All Presenters & Abstracts
Niche Partitioning Between Myrtle and Audubon's Warblers
Presentation Year:2026
Aidan
Brubaker,
Undergraduate Student,
Wildlife
Do Audubon's and myrtle yellow-rumped warblers partition resources differently in areas where the two subspecies overlap during the winter in Arcata, California? Looking for differences in the foraging height, foraging substrate, horizontal foraging location, and foraging methods of the two subspecies.
North Coast Growers Association: An Organization for the Community
Presentation Year:2026
Ava
Colony,
Undergraduate Student,
College Corp
Our college corps placement with North Coast Growers Association (NCGA) has allowed us to have a deeper experience with the broader Humboldt community through the local food system. As a NCGA interns our tasks varied from aiding in the farmers' markets, packing food boxes for the Harvest Box Program, or attending educational outreach events for schools. These programs support food equity, sustainable economic and agricultural practices, and community engagement. Through this experience we have learned the importance and complexities of a robust local food system, and the positive effects it can have on a community.
Novel Tests of Gravity Below 50 Microns
Presentation Year:2026
Rowan
Botts,
Undergraduate Student,
Physics & Astronomy
he development of a unified theory encompassing the Standard Model and General Relativity often necessitates theorizing features that violate the Weak Equivalence Principle (WEP) and/or the gravitational Inverse-Square Law (ISL). Such a violation would indicate our current understanding of gravity is incomplete. Undergraduate researchers and faculty members at Cal Poly Humboldt are performing an experiment to measure gravitational influence at ranges less than 50 microns in an attempt to identify any deviations and explore the significance such a discovery would have. Using a compositional-dipole torsion pendulum and an oscillating attractor mass, torque is created on the pendulum to study its response to the gravitational field of the attractor mass.
Nutrient Timing For Sprint Performance
Presentation Year:2026
Zachary
Blood,
Undergraduate Student,
School of Applied Health
Research on current findings related to nutrient timing strategies, and their possible affects on sprint performance and recovery.
Off to the Festival! The American College Theatre Festival Region 7
Presentation Year:2026
Evan
Pierce,
Undergraduate Student,
Dance, Music & Theatre
Through the theatre department, I was able to attend the American College Theatre Festival this spring. This was my fourth year attending. It is a wonderful way to get to know students from other colleges as well as professionals in the industry. It is so much fun being surrounded by other people as passionate about theatre making as you for an entire week. Even more of a bonus, you get to explore a new town too! This spring, we went to Pasco, Washington. I attended workshops, saw invited productions, and participated in late night activities like the tech theatre showdown. It was a jam-packed week of theatre and fun!
Oil Painting & Environmental Conservation
Presentation Year:2026
Tobey
Greenberg,
Undergraduate Student,
Art + Film
A detailed overview of wildlife research based painting portfolio and an in depth look into how I've connected environmental/wildlife conservation activism to 2D oil paintings.
Outdoor Recreation Kickoff
Presentation Year:2026
Olivia
Hicks,
Undergraduate Student,
School of Applied Health
This project focuses on planning and developing an Outdoor Recreation Festival at Cal Poly Humboldt to connect incoming students with local outdoor opportunities and resources. The event is designed to increase awareness of recreation options in the Arcata area while fostering partnerships between campus organizations and local businesses. Through event planning, outreach, and coordination, this project aims to create a sustainable model that encourages student engagement in outdoor recreation.
Outreach for the Western Snowy Plover
Presentation Year:2026
Nicoli
Burdeinii ,
Undergraduate Student,
College Corp
The fellows of Arcata Fish & Wildlife Office developed and delivered a conservation message for the western snowy plover to address the lack of engaging outreach materials available. Nicoli Burdeinii developed graphic designs and Midalia Garcia created an outreach volunteer training manual. Together with Neshwa Rabie and Lily Field, the corps fellows utilized their knowledge learned during field snowy plover surveys to deliver a message of curiosity, awareness, and responsible behavior. Such outreach work educates the public on the threatened species and how to best aid in their population recovery. Through this experience, the fellows hope to contribute creative ideas on how to approach the subject and inspire coastal stewardship among members of the public to care for species in our ecosystem, as a way of helping society
Pacific Union School Art Club
Presentation Year:2026
Avalon
Winfield,
Undergraduate Student,
College Corp
I worked with Pacific Union School, a K-8 public school. The issue I addressed was a lack of art and craft opportunities in classrooms. I helped start an Art Club for all grades to be able to participate in during lunch recess. This work matters because art is important to help students build creativity and confidence. Not all kids have access to art supplies at home and rely on school to offer art opportunities. Many students sit alone during recess and offering art club lets them connect with peers while creating art. I have seen art club make a big impact. So many kids love participating. They have gained skills like learning to crochet, draw, paint, use clay, and much more. Through this experience I have gained skills in leadership, problem-solving, organizing, and classroom management.
Paternal Stress as a Contributor to Neuropsychiatric Disease Risk in Offspring
Presentation Year:2026
Chris
Roberds,
Graduate Student,
Biological Sciences
Chronic stress is increasingly common and may have consequences across generations. Paternal chronic stress has been shown to alter sperm small RNAs and influence offspring neurodevelopment and psychiatric disease risk. However, how stress signals from the brain reach the germline and how offspring respond to stress remains unclear. This study examines epigenetic inheritance of paternal stress and its effects on offspring stress responses. We compared offspring of chronically stressed and non-stressed sires and measured corticosterone following an acute stressor. Offspring of stressed fathers exhibited reduced corticosterone responses, with evidence of sex-specific differences in stress regulation.
Physiological Responses of Oregon White Oak to Thinning in the East Cascades
Presentation Year:2026
Millen
McCord,
Graduate Student,
Forestry, Fire & Rangeland Management
This project monitors the short-term physiological responses of conifer-encroached Oregon white oak (Quercus garryana) to thinning treatments in the East Cascades region of Oregon to investigate the influences of woody encroachment, tree characteristics, and environmental variables on these responses. We also collected oak and conifer xylem water isotope samples to compare sources of oak and conifers to examine source water use.
Pinniped Tags
Presentation Year:2026
Briana
Yepez Ochoa,
Undergraduate Student,
School of Engineering
Marine mammal researchers, in partnership with NOAA, have requested an improved alternative to livestock tags currently used to identify and track pinnipeds on the West Coast. Existing tags are not designed or well suited for pinniped anatomy, leading to poor reliability in the harsh marine conditions. Beginning in Fall 2025, a group of engineering students at CPH initiated this project as part of the Intro to Design course. The effort is now continuing in collaboration with client representative Dr. Dawn Goley. Our work focuses on designing, prototyping, and testing cost effective tags that minimize impact on pinnipeds, aiming to improve tracking methods for pinnipeds for years to come.
Planning Green Infrastructure For Future Drought: Comparing Differences in Urban Tree Water Use For Two Coastal Cities
Presentation Year:2026
Raul
Cano,
Undergraduate Student,
Computer Science
Urban green infrastructure (trees, turfgrass) combined with impervious surfaces can enhance carbon sequestration and cooling. We used a regional eco-hydrologic model with downscaled climate projections to simulate urban configurations under future drought in two California coastal towns. Results suggest certain mixes support environmental benefits and reduce heat, though outcomes depend on drought severity. Strategic design of combined surfaces can optimize urban environmental outcomes.
Potawat Community Food Garden
Presentation Year:2026
Lulu
Voss,
Undergraduate Student,
College Corp
I partnered with Potawat Community Food Garden to advocate for native food sovereignty. I contribute to bountiful harvests by weeding, pruning, planting, and tending to crops in the garden. This matters because I help foster a safe and peaceful garden haven that builds a healthy community and supports hundreds of people struggling with food insecurity. Through this experience, I learned how to eat to promote the health of my body and mind and helped spread this knowledge to the community.
Prevention of Escherichia coli Biofilm Formation Using SLpA Protein Extracted From Lactobacillus helveticus
Presentation Year:2026
Scarlet
Renner,
Undergraduate Student,
Chemistry
Dental health in pets is often neglected, leading to gingivitis and periodontitis. Probiotics are thought to inhibit oral pathogenic bacteria through surface layer proteins, preventing biofilm formation and occupying binding sites. We explored Lactobacillus helveticus and its protein SLpA in preventing biofilm formation in mCherry expressing Escherichia coli. SLpA was extracted using lithium chloride and centrifugation. E. coli was mixed with L. helvetius and SLpA. Fluorescence values were collected with a sodium alginate and calcium chloride gel in each well to allow bacterial adherence and compared to a blank. Results show L. helveticus and SLpA inhibit biofilm formation of E. coli.
Professional Development on a Personal Level with Trinidad Coastal Land Trust
Presentation Year:2026
Ronica
Reyes,
Undergraduate Student,
College Corp
As a college corp fellow I served at Trinidad Coastal Land Trust focusing on increasing coastal access in the form of stewardship workdays, trail maintenance, community outreach, and day-to-day operations. This work matters to all who come in contact with the Trinidad coast no matter the species. Through this experience I've made meaningful impacts and connections to place and people.
Progress towards Cloning of the ASRT Gene from Anabaena into the pET-28a Expression Vector
Presentation Year:2026
Catherine
Maloney,
Undergraduate Student,
Biological Sciences
This project focuses on the molecular cloning of the ASRT gene from Anabaena into the pET-28a expression vector for propagation in Escherichia coli. Genomic DNA was extracted from an Anabaena culture and used as a template for PCR amplification of the ASRT coding sequence using specifically designed primers. The amplified gene will be inserted into pET-28a using restriction enzyme cloning, followed by transformation into E. coli. This approach enables stable maintenance of the gene and provides a foundation for future expression and analysis.
Public Lands in Public Hands
Presentation Year:2026
Adeli
Burdeinii,
Undergraduate Student,
College Corp
Sage, Melia, and I were placed with the BLM Arcata field office to work on a variety of ecological restoration projects and public outreach. BLM Arcata Field Office's main mission is to help restore and preserve the natural environment for the good of the public and wildlife. This past year, our tasks included monitoring, upkeep, and outreach on public lands. In our time with the BLM, we educated the public on the resources they are using and how to treat them right so everyone can enjoy them for many years to come, worked on wildlife and plant monitoring projects to see how the restoration work being done is helping heal the land, and helped to keep our public lands in pristine condition.
Queering Poetry Workshops
Presentation Year:2026
Dobby
Morse,
Graduate Student,
English
To what extent do participants report that a poetry workshop builds connections between poets and strengthen their confidence in writing? What do participants want or expect from a poetry workshop? Through this project I hope to attend and host poetry workshops with an emphasis on the queer community. I will collaborate with campus and community organizations like Queer Humboldt and other organizations that are interested in exploring queer experiences through writing, connection, and meditation. This project will serve as a how-to guide for those seeking to conduct their own workshops.
Raccoon Anthropogenic Foraging Habits
Presentation Year:2026
Jackson
Butts,
Undergraduate Student,
Wildlife
Raccoon foraging on the Cal Poly Humboldt campus will be examined using 30 motion‑activated cameras mounted on standardized trash receptacles. The study measures how time of day, human activity, and distance to residence halls and food vendors influence raccoon presence. Images will quantify raccoon detections, human activity, and environmental covariates. Results will be analyzed with mixed‑effects models to understand how urban disturbance shapes raccoon foraging behavior and to inform campus waste‑management strategies.