Presentation Year:2026
Amanda
Coorey,
Undergraduate Student,
Dance, Music & Theatre
I traveled to Pasco, Washington to attend the American College Theatre Festival in Region 7 in February, 2026. While there I attended workshops, regional productions and participated in the Design, Technology, and Stage Management Expo where I was awarded the "National Design Excellence Honorable Mention for Scenic Design".
Analyzing Red Panda Behavior as an Indicator of Welfare
Presentation Year:2026
Megan
Kollias,
Undergraduate Student,
Wildlife
My project examines the daily activity budget of a singular red panda at the Sequoia Park Zoo, quantifying how behavior compare to wild red panda datasets as an indicator of animal welfare. Using an ethogram and systematic observations, I analyze how closely these patterns align and identify husbandry features that may influence the expression of natural behavior.
Another Look at the ~950 Year Old Glass Mountain Rhyolite Tephra: New Insights Into Volume, Eruption Column Height, and Geochemistry
Presentation Year:2026
Bodhi
Merrill,
Undergraduate Student,
Geology
This study examines the ~950-year-old Glass Mountain rhyolite tephra at Medicine Lake Volcano (MLV) in northeastern California. I use field observations and mapping of the dispersal of erupted material to estimate the total volume of tephra erupted, the maximum height of the eruption column during the explosive phase, and how the eruption evolved over time in terms of mass flux, vent erosion, and magma supply. In addition, I use the petrologic and geochemical properties of samples to offer insights into the pre-eruptive storage conditions of the erupting magmas. MLV is designated as a "high-threat volcano" by the USGS highlighting the importance of understanding its recent eruptions.
Aquatic Invertebrate Diversity Across Ponds in the Arcata Marsh
Presentation Year:2026
Bree
Gentil-Guijosa ,
Undergraduate Student,
Wildlife
I am collecting samples across different ponds in the Arcata Marsh to compare aquatic invertebrate biodiversity and abundance. Each pond is selected due to the ponds having different management goals and different reasons for their restoration/creation in the marsh back when the city marsh was being created. I will be presenting what invertebrate orders I found, if their presence and diversity was affected based on what pond they were collected in, and what this research can be applied to in the future.
Arcata House Partnership Needs Yout Support!
Presentation Year:2026
Adam
Ibarra,
Undergraduate Student,
College Corp
We are showcasing the beneficial impact of our College Corps site. - Arcata House Partnership - on the community of Arcata including the Food Bank that operates there every Wednesday. We are also illustrating the obstacles that Non-Profits face while relying on gramt funding and how they need support and inclusion in legislative policy.
Are You Safe from Tsunami, in a Worst Case Scenario, Magnitude 9 Subduction Zone Earthquake in Humboldt County?
Presentation Year:2026
Melanie
Michalak,
Faculty,
Geology
Humboldt County is located above a major plate boundary called the Cascadia Subduction Zone. Every several hundred years, the plate interface ruptures, causing a magnitude 8-9 earthquake, and disrupts the seafloor and water column, resulting in tsunami waves that will surge onshore in low-lying coastal areas. This interactive poster visually explains how tsunamis form, tests participants' understanding about tsunamis, and presents up-to-date tsunami hazard maps in Humboldt County. We seek to debunk common myths and misconceptions, and educate and empower our community to prepare for a local tsunami event.
Assembly of a Saturation Spectroscopy System
Presentation Year:2026
Rodney
Eckler,
Undergraduate Student,
Physics & Astronomy
The Humboldt Gravitational Research Laboratory has partnered with NASA Goddard Space Flight Center to assemble a saturated absorption spectroscopy system at Cal Poly Humboldt. The goal with the assembly is to stabilize a laser's frequency to a high level precision in a process called laser locking. Both saturated absorption spectroscopy and laser locking are important skills in many fields of physics from gravitational wave detection to development of atomic clocks.
Athletes Should Play More Sports : An Ecological Dynamics Perspective
Presentation Year:2026
Adam
Garrison,
Undergraduate Student,
School of Applied Health
This project looks at early sport specialization and its associated risks, including increased injury rates, burnout, and limited long-term athletic development. It highlights how repetitive, single-sport training can restrict adaptability and overall skill development in youth athletes. To combat this, the project explores ecological dynamics as an alternative approach. By emphasizing varied movement experiences, environmental learning, and adaptability, this approach promotes more holistic athlete development. The project ultimately argues that multi-sport participation naturally aligns with ecological dynamics and can help lessen the negative effects of early specialization.
Bat Species Richness Between Parks and Patch Size in Arcata, CA
Presentation Year:2026
Jesse
Campbell,
Undergraduate Student,
Wildlife
Bat species diversity can be influenced by landscape features in both urban and natural areas, especially due to habitat fragmentation. The main objective of this study will be determining if bat species richness varies according to different patch sizes across three parks in Arcata, California. We hypothesized that the largest park would have the most species richness present, and if the number of species found at a particular site is higher than adjacent sites, then habitat maintenance for foraging and roosting opportunities can be concentrated toward that area.