May 2, 2025
Reception & Presentations 2pm to 5pm
Cal Poly Humboldt Library
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Presenters & Abstracts: Search
ACEs, Perceived Academic Control, and GPA in College Students of Diverse Backgrounds
Brandilynn
Villarreal
Psychology
Faculty
Luis
Lara
Psychology
Graduate Student
College of Professional Studies
The purpose of the study is to explore how Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) relate to perceived academic control and GPA for students with racially marginalized identities. We hypothesized: H1) students with higher ACE scores will show lower levels of academic control than students with lower ACE scores, H2) students with racially marginalized identities will report higher levels of ACEs, lower GPAs, and lower academic control than students not from racially marginalized identities, and H3) first-year students will report lower academic control and GPAs than continuing students. The results indicated partial support for the hypotheses. Additional research and student supports are needed.
Cultural Awareness and Education for Military and Veteran Population
Nancy U Kelly
Social Work
Graduate Student
College of Professional Studies
Current literature indicates the number of Veterans entering higher education is rapidly growing due to the reduction of military size and the availability of financial support through the Post-9/11 GI bill (Lang, et al., 2013; McBain, et al., 2012). Research shows the challenges student Veterans face can be reduced significantly when colleges incorporate support programs specific to student Veterans and provide training about military culture to faculty and staff (Bosari, et al, 2017; Osborne, 2014). The intention of this project was to increase awareness to the presence of military culture on the HSU campus through a training presentation.
Healthy Youth, Healthy Communities
Felicia J Stansbury
Social Work
Graduate Student
College of Professional Studies
Our goal is to demonstrate the importance of connection between the natural environment, community, individuals, and wellness. We are creating a curriculum to provide a non-traditional prevention/intervention program of outdoor, wilderness activities for youth in the Southern Humboldt region. It is important to note, Ecological Systems Theory is the foundational framework for this project. The ecosystemic perspective is a way of thinking and organizing knowledge that emphasizes the interrelatedness and interdependency between individuals and social systems (Waller 2001). The purpose of our work; promoting healthy activities for youth in order to foster a healthier community.
Does Having Siblings Affect The Recognition of Children's Emotional Displays?
Jasper
Toledo
Psychology
Undergraduate Student
College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences
This research study looks into whether participants with siblings are able to understand the emotional display in images of children more so than participants without siblings. We hypothesized that participants with younger siblings will have a greater likelihood to notice emotional responses in children due to alloparental caregiving behavior. Sixty images of children expressing six emotional displays were shown to participants. Overall, there was no difference in emotional recognition accuracy between participant groups. Specific emotional displays were recognized more than others for all groups, with the most recognized emotional display being happiness.
Pathways to Healing: A Cultural Identity Development Curriculum
Shaylynne Masten
Social Work
Graduate Student
College of Professional Studies
With the Bear River Band of the Rohnerville Rancheria’s Ts’ Denoni Youth Program, I developed a curriculum that covers cultural teachings such as ceremony protocol, regalia, Tribal histories, gender roles, etc. This curriculum focuses on the following: (1) for youth and their families to familiarize themselves with the local Tribal histories, ceremony protocol, regalia, basketry, etc., (2) to help Native youth and families become more comfortable in their own cultural knowledge and identity, and (3) provide a foundation of local cultural knowledge that our youth and families can pass down to the next generation, to help create a cycle of healing.
We Are Your Community
Erin Youngblood-Smith
Social Work
Graduate Student
Amy Mathieson
Social Work
Graduate Student
College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences
For our project we want to focus on bridging divides between students of color and the community. To address this need, we are designing a media campaign called "We Are Your Community." This media campaign will consist of posters in business windows, short videos on social media and a website, and a community building event where students and community members can interact. The media campaign will highlight the stories of students of color and the nuances of their positive and negative experiences in Humboldt County.
Open Textbooks in Higher Education
Wendy Brown
Sociology
Graduate Student
College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences
INSTRUCTOR PERSPECTIVES ON OPEN TEXTBOOKS IN HIGHER EDUCATION
With this presentation, I explore the costs associated with higher education and how those costs may impact access. I explore the implementation of open textbooks as having the potential to bridge gaps between low and high-income students by making college less expensive and more accessible to students from all income levels. I will show prior research and stats on student approval and success with open textbooks, discuss how little research there is on instructors assessments of them, and show my survey findings from a survey I conducted on instructors at Ocean View University.
Making Connections Between Queer Students and Resources
Sebrinna Schmidt
Social Work
Graduate Student
College of Professional Studies
The Eric Rofes Multicultural Queer Resource Center (ERC) works hard every year to provide resources to the queer identified students on campus. This can be a difficult yet rewarding position to be in. The difficulty being, at times, queer students have other needs that go beyond what the ERC is able to assist with. This does not stop the ERC from trying to connect students with other resources both on and off campus. With their guidance a resource zine was created. Its intention is to bridge gaps and make connections from the students to the resources they may find useful.
501(c)(3) development for local equine assisted growth and learning (EAGL) organization
Nicole Winters
Social Work
Graduate Student
College of Professional Studies
This project involved work with Flying Changes, a local EAGL (or horse therapy) organization. EAGL is an experiential therapy shown to be a powerful modality in treating all sorts of trauma and emotional issues, especially with those who do not benefit from, or are resistant to, traditional talk therapy. I worked to develop grant application and fundraising strategies, build lasting relationships with collaborating partners and inform the organization on existing research and education opportunities. I hope to have assisted in receiving sustainable funding, and in building a sustainable organization, providing EAGL to populations in Humboldt County who could benefit from its power.
Tribal Foster Care Research
Natalie
Social Work
Graduate Student
College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences
The lack of tribally specific foster homes in Humboldt County is representative of the statistic that Indian children are three times likely to be placed in foster care, ninety percent of these placements are within non-native homes (CA Dept. of Social Services, 2002). This literature review will discuss the importance of having tribally specific foster homes, review tribal foster care recruitment strategies, and successful foster placement models for Native youth in agreement with ICWA objectives.