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Presenters & Abstracts: 2015
Determining Magma Mixing Duration and Dynamics Through Analysis of Reaction Rims on Olivine Crystals in Natural Samples of Black Dacite From the 1915 Eruption of Lassen Peak, CA
- Nathan A. GrahamDepartment of GeologyUndergraduate Student
College of Natural Resources & Sciences
Disequilibrium reaction rim textures on olivine grains from black dacite from the 1915 eruption of Lassen Peak were measured and coupled with experimental reaction rim growth rates to estimate the duration of magma mixing that took place prior to the 1915 eruption. Reaction rims on 100 olivine grains were measured and the duration of magma mixing prior to the 1915 eruption was estimated to be between 12-17 months. The abundance of reaction rim growth varies during the duration of magma mixing and is evidence that the eruption of Lassen Peak was catalyzed by multiple injections of hot basaltic andesite into a relatively cool and mushy dacitic reservoir magma chamber prior to eruption.
Development and Psychometric Characteristics of the Chocolate Craving Inventory
- Haley WhithamPsychologyGraduate Student
College of Professional Studies
One of the most popularly craved foods in the United States is chocolate. Yet, current definitions and ways to assess chocolate craving vary from study to study. The purpose of this investigation was to create a reliable and valid measure that can be used to assess problematic chocolate craving and its correlates. Preliminary findings indicate that the Chocolate Craving Inventory (CCI) is both a reliable and valid measure. Our investigation yielded high internal consistency and test-retest reliability in a college sample (N = 100). In addition, evidence for convergent and discriminant validity were also found. Future studies will further assess the psychometric properties of the CCI.
Development and Psychometric Properties of the College Help-Seeking Behavior Scale
- Zahra S. ShinePsychologyUndergraduate Student
- Megan KissingerPsychologyUndergraduate Student
- Sarah OlivarriaPsychologyUndergraduate Student
College of Professional Studies
Although college students have access to many free or low-cost services, a majority do not take advantage of these resources. For decades, researchers have sought solutions to this misalignment of service availability, need, and utilization. Impeding this goal is the lack of a sufficiently broad psychometric instrument that can measure and predict help-seeking in an individual. At this time, no such measure currently exists. The purpose of this study was to develop the College Help-Seeking Behavior Scale (CHSB) to assess college students’ intention and past behavior regarding seeking help from social networks and on-campus services for various problems.
Development and Validation of the Humboldt Idealism Questionnaire
- Kashia AxthelmPsychologyUndergraduate Student
- Desiree RyanPsychologyGraduate Student
- Angela Galioto-MarquezPsychologyUndergraduate Student
- Laura KiewelPsychologyUndergraduate Student
College of Professional Studies
Idealism is defined as believing that desirable consequences can, with the “right” action, always be obtained. This involves decreasing the amount of negative outcomes and increasing the amount of positive outcomes. Due to the lack of a reliable and valid existing measure of idealism, our goal was to create a psychometrically sound scale. Morality and justice are two important domains that were addressed during item creation. The HIQ was compared to the Global Belief in a Just World Scale in order to establish criterion validity; the short form of the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale was used for discriminant validity.
Early Cretaceous Cupressaceae in the Budden Canyon Formation of northern California
- Ashley OrtizBotanyUndergraduate Student
College of Natural Resources & Sciences
The Early Cretaceous Budden Canyon Formation of North America contains a few anatomically preserved plant fossils ca. 125 Ma old (Barremian-early Aptian). Recent investigations of the Budden Canyon Formation have revealed a preserved seed cone assignable to the Cupressaceae. Based on serial sections and a 3-D reconstruction, the fossil cone was compared with living Cupressaceae and revealed significant differences from most genera and closest similarity, but not identity, with Sequoia. The age and morphology of the cone also suggests that it may represent an extinct member of the sequoioid, a lineage which gave rise to modern redwoods (Sequoia) and giant sequoias (Sequoiadendron).
Effect of Size at Release on Tendency of Trinity River Hatchery Steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) to Return as Half-Pounders
- Kaitlyn ManishinFisheries BiologyUndergraduate Student
College of Natural Resources & Sciences
I used scale analysis to estimate the half-pounder frequency among wild and hatchery steelhead from the Trinity River 2011 and 2012 smolt years and compare those estimates to the half-pounder frequency from 1993 until 2008. Hatchery steelhead from 2011 and 2012 had higher half-pounder tendencies than those from 1993 until 2008. Wild steelhead from 2011 and 2012 also showed increased half-pounder tendencies. This supports the hypothesis that increased size at release of hatchery steelhead is related to decline in the half-pounder life history, but also suggests that another factor influences the half-pounder tendency of these steelhead.
Engineering the S-Layer Protein RsaA in Caulobacter vibrioides for Heavy Metal Bioremediation
- Jenny A CappuccioDepartment of ChemistryFaculty
- Skye Merrick-StammersBiologyUndergraduate Student
- Christopher De AlbaBiologyUndergraduate Student
- Michael OlveraBiologyUndergraduate Student
- Azariah CoblentzChemistryUndergraduate Student
College of Natural Resources & Sciences
One major contemporary environmental issues is the pollution of heavy metals into waterways. However, removal of heavy metal ions via bioremediation may be a possible solution. Using modified C. vibrioides paracrystalline RsaA surface layer proteins (S-layer proteins), our team hopes to bind lead, and other metal ions for decontamination through use of a filtration system. It is known that modified S-layers can be displayed on the microbial surface. Our initial target sequence (TNTLSNN) was chosen for its ability to bind Pb. Our future goals are the observation of heavy metal binding efficiency of each engineered RsaA surface, and the generation of prototype binding cartridges.
Establishment patterns of Oregon white oak and California black oak woodlands in northwestern California
- Madelinn SchriverNatural Resources Forestry and Wildland SciencesGraduate Student
College of Natural Resources & Sciences
Oregon white oak (Quercus garryana) and California black oak (Q. kelloggii) woodlands are unique ecosystems, yet little is known about their tree establishment patterns, nor the variability of stand structure. Research objectives were: to describe age, stand structure, and tree regeneration in 4 mixed oak-conifer woodlands in northwestern California. Most white and black oaks established from 1850-1910 with rare establishment since 1950 (< 0.05%). Most Douglas-fir trees established since ~ 1950. All sites had high proportions of oak seedling mortality in open stands. These trends likely reflect the effects of altered disturbance regimes enabling the transition to conifer-dominant stands.
Eureka CPI Project
- Rory WeieEconomicsUndergraduate Student
- Katie NazzarioEconomicsUndergraduate Student
College of Professional Studies
Calculated CPI for Eureka area using local prices and data.
Examining Capabilities of Various Single Bacterial Strains on Peptide Degradation in Seawater
- Kerollos HalimOceanographyUndergraduate Student
College of Natural Resources & Sciences
The research aimed to compare the capabilities of two single strains of bacteria in their ability to hydrolyze a common peptide found in the seawater. The research is important in adding to knowledge of the carbon cycle, and how organic matter is processed on incredibly small scales. The data collected over the course of ten weeks turned out significant and more data is going to be added in the future to compile a database for the different bacteria strains which may one day help in environmental restoration projects.