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Presenters & Abstracts: 2018
Potter Valley Project Relicensing: The Fate of Two Watersheds
- Colin MateerEnvironmental StudiesUndergraduate Student
College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences
At the headwaters of the Eel River stand two large dams. Not far from the Eel River is the Russian River, which has become hydrologically connected across a natural divide by a mile long diversion tunnel transporting water from the dammed Van Arsdale Reservoir in the Eel River into the Russian River. The dams will be up for relicensing in 2022, and as such stakeholders have come together to begin the political process. An interdisciplinary analysis of the current dialogue and data provides a critical tool in understanding the complexity of the relicensing process that will ultimately decide the fate of the two watersheds and the human and non-human communities that share the water.
Predicting Renewable Energy Usage with Linear Regression and Time-Series Analysis
- Linh PhamBiologyUndergraduate Student
- Kayleigh MigdolMath and Computer ScienceUndergraduate Student
College of Natural Resources & Sciences
For California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas, increasing renewable energy production and consumption is important in the face of climate change. We develop a model to analyze these states’ current renewable energy production and future projection. Findings from the model could lead to policy changes in favor of renewable energy.
Predictors of School Connectedness, Self-Esteem, and GPA
- Tsolak Michael KirakosyanPsychologyGraduate Student
- Melissa HansenPsychologyUndergraduate Student
- Geyra Gastelum-HernandezPsychologyUndergraduate Student
- Anahi AvilaAnthropologyUndergraduate Student
- Maria I. IturbidePsychologyFaculty
College of Professional Studies
Students should experience feelings of belonging and safety on their university campus. We ran multiple regression analyses to identify factors that predict school connectedness, well-being, and GPA among students (n=127, 72% women, 41% white). Overall stress is a risk factor for school connectedness (p<.01) and self-esteem (p<.01). Acculturative stress may be a risk factor for school connectedness (p=.069) and ethnic identity may be a protective factor for self-esteem (p=.059). Marginal significance may be due to the lack of diversity in the sample. Programs that help students manage stress and promote multiculturalism can foster positive school connectedness and self-esteem.
Provenance Analysis of the Plio-Pleistocene Prairie Creek Formation, Humboldt County, CA
- Benjamin RobertsGeologyUndergraduate Student
College of Natural Resources & Sciences
The Pio-Pleistocene Prairie Creek Formation (PCF) is located within Prairie Creek State Park on the forearc of the Cascadia subduction zone. The PCF was deposited in late Pliocene to Pleistocene time during a time of mostly forearc subsidence, which resulted in an ancestral Klamath River to deposit fluvial sand and conglomerate in a braided river environment. By looking at the composition of the sand and gravels we can determine the provenance of the formation, which can then intern be used to constrain the paleogeography of the nearby coast range and Klamath Mountains during the time of deposition.
Providing Wheelchair Access to the Beach
- Francesca WattsEnvironmental StudiesUndergraduate Student
College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences
Providing further accessibility to handicapped individuals, I have teamed up with Friends of the Dunes to widen the Wildberries trail, from the Humboldt Coastal Nature Center in Manila out to the beach, for wheelchair use. Currently there are no other trails in which leave from the Nature Center that are wide enough for a wheelchair to pass through. There currently is a wheelchair at the Nature Center in which is designed to be pushed through the sand, but no trail to easily take it on. The dunes are for everyone in the community to cherish and access should therefore be given to all; which is why I am using my experience of trail construction to provide that experience to all who wish.
Psychedelic Harm Reduction
- Michael SonnSocial WorkGraduate Student
College of Professional Studies
The Institute of Harm Reduction Research, Policy and Practice (IHRRPP) seeks to reduce harms associated with alcohol and other drugs (AOD). Such harms affect individuals, families, and the local community. Harm may be the result of problematic substance use, or the laws and policies which pertain to substance consumption. The Zendo Project is an offshoot of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS), and seeks to provide education on the nature of psychedelic harm reduction. By providing best-practice training for attending to psychedelic crises, Zendo Project reduces harms that can arise from erratic behavior, penal responses, and other negative experiences.
Psychometric Characteristics of the Demoralization Scale in College Students
- Irene Gonzalez-HerreraPsychologyGraduate Student
- Kaylee WilliamsPsychologyGraduate Student
- Nena McGathPsychologyGraduate Student
- William ReynoldsPsychologyFaculty
College of Professional Studies
There is limited research on demoralization in college students. Most research in this domain has focused on medical populations, such as persons with cancer (Mehnert et al, 2011; Mullane et al, 2009) or other health-related problems. The most used measure of this construct is the Demoralization Scale (DS; Kissane et al, 2004). The 24-item DS includes components of dysphoria, feelings of incompetence and loss of meaning, with good reliability and validity in clinical samples (Kissane et al., 2004; Pei-Ling et al., 2015). The current study examined the reliability and validity of the DS in college students.
Public Lands Bill- Drafting of Environmental Bills in the United States' Current Contemporary Political Arena.
- Megan BurkePolitical ScienceUndergraduate Student
College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences
This project focuses on my work with Congressman Jared Huffman's office and their efforts regarding the upcoming Public Lands Bill. They are working on restoring and revitalizing forests and watersheds, conserving ecologically significant areas, and expanding recreation opportunities in the North Coast. My internship has allowed me to see the American political system in action and witness local community participation in drafting of bills and has provided a window into the political feasibility of bills around environmental issues in the current contemporary political arena.
Quality Control Methods for Analyzing Metals in Seawater: Blanks
- Kezia RasmussenChemistry; OceanographyUndergraduate Student
- Elizabeth FreemanChemistryUndergraduate Student
- Claire TillChemistryFaculty
College of Natural Resources & Sciences
Many metals in seawater are key micronutrients, essential in small quantities for the growth of phytoplankton. Analysis of these metals can be challenging due to their low concentration and the complex seawater matrix. Properly quantifying the blanks of the analytical method is critical to obtaining excellent results. In this work, we present preliminary data on accurately and precisely quantifying the blanks due to the analytical process of measuring metals in seawater. Once the blanks are properly quantified and minimized, the method can be used with seawater samples.
Rare Plants of Redwood National Park
- Alyssa KlymkiwEnvironmental StudiesUndergraduate Student
College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences
My task was to use GIS - Cartographic design to create a clear reference map for trail maintenance workers at Redwood National Nark (Orick, CA). The map will act as an education tool to promote conservation of rare native plants unique to the ecosystem found only in the Pacific Northwest coastal redwoods.