Schumann Fantasie in C Major

College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences

The Fantasie in C major, Op. 17, dedicated to Franz Liszt.

Screening for Regulators of Quiescence in Drosophila Testis Stem Cell Niche

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

Interactions between stem cells and their microenvironment, or niche, are not thoroughly understood. The Drosophila testis stem cell niche provides a simple model to observe niche-stem cell interactions. This niche contains non-dividing hub cells that signal to adjacent germline stem cells and somatic cyst stem cells (CySCs). If the testis is damaged (specifically, if CySCs are eliminated) hub cells sense their absence and respond by dividing and changing their identity (or transdifferentiating), becoming replacement CySCs. Because transdifferentiation occur in many niches and can promote tumor formation, we are using Drosophila testes niche as a model to gain more insights on this process.

Scuba Diving The North Coast

College of Professional Studies

I have created a specialized handbook for scuba divers interested in diving the north coast. It is a guide for certified divers who are not familiar with Humboldt County's ocean conditions. It provides tips, techniques, as well as locations and how to dive those locations properly. It uses different approaches that can suit both the beginner and the veteran diver alike.

Sculpture Walk Spring 2023

Sondra Schwetman, Art + Film Faculty

College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences

Sculpture Walk in the Library - students will display their art work on pedestals on the first floor of the library.

Sea Star Wasting Disease and Species Biodiversity

Lily Green, Wildlife Undergraduate Student

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

My project studied the effects of sea star wasting disease on sea star populations at Trinidad Beach and Baker's Beach. I surveyed sea stars with the disease and without the disease in approximately half-a-meter quadrant plots. In these plots, I centered the sea stars, counted the number of diseased and or healthy sea stars, and calculated the species biodiversity through point count and percent cover. My point count data results showed a positive correlation between species biodiversity and sea star wasting disease. On the other hand, I found that my percent count data supported a negative correlation between species biodiversity and sea star wasting disease.

Sea Stars and Wave Action

Jackson Gershanoff, Wildlife Undergraduate Student

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

Undergraduate research project for the Wildlife Department researching to see if being protected or exposed to wave action affects where sea stars are found

Seabirds and Their Effects on Plant Growth

Hunter Green , Wildlife Undergraduate Student

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

Seabirds play an important role in transporting nutrients such as nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) from sea to land that are vital for both plants and animals. My study investigates how seabird guano effects plant growth using native wild strawberries. I conducted a two-month long study where I transplanted native strawberries to grow in soil that I mixed seabird guano in and soil without guano to compare its impact on plant growth. I found there was no significant difference between the plant growth in the soil with compared to without seabird guano. However, I believe a more extensive study is required to determine the precise impact of seabird guano on the growth of native plants.

Search for possible trends between quasar outflows and radio properties

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

Quasars are supermassive black holes that, through accretion, emit large amounts of radiation and eject large amounts of matter. Spectral emissions from quasars have proven to be highly variable, that is, quasar spectra change dramatically over time. The physical mechanism behind this variability in the accretion disk is not yet completely understood. High velocity outflows of matter have been observed in many quasars and could serve as a mechanism for changing the radiating matter in the accretion disk around the black hole, thus changing the quasar's spectra. Our team has analyzed quasar spectra to search for possible trends between radio properties and outflows.

Search for possible trends between quasar outflows and radio properties

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

Quasars are supermassive black holes that, through accretion, emit large amounts of radiation and eject large amounts of matter. Spectral emissions from quasars have proven to be highly variable, that is, quasar spectra change dramatically over time. The physical mechanism behind this variability in the accretion disk is not yet completely understood. High velocity outflows of matter have been observed in many quasars and could serve as a mechanism for changing the radiating matter in the accretion disk around the black hole, thus changing the quasar's spectra. Our team has analyzed quasar spectra to search for possible trends between radio properties and outflows.

Searching for Trends in Atmospheric Compositional of Extrasolar Planets

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

In recent years, there has been a growing interest in planets outside of our solar system, also known as exoplanets. Our research involves looking for trends in these planets’ potential habitability, through archival information about the planet’s radius, its distance from its parent star, and its atmospheric composition. The latter is obtained using transmission spectroscopy, which shows absorption on different regions of the planet’s spectrum depending on the composition of the atmosphere. We are working in collaboration with Dr. Stephen Kane, the creator of the Habitable Zone Gallery, to include the spectroscopic information in this database, which will allow the community to access it.