Preparation and Evaluation of Polylactic Acid-Quinoa Composite Films

Rafael Bernard, Chemistry Undergraduate Student

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

Biodegradable composites were developed by incorporating quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Wild.) into polylactic acid (PLA), with varying ratios. The resulting films were characterized using melting points, bomb calorimetry, infrared (IR) spectroscopy, water uptake, water permeability, water contact angle, antioxidant assay and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The incorporation of differing quantities of quinoa fiber affected the properties of the composites. hese initial studies show quinoa/PLA composites have potential in the development of bio-renewable and biodegradable materials for active food packaging.

Preventing Falls in Hospitalized Elderly Patients

Rory Boeck, School of Applied Health Undergraduate Student

College of Professional Studies

Falls among hospitalized elderly patients is a significant safety issue, with up to one million falls occurring annually in U.S. hospitals. With about 30% of the falls resulting in injury leading to increased hospital stays, and increased healthcare costs. This project is aimed to reduce fall rates on a medical-surgical unit by 25% over six months using individual interventions based on the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) framework.

Pyromania From a Forensic Psychology Perspective

Claudia Cress, Psychology Undergraduate Student

College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences

Our research project is about pyromania from the perspective of forensic psychology. Ranging from the diagnosis to what could lead to diagnosis. We also talk about there needs to be early intervention programs and can prevent those who suffer from pyromania, ending up in prisons or other facilities.

Recess Club: Fostering Student Connection Through Physical Activity and Social Emotional Learning

Sydney Tabbert, Education Undergraduate Student

College of Professional Studies

This year I've interned at Alder Grove Charter School, an independent study school that provides homeschooled students with individualized education. Although, due to the limited on-campus presence and the absence of shared recreational spaces, students have found it more difficult to connect with their peers. Recognizing the lack of opportunities for physical play and social interaction, I developed The Recess Club: a program designed to engage students in physical activity, social-emotional learning, and community building. Informed by surveys and student interest, my goal was to create a consistent, inclusive space where students and their families could connect while staying active.

Recreation Administration Alumni Spotlight

Keegan Henry, Other Undergraduate Student

College of Professional Studies

This project aims to highlight several alumni of the Recreation Administration program at Cal Poly Humboldt. These interviews will introduce the alumni along with their history at Cal Poly Humboldt and their career experience. The interviews will be made into short form videos with use of AI for the imagery. The videos are targeted at prospective students along with current students and members of the community. The alumni careers range in order to showcase the variety in the field of Recreation. Once complete, these videos will be found on the Recreation Admin YouTube channel.

Redwood Community Action Agency

Hannah Siemer, College Corp Undergraduate Student

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

Our idea poster is about our College Corps site. We volunteered with three other fellows to maintain the garden. We have been giving our time here since August and have helped hundreds since then. Some of the things we learned about are the many gardening and carpentry tools. This has helped us to remove a plethora of invasive species. We have also built fences and done trail maintenance work. We partnered up with local businesses to obtain hundreds of seeds to donate. This helped our community start more gardens around town. Overall, our site's main mission is to give back to the community one seed at a time.

Remote Sensing for Forest Health and Wildfire Mitigation

Jonathan Juarez, Environmental Science & Management Undergraduate Student

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

Forest ecosystems are vital for maintaining biodiversity, stabilizing soil, and regulating water cycles. However, frequent wildfires, extended droughts, and declining vegetation health are placing these ecosystems at risk. This research will explore how remote sensing tools and available data such as soil moisture, vegetation indices, and phenology can be used to assess forest health and mitigate wildfire risks.

Resistance Training on Self-Concept to Improve Gender Affirmation and Community Belonging LGBTQ+ Individuals

Lauren Bankerd, School of Applied Health Undergraduate Student

College of Professional Studies

Determining the effects of resistance training tailored to LGBTQ+ individuals with the purpose of increasing gender congruence, self-concept, and community belonging.

Revisiting the Fishes of the Beartooth Butte Formation

Patience Brennan, Wildlife Undergraduate Student

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

This research aims to address the species composition of Devonian fossil fish species from a formation in Wyoming called the Beartooth Butte. This location has not received much if any attention from paleoichthyologists since the fossils within the formation were originally described in 1932. These fishes were overlooked for botanical fossils, and historically yielded fragmentary material. However, specimens from a Cal Poly Humboldt excavation in 2017, not only include the second articulated fossil from the formation, but also the first 3D fossil recorded.

Scavenger Interactions with Marine Mammal Carcasses along Humboldt County Coast

Keith Erickson, Wildlife Undergraduate Student

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

My research looked into how scavengers are using marine mammal carcasses and what is affecting this relationship. I worked with the Marine Mammal Education and Research Program to obtain carcasses ranging from Crescent City down to Cape Mendocino. I used game cameras placed on the beaches to monitor scavenging activity, responding to a total of 9 California Sea Lion and 2 Harbor Seal carcasses from October to April.