This project explores how the timing and nutritional content of breakfast impacts cognitive performance in college students, with a focus on critical thinking and memory. Findings suggest that eating a balanced, protein-rich breakfast within 1–2 hours of waking significantly enhances mental clarity and task performance.

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.

This research investigates the factors influencing river otter (Lontra canadensis) diel activity along two contrasting study sites. Using camera traps from summer to fall 2023, I compare otter activity in two locations: the Eel River Estuary Reserve, an area of low human activity, and the Arcata Marsh, an area of high human activity. I explore whether otters exhibit different activity patterns depending on tidal phase and lunar phase. By comparing otter behavior in these contrasting environments, this study aims to understand how human activity and environmental conditions shape otter behavior, overall contributing to more effective conservation and habitat management strategies.

Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is a neurological disorder that destroys memory and other cognitive functions. Several scientific findings have connected dysfunctional microglia, a type of immune cell, to AD progression. We created an agent-based model to simulate the interactions between microglia and their environment, addressing dysfunctional microglia's effect on AD. Our model represents a two-dimensional slice of the hippocampus, depicting microglia's ability to move, metabolize glucose, and interact with the blood brain barrier and amyloid beta plaques. We applied treatments of metabolic boosting and exercise to our model to study how varying treatment intensities can impede AD progression.

Plants and their pathogens are often described as being in an "evolutionary arms race" that allows them to continue their survival. Effector molecules, which are what pathogens use to combat plant defenses, are encoded by genes that have often been observed to be located in more dense parts of the genome, providing a potential mechanism to accumulate more mutations than other genes. In this project, I used several statistical models to quantify the compartmentalization of effector genes. Understanding the genomes of some of the world's most devastating pathogens can inform the development of mitigation strategies that target stable characters which will not evolve rapidly.

This research aims to address the species composition of Devonian fossil fish species from a formation in Wyoming called the Beartooth Butte. This location has not received much if any attention from paleoichthyologists since the fossils within the formation were originally described in 1932. These fishes were overlooked for botanical fossils, and historically yielded fragmentary material. However, specimens from a Cal Poly Humboldt excavation in 2017, not only include the second articulated fossil from the formation, but also the first 3D fossil recorded.

To promote equitable learning and assessment practices in Supplemental Instruction classrooms, weekly surveys were conducted in a BIOL 198 SI course linked to a Genetics (BIOL 340) core class. These weekly surveys provided opportunities for students to reflect on the effectiveness of their learning strategies. The Supplemental Instruction Leader then implemented activities during class to focus on reading comprehension and test preparation, the two areas indicated by students as their areas of least confidence. Quantitative and qualitative data demonstrated improvement in SI student reflections of self-efficacy throughout a non-consecutive six-week period.

I measured insect abundance in response to various levels of temperature, humidity, and vegetation density.

A study was undertaken at the Arcata Marsh to determine how various anthropogenic disturbances affected waterfowl within ponds that have publicly accessible trails surrounding them. The disturbance types observed included walkers, walkers with dogs, bikers, and runners. A bird would be considered disturbed if it stopped its previous behavior to move away from a disturbance or become vigilant and observe the disturbance. The distance between the disturbance and the bird was then recorded to determine if a certain type of disturbance caused a disruption of behavior at further or closer distances. The type of waterfowl was recorded to determine if there was any difference in species or niche.

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.