Crutchfield and Maguire (2018, 2019) completed basic needs assessments of the CSU system and data from those will be analyzed to explore equity gaps among diverse student groups reporting food and housing insecurity with focus on hours worked, and hours of familial obligations. A policy recommendation is for university volunteer and internship hours to count as an eligibility exemption for CalFresh .

Community preparedness for extreme geophysical events (floods, wildfires, etc.) is essential, especially since such events are projected to increase in terms of frequency and intensity due to climate change. For my spring 2018 capstone project I have partnered with the Red Cross to engage with their local preparedness programs. Our collaboration has allowed me to apply my GIS skills and participate in mapping their supply trailers and shelter locations, which I will overlay with additional data such as flood zones, wildfire prone areas, etc. The maps I will complete throughout the semester will provide insight regarding possible emergency scenarios and contribute to their effective planning.

Cannabis legalization in the U.S. is associated with greater usage, new cultivation methods, increased THC potency, and new modes of ingestion. Inconsistent edibles labeling and dosage control resulted in a spike in cannabis edible related emergency room admissions. This study examined negative user experiences with edibles. We conducted in-depth interviews with a nonrandom sample of 45 medical and recreational cannabis users in California and Colorado. We asked interviewees about their prior use, negative edible experience, and short and long-term responses to their bad edible experience. We coded interviews for the sources and behavioral implications of negative edible experiences.

Psychological disorders are prevalent in college students, but fewer than 25% of students with mental disorders seek treatment. One factor important in predicting help-seeking is stigma. We looked at self-stigma and public stigma as related to formal and informal help-seeking. Self-stigma is conceptualized as internalizing feelings of prejudice toward oneself while public stigma represents prejudice about mental health held by others. We hypothesized that students with higher self-stigma would be less likely to seek both formal and informal help. We further hypothesized that higher public stigma is related to lower formal help-seeking, but have no relationship with informal help-seeking.

Northern Kentucky University conducted a study in which alcoholic drinks mixed with soda & diet soda were drunk, then participants had their BAC measured with a breathalyzer. When the diet soda mixer was used, a higher BAC was measured, indicating faster metabolism. The enzyme, alcohol dehydrogenase, breaks down ethanol, turning it into acetaldehyde with the use of NAD+. If biochemical pathways such as glycolysis are active, the NAD+/NADH ratio will be offset and will limit the process. Since sugar substitutes don't activate glycolysis like sugar, they are essentially inert. I am in the process of determining if the sugar interacts directly with the enzyme to cause this inhibition.

The goals of this project is to assess adverse childhood experiences(ACEs)among students who attend Humboldt State University, & to explore campus resources students use to sustain their academic success, despite these challenges. I conducted a survey on HSU students (n=133), scoring their ACEs using the Kaiser Permanente study of childhood experiences, & asking a series of questions about their childhood, adult & HSU experiences. I found various resources & attachments that students reported as supporting their success in college. This research can help bring attention adverse childhood experiences on campus, & can provide a useful insight on resources needed to serve this population.

For my internship I have been working with the Northcoast Environmental Center to use geospatial analysis and cartography to map their Adopt-A-Beach program. For my poster I would like to display the process and final outcome of the work I have been doing.

We hypothesize that leaves from pyrophytic species (highly flammable species with historically frequent fire regimes) will disperse farther than leaves from mesophytic species (less flammable species with lower frequency fire regimes). To test this, we examined the leaf fall velocity and dispersal distance of four mesophytic and four pyrophytic oaks species from California by dropping ten leaves of each species from five different heights in the absence of wind. Preliminary results indicated that mesophytes dispersed farther than pyrophytes, and mean leaf fall velocity was slower in pyrophytes. Mesophytes could have traveled farther due to having lower surface area-to-mass ratio.

Disaster preparedness is critical to improve health outcomes during and after disasters. Climate change is increasing natural disasters. People with chronic conditions or disabilities (PCCD) are more vulnerable and need tailored interventions to maintain health. Collaboration with diverse stakeholders fosters inclusive strategies, enhancing healthcare facility accessibility and addressing systemic biases. Screening, raising awareness, and actions toward readiness with special concern for PCCD promotes health equity and better outcomes. Application/assessment by COPEWELL (Composite for Post-Event Well-Being) for regional recommendations can build community resilience.

This research project is about mothers of children with autism. Interviews were conducted with 12 different mothers, and were carefully transcribed and analyzed. The focus of the research is on the way that they see themselves as mothers, either good, ambivalent, or self-critical, in regards to their child's disability. Three components which are looked at are primary caregiver status, degree of sacrifice for the child, and role as advocates.