The Homeless Students of Color of Humboldt State University

College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences

In the Fall semester of 2015, Humboldt State University experienced an increase in enrollment unlike any in its history; HSU recruited a total 1,429 incoming freshmen, which joined the already-enrolled student body of 7,370. Of that population, 31% was Hispanic-identified, and 31.3% of that population was from Los Angeles alone. Competitive housing on and off campus left many students in housing insecurity; some endured homelessness for a majority of the semester. This ethnographic research spans the Fall 2015 semester as an attempt to analyze the multi-faceted issue of student homelessness. The increase in enrollment provides an opportunity for analysis in our very racialized present.

The Impact of a Structured Exercise Program on the Pre-Established Exercise Goals for an Individual with Autism Spectrum Disorder

David Adams, Other Faculty

College of Professional Studies

The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of a structured exercise program on the total amount of exercise completed by the participant. The researchers believe that providing an environment that included the major components of Self-Determination Theory (SDT) would support the participants increase in exercise output. This study used a changing criterion design over the course of 6 weeks. Results suggest that the structured exercise program along with the major components of SDT had a positive impact on the exercise levels of the participant.

The Impact of a Teacher Developed Physical Fitness Program on the Self-Perception and Basketball Skills of Two High School Students

College of Professional Studies

This study has two purposes: (a) to determine the effect of a teacher-developed physical fitness program on the performance of specific participant goals for the game of basketball and (b) to determine the impact of this same program on the overall perception of the participants amongst their peers when participating in the game of basketball. The participants in this study included two high school males. Participant 1 had diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and was provided services through a 504 plan. This study occurred over a 7-week period with the pre and post assessments taking place in the 1st and 7th week.

The Impact of Autistic Traits on Student Evaluations of Professors of Different Genders

Kauyumari Sanchez, Psychology Faculty

College of Professional Studies

Instructor evaluations are critical to the tenure process but are known to be biased with respect to gender (e.g. males are rated higher than females) and other identities (e.g. autism). This study aims to address the following question: Are male and female professors evaluated differently by male and female students when the professor’s autism identity is revealed compared to not revealed? This research highlights the impact of disclosing or failing to disclose one’s autism identity and its impact on student evaluations.

The Impact of COVID on Academic Stress and Achievement Goal Orientations in College Students

College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences

Since the start of the pandemic, college students report experiencing more stress, more burnout, and more negative academic perceptions which in turn have affected persistence rates. College students' are experiencing more academic stress due to having a hard time adjusting to online format which has been associated with lower academic persistence. Students' goal orientation may be influenced by stress. Achievement goal orientations refers to a student’s motivation and approach to educational goals. We hypothesize that COVID-19 stress would mediate the relationship between perceived academic stress and achievement goal orientations.

The Impact of Mandated Physical Fitness Testing on Mental Health

College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences

For my project I wanted to focus on the impact that mandated Physical Fitness Testing has on students. The state of California mandates that students receive a physical fitness test. The test then categorizes the results and measures health based on these results. What it fails to take into account are biological, psychological, and socioeconomic components that can contribute to the students results. Body image and eating disorders are a prevalent issue amongst our society. What I hope this project addresses is the limited research we have on the detriment of physical fitness testing and if and how it impacts the mental health of students.

The Impact of Recreational Activity on Staging American Wigeon

Daniel Moore, Wildlife Undergraduate Student

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

This study was conducted to determine if human recreational activity, such as birdwatching or dog walking, has any appreciable impact on the amount of time American wigeon spend feeding in preparation to their spring migration. Due to the large energetic cost associated with migration, disruptions to this pre-migratory feeding could delay or impede their departure, potentially lowering the bird's chances of mating.

The Impact of the Potawat Community Garden

College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences

A look into how the Potawot Community Garden, an offshoot of United Indian Health Services, aids in the fight for decolonization and health independence for local tribes.

The Impacts of Copper use in Lily Bulb Cultivation on Juvenile Coho Salmon in the Smith River Plain

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

Copper is used as a fungicide in the lily bulb industry and is water soluble. Previous laboratory studies have shown that acute copper toxicity in juvenile salmonids can occur at extremely low copper concentrations. These low levels of copper induce predatory avoidance behavior and the loss of olfactory sensory function, which lowers the survival rates of the juvenile salmonids. The objective of this study was to provide scientific information to determine whether the copper levels in the Smith River Plain are toxic to juvenile Coho salmon. Water quality parameters were measured to determine how lily bulb cultivation is altering the water chemistry in fish habitat.

The Impacts of Globalization on the Tibetan Chuba

College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences

Throughout a 6-week period, field observations were conducted in select areas within the Tibetan cultural regions of Amdo, Kham, and Ü-Tsang of western China. Observations were primarily focused on clothing transitions of the Tibetan Chuba—a traditional garment influenced by Eurasian steppe cultures—as a result of globalization.