May 3, 2024 | Digital Showcase | Humboldt Library
All Presenters & Abstracts
Bird Diversity and Habitat Preferences: A Comparative Analysis of Humboldt Campus and Arcata Community Forest
Presentation Year: 2025
Edwin
Ramirez
Wildlife
This study will look at the abundance and richness of birds on the Cal Poly Humboldt campus and in the Arcata Community Forest. The primary objective is to understand how various environmental factors could influence bird population in these two locations. Studying the abundance and richness of birds in urban environments, forest edges, and forest interiors could provide important insights into conservation and management strategies.
BLACK HUMBOLDT An Impactful Mission
Presentation Year: 2025
Nauselle
Gleglaud
Business
As a College Corps Fellow, I supported Black Humboldt, a nonprofit uplifting Black and Brown communities in Humboldt County. I focused on behind-the-scenes work designing flyers, managing outreach, organizing files, and tracking expenses which gave me insight into the thoughtful planning behind inclusive, community-rooted spaces. This experience showed me that even administrative tasks can meaningfully support grassroots work. Black Humboldt’s mission highlights how intentional care fosters belonging, amplifies underrepresented voices, and redefines solidarity in rural areas.
Bridging Gaps in Rural Diabetes Care
Presentation Year: 2025
Ashley
Sciple Cron
School of Applied Health
This quality improvement project aims to reduce disparities in diabetes care by improving access to Tirzepatide through individual, community, and policy-level interventions. Set in a rural clinic, the project focuses on providing culturally tailored telehealth education, peer mentorship, and advocacy for expanded medication coverage. The goal is to improve patient outcomes by increasing diabetes knowledge, medication adherence, and access to evidence-based treatment. Guided by the Iowa Model of Evidence-Based Practice, this approach supports safe, equitable care and long-term sustainability through data-driven evaluation and community engagement.
Brown Pelican Relative Abundance and Predation Frequency in Humboldt County Habitats
Presentation Year: 2025
Gavin
Lahr
Wildlife
I conducted point-count surveys for Brown Pelicans in three different Humboldt County Habitats: Beaches, Bays, and Lagoons. Across nine survey sites I compared Brown Pelican relative abundance and predation frequency to determine what habitat type in Humboldt County was more important to Brown Pelican survival and conservation. Since 2009 Brown Pelicans were delisted from the Endangered Species Act, a momentous achievement for Brown Pelicans and conservationists. However, I believe it is important to continue monitoring species that have been delisted to ensure they remain healthy.
Building Community Through Academic Support: My College Corps Experience
Presentation Year: 2025
Leighanna
Jake
College Corp
This work highlights my experience as a College Corps Fellow serving at Arcata High School. Being present in an academic setting allowed me to reflect on the importance of community support and mentorship. Through this experience, I gained a deeper understanding of how showing up for students, especially those from underrepresented backgrounds, can create a sense of belonging and motivation. Inspired by this, I plan to support my tribal community and Native students interested in higher education.
Cal Poly Humboldt GIS Data Archive
Presentation Year: 2025
Luis
Gomez
Other
The Geospatial Data Archive is a collection of useful GIS datasets, with an emphasis on Humboldt and Arcata, meant for students and community members as a whole to preserve and simplify the access of important geospatial data. We are also aiming to archive and display student and faculty projects. Data submission will be open to anyone with a registered account, once proper metadata has been filled out. Creating and maintaining useful metadata is another focus of the archive, as many datasets available online lack the necessary information to contact creators or to be fully understood by the average viewer
California at a Crossroads: Saving the Trinity's Water Future
Presentation Year: 2025
Chris
Koier
Other
California’s Trinity River faces rising threats from outdated infrastructure, federal overreach, and climate change. This poster distills key findings from the California in the Crosshairs public policy series, analyzing infrastructure failures, collapsing salmon runs, and misguided federal water releases. It proposes local solutions—groundwater recharge, urban water independence, and Sites reform—to secure California’s rivers, ecosystems, and tribal rights before irreversible damage occurs.
Can Changes in Daily Routines Reduce the Risk of Periprosthetic Joint Infection?
Presentation Year: 2025
Madolin
O'Rourke
School of Applied Health
Exploring reduction of periprosthetic joint infection through small changes in daily routines and cost-effective strategies.
Cannabis Use and Mental Health: A Double-Edged Leaf
Presentation Year: 2025
Lanna
Moore
Psychology
Our project entails researching the effects of cannabis on various mental illnesses. We are investigating whether cannabis use impacts mental health disorders—exacerbating them, providing relief, or having no effect—aiming to better understand its role and clinical implications. Using OneSearch through Cal Poly Humboldt Library, we reviewed 12 papers utilizing keywords like “mental illness,” “cannabis,” “anxiety,” and “depression.” Findings show cannabis may worsen symptoms depending on usage patterns and individual conditions, suggesting the need for caution and increased research in clinical use and mental health policy.
Change in Snowmelt Timing and its Effects on the Green-up Timing of Mixed Conifer Forests
Presentation Year: 2025
Tully
Leonard
Computer Science
Shifts in the timing of snow-pack melt influences the phenological cycles of evergreen forest in the Sierra Nevada mountain range; this can lead to potential alterations in the timing and duration of green-up in these forests. This can affect the forest’s resilience to ecological disturbances, like wildfires or insect outbreaks. In order to investigate these patterns this study uses data from the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON), which monitors the green-up of the forest and the snow depth. In addition, the snow water equivalent (SWE) data from the National Water and Climate Center (NWCC) was used to approximate the amount of snow-pack water available to the vegetation.
Characterization of a Novel Endocellulase to Optimize Biofuel Production
Presentation Year: 2025
Layla
Beck
Chemistry
Bioethanol is a biofuel already prevalent throughout industry as a gasoline additive. It is widely considered carbon neutral since the carbon released upon combustion was taken from the CO2 in the air and made into cellulose during photosynthesis. Starchy or sugary food crops are used in bioethanol production when plant waste cellulose could be used instead. Efficient and scalable cellulase enzymes are limiting this switch. We sought to characterize a novel cellulase identified by metagenomic analysis of bovine rumen by the JGI and Hess et al. We performed protein expression and characterization by SDS-PAGE, CMC and DNS activity assays to compare this enzyme’s efficacy to commercial ones.
Characterization of Anabaena Sensory Rhodopsin Bound Nanodiscs via Western Blotting
Presentation Year: 2025
Celeste
Diepenbrock
Chemistry
Anabaena sensory rhodopsin (ASR) is a light-sensitive transmembrane protein found in the cyanobacterium Anabaena Nostoc. Membrane proteins have proven difficult to study due to their insolubility and tendency to form aggregates in aqueous environments. Nanodiscs are small protein structures that assist in the study of insoluble proteins. In this experiment, self-assembled ASR-bound nanodiscs were purified by Ni-NTA Immobilized Metal Affinity Chromatography (IMAC). Native gel electrophoresis, SDS-PAGE, western blotting, and absorption spectroscopy were used to detect Anabaena sensory rhodopsin and the scaffolding protein, ApoAI, in the prepared nanodisc sample.
Climate Anxiety: What Are The Effects Of Climate Change On Young People’s Development?
Presentation Year: 2025
Benjamin
Romo
Psychology
We reviewed nine peer-reviewed empirical articles on the effects of climate change on young people’s development. The problem is that climate change is so rapid that not many people know its severity and how it can affect us, our children, and our daily lives. We aim to shed light on the psychological side of climate change and present solutions we have found through the various articles listed.
College Corps: Blue Lake Rancheria Daluviwi' Field Restoration Project
Presentation Year: 2025
Bella
Evenson
College Corp
Blue Lake Rancheria’s community garden, Daluviwi’, is dedicated to providing produce for tribal communities across Humboldt County. Tribal employees and College Corps fellows at Daluviwi’ are remediating an acre of field space to increase food production. The project is being completed by hand to ensure sustainable development of the land.
College Corps: Finding Community at Potawat Food Garden
Presentation Year: 2025
Lulu
Voss
College Corp
My site is the Potawat Community Garden with the United Indian Health Center. At Potawat, we practice organic sustainable agriculture techniques to provide affordable fresh produce for the native community, specifically clients of the hospital. We also attend and donate our sprouts, plants, and seeds in giveaways to native tribes. We put on community volunteer events and bring people together through gardening. We also educate people in sustainable farming practices, and host many tours for students and organizations. My responsibilities include gardening, tabling events, and leading volunteers in the garden. Potawat has taught me the importance and healing of community.
College of the Redwoods Athletic Hub
Presentation Year: 2025
Zac
Claus
School of Applied Health
My project, CR Student-Athlete Hub, is a centralized website that was designed to support student-athletes at College of the Redwoods and their transition after CR. It focuses on five sections, providing key resources and information on recruiting, financial aid, eligibility rules, mental health, and success stories of alumni. The goal of this project is to collect and simplify the vast amount of information on these five topics in order to promote equity, access, and opportunity.
Comparative Analysis of Wildlife Abundance and Diversity in Humboldt County: Historical Baselines vs Modern Observations
Presentation Year: 2025
Nathaniel
Davidson
Wildlife
This study compares historical and modern records of wildlife abundance and diversity in Humboldt County to evaluate long-term ecological change. Using a standardized scoring system based on historical quotes, field surveys, and species data, I’ve quantified shifts in species richness, abundance, and ecosystem services. Results highlight significant declines in native species abundance and diversity, revealing patterns of biodiversity loss and degradation since precolonial times.
Comparing Mammalian Presence and Biodiversity Between Different Units of Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge
Presentation Year: 2025
Erin
Konefal
Wildlife
Comparing mammalian presence and diversity between different units of the Humboldt Wildlife Refuge
Consistent Insect Abundance Across Temperature, Humidity, and Vegetation Gradient in the Arcata Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary
Presentation Year: 2025
Shahin
Mokhtari
Wildlife
I measured insect abundance in response to various levels of temperature, humidity, and vegetation density.
Corridor Proximity and Habitat Influence on Mammal Rescue Call Frequency
Presentation Year: 2025
Fernando
Herrera JR
Wildlife
This project spatially analyzes mammal wildlife rescue call data in McKinleyville, Arcata, and Eureka, CA, to understand how wildlife corridors influence location and frequency often wildlife are brought in for rehabilitation.