Comparison Between Native Californian and Governmental Attitudes Toward Resource Management and Conservation

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

Research on various land/ resource management and conservation techniques employed by Native communities in California; their foundations in Traditional Ecological Knowledge, influence on the natural history of Californian ecosystems/ habitats, and their relevance in today's California. Furthermore, the differences between Native community and State and Federal government attitudes toward land/ resource management and conservation will be explored, as well as the overlap/ cooperation between attitudes, especially in the case of the State of California and Native Californian communities.

Comparison of Nitrogen Inventories in the Northern and Southern Sub-basins of Humboldt Bay, Northern California

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

The nitrogen inventory of Humboldt Bay has not been quantified in the last 50 years. Our goal was to compare and contrast the nitrogen content of the surface, sediments, biomass, and water column between Arcata and South Bay. Not only was nitrate, nitrite, and ammonium in the water column and pore water tested, but many other factors including: CTD, biomass, grain size, chlorophyll-a, loss of ignition, CHN, and metals. We used past peer reviewed papers to determine differences between the two study areas, and coupled NOAA cencoos and Wiyot data, with our own testing to get the best picture we could of Humboldt Bay. Testing spanned for three months in 2015: March, April, and May.

Compiling archived spectral data of exoplanetary systems to search for trends in the atmospheric composition of hot Jupiters

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

The study of exoplanets has produced large amounts of data since the first exoplanet was discovered over two decades ago. Much of these data are archival and available online to be reused to search for new results. More specifically, spectral data that has been taken from planet-star systems to detect planets by the radial velocity (RV) method can be reused to perform transit spectroscopy if the RV curves include spectra taken at the primary and secondary eclipses and the observations have sufficient signal-to-noise ratio. Our goal is to prepare a compilation of current results on the atmospheric composition of hot Jupiter type planets and extend it by reusing archival data.

Computational Fluid Dynamics Models of RO-PRO and FO-RO Hybrid Processes

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

To address the two main issues of using reverse osmosis (RO) for desalination purposes (high energy demand and brine disposal), two hybrid systems have been proposed. One uses forward osmosis (FO) as pre-treatment while the other augments the RO step with pressure-retarded osmosis (PRO). To meaningfully compare the energy reductions from both systems, computational fluid dynamics models of the PRO and FO processes are being developed to encapsulate the complex geometries of the membrane modules and the system response to these geometries.

Computational Models of Galaxies in Kinetic Theory

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

In this research we model the distribution of mass in simulated galaxies by solving the Vlasov-Poisson system of equations. We've expanded our simulations to include multiple species of matter. This allows us to visualize the individual spatial density distributions of, for example, stars and dark matter as well as the joint gravitational potential. We have developed a library of computational tools to allow us to investigate a number of the physical properties of these galaxies. In future work we will use these tools to compare the characteristics of our model galaxies to those of observed galaxies.

Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) and their Consequential Effects on the Biotic Community

College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences

Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) are not only an environmental hazard, they are hazardous to the animals confined in them and neighboring communities. In this project, I researched the consequential effects of CAFOs on the entire biotic community. The main effects discussed include but are not limited to: waste concentration, water quality, air quality, and public health. The interdisciplinarity of the issue at hand is brought to light by analyzing these detrimental effects through an Environmental Justice and Ecofeminist lens. Proposed areas of further research and community inclusion/empowerment are provided upon conclusion.

Conflict and Agency in Honduran Agricultural Development

College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences

This presentation consists of a critical analysis of agricultural development in Honduras. The effects of neoliberal policies in particular will be examined and an in depth examination of the current land conflict in the Aguán Valley will be used as an example. While there have been many criticisms of development practices in the country, recently in relation to oil palm plantations and World Bank lending, there have also been successes. Often these successes have resulted from militant action on the part of the rural poor. An analysis of agricultural development in Honduras will be presented and tentative conclusions regarding various development policies’ effects reached.

Connecting Care: Advancing Diabetes Management in Rural Areas Through Telehealth and Community Empowerment

Ana Ocegueda, School of Applied Health Undergraduate Student

College of Professional Studies

Rural areas do not have enough providers leading to a lack of availability for appointments. Rural patients often have difficulty with transportation for essential health services, such as appointments, labs, and pharmacy. Patients with T2D require technology to ensure timely healthcare, including urgent healthcare needs. Nurses can connect patients with T2D to essential health services and education using an interdisciplinary team approach along with technology to modify education for each patient’s needs, including language. The theoretical outcomes will be evaluated using short- and long-term measures.

Connecting Communities: Education and Resources for Humboldt County, California

Joseph Meihak, Wildlife Undergraduate Student

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

We created a website to promote ethical awareness and responsibility among the Cal Poly Humboldt community. The recent housing decisions have raised ethical concerns, and our website offers resources for housing, transportation, mental health, and local community services. We believe that these issues, such as food and housing insecurities and environmental impacts like pollution and resource scarcity, are interconnected. Our website aims to provide necessary resources to help address these issues and promote environmental consciousness.

Connecting Local Businesses and HSU

College of Professional Studies

We will be conducting a musical event held locally at Blondie's in Arcata that incorporates a canned food drive and an assortment of raffle prizes. One of our goals is to support local businesses and to show the community how much they give back to HSU by asking these local businesses for donations for our raffle. We wish to accomplish entertainment that is in a safe and including environment. We also hope to create opportunities for OhSnap to provide more food for students. To not only be able to give back to the HSU students in need, but to also bring attention to the community that a program like OhSnap exists. We will donate all of our canned goods back to the OhSnap program.