Analyzing Food Insecurity at Cal Poly Humboldt: Prevalence, Barriers, and Institutional Neglect

Alex Neel, Social Work Undergraduate Student

College of Professional Studies

An analysis into the different aspects of food insecurity we face on campus, from privatization of our food systems, administrative apathy, and consequences of food insecurity for students.

Analyzing Soil Quality & Forage Potential of Solar Microhabitats in Coastal Grasslands

Claudia Alfaro Hernandez, Forestry, Fire & Rangeland Management Undergraduate Student

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

As the global population grows, ensuring sustainable food and energy systems becomes increasingly important. While solar panels support clean energy goals, they can displace prime agricultural land and critical habitat for native grazers in coastal grasslands. Agrovoltaics—integrating solar infrastructure with land used for agriculture or grazing—offers a promising compromise. However, research on solar microgrids in coastal grassland ecosystems remains limited. This study examines how solar microgrids impact soil quality and forage potential in these sensitive landscapes.

Anatidae Feeding Behavior During Different Tides in a Managed Marsh

Javier Vizcardo Vizcardo, Wildlife Undergraduate Student

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

My research was focused on observing dabbling ducks at the Arcata Marsh, My question was if tide height was a significant factor in determining feeding behavior.

Anthropogenic Noise and Song Variation in the American Robin

Trent Townsend, Wildlife Undergraduate Student

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

This project explores how American Robins change their songs in response to human-made noise. I recorded robin songs across urban and quiet areas in Humboldt County to see if louder environments caused them to sing at higher pitches or volumes. Using sound analysis tools, I compared changes in song frequency and amplitude with background noise levels. This research helps us understand how noise pollution affects bird communication and can guide efforts to make urban spaces more wildlife-friendly.

Arcata Elementary School - College Corps

Kaya Murillo, College Corp Undergraduate Student

College of Professional Studies

My poster highlights my College Corps host site, Arcata Elementary. It outlines what I have learned since being there and why I encourage others to join College Corps to expand their experience to ready them for their future career.

Arcata High School FFA Chapter

Leslie Mendoza-Avila, College Corp Undergraduate Student

Other

With my college corps worksite placement, I was placed in Arcata High School working with 2 AG teachers who are part of a national agricultural program called Future Farmers of America. They have heavy positive influences on the students in the chapter, where many pursue entrepreneurships or higher education opportunities to return home to contribute their knowledge in their former chapter or the Humboldt community. The chapter relies a lot on community support, as its resources are limited. The chapter continues to grow by giving back to the community whether it be helping with floral arrangements at events or even participating in community events.

Assessing the Tourism Potential of Orick, California

Ara Pachmayer, School of Applied Health Faculty

College of Professional Studies

The purpose of this project is to better understand the current state and potential for growth in recreation and tourism in Orick, California with the ultimate goal of driving economic development, improving quality of life for residents, and ensuring sustainable stewardship of natural and cultural resources.

Assessing Uncertainties in a Flow Injection Analysis Method for Trace Concentrations of Iron in Seawater

Elijah Vestal, Geology Undergraduate Student

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

Iron is an essential nutrient in biological systems, and is the limiting nutrient in about ⅓ of the surface ocean. We investigate the flow injection method of Lohan et al., 2006, with modifications described in Biller et al., 2013 to analyze nanomolar concentrations of iron in seawater. In this work we focus on quantifying and understanding the uncertainties in the measurements and the signal of the blank by adjusting the method in four distinct ways.

Basque Cultural Exploration

ADAM IBARRA, Psychology Undergraduate Student

College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences

This project is a Cultural Exploration that I completed in 2024 as part of my Cultural Psychology class at the University of Alaska -Fairbanks. I wanted to immerse myself in Basque Culture as I am a Basque Diaspora born in the U.S. but have grown up largely disconnected from Basque Culture. I attended Palm Sunday at the Notre Dame Des Victoires in San Francisco, CA participating in the events preceding Easter. I also visited the Basque Cultural Center on Palm Sunday and interviewed Alain Camou the manager at the restaurant in the Cultural Center about Basque Culture. I hope that presenting this work at the Ideafest will help to share Basque Culture with others and help further this research.

Beyond The Five Finger Discount: Monetary Motivations Behind Shoplifting

Emma Frerichs, Psychology Undergraduate Student

College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences

Social media has been used to share individual hauls of shoplifted items. Research suggests an evolutionary perspective for this behavior, suggesting mate-relevance. Images were collected using Tumblr search tags to examine the cost of stolen mate-relevant verses non-mate-relevant items posted online. The results demonstrate that mating-relevant items are significantly more expensive than non-mating-relevant items. Although the average prices of the stolen items were not significantly high for either category, the differences suggest a mating-relevant strategy for displaying shoplifted items.