purcc 2012 - University of the Pacific
purcc 2012 - University of the Pacific
purcc 2012 - University of the Pacific
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Program & Abstracts<br />
12 th Annual<br />
<strong>Pacific</strong><br />
Undergraduate<br />
Research &<br />
Creativity<br />
Conference<br />
PURCC-<strong>2012</strong><br />
<strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Pacific</strong><br />
Stockton, CA 95211<br />
April 18, 21 & 28, <strong>2012</strong><br />
Sponsored by The <strong>Pacific</strong> Fund
Program Volume edited by<br />
Dr. Lydia K. Fox<br />
Director <strong>of</strong> Undergraduate Research
Senior Art & Design Show – Reynolds Gallery<br />
Artist Reception – April 18, 6-8 PM<br />
Artist(s) Title Faculty Mentor(s)<br />
Caroline Aguirre<br />
Graphic Design<br />
Zachary Bates<br />
Graphic Design<br />
Lindsay Biggar<br />
Graphic Design<br />
Allison Colberg<br />
Graphic Design<br />
Aaron Davis<br />
Graphic Design<br />
Theresa Gallagher<br />
Graphic Design<br />
Mark Radanovich<br />
Graphic Design<br />
Lia Santini<br />
Studio Art<br />
Jennifer Sese<br />
Studio Art<br />
Clifton Thammavongsa<br />
Studio Art<br />
Amanda Zimmerman<br />
Studio Art<br />
Culture Upbringing <strong>of</strong> Self<br />
Untitled<br />
(Mixed media)<br />
REVINYL:<br />
The Revival <strong>of</strong> Vinyl LPs in America<br />
A Modern Day Twist<br />
Motion<br />
Cheers! Here’s to us!<br />
Spark Energy Foods<br />
Aqueous Design<br />
The Finest Cut<br />
Alter Ego<br />
TransParent<br />
Marie Lee<br />
Marie Lee<br />
Marie Lee<br />
Marie Lee<br />
Marie Lee<br />
Marie Lee<br />
Marie Lee<br />
Monika Meler<br />
Jennifer Little<br />
Lucinda Kasser<br />
Dan Kasser<br />
Jennifer Little<br />
Monika Meler<br />
3
Oral Session I – DeRosa <strong>University</strong> Center, Room 211<br />
Time<br />
Student<br />
Presenter(s)<br />
Presentation Title<br />
Faculty Mentor<br />
9:00<br />
Ana Garcia<br />
Sociology<br />
Women, Power and Politics<br />
Marcia Hernandez<br />
Sociology<br />
9:20<br />
Marissa Ito<br />
Development and<br />
Cultural Change<br />
What Does It Mean To Be a Latino In<br />
Stockton?<br />
Analiese Richard<br />
International Studies<br />
9:40<br />
Ann McAdam<br />
Business<br />
Reunification and Foster Care: Is it<br />
Always Best to Put Humpty Dumpty<br />
Back Toge<strong>the</strong>r Again?<br />
John Myers<br />
Law<br />
10:00<br />
Jennifer Immel<br />
Development and<br />
Cultural Change<br />
Sugar, Slavery, and Sovereignty<br />
Analiese Richard<br />
International Studies<br />
10:20<br />
TyaCamellia Allred,<br />
Chynna Andeola,<br />
Aliza Moody<br />
Sociology<br />
Why Do Students Sit Where They<br />
Sit in a Classroom?: A Survey <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Pacific</strong><br />
Undergraduate Students<br />
George Lewis<br />
Sociology<br />
10:40<br />
Jin Kim<br />
International Relations<br />
Law and Politics <strong>of</strong> FDI<br />
Yong Kyun Kim<br />
International Studies<br />
11:00<br />
Maya Campbell-<br />
Unsoeld<br />
Development and<br />
Cultural Change<br />
Community agriculture as a response<br />
to <strong>the</strong> global food crisis: A<br />
comparison <strong>of</strong> models from<br />
Nicaragua and <strong>the</strong> United States<br />
Analiese Richard<br />
International Studies<br />
11:20<br />
Megan Chavez,<br />
Timothy Schell,<br />
Hilary King<br />
Athletic Training<br />
Psychological Management <strong>of</strong><br />
Catastrophic Incident<br />
Jodi Baker<br />
Sport Sciences<br />
11:40<br />
Ellen Barton,<br />
Codi Kaiser,<br />
Lindsay Sasaki<br />
Sport Sciences,<br />
Sport Pedagogy<br />
Tiger PRIDE: Mobilizing community<br />
partnerships to improve pedagogical<br />
skills <strong>of</strong> pre-service PE teachers<br />
Lara Killick<br />
Darrin Kitchen<br />
Sport Sciences<br />
4
Oral Session II– DeRosa <strong>University</strong> Center, Room 211<br />
Time<br />
Student<br />
Presenter(s)<br />
Presentation Title<br />
Faculty Mentor<br />
1:00<br />
Danielle Procope<br />
English<br />
Anti-Blackness in Enlightenment<br />
Thought & <strong>the</strong> Limitations <strong>of</strong> W.E.B.<br />
Du Bois<br />
Jeffrey Hole<br />
English<br />
1:20<br />
Darya Ramanava<br />
Finance, Economics<br />
Persistency in stock performance <strong>of</strong><br />
sequential mergers and acquisitions in<br />
Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT)<br />
industry in <strong>the</strong> USA<br />
Phil Zhu<br />
Finance<br />
Bill Herrin<br />
Economics<br />
1:40<br />
Minhchau Dinh<br />
Environmental Studies<br />
Food Deserts: A Comparison <strong>of</strong> Rural<br />
and Urban Census Tracts<br />
Bill Herrin<br />
Economics<br />
2:00<br />
Jordan Schreiber<br />
Political Science<br />
Adopting <strong>the</strong> Turkish Model: The<br />
Post-revolution Political Development<br />
<strong>of</strong> Egypt’s Muslim Bro<strong>the</strong>rhood<br />
Daniel O’Neill<br />
Political Science<br />
2:20<br />
Danielle Procope<br />
English<br />
The Myth <strong>of</strong> Black Solidarity and <strong>the</strong><br />
Sexist Oppression <strong>of</strong> Black Women<br />
Jeffrey Hole<br />
English<br />
2:40 Break<br />
3:00<br />
Amy Olmos<br />
Biochemistry<br />
Cindy Sherman’s outrage against <strong>the</strong><br />
victimization <strong>of</strong> women<br />
Merrill Schleier<br />
Visual Arts<br />
3:20<br />
Eeva Nelson<br />
History<br />
The Deflection <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Gaze: How<br />
Lorna Simpson’s Stereo Styles<br />
Subverts <strong>the</strong> Messages <strong>of</strong> Advertisers<br />
Merrill Schleier<br />
Visual Arts<br />
3:40<br />
Emily Duarte<br />
Speech Language<br />
Pathology<br />
Shirin Neshat’s Turbulent: A Look<br />
Inside Gender in Muslim Society<br />
Merrill Schleier<br />
Visual Arts<br />
4:00<br />
Arlen Guillen<br />
Biochemistry<br />
TDS, not so tedious: An efficient<br />
technique to study topological changes<br />
in modified G-quadruplex DNA<br />
Liang Xue<br />
Chemistry<br />
4:20<br />
Chelsea Fredrick<br />
Communication<br />
Student Self Esteem's Effect on<br />
Classroom Leadership<br />
Qingwen Dong<br />
Communication<br />
4:40<br />
Gabriella Giannini<br />
Communications<br />
Call <strong>of</strong> Duty: Affects <strong>of</strong> Violent Video<br />
Games on Aggressive Behaviors<br />
Qingwen Dong<br />
Communication<br />
5
Poster Session I – Tiger Lounge<br />
Poster<br />
Student<br />
Presenter(s)<br />
Poster Title<br />
Faculty Mentor(s)<br />
1<br />
Sara Stookey<br />
Communication<br />
The Art <strong>of</strong> Creation<br />
Tanya Storch<br />
Religious Studies<br />
2<br />
Hannah Rea<br />
Communication<br />
Solidaridad (solidarity)<br />
Erin Rausch<br />
Center for Community<br />
Involvement<br />
3<br />
Haley Hartwick<br />
Communication<br />
Media and Youth Politics Today<br />
Qingwen Dong<br />
Communication<br />
4<br />
Rebecca Kutcher<br />
Psychology<br />
Will They Buy It: Variables That<br />
Influence Willingness To Pay<br />
Michelle Amaral<br />
Economics<br />
5<br />
Shannon Chapman<br />
Applied Economics &<br />
International Studies<br />
Food Insecurity in Sub-Saharan Africa<br />
Bill Herrin<br />
Economics<br />
6<br />
Jayme Swalin<br />
International Studies &<br />
Economics<br />
Developing Sustainable Agricultural<br />
Incomes: A case study from <strong>the</strong> Amazon<br />
Basin<br />
Bill Herrin<br />
Economics<br />
7<br />
Annalisa Purnell<br />
Economics<br />
Argentine Inflation: An Application <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> Phillips Curve<br />
Sharmila King<br />
Economics<br />
8<br />
Theresa & Monica<br />
Cortez-Guardado<br />
History & Gender Studies<br />
Perceptions <strong>of</strong> Sex Trafficking: Asian<br />
Women and Massage Parlors<br />
Gesine Gerhard<br />
History<br />
Gender Studies<br />
9<br />
Marisol Aguilera,<br />
Diana Lujano,<br />
Anthony Sandoval-<br />
Junio, Lyndsi Mark<br />
Psychology<br />
Social Facilitation Effects on<br />
Memorization Task in <strong>University</strong><br />
Students<br />
Gary Howells<br />
Rocci Jackson<br />
(graduate student)<br />
Psychology<br />
6
Poster Session I – Tiger Lounge<br />
Poster<br />
Student<br />
Presenter(s)<br />
Poster Title<br />
Faculty Mentor(s)<br />
10<br />
Amir Cruz-Khalili,<br />
Sadaf Sahibzada,<br />
Marissa Davis,<br />
Tabrisha Johnican<br />
Psychology<br />
Views on Current Events<br />
Gary Howells<br />
Rocci Jackson<br />
(graduate student)<br />
Psychology<br />
11<br />
Alina Franco, Megan<br />
Rangel, Ginny<br />
Durakovich, Christina<br />
Thompson<br />
Psychology<br />
Gender Differences in Attitudes Towards<br />
War<br />
Gary Howells<br />
Rocci Jackson<br />
(graduate student)<br />
Psychology<br />
12<br />
Tyler Glassford, Sean<br />
Kagan, Jonel Imutan,<br />
Nina Shenke<br />
Psychology<br />
Prosocial Behavior In Instances <strong>of</strong> Theft<br />
On College Campuses<br />
Gary Howells<br />
Rocci Jackson<br />
(graduate student)<br />
Psychology<br />
13<br />
Alisa Gordon, Xaio<br />
Xaio He, Nicole Otte<br />
Psychology<br />
Effects <strong>of</strong> Media on College Student<br />
Attitudes Towards Islam<br />
Gary Howells<br />
Rocci Jackson<br />
(graduate student)<br />
Psychology<br />
14<br />
Dandre Ignacio,<br />
Bertha Muro Mora,<br />
Brian Ng<br />
Psychology<br />
Assessment <strong>of</strong> Islam group threat<br />
perceptions and values<br />
Gary Howells<br />
Rocci Jackson<br />
(graduate student)<br />
Psychology<br />
15<br />
Nydia Ramos, Rubi<br />
Carrillo, Alexa<br />
Zaharris, Jorge<br />
Montanez, Itzel Flores<br />
Psychology<br />
Exploring <strong>the</strong> Bystander Effect in Value<br />
<strong>of</strong> Stolen Possessions<br />
Gary Howells<br />
Rocci Jackson<br />
(graduate student)<br />
Psychology<br />
16<br />
Kelly Rush, Michelle<br />
Martinez, Joanna<br />
Kwan, Andrea Soto<br />
Psychology<br />
Gender Differences on <strong>the</strong> Beliefs <strong>of</strong><br />
Punishment<br />
Gary Howells<br />
Rocci Jackson<br />
(graduate student)<br />
Psychology<br />
7
Poster Session II – Grace Covell<br />
Poster<br />
Student<br />
Presenter(s)<br />
Poster Title<br />
Faculty Mentor(s)<br />
17<br />
Isha Srivastava,<br />
Grace Ramos<br />
Bioengineerng<br />
Ankle Healing Aid<br />
Shelly Gulatig<br />
Simon Tang<br />
Bioengineering<br />
Mark Van Ness<br />
Sport Sciences<br />
18<br />
Brianna Juhrend<br />
Civil Engineering<br />
Drinking Water Security and<br />
Sustainability<br />
Mary Kay<br />
Camarillo<br />
Civil Engineering<br />
19<br />
Brian Phan,<br />
Justin Pyun<br />
Civil Engineering<br />
Design and Production <strong>of</strong> a Steel Bridge<br />
Utilizing Innovative Connections and<br />
Fabrication Techniques<br />
Luke Lee<br />
Gary Litton<br />
Scott Meery<br />
Civil Engineering<br />
20<br />
Mat<strong>the</strong>w Ebia<br />
Bioengineering<br />
An Assessment <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Total Phosphorous<br />
Mass Balance Using a Modified<br />
Persulfate Digestion Method<br />
William<br />
Stringfellow<br />
Chelsea Spier<br />
Environmental<br />
Engineering<br />
21<br />
Ernest A. Garcia<br />
Chemistry<br />
Solving <strong>the</strong> low dissolved oxygen problem<br />
by understanding <strong>the</strong> sources and fate <strong>of</strong><br />
different nitrogen species entering in <strong>the</strong><br />
San Joaquin River Estuary<br />
William<br />
Stringfellow<br />
Environmental<br />
Engineering<br />
22<br />
Priya Patel<br />
Pre-Dentistry<br />
Biological Sciences<br />
A Tail <strong>of</strong> Two Monkeys: Dietary Choice<br />
in Relation to Cranial and Dental<br />
Evolution in <strong>the</strong> Red Howler Monkey and<br />
Olive Baboon<br />
Dorothy Dechant<br />
Dentistry<br />
23<br />
Laura Tsu<br />
Biological Sciences<br />
Preferred Diet - Got Insects or Leaves?<br />
Dorothy Dechant<br />
Dentistry<br />
24<br />
Gracie Castillo<br />
Biological Sciences<br />
Voice and Laryngeal Design: The Role <strong>of</strong><br />
Vocal Fold Architecture<br />
Marcos Gridi-Papp<br />
Biological Sciences<br />
25<br />
Erica Chean<br />
Heidi Huh<br />
Biological Sciences<br />
The Effect <strong>of</strong> Cell Size on Auditory<br />
Morphology and Tuning in Gray<br />
Treefrogs<br />
Marcos Gridi-Papp<br />
Biological Sciences<br />
26<br />
Emilio Cortes Elviña<br />
Biological Sciences<br />
Hearing Sensitivity in <strong>the</strong> Golden<br />
Treefrog Polypedates leucomystax from<br />
Vietnam<br />
Marcos Gridi-Papp<br />
Biological Sciences<br />
8
Poster Session II – Grace Covell<br />
Poster<br />
Student<br />
Presenter(s)<br />
Poster Title<br />
Faculty Mentor(s)<br />
27<br />
Joanna Mari Concha<br />
Guhit<br />
Biological Sciences<br />
Variations in Sound Production<br />
Frequency Among North American Gray<br />
Tree Frogs<br />
Marcos Gridi-Papp<br />
Biological Sciences<br />
28<br />
Moid Khan<br />
Biological Sciences<br />
Pre-Dentistry<br />
The Effect <strong>of</strong> Energetic Costs on Calling<br />
Strategies <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> House Cricket, Acheta<br />
domesticus<br />
Marcos Gridi-Papp<br />
Biological Sciences<br />
29<br />
Pauline Montemayor,<br />
Stephanie Nguyen,<br />
Yutian Zeng<br />
Biological Sciences<br />
The Relationship Between Auditory<br />
Morphology and Tuning in Three Species<br />
<strong>of</strong> Frogs<br />
Marcos Gridi-Papp<br />
Biological Sciences<br />
31<br />
Mary Paduano,<br />
Sarah Anne Wong<br />
Biological Sciences<br />
Effects <strong>of</strong> Ploidy on <strong>the</strong> Tuning <strong>of</strong><br />
Hearing in Female Hyla versicolor and H.<br />
chrysocelis Treefrogs<br />
Marcos Gridi-Papp<br />
Biological Sciences<br />
31<br />
Johanna Hsieh,<br />
Christina Pham-Le,<br />
Susan Phy, Lan Tran<br />
Biological Sciences<br />
Toward Understanding <strong>the</strong> Genetic Basis<br />
<strong>of</strong> Mimetic Color Pattern in Limenitis<br />
lorquini<br />
Ryan Hill<br />
Biological Sciences<br />
32<br />
Seung Wan Ha,<br />
Charles Kim,<br />
Alexander Mendoza,<br />
Graham Travenick,<br />
Chris Weber,<br />
Chad Wierlo<br />
Biological Sciences<br />
Genotypic and Phenotypic Diversity<br />
in Endangered Populations <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
Callippe Silverspot Butterfly<br />
(Speyeria callippe) in <strong>the</strong> Greater Bay<br />
Area<br />
Ryan Hill<br />
Biological Sciences<br />
33<br />
Brenna Carillo-<br />
Zazueta, Logan<br />
Brodnansky, Connie<br />
Lin, Priya Patel,<br />
Brianna Hu<br />
Biological Sciences<br />
Genetics <strong>of</strong> Sexual Dimorphism in an<br />
Ostracod Crustacean, Euphilomedes<br />
carcharodonta<br />
Ajna Rivera<br />
Biological Sciences<br />
34<br />
Minhchau Dinh<br />
Environmetnal Studies<br />
Comparing Total Precipitation for<br />
Vernal Pools in Wet and Dry Seasons<br />
Stacy Luthy<br />
Biological Sciences<br />
35<br />
Alec Follmer,<br />
Gwen Alldredge<br />
Biological Sciences<br />
Effects <strong>of</strong> Range and Frequency on<br />
DIDSON Measurement Accuracy<br />
Stacy Luthy<br />
Biological Sciences<br />
9
Poster Session II – Grace Covell<br />
Poster<br />
Student<br />
Presenter(s)<br />
Poster Title<br />
Faculty Mentor(s)<br />
36<br />
Diana Furukawa,<br />
Breanna Wong<br />
Biological Sciences<br />
Growth Rate Differences Amongst<br />
Leiostomus xanthurus Between Varying<br />
Estuarine Creeks<br />
Stacy Luthy<br />
Biological Sciences<br />
37<br />
Hasan Alkazemi,<br />
Jonathan Choy,<br />
Lan Tran<br />
Biological Sciences<br />
Comparing Sand Flipping <strong>of</strong> Elephant<br />
Seals between Sex and Age<br />
Richard Tenaza<br />
Biological Sciences<br />
38<br />
Sejal Bhayani,<br />
Antonia Centeno,<br />
Quang Nguyen<br />
Biological Sciences<br />
Comparison <strong>of</strong> Aggression between<br />
Female Elephant Seals with Pups and<br />
without Pups towards Non-Filial Pups<br />
Richard Tenaza<br />
Biological Sciences<br />
39<br />
Patrick Kang,<br />
Jaeyoung Lee, Mike<br />
Trinh, Pauline<br />
Montamayor,<br />
Christopher Nguyen<br />
Biological Sciences<br />
Behavioral <strong>the</strong>rmoregulation <strong>of</strong> nor<strong>the</strong>rn<br />
elephant seal (Mirounga angustirostris)<br />
adults and pups in a breeding colony at<br />
Piedras Blancas, California<br />
Richard Tenaza<br />
Biological Sciences<br />
40<br />
Lisa Keikoan, Nick Le<br />
Biological Sciences<br />
Fluctuations and Sex Differences in Food<br />
Consumption Relative to Molting in<br />
Magellanic Pegnuins (Spheniscus<br />
magellanicus) at San Francisco Zoo<br />
Richard Tenaza<br />
Biological Sciences<br />
41<br />
Amber Overgard,<br />
Daniel Kee Lu<br />
Biochemistry<br />
Rad51 Paralogs and Complexes – A<br />
Study <strong>of</strong> Protein Function and<br />
Interactions<br />
Joanna Albala<br />
Biological Sciences<br />
42<br />
Cina Kim, Katie Ross<br />
Biological Sciences<br />
Histological Characterization <strong>of</strong> Vitamin<br />
D-induced Apoptosis in a Hamster<br />
Buccal Pouch Model <strong>of</strong> Head and Neck<br />
Squamous Cell Carcinoma<br />
Joanna Albala<br />
Biological Sciences<br />
43<br />
Casey Ardrey<br />
Biological Sciences<br />
Preliminary Proteomic Analysis <strong>of</strong> a<br />
Vesicle-enriched Fraction from <strong>the</strong><br />
Protozoal Parasite Trichomonas vaginalis<br />
Kirkwood Land<br />
Lisa Wrischnik<br />
Biological Sciences<br />
44<br />
Aaron Au, Steven An<br />
Biological Sciences<br />
Characterization <strong>of</strong> an<br />
Adenosylhomocysteine Hydrolase<br />
Enzyme in <strong>the</strong> protozoal parasite<br />
Trichomonas vaginalis<br />
Kirkwood Land<br />
Biological Sciences<br />
10
Poster Session II – Grace Covell<br />
Poster<br />
Student<br />
Presenter(s)<br />
Poster Title<br />
Faculty Mentor(s)<br />
45<br />
Olga Bachour, Kai<br />
Chang, Tex Mabalon<br />
Biological Sciences<br />
Effects <strong>of</strong> Serine Protease Inhibitors on<br />
<strong>the</strong> Human Protozoal Parasite<br />
Trichomonas vaginalis<br />
Kirkwood Land<br />
Biological Sciences<br />
46<br />
Annie Chen, Sandy<br />
Chen, Vivian Huang,<br />
Victoria Lewis, Hasna<br />
Manghi<br />
Biological Sciences<br />
Cloning and Expression <strong>of</strong> an Aspartic<br />
Protease from <strong>the</strong> Human Protozoal<br />
Parasite Trichomonas vaginalis<br />
Kirkwood Land<br />
Biological Sciences<br />
47<br />
Annie Chen, Sandy<br />
Chen, Vivian Huang,<br />
Victoria Lewis, Hasna<br />
Manghi<br />
Biological Sciences<br />
Transmission Electron Microscopy<br />
Localization <strong>of</strong> a Major Cysteien<br />
Protease <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Protozoal Parasite<br />
Trichomonas vaginalis<br />
Kirkwood Land<br />
Lisa Wrischnik<br />
Biological Sciences<br />
48<br />
Kassandra Cooper,<br />
Tiffany Riley, Asma<br />
Patel, Raquel<br />
O’Connor, Neal Patel<br />
Biological Sciences<br />
Studies <strong>of</strong> Calpain Inhibotors as<br />
Antiparasitic Agents Against<br />
Trichomonas vaginalis<br />
Kirkwood Land<br />
Biological Sciences<br />
49<br />
Oliver Dam, Faheen<br />
Qazi, Derek Paw<br />
Biological Sciences<br />
Analysis <strong>of</strong> a Kex2-like Gene in <strong>the</strong><br />
Protozoal Parasite Trichomonas vaginalis<br />
Kirkwood Land<br />
Lisa Wrischnik<br />
Biological Sciences<br />
50<br />
Nathan Haberkern<br />
Biological Sciences<br />
Charcterization <strong>of</strong> Cysteine Protease<br />
Inhibitor (CP8) Virulence Factor in<br />
Bovine and Feline Strains <strong>of</strong> T. Foetus<br />
Kirkwood Land<br />
Biological Sciences<br />
51<br />
Jonathan Huang<br />
Biological Sciences<br />
Cloing and Expression <strong>of</strong> Thioredoxin<br />
Reductase from <strong>the</strong> Human Protozoal<br />
Parasite Trichomonas vaginalis<br />
Kirkwood Land<br />
Lisa Wrischnik<br />
Biological Sciences<br />
52<br />
Stephen Kim<br />
Biological Sciences<br />
Analysis <strong>of</strong> new Theosemicarbazones<br />
Against <strong>the</strong> Human Protozoal Parasite<br />
Trichomonas vaginalis<br />
Kirkwood Land<br />
Biological Sciences<br />
53<br />
Evan Kristiansen<br />
Biological Sciences<br />
Characterization <strong>of</strong> a Novel Kinase in <strong>the</strong><br />
Protozoal Parasite Trichomonas vaginalis<br />
Kirkwood Land<br />
Biological Sciences<br />
11
Poster Session II – Grace Covell<br />
Poster<br />
Student<br />
Presenter(s)<br />
Poster Title<br />
Faculty Mentor(s)<br />
54<br />
Evan Kristiansen<br />
Biological Sciences<br />
Molecular Detection <strong>of</strong> Dog Heart Worm<br />
in Mosquitoes in <strong>the</strong> San Joaquin Valley<br />
Kirkwood Land<br />
Biological Sciences<br />
55<br />
Neal Patel, Tiffany<br />
Riley, Asma Patel,<br />
Raquel O’Connor<br />
Biological Sciences<br />
Use <strong>of</strong> a motion-based, novel computer<br />
application for whole-plate screening <strong>of</strong><br />
drugs against small parasitic nematodes<br />
Kirkwood Land<br />
Gregg Jongeward<br />
Biological Sciences<br />
56<br />
Alex Yee, Tiffany<br />
Riley, Asma Patel,<br />
Raquel O’Connor,<br />
Neal Patel<br />
Biological Sciences<br />
In Vitro Activity <strong>of</strong> Calpain Inhibitors<br />
Against Tritrichomonas foetus<br />
Kirkwood Land<br />
Biological Sciences<br />
57<br />
Kimiko Agari,<br />
Hansel Poerwanto<br />
Biological Sciences<br />
Effects <strong>of</strong> MAT alpha deletions on<br />
protein secretion in Pichia pastoris<br />
Ge<strong>of</strong>f & Joan<br />
Lin-Cereghino<br />
Biological Sciences<br />
58<br />
Pachai Moua<br />
Biological Sciences<br />
Visualizing <strong>the</strong> Pathways <strong>of</strong> MBP-EGFP<br />
Fusions with Fluorescence Microscopy<br />
Ge<strong>of</strong>f & Joan<br />
Lin-Cereghino<br />
Biological Sciences<br />
59<br />
Maria Nattestad,<br />
Kristin Oshiro<br />
Biological Sciences<br />
Messing with Perfection: Analysis <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
5' untranslated region (5'UTR) <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
alcohol oxidase 1 (AOX1) gene in<br />
recombinant protein expression in Pichia<br />
pastoris<br />
Ge<strong>of</strong>f & Joan<br />
Lin-Cereghino<br />
Biological Sciences<br />
60<br />
Nadia Shaheen<br />
Biological Sciences<br />
Expression and Purification <strong>of</strong> Pyriform<br />
Spidroin 2 Protein<br />
Ge<strong>of</strong>f & Joan<br />
Lin-Cereghino<br />
Biological Sciences<br />
61<br />
Hasan AlKazemi,<br />
Jacky Aguilar,<br />
Sophia Chou<br />
Biological Sciences<br />
The Structural Studies <strong>of</strong> Artificial Silk<br />
Fibers and <strong>the</strong> PySp2 Protein<br />
Craig Vierra<br />
Biological Sciences<br />
62<br />
Richard Chen, Alex<br />
Hoang-Mendoza, Jun<br />
Park, Pauline Pham,<br />
Moe Thien<br />
Biological Sciences<br />
Expression <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Latrodectus hesperus<br />
Glue Silk Protein, Pyriform Spidroin 1,<br />
in Bacteria<br />
Craig Vierra<br />
Biological Sciences<br />
12
Poster Session II – Grace Covell<br />
Poster<br />
Student<br />
Presenter(s)<br />
Poster Title<br />
Faculty Mentor(s)<br />
63<br />
Cynthia Co Ting Keh,<br />
Frances Pham,<br />
Yifeng Li, Steve Oh<br />
Biological Sciences<br />
Exploration <strong>of</strong> Pyriform Spidroin1<br />
(PySp1) QEA Module’s Role in Fiber<br />
Formation and Properties<br />
Craig Vierra<br />
Biological Sciences<br />
64<br />
Eugene Kim, Mariah<br />
Mayo, Ka<strong>the</strong>rine Yin<br />
Biological Sciences<br />
Studying <strong>the</strong> Function <strong>of</strong> Pyriform<br />
Spidroin-2 Modules<br />
Craig Vierra<br />
Biological Sciences<br />
65<br />
Jay Ko, Nancy<br />
Nguyen, Raymond<br />
Pandez, Vu Tran<br />
Biological Sciences<br />
Expression <strong>of</strong> an Internal Block Repeat<br />
Domain from Pyriform Spidroin1, a Glue<br />
Silk Protein from Black Widow Spiders<br />
Craig Vierra<br />
Biological Sciences<br />
66<br />
Isaac Lee, Sally Ok,<br />
Thao Tran<br />
Biological Sciences<br />
Expression <strong>of</strong> Internal Block Repeats<br />
within <strong>the</strong> PySp2 Protein<br />
Craig Vierra<br />
Biological Sciences<br />
67<br />
Albert Lin<br />
Biological Sciences<br />
Expression <strong>of</strong> Spider Egg Case Protein-3<br />
for Structural and Mechanical Studies<br />
Craig Vierra<br />
Biological Sciences<br />
68<br />
Taylor Rabara,<br />
Aneesha Sharma,<br />
Reisa Rara<br />
Biological Sciences<br />
Syn<strong>the</strong>tic glue silk fibers spun from<br />
PySp2 <strong>of</strong> orb-weaving spiders<br />
Craig Vierra<br />
Biological Sciences<br />
69<br />
Christine Hu<br />
Biological Sciences<br />
ZipK Influence on Apoptosis and Cell<br />
Migration<br />
Douglas Weiser<br />
Biological Sciences<br />
70<br />
Gurbir Gudial<br />
Biochemistry<br />
Isolation and Characterization <strong>of</strong> Cyanin<br />
Chloride from Strawberrie<br />
Andreas Franz<br />
Chemistry<br />
71<br />
Bhupinder Padda<br />
Biochemistry<br />
Molecular Modeling to Determine<br />
Acidity and Basicity <strong>of</strong> Organic<br />
Compounds<br />
Jinhua Ren<br />
Chemistry<br />
72<br />
Rajneet Padda<br />
Biochemistry<br />
Syn<strong>the</strong>sis <strong>of</strong> Polypeptides and Cleavage<br />
Jinhua Ren<br />
Chemistry<br />
13
Poster Session II – Grace Covell<br />
Poster<br />
Student<br />
Presenter(s)<br />
Poster Title<br />
Faculty Mentor(s)<br />
73<br />
Juan Manuel<br />
Abundes, Elaina<br />
Khoo, Lifang Zhou,<br />
Jennifer Ou, Felicia<br />
Resendez, Hyungsuk<br />
Lee, Christina Quach<br />
Chemistry<br />
Expression and gene modification <strong>of</strong> Taqpolymerase<br />
using <strong>the</strong> SUMO purification<br />
system<br />
Jerry Tsai<br />
Chemistry<br />
74<br />
Una Lee, Sirena Lau,<br />
Vickie Nguyen,<br />
Sarah Chiu<br />
Pre-Pharm, Chemistry<br />
Adventures in New Metal Complexes<br />
Design and Syn<strong>the</strong>sis<br />
Qinlang Zhao<br />
Yi-Ju Tsa (graduate<br />
student)<br />
Chemistry<br />
14
School <strong>of</strong> Engineering & Computer Science – Senior Projects<br />
Bioengineering:<br />
Student Presenters Project Title Faculty Mentor(s)<br />
Tyler Chuang, Brandon Hill<br />
Co-Current Device for Syn<strong>the</strong>sis <strong>of</strong><br />
Spider Silk<br />
Shelly Gulati,<br />
Craig Vierra<br />
Isha Srivastava, Grace Ramos<br />
Ankle Healing Aid<br />
Shelly Gulati<br />
Simon Tang<br />
Mark Van Ness<br />
Eileen Thai, Nestor Decierdo,<br />
Mat<strong>the</strong>w Ebia<br />
The Puzzle <strong>of</strong> Getting up From a Seat<br />
Shelly Gulati,<br />
Simon Tang<br />
Civil Engineering:<br />
Student Presenters Project Title Faculty Mentor(s)<br />
Mat<strong>the</strong>w Anderson, Bryant<br />
Fukuda, Josh Hai Ngo<br />
Snow Supporting Structures, Echo<br />
Summit, California<br />
Scott Merry,<br />
Gary Litton<br />
Thanh Do, Dameon Flores,<br />
Caroline Grant, Gregory<br />
Weissmann<br />
Evan Eyster, John Romero,<br />
Roberto Vera, Damasio<br />
Zepeda<br />
Scott Henderson, Elizabeth<br />
Avelar, Natalie Muradian<br />
William Moreno, Jesse Proud<br />
Vicki Thai<br />
Municipal Water Storage Upgrade,<br />
City <strong>of</strong> Oakdale, California<br />
Ford’s Bridge Spanning The<br />
Tuolumne River, Long Barn,<br />
California<br />
<strong>Pacific</strong> Outdoor Greek Theater<br />
San Joaquin Regional Transit<br />
District Mall Transfer Station<br />
Expansion Project<br />
Scott Merry, Camilla<br />
Saviz, Luke Lee, Gary<br />
Litton<br />
Scott Merry, Luke<br />
Lee, Hector Estrada,<br />
Camilla Saviz<br />
Mary Kay Camarillo,<br />
Hector Estrada, Luke<br />
Lee, Gary Litton,<br />
Scott Meery, Camilla<br />
Saviz, Patrick<br />
Cavanaugh, Randal<br />
Enlow, Cathie<br />
McClellan<br />
Scott Merry<br />
15
School <strong>of</strong> Engineering & Computer Science – Senior Projects<br />
Computer Science:<br />
Student Presenter(s) Project Title Faculty Mentor(s)<br />
Jeremy Ai<br />
Media Aggregation Website<br />
Jinzhu Gao,<br />
Michael Doherty<br />
Andrew Dirksen, Jerry Chen,<br />
Chris Trondsen<br />
<strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Pacific</strong> Helper App<br />
Jinzhu Gao,<br />
Michael Doherty<br />
Kyle Dodge<br />
Lanmes<br />
Jinzhu Gao,<br />
Michael Doherty<br />
Thomas Mendoza<br />
Browser-Based Mobile Application<br />
for Lawrence Livermore National<br />
Laboratory<br />
Jinzhu Gao,<br />
Michael Doherty<br />
Peter Miller<br />
Chapter Connection Phone App<br />
Jinzhu Gao,<br />
Michael Doherty<br />
Michael Ongaro<br />
Vengeance<br />
Jinzhu Gao,<br />
Michael Doherty<br />
Victor Tachkov<br />
Secure Electronic Voting Website<br />
Jinzhu Gao,<br />
Michael Doherty<br />
16
School <strong>of</strong> Engineering & Computer Science – Senior Projects<br />
Electrical & Computer Engineering:<br />
Student Presenters Project Title Faculty Mentor<br />
Edward Berbano, Gary Tang,<br />
Chris Xiong<br />
Virtual Gloves<br />
Jennifer Ross<br />
Jay Brink, Mark Reed,<br />
Brandon Shields<br />
Piano Note Recognizer<br />
Cherian Mat<strong>the</strong>ws<br />
Justin Charette, Kenton<br />
Suzuki, Nick Yuen<br />
Digital Note Recognizer<br />
Cherian Mat<strong>the</strong>ws<br />
Trang Nguyen, Jon Hagerty,<br />
Joe Hasekamp<br />
Wind Power Generator on a Movable<br />
Platform<br />
Elizabeth Basha<br />
Mechanical Engineering:<br />
Student Presenter(s) Project Title Faculty Mentor<br />
Steven Barry, Molly Beckler,<br />
Craig Burton, Jessical Ovieda<br />
Convertible Tandem Bike System<br />
Kyle Watson<br />
Carl Castro, ByungHoon Park,<br />
Daniel Schow, Phillip Yun<br />
Automated Whiteboard Eraser<br />
Kyle Watson<br />
Lane Cowan, Ernesto<br />
Hernandez, Michael Sandoval<br />
Recirculating Solar Hot Water<br />
Heater System<br />
Kyle Watson<br />
Lindsey Miho, Joel Parra-<br />
Hermosillo, Bonnie Zhu<br />
Rotational Molding Machine for<br />
Small Parts<br />
Kyle Watson<br />
17
Senior Art & Design Show – Artist Statements<br />
Culture Upbringing <strong>of</strong> Self<br />
Carolina Aguirre<br />
Faculty Mentor: Marie Lee<br />
The project Culture Upbringing <strong>of</strong> Self is a representation <strong>of</strong> my life struggles, which I have illustrated<br />
through skeletal imagery. As a portrayal <strong>of</strong> my own life, I have created this package with skeletal imagery<br />
to represent both its physical and psychological meaning.<br />
For this project, <strong>the</strong> idea came from <strong>of</strong> my fascination for skeletal art. There is this pure analogical<br />
connection between <strong>the</strong> skeleton and intrapersonal significance. Physically, <strong>the</strong> skeleton has such a core<br />
value and strength. I am drawn to its visual imagery because <strong>the</strong> physical topology <strong>of</strong> bones can be<br />
interlocked and arranged to make a meaningful shape with personal significance to me. Through my life<br />
struggles, I have kept <strong>the</strong> core strength <strong>of</strong> my identity and developed my values.<br />
As a graphic designer, I have done digital designs for promotional pieces, worked with typography, made<br />
event posters, and so on. From this work, I’ve developed a passion for packaging. There is a different<br />
visual approach to designing a package. Starting with what you want <strong>the</strong> outcome to be, you work in<br />
reverse, breaking every side <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> package, ending with a flat surface. The designing stage itself is art,<br />
because it’s so complex and creative.<br />
Since a package can be formed into anything, I have chosen to have that be my instrument for this project,<br />
to symbolize <strong>the</strong> idea that a skeleton can transform into any shape, be anything, but never lose its strength<br />
and value.<br />
19
Senior Art & Design Show – Artist Statements<br />
Untitled<br />
Mixed media (collage, cardboard, screen printing, transfer)<br />
Zachary Bates<br />
Faculty Mentor: Marie Lee<br />
As a graphic designer, it is required that my artistic output consistently solves problems—immediately<br />
imparting a specific idea/desire onto a targeted demographic.<br />
This series strays from <strong>the</strong> aforementioned, hopefully leaving you, <strong>the</strong> viewer, questioning ra<strong>the</strong>r than<br />
content.<br />
The collages serve as an outlet; a freeing exercise from <strong>the</strong> constraints experienced within <strong>the</strong> specificity <strong>of</strong><br />
graphic design. All <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> imagery has been repurposed from previous artistic endeavors or appropriated<br />
and decontextualized from various printed media and trash. They provide an obscured personal<br />
retrospective, allowing one’s own meaning(s) to be attached to <strong>the</strong> work.<br />
Each element was been built up slowly and simultaneously, adding and subtracting elements until deemed<br />
satisfactory. The overlaid contour line drawings are indicative <strong>of</strong> experiences and individuals—contrasting<br />
<strong>the</strong> happenstance choosing <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> underlying collage elements chosen mainly for <strong>the</strong>ir complementary<br />
aes<strong>the</strong>tic.<br />
20
Senior Art & Design Show – Artist Statements<br />
REVINYL: The Revival <strong>of</strong> Vinyl LPs in America<br />
Dedicated to Record Store Day: April 21, <strong>2012</strong><br />
Lindsay Biggar<br />
Faculty Mentor: Marie Lee<br />
During <strong>the</strong> summer <strong>of</strong> 2011, I spent a portion <strong>of</strong> my time experimenting with printmaking and monotypes<br />
using old vinyl LPs. At first, it was just a fun experiment <strong>of</strong> playing with geometric shapes and colors<br />
within a composition and as time went by, I slowly started to incorporate stencils into my work. These<br />
stencils soon became my translations <strong>of</strong> song lyrics that I was listening to as I was created each piece.<br />
What started out as a simple summer art project with no particular relevance, turned into something that<br />
carried much more meaning for me as an artist.<br />
Within <strong>the</strong> last several years, younger generations <strong>of</strong> Americans have been taking an interest in collecting<br />
both new and old vinyl LPs. For me, I started to collect albums because each one was a tangible piece <strong>of</strong><br />
art and music that brought me a sense <strong>of</strong> community among o<strong>the</strong>r collectors. In <strong>the</strong> Fall 2011 semester, I<br />
spent time researching experience design and <strong>the</strong> music industry for a project called “Do-Good Design.” It<br />
was here where I learned that music fans have grown tired <strong>of</strong> current packaging <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir music. Newer<br />
forms <strong>of</strong> music such as MP3’s lack an experience and collectors value. People will spend seconds<br />
downloading a song, when years ago <strong>the</strong>y would spend hours reading <strong>the</strong> liner notes from an LP sleeve<br />
while appreciating <strong>the</strong> album artwork.<br />
After learning about this lack <strong>of</strong> experience, it felt like <strong>the</strong> perfect opportunity to revisit this project. In<br />
conclusion, I have created a series <strong>of</strong> six monotype prints that represent different songs that have been<br />
important in my life and to my overall growth.<br />
21
Senior Art & Design Show – Artist Statements<br />
A Modern Day Twist<br />
Allison Colberg<br />
Faculty Mentor: Marie Lee<br />
Avant Garde art <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> 20 th century was considered <strong>the</strong><br />
hallmark <strong>of</strong> modernism, innovation, and experimentation.<br />
Artists during this time broke down traditional ideas <strong>of</strong><br />
design and pushed <strong>the</strong> boundaries <strong>of</strong> what was culturally<br />
and artistically accepted. I designed six different<br />
advertisements, each one based on and inspired by an Avant<br />
Garde artist <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> mid 1900s.<br />
I researched and drew inspiration from Piet Zwart, Andre<br />
Breton, A.M. Cassandre, Jan Tchichold, Marinetti, and<br />
Pablo Picasso, and sought to design my advertisements as<br />
<strong>the</strong>se designers would if <strong>the</strong>y had lived and worked in<br />
modern times. The artistic movements with which <strong>the</strong>se<br />
artists were associated were Berlin Dada, <strong>the</strong> Bauhaus,<br />
Futurism, Cubism, and De Stijl.<br />
I began my project researching elements <strong>of</strong> each movement,<br />
current events prominent in society, and issues each<br />
designer sought to highlight and explore in his work. I<br />
chose to advertise subjects based on what was relevant<br />
during <strong>the</strong> time and what concerned <strong>the</strong>m <strong>the</strong> most, and I<br />
sought out topics in modern day society which best<br />
paralleled <strong>the</strong>se concerns.<br />
For example, I chose <strong>the</strong> video game Guitar Hero as <strong>the</strong><br />
subject matter for one <strong>of</strong> my advertisements, because<br />
Futurism — <strong>the</strong> artistic movement I was representing —<br />
was focused on technology, noise, chaos, and intensity. I<br />
felt that Guitar Hero embodied those <strong>the</strong>mes well in today’s<br />
world.<br />
Even <strong>the</strong> materials I used complied with <strong>the</strong> spirit and ideals<br />
<strong>of</strong> Avant Garde: I worked with sheets <strong>of</strong> clear Plexiglas,<br />
small hardware pieces, and metal tubing. These materials<br />
not only produced a sturdy, stable finished product, but also<br />
gave my advertisements an industrial-looking finish.<br />
22
Senior Art & Design Show – Artist Statements<br />
Motion<br />
Aaron Davis<br />
Faculty Mentor: Marie Lee<br />
When I interned at Comcast Sports, I learned to create motion graphics. The thrill <strong>of</strong> seeing my designs<br />
transform into a living moving production immediately opened a whole new door that made my passion for<br />
art and design grow even bigger.<br />
The first animation is ten-seconds and displays <strong>the</strong> Comcast Sports logo forming from tiny little pieces<br />
flying toge<strong>the</strong>r. Lightening strikes from <strong>the</strong> logo to reveal each <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Bay Area sports teams.<br />
Following my first animation is an advertisement for <strong>the</strong> California Football team, which displays on <strong>the</strong><br />
bottom <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> screen like a banner and is similar to a flipbook as <strong>the</strong> images flip and slide into <strong>the</strong><br />
composition.<br />
Next is a time-lapse concept for an opening title sequence for a basketball documentary called The Town<br />
Game. The documentary is set in Oakland and <strong>the</strong> view <strong>of</strong> San Francisco can be seen as if you are playing<br />
on an outdoor basketball court in Oakland.<br />
The fourth animation is a music video for <strong>the</strong> song Black President by Nas. The video has a static effect<br />
that lingers throughout <strong>the</strong> whole video. The composition is broken up into nine videos. Sometimes one<br />
video is played on all <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>m, but most <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> time it is broken up to show various videos at <strong>the</strong> same time.<br />
Last is a commercial to help announce <strong>the</strong> spring concert at <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Pacific</strong>, which reveals <strong>the</strong><br />
artist who is performing and <strong>the</strong> two DJ’s that are present before and after <strong>the</strong> artist.<br />
23
Senior Art & Design Show – Artist Statements<br />
Cheers! Here’s to us!<br />
Theresa Gallagher<br />
Faculty Mentor: Marie Lee<br />
My project is a series <strong>of</strong> wine bottles, each with a<br />
separate brand identity. Each <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se identities was<br />
developed with a different kind <strong>of</strong> consumer in mind<br />
and designed to appeal specifically to that customer.<br />
For every bottle I have also created collateral<br />
materials to fur<strong>the</strong>r carry <strong>the</strong> respective brand<br />
identity. This ensures customer recognition and<br />
reminds consumers <strong>of</strong> a unique wine drinking<br />
experience every time <strong>the</strong>y use <strong>the</strong>se materials in <strong>the</strong><br />
future while encouraging <strong>the</strong>m to become repeat<br />
buyers.<br />
The first wine label I designed was <strong>the</strong> Robert<br />
Mondavi 838 bottle for a packaging design<br />
assignment last year; but this spring I was able to<br />
extend <strong>the</strong> project by designing more labels as well<br />
as <strong>the</strong> matchbooks and o<strong>the</strong>r materials. Designing<br />
each label was a process <strong>of</strong> choosing colors,<br />
developing graphics, and placing type to accurately<br />
capture <strong>the</strong> character <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> wine contained inside.<br />
Once this was accomplished it was only a matter <strong>of</strong><br />
using elements from <strong>the</strong> labels to create<br />
corresponding collateral materials to support and<br />
extend each identity. The result is a dynamic series <strong>of</strong><br />
unique and eclectic bottles that appeal to a variety <strong>of</strong><br />
audiences.<br />
24
Senior Art & Design Show – Artist Statements<br />
Spark Energy Foods<br />
Mark Radanovich<br />
Faculty Mentor: Marie Lee<br />
Spark Energy Foods is a small-time food product company all about health and nutrition. The idea behind it<br />
being called “spark” is that it provides that extra spark <strong>of</strong> energy. It is a healthy solution to getting extra<br />
energy needed to get through <strong>the</strong> day. The energy drink essentially is an all-around beverage that provides<br />
energy, hydration, and nutrients. The company, while it is small, has a big attitude. The identity <strong>of</strong> this<br />
company has a corporate appearance to it, but its content is young, fun, and witty.<br />
This product line is mainly targeted at young adults, primarily college students, who need extra energy to<br />
get through <strong>the</strong>ir busy day, but are also conscious about <strong>the</strong>ir health. Being a college student myself, I<br />
wasn’t attracted to <strong>the</strong> unhealthy ingredients in <strong>the</strong>se drinks. College students already eat somewhat<br />
unhealthy foods, so you don’t need ano<strong>the</strong>r added to <strong>the</strong> already long and unhealthy list. The company is a<br />
reflection <strong>of</strong> its customers… <strong>the</strong> entire company identity, from <strong>the</strong> logo, to <strong>the</strong> package designs, to <strong>the</strong><br />
website, are all very pr<strong>of</strong>essional and corporate in appearance, but <strong>the</strong> company gives <strong>of</strong>f that young and<br />
fun vibe which its target audience can relate to. They enjoy having fun but also want to look good at <strong>the</strong><br />
same time.<br />
Since it targets a younger, more modern crowd, I thought it would be appropriate to design <strong>the</strong> logo around<br />
something similar to what <strong>the</strong>y see everyday with bright colors and a sleek type treatment. The designs <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r companies all employ extremely eye-catching and intricate designs with vivid colors and creative<br />
names. I thought I’d make Spark stand out from <strong>the</strong> rest with more simplistic designs, but still maintain<br />
those bright colors to catch people’s eye.<br />
25
Senior Art & Design Show – Artist Statements<br />
Aqueous Design<br />
Lia Santini<br />
Faculty Mentor: Monika Meler<br />
For my senior project I did a series <strong>of</strong> prints that<br />
capture my connection with water as a swimmer and<br />
as a person growing up in <strong>the</strong> <strong>Pacific</strong> Northwest. In<br />
<strong>the</strong> prints I am working with design, decoration,<br />
color, and abstraction. They are a combination <strong>of</strong><br />
relief and monoprints. Water is constantly changing<br />
and moving, which is a metaphor for my life as a<br />
swimmer and student, to a retired swimmer and<br />
graduate.<br />
Growing up, I was inspired by <strong>the</strong> <strong>Pacific</strong> Northwest<br />
Native Americans who have <strong>the</strong>ir own visual<br />
language <strong>of</strong> shapes and color to tell stories. Using<br />
<strong>the</strong>ir aes<strong>the</strong>tic as inspiration, I wanted to create my<br />
own language that would help me tell stories <strong>of</strong> my<br />
own life.<br />
I printed on thin, Japanese paper. The thinness <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
paper created different effects when held up to <strong>the</strong><br />
light, but also changed <strong>the</strong> colors when <strong>the</strong> layers<br />
were created. The multiple layers in <strong>the</strong>se prints and<br />
how <strong>the</strong>y react to <strong>the</strong> light reminds me <strong>of</strong> how water<br />
changes when <strong>the</strong> light hits it, or when it washes up<br />
on shore, and <strong>the</strong>re are designs and layers in <strong>the</strong><br />
foam, kelp and sand. The colors <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> prints are<br />
important because <strong>the</strong>y change when laid on top <strong>of</strong><br />
each o<strong>the</strong>r, and that is something I cannot control, but<br />
accept. This acceptance mirrors <strong>the</strong><br />
acknowledgement that water is similarly chaotic and<br />
difficult to control.<br />
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Senior Art & Design Show – Artist Statements<br />
The Finest Cut<br />
Jennifer Sese<br />
Faculty Mentors: Jennifer Little and Lucinda Kasser<br />
The art <strong>of</strong> character design is a process <strong>of</strong> trial and error. However, <strong>the</strong> development <strong>of</strong> characters can be<br />
both a rewarding and fulfilling experience. Character designers simply do not draw <strong>the</strong>ir characters in one<br />
sketch; it takes many sketches, as well as conceptualizing personalities and stories to hold <strong>the</strong>m toge<strong>the</strong>r.<br />
Most importantly, a character design must have believability, appeal, and above all, life.<br />
My four character designs are all part <strong>of</strong> an original story entitled, “The Finest Cut.” The story takes place<br />
in a medieval setting, and focuses on <strong>the</strong> life <strong>of</strong> four young squires. I have given each character <strong>the</strong>ir own<br />
personality, exhibited through unique facial features, physicality, physical stance, and facial expression.<br />
Their costumes and weapons also give a clue as to where each may have come from, as well as <strong>the</strong>ir<br />
individual area <strong>of</strong> expertise. Colors play a role in each character’s overall appearance, giving <strong>the</strong> viewer<br />
greater insight into <strong>the</strong> unique persona <strong>of</strong> each squire.<br />
The plot <strong>of</strong> my story is as follows. An elite group <strong>of</strong> knights, known as <strong>the</strong> Royal Arms, holds a<br />
competition every year for all squires in <strong>the</strong> kingdom. Four squires, Tybalt, Brom, Thea, and Einhard, are<br />
quickly drawn by <strong>the</strong> competition’s prize: one open position in <strong>the</strong> Royal Arms. With weapons in hand, <strong>the</strong><br />
four squires compete against all odds to win a place in <strong>the</strong> Royal Arms and gain <strong>the</strong> respect <strong>the</strong>y desire.<br />
27
Senior Art & Design Show – Artist Statements<br />
Alter Ego<br />
Clifton Thammavongsa<br />
Faculty Mentor: Dan Kasser<br />
The artworks for my senior exhibition present<br />
<strong>the</strong> story <strong>of</strong> Shaiyo Kiyui, a character I have<br />
been developing for eight years. The drawings<br />
and paintings represent a narrative based in<br />
autobiography and my artistic journey to give<br />
form to <strong>the</strong> cruel and darker issues in our<br />
society. The premise for Shaiyo’s character is his<br />
internal struggle between his gentle nature and<br />
<strong>the</strong> pressure and contradictions <strong>of</strong> society’s<br />
malevolent side. The catalyst <strong>of</strong> Shaiyo’s<br />
conflict began early in his childhood; society<br />
bullied him.<br />
The external sources, <strong>the</strong> form and <strong>the</strong> style <strong>of</strong><br />
my paintings are derived and inspired by<br />
selected autobiographical experiences,<br />
contemporary cultural history in America, and<br />
finally comic books and graphic novels where<br />
many <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> darker conflicts in society find an<br />
audience.<br />
The continuity between my autobiographical<br />
sources and <strong>the</strong> construction <strong>of</strong> my artworks is<br />
derived from my personal involvement in <strong>the</strong><br />
martial arts and my interest in <strong>the</strong> philosophy <strong>of</strong><br />
Bruce Lee, expressed through his book Tao <strong>of</strong><br />
Jeet Kune Do (1975). Through Lee’s philosophy<br />
I learned to divert and reform my anger and<br />
feelings <strong>of</strong> victimization through an integrated<br />
lifestyle <strong>of</strong> physical, mental, and spiritual<br />
wholeness. My artworks are designed to tell that<br />
story in a short hand or short story style.<br />
Presented as comic book and large-scale, black<br />
and white India ink drawings, <strong>the</strong>se works uses<br />
<strong>the</strong> comic book style to create a condensed and<br />
exaggerated narrative for <strong>the</strong> story <strong>of</strong> Shaiyo<br />
Kiyui’s awakening to his inner strength and selfdefense.<br />
28
Senior Art & Design Show – Artist Statements<br />
TransParent<br />
Amanda Zimmerman<br />
Faculty Mentor: Jennifer Little and Monika Meler<br />
All relationships are intertwined. The personal interactions people have shape <strong>the</strong>ir life experiences and<br />
affect <strong>the</strong>ir actions in future relationships. As we mature, we recognize how much influence those<br />
relationships have on our everyday lives. Memories surface and color many <strong>of</strong> our decisions. These ideas<br />
led to <strong>the</strong> creation <strong>of</strong> a body <strong>of</strong> work in which I explore <strong>the</strong> correlation between my childhood relationship<br />
with my fa<strong>the</strong>r and my maternal relationship with my son.<br />
This collection <strong>of</strong> images is autobiographical and is purposefully displayed in layers. Representing <strong>the</strong><br />
underlying influences my fa<strong>the</strong>r has had on my decisions; <strong>the</strong> bottom layer depicts a landscape upon which<br />
photographs <strong>of</strong> him as a young boy are strewn. A window placed over this layer represents me and serves<br />
as <strong>the</strong> connection between my fa<strong>the</strong>r and son. Finally, screen-printed images <strong>of</strong> my son on some <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
panels <strong>of</strong> glass are <strong>the</strong> final layer and demonstrate <strong>the</strong> passage <strong>of</strong> time.<br />
This artwork represents <strong>the</strong> connection with my fa<strong>the</strong>r and <strong>the</strong> strong influence he passed on in my life with<br />
my son. As a parent I want to provide for my son, as my fa<strong>the</strong>r had done for me and pass onto him <strong>the</strong><br />
characteristics I acquired from my fa<strong>the</strong>r. After viewing this artwork, I hope that <strong>the</strong> audience gains insight<br />
to my memories and actions as a parent, and possibly an internal look into <strong>the</strong>ir own relationships and what<br />
inspires <strong>the</strong>m to make decisions.<br />
29
Senior Art & Design Show – Artist Statements<br />
Women, Power and Politics<br />
Ana Garcia<br />
Faculty Mentor: Marcia Hernandez<br />
In this presentation I will examine to what extent<br />
gender matters when it comes to women in highranking,<br />
political positions in <strong>the</strong> U.S. Using<br />
scholarly articles to examine how women<br />
politicians are perceived by voters, and whe<strong>the</strong>r<br />
or not <strong>the</strong> experiences <strong>of</strong> women politicians have<br />
changed over time. My preliminary findings<br />
suggest that people’s views and attitudes towards<br />
women have not changed much over a 50-year<br />
period. My findings also suggest that compared<br />
to <strong>the</strong>ir male counterparts, women politicians are<br />
framed as emotional and needy. My research is<br />
timely because we are in <strong>the</strong> height <strong>of</strong> ano<strong>the</strong>r<br />
voting season; no new women candidates are<br />
running for <strong>the</strong> presidential <strong>of</strong>fice since Michelle<br />
Bauchman has resigned her intentions <strong>of</strong> running<br />
for President. I conclude with suggestions for<br />
future research which may include exploring <strong>the</strong><br />
correlation <strong>of</strong> women candidates’ age, education<br />
level and media perception <strong>of</strong> voters in today’s<br />
society.<br />
What Does It Mean To Be a Latino In<br />
Stockton?<br />
Marissa Ito<br />
Faculty Mentor: Annaliese Richard<br />
The term “Latino” was <strong>of</strong>ficially adopted in<br />
1997. However, de jure terms, do not always<br />
meet reality. In <strong>the</strong> United States, race is<br />
polarized into <strong>the</strong> two categories <strong>of</strong> white and<br />
black. Because <strong>of</strong> this, “Latinos” or those<br />
categorized as “brown” have to find a place to fit<br />
in <strong>the</strong> spectrum. Specifically in Stockton, CA, a<br />
city that is considered to be one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> most<br />
miserable cities in <strong>the</strong> world, paints a negative<br />
and segregated picture <strong>of</strong> those that are “Latino.”<br />
This term has been thrown around and used<br />
interchangeably with o<strong>the</strong>r terms such as<br />
“Mexican” or “Hispanic.” To discover what<br />
does it mean to be a Latino in Stockton,<br />
ethnographic interviews, participant observation<br />
and research on peer-reviewed articles and<br />
journals were conducted. In Stockton, <strong>the</strong> term<br />
Latino has come to be seen as connected to<br />
language, origin and skin color. However,<br />
outsiders <strong>of</strong> this cultural group choose to<br />
categorize many people who would not consider<br />
<strong>the</strong>mselves members <strong>of</strong> this cultural group as<br />
Latino. The Spanish language is used by<br />
insiders <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Latino cultural group as a way <strong>of</strong><br />
forming linguistic identity, where <strong>the</strong> norm (in<br />
Stockton) is <strong>the</strong> Mexican style <strong>of</strong> Spanish.<br />
However, outsiders <strong>of</strong> this cultural group use<br />
Spanish as a way to paint a negative picture <strong>of</strong><br />
users <strong>of</strong> this language. Similarly, salsa dancing<br />
has been seen as a way to access ‘Latino’<br />
culture, where levels <strong>of</strong> fluency in <strong>the</strong> dance, can<br />
express how much you belong to <strong>the</strong> Latino<br />
cultural group.<br />
Reunification and Foster Care: Is it<br />
Always Best to Put Humpty Dumpty<br />
Back Toge<strong>the</strong>r Again?<br />
Ann McAdam<br />
Faculty Mentor: John Myers<br />
America’s Foster Care system is in crisis. It is<br />
not uncommon for a child to be removed from a<br />
neglectful family only to be reunited before <strong>the</strong><br />
parents have changed <strong>the</strong>ir lifestyles. The result<br />
is an emotionally destructive revolving door for<br />
children. They ei<strong>the</strong>r face lack <strong>of</strong> stability in<br />
foster care or an unhealthy home environment.<br />
Parental drug addiction is <strong>of</strong>ten involved in <strong>the</strong>se<br />
cases, and is also <strong>of</strong>ten a cause <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> inability to<br />
function as a nurturing parent. Often, <strong>the</strong> rights<br />
<strong>of</strong> children and parents are weighed against each<br />
o<strong>the</strong>r in matters <strong>of</strong> reunification and custody. It<br />
is a battle between <strong>the</strong> child’s right to be<br />
permanently removed from an unhealthy<br />
environment, and a parent’s right to maintain<br />
custody <strong>of</strong> his or her children. This study<br />
combed through numerous foster care and social<br />
science research journals, as well as books on<br />
parental rights and foster care history in order to<br />
find an alternative that correctly balances <strong>the</strong><br />
rights <strong>of</strong> parents and children. Several <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
sources were conflicting in opinion as to <strong>the</strong><br />
degree <strong>of</strong> which reunification should be stressed<br />
and attempted. An analysis <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se materials<br />
yielded <strong>the</strong> possibility <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> following<br />
compromise: When a child enters <strong>the</strong> system, a<br />
parent should be given a limited number <strong>of</strong><br />
reunification attempts, possibly no more than<br />
one or two. Parents should also be provided with<br />
<strong>the</strong> ability to receive <strong>the</strong> best rehabilitation<br />
services possible in order to better facilitate<br />
rehabilitation. However, in <strong>the</strong> occurrence <strong>of</strong><br />
relapse, parental rights should be revoked. This<br />
alternative may give parents <strong>the</strong> best support and<br />
cause to change; it also eliminates parents who<br />
30
Oral Presentation Abstracts<br />
are unwilling to change <strong>the</strong>ir lifestyle to better<br />
provide for <strong>the</strong>ir children. This project adds to<br />
<strong>the</strong> discussion <strong>of</strong> reunification and parental<br />
rights, and serves to suggest a possible solution<br />
to <strong>the</strong> dilemma <strong>of</strong> reunification.<br />
Sugar, Slavery, and Sovereignty<br />
Jennifer Immel<br />
Faculty Mentor: Analiese Richard<br />
With <strong>the</strong> discovery <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> New World and<br />
economic shifts towards mercantilism,<br />
competition between European nations promoted<br />
<strong>the</strong> conquest and extraction <strong>of</strong> raw materials in<br />
<strong>the</strong> Caribbean. During <strong>the</strong> seventeenth century,<br />
<strong>the</strong> shift from <strong>the</strong> extraction <strong>of</strong> raw materials to<br />
<strong>the</strong> production <strong>of</strong> crop commodities affected <strong>the</strong><br />
economic structures in both Europe and <strong>the</strong><br />
Caribbean colonies. This research explains how<br />
changes in economic thought affected <strong>the</strong><br />
economic, political and social structures <strong>of</strong><br />
France, and by extension Haiti, Martinique, and<br />
Guadeloupe. Using primary and secondary<br />
sources, my research connects <strong>the</strong> rise <strong>of</strong> French<br />
sugar in <strong>the</strong> world market to <strong>the</strong> emergence <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> French slave trade. I examine <strong>the</strong> relations<br />
between <strong>the</strong> plantation modes <strong>of</strong> production and<br />
<strong>the</strong> social relations surrounding <strong>the</strong> French sugar<br />
trade in Haiti, Martinique, and Guadeloupe<br />
during <strong>the</strong> seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.<br />
The French slave trade from <strong>the</strong> West African<br />
coast to <strong>the</strong> Caribbean created a shift in <strong>the</strong><br />
French labor force in <strong>the</strong> Caribbean, which<br />
affected <strong>the</strong> social, political, and economic<br />
relationships between different classes and races<br />
in Haiti, Martinique and Guadeloupe. Finally, I<br />
explore <strong>the</strong> how <strong>the</strong> circulation, and exchange, <strong>of</strong><br />
revolutionary ideas <strong>of</strong> liberty, fraternity, and<br />
equality disrupted <strong>the</strong> social, political, and<br />
economic class structures in France, Haiti,<br />
Martinique, and Guadeloupe in <strong>the</strong> nineteenth<br />
century.<br />
that could impact why students chose particular<br />
seats over o<strong>the</strong>rs in a classroom. The variables<br />
under study included: race/ethnicity, physical<br />
attractiveness, familiarity, and gender <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
respondent in reference to o<strong>the</strong>r people that may<br />
be present within <strong>the</strong> classroom at <strong>the</strong> time <strong>of</strong><br />
seat choice. O<strong>the</strong>r variables include access to<br />
goodies <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> classroom such as attention from<br />
<strong>the</strong> pr<strong>of</strong>essor, and approximate location to <strong>the</strong><br />
door, windows, board, etc. Traditional classroom<br />
setting is operationalized by a room with: four<br />
walls, one <strong>of</strong> which is lined with windows; 20-30<br />
student desks assembled in rows and columns; a<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>essors’ desk in <strong>the</strong> front <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> room and<br />
parallel to some kind <strong>of</strong> board or projector; and a<br />
door. The research design used was a survey<br />
questionnaire distributed to five different classes<br />
within five different undergraduate major<br />
departments <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Pacific</strong><br />
campus, with a total <strong>of</strong> 98 respondents. Sampling<br />
was limited by both time and conflicting<br />
schedules. Utilizing a table <strong>of</strong> random numbers,<br />
a list <strong>of</strong> departments from <strong>the</strong> university website,<br />
and a series <strong>of</strong> e-mails to network with<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>essors, classes that were administered <strong>the</strong><br />
survey were selected based on willingness and<br />
availability <strong>of</strong> time that could be taken out <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
pr<strong>of</strong>essors’ lecture. The survey consisted <strong>of</strong>: nine<br />
Likert-scale questions, two fill-ins, one openended<br />
question, and a diagram where<br />
respondents were able to physically mark <strong>the</strong>ir<br />
ideal seat if all seats were available upon arrival<br />
in a classroom. Data collection was<br />
accomplished through a tally <strong>of</strong> responses to<br />
each question based on <strong>the</strong> respondents’<br />
race/ethnicity and sex, followed by <strong>the</strong><br />
calculation <strong>of</strong> each category’s mean and mode<br />
responses. The main findings <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> inductive<br />
survey are as followed: males are more inclined<br />
to sit next to a person that <strong>the</strong>y find physically<br />
attractive, Asian-Americans are more likely to sit<br />
against <strong>the</strong> wall in order to gain access to outlets,<br />
and females prefer to sit in areas to minimize <strong>the</strong><br />
number <strong>of</strong> distractions <strong>the</strong>y would be exposed to.<br />
Why Do Students Sit Where They Sit in a<br />
Classroom?: A Survey <strong>of</strong> <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> <strong>Pacific</strong> Undergraduate Students<br />
TyaCamellia Allred, Chynna Andeola,<br />
Aliza Moody<br />
Faculty Mentor: George Lewis<br />
This inductive study examined <strong>the</strong> various<br />
variables within a traditional classroom setting<br />
Law and Politics <strong>of</strong> FDI<br />
Jin Kim<br />
Faculty Mentor: Yong Kyun Kim<br />
Purpose <strong>of</strong> my paper is to study why states<br />
would bind <strong>the</strong>mselves to hand-tying agreements<br />
in investment treaties that would undermine <strong>the</strong>ir<br />
state sovereignty. To that extent, I will study <strong>the</strong><br />
various political and economic conditions that<br />
might force or induce <strong>the</strong> respective states to<br />
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Oral Presentation Abstracts<br />
agree to and conceded to <strong>the</strong> investor-state<br />
dispute (ISD) settlement provisions in order to<br />
attract foreign investment. The study will<br />
encompass a combination <strong>of</strong> literature review<br />
and case studies comparing Republic <strong>of</strong> Korea<br />
and Australia as well as Brazil and China.<br />
Through <strong>the</strong> paper, I will show that states’<br />
relative bargaining power <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> two BIT<br />
partners as well as <strong>the</strong> domestic economic<br />
factors, including <strong>the</strong> respective growth rates and<br />
business cycles, <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> capital-importing states<br />
are <strong>the</strong> most important factors that might induce<br />
<strong>the</strong> latter state to concede to <strong>the</strong> negotiations and<br />
accept ISD settlement provisions. Logically, <strong>the</strong><br />
developed countries are <strong>the</strong> more powerful<br />
countries with capital to export, whereas <strong>the</strong><br />
developing ones that need to import capital are<br />
<strong>the</strong> less powerful partner in <strong>the</strong> negotiation.<br />
These developed countries that are in need <strong>of</strong><br />
foreign capital are more desperate for a<br />
successful treaty agreement, so as to attract<br />
foreign investment that could help jump-start<br />
<strong>the</strong>ir economy. The statistics also show that few<br />
years preceding signing <strong>of</strong> a BIT tend to be a<br />
business cycle trough, with lower GDP growth<br />
rates. The less-developed countries with low<br />
GDP growth rates will have higher demand for<br />
new foreign capital compared to those countries<br />
that already have high growth rates.<br />
Community agriculture as a response to<br />
<strong>the</strong> global food crisis: A comparison <strong>of</strong><br />
models from Nicaragua and <strong>the</strong> United<br />
States<br />
Maya Campbell-Unsoeld<br />
Faculty Mentor: Analiese Richard<br />
This paper compares community agriculture<br />
programs used as local solutions to <strong>the</strong> global<br />
food crisis and rising food prices. Two case<br />
studies were conducted in community garden<br />
programs in El Manzano Uno, Nicaragua and<br />
Stockton, California. Both communities face<br />
food security issues, despite being located in<br />
regions <strong>of</strong> large-scale commercial agricultural<br />
production. The comparison <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se two models<br />
yields insight into <strong>the</strong> role <strong>of</strong> community-based<br />
agricultural projects in creating successful<br />
agricultural policy at a global scale, as well as<br />
some common challenges faced by local<br />
community agriculture programs in confronting<br />
systemic crises.<br />
Psychological Management <strong>of</strong><br />
Catastrophic Incident<br />
Megan Chavez, Timothy Schell, Hilary King<br />
Faculty Mentor: Jodi Baker<br />
This presentation explores <strong>the</strong> psychological<br />
management <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> athlete, patient, and <strong>the</strong><br />
Certified Athletic Trainer when faced with<br />
various examples <strong>of</strong> catastrophic incident. We<br />
explore <strong>the</strong> stages <strong>of</strong> grief and <strong>the</strong> management<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se emotions as <strong>the</strong>y affect <strong>the</strong>se<br />
individuals. We will supply referral criteria and<br />
assessments <strong>the</strong> athletic trainer may use in<br />
referral <strong>of</strong> a patient when <strong>the</strong> psychological<br />
management is no longer within <strong>the</strong> athletic<br />
trainer’s scope <strong>of</strong> practice. Research has shown a<br />
lack <strong>of</strong> confidence from <strong>the</strong> athletic trainer in<br />
<strong>the</strong>ir ability to handle psychological issues <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
patient when it does not pertain to rehabilitation.<br />
Management <strong>of</strong> emotions during <strong>the</strong><br />
rehabilitation process is covered much more<br />
extensively in <strong>the</strong> Athletic Training curriculum.<br />
The lack <strong>of</strong> research supports future exploration<br />
in <strong>the</strong> psychological management <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> patient<br />
in times <strong>of</strong> crisis, and to extend <strong>the</strong> research on<br />
<strong>the</strong> management <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> athletic trainer and <strong>the</strong>ir<br />
self-care. To make <strong>the</strong> referral process a focal<br />
point in <strong>the</strong> athletic training program will help<br />
make referral more successfully organized. Our<br />
presentation utilizes information obtained from<br />
personal interviews, educational psychology<br />
information, and peer reviewed journals on <strong>the</strong><br />
coping/management methods <strong>of</strong> similar allied<br />
health pr<strong>of</strong>essionals that experience<br />
psychological aspects <strong>of</strong> catastrophic events.<br />
Information used from o<strong>the</strong>r health pr<strong>of</strong>essionals<br />
was used to address similar concerns in <strong>the</strong><br />
athletic training field and to support <strong>the</strong> need for<br />
more research on <strong>the</strong> athletic trainer’s<br />
psychological management.<br />
Tiger PRIDE: Mobilizing community<br />
partnerships to improve pedagogical<br />
skills <strong>of</strong> pre-service PE teachers<br />
Ellen Barton, Codi Kaiser, Lindsay Sasaki<br />
Faculty Mentors: Lara Killick,<br />
Darrin Kitchen<br />
Discussions around <strong>the</strong> health climate <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> US<br />
have reached unparalleled levels <strong>of</strong> concern<br />
(Time, 2004). Research suggests that while<br />
physical activity rates are in decline, obesity and<br />
associated health problems such as diabetes,<br />
asthma and heart disease are rapidly increasing<br />
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Oral Presentation Abstracts<br />
(WHO, 2000, 2004, 2008a). As future physical<br />
educators, we can play a crucial role in<br />
developing lifelong physical activity habits and<br />
healthy lifestyles in future generations <strong>of</strong><br />
Americans. Indeed, <strong>the</strong> US Surgeon General<br />
(1996, 2004) has identified <strong>the</strong> production <strong>of</strong><br />
quality PE teachers as a critical strategy in<br />
addressing <strong>the</strong> health concerns <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> nation. Our<br />
research project explores how we can mobilize<br />
community partnerships to improve <strong>the</strong><br />
pedagogical skills <strong>of</strong> pre-service PE teachers and<br />
better equip us for <strong>the</strong> diverse learning<br />
environments we will encounter in <strong>the</strong><br />
classroom. In conjunction with Stockton Unified<br />
School District (SUSD), we implemented an 8-<br />
week after-school physical activity program<br />
(Tiger PRIDE) at an elementary school in<br />
Stockton, CA. In addition to providing physical<br />
activity opportunities for a high-need population,<br />
Tiger PRIDE was designed to develop our use <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> pedagogical strategies, practices and<br />
principles necessary to optimize student learning.<br />
Drawing on video footage <strong>of</strong> our teaching<br />
episodes and quantitative systematic observation<br />
data, this presentation will demonstrate how this<br />
project resulted in an improvement in our<br />
teaching skills across several categories<br />
(including, but not limited to, provision <strong>of</strong><br />
feedback, quantity <strong>of</strong> idiosyncrasies, teacher<br />
movement and time utilization). In addition, we<br />
will highlight how Tiger PRIDE improved <strong>the</strong><br />
participants’ step count, skill-based cognitive<br />
understanding and enjoyment. We call for <strong>the</strong><br />
initiation <strong>of</strong> similar programs in pre-service PE<br />
teacher education programs across <strong>the</strong> nation.<br />
Anti-Blackness in Enlightenment<br />
Thought & <strong>the</strong> Limitations <strong>of</strong> W.E.B. Du<br />
Bois<br />
Danielle Procope<br />
Faculty Mentor: Jeffrey Hole<br />
Race is perhaps <strong>the</strong> most devastating social<br />
construct <strong>of</strong> human history. The concept <strong>of</strong><br />
blackness evokes ideas <strong>of</strong> inhumanity, evil, and<br />
barbarity, and yet this categorization hovers<br />
calamitously over a group <strong>of</strong> human beings. It<br />
denies <strong>the</strong> full personhood <strong>of</strong> those who lack <strong>the</strong><br />
mythologized purity <strong>of</strong> whiteness.<br />
The problem <strong>of</strong> blackness sees its foundational<br />
moment in <strong>the</strong> Enlightenment period.<br />
Enlightenment thinkers, from Hume to Kant,<br />
from Jefferson to Voltaire, employing a brand <strong>of</strong><br />
rationalism meant to justify racially based<br />
slavery and degradation, classified black people<br />
as less than whites and slightly above animals.<br />
This research presentation will examine <strong>the</strong> ways<br />
in which Enlightenment thinking has retained its<br />
power in <strong>the</strong> present. It will simultaneously<br />
explore how a movement ostensibly predicated<br />
on human rights managed to legitimately curtail<br />
<strong>the</strong> definition <strong>of</strong> personhood to white men alone.<br />
Despite <strong>the</strong> ideas <strong>of</strong> human equality embodied in<br />
America’s founding documents and <strong>the</strong> formal<br />
equality black people receive today, <strong>the</strong> problem<br />
<strong>of</strong> blackness very much remains. This troubling<br />
race concept has been perpetuated to modern<br />
times in <strong>of</strong>tentimes deceptively invisible, but still<br />
powerfully impactful ways, invalidating <strong>the</strong><br />
possibility <strong>of</strong> a post-racial society.<br />
I will use texts <strong>of</strong> Dr. W.E.B. Du Bois to address<br />
<strong>the</strong> problematic nature Enlightenment thinking<br />
poses for a 19th century black intellectual who<br />
desires to <strong>the</strong>oretically demonstrate <strong>the</strong>ir<br />
humanity. Du Bois attempted to dissolve <strong>the</strong><br />
rational basis for racism while simultaneously<br />
evoking <strong>the</strong> very ideology that is predicated<br />
upon <strong>the</strong> verity <strong>of</strong> a racial hierarchy. However,<br />
his move was necessary in his time, creating <strong>the</strong><br />
possibility for more radical modes <strong>of</strong> thought<br />
today.<br />
Persistency in stock performance <strong>of</strong><br />
sequential mergers and acquisitions in<br />
Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT)<br />
industry in <strong>the</strong> USA<br />
Darya Ramanava<br />
Faculty mentors: Phil Zhu, Bill Herrin<br />
As <strong>the</strong> value <strong>of</strong> mergers and acquisitions<br />
(M&As) in <strong>the</strong> USA increased 35% higher in<br />
2011 from previous year, more and more<br />
companies perceive M&As as a way to increase<br />
shareholder value and achieve higher degree <strong>of</strong><br />
market power. Extensive research reaffirms that<br />
a lot <strong>of</strong> companies experience an increase in <strong>the</strong>ir<br />
earnings shortly after <strong>the</strong> first acquisition.<br />
However, academic literature lacks deep analysis<br />
in <strong>the</strong> area <strong>of</strong> sequential mergers and<br />
acquisitions. Can companies use successive<br />
M&As as a strategic tool to achieve substantial<br />
growth and maximize shareholder wealth? More<br />
importantly, does this rule hold in one <strong>of</strong> US<br />
fastest growing industries – real estate<br />
investment trusts?<br />
33
Oral Presentation Abstracts<br />
Using <strong>the</strong> SDC Platinum database, this paper<br />
uses regression analysis to check if <strong>the</strong> company<br />
with positive (negative) returns during <strong>the</strong><br />
first acquisition is more likely to have positive<br />
(negative) returns during <strong>the</strong> successive<br />
acquisition around <strong>the</strong> announcement date. It<br />
also investigates <strong>the</strong> M&A deal characteristics<br />
that may affect <strong>the</strong> stock performance <strong>of</strong><br />
sequential acquisitions (e.g. <strong>the</strong> elapsed time<br />
between acquisitions).<br />
The preliminary results confirm that <strong>the</strong><br />
persistency in abnormal returns around both<br />
announcement dates really exists. In this way,<br />
obtained results are <strong>of</strong> great value to<br />
shareholders, since successive M&As can be<br />
used as a strategic tool for REITs to achieve<br />
higher growth and maximize shareholder<br />
wealth. This work gives readers a better<br />
understanding <strong>of</strong> drivers <strong>of</strong> abnormal returns for<br />
REIT’s sequential acquisitions as well as<br />
introduces <strong>the</strong>m to factors which help <strong>the</strong> wealth<br />
effects <strong>of</strong> M&As persist.<br />
Food Deserts: A Comparison <strong>of</strong> Rural<br />
and Urban Census Tracts<br />
Minhchau Dinh<br />
Faculty mentor: Bill Herrin<br />
Food insecurity, or <strong>the</strong> limited availability and<br />
access to fresh food, leads to hunger and is a<br />
growing problem in <strong>the</strong> United States. In 2010,<br />
approximately one in seven US households (17.2<br />
million households) were food insecure, <strong>the</strong><br />
highest number ever recorded in <strong>the</strong> United<br />
States. This has devastating effects on child<br />
nutrition, causing challenges to learning and<br />
development. Households that lack food security<br />
are generally located in low-income<br />
neighborhoods and poor rural communities.<br />
These communities have limited access to fresh<br />
food (grocery stores, open food markets) because<br />
<strong>the</strong>se food outlets are not located near <strong>the</strong>se poor<br />
communities. Fur<strong>the</strong>rmore, <strong>the</strong>se low-income<br />
communities <strong>of</strong>ten do not have access to<br />
convenient transportation to take <strong>the</strong>m to <strong>the</strong>se<br />
fresh food sources that are fur<strong>the</strong>r away.<br />
The differences between poor urban and rural<br />
communities have not been thoroughly<br />
researched. According to Morton, Bitto,<br />
Oakland, and Sand in “Accessing food resources:<br />
Rural and urban patterns <strong>of</strong> giving and getting<br />
food”, 58% <strong>of</strong> low income and rural individuals<br />
have access to fresh food versus low income<br />
individuals that live in urban areas. This work<br />
analyzes <strong>the</strong> differences in food security between<br />
rural and urban counties in <strong>the</strong> United States,<br />
taking into account o<strong>the</strong>r factors such as income<br />
and transportation, to determine if low-income<br />
communities in urban neighborhoods are better<br />
<strong>of</strong>f in accessing fresh food, than <strong>the</strong>ir rural<br />
counterparts.<br />
Adopting <strong>the</strong> Turkish Model: The Postrevolution<br />
Political Development <strong>of</strong><br />
Egypt’s Muslim Bro<strong>the</strong>rhood<br />
Jordan Schreiber<br />
Faculty mentors: Dan O’Neill<br />
My research project aims to discover <strong>the</strong> policy<br />
path <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Egyptian sociopolitical organization,<br />
<strong>the</strong> Muslim Bro<strong>the</strong>rhood and more specifically<br />
it’s political arm, <strong>the</strong> Freedom and Justice Party<br />
in a post-revolution environment. I aim to<br />
determine whe<strong>the</strong>r or not <strong>the</strong> Islamic political<br />
party, <strong>the</strong> AKP, which has been in power in<br />
Turkey for over a decade, would provide a viable<br />
model for its new Egyptian counterpart. The<br />
Muslim Bro<strong>the</strong>rhood has played a major role in<br />
Egyptian society since its founding in 1922, but<br />
since <strong>the</strong> 1952 revolution that overthrew <strong>the</strong><br />
British instituted monarchy, <strong>the</strong> organization has<br />
been banned under new regulations <strong>of</strong> secularism<br />
in <strong>the</strong> government. This all came crashing down<br />
in February <strong>of</strong> 2011 when, after eleven days <strong>of</strong><br />
protests in <strong>the</strong> streets <strong>of</strong> Cairo, President Hosni<br />
Mubarak was ousted. The revolution gave way to<br />
a new wave <strong>of</strong> political freedom and for <strong>the</strong> first<br />
time <strong>the</strong> Muslim Bro<strong>the</strong>rhood was permitted to<br />
form a political party. Their subsequent success<br />
in <strong>the</strong> country’s parliamentary elections<br />
solidified <strong>the</strong>ir role in <strong>the</strong> political future <strong>of</strong><br />
Egypt. The question <strong>the</strong>n becomes what kind <strong>of</strong><br />
political presence will <strong>the</strong>y be? Will <strong>the</strong>y<br />
implement <strong>the</strong> radical Islamic agenda <strong>the</strong> west<br />
has feared for so long or will <strong>the</strong>y choose a more<br />
centrist, pragmatic approach focusing on<br />
economic growth and strong foreign policy. The<br />
Turkish AKP party <strong>of</strong>fers a strong model for just<br />
that, a modern Islamist party and what I seek to<br />
discover is whe<strong>the</strong>r or not <strong>the</strong> stage is set for <strong>the</strong><br />
Muslim Bro<strong>the</strong>rhood to adopt that model and<br />
move <strong>the</strong>ir country forward in a way deemed<br />
appropriate by <strong>the</strong> western world.<br />
34
Oral Presentation Abstracts<br />
The Myth <strong>of</strong> Black Solidarity and <strong>the</strong><br />
Sexist Oppression <strong>of</strong> Black Women<br />
Danielle Procope<br />
Faculty mentors: Jeffrey Hole<br />
Black solidarity is an ambiguous concept that<br />
has been held to throughout <strong>the</strong> history <strong>of</strong> black<br />
people in America. Black solidarity is<br />
understood to be <strong>the</strong> way in which black people<br />
can actively and most effectively resist <strong>the</strong><br />
duress white supremacy. However, I will argue<br />
that black solidarity is in fact a superimposition<br />
<strong>of</strong> institutional hierarchies within <strong>the</strong> black<br />
community. In that, <strong>the</strong> political and social needs<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> least marginalized <strong>of</strong> black people:<br />
middle-class, heterosexual black men, are<br />
attended to, whereas, <strong>the</strong> needs <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> poor,<br />
homosexual, and women are not. This creates a<br />
black community that mirrors oppressive white<br />
supremacist formation, steeped in sexism,<br />
classism, and heterosexism. I will specifically<br />
focus on <strong>the</strong> sexist oppression acted on black<br />
women and how this oppression is justified by<br />
black people who are invested in patriarchy but<br />
do this by arguing for <strong>the</strong> concept <strong>of</strong> black<br />
solidarity. But also, I will grapple with how <strong>the</strong><br />
construction <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> au<strong>the</strong>ntic black woman is<br />
entrapped in an acceptance <strong>of</strong> sexist norms and<br />
oppression. In this way, inau<strong>the</strong>ntic black<br />
solidarity disempowers black women.<br />
Cindy Sherman’s outrage against <strong>the</strong><br />
victimization <strong>of</strong> women<br />
Amy Olmos<br />
Faculty mentor: Merrill Schleier<br />
From her Untitled Film Stills <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> late 1970s in<br />
which she depicted actresses and starlets in<br />
various poses until <strong>the</strong> present, American<br />
photographer Cindy Sherman has used her own<br />
body to explore issues affecting women.<br />
Beginning in <strong>the</strong> 1980s, Sherman began her<br />
Fairytale and Disasters series <strong>of</strong> which Untitled<br />
#153 1985 and Untitled #93 1981 are a part,<br />
which depict what appear to be female violence<br />
victims. Sherman’s inspiration for <strong>the</strong>se graphic<br />
photographs could arguably be due to <strong>the</strong><br />
increased violent acts against women seen in <strong>the</strong><br />
late 1970s and early 1980s. By being both <strong>the</strong><br />
artist and character in Untitled #153 and Untitled<br />
#93, Sherman tries to reclaim <strong>the</strong> voice <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se<br />
past victims <strong>of</strong> sexual rape and domestic battery<br />
who were afraid or unable to speak. In <strong>the</strong> hope<br />
<strong>of</strong> ending <strong>the</strong>se two prevalent crimes, Sherman<br />
spreads awareness t by allowing viewers access<br />
behind <strong>the</strong> symbolic caution-tape barrier. A brief<br />
examination <strong>of</strong> her career before <strong>the</strong> Fairytale<br />
and Disaster series, an overview <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> rape laws<br />
in <strong>the</strong> United States before 1985, and analysis <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> formal elements will uncover her motive for<br />
such explicit photographs. By making us<br />
unwitting witnesses, she prompts us to take her<br />
artwork seriously and perhaps use it to our<br />
advantage in order to prevent future crimes.<br />
The Deflection <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Gaze: How Lorna<br />
Simpson’s Stereo Styles Subverts <strong>the</strong><br />
Messages <strong>of</strong> Advertisers<br />
Eeva Nelson<br />
Faculty mentor: Merrill Schleier<br />
Visual artist Lorna Simpson uses her<br />
photographic work Stereo Styles (1988) as a<br />
commentary on African American women’s<br />
representation in <strong>the</strong> media. She does this by<br />
adopting <strong>the</strong> rhetoric <strong>of</strong> advertisements and<br />
through <strong>the</strong> use <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se methods, subverting its<br />
<strong>of</strong>ten Eurocentric messages. Lorna Simpson<br />
accomplishes this by formatting her picture like<br />
an advertisement, and <strong>the</strong>n facing her subject<br />
away, <strong>the</strong>refore not allowing her viewers to<br />
objectify <strong>the</strong> young woman she is portraying.<br />
She protects <strong>the</strong> subject by defending against <strong>the</strong><br />
viewer’s sight and expectations. This<br />
presentation will use formal analysis, historical<br />
analysis <strong>of</strong> African American representation in<br />
<strong>the</strong> media, as well as <strong>the</strong> artist’s biography to<br />
prove this point. I will demonstrate how Simpson<br />
identifies stereotypes and clichés <strong>of</strong> race through<br />
her exploration <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> model’ hair, so that she<br />
may ultimately undermine <strong>the</strong>m.<br />
Shirin Neshat’s Turbulent: A Look Inside<br />
Gender in Muslim Society<br />
Emily Duarte<br />
Faculty mentor: Merrill Schleier<br />
Shirin Neshat is Iranian-born visual artist and<br />
feminist whose works provide thoughtprovoking<br />
insight into lives <strong>of</strong> Muslim men and<br />
women. In Neshat's video piece Turbulent<br />
(1998), she focuses on <strong>the</strong> differences between<br />
<strong>the</strong> sexes and <strong>the</strong> strict rules <strong>of</strong> interactions that<br />
have been instilled in <strong>the</strong>m since birth. Turbulent<br />
brings <strong>the</strong> status <strong>of</strong> women in Iran to light and<br />
shows <strong>the</strong> ways <strong>the</strong>y have been rebelling and<br />
exerting power.<br />
35
Oral Presentation Abstracts<br />
For this paper I employ biographical information<br />
about Shirin Neshat in order to show how her<br />
upbringing influenced her vision <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> separate<br />
spheres for men and women. This is<br />
supplemented by a consideration <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> cultural,<br />
social, and religious codes in Muslim countries,<br />
in particular Iran. I also examine <strong>the</strong> gender roles<br />
<strong>of</strong> men and women in <strong>the</strong> Muslim world, which<br />
clarify that, through her work, Neshat is trying<br />
to convey her belief that despite women’s<br />
limited rights, <strong>the</strong>y still have a powerful voice.<br />
Finally, I conduct a formal analysis <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> video<br />
in order to show that despite <strong>the</strong>ir separation, <strong>the</strong><br />
fate <strong>of</strong> men and women are<br />
powerfully linked.<br />
TDS, not so tedious: An efficient<br />
technique to study topological changes in<br />
modified G-quadruplex DNA<br />
Arlen Guillen<br />
Faculty mentor: Liang Xue<br />
The UV <strong>the</strong>rmal difference spectrum (TDS) is a<br />
convenient and inexpensive tool for<br />
characterization <strong>of</strong> nucleic acid structures. It is<br />
obtained by taking <strong>the</strong> difference in <strong>the</strong> UV<br />
absorbance spectra <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> unfolded and folded<br />
states <strong>of</strong> a given nucleic acid below and above its<br />
melting temperature. The specific shape <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
spectra is distinctive for a given nucleic acid<br />
sequence/structure. Recently, it was reported<br />
(Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2011, 123, 10833-10836)<br />
that TDS spectra can be used to classify different<br />
types <strong>of</strong> G-quadruplex DNA topologies as well.<br />
G-quadruplex DNA is a unique DNA secondary<br />
structure that is formed by guanine rich nucleic<br />
acid sequences. The guanine nucleobase can<br />
associate through Hoogsteen hydrogen bonds to<br />
form a square planar structure called G-tetrad.<br />
The G-tetrads <strong>the</strong>n stack on top <strong>of</strong> each o<strong>the</strong>r to<br />
give rise to G-quadruplex DNA. Such structures<br />
have been proposed to form at <strong>the</strong> ends <strong>of</strong><br />
chromosomes i.e. <strong>the</strong> telomeric region containing<br />
<strong>the</strong> 5’-dTTAGGG repeats and play an important<br />
role in genomic integrity. Telomeric DNA is<br />
readily accessible by DNA damaging agents,<br />
leading to chemical modification <strong>of</strong> nucleobases<br />
such as 8-oxo-7,8-dihydroguanine (8-oxodG), 8-<br />
oxo-7,8-dihydroadenine (8-oxodA) and abasic<br />
sites. Herein, we report <strong>the</strong> use <strong>of</strong> TDS as a tool<br />
to study <strong>the</strong> effect <strong>of</strong> location and type <strong>of</strong><br />
nucleobase modification viz. 8-oxodG, 8-oxodA<br />
and abasic sites, on <strong>the</strong> topological changes in G-<br />
quadruplex DNA structures.<br />
Student Self Esteem's Effect on<br />
Classroom Leadership<br />
Chelsea Fredrick<br />
Faculty Mentor: Qingwen Dong<br />
It is assumed that student’s who possess <strong>the</strong><br />
combination <strong>of</strong> high self-esteem and social<br />
intelligence are guaranteed to be more vocal,<br />
persuasive, and productive leaders within a<br />
classroom environment and later in <strong>the</strong> work<br />
environment. However, without statistical data it<br />
is difficult to prove <strong>the</strong> correlation between a<br />
student’s self confidence and <strong>the</strong>ir performance<br />
within <strong>the</strong> classroom. This paper intends to<br />
present data that will clearly define <strong>the</strong> influence<br />
individual self esteem and social intelligence has<br />
over classroom behavior. After assessing<br />
individual empathy, listening skills, open<br />
mindedness, productivity, and persuasion<br />
techniques within <strong>the</strong> classroom, this information<br />
can be compared to each student’s semantic<br />
differential scale (a classic self esteem survey).<br />
After testing is complete, each personality<br />
quality will be tested for reliability and <strong>the</strong>n<br />
continue on to a complete correlation analysis.<br />
The final statistics presented will give a vivid<br />
indication <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> relationship between <strong>the</strong><br />
mentality <strong>of</strong> a student and how <strong>the</strong>y conduct<br />
<strong>the</strong>mselves within a learning environment.<br />
Call <strong>of</strong> Duty: Affects <strong>of</strong> Violent Video<br />
Games on Aggressive Behaviors<br />
Gabriella Giannini<br />
Faculty Mentor: Qingwen Dong<br />
The impact <strong>of</strong> chronic violent video game play<br />
on player’s aggressive behaviors have been a<br />
passionate debate with mixed results supporting<br />
both sides <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> issue. For over 40 years, violent<br />
video games have been able to efficiently market<br />
its violent plot and images to millions <strong>of</strong> players<br />
even in a market inundated with competition.<br />
Call <strong>of</strong> Duty, one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> most popular violent<br />
video games in <strong>the</strong> contemporary marketplace is<br />
a game that motivates its players to take on <strong>the</strong><br />
role <strong>of</strong> military arms men and kill as many<br />
competitors as possible. This game has gained<br />
widespread appeal, even with a strong M-rating<br />
(mature) that advises consumers <strong>of</strong> its graphic<br />
storyline, characters, and weaponry. With this<br />
pervasive attraction to violence in video games,<br />
<strong>the</strong> possibility <strong>of</strong> players subconsciously<br />
retaining <strong>the</strong> violent action and images shown in<br />
<strong>the</strong> violent video games is a serious possibility.<br />
Through a sample <strong>of</strong> 300 college students, this<br />
36
Oral Presentation Abstracts<br />
research examined how habitual video game play<br />
can desensitize players and affect player’s<br />
aggression in real-life situations. The results<br />
should <strong>of</strong>fer some educational elements for<br />
young adults to understand <strong>the</strong> critical issues<br />
related to violent video games playing.<br />
Limitations and suggestions for future research<br />
will be <strong>of</strong>fered.<br />
37
Poster Session Abstracts<br />
The Art <strong>of</strong> Creation<br />
Sara Stookey<br />
Faculty Mentor: Tanya Storch<br />
The Art <strong>of</strong> Creation looks at <strong>the</strong> different ways<br />
creation stories are told throughout various<br />
religions and cultures. This creative project<br />
focuses on <strong>the</strong> creation stories <strong>of</strong> Hinduism,<br />
Taoism, <strong>the</strong> Cherokee, <strong>the</strong> Navajo and <strong>the</strong> Old<br />
Testament. Each story is depicted on canvas<br />
using acrylic paints to illustrate <strong>the</strong> artist’s<br />
interpretation <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> creation story. This project<br />
was inspired by a love <strong>of</strong> culture, religion and<br />
storytelling.<br />
Solidaridad (solidarity)<br />
Hannah Rea<br />
Project Mentor: Erin Rauch<br />
This year’s ASB team spent seven days <strong>of</strong> spring<br />
break in Cholula, Mexico doing community<br />
service work throughout <strong>the</strong> city. We saw many<br />
beautiful sights, and met even more beautiful<br />
people. We ventured <strong>the</strong>re hoping to change <strong>the</strong>ir<br />
lives, but <strong>the</strong>y changed ours.<br />
The very first day we were in <strong>the</strong> heart <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
city. We visited <strong>the</strong> Mayan and Aztec pyramid<br />
ruins with <strong>the</strong> Spanish church on top. As I was<br />
walking up to <strong>the</strong> ruins, a man and his son<br />
stopped me and asked me where I was from. I<br />
replied, ‘California’, he immediately shook my<br />
hand and thanked me for coming to his country.<br />
This was <strong>the</strong> first exchange I had with someone<br />
in Mexico and I will remember it for <strong>the</strong> rest <strong>of</strong><br />
my life. His gratitude and how he welcomed me<br />
to his country was so genuine and I found that<br />
this exchange mirrored every o<strong>the</strong>r one I would<br />
have on my trip.<br />
I learned that those who have <strong>the</strong> least, <strong>of</strong>ten<br />
give <strong>the</strong> most and that a home or a community is<br />
not determined by material wealth, but instead,<br />
by <strong>the</strong> people that surround you. This collage is<br />
meant to mirror <strong>the</strong> Aztec and Mayan ruins, <strong>the</strong><br />
volcano that was always in sight, and <strong>the</strong> many<br />
faces <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> generous people we met in Cholula.<br />
Media and Youth Politics Today<br />
Haley Hartwick<br />
Faculty Mentor: Qingwen Dong<br />
Political involvement has always been important<br />
to <strong>the</strong> American people; however, research on<br />
<strong>the</strong> youth population's decline in voting has only<br />
been studied a small amount. Since <strong>the</strong> 1970's,<br />
when <strong>the</strong> voting age was lowered to 18, <strong>the</strong><br />
youth vote has been lessening. However, it is<br />
possible by studying <strong>the</strong> increased amount <strong>of</strong><br />
social media use among youth, one can find a<br />
way to increase awareness <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
need for political youth activism. The increasing<br />
amount <strong>of</strong> social media use on youth may have<br />
an impact on decision making, via internet-group<br />
behavior, creating a massive scale form <strong>of</strong><br />
groupthink. It is possible, because <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
intensity <strong>of</strong> youth’s media involvement, that it is<br />
distracting from political involvement and is<br />
being used for personal entertainment instead.<br />
However, because <strong>of</strong> this media involved<br />
generation, <strong>the</strong>y may be much more easily<br />
influenced by political messages and campaigns.<br />
Will They Buy It: Variables That<br />
Influence Willingness To Pay<br />
Rebecca Kutcher<br />
Faculty Mentor: Michelle Amaral<br />
Dan Ariely (2004) demonstrated that people’s<br />
willingness to pay (WTP) for an item was<br />
malleable, and thus modifiable by external<br />
variables. Fur<strong>the</strong>r, he found that when<br />
individuals were provided with an arbitrary<br />
number, <strong>the</strong>ir WTP was subsequently influenced.<br />
Ariely (2006) also found that external variables<br />
(e.g. information) influenced drink preference in<br />
participants. The current study examined which<br />
variables influenced student’s WTP for two<br />
categorically different drinks (i.e. decaffeinated<br />
c<strong>of</strong>fee vs. decaffeinated c<strong>of</strong>fee mixed with<br />
Rockstar Energy Drink ®). Participants in this<br />
study were randomly assigned to one <strong>of</strong> three<br />
groups; each group received different<br />
information about <strong>the</strong> two products. Prior to<br />
trying <strong>the</strong> drinks, participants were asked to<br />
convert <strong>the</strong> last three digits <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir student ID<br />
number into a monetary quantity (e.g. 625 to<br />
$6.25). In <strong>the</strong> control group, participants tried<br />
both blends <strong>of</strong> c<strong>of</strong>fee without knowledge that<br />
Rockstar was mixed with c<strong>of</strong>fee. In group two,<br />
participants were told <strong>the</strong> ingredients in both<br />
drinks, prior to tasting ei<strong>the</strong>r. In group three,<br />
38
Poster Session Abstracts<br />
participants tried both drinks and were <strong>the</strong>n told<br />
that Rockstar was in <strong>the</strong> second c<strong>of</strong>fee before<br />
deciding which drink <strong>the</strong>y preferred. A<br />
regression analysis was used to analyze which<br />
variables had an impact on participants’ WTP.<br />
The results suggested that a higher ID number<br />
lead to a higher WTP for c<strong>of</strong>fee mixed with<br />
Rockstar (p ≤ .01). Fur<strong>the</strong>r, having friends in <strong>the</strong><br />
group (p ≤ .05) and being told that Rockstar was<br />
in <strong>the</strong> second c<strong>of</strong>fee before participants decided<br />
on which c<strong>of</strong>fee was preferred (p ≤ .05)<br />
influenced WTP.<br />
Food Insecurity in Sub-Saharan Africa<br />
Shannon Chapman<br />
Faculty Mentor: Bill Herrin<br />
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)<br />
states that food insecurity exists when ei<strong>the</strong>r<br />
physical, social, or economic factors affects a<br />
person’s access to nutritious and safe food and<br />
affects <strong>the</strong>ir ability to live a healthy life. While<br />
<strong>the</strong> concept <strong>of</strong> food insecurity involves a<br />
multitude <strong>of</strong> complex variables, <strong>the</strong> statistic most<br />
used by <strong>the</strong> FAO to represent this concept is<br />
undernourishment. Specifically, <strong>the</strong>y use <strong>the</strong><br />
prevalence <strong>of</strong> undernourishment as a percentage<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> total population <strong>of</strong> a country, with<br />
undernourishment referring to continuously low<br />
consumption levels <strong>of</strong> dietary energy. Some <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> highest rates in <strong>the</strong> world – over 40% – are<br />
among countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. Apart<br />
from South Africa and Gabon, who both have<br />
rates less than 5%, every single country is<br />
considered food insecure.<br />
This work focuses on how <strong>the</strong> sub-Saharan<br />
agricultural industry affects food insecurity. I<br />
explain undernourishment with a wide-range <strong>of</strong><br />
factors. I explore correlations with <strong>the</strong> amount<br />
<strong>of</strong> people living in rural and urban poverty, <strong>the</strong><br />
total population, and <strong>the</strong> prevalence <strong>of</strong><br />
undernourishment. Finally, I take into account<br />
how much external assistance exists to<br />
agriculture and how much <strong>the</strong> government<br />
spends on agriculture per year.<br />
Developing Sustainable Agricultural<br />
Incomes: A case study from <strong>the</strong> Amazon<br />
Basin<br />
Jayme Swalin<br />
Faculty Mentor: Bill Herrin<br />
This paper analyzes <strong>the</strong> factors that influence<br />
rural farm income in <strong>the</strong> Amazon Basin in<br />
Brazil. The Amazon is <strong>the</strong> world’s largest<br />
rainforest with <strong>the</strong> most diverse flora and fauna<br />
found anywhere. One <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> most important<br />
aspects <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> forest is <strong>the</strong> amount <strong>of</strong> carbon<br />
dioxide that is processed, which has a significant<br />
effect on world climate change. Deforestation<br />
has been growing in this region as more people<br />
are searching for farmland to try to make an<br />
income for <strong>the</strong>ir families in this region. Rural<br />
farming techniques such as slash and burn have<br />
negative effects for <strong>the</strong> forest but are popular<br />
because <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> quick benefits to <strong>the</strong> farmers.<br />
This paper helps identify <strong>the</strong> most important<br />
determinants <strong>of</strong> farm income to help suggest less<br />
damaging ways for rural farmers to earn a<br />
sustainable income. The study uses data from <strong>the</strong><br />
Dynamics <strong>of</strong> Household Land Use and<br />
Economic Welfare on <strong>the</strong> Amazon Frontier,<br />
1996-2005, Rondonia, Brazil, and is from<br />
Salisbury <strong>University</strong>.<br />
Argentine Inflation: An Application <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> Phillips Curve<br />
Annalisa Purnell<br />
Faculty Mentor: Sharmila King<br />
Inflation and unemployment rates remain<br />
relatively high in post-recession Argentina,<br />
posing a significant obstacle to long run<br />
recovery. This paper examines whe<strong>the</strong>r a shortrun<br />
Phillips curve can be used in Argentina to<br />
predict <strong>the</strong> inflation-unemployment trade<strong>of</strong>f<br />
<strong>of</strong>ten used in modern macroeconomic<br />
forecasting. The model proposed is explicitly<br />
forward looking and uses <strong>the</strong> unemployment<br />
gap, based on <strong>the</strong> non accelerating inflation rate<br />
<strong>of</strong> unemployment (NAIRU). The model analyzes<br />
Argentine inflation, expected inflation, <strong>the</strong><br />
unemployment gap, and world wide industrial<br />
prices using quarterly statistics from <strong>the</strong><br />
International Monetary Fund from years 2002-<br />
2011. Results were mixed, with expected<br />
inflation and industrial prices being shown to<br />
have a positive correlation with inflation. The<br />
unemployment gap produced insignificant results<br />
with an unexpected coefficient (expected<br />
39
Poster Session Abstracts<br />
coefficient was negative), and could not be<br />
shown to have an effect on inflation. Discussion<br />
will emphasize <strong>the</strong>oretical causes <strong>of</strong> inflation and<br />
unemployment in <strong>the</strong> context <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> current<br />
macroeconomy and how <strong>the</strong>y can or cannot be<br />
explained by <strong>the</strong> Phillips curve.<br />
Perceptions <strong>of</strong> Sex Trafficking: Asian<br />
Women and Massage Parlors<br />
Theresa and Monica Cortez-Guardado<br />
Faculty Mentor: Gesine Gerhard<br />
This paper examines <strong>the</strong> way in which sex<br />
trafficking is viewed in America. Sex trafficking<br />
is typically seen as a one dimensional issue that<br />
prescribes to an abolitionist viewpoint only. This<br />
viewpoint defines sex trafficking as an industry<br />
which is always a forced pr<strong>of</strong>ession with<br />
unwilling victims. However, sex trafficking is<br />
actually an industry that includes women who<br />
work as sex workers because it is an<br />
economically viable option for gainful<br />
employment. This fact is <strong>of</strong>ten forgotten though<br />
with <strong>the</strong> many ways in which <strong>the</strong> abolitionist<br />
viewpoint has been promoted and encouraged in<br />
U.S. society. U.S. legislation has been influenced<br />
by this viewpoint as well as modern-day media<br />
which tends to focus on young girls being<br />
pimped out. In particular western perceptions <strong>of</strong><br />
Asian women have made it so <strong>the</strong>y are always<br />
perceived to be <strong>the</strong> ones sexually exploited.<br />
Essentially, <strong>the</strong> abolitionist viewpoint <strong>of</strong> sex<br />
trafficking and its prevalence throughout history,<br />
in U.S. legislation and in media sources<br />
contributes to <strong>the</strong> sexualization and victimization<br />
<strong>of</strong> women, particularly Asian women, in<br />
American society. In order to discover American<br />
perceptions <strong>of</strong> sex trafficking and Asian women,<br />
both will be contextualized historically and <strong>the</strong>se<br />
perceptions will be connected to our micro-study<br />
<strong>of</strong> Sacramento area massage parlors as an<br />
example <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> more ambiguous nature <strong>of</strong> sex<br />
trafficking. Overall, sex trafficking proves to be<br />
an ambiguous issue as it is not always clear who<br />
is a victim, but it is clear that <strong>the</strong>re are prevalent<br />
Western perceptions <strong>of</strong> Asian women as sexual<br />
objects.<br />
Social Facilitation Effects on<br />
Memorization Task in <strong>University</strong><br />
Students<br />
Marisol Aguilera, Diana Lujano, Anthony<br />
Sandoval-Junio, Lyndsi Mark<br />
Faculty Mentor: Gary Howells,<br />
Rocci Jackson (Graduate student)<br />
Social facilitation is <strong>the</strong> process in which task<br />
performance is inhibited or facilitated by <strong>the</strong><br />
presence <strong>of</strong> o<strong>the</strong>rs (Zajonc, 1965). It is<br />
traditionally hypo<strong>the</strong>sized that <strong>the</strong> presence <strong>of</strong> an<br />
audience will cause a person to perform better on<br />
a task that is previously mastered. However,<br />
when participants were asked to perform a kick<br />
drill in front <strong>of</strong> an audience, results showed that<br />
<strong>the</strong>re was no significant difference <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> effects<br />
<strong>of</strong> an audience on <strong>the</strong> performance (Bell and<br />
Yee, 2001). However some research has shown<br />
that even <strong>the</strong> presence <strong>of</strong> virtual humans on a<br />
computer screen has <strong>the</strong> same effects as humans<br />
for social facilitation. Performance was<br />
facilitated with <strong>the</strong> presence <strong>of</strong> a virtual human<br />
with a simple task such as a maze (Park and<br />
Catrambone, 2007). Newman and Dickenstein<br />
(1976) have shown that social facilitation<br />
produces higher performance scores as <strong>the</strong><br />
complexity <strong>of</strong> puzzle building increased. The<br />
present study will observe audience effects on<br />
participants trying to complete a complex maze.<br />
In this experiment, each individual will be given<br />
30 seconds to solve and memorize a complex<br />
maze. The participants are going to be randomly<br />
assigned to one <strong>of</strong> three conditions:<br />
memorization and completion <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> maze alone,<br />
memorization alone and completion <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> maze<br />
in front <strong>of</strong> an audience, and both memorization<br />
and completion <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> maze in front <strong>of</strong> an<br />
audience. We hypo<strong>the</strong>size that participants will<br />
be facilitated in learning <strong>the</strong> maze and task<br />
performance while in <strong>the</strong> presence <strong>of</strong> o<strong>the</strong>rs.<br />
Results from studies on social facilitation can<br />
aide in many different relevant aspects, such as<br />
finding <strong>the</strong> ideal setting for students to study, <strong>the</strong><br />
best way for athletes to train, and <strong>the</strong> most<br />
efficient method for pr<strong>of</strong>essionals in any field to<br />
perform <strong>the</strong>ir job.<br />
40
Poster Session Abstracts<br />
Views on Current Events<br />
Amir Cruz-Khalili, Sadaf Sahibzada, Marissa<br />
Davis, Tabrisha Johnican<br />
Faculty Mentor: Gary Howells,<br />
Rocci Jackson (Graduate student)<br />
Previous research has examined implicit or<br />
indirect discrimination before and after events<br />
that have fostered <strong>the</strong> national fear <strong>of</strong> Islam<br />
(Sheridan, 2006). This study will explore<br />
Islamophobia, looking at opinions on current<br />
events throughout <strong>the</strong> world, with or without<br />
exposure to a historical source. It is presumed<br />
that with <strong>the</strong> presence <strong>of</strong> a biased historical video<br />
clip, participants will rank higher on an<br />
Islamophobia scale compared to those not<br />
exposed. Thirty participants will be recruited<br />
from a small, private <strong>University</strong> in Nor<strong>the</strong>rn<br />
California. Three conditions - <strong>the</strong> viewing <strong>of</strong> a<br />
historical clip, <strong>the</strong> viewing <strong>of</strong> a Muslim comedy,<br />
and <strong>the</strong> control group - will be run using a<br />
between-subjects ANOVA. The scores will be<br />
taken from a validated Islamophobia scale.<br />
Results <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> study should reveal an association<br />
between <strong>the</strong> presence <strong>of</strong> a video clip and <strong>the</strong><br />
level <strong>of</strong> Islamophobia. Future studies should<br />
incorporate a larger sample size, a more diverse<br />
population, and an eclectic assortment <strong>of</strong> video<br />
clips and/or current events.<br />
War Attitudes Across Gender<br />
Alina Franco, Megan Rangel, Ginny<br />
Durakovich, Christina Thompson<br />
Faculty Mentor: Gary Howells,<br />
Rocci Jackson (Graduate student)<br />
The purpose <strong>of</strong> this study to evaluate gender<br />
differences in attitudes toward war and to<br />
determine whe<strong>the</strong>r exposure to positive or<br />
negative war information affects explicit attitude.<br />
Previous research has suggested that women are<br />
more willing to participate in peaceful<br />
encounters, have more consistent and positive<br />
attitudes towards conflict groups (Yablon, 2009).<br />
Therefore it is hypo<strong>the</strong>sized that women will<br />
hold more consistent and negative views toward<br />
war than men. Thirty participants (15 males, 15<br />
females) will be recruited from a small private<br />
university. Using a between-subjects design,<br />
participant’s attitudes toward war will be<br />
measured across two sessions using a 5-point<br />
Likert scale, 12- item survey from <strong>the</strong> Revised<br />
Attitudes Towards Violence Scale (2006) in<br />
combination with six student designed items. All<br />
participants will complete a pre-intervention<br />
survey before exposure to ei<strong>the</strong>r “pro war” or<br />
“pro peace” information. In <strong>the</strong> final session,<br />
participants will be given a second but similar<br />
survey to determine whe<strong>the</strong>r exposure to<br />
information regarding war elicited a change in<br />
attitude. Implications <strong>of</strong> this study may suggest<br />
gender differences in vulnerability to propaganda<br />
and could shed light on national military action<br />
over past years. Limitations include small<br />
sample size time constraints and experimenter<br />
presence may have influenced <strong>the</strong> responses <strong>of</strong><br />
participants. Future research could evaluate <strong>the</strong><br />
relationship between SES or ethnicity and<br />
attitudes toward war.<br />
Prosocial Behavior In Instances <strong>of</strong> Theft<br />
On College Campuses<br />
Tyler Glassford, Sean Kagan, Jonel Imutan,<br />
Nina Shenker<br />
Faculty Mentor: Gary Howells,<br />
Rocci Jackson (Graduate student)<br />
Prosocial behavior refers to <strong>the</strong> voluntary efforts<br />
one takes in order to benefit ano<strong>the</strong>r, even when<br />
<strong>the</strong>re appears to be no incentive or gain in doing<br />
so (Eisenberg, Fabes & Spinrad, 2007). Prosocial<br />
behavior can refer to acts as minimal as sharing<br />
and volunteering, or as significant as intervening<br />
in a violent crime. There may be many factors<br />
influencing one’s decision to be prosocial such<br />
as <strong>the</strong> timing and location <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> instance, <strong>the</strong><br />
number <strong>of</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r bystanders, etc. Alternatively,<br />
<strong>the</strong> bystander effect refers to instances when<br />
individuals refrain from engaging in prosocial<br />
behaviors as a situation presents itself. The<br />
question <strong>the</strong>n becomes, how and when does one<br />
decide to engage in prosocial behavior? The<br />
present study will investigate prosocial behavior<br />
<strong>of</strong> college students on a small university campus<br />
in Nor<strong>the</strong>rn California. Confederates <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
study will leave <strong>the</strong>ir belongings unattended for<br />
ano<strong>the</strong>r confederate to attempt to steal those<br />
belongings in <strong>the</strong> presence <strong>of</strong> an unaffiliated<br />
bystander. Prosocial behavior will be evaluated<br />
in terms <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> bystanders’ decision to intervene<br />
or not. It is hypo<strong>the</strong>sized that gender will<br />
influence one’s decision to engage in prosocial<br />
behavior.<br />
41
Poster Session Abstracts<br />
Effects <strong>of</strong> Media on College Student<br />
Attitudes Towards Islam<br />
Alisa Gordon, Xaio Xaio He, Nicole Otte<br />
Faculty Mentor: Gary Howells,<br />
Rocci Jackson (Graduate student)<br />
In today’s technology driven climate, media<br />
coverage is crucial to most people’s<br />
understanding <strong>the</strong> events in <strong>the</strong> world. Media<br />
coverage can also shape people’s thoughts about<br />
a certain subject, such as feelings towards groups<br />
<strong>of</strong> people. The present study will examine <strong>the</strong><br />
effect <strong>of</strong> media coverage on <strong>the</strong> attitudes <strong>of</strong><br />
college students towards Islam; particularly, <strong>the</strong><br />
effects that some media may subsequently<br />
produce fear towards Muslims and Islamic<br />
culture. Previous research has found that since<br />
September 11th, 2001, fears towards Muslims<br />
have steadily increased and persisted (Lee,<br />
Gibson, Thompson, & Timami, 2009). In <strong>the</strong><br />
current study, participants from a small private<br />
college will be taking a previously validated<br />
scale, <strong>the</strong> Islamophobia scale by Lee et al.<br />
(2009). After <strong>the</strong> first implementation <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
scale, <strong>the</strong> participant will watch ei<strong>the</strong>r a neutral<br />
or negatively biased video about Islam. The<br />
participants will wait twenty-four hours and<br />
retake <strong>the</strong> Islamaphobia scale. Researchers<br />
hypo<strong>the</strong>size that <strong>the</strong> viewing <strong>of</strong> a negatively<br />
biased video about Islam will not affect <strong>the</strong><br />
participants’ scores on <strong>the</strong> Islamaphobia scale. In<br />
order to test <strong>the</strong> hypo<strong>the</strong>sis, researchers will run<br />
statistical tests such as a paired sample T-test to<br />
assess <strong>the</strong> differences between each participant’s<br />
scores. This area <strong>of</strong> research is important in<br />
assessing <strong>the</strong> views <strong>of</strong> college students in regards<br />
to Islam, and measuring <strong>the</strong> overall effects <strong>of</strong><br />
how media can shape those views. Future<br />
research can assess <strong>the</strong> differences <strong>of</strong> attitudes<br />
towards Islam in regards to gender, age, and<br />
religious views.<br />
Assessment <strong>of</strong> Islam group threat<br />
perceptions and values<br />
Dandre Ignacio, Bertha Muro Mora, and<br />
Brian Ng<br />
Faculty Mentor: Gary Howells,<br />
Rocci Jackson (Graduate student)<br />
Analyses have implicated a strong, negative<br />
attitude that Americans have against Muslims<br />
(Freyd, 2002 as said in Mat<strong>the</strong>ws & Levin,<br />
<strong>2012</strong>). Mat<strong>the</strong>ws and Levin (<strong>2012</strong>) investigated<br />
perceptions <strong>of</strong> value threat from Muslims by<br />
American college students to examine <strong>the</strong> factors<br />
that contribute to discriminatory emotional<br />
responses toward Islamists. It has become an<br />
increasingly accepted norm that media has a<br />
strong influence on its viewers. Thus, <strong>the</strong><br />
purpose <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> current study is to examine how<br />
media affects <strong>the</strong> participants' attitude regarding<br />
Islam after <strong>the</strong>y are exposed to a seemingly<br />
genuine article that presents Islam ei<strong>the</strong>r<br />
conflicting <strong>of</strong> aligning with Western values.<br />
Participants will be randomly assigned to one <strong>of</strong><br />
two conditions; indicating which article <strong>the</strong>y will<br />
be exposed to. They will be given five minutes to<br />
read <strong>the</strong> article, <strong>the</strong>n will be asked to fill out a<br />
questionnaire using a 7-point Likert Scale; this<br />
will be assessing <strong>the</strong>ir perceptions <strong>of</strong> Muslim<br />
value threats. This will be conducted at <strong>the</strong><br />
<strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Pacific</strong>'s library or psychology<br />
building. We hypo<strong>the</strong>size that <strong>the</strong> form <strong>of</strong> media<br />
that depicts contradictory Muslim values, as<br />
compared to Western Society, will engender<br />
negative attitudinal responses. Conversely, we<br />
also hypo<strong>the</strong>size that <strong>the</strong> article that depicts<br />
Muslim values aligning with Western Society<br />
will produce positive attitudes.<br />
Exploring <strong>the</strong> Bystander Effect in Value<br />
<strong>of</strong> Stolen Possessions<br />
Nydia Ramos, Rubi Carrillo, Alexa Zaharris,<br />
Jorge Montanez, Itzel Flores<br />
Faculty Mentor: Gary Howells,<br />
Rocci Jackson (Graduate student)<br />
The current current experiment will be based <strong>of</strong>f<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> study by Thomas Moriarty (1975) where<br />
results showed that bystanders were more apt to<br />
stop a thief if <strong>the</strong> confederate had asked <strong>the</strong>m to<br />
watch <strong>the</strong>ir possession in advance versus not<br />
asking <strong>the</strong>m at all. The current experiment will<br />
attempt to do a similar study, and to fur<strong>the</strong>r<br />
explore this concept, will add two conditions in<br />
which <strong>the</strong> value <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> possession that will be<br />
stolen is ei<strong>the</strong>r low (school text book) or high<br />
(laptop computer). We will be observing 40<br />
participants from a small private university in<br />
Nor<strong>the</strong>rn California. In order to leave out any<br />
extraneous variables, <strong>the</strong>re will be an equal<br />
number <strong>of</strong> female and male participants for each<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> four different scenarios. The hypo<strong>the</strong>ses<br />
are that those who are asked by <strong>the</strong> victim<br />
confederate to watch <strong>the</strong> possessions will be<br />
more likely to intervene when <strong>the</strong> thief<br />
confederate attempts steal <strong>the</strong> possessions; and<br />
that participants would be more likely to<br />
intervene if it is a high value possession that is<br />
stolen.<br />
42
Poster Session Abstracts<br />
Gender Differences on <strong>the</strong> Beliefs <strong>of</strong><br />
Punishment<br />
Kelly Rush, Michelle Martinez, Joanna Kwan,<br />
Andrea Soto<br />
Faculty Mentor: Gary Howells,<br />
Rocci Jackson (Graduate student)<br />
There are differing views on <strong>the</strong> criminal justice<br />
system and sentences that are given to criminals.<br />
Previous research has shown that men and<br />
women have shown significant differences in<br />
<strong>the</strong>ir beliefs toward punishment. Davila and<br />
colleagues (2011) examined attitudes towards<br />
sentencing and found that women were more<br />
likely to view punishment as too harsh.<br />
Approximately 30 participants will complete <strong>the</strong><br />
study, in which approximately half will be males<br />
and <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r half will be females. Participants<br />
will be sampled from <strong>the</strong> <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
<strong>Pacific</strong> campus. In <strong>the</strong> current study, participants<br />
will complete a questionnaire regarding <strong>the</strong>ir<br />
beliefs on <strong>the</strong> current criminal justice system and<br />
<strong>the</strong>n be read ei<strong>the</strong>r random facts <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> current<br />
criminal justice system or facts <strong>of</strong> overcrowding<br />
in <strong>the</strong> prison system. Participants will <strong>the</strong>n rate<br />
scenarios as too lenient, appropriate, or too<br />
harsh. The scenarios will describe a criminal, his<br />
or her crime, <strong>the</strong> reason for committing <strong>the</strong><br />
crime, and <strong>the</strong> sentence that was given to <strong>the</strong>m.<br />
There will be five pairs <strong>of</strong> scenarios. Within <strong>the</strong><br />
pair, one scenario will include details <strong>of</strong> a family<br />
and <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r will not. Independent sample t-tests<br />
will be conducted to see whe<strong>the</strong>r gender is a<br />
significant factor. O<strong>the</strong>r demographics will also<br />
be correlated to observe any o<strong>the</strong>r significant<br />
differences on beliefs on punishment within <strong>the</strong><br />
corrections system. It is hypo<strong>the</strong>sized that<br />
females will score <strong>the</strong> punishment in each<br />
scenario as too harsh when compared to men<br />
who will score <strong>the</strong> punishment in <strong>the</strong> same<br />
scenario as too lenient.<br />
Ankle Healing Aid<br />
Isha Srivastava, Grace Ramos<br />
Faculty Mentors: Sheely Gulati, Simon Tang,<br />
Mark Van Ness<br />
See Bioengineering Abstract section<br />
Drinking Water Security and<br />
Sustainability<br />
Brianna Juhrend<br />
Faculty Mentor: Mary Kay Camarillo<br />
A series <strong>of</strong> presidential decision directives<br />
(PDD) and legislation have streng<strong>the</strong>ned <strong>the</strong> U.S.<br />
stance on water security issues. Much <strong>of</strong> this<br />
effort has been in response to <strong>the</strong> events <strong>of</strong><br />
September 11, 2001. However, even before this<br />
egregious event, security was a significant<br />
concern for U.S. politicians. Legislation that<br />
affected water security directly began with<br />
Executive Order 13010 in 1996 which contained<br />
<strong>the</strong> President’s Commission on Critical<br />
Infrastructure Protection (PCCIP) that listed<br />
water supply as one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> eight national<br />
infrastructures vital to security. Steps need to be<br />
taken to streng<strong>the</strong>n water security and protect<br />
American drinking water. Most importantly,<br />
better technology is needed to detect and aid in<br />
responding to security breaches or contamination<br />
events. Much <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> existing work in <strong>the</strong> area <strong>of</strong><br />
contaminant warning systems has been<br />
<strong>the</strong>oretical, based on computer modeling and<br />
simulation. Field-testing <strong>of</strong> available devices and<br />
systems is needed to verify performance and<br />
provide baseline monitoring information.<br />
Additional physical security systems are needed<br />
throughout <strong>the</strong> country for large and small water<br />
systems. Detection <strong>of</strong> intentional or accidental<br />
contaminants is crucial to ensuring <strong>the</strong> protection<br />
<strong>the</strong> drinking water quality. Improved methods <strong>of</strong><br />
detection will allow for quicker responses and<br />
for a contamination event to have a less severe<br />
impact. Detection technologies are being<br />
developed to improve <strong>the</strong> water quality<br />
monitoring equipment and tools available in a<br />
water security contamination event.<br />
Design and Production <strong>of</strong> a Steel Bridge<br />
Utilizing Innovative Connections and<br />
Fabrication Techniques<br />
Brian Phan, Justin Pyun<br />
Faculty Mentor: Luke Lee, Gary Litton,<br />
Scott Merry<br />
The <strong>Pacific</strong> Steel Bridge Team was tasked to<br />
design, fabricate, and construct a 23 ft model<br />
steel bridge to compete in <strong>the</strong> <strong>2012</strong> American<br />
Society <strong>of</strong> Civil Engineers Mid-<strong>Pacific</strong><br />
Conference. A team <strong>of</strong> students ranging from<br />
freshmen to seniors used <strong>the</strong>ir skills, ingenuity<br />
and knowledge developed from fundamental<br />
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Poster Session Abstracts<br />
engineering courses to produce a design in<br />
compliance with specifications and rules outlined<br />
by <strong>the</strong> National Student Steel Bridge<br />
Competition committee. Specifications dictated<br />
dimensional limits, construction restraints, and<br />
judging criteria. The bridge was judged by a<br />
panel <strong>of</strong> practicing engineers who evaluated<br />
performance categories including stiffness,<br />
aes<strong>the</strong>tics, construction, and sustainability.<br />
In <strong>the</strong> design phase, several bridge designs were<br />
modeled in RISA-3D structural simulation<br />
s<strong>of</strong>tware to evaluate structural performance<br />
under an applied load <strong>of</strong> 2500 pounds. A<br />
selection was made based on deflection and<br />
weight performance. Upon selection <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
optimal design, shop drawings were rendered in<br />
AutoCAD s<strong>of</strong>tware to determine material<br />
quantities. Following fundraising, <strong>the</strong> team<br />
purchased <strong>the</strong> necessary tools and materials to<br />
begin <strong>the</strong> fabrication process. Students cut,<br />
welded and drilled steel parts while<br />
incorporating innovative dovetail connections to<br />
allow for rapid construction with minimal<br />
deflections. These design features allowed <strong>the</strong><br />
students to construct <strong>the</strong> bridge in approximately<br />
27 minutes. Loading <strong>the</strong> bridge with 2500<br />
pounds yielded 1.1 inches <strong>of</strong> vertical deflection,<br />
and a 50-pound lateral pull produced less than<br />
0.5 inches <strong>of</strong> deflection. The strong structural<br />
performance was echoed by a fierce aes<strong>the</strong>tic<br />
presence, consisting <strong>of</strong> an orange truss, marked<br />
with black stripes mimicking that <strong>of</strong> a tiger’s<br />
back.<br />
An Assessment <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Total Phosphorous<br />
Mass Balance Using a Modified<br />
Persulfate Digestion Method<br />
Mat<strong>the</strong>w Ebia<br />
Faculty Mentor: William Stringellow<br />
Chelsea Spier (graduate student)<br />
California ranks first in <strong>the</strong> nation in municipal<br />
solid waste, sewage sludge, dairy manure, and<br />
food processing waste generation. This waste has<br />
undeveloped potential biogas generation capacity<br />
estimated at 600 Megawatts. Utilizing <strong>the</strong>se<br />
wastes to produce biogas for energy production<br />
could help California meet state renewable<br />
energy goals and greenhouse gas emission<br />
reduction targets. The Ecological Engineering<br />
Research Program (EERP) is working with<br />
Fiscalini Farms, a California dairy, to develop<br />
best available control technology for biogas<br />
combined heat and power systems and collect<br />
system performance data for future use to<br />
advance <strong>the</strong> science, technology, and market<br />
penetration in California. A mass balance <strong>of</strong><br />
nitrogen, sulfur, carbon, salts, and solids is being<br />
developed. Samples collected as part <strong>of</strong> this<br />
mass balance include a mixture <strong>of</strong> slurry and<br />
solids. Slurry samples have been measured for<br />
total phosphorous (TP) since <strong>the</strong> beginning <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> project using a modified persulfate digestion<br />
followed by an ascorbic acid reaction, which<br />
allows for colorimetric determination <strong>of</strong> TP. For<br />
my part <strong>of</strong> this project, I am developing a new<br />
method for TP determination on solid samples<br />
based on standard methods because <strong>the</strong> previous<br />
method was determined to be insufficient for<br />
many sample types. Once this method is<br />
developed all archived solid samples will be<br />
measured and TP will be included as part <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
mass balance. The mass balance is critical to <strong>the</strong><br />
long term sustainability <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> system because<br />
nearly all wastes entering <strong>the</strong> system remain on<br />
site and are ultimately applied to <strong>the</strong> fields as<br />
fertilizers.<br />
Solving <strong>the</strong> low dissolved oxygen problem<br />
by understanding <strong>the</strong> sources and fate <strong>of</strong><br />
different nitrogen species entering in <strong>the</strong><br />
San Joaquin River Estuary<br />
Ernest A. Garcia<br />
Faculty Mentor: William Stringfellow<br />
Stockton’s deepwater ship channel (DWSC) has<br />
been suffering from low dissolved oxygen for<br />
decades, especially in dry water years. The<br />
Ecological Engineering Research Program<br />
(EERP) has been <strong>the</strong> lead science agency on <strong>the</strong><br />
Dissolved Oxygen (DO) Total Maximum Daily<br />
Load (TMDL) project since 2005. The purpose<br />
<strong>of</strong> this project is to collect and analyze data on<br />
<strong>the</strong> sources <strong>of</strong> nutrients, phytoplankton and<br />
oxygen-consuming materials in <strong>the</strong> San Joaquin<br />
River (SJR) estuary, <strong>the</strong> upstream SJR, and<br />
upstream tributaries to support <strong>the</strong> development<br />
<strong>of</strong> an estuary model. This model is needed by <strong>the</strong><br />
Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control<br />
Board (Regional Board) to provide modeling<br />
tools, scientific data and o<strong>the</strong>r information to<br />
support management actions that will be taken<br />
by <strong>the</strong> Regional Board and stakeholders to<br />
resolve <strong>the</strong> low DO problems in Stockton’s<br />
DWSC. For my part in this project, I have been<br />
responsible for measuring ammonia, nitrate, and<br />
total nitrogen in samples collected in 2011 as<br />
44
Poster Session Abstracts<br />
part <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> DO TMDL Project. These nitrogen<br />
species are important nutrients in phytoplankton<br />
growth which is a principal oxygen-consuming<br />
material in <strong>the</strong> Stockton’s DWSC as it dies and<br />
decomposes. Additionally, ammonia can<br />
consume oxygen as it is oxidized by bacteria.<br />
Nitrogen can come from a variety <strong>of</strong><br />
anthropogenic sources such as commercial<br />
fertilizers, animal manures, and point source<br />
such as <strong>the</strong> Stockton Waste Water Treatment<br />
Plant. Understanding <strong>the</strong> sources and fate <strong>of</strong><br />
different nitrogen species entering <strong>the</strong> SJR<br />
Estuary is a necessary part <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> estuary model<br />
and solving <strong>the</strong> low dissolved oxygen problem.<br />
A Tail <strong>of</strong> Two Monkeys: Dietary Choice<br />
in Relation to Cranial and Dental<br />
Evolution in <strong>the</strong> Red Howler Monkey and<br />
Olive Baboon<br />
Pryia Patel<br />
Faculty Mentor: Dorothy Dechant<br />
Monkeys, along with prosimians, apes and<br />
humans, are classified in <strong>the</strong> Order Primates.<br />
Members <strong>of</strong> this order share certain<br />
characteristics while each species exhibits a<br />
number <strong>of</strong> unique traits. The niche parameters <strong>of</strong><br />
two monkeys, <strong>the</strong> New World red howler<br />
monkey (Alouatta seniculus) and <strong>the</strong> Old World<br />
olive baboon (Papio anubis) are compared here,<br />
with emphasis on cranial and dental anatomy.<br />
Literature searches resulted in comparative<br />
information <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> ecology, life history,<br />
behavior, diet, locomotion and anatomy <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se<br />
two species. Cranial and dental measurements<br />
were taken to describe anatomical differences<br />
resulting from adaptation to an arboreal niche<br />
with leaf-eating diet (howler monkey) versus a<br />
terrestrial niche with omnivorous diet (olive<br />
baboon). The data compiled suggests that<br />
dietary adaptation to folivory has produced a<br />
comparatively smaller, arboreal monkey while<br />
adaptation to omnivory has produced a larger,<br />
terrestrial monkey.<br />
Preferred Diet - Got Insects or Leaves?<br />
Laura Tsu<br />
Faculty Mentor: Dorothy Dechant<br />
New World monkeys, found in Central and<br />
South America, and Old World monkeys, found<br />
in Africa and Asia, are both part <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Order<br />
Primates, but <strong>the</strong>y have been geographically<br />
separated for 35 – 40 million years. Having<br />
reached <strong>the</strong> same grade <strong>of</strong> evolution, <strong>the</strong>y share<br />
some <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> same characteristics, but different<br />
monkey species also have unique traits that make<br />
<strong>the</strong>m distinct. The New World Red-Backed<br />
Squirrel monkey (Saimiri oerstedii) and <strong>the</strong> Old<br />
World Black and White Colobus monkey<br />
(Colobus guereza) are compared in this study,<br />
portraying differences between monkeys <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
Cebid and Cercopi<strong>the</strong>cid primate<br />
families. Information from scientific journals and<br />
books has been complied about each species’<br />
ecology, life history, diet, locomotion, behavior<br />
and anatomy. Measurements <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> skull and<br />
teeth were also ga<strong>the</strong>red and compared, revealing<br />
even fur<strong>the</strong>r differences in anatomy. Data from<br />
<strong>the</strong>se different sources confirm that Saimiri<br />
oerstedii is <strong>the</strong> smaller species, occupying an<br />
arboreal, frugivorous and insectivorous niche in<br />
Central America and Colobus guereza is larger,<br />
occupying an arboreal, folivorous niche in<br />
Africa.<br />
Voice and Laryngeal Design: The Role <strong>of</strong><br />
Vocal Fold Architecture<br />
Gracie Castillo<br />
Faculty Mentor: Marcos Gridi-Papp<br />
The vibration <strong>of</strong> vocal folds is a complex<br />
phenomenon and it was first modeled with<br />
reasonable predictive power in <strong>the</strong> 1970's. Like<br />
mammals, frogs make sounds with a pair <strong>of</strong><br />
vocal folds, but <strong>the</strong>se have a different geometry,<br />
being highly concave upstream. Our previous<br />
measurements in frog larynges indicate that at<br />
<strong>the</strong> onset <strong>of</strong> sound, <strong>the</strong>y function as reed-based<br />
wind instruments, where maximum airflow<br />
occurs at intermediate pressures. The purpose <strong>of</strong><br />
this study is to design artificial larynges to test<br />
hypo<strong>the</strong>ses and model aspects <strong>of</strong> sound<br />
production in frogs. A computer-controlled<br />
source <strong>of</strong> air was connected to a PVC pipe<br />
holding a pair <strong>of</strong> latex vocal folds configured to<br />
produce sound. Artificial laryngeal air pressure,<br />
airflow and generated sounds were recorded in<br />
an anechoic chamber. The vocal folds are<br />
positioned in two ways: a) <strong>the</strong> membranes are<br />
completely flat, or b) <strong>the</strong>y have a thickened<br />
medial edge that makes <strong>the</strong>m become concave<br />
upstream (like a parachute) as <strong>the</strong> driving air<br />
pressure is increased. Preliminary data show that<br />
with <strong>the</strong> reinforced medial edge, our artificial<br />
vocal folds vibrate within an extended range <strong>of</strong><br />
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Poster Session Abstracts<br />
pressures, with increased sound intensity and<br />
reduced airflow. This indicates that <strong>the</strong><br />
reinforced medial edges lead to increased<br />
concavity <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> membranes, producing a lateral<br />
force that compresses <strong>the</strong> medial edges against<br />
each o<strong>the</strong>r. This lateral force should be <strong>the</strong> key<br />
that allows <strong>the</strong> vocal folds <strong>of</strong> frogs to produce<br />
intense sound over a wide range <strong>of</strong> pressures<br />
without requiring muscular positioning <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
vocal folds.<br />
The Effect <strong>of</strong> Cell Size on Auditory<br />
Morphology and Tuning in Gray<br />
Treefrogs<br />
Erica Chean and Heidi Huh<br />
Faculty Mentor: Marcos Gridi-Papp<br />
For <strong>the</strong> brain to perceive sound, signals have to<br />
be transmitted across <strong>the</strong> eardrum, ossicles, inner<br />
ear fluid, hair cells and nerves. The hearing<br />
properties <strong>of</strong> frogs are affected by <strong>the</strong><br />
mechanical properties <strong>of</strong> tissues in <strong>the</strong> auditory<br />
chain. If <strong>the</strong> sizes <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> cells vary, <strong>the</strong> tuning <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> auditory structures formed by <strong>the</strong>m might be<br />
affected. Two gray treefrogs: Hyla versicolor<br />
and Hyla chrysoscelis, are identical, but <strong>the</strong><br />
former has twice <strong>the</strong> number <strong>of</strong> chromosomes<br />
than <strong>the</strong> later, and chromosomal duplication<br />
always results in increased cell size. We<br />
hypo<strong>the</strong>sized that <strong>the</strong> larger cells <strong>of</strong> auditory<br />
elements in <strong>the</strong> tetraploid H. versicolor make it<br />
more sensitive to lower frequencies than diploid<br />
H. chrysoscelis. We are characterizing <strong>the</strong><br />
auditory morphology <strong>of</strong> both<br />
frogs to relate it to <strong>the</strong>ir hearing performance. In<br />
order to obtain quantitative results, we have been<br />
dissecting out <strong>the</strong> inner ear, middle ear, and<br />
auditory ossicles. These tissues are <strong>the</strong>n<br />
decalcified and embedded in paraffin, sectioned<br />
in <strong>the</strong> microtome and stained with<br />
hematoxylineosin. These methods have been<br />
initially tested in Rana pipiens, to establish<br />
decalcification procedures involving acids,<br />
EDTA, and microwaving. We are currently<br />
obtaining <strong>the</strong> sections for gray treefrogs and<br />
<strong>the</strong>se results should allow us to determine<br />
relationships between polyploidy, cell size,<br />
auditory morphology and hearing performance.<br />
These data should advance our understanding <strong>of</strong><br />
ear design and explain how morphological<br />
differences in <strong>the</strong> ears result in <strong>the</strong> hearing<br />
sensitivities <strong>of</strong> various species.<br />
Hearing Sensitivity in <strong>the</strong> Golden<br />
Treefrog Polypedates leucomystax from<br />
Vietnam<br />
Emilio Cortes Elviña<br />
Faculty Mentor: Marcos Gridi-Papp<br />
For sound stimuli to be perceived by <strong>the</strong> brain,<br />
<strong>the</strong>y have to transmitted across several structures<br />
in <strong>the</strong> ears. In order to unveil general principles<br />
<strong>of</strong> auditory design, our lab is conducting<br />
comparative studies <strong>of</strong> natural variation in<br />
auditory morphology and hearing sensitivity.<br />
This study is focused on hearing performance in<br />
<strong>the</strong> South Asian common treefrog (Polypedates<br />
leucomystax), as a representative <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> family<br />
Rachophoridae for which auditory information is<br />
very scarce. Auditory responses to pure tones at<br />
various frequencies are being quantified with<br />
two methods: 1) The vibration <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> eardrum is<br />
measured with a laser vibrometer, in order to<br />
assess <strong>the</strong> function <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> mechanical portions <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> ear; and 2) Since frogs cannot be trained to<br />
press a button when <strong>the</strong>y hear a sound, we<br />
employ neurophysiological recordings to<br />
determine which sounds elicit neural responses<br />
at <strong>the</strong> brain. A tungsten electrode is positioned<br />
among neurons in <strong>the</strong> torus semicircularis, an<br />
auditory center located in <strong>the</strong> optic lobe. Sound<br />
tones are <strong>the</strong>n played at various intensities and<br />
frequencies to stimulate neural response. The<br />
data are currently being collected and <strong>the</strong><br />
preliminary results indicate that <strong>the</strong> hearing<br />
sensitivity <strong>of</strong> this frog matches closely those <strong>of</strong><br />
similar-sized treefrogs in <strong>the</strong> New World, despite<br />
<strong>the</strong>ir significant geographic and phylogenetic<br />
distance.<br />
Variations in Sound Production<br />
Frequency Among North American Gray<br />
Tree Frogs<br />
Joanna Mari Concha Guhit<br />
Faculty Mentor: Marcos Gridi-Papp<br />
Studies <strong>of</strong> mammalian vocal structures have<br />
demonstrated <strong>the</strong> relationship between laryngeal<br />
size and sound production frequency. This<br />
relationship is also present in anurans. Hyla<br />
chrysoscelis and Hyla versicolor, two North<br />
American gray tree frog sister species, share<br />
<strong>the</strong>ir physical aspect, size, ecology and behavior,<br />
but differ in chromosome numbers as H.<br />
chrysoscelis is diploid and H. versciolor is<br />
tetraploid. It has been hypo<strong>the</strong>sized that H.<br />
versicolor should produce lower frequency calls<br />
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Poster Session Abstracts<br />
than H. chrysoscelis because <strong>the</strong> former<br />
possesses greater ploidy, which results in larger<br />
cells. The evidence from field studies is,<br />
however, scarce and inconclusive. In this study,<br />
we compare <strong>the</strong> laryngeal morphology <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se<br />
two species via dissection and histology. Tissues<br />
<strong>of</strong> leopard frogs (Rana pipiens) were initially<br />
employed for adjustment <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> techniques,<br />
especially with relation to <strong>the</strong> decalcification <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> posterior processes <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> hyoid bone, which<br />
is necessary for <strong>the</strong> production <strong>of</strong> good sections<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> larynx. Preliminary data from Rana<br />
pipiens indicate that our method will allows us to<br />
obtain precise measurements <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> sizes and<br />
thicknesses <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> laryngeal structures and <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
cell sizes in epi<strong>the</strong>lia and cartilages, besides <strong>the</strong><br />
thicknesses <strong>of</strong> muscular fibers. These<br />
measurements should unveil <strong>the</strong> effects <strong>of</strong> cell<br />
size on laryngeal function, expanding <strong>the</strong> current<br />
understanding <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> design and evolution <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
vocal apparatus in vertebrates.<br />
The Effect <strong>of</strong> Energetic Costs on Calling<br />
Strategies <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> House Cricket, Acheta<br />
domesticus<br />
Moid Khan<br />
Faculty Mentor: Marcos Gridi-Papp<br />
Much is known about <strong>the</strong> acoustic<br />
communication <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> house cricket (Acheta<br />
domesticus), through both laboratory studies <strong>of</strong><br />
its neurobiological basis and field studies <strong>of</strong> its<br />
ecology. We ask how ecological and neural<br />
factors influence <strong>the</strong> calling strategies <strong>of</strong> house<br />
crickets. Males chirp to attract mates by rubbing<br />
a pair <strong>of</strong> wings, and chirping is energetically<br />
expensive. In a signaling strategy, crickets divide<br />
<strong>the</strong>ir energetic budget in various dimensions <strong>of</strong><br />
sound production: chirp intensity, chirp rate and<br />
number <strong>of</strong> hours chirping per night. If <strong>the</strong> wings<br />
are moderately loaded with weight, <strong>the</strong> animal<br />
might: 1) maintain <strong>the</strong> chirping behavior and<br />
experience altered sound and energetic cost; 2)<br />
maintain its energetic cost by altering <strong>the</strong><br />
chirping behavior and sound; 3) maintain its<br />
sound with altered behavior and energetic cost.<br />
In order to determine which <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se three<br />
strategies <strong>the</strong> cricket will actually employ, we<br />
will compare <strong>the</strong> chirping <strong>of</strong> a control group to<br />
that <strong>of</strong> a group <strong>of</strong> crickets whose wings are<br />
loaded with a coat <strong>of</strong> glue. We have developed a<br />
16-channel, 32-bit recording studio which houses<br />
16 crickets and monitors <strong>the</strong>m individually and<br />
continuously. Each cricket is housed in a<br />
semisoundpro<strong>of</strong> box. We are currently adjusting<br />
<strong>the</strong> s<strong>of</strong>tware to identify and measure individual<br />
chirps in <strong>the</strong> recordings. The results will provide<br />
insight into <strong>the</strong> complexity <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> brain circuits<br />
that define <strong>the</strong> signaling strategies <strong>of</strong> male<br />
crickets.<br />
The Relationship Between Auditory<br />
Morphology and Tuning in Three Species<br />
<strong>of</strong> Frogs<br />
Pauline Montemayor, Stephanie Nguyen,<br />
Yutian Zeng<br />
Faculty Mentor: Marcos Gridi-Papp<br />
Rana pipiens is a frog that has been extensively<br />
used as a model to learn about <strong>the</strong> auditory<br />
capabilities <strong>of</strong> anurans. Due to <strong>the</strong> lack <strong>of</strong><br />
comparative studies <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> auditory system<br />
among frogs, we used R. pipiens as a reference to<br />
assess differences in ear morphology between<br />
species indigenous to o<strong>the</strong>r areas <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> world,<br />
specifically Engystomops pustulosus (found in<br />
Central America), and Leptopelis flavomaculatus<br />
(found in Africa). Theoretically, <strong>the</strong>re should be<br />
an inverse relationship between <strong>the</strong> size <strong>of</strong> a frog<br />
and <strong>the</strong> sound frequencies that it can hear and<br />
produce. Engystomops pustulosus, being <strong>the</strong><br />
smallest <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> three species, would<br />
hypo<strong>the</strong>tically be tuned to <strong>the</strong> highest<br />
frequencies; likewise, <strong>the</strong> large R. pipiens would<br />
hear and produce sound at <strong>the</strong> lowest<br />
frequencies. Dissections were conducted to<br />
isolate <strong>the</strong> middle and inner ears. To compare<br />
species’ ear anatomy, histological methods were<br />
used which allow for precise measurement <strong>of</strong><br />
cells and larger structures under <strong>the</strong> microscope.<br />
Tissues were fixated and decalcified, dehydrated,<br />
paraffin embedded, sectioned with a microtome,<br />
mounted onto slides, rehydrated, and finally,<br />
stained. The highly ossified nature <strong>of</strong> auditory<br />
structures required additional adjustment <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
decalcification protocol, including acids, EDTA,<br />
and microwaving. The expected results are<br />
quantitative descriptions <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> morphology <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> auditory pathway, that should explain <strong>the</strong><br />
size relations and specializations presented by<br />
<strong>the</strong> species in this study.<br />
47
Poster Session Abstracts<br />
Effects <strong>of</strong> Ploidy on <strong>the</strong> Tuning <strong>of</strong><br />
Hearing in Female Hyla versicolor and H.<br />
chrysocelis Treefrogs<br />
Mary Paduano, Sarah Anne Wong<br />
Faculty Mentor: Marcos Gridi-Papp<br />
Two sister species <strong>of</strong> gray treefrogs, Hyla<br />
versicolor and H. chrysocelis, share identical<br />
morphology, ecology and behavior but differ in<br />
ploidy level and call structure. Hyla chrysocelis<br />
is diploid and produces fast-pulsing calls,<br />
whereas H. versicolor is tetraploid and produces<br />
slow-pulsing calls. Polyploidy always increases<br />
cell size and this could potentially bias <strong>the</strong> tuning<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> auditory system. This study examined<br />
females <strong>of</strong> both species to determine if ploidy<br />
level affects tuning in <strong>the</strong>se species. Hearing was<br />
characterized via two methods: tympanic<br />
vibration and multicellular neural recording.<br />
Measurements <strong>of</strong> tympanic vibration are<br />
informative <strong>of</strong> transmission biases in <strong>the</strong><br />
mechanical portion <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> ears, whereas brain<br />
responses recorded from <strong>the</strong> torus semicircularis<br />
indicate actual hearing sensitivity. Preliminary<br />
results did not reveal differences in tuning that<br />
could not be attributed to body size, suggesting<br />
no significant effect <strong>of</strong> ploidy level on hearing.<br />
Such outcome could be explained by any <strong>of</strong> three<br />
mutually exclusive hypo<strong>the</strong>sis: 1) increased cell<br />
size does not alter <strong>the</strong> mechanical properties <strong>of</strong><br />
any <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> components <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> ear and it does not<br />
alter transduction by <strong>the</strong> hair cells; 2) natural<br />
selection prevents <strong>the</strong> increase <strong>of</strong> cell size in <strong>the</strong><br />
auditory system; or 3) additional morphological<br />
changes have been selected to compensate for<br />
biases produced by increased cell size.<br />
Examination <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> morphology <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> auditory<br />
structures and <strong>the</strong> sizes <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir cells is now<br />
necessary in order to identify <strong>the</strong> correct<br />
explanation.<br />
Toward Understanding <strong>the</strong> Genetic Basis<br />
<strong>of</strong> Mimetic Color Pattern in Limenitis<br />
lorquini<br />
Johanna Hsieh, Christina Pham-Le, Susan<br />
Phy, Lan Tran<br />
Faculty Mentor: Ryan Hill<br />
Mimicry is a crucial antipredator defense in<br />
insects that involves <strong>the</strong> convergence <strong>of</strong> color<br />
pattern between unrelated species. Two classic<br />
examples <strong>of</strong> mimicry in North America involve<br />
<strong>the</strong> butterfly genus Limenitis. In Eastern North<br />
America, <strong>the</strong> well-defended distasteful species<br />
Danaus plexippus (Monarch) and Battus<br />
philenor (Pipevine swallowtail) are mimicked by<br />
<strong>the</strong> moderately defended L. archippus (Viceroy)<br />
and L. ar<strong>the</strong>mis astyanax (Red-spotted purple)<br />
respectively. Additionally, in Western North<br />
America <strong>the</strong> palatable Limenitis lorquini<br />
(Lorquin’s admiral) mimics <strong>the</strong> unpalatable<br />
model Adelpha bredowii (California sister). The<br />
mimicry in L. lorquini involves an orange patch<br />
on <strong>the</strong> apex <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> forewing. The genetic basis <strong>of</strong><br />
this trait, including <strong>the</strong> number <strong>of</strong> loci involved,<br />
is currently unknown. We investigated this by<br />
taking advantage <strong>of</strong> a natural hybrid zone<br />
between L. lorquini and a species with a black<br />
forewing apex, L. weidemeyerii. These two<br />
species are known to hybridize and produce<br />
fertile <strong>of</strong>fspring in eastern California. We<br />
crossed <strong>the</strong> orange-tipped L. lorquini with blacktipped<br />
L. weidemeyerii (parental generation)<br />
which produced an F1 hybrid generation that all<br />
displayed orange forewing coloration. We <strong>the</strong>n<br />
self-crossed several <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> F1 hybrids with <strong>the</strong><br />
prediction that <strong>the</strong> F2 <strong>of</strong>fspring would exhibit a<br />
3:1 ratio <strong>of</strong> orange-tipped to black-tipped<br />
individuals. Our results are consistent with a 3:1<br />
Mendelian ratio indicative <strong>of</strong> a trait controlled by<br />
a single locus with two alleles. In this case we<br />
conclude that <strong>the</strong> allele for orange color is<br />
dominant to <strong>the</strong> recessive black allele for<br />
forewing apex coloration.<br />
Genotypic and Phenotypic Diversity in<br />
Endangered Populations <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Callippe<br />
Silverspot Butterfly (Speyeria callippe) in<br />
<strong>the</strong> Greater Bay Area<br />
Seung Wan Ha, Charles Kim, Alexander<br />
Mendoza, Graham Travenick, Chris Weber,<br />
Chad Wierlo<br />
Faculty Mentor: Ryan Hill<br />
Speyeria callippe callippe is on <strong>the</strong> federal<br />
endangered species list and is restricted to<br />
populations surrounding <strong>the</strong> heavily urbanized<br />
Bay Area. Destruction <strong>of</strong> appropriate habitat<br />
that includes adult and larval food resources has<br />
caused extinctions <strong>of</strong> many populations in <strong>the</strong><br />
hills <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> San Francisco Bay Area. Despite its<br />
endangered status no research into <strong>the</strong> size or<br />
genetic diversity <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> remaining populations<br />
has been done. This is critical information for<br />
management because current populations may be<br />
suffering reduced genetic variation and reduced<br />
gene flow that can lead to fur<strong>the</strong>r extinctions.<br />
One problem that has hampered traditional<br />
48
Poster Session Abstracts<br />
mark-recapture studies for estimating population<br />
sizes is that two o<strong>the</strong>r subspecies <strong>of</strong> Speyeria are<br />
present in <strong>the</strong> Bay Area (S.c. comstocki and S.c.<br />
liliana). These subspecies are difficult to<br />
distinguish because <strong>the</strong>ir color patterns broadly<br />
overlap. Thus, our study examined two<br />
questions: 1) do S. callippe populations in <strong>the</strong><br />
Bay Area show any signs <strong>of</strong> reduced genetic<br />
diversity or gene flow? And 2) do color pattern<br />
traits used in describing subspecies correlate<br />
with genetic diversity? To answer <strong>the</strong>se<br />
questions we analysed 884 bp <strong>of</strong> mitochondrial<br />
DNA for 191 individuals from nine populations,<br />
and scored each specimen for two wing pattern<br />
traits. Our results indicated that 1) <strong>the</strong>re is<br />
striking genetic differentiation among S. callippe<br />
populations in <strong>the</strong> Bay Area, 2) <strong>the</strong> main<br />
endangered species population has no variation<br />
in <strong>the</strong> analyzed gene, and 3) four mtDNA<br />
haplogroups were identified that only weakly<br />
correlate with <strong>the</strong> three subspecies.<br />
Genetics <strong>of</strong> Sexual Dimorphism in an<br />
Ostracod Crustacean, Euphilomedes<br />
carcharodonta<br />
Brenna Carillo-Zazueta, Logan Brodnansky,<br />
Connie Lin, Priya Patel, Brianna Hu<br />
Faculty Mentor: Ajna Rivera<br />
Sexual dimorphism refers to <strong>the</strong> differences in<br />
male and female secondary sexual<br />
characteristics; in humans, <strong>the</strong> pathways to<br />
sexual dimorphism is started by <strong>the</strong>y presence or<br />
absence <strong>of</strong> a Y (male) chromosome. Here we<br />
examine a sexual dimorphism in Euphilomedes<br />
carcharodonta, a species <strong>of</strong> ostracod<br />
crustaceans. In this species, males and females<br />
are genetically similar (males do not have a Y<br />
chromosome), but differ with regards to <strong>the</strong>ir<br />
eyes. Males have large multi-faceted eyes while<br />
females have only miniscule non-image forming<br />
eyes. The sexual dimorphism doesn’t stem from<br />
extra genes – it actually comes from a difference<br />
in <strong>the</strong> male and female developmental program.<br />
Males undergo tissue duplication and gain a<br />
second eye field which is not seen in females.<br />
This could possibly be from differing<br />
developmental potentials; in particular, males<br />
and females may turn on different sets <strong>of</strong> genes<br />
in <strong>the</strong>ir nervous system cells. To begin to<br />
understand how males can grow eyes without<br />
additional genetic information, we cloned and<br />
looked at <strong>the</strong> sequence <strong>of</strong> several genes known to<br />
be involved in eye development. In <strong>the</strong> future,<br />
we will also compare gene expression levels<br />
(how much a particular gene is turned on) in<br />
male and female eyes.<br />
Comparing Total Precipitation for Vernal<br />
Pools in Wet and Dry Seasons<br />
Minhchau Dinh<br />
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Stacy Luthy<br />
Vernal pools, also referred to as temporary pools<br />
or ephemeral pools, are surface pools on<br />
impervious land substrates leftover from<br />
precipitation. These temporary pools appear<br />
during rainfall in winter and spring, and dry up<br />
in summer and fall. Throughout this cycle,<br />
vernal pools support numerous endemic plant<br />
and animal species, many <strong>of</strong> which are<br />
endangered, such as <strong>the</strong> federally and state<br />
protected fairy shrimp and its three species. For<br />
this research I took pool samples from four sites<br />
near Prairie City, CA from November 2010 to<br />
April <strong>2012</strong> that included three types <strong>of</strong><br />
crustacean: copepods, daphnia, and fairy shrimp.<br />
These crustaceans lay resistant eggs (cysts) when<br />
<strong>the</strong> pools are wetted that will hatch during <strong>the</strong><br />
next pool season. Research has shown cysts<br />
hatch proportionally to <strong>the</strong>ir chances <strong>of</strong> survival<br />
and that vernal pool depth is positively correlated<br />
with species richness. The length <strong>of</strong> inundation<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se species is critical to <strong>the</strong>ir success, as<br />
some species need longer ponding periods to<br />
fully develop. Longer ponding periods depend<br />
on total precipitation, storm intensity and pattern,<br />
and land topography. In Nor<strong>the</strong>rn California, <strong>the</strong><br />
winter <strong>of</strong> 2010-2011 was classified as wet, but<br />
<strong>the</strong> next year (winter 2011-<strong>2012</strong>) was extremely<br />
dry. This scenario not only led to fewer vernal<br />
pools in 2011-<strong>2012</strong>, but also pools with<br />
shallower depth and shorter inundation period. I<br />
analyzed total precipitation between <strong>the</strong> 2011<br />
and <strong>2012</strong> vernal pool seasons to observe how<br />
total precipitation, storm intensity, and rain<br />
patterns affect <strong>the</strong> life and longevity <strong>of</strong> vernal<br />
pools.<br />
Effects <strong>of</strong> Range and Frequency on<br />
DIDSON Measurement Accuracy<br />
Alec Follmer, Gwen Alldredge<br />
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Stacy Luthy<br />
The DIDSON Sonar is a multi-beam acoustic<br />
camera that produces near video quality images<br />
in two frequencies (low-1.1MHz and high-<br />
49
Poster Session Abstracts<br />
1.8MHz). DIDSON is particularly useful in<br />
murky or rough waters because targets within <strong>the</strong><br />
field-<strong>of</strong>-view are imaged through sound waves<br />
ra<strong>the</strong>r than traditional video imagery. Although<br />
studies have been conducted as to <strong>the</strong> accuracy<br />
and precision <strong>of</strong> estimating length with <strong>the</strong><br />
DIDSON, none in which range and frequency<br />
were analyzed simultaneously have been<br />
conducted. Our artificial target was manually<br />
operated in a controlled pool environment and<br />
lengths were measured by <strong>the</strong> Fish-Marking tool<br />
in <strong>the</strong> DIDSON s<strong>of</strong>tware. We had four test<br />
groups: low frequency at 5 m, high frequency at<br />
5 m, low frequency at 10 m and high frequency<br />
at 10 m. The statistical analysis revealed that<br />
target range had a significant effect on DIDSON<br />
derived measurements while frequency did not.<br />
DIDSON-derived length measurements were<br />
significantly smaller than <strong>the</strong> actual target length<br />
at both ranges tested.<br />
Growth Rate Differences Amongst<br />
Leiostomus xanthurus Between Varying<br />
Estuarine Creeks<br />
Diana Furukawa, Breanna Wong<br />
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Stacy Luthy<br />
An estuary is a semi-enclosed coastal area where<br />
freshwater and saltwater blend. In <strong>the</strong> past,<br />
research has shown that certain areas within<br />
estuaries, such as wetlands and seagrass<br />
meadows, have been identified as fish nurseries.<br />
An area is considered to be a nursery if it<br />
contributes “higher density, survival, growth,<br />
and movement to adult habitat”. The purpose <strong>of</strong><br />
this study was to test whe<strong>the</strong>r <strong>the</strong>re were<br />
differences in nursery habitat quality between<br />
closely related intertidal creeks within North<br />
Inlet Estuary, SC. Samples <strong>of</strong> juvenile spot<br />
Leiostomus xanthurus were collected from<br />
Oyster Landing, Bly Creek, and Old Man, three<br />
different creeks within <strong>the</strong> region that are<br />
geographically close in range. Each specimen<br />
was dissected in order to isolate <strong>the</strong> otoliths,<br />
specifically <strong>the</strong> right and left lapilli and sagittae.<br />
Otoliths are calcareous, vestibular structures<br />
found within <strong>the</strong> inner ear <strong>of</strong> bony fish. As <strong>the</strong><br />
fish grows, rings develop on <strong>the</strong> otolith, which<br />
can be counted to estimate age. In this study,<br />
only <strong>the</strong> left lapillus was subjected to fur<strong>the</strong>r<br />
evaluation. Lengths were measured and ages<br />
were estimated via otolith analysis. Growth rates<br />
were used as an indicator <strong>of</strong> nursery quality, with<br />
<strong>the</strong> assumption that a better habitat would<br />
support faster growth. Results showed that ages<br />
<strong>of</strong> fish from different creeks were similar;<br />
however, <strong>the</strong>ir lengths were significantly<br />
different. This proves that <strong>the</strong> growth rates <strong>of</strong><br />
fish vary between creeks, indicating fine-scale<br />
differences in nursery habitat quality within <strong>the</strong><br />
estuary.<br />
Comparing Sand Flipping <strong>of</strong> Elephant<br />
Seals between Sex and Age<br />
Hasan Alkazemi, Jonathan Choy, Lan Tran<br />
Faculty Mentor: Richard Tenaza<br />
Abstract Text: Every winter nor<strong>the</strong>rn elephant<br />
seals (Mirounga angustirostris) come ashore at<br />
several coastal and island sites on sandy shores<br />
<strong>of</strong> central and sou<strong>the</strong>rn California and western<br />
Mexico to breed, give birth, and rear <strong>the</strong>ir pups<br />
to weaning. The adult male’s nose is a<br />
protruding proboscis, resembling <strong>the</strong> trunk <strong>of</strong> an<br />
elephant. While ashore, elephant seals<br />
frequently scoop sand with a backward motion<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> front flippers and throw it onto<br />
<strong>the</strong>mselves, an action known as sand flipping.<br />
We investigated age and sex differences among<br />
elephant seals in <strong>the</strong>ir frequencies performing<br />
this behavior at a breeding colony at Piedras<br />
Blancas California. The research builds upon<br />
previous studies conducted by o<strong>the</strong>r <strong>Pacific</strong><br />
students during in 2010 and 2011 breeding<br />
seasons at Piedras Blancas.<br />
Comparison <strong>of</strong> Aggression between<br />
Female Elephant Seals with Pups and<br />
without Pups towards Non-Filial Pups<br />
Sejal Bhayani, Antonia Centeno, Quang<br />
Nguyen<br />
Faculty Mentor: Richard Tenaza<br />
Our research tests <strong>the</strong> hypo<strong>the</strong>sis that adult<br />
female elephant seals with pups are more<br />
aggressive toward strange (non-filial) pups than<br />
are females without pups. Working from video<br />
recordings <strong>of</strong> portions <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> elephant seal<br />
colony, we will observe and tabulate behavior <strong>of</strong><br />
equal numbers <strong>of</strong> both types <strong>of</strong> females toward<br />
non-filial pups, analyzing interactions one<br />
female at a time. This research was conducted in<br />
<strong>2012</strong> in two separate weekends at San Simian on<br />
January 21st and 22nd, and February 4th and 5th.<br />
It was observed that females were aggressive to<br />
non-filial pups through <strong>the</strong> behaviors <strong>of</strong> biting,<br />
chasing, and vocalizations. Our hypo<strong>the</strong>sis<br />
50
Poster Session Abstracts<br />
states that females who have pups are more<br />
aggressive towards non-filial pups than are<br />
females without pups. The approach to sampling<br />
will be done through focal sampling female<br />
elephant seals with and without pups once an<br />
interaction with a non-filial pup presents itself.<br />
By sampling each female separately for ten<br />
minute intervals, <strong>the</strong> data can be used to quantify<br />
<strong>the</strong> amount <strong>of</strong> times a female exhibits aggressive<br />
behavior. Preliminary findings show that<br />
females who have pups are more prone to being<br />
aggressive towards non-filial pups.<br />
Behavioral <strong>the</strong>rmoregulation <strong>of</strong> nor<strong>the</strong>rn<br />
elephant seal (Mirounga angustirostris)<br />
adults and pups in a breeding colony at<br />
Piedras Blancas, California<br />
Patrick Kang, Jaeyoung Lee, Mike Trinh,<br />
Pauline Montamayor, Christopher Nguyen<br />
Faculty Mentor: Richard Tenaza<br />
Our study tested <strong>the</strong> hypo<strong>the</strong>sis that <strong>the</strong> Nor<strong>the</strong>rn<br />
elephant seal (NES) Mirounga angustirostris<br />
uses coloration for <strong>the</strong>rmoregulation on land.<br />
The NES comes ashore every winter to breed<br />
and—being adapted to living in cold seas for<br />
most <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> year—on shore <strong>the</strong>y may be faced<br />
with over-heating from higher temperatures and<br />
direct solar radiation. Their large size and thick<br />
blubber give adult NES’s low surface area to<br />
volume ratios and a layer <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>rmal insulation<br />
which are advantageous for conserving heat in<br />
cold seas but disadvantageous for dissipating it<br />
on land. However, <strong>the</strong>y are very dark on <strong>the</strong><br />
back and pale beneath, which could allow <strong>the</strong>m<br />
to absorb or reflect heat by adjusting orientation<br />
to <strong>the</strong> sun. Pups are born with no blubber but are<br />
uniformly black, which could allow <strong>the</strong>m to<br />
absorb heat from <strong>the</strong> sun over <strong>the</strong> entire body<br />
surface. We found that pups did tend to stay<br />
exposed to sunlight in cooler hours and shaded<br />
by <strong>the</strong>ir mo<strong>the</strong>rs’ shadows in warmer ones. In<br />
adults we found that females exposed <strong>the</strong>ir<br />
reflective bellies to <strong>the</strong> sun more than males at<br />
all times and that both sexes were significantly<br />
more likely to orient <strong>the</strong> belly toward <strong>the</strong> sun<br />
during warmer hours compared to cooler ones.<br />
Fluctuations and Sex Differences in Food<br />
Consumption Relative to Molting in<br />
Magellanic Pegnuins (Spheniscus<br />
magellanicus) at San Francisco Zoo<br />
Lisa Keikoan, Nick Le<br />
Faculty Mentor: Richard Tenaza<br />
Our objective was to measure food intake <strong>of</strong><br />
adult Magellanic penguins as <strong>the</strong>y fatten up<br />
before molting, fast while molting, and regain<br />
condition afterwards. In late summer and early<br />
fall every year Magellanic penguins shed all <strong>the</strong>ir<br />
old fea<strong>the</strong>rs and grow new ones. Unable to enter<br />
<strong>the</strong> water without mature fea<strong>the</strong>rs for insulation<br />
penguins fast while molting, and to survive <strong>the</strong><br />
fast and grow new fea<strong>the</strong>rs <strong>the</strong>y build up fat<br />
stores beforehand. Using data from San<br />
Francisco Zoo, we analyzed fish consumption <strong>of</strong><br />
29 female and 26 male penguins for 60 days<br />
before <strong>the</strong> onset <strong>of</strong> molt and 40 days after. Data<br />
were standardized for analysis by designating <strong>the</strong><br />
first day <strong>of</strong> molt Day Zero for every bird. Food<br />
intake started increasing noticeably 50 days<br />
before molt began, doubled—going from 200 to<br />
400 g—over <strong>the</strong> next 30 days, and <strong>the</strong>n more<br />
than doubled again in <strong>the</strong> following 20 days.<br />
While Magellanic penguins in <strong>the</strong> wild would<br />
not eat at all while molting, at <strong>the</strong> zoo <strong>the</strong>y did<br />
but mean daily consumption dropped to 50 g for<br />
both sexes. Molt took 21 days, following which<br />
food consumption increased sharply,<br />
quadrupling over <strong>the</strong> next 20 days for both sexes,<br />
and <strong>the</strong>n beginning to level <strong>of</strong>f.<br />
Rad51 Paralogs and Complexes – A<br />
Study <strong>of</strong> Protein Function and<br />
Interactions<br />
Amber Overgard, Daniel Kee Lu<br />
Faculty Mentor: Joanna Albala<br />
Double-strand breaks in DNA have potential to<br />
result in cancer. Currently, <strong>the</strong>re are two methods<br />
known for repairing such breaks and maintaining<br />
genome integrity. These are non-homologous<br />
end-joining (NHEJ) and homologous<br />
recombination repair (HRR). HRR is<br />
accomplished through <strong>the</strong> use <strong>of</strong> homologous<br />
DNA strands, one strand acting as a template to<br />
repair <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r strand. A key protein in <strong>the</strong><br />
strand exchange and homologous pairing used<br />
during HRR is Rad51. Presently, <strong>the</strong>re are five<br />
human proteins with homology to Rad51, <strong>the</strong>se<br />
paralogs are Rad51B, Rad51C, Rad51D, Xrcc2,<br />
and Xrcc3. Loss <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se protein functions leads<br />
51
Poster Session Abstracts<br />
to chromosomal instability. In this research, <strong>the</strong><br />
interactions <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> five paralogs and <strong>the</strong> two<br />
complexes, both containing Rad51C that form<br />
from <strong>the</strong>m will be investigated. Escherichia coli<br />
containing ei<strong>the</strong>r human Rad51B or human<br />
Xrcc3 were grown and <strong>the</strong> plasmids containing<br />
<strong>the</strong> appropriate target gene were isolated. The<br />
plasmids were treated with restriction enzymes<br />
and <strong>the</strong> samples were run on an agarose gel to<br />
verify that <strong>the</strong> DNA <strong>of</strong> each repair gene was <strong>the</strong><br />
expected size. Samples will be sequenced to<br />
verify <strong>the</strong> cDNA is mutation free. The target<br />
gene will be isolated and placed in a plasmid for<br />
expression in <strong>the</strong> yeast, Pichia pastoris, more<br />
suited for recombinant protein expression <strong>of</strong><br />
higher eukaryotic organisms. The plasmid will<br />
be inserted into P. pastoris using electroporation<br />
and <strong>the</strong> corresponding protein will be expressed.<br />
These proteins will be used to examine protein<br />
interaction and function. This study will increase<br />
current understanding <strong>of</strong> Rad51C complex<br />
formation and function in <strong>the</strong> repair <strong>of</strong> DNA<br />
double-strand breaks.<br />
Histological Characterization <strong>of</strong> Vitamin<br />
D-induced Apoptosis in a Hamster Buccal<br />
Pouch Model <strong>of</strong> Head and Neck<br />
Squamous Cell Carcinoma<br />
Cina Kim, Katie Ross<br />
Faculty Mentor: Joanna Albala<br />
Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma<br />
(HNSCC) remains a major cause <strong>of</strong> mortality<br />
and morbidity in <strong>the</strong> U.S. and around <strong>the</strong> world.<br />
Vitamin D 3 (VD 3 ), in addition to its primary role<br />
in maintaining calcium homeostasis, has been<br />
shown to induce differentiation and suppress <strong>the</strong><br />
growth <strong>of</strong> squamous cell carcinomas in vitro. As<br />
such, proteins and compounds that act in <strong>the</strong><br />
vitamin D pathway are potential candidates for<br />
<strong>the</strong>rapeutic intervention for treatment <strong>of</strong><br />
HNSCC. Previous work in <strong>the</strong> Albala lab has<br />
demonstrated that VD 3 was chemopreventive in<br />
cancer formation in <strong>the</strong> hamster buccal pouch<br />
model. The hamster buccal pouch tumor model<br />
is a well-characterized model system since <strong>the</strong><br />
progression from normal epi<strong>the</strong>lium to<br />
carcinoma closely resembles those changes in<br />
humans.<br />
Rad51 protein plays an important role in is cell<br />
proliferation and homologous recombinational<br />
DNA repair. Defects in <strong>the</strong> pathway may render<br />
cells sensitive to DNA cross-linking agents and<br />
ionizing radiation, while up-regulation <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
pathway can render cellular DNA more resistant<br />
to damage, and streng<strong>the</strong>n cellular resistance to<br />
radiation <strong>the</strong>rapy and selective chemo<strong>the</strong>rapeutic<br />
agents. Studies have documented <strong>the</strong> elevation <strong>of</strong><br />
Rad51 levels in several cancer cell lines,<br />
including immortalized cells. Previous studies in<br />
<strong>the</strong> Albala lab have demonstrated <strong>the</strong> downregulation<br />
<strong>of</strong> Rad51 by VD 3 in <strong>the</strong> hamster<br />
buccal cheek pouch model. This work aims to<br />
demonstrate a correlation between <strong>the</strong> reduction<br />
<strong>of</strong> Rad51 protein by VD 3 in this hamster model<br />
and <strong>the</strong> effects <strong>of</strong> 7,12-<br />
dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA) as a<br />
carcinogen, inducing <strong>the</strong> repair mechanism when<br />
administered to <strong>the</strong> hamster buccal pouches.<br />
Preliminary Proteomic Analysis <strong>of</strong> a<br />
Vesicle-enriched Fraction from <strong>the</strong><br />
Protozoal Parasite Trichomonas vaginalis<br />
Casey Ardrey<br />
Faculty Mentors: Kirkwood Land, Lisa<br />
Wrischnik<br />
We have analyzed using mass spectrometry a<br />
vesicle-enriched fraction from <strong>the</strong> human<br />
protozoal parasite Trichomonas vaginalis.<br />
Using <strong>the</strong> recently completed T. vaginalis<br />
genome, we have carried out an extensive<br />
bioinformatic analysis <strong>of</strong> this subcellular fraction<br />
and have identified a number <strong>of</strong> interesting<br />
targets for future biological study. We will<br />
discuss <strong>the</strong> implications <strong>of</strong> our analysis on drug<br />
discovery against this important human parasite.<br />
Characterization <strong>of</strong> an<br />
Adenosylhomocysteine Hydrolase<br />
Enzyme in <strong>the</strong> protozoal parasite<br />
Trichomonas vaginalis<br />
Aaron Au, Steven An<br />
Faculty Mentor: Kirkwood Land<br />
Trichomonas vaginalis is <strong>the</strong> causative agent <strong>of</strong><br />
trichomoniasis, a common sexually-transmitted<br />
disease in humans. Approximately 5% <strong>of</strong> cases<br />
<strong>of</strong> trichomoniasis are resistant to treatment with<br />
<strong>the</strong> commonly prescribed metronidazole. The<br />
search for alternative new <strong>the</strong>rapies for both<br />
nitroimidazole susceptible and resistant cases is<br />
imperative. Here, we have shown that 2'-deoxy-<br />
2'-fluoroadenosine, 9-(β,Darabin<strong>of</strong>uranosyl)adenine,<br />
9-(2-deoxy-2-fluoroβ,D-arabin<strong>of</strong>uranosyl)adenine<br />
, and 9-(2-chloro-<br />
2-deoxy-β,D-arabin<strong>of</strong>uranosyl)adenine inhibit T.<br />
52
Poster Session Abstracts<br />
vaginalis 100% at 100 μM level. These<br />
compounds have an IC 50 <strong>of</strong> 2.94 μM, 3.6 μM,<br />
0.09 μM, and 5.93 μM, respectively<br />
(Metronidazole’s IC 50 value for <strong>the</strong> same strain is<br />
0.72 μM). To fur<strong>the</strong>r characterize this potential<br />
drug target, we have analyzed <strong>the</strong> ADHY<br />
activity in whole cell extracts <strong>of</strong> T. vaginalis.<br />
We have also cloned <strong>the</strong> gene into pQE80L and<br />
have successfully expressed <strong>the</strong> enzyme in<br />
E.coli. To characterize <strong>the</strong> subcellular location<br />
<strong>of</strong> this enzyme, we have constructed an<br />
expression vector with <strong>the</strong> gene for an HAepitope<br />
tag on <strong>the</strong> C-terminus <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> ADHY<br />
protein. The successful expression,<br />
characterization, and localization <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> ADHY<br />
protein <strong>of</strong> T. vaginalis will set <strong>the</strong> stage for<br />
development <strong>of</strong> inhibitors against this enzyme as<br />
chemo<strong>the</strong>rapy for drug resistant infections.<br />
Effects <strong>of</strong> Serine Protease Inhibitors on<br />
<strong>the</strong> Human Protozoal Parasite<br />
Trichomonas vaginalis<br />
Olga Bachour, Kai Chung, Tex Mabalon<br />
Faculty Mentor: Kirkwood Land<br />
Trichomonas vaginalis is a protozoal parasite<br />
that causes trichomoniasis in humans. The<br />
mechanism <strong>of</strong> pathogenesis is thought to involve<br />
proteases. In this study, we have focused on <strong>the</strong><br />
possible role <strong>of</strong> serine proteases in <strong>the</strong><br />
pathogenesis <strong>of</strong> this parasite. In related protozoal<br />
parasites, like malaria and trypanosomes, serine<br />
proteases play a key role in processing virulence<br />
factors in <strong>the</strong> endomembrane system. To begin<br />
to understand <strong>the</strong> possible role <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se enzymes,<br />
we have screened a number <strong>of</strong> different<br />
commercial serine protease inhibitors on <strong>the</strong><br />
growth <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> parasite in culture. The effects <strong>of</strong><br />
this inhibitors should shed light on <strong>the</strong> potential<br />
role <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se enzymes in <strong>the</strong> life cycle <strong>of</strong> this<br />
important human parasite.<br />
Cloning and Expression <strong>of</strong> an Aspartic<br />
Protease from <strong>the</strong> Human Protozoal<br />
Parasite Trichomonas vaginalis<br />
Annie Chen, Sandy Chen, Vivian Huang,<br />
Victoria Lewis, Hasna Manghi<br />
Faculty Mentors: Kirkwood Land, Lisa<br />
Wrischnik<br />
Trichomonas vaginalis is a protozoal parasite <strong>of</strong><br />
humans; and one mechanism <strong>of</strong> pathogenesis <strong>of</strong><br />
this parasite is thought to be mediated by<br />
proteases. Inhibitors against aspartic proteases<br />
significantly blocked growth <strong>of</strong> T.vaginalis, and<br />
our present study is to clone and express <strong>the</strong><br />
single aspartic protease. Using <strong>the</strong> genome<br />
project, we have succesfully cloned <strong>the</strong> fulllength<br />
TvCatD gene from strain T1 into a protein<br />
expression vector for expression in E.coli. The<br />
purification <strong>of</strong> characterization <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
recombinant enzyme will help us to design<br />
improved inhibitors targeting this critical<br />
enzyme.<br />
Transmission Electron Microscopic<br />
Analysis <strong>of</strong> Proteases in Trichomonad<br />
Protozoa<br />
Annie Chen, Sandy Chen, Hasna Manghi,<br />
Victoria Lewis, Vivian Huang<br />
Faculty Mentors: Kirkwood Land, Marcia Fox,<br />
Lisa Wrischnik<br />
We have used transmission electron microscopy<br />
to analyze <strong>the</strong> localization <strong>of</strong> proteases in<br />
trichomonad parasites. In particular, we are<br />
interested in <strong>the</strong> location <strong>of</strong> a number <strong>of</strong> different<br />
cysteine proteases predicted to be in lysosomelike<br />
vesicles. One such protease, CP1, is<br />
predicted to have a preprodomain and a predicted<br />
transmembrane domain based on genomic<br />
analysis. Also, immun<strong>of</strong>luorescence <strong>of</strong><br />
trichomonads reveals vesicular localization.<br />
Fur<strong>the</strong>r analysis at <strong>the</strong> electron microscopic level<br />
also reveals vesicular localization. The analysis<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se enzymes at <strong>the</strong> subcellular level will aid<br />
in <strong>the</strong> design <strong>of</strong> additional experiments to test <strong>the</strong><br />
role <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se parasites in pathogenesis.<br />
Studies <strong>of</strong> Calpain Inhibitors as<br />
Antiparasitic Agents Against<br />
Trichomonas vaginalis<br />
Kassandra Cooper, Tiffany Riley, Asma Patel,<br />
Racquel O’Connor, Neal Patel<br />
Faculty Mentor: Kirkwood Land<br />
Trichomonas vaginalis is <strong>the</strong> most prevalent<br />
STD with cases on <strong>the</strong> rise in both <strong>the</strong> US and<br />
o<strong>the</strong>r countries. With <strong>the</strong> rapid increase in<br />
Trichomonasis drug resistance, it leads one to<br />
look at o<strong>the</strong>r pathways where drugs might be<br />
effective. Calpains have been shown to have a<br />
pathogenic role in many diseases with parasitic<br />
diseases being <strong>the</strong> most recent and studied<br />
53
Poster Session Abstracts<br />
pathway. Inhibitors for calpains are currently<br />
being tested for activity against neural diseases<br />
as well as anti-malaria properties. Here we<br />
showed that Calpain Inhibitor III, MDL28710,<br />
had significant resistance to T1 Trichomonas<br />
vaginalis strain and drug resistant line CDC-085,<br />
as compared to our control. Fur<strong>the</strong>rmore, a<br />
combination <strong>the</strong>rapy <strong>of</strong> Calpain Inhibitor III with<br />
standard drug treatment <strong>of</strong> Metronidazole<br />
showed better inhibition than standard<br />
Metronidazole <strong>the</strong>rapy alone. Also <strong>the</strong><br />
combination <strong>the</strong>rapy showed that less<br />
Metronidazole was needed with Calpain<br />
Inhibitor III to have <strong>the</strong> same effect as just<br />
Metronidazole alone. Overall, with <strong>the</strong>se<br />
findings we have shown that Calpain Inhibitors<br />
can be a new source <strong>of</strong> drug treatment for<br />
Trichomonas vaginalis infections and could help<br />
reduce <strong>the</strong> number <strong>of</strong> drug resistant cases.<br />
Analysis <strong>of</strong> a Kex2-like Gene in <strong>the</strong><br />
Protozoal Parasite Trichomonas vaginalis<br />
Oliver Dam, Derek Paw, Faheem Qazi<br />
Faculty Mentors: Kirkwood Land, Lisa<br />
Wrischnik<br />
Trichomonas vaginalis is a protozoal parasite<br />
that causes trichomoniasis in humans. The<br />
mechanism <strong>of</strong> pathogenesis is thought to involve<br />
proteases. In this study, we have focused on <strong>the</strong><br />
cloning and expression <strong>of</strong> a kex2-like serine<br />
protease. In related parasites, like malaria and<br />
trypanosomes, kex2-like serine proteases play a<br />
role in processing virulence factors. To begin to<br />
understand <strong>the</strong> possible role <strong>of</strong> TvKex2, we have<br />
cloned and isolated <strong>the</strong> gene, and have begun to<br />
express recombinant forms <strong>of</strong> Tvkex2. We have<br />
also started cloning <strong>the</strong> gene into a yeast vector<br />
pYES for genetic complementation studies <strong>of</strong><br />
kex2 mutants <strong>of</strong> Saccharomyces cerevisiae.<br />
Characterization <strong>of</strong> Cysteine Protease<br />
Inhibitor (CP8) Virulence Factor in<br />
Bovine and Feline Strains <strong>of</strong> T. foetus<br />
Nathan Haberkern<br />
Faculty Mentor: Kirkwood Land<br />
Tritrichomonas foetus is related to <strong>the</strong> human<br />
parasite Trichomonas vaginalis. In T. vaginalis<br />
strains Cysteine proteases are thought to be<br />
major virulence factors. One such virulence<br />
factor is Cysteine Protease 8 (CP8). This study<br />
examines <strong>the</strong> role <strong>of</strong> CP8 in both bovine and<br />
feline clinical isolates. We have obtained<br />
samples from cows and cats that presented with<br />
clinical disease at <strong>the</strong> UC Davis Small Animal<br />
Hospital and are analyzing <strong>the</strong> expression <strong>of</strong> CP8<br />
in all <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se isolates. The characterization <strong>of</strong><br />
this virulence factor will shed light on <strong>the</strong><br />
pathogenesis <strong>of</strong> this important veterinary<br />
protozoal disease.<br />
Cloning and Expression <strong>of</strong> Thioredoxin<br />
Reductase from <strong>the</strong> Human Protozoal<br />
Parasite Trichomonas vaginalis<br />
Jonathan Huang<br />
Faculty Mentors: Kirkwood Land, Lisa<br />
Wrischnik<br />
Trichomonas vaginalis is a protozoal parasite<br />
that causes trichomoniasis in humans. The<br />
current FDA approved drugs for treatment <strong>of</strong><br />
human trichomoniasis are metronidazole and<br />
tinidazole. Current data from <strong>the</strong> US Centers for<br />
Disease Control and Prevention have suggested<br />
that almost 5% <strong>of</strong> all clinical cases <strong>of</strong><br />
trichomoniasis show some level <strong>of</strong> resistance to<br />
<strong>the</strong>se drugs. In search <strong>of</strong> new chemo<strong>the</strong>rapies,<br />
we have focused on <strong>the</strong> role <strong>of</strong> thioredoxin<br />
reductase, an enzyme that plays a role in<br />
susceptibility to metronidazole. To begin to<br />
understand <strong>the</strong> possible role <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se enzymes,<br />
we have cloned and have begun to express <strong>the</strong><br />
thioredoxin reductase from T. vaginalis. Our<br />
goal is to better understand <strong>the</strong> role <strong>of</strong> this<br />
enzyme in drug susceptibility and resistance.<br />
Analysis <strong>of</strong> New Thiosemicarbazones<br />
Against <strong>the</strong> Human Protozoal Parasite<br />
Trichomonas vaginalis<br />
Stephen Kim<br />
Faculty Mentor: Kirkwood Land<br />
Trichomonas vaginalis is a protozoal parasite<br />
that causes trichomoniasis in humans. The<br />
current FDA approved drugs for treatment <strong>of</strong><br />
human trichomoniasis are metronidazole and<br />
tinidazole. Current data from <strong>the</strong> US Centers for<br />
Disease Control and Prevention have suggested<br />
that almost 5% <strong>of</strong> all clinical cases <strong>of</strong><br />
trichomoniasis show some level <strong>of</strong> resistance to<br />
<strong>the</strong>se drugs. In search <strong>of</strong> new chemo<strong>the</strong>rapies,<br />
we have screened a small compound library <strong>of</strong><br />
thiosemicarbazones. Our laboratory has<br />
54
Poster Session Abstracts<br />
previously shown that this group <strong>of</strong> cysteine<br />
protease inhibitors has potent inhibitory activity<br />
against trichomonads protozoa. Our goal is to<br />
identify potential new chemo<strong>the</strong>rapies against<br />
this important human parasite.<br />
Characterization <strong>of</strong> a novel kinase in <strong>the</strong><br />
protozoal parasite Trichomonas vaginalis<br />
Evan Kristiansen<br />
Faculty Mentor: Kirkwood Land<br />
Protein kinases are part <strong>of</strong> several important cell<br />
signaling pathways. We seek to use protein<br />
kinases as an potential drug target for <strong>the</strong> clinical<br />
treatment <strong>of</strong> Trichomona vaginalis.<br />
Trichomonas vaginalis is a protozoal parasite<br />
and <strong>the</strong> causative agent <strong>of</strong> trichamoniasis, a<br />
common sexually transmitted disease. While<br />
<strong>the</strong>re are treatment options for trichamoniasis,<br />
<strong>the</strong>se treatments are restricted to 5-<br />
nitroimidazole derivaties. Metronidazole, known<br />
by <strong>the</strong> name Flagyl, is <strong>the</strong> FDA approved<br />
treatment for a Trichomonas infection. Five<br />
percent <strong>of</strong> trichamoniasis cases cannot be treated<br />
effectively with Metronidazole however, and so<br />
<strong>the</strong> search for alternative <strong>the</strong>rapies is essential.<br />
Several challenges arise when considering <strong>the</strong><br />
treatment <strong>of</strong> a eukaryotic pathogen, its similarity<br />
to our own cells make targeting this disease<br />
difficult. We have discovered, in collaboration<br />
with a university partner, a unique protein which<br />
could act as a drug target. This class <strong>of</strong> enzyme,<br />
a protein kinase, is <strong>of</strong>ten involved in cell<br />
maintenance pathways and <strong>the</strong>refore is an<br />
attractive target for inhibition <strong>of</strong> cell growth.<br />
This enzyme, called <strong>the</strong> gatekeeper, has been<br />
previously examined and purified from several<br />
o<strong>the</strong>r eukaryotic parasites and <strong>the</strong> coding<br />
sequence has been found in <strong>the</strong> genome <strong>of</strong> T.<br />
vaginalis. We have been working to use this<br />
genomic sequence to recombinantly express <strong>the</strong><br />
T.vaginalis Gatekeeper gene in E.coli.<br />
premature death in companion animals.<br />
Mosquitos are relatively understudied as a vector<br />
for D. immitis and existing detection systems for<br />
<strong>the</strong> presence <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se parasites could be adapted<br />
to study <strong>the</strong>m in mosquitos. We plan to use a<br />
variety <strong>of</strong> techniques to analzye mosquitoes and<br />
to identify D. immitis in mosquitoes from <strong>the</strong><br />
San Joaquin Valley. This project can help us to<br />
understand how mosquitoes ticks transmit this<br />
parasite.<br />
Use <strong>of</strong> a motion-based, novel computer<br />
application for whole-plate screening <strong>of</strong><br />
drugs against small parasitic nematodes<br />
Neal Patel, Tiffany Riley, Asma Patel, Raquel<br />
O’Connor<br />
Faculty Mentors: Kirkwood Land, Gregg<br />
Jongeward<br />
One <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> major stumbling blocks toward<br />
developing effective macr<strong>of</strong>ilaricides has been<br />
<strong>the</strong> lack <strong>of</strong> a high-throughput screening method<br />
for candidate drugs and o<strong>the</strong>r chemical libraries.<br />
Current methods utilize systems that measure<br />
one well at a time and are time consuming and<br />
<strong>of</strong>ten expensive. Recently, a new, low-cost and<br />
simple visual imaging system to automate and<br />
quantify screening entire plates based on parasite<br />
movement was developed (called Worm Assay).<br />
This system was first developed for analysis <strong>of</strong><br />
larger filarial nematodes such as Brugia malayi.<br />
Whe<strong>the</strong>r this technology can be adapted for<br />
analysis <strong>of</strong> smaller parasitic worms is unclear.<br />
To address this, we have begun to adapt <strong>the</strong><br />
Worm Assay using C. elegans as a model<br />
nematode for analyzing drugs in a high<br />
throughput method. Conditions for successfully<br />
culturing nematodes in suspension in 96-well<br />
plates and for analyzing <strong>the</strong>ir motion in <strong>the</strong><br />
presence and absence <strong>of</strong> common an<strong>the</strong>lmintics<br />
are underway. The successful use <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Worm<br />
Assay with C. elegans should help to identify<br />
potential new chemo<strong>the</strong>rapies for a variety <strong>of</strong><br />
smaller parasitic nematodes.<br />
Molecular Detection <strong>of</strong> Dog Heart Worm<br />
in Mosquitoes in <strong>the</strong> San Joaquin Valley<br />
Evan Kristiansen<br />
Faculty Mentors: Kirkwood Land, Ryan Hill<br />
Mosquitos and ticks are common vectors <strong>of</strong><br />
microbial diseases. Of particular interest to pet<br />
owners is <strong>the</strong>ir ability to carry <strong>the</strong> common dog<br />
heartworm Dir<strong>of</strong>ilaria immits, which can cause<br />
55
Poster Session Abstracts<br />
In Vitro Activity <strong>of</strong> Calpain Inhibitors<br />
Against Tritrichomonas foetus<br />
Alex Yee, Tiffany Riley, Asma Patel, Raquel<br />
O’Connor, Neal Patel<br />
Faculty Mentor: Kirkwood Land<br />
Calpains have been shown to have a pathogenic<br />
role in many microbial diseases. In this study,<br />
we have examined <strong>the</strong> role <strong>of</strong> calpain in <strong>the</strong> in<br />
vitro viability <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> veterinary protozoal parasite<br />
Tritrichomonas foetus. Several calpain<br />
inhibitors were tested on <strong>the</strong> in vitro growth <strong>of</strong> T.<br />
foetus strain D1, <strong>the</strong> most virulent strain<br />
characterized in <strong>the</strong> laboratory. Although not as<br />
potent against T. foetus as o<strong>the</strong>r trichomonads,<br />
<strong>the</strong> 50% reduction in viability suggests a<br />
important role <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se enzymes in viability.<br />
This finding warrants fur<strong>the</strong>r study on role <strong>of</strong><br />
calpains in <strong>the</strong> life cycle <strong>of</strong> this important<br />
pathogen.<br />
Effects <strong>of</strong> MAT alpha deletions on protein<br />
secretion in Pichia pastoris<br />
Kimiko Agari, Hansel Poerwanto<br />
Faculty Mentors: Joan Lin-Cereghino,<br />
Ge<strong>of</strong>f Lin-Cereghino<br />
Pichia pastoris is a yeast known to efficiently<br />
express and secrete heterologous proteins. In this<br />
yeast, MAT alpha is a signal that can direct<br />
protein secretion. Its effect on secretion can be<br />
tested using reporter genes, whose protein<br />
products can readily be measured. The goal <strong>of</strong><br />
our project was to create specific deletions in <strong>the</strong><br />
MAT alpha secretion signal and to determine<br />
<strong>the</strong>ir effects on secretion. Mutant constructs were<br />
made via site-directed mutagenesis, and <strong>the</strong><br />
reporter genes tested were horseradish<br />
peroxidase (HRP) and lipase. We hypo<strong>the</strong>sized<br />
that distinct deletions in <strong>the</strong> MAT alpha<br />
secretion signal should affect protein secretion<br />
differently, and <strong>the</strong>se effects were tested by<br />
comparing secretion <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> HRP and lipase<br />
proteins.<br />
Visualizing <strong>the</strong> Pathways <strong>of</strong> MBP-EGFP<br />
Fusions with Fluorescence Microscopy<br />
Pachai Moua<br />
Faculty Mentors: Ge<strong>of</strong>f Lin-Cereghino,<br />
Joan Lin-Cereghino<br />
The yeast Pichia pastoris is known to be<br />
efficient at expressing and producing<br />
recombinant proteins. Previous studies<br />
successfully produced <strong>the</strong> maltose binding<br />
protein (MBP), a type <strong>of</strong> "escort" protein that<br />
aids protein folding and purification. We<br />
expressed enhanced green fluorescent protein<br />
(EGFP) fused to ei<strong>the</strong>r <strong>the</strong> N-terminus <strong>of</strong> MBP<br />
(MBP-EGFP, pJV4) or to <strong>the</strong> C-terminus MBP<br />
(EGFP-MBP, pVJ103). Surprisingly, MBP-<br />
EGFP was proteolyzed before secretion, but<br />
EGFP-MBP was secreted intact. The objective<br />
was to find out if <strong>the</strong> two fusions followed<br />
different paths in <strong>the</strong> cell by using fluorescence<br />
microscopy. This led to <strong>the</strong> development <strong>of</strong> a<br />
protocol for visualizing EGFP in Pichia pastoris<br />
cells. Our results suggest that depending on its<br />
position in <strong>the</strong> fusion, EGFP followed a different<br />
route in <strong>the</strong> cell.<br />
Messing with Perfection: Analysis <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
5' untranslated region (5'UTR) <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
alcohol oxidase 1 (AOX1) gene in<br />
recombinant protein expression in Pichia<br />
pastoris<br />
Maria Nattestad, Kristin Oshiro<br />
Faculty Mentors: Ge<strong>of</strong>f Lin-Cereghino,<br />
Joan Lin-Cereghino<br />
Pichia pastoris is a methylotrophic yeast that has<br />
been genetically engineered to express over one<br />
thousand heterologous proteins valued for<br />
industrial, pharmaceutical, and basic research<br />
purposes. In most cases, <strong>the</strong> 5' untranslated<br />
region (UTR) <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> alcohol oxidase 1 (AOX1)<br />
gene is fused to <strong>the</strong> coding sequence <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
recombinant gene for protein expression in <strong>the</strong><br />
yeast. Because <strong>the</strong> effect <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> AOX1 5'UTR on<br />
protein expression is not known, site-directed<br />
mutagenesis was performed in order to decrease<br />
or increase <strong>the</strong> length <strong>of</strong> this region. Both <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong>se types <strong>of</strong> changes were shown to affect<br />
translational efficiency, not transcript stability.<br />
While increasing <strong>the</strong> length <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> 5'UTR clearly<br />
decreased expression <strong>of</strong> a beta-galactosidase<br />
reporter in a proportional manner, a deletion<br />
analysis demonstrated that <strong>the</strong> AOX1 5'UTR<br />
56
Poster Session Abstracts<br />
contains a complex mixture <strong>of</strong> both positive and<br />
negative cis-acting elements, suggesting that <strong>the</strong><br />
construction <strong>of</strong> a syn<strong>the</strong>tic 5'UTR optimized for<br />
a higher level <strong>of</strong> expression may be challenging.<br />
Expression and Purification <strong>of</strong> Pyriform<br />
Spidroin 2 Protein<br />
Nadia Shaheen<br />
Faculty Mentors: Joan Lin-Cereghino,<br />
Ge<strong>of</strong>f Lin-Cereghino<br />
Pichia pastoris is a yeast commonly used for<br />
expression <strong>of</strong> foreign proteins, as <strong>the</strong> yeast are<br />
easily genetically manipulated, can be grown in<br />
high concentrations, and express large amounts<br />
<strong>of</strong> heterologous proteins. In this case, Pichia<br />
pastoris was used to express <strong>the</strong> Pyriform<br />
Spidroin 2 Protein, PySp2, a spider silk<br />
attachment disk glue protein. After growth and<br />
induction <strong>of</strong> PySp2, expression <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> protein<br />
was confirmed through western analysis.<br />
Expression was optimized by varying culture<br />
conditions. PySp2 was <strong>the</strong>n purified from <strong>the</strong><br />
cultures via affinity chromatography using both<br />
native and denaturing conditions. The protein<br />
was successfully expressed on small and large<br />
scales; however, purification in native conditions<br />
resulted in a low yield. The yield from<br />
denaturing conditions, on <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r hand, was<br />
significantly higher. Ultimately, <strong>the</strong> properties<br />
<strong>of</strong> heterologously expressed PySp2 protein can<br />
be compared to naturally produced PySp2<br />
protein. This will help determine whe<strong>the</strong>r Pichia<br />
pastoris is an ideal resource to syn<strong>the</strong>size spider<br />
silk proteins on a larger scale.<br />
The Structural Studies <strong>of</strong> Artificial Silk<br />
Fibers and <strong>the</strong> PySp2 Protein<br />
Hasan AlKazemi, Jacky Aguilar, Sophia<br />
Chou<br />
Faculty Mentor: Craig Vierra<br />
Spider silk is a biodegradable, non-toxic<br />
biopolymer that is stronger than Kelvar, Nylon,<br />
and steel. Spider silk can be used in a variety <strong>of</strong><br />
fields, including engineering and medicine. In<br />
our research, we are attempting to spin syn<strong>the</strong>tic<br />
spider silk from a glue silk protein, PySp2.<br />
PySp2, which is expressed in golden orb<br />
weavers, is spun into attachment discs and helps<br />
immobilize dragline threads. PySp2 contains<br />
internal block repeats whose sequences can be<br />
tested for <strong>the</strong>ir unique mechanical properties.<br />
Using genetic engineering, we inserted a<br />
segment <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> PySp2 cDNA into <strong>the</strong> prokaryotic<br />
expression vector pBAD-Thio-TOPO.<br />
Restriction digestion analysis and agarose gel<br />
electrophoresis was performed to verify <strong>the</strong><br />
presence and directionality <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> PySp2 cDNA<br />
in <strong>the</strong> cloning vector. Following <strong>the</strong><br />
confirmation <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> cDNA insert in <strong>the</strong> cloning<br />
vector, we induced <strong>the</strong> expression <strong>of</strong> PySp2 in<br />
bacteria and monitored its expression using<br />
western blot analysis. Our long term goal is to<br />
purify <strong>the</strong> PySp2 protein and spin artificial silk<br />
fibers as well as use <strong>the</strong> solubilized protein for<br />
structural studies.<br />
Expression <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Latrodectus hesperus<br />
Glue Silk Protein, Pyriform Spidroin 1, in<br />
Bacteria<br />
Richard Chen, Alex Hoang-Mendoza, Jun<br />
Park, Pauline Pham, Moe Thien<br />
Faculty Mentor: Craig Vierra<br />
The biological mechanisms that spiders use to<br />
spin silk fibers remains a mystery to scientists,<br />
making it difficult from labs to biomimic this<br />
process. Spiders spin multiple silk types that<br />
have a diverse range <strong>of</strong> biological functions. The<br />
highly studied dragline silk has been shown to<br />
have tremendous properties that rival both steel<br />
and Kevlar in elasticity, toughness, and tensile<br />
strength. In this lab, <strong>the</strong> pyriform spidroin<br />
protein 1 (PySp1) from <strong>the</strong> black widow spider,<br />
Latrodectus Hesperus, was studied to help<br />
elucidate how it provides a strong, adhesive<br />
glue-like function that anchors dragline silk. The<br />
purpose <strong>of</strong> our research was to express a portion<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> PySp1 protein. PCR was used to amplify<br />
a segment <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> PySp1 cDNA, which was <strong>the</strong>n<br />
inserted into <strong>the</strong> pBAD-Thio/TOPO bacterial<br />
expression vector. E. coli was <strong>the</strong>n transformed<br />
with <strong>the</strong> ligation mixture and colonies carrying<br />
<strong>the</strong> correct vector were identifies by restriction<br />
digestion and agarose gel electrophoresis.<br />
Transformants carrying <strong>the</strong> vector were induced<br />
with arabinose to express <strong>the</strong> PySp1 cDNA<br />
insert. Western blot analysis was <strong>the</strong>n used to<br />
check for <strong>the</strong> expression <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> PySp1 protein.<br />
With <strong>the</strong> results obtained, fur<strong>the</strong>r experiments<br />
will be carries out in attempt to syn<strong>the</strong>size<br />
syn<strong>the</strong>tic pyriform fibers.<br />
57
Poster Session Abstracts<br />
Exploration <strong>of</strong> Pyriform Spidroin1<br />
(PySp1) QEA Module’s Role in Fiber<br />
Formation and Properties<br />
Cynthia Co Ting Keh, Frances Pham,<br />
Yifeng Li, Steve Oh<br />
Faculty Mentor: Craig Vierra<br />
Spider silk, known for its tensile strength,<br />
extensibility and toughness, has a wide array <strong>of</strong><br />
potential uses that span from medical equipment<br />
to military armor. Spider silk’s strength is<br />
comparable to high-tensile steel, yet it can<br />
withstand considerable strain or extensibility<br />
without breaking. There are several types <strong>of</strong><br />
spider silk, each originating from a different silkproducing<br />
gland. These fibers provide different<br />
functions for spiders, ranging from web<br />
constructions to locomotion. Pyriform spidroin 1<br />
(PySp1), <strong>the</strong> protein under study, was first<br />
identified in <strong>the</strong> pyriform gland, whose main<br />
function is to produce silk that is used to<br />
immobilize dragline silk. Our research focused<br />
on <strong>the</strong> significance <strong>of</strong> PySp1 QEA module and<br />
its relationship to <strong>the</strong> mechanical adhesive<br />
properties <strong>of</strong> pyriform silks. The PySp1 cDNA<br />
encoding <strong>the</strong> QEA module was amplified from a<br />
cDNA library prepared from <strong>the</strong> silk-producing<br />
glands <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> black widow spider, Lactrodectus<br />
hesperus. After insertion <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> cDNA into a<br />
prokaryotic expression vector, we transformed E.<br />
coli and performed a restriction digestion<br />
analysis to check for <strong>the</strong> cDNA insert presence<br />
and correct directionality. Following <strong>the</strong><br />
validation <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> presence <strong>of</strong> a cDNA insert, <strong>the</strong><br />
QEA PySp1 cDNA was induced and its product<br />
monitored through both blue silver staining and<br />
western blotting. Western blot analysis showed<br />
that QEA PySp1 was expressed in high levels.<br />
To fur<strong>the</strong>r understand its role in pyriform silk<br />
formation and function, we plan to purify <strong>the</strong><br />
protein through nickel affinity chromatography.<br />
We hope to spin fibers from <strong>the</strong> purified protein<br />
solution in order to better comprehend its<br />
mechanical properties and function.<br />
Studying <strong>the</strong> Function <strong>of</strong> Pyriform<br />
Spidroin-2 Modules<br />
Eugene Kim, Mariah Mayo, Ka<strong>the</strong>rine Yin<br />
Faculty Mentor: Craig Vierra<br />
Extensive research on <strong>the</strong> properties <strong>of</strong> spider<br />
silk has sparked <strong>the</strong> interests <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> general<br />
community in discovering potential uses for<br />
<strong>the</strong>se materials. Mechanical properties have<br />
shown that <strong>the</strong> strength <strong>of</strong> spider silk is<br />
comparable to that <strong>of</strong> high-tensile steel. When<br />
comparing o<strong>the</strong>r properties, spider silk is more<br />
extensible and tougher relative to high-tensile<br />
steel and Kevlar. With such superb mechanical<br />
properties, spider silk is being fur<strong>the</strong>r studied for<br />
future industrial uses.<br />
Pyriform Spidroin 2 (PySp2) is a glue silk<br />
fibroin spun by orb-weaving spiders from <strong>the</strong><br />
pyriform gland. PySp2 is spun into attachment<br />
discs as a viscous liquid that dries rapidly,<br />
allowing for <strong>the</strong> fastening <strong>of</strong> dragline silk, which<br />
facilitates locomotion and web construction. The<br />
internal block-repeat sequences <strong>of</strong> PySp2 have<br />
<strong>the</strong> ability to self-assemble, promoting fiber<br />
formation to occur in a liquid environment. The<br />
PySp2 protein sequences play a central role in<br />
affecting <strong>the</strong> protein’s overall mechanical<br />
properties.<br />
The goal <strong>of</strong> our research was to express<br />
truncated versions <strong>of</strong> PySp2 proteins in bacteria<br />
and spin fibers from <strong>the</strong>se purified proteins in<br />
order to test its mechanical properties. To<br />
express <strong>the</strong> proteins, <strong>the</strong> PySp2 cDNA was<br />
inserted into <strong>the</strong> cloning vector pBAD-Thio-<br />
TOPO, which was propagated in bacteria.<br />
Bacterial cells carrying <strong>the</strong> expression vector<br />
were induced and <strong>the</strong> resulting recombinant<br />
proteins were fur<strong>the</strong>r studied. Western blot<br />
analysis was used to verify <strong>the</strong> expression <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
protein.<br />
Results showed that PySp2 recombinant proteins<br />
were expressed in bacteria, specifically in cells<br />
carrying <strong>the</strong> expression vectors with <strong>the</strong> PySp2<br />
cDNA. These positive results will allow fur<strong>the</strong>r<br />
experimentation and observation <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
mechanical properties <strong>of</strong> glue silk fibers spun<br />
from <strong>the</strong> purified proteins.<br />
Expression <strong>of</strong> an Internal Block Repeat<br />
Domain from Pyriform Spidroin1, a Glue<br />
Silk Protein from Black Widow Spiders<br />
Jay Ko, Nancy Nguyen, Raymond Pandez,<br />
Vu Tran<br />
Faculty Mentor: Craig Vierra<br />
Spider silk is composed <strong>of</strong> proteins that allow for<br />
its high extensibility and tensile strength, making<br />
spider silk an ideal substance for stitching<br />
wounds, bandaging, and o<strong>the</strong>r medical uses. By<br />
syn<strong>the</strong>tically producing spider silk proteins in<br />
vitro, ample amounts <strong>of</strong> spider silk can be<br />
58
Poster Session Abstracts<br />
syn<strong>the</strong>sized for medical purposes more quickly<br />
than by natural spider silk production. The<br />
Pyriform Spidroin 1 (PySp1) protein <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> black<br />
widow spider, Latrodectus hesperus, contains an<br />
AEQ rich region that participates in fibers that<br />
cement dragline silk to solid supports. The<br />
mRNA transcripts <strong>of</strong> PySp1 are expressed and<br />
produced in <strong>the</strong> pyriform gland <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> abdomen<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> spider. Since PySp1 transcripts are<br />
expressed in <strong>the</strong> pyriform gland and <strong>the</strong> protein<br />
spun into fibers, we hypo<strong>the</strong>size that PySp1 has<br />
an important structural role as it is spun into<br />
attachment disc silks to lock dragline fibers to<br />
substrates, which is important for prey capture<br />
and movement. To produce PySp1<br />
recombinantly, <strong>the</strong> cDNA was inserted into <strong>the</strong><br />
prokaryotic expression vector pBAD-Thio-Topo.<br />
PySp1 protein induction with arabinose was<br />
checked with blue-silver staining and Western<br />
blot analysis. The recombinant protein will be<br />
purified using a nickel resin and <strong>the</strong>n used to<br />
spin syn<strong>the</strong>tic fibers.<br />
Expression <strong>of</strong> Internal Block Repeats<br />
within <strong>the</strong> PySp2 Protein<br />
Isaac Lee, Sally Ok, Thao Tran<br />
Faculty Mentor: Craig Vierra<br />
Spider silk is known for its high performance<br />
mechanical properties. Spider silk is tougher<br />
than high-tensile steel, largely due to <strong>the</strong> silk’s<br />
increased extensibility. The key feature that<br />
allows spider silk to possess phenomenal<br />
mechanical properties is due to internal block<br />
repeats within its protein architecture; <strong>the</strong>se<br />
repeats are rich in alanine and glycine. In<br />
addition to <strong>the</strong> internal block repeats, spider silk<br />
fibroins all share a non-repetitive N-terminus and<br />
C-terminus, along with molecular masses that<br />
exceed 250 kDa. Nephila clavipes, commonly<br />
referred to as <strong>the</strong> golden orb weaving spider, has<br />
6-7 silk glands. One <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se glands, <strong>the</strong><br />
pyriform gland, expresses glue silk genes such as<br />
PySp2. PySp2 is found in attachment discs and<br />
facilitates N. clavipes in locomotion by helping<br />
secure dragline silk to solid supports. Pyriform<br />
silks are essential for a spider’s survival and this<br />
material is spun into a liquid that dries quickly.<br />
In an effort to analyze <strong>the</strong> relationship between<br />
<strong>the</strong> mechanical properties and protein sequence<br />
<strong>of</strong> PySp2, part <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> PySp2 cDNA was<br />
expressed in bacteria using <strong>the</strong> prokaryotic<br />
expression vector pBAD/Thio-TOPO. The<br />
recombinant protein was purified, and <strong>the</strong>n<br />
visualized using Coomassie blue staining as well<br />
as western blot analysis. The long-term goal <strong>of</strong><br />
our research is to ultimately spin <strong>the</strong> purified<br />
protein into fibers for mechanical testing.<br />
Expression <strong>of</strong> Spider Egg Case Protein-3<br />
for Structural and Mechanical Studies<br />
Albert Lin<br />
Faculty Mentor: Craig Vierra<br />
Spiders produce a diverse number <strong>of</strong> silk<br />
proteins that are well-known for <strong>the</strong>ir<br />
extraordinary mechanical and biological<br />
properties after <strong>the</strong>y are spun into fibers.<br />
Dragline silk has been <strong>the</strong> most prominent focus<br />
<strong>of</strong> research because <strong>of</strong> its exceptional high<br />
tensile strength and extensibility. In our research<br />
we have focused on <strong>the</strong> characterization <strong>of</strong> a<br />
third constituent <strong>of</strong> tubuliform silks (egg case<br />
silk). This constituent, which is dubbed Egg<br />
Case Protein 3 (ECP-3), is produced exclusively<br />
in <strong>the</strong> tubuliform gland <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> black widow<br />
spider, Lactrodectus hesperus. The ECP-3<br />
cDNA was obtained from a cDNA library<br />
prepared from <strong>the</strong> silk-producing glands <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
spider. This cDNA was placed into <strong>the</strong><br />
prokaryotic expression vector pBAD-TOPO and<br />
<strong>the</strong>n moved into pET-19b-Sumo to facilitate<br />
purification. Using western blot analysis, we<br />
have verified that <strong>the</strong> ECP-3 protein is efficiently<br />
expressed in bacteria. To test <strong>the</strong> structural<br />
properties <strong>of</strong> ECP-3, we plan to perform circular<br />
dichroism to study <strong>the</strong> secondary structure <strong>of</strong><br />
ECP-3. Our long-term goal is to spin artificial<br />
silk fibers for mechanical studies to relate <strong>the</strong><br />
structure <strong>of</strong> ECP-3 to <strong>the</strong> material properties <strong>of</strong><br />
tubuliform silks.<br />
Syn<strong>the</strong>tic glue silk fibers spun from<br />
PySp2 <strong>of</strong> orb-weaving spiders<br />
Taylor Rabara, Aneesha Sharma, Reisa Rara<br />
Faculty Mentor: Craig Vierra<br />
Due to certain characteristics <strong>of</strong> spider silk, such<br />
as high elasticity and tensile strength, researchers<br />
are continuously expanding <strong>the</strong>ir knowledge <strong>of</strong><br />
spider silk proteins in <strong>the</strong> hopes <strong>of</strong> one day being<br />
able to manufacture <strong>the</strong>se silks for industrial<br />
purposes. Some practical uses <strong>of</strong> spider silk<br />
include bulletpro<strong>of</strong> vests and medical sutures.<br />
Ultimately, <strong>the</strong> goal is to be able to produce a<br />
spider silk-like protein for artificial fiber<br />
spinning.<br />
59
Poster Session Abstracts<br />
Pyriform Spidroin 2 (PySp2) is a component<br />
found in <strong>the</strong> pyriform gland <strong>of</strong> orb-weaving<br />
spiders such as Nephila clavipes, and is essential<br />
to <strong>the</strong> formation <strong>of</strong> attachment disks. These glue<br />
silk fibers have high tensile strength and are nontoxic,<br />
and attach dragline silk to surfaces to<br />
allow for locomotion and web construction. The<br />
toughness <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> fiber is attributed to both <strong>the</strong><br />
spinning conditions and <strong>the</strong> overall protein<br />
architecture. The PySp2 protein has a distinct<br />
set <strong>of</strong> internal block repeats containing segments<br />
<strong>of</strong> specific repeating amino acids, which<br />
contribute to <strong>the</strong> overall polarity and <strong>the</strong><br />
successful assembly <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> proteins into fibers.<br />
We plan to test <strong>the</strong> significance <strong>of</strong> each block<br />
repeat and <strong>the</strong> resulting relationship to <strong>the</strong><br />
mechanical properties <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> attachment disk<br />
fibers. cDNA constructs containing each internal<br />
repeat have been inserted and expressed in <strong>the</strong><br />
pBAD-Thio-TOPO expression vector. Our long<br />
term goal is to purify <strong>the</strong> recombinant fusion<br />
protein and spin <strong>the</strong>se proteins into syn<strong>the</strong>tic<br />
fibers. Mechanical properties <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> fibers will<br />
<strong>the</strong>n be tested and compared to those <strong>of</strong> naturally<br />
spun fibers <strong>of</strong> orb-weaver attachment discs.<br />
ZipK Influence on Apoptosis and Cell<br />
Migration<br />
Christine Hsu<br />
Faculty Mentor: Doug Weiser<br />
Apoptosis, programmed cell death, is important<br />
for numerous physiological functions and in<br />
preventing tumor formation. ZipK is a member<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> DAPk family <strong>of</strong> serine/threonine kinases<br />
that regulates apoptosis. ZipK is also implicated<br />
in <strong>the</strong> regulation <strong>of</strong> cell migration. Two <strong>of</strong> its<br />
main substrates are myosin light chain and<br />
mypt1. Mypt1 has a role in cell movement<br />
during gastrulation, a stage <strong>of</strong> early vertebrate<br />
development. Studies have shown that cell<br />
movement during gastrulation is similar to cell<br />
movement in cancer. Thus, <strong>the</strong>se experiments<br />
will give insights into how ZipK regulates<br />
processes associated with cancer. In order to<br />
study <strong>the</strong> effects <strong>of</strong> ZipK and its substrates on<br />
apoptosis and cell migration, <strong>the</strong> Weiser lab<br />
sought to purify zebrafish ZipK protein<br />
expressed in E. coli cells. Although ZipK is<br />
found in vertebrates, zebrafish was chosen as <strong>the</strong><br />
genetic model as rodents show significant<br />
divergence in <strong>the</strong>ir gene sequence for ZipK.<br />
Some <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> methods used include Polymerase<br />
Chain Reaction (PCR), Gel Electrophoresis,<br />
Silica Gel Isolation, and Restriction Digests.<br />
Attempts to express full-length ZipK showed<br />
poor expression. It was hypo<strong>the</strong>sized that <strong>the</strong><br />
GST construct <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> E. coli expression vector<br />
was too large to be expressed efficiently.<br />
Recently, we have generated a truncated GST<br />
segment and will attempt to express this<br />
construct in E. coli.<br />
Isolation and Characterization <strong>of</strong> Cyanin<br />
Chloride from Strawberries<br />
Gurbir Gudial<br />
Faculty Mentor: Andreas Franz,<br />
Ilona Serebnitskaya (graduate student)<br />
Strawberries are convenient sources <strong>of</strong><br />
polyphenolic compounds that have documented<br />
ability to act as radical scavengers and hence<br />
might be <strong>of</strong> general benefit to human health. We<br />
have reproduced a published method for <strong>the</strong><br />
isolation <strong>of</strong> one specific poylphenolic compound,<br />
cyanin chloride; a red-colored pigment.<br />
Strawberries were homogenized and were<br />
subjected to Soxhlet extraction (methanol). The<br />
evaporated extract was redissolved in water and<br />
was partitioned between several organic<br />
solvents. The fractions were analyzed by Thin<br />
Layer Chromatography and Matrix-Assisted<br />
Laser Desorption/Ionization Time-Of-Flight<br />
Mass Spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS). A<br />
commercially available cyanin chloride standard<br />
was used for reference, and its structure was<br />
confirmed by extensive NMR spectroscopy. The<br />
identity <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> commercial standard and <strong>the</strong><br />
extracted cyanin chloride was confirmed.<br />
Molecular Modeling to Determine Acidity<br />
and Basicity <strong>of</strong> Organic Compounds<br />
Bhupinder Padda<br />
Faculty Mentor: Jianhua Ren<br />
Acidity is associated with losing protons while<br />
basicity is associated with gaining protons. In<br />
both instances, molecules can go from a neutral<br />
state to an ionic state. This can greatly affect <strong>the</strong><br />
structure <strong>of</strong> a molecule and may also change its<br />
function. My research is focused on looking at<br />
<strong>the</strong> acidity and basicity for a series <strong>of</strong> common<br />
organic compounds. The ability <strong>of</strong> an organic<br />
compound to form ions depends largely on its<br />
strength as an acid or a base. This information<br />
can be used alongside mass spectrometry data to<br />
better understand ionization efficiency.<br />
60
Poster Session Abstracts<br />
Some <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se compounds are so complex that<br />
measurements for acidity and basicity cannot be<br />
carried out experimentally. For this reason,<br />
molecular modeling calculations are used to<br />
determine <strong>the</strong> <strong>the</strong>oretical value. Spartan and<br />
Gaussian were <strong>the</strong> computational programs that<br />
were used to determine <strong>the</strong> three dimensional<br />
structure <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> organic compounds. From <strong>the</strong>re,<br />
various calculations were carried out to<br />
determine <strong>the</strong> acidity and basicity. The<br />
<strong>the</strong>oretical values were compared with<br />
experimental data for known compounds to<br />
evaluate <strong>the</strong> method. The results showed that <strong>the</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong>oretical values directly correlated with <strong>the</strong><br />
experimental data.<br />
Syn<strong>the</strong>sis <strong>of</strong> Polypeptides and Cleavage<br />
Rajneet Padda<br />
Faculty Mentor: Jianhua Ren<br />
Polypeptides are short polymers that contain<br />
amino acid residues and are linked by a<br />
peptide bond. The peptide bonds correlate with<br />
<strong>the</strong> secondary structure <strong>of</strong> proteins, which are<br />
ei<strong>the</strong>r alpha helices or Beta sheets. Changing<br />
an amino acid residue in a primary structure<br />
can change <strong>the</strong> way a protein folds; <strong>the</strong>refore,<br />
affecting <strong>the</strong> function <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> protein. In order<br />
to understand how <strong>the</strong> primary structure can<br />
affect <strong>the</strong> protein folding, it is extremely<br />
important to understand <strong>the</strong> chemical<br />
properties <strong>of</strong> polypeptides<br />
In this research various peptides are<br />
syn<strong>the</strong>sized using <strong>the</strong> Solid Phase Peptide<br />
Syn<strong>the</strong>sis. In this procedure amino acids are<br />
attached to Rink Amide resins one at a time<br />
until <strong>the</strong> peptide <strong>of</strong> choice is syn<strong>the</strong>sized. Then<br />
<strong>the</strong> peptide is cleaved from <strong>the</strong> resins using a<br />
cleavage reagent. In order to obtain a peptide<br />
with high yield and high purity, <strong>the</strong> right<br />
cleavage reagent must be used. For Cys-Ala-<br />
Ala-Ala and Ala-Ala-Ala-Cys peptides, three<br />
cleavage reagents have been tested in our lab:<br />
TFA and Reagent R, and Reagent B. The<br />
results from <strong>the</strong> three cleavage reagents will be<br />
presented in <strong>the</strong> poster.<br />
Expression and gene modification <strong>of</strong> Taqpolymerase<br />
using <strong>the</strong> SUMO purification<br />
system<br />
Juan Manuel Abundes, Elaina Khoo, Lifang<br />
Zhou, Jennifer Ou, Felicia Resendez,<br />
Hyungsuk Lee, Christina Quach<br />
Faculty Mentor: Jerry Tsai<br />
Taq DNA polymerase is an enzyme produced by<br />
<strong>the</strong> <strong>the</strong>rmophilic bacterium Thermus aquaticus,<br />
which is commonly used to amplify DNA in <strong>the</strong><br />
polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The enzyme’s<br />
unique ability to withstand high temperatures,<br />
36-75°C, makes it an efficient enzyme for cycles<br />
<strong>of</strong> heating and cooling. Purification <strong>of</strong> Taq<br />
polymerase can be done through heat lysis.<br />
While this is adequate for general use, this<br />
method produced an impure Taq polymerase<br />
mixed with o<strong>the</strong>r contaminating proteins. The<br />
impurities make it difficult to only study Taq<br />
polymers. With this in mind, an improved<br />
purification method was employed that<br />
combined <strong>the</strong> affinity tag <strong>of</strong> histidines along with<br />
<strong>the</strong> small ubiquitin-related modifier (SUMO)<br />
gene. This histidine tag <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> SUMO system is<br />
an ideal purification technique for Taq<br />
polymerase due to <strong>the</strong> tag’s affinity to nickel. It<br />
was proposed that cloning <strong>the</strong> Taq gene into <strong>the</strong><br />
SUMO expression system would facilitate easy<br />
purification. SUMO modulates protein structure<br />
and function by binding to <strong>the</strong> lysine side chains<br />
<strong>of</strong> target proteins. The Taq polymerase gene is<br />
cloned onto <strong>the</strong> C-terminal end <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> SUMO<br />
gene using a PCR approach. Specific DNA<br />
primers were designed to introduce <strong>the</strong> excised<br />
Taq gene into <strong>the</strong> proper vector. Then, by<br />
inducing <strong>the</strong> bacterium, Escherichia coli (E. coli)<br />
with this gene, <strong>the</strong> Sumo-Taq protein can be<br />
expressed, to later be isolated using affinity<br />
chromatography involving <strong>the</strong> Nickel resin. Taq<br />
polymerase alone can be isolated by flowing<br />
SUMO protease through <strong>the</strong> column, resulting in<br />
simple and homogenous purification <strong>of</strong> this<br />
protein.<br />
Adventures in New Metal Complexes<br />
Design and Syn<strong>the</strong>sis<br />
Una Lee, Sirena Lau, Vickie Nguyen,<br />
Sarah Chiu<br />
Faculty Mentor: Qinliang Zhao<br />
Yi-Ju Tsai (graduate student)<br />
Functionalization <strong>of</strong> an organic molecule <strong>of</strong>ten<br />
involves C-H bond activation. However, <strong>the</strong><br />
61
Poster Session Abstracts<br />
energy that must be overcome in that process is<br />
immense. In general, special metal-containing<br />
catalysts are required, especially in selective<br />
bond activation. Here, we seek to design and<br />
syn<strong>the</strong>size new metal complexes from two<br />
different ligand approaches. These complexes<br />
hope to catalytically convert readily available<br />
compounds to useful molecules, such as<br />
ubiquitous methane (CH4) to methanol. The<br />
projects will contribute to <strong>the</strong> research field <strong>of</strong><br />
organic syn<strong>the</strong>sis, and at <strong>the</strong> same time <strong>the</strong>y<br />
target <strong>the</strong> energy problem worldwide.<br />
The first family <strong>of</strong> ligands is N,N'-<br />
diarylformamidine which displays different<br />
geometries in solid state. It is mainly due to <strong>the</strong><br />
altered degree <strong>of</strong> steric hindrance and inter or<br />
intramolecular H-bonding. In solution, a more<br />
symmetric conformation is generally seen for<br />
non-sterically hindered formamidines, while <strong>the</strong><br />
o<strong>the</strong>rs show <strong>the</strong> coexistence <strong>of</strong> isomers.<br />
Metallation gives complexes with a variety <strong>of</strong><br />
conformation as well. Preliminary investigation<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir utility in activating C-H bonds will also<br />
be described.<br />
The second group <strong>of</strong> ligands is tripodal-type<br />
ligands. Three branches are built up from one<br />
central atom, C or N, so that <strong>the</strong> overall ligands<br />
behave like three-prong clamps which can<br />
potentially secure multiple metal ions in <strong>the</strong>ir<br />
centers. Detail syn<strong>the</strong>sis <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> ligands and <strong>the</strong>ir<br />
coordination compounds will be followed.<br />
62
Bioengineering Senior Projects<br />
Project Alpha: Co-Current Device for<br />
Syn<strong>the</strong>sis <strong>of</strong> Spider Silk<br />
Tyler Chuang, Brandon Hill<br />
Faculty Mentors: Shelly Gulati, Craig Vierra<br />
Spider silk is a material that is has proven to<br />
have many applications in fields <strong>of</strong> Surgery, and<br />
Bioengineering. It has been shown to be bioinert,<br />
allowing for use in physiological<br />
environments, as well as having unique and<br />
valuable mechanical characteristics allowing<br />
new uses in engineering and surgery as devices<br />
such as sutures or implants. Unfortunately <strong>the</strong>re<br />
are no feasible ways to farm natural silk, making<br />
artificial syn<strong>the</strong>sis <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> material a very<br />
important research topic. Artificial silk syn<strong>the</strong>sis<br />
involves expressing silk in bacteria and <strong>the</strong>n<br />
purifying it. This purified silk must be<br />
concentrated in order to yield fiber. The silk is<br />
dehydrated, <strong>the</strong>n dissolved it in a volatile<br />
solvent, creating a concentrated dope. Modern<br />
spinning involves pushing silk dope through a<br />
simple needle, allowing <strong>the</strong> shear forces <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
needle to form <strong>the</strong> silk. This traps pockets <strong>of</strong><br />
solvent in <strong>the</strong> fiber, weakening <strong>the</strong> fiber’s<br />
mechanical properties. Utilizing micr<strong>of</strong>luidics, a<br />
novel approach has been developed which<br />
involves <strong>the</strong> co-current <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> silk dope with a<br />
buffer, allowing diffusion <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> solvent present<br />
in <strong>the</strong> dope into <strong>the</strong> buffer, while also allowing<br />
<strong>the</strong> shear forces <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> buffer to form <strong>the</strong> silk,<br />
thus allowing for a stronger silk fiber. This cocurrent<br />
device allows <strong>the</strong> flow <strong>of</strong> a buffer to<br />
surround <strong>the</strong> silk dope, allowing <strong>the</strong>m both to be<br />
present in <strong>the</strong> state <strong>of</strong> laminar flow. This forces<br />
<strong>the</strong> substances to interact just through <strong>the</strong> mode<br />
<strong>of</strong> diffusion, thus allowing <strong>the</strong> removal <strong>of</strong><br />
solvent pockets, and <strong>the</strong>reby improving <strong>the</strong><br />
mechanical properties.<br />
Ankle Healing Aid<br />
Isha Srivastava, Grace Ramos<br />
Faculty Mentors: Shelly Gulati, Simon Tang,<br />
Mark Van Ness<br />
About 25,000 people per day in <strong>the</strong> United States<br />
alone suffer from an ankle sprain. Ankle injuries<br />
mayoccur during sports as well as everyday<br />
activities when an unnatural twisting action<br />
befalls on <strong>the</strong> ankle bone. Sprains can be<br />
categorized into various types and grades,<br />
depending on <strong>the</strong> anatomical location and<br />
severity <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> injury. We have designed a<br />
pressurized ankle brace in order to assist <strong>the</strong><br />
healing process for ankle sprain injuries that<br />
require multiple adjustments. Our ankle brace<br />
design provides comfort to <strong>the</strong> patient during<br />
recovery and also can be worn after recovery to<br />
prevent re-injury. The addition <strong>of</strong> pressure<br />
surrounding <strong>the</strong> ankle serves <strong>the</strong> need to have<br />
multiple adjustments. When <strong>the</strong> ankle first<br />
heals, it requires a stiff support to heal <strong>the</strong> ankle<br />
back in place but as <strong>the</strong> healing process<br />
continues it requires less pressure and adjusted<br />
torque to <strong>the</strong> ankle to provide comfort as well as<br />
more natural motion <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> joint. The pressure is<br />
administered using a detachable hand pump and<br />
<strong>the</strong> air enters pockets encased within <strong>the</strong> ankle<br />
brace. A small, digital pressure gauge will be<br />
affixed on to <strong>the</strong> ankle brace to ensure proper<br />
amount <strong>of</strong> pressure. Success <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> ankle brace<br />
will be determined by testing <strong>the</strong> ankle brace on<br />
a control group—people who have never had an<br />
ankle injury and an experimental group—people<br />
who have sustained an ankle injury.<br />
The Puzzle <strong>of</strong> Getting up From a Seat<br />
Eileen Thai, Nestor Decierdo, Mat<strong>the</strong>w Ebia<br />
Faculty Mentors: Shelly Gulati, Simon Tang<br />
Millions <strong>of</strong> people in <strong>the</strong> United States have<br />
difficulty rising from a chair. To address this<br />
issue various companies have developed seat<br />
assists and lifting cushions to help people<br />
transition from a seated position to a standing<br />
position and vice versa. Current assist devices<br />
are only capable <strong>of</strong> moving <strong>the</strong> user in one plane<br />
<strong>of</strong> motion - up and down. Attaching a swiveling<br />
base will provide an axis <strong>of</strong> rotation so <strong>the</strong> user<br />
can move to <strong>the</strong> right or left while seated. No<br />
seat assist or lifting cushion on <strong>the</strong> market has<br />
this feature. We have re-engineered <strong>the</strong> current<br />
design <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> UpEasy Seat Assist, a portable<br />
lifting cushion. By adding a swiveling base, our<br />
assist device will have an additional axis <strong>of</strong><br />
rotation for a larger range <strong>of</strong> motion. The overall<br />
design <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> seat was reshaped to be smaller and<br />
circular so that it can be used in a larger variety<br />
<strong>of</strong> chairs. A biomechanical analysis <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> joints<br />
during <strong>the</strong> interval from sitting to standing was<br />
also carried out. It was determined that <strong>the</strong><br />
reaction forces experienced by <strong>the</strong> hip, knee, and<br />
ankle joints were lessened when <strong>the</strong> seat assist<br />
was used. The rise times from a seated position<br />
to a standing position will be measured with and<br />
without <strong>the</strong> seat on a test group to determine <strong>the</strong><br />
advantage <strong>of</strong> using <strong>the</strong> seat assist device and a<br />
questionnaire will be distributed to all<br />
participants to assess <strong>the</strong> device’s ease <strong>of</strong> use.<br />
63
Civil Engineering Senior Projects<br />
Snow Supporting Structures, Echo<br />
Summit, California<br />
Mat<strong>the</strong>w Anderson, Bryant Fukuda,<br />
Josh Hai Ngo<br />
Faculty Mentors: Scott Merry, Gary Litton<br />
Avalanches are a constant threat to winter<br />
travelers both in convenience and safety.<br />
Currently, <strong>the</strong> avalanche risk near Echo Summit<br />
is being managed by <strong>the</strong> Gaz-EX system, which<br />
triggers small avalanches in order to prevent a<br />
major avalanche. Utilizing current methods, <strong>the</strong><br />
California Department <strong>of</strong> Transportation<br />
(CALTRANS) is able to readily clean up <strong>the</strong><br />
debris on <strong>the</strong> highway created by <strong>the</strong> small<br />
avalanches. In a worst case scenario, small<br />
avalanches triggered at <strong>the</strong> wrong time would<br />
result in a much larger uncontrolled avalanche<br />
and wasted resources. This sudden avalanche<br />
could endanger <strong>the</strong> property and lives <strong>of</strong><br />
travelers. Additionally, road closures and<br />
removal <strong>of</strong> snow and debris after avalanche<br />
generation are requirements <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> current<br />
system, which cost both time and money.<br />
Our proposed solution to this problem is a snow<br />
supporting structure that is based on a design<br />
popularly used in Europe and recommended by<br />
<strong>the</strong> Swiss Avalanche Guide. It is a steel<br />
structure that will have horizontal panels in order<br />
to support <strong>the</strong> snow. The structure will be<br />
supported by micropiles. This structure will be<br />
designed to withstand a design snow load <strong>of</strong> six<br />
and a half feet; thus, reducing <strong>the</strong> frequency <strong>of</strong><br />
dangerous avalanches in <strong>the</strong> area.<br />
The structure will require no upkeep during <strong>the</strong><br />
winter seasons and is intended to prevent<br />
avalanches up to six and a half feet <strong>of</strong> snow.<br />
During <strong>the</strong> summer seasons it is Trifecta’s intent<br />
that <strong>the</strong> structure will blend into <strong>the</strong> landscape<br />
and look as if it belongs in <strong>the</strong> surrounding<br />
environment.<br />
Municipal Water Storage Upgrade, City<br />
<strong>of</strong> Oakdale, California<br />
Thanh Do, Dameon Flores, Caroline Grant,<br />
Gregory Weissmann<br />
Faculty mentors: Scott Merry, Camilla Saviz,<br />
Luke Lee, Dr. Gary Litton<br />
The City <strong>of</strong> Oakdale is an agricultural and food<br />
production town located in Stanislaus County.<br />
Since 2006, <strong>the</strong> City’s population has increased<br />
by over 30% and is now nearing 21,000 people.<br />
In order to meet <strong>the</strong> current and future peak<br />
water demands <strong>of</strong> its citizens, <strong>the</strong> City <strong>of</strong><br />
Oakdale needs to increase its municipal water<br />
storage capacity. This will be done by adding<br />
two water storage tanks at opposite ends <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
city center at Greger Street and Valley View<br />
Drive. Additional supporting elements will also<br />
be constructed as need for tank to function as<br />
designed.<br />
Project goals at <strong>the</strong> Greger and Valley View<br />
Sites include design <strong>of</strong> a 1.5 million gallon<br />
surface-bearing tank, and a 250,000 thousand<br />
gallon surface-bearing tank, respectively.<br />
Design considerations will include structural,<br />
geotechnical, water resources, civil planning, and<br />
environmental analysis. Final project<br />
deliverables will include structural design <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
tanks and foundations, upgrade <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> existing<br />
pipe network, and development <strong>of</strong> construction<br />
site plans.<br />
Ford’s Bridge Spanning The Tuolumne<br />
River, Long Barn, California<br />
Evan Eyster, John Romero, Roberto Vera,<br />
Damasio Zepeda<br />
Faculty Mentors: Scott Merry, Luke Lee,<br />
Hector Estrada, Camilla<br />
Saviz<br />
The Ford and Matkin Family are owners <strong>of</strong> a<br />
property located near Long Barn, California.<br />
Access to his property involves a crossing <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
north fork <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Tuolumne River. The crossing<br />
is located in a timber harvesting area and <strong>the</strong><br />
path is subject to frequent use by logging<br />
vehicles and residents <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> property. The<br />
current crossing is partially submerged year<br />
round and fully submerged during wet wea<strong>the</strong>r<br />
storm events. Recently, <strong>the</strong> state <strong>of</strong> California’s<br />
Regional Water Quality Control Board has<br />
identified an increase in sediment loading and<br />
erosion in streams due to logging traffic. During<br />
wet wea<strong>the</strong>r events <strong>the</strong> river crossing may<br />
become inaccessible. The steep driveway grades<br />
also create a safety hazard for traffic during<br />
winter months. As a solution to <strong>the</strong> access and<br />
environmental river crossing issues, Mr. Ford is<br />
looking to build a bridge.<br />
Vision Consulting Engineers will provide<br />
services in <strong>the</strong> design <strong>of</strong> a bridge to cross <strong>the</strong><br />
Tuolumne River. With <strong>the</strong> addition <strong>of</strong> a bridge,<br />
<strong>the</strong>re will be improved year-round access, quality<br />
<strong>of</strong> life, safety <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> residents. In addition,<br />
64
Civil Engineering Senior Projects<br />
sediment disturbance and potential pollutants<br />
from vehicles and increased erosion potential<br />
due to vehicle traffic will be mitigated. The<br />
design <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> bridge will include an assessment<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> site conditions that includes: development<br />
<strong>of</strong> topographic maps and site cross sections,<br />
hydraulic modeling used to assess hydraulic<br />
characteristics <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> stream, geotechnical<br />
analysis used to estimate soil properties and<br />
foundation design, and structural design <strong>of</strong> a<br />
bridge having a span <strong>of</strong> 80 feet.<br />
<strong>Pacific</strong> Outdoor Greek Theater<br />
Scott Henderson, Elizabeth Avelar, Natalie<br />
Muradian<br />
Faculty Mentors: Mary Kay Camarillo, Hector<br />
Estrada, Luke Lee, Gary Litton, Scott<br />
Merry, Camilla Saviz, Patrick Cavanaugh,<br />
Randal Enlow, Cathie McClellan<br />
Greek <strong>the</strong>aters have been used throughout<br />
history as ga<strong>the</strong>ring places for <strong>the</strong> colorful<br />
celebration <strong>of</strong> religious and civic beliefs. The<br />
sharing <strong>of</strong> artistic expression was attended by all<br />
citizens, whe<strong>the</strong>r rich or poor. By bringing<br />
everyone toge<strong>the</strong>r to share art and emotions, a<br />
sense <strong>of</strong> community was created. Using Greek<br />
<strong>the</strong>aters to encourage social bonding, a greater<br />
participation in <strong>the</strong> community, and greater civic<br />
contribution is a tradition that is still utilized<br />
today. <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Pacific</strong> (<strong>Pacific</strong>) can<br />
bring this ancient tradition into <strong>the</strong> 21st century<br />
through <strong>the</strong> construction <strong>of</strong> a Greek <strong>the</strong>ater, as<br />
<strong>Pacific</strong> does not currently have an outdoor venue<br />
that is solely dedicated to <strong>the</strong> performing arts.<br />
While <strong>the</strong>re are several indoor <strong>the</strong>aters with<br />
capacities ranging from 100-800, <strong>Pacific</strong>’s only<br />
outdoor venues are specifically designed for<br />
sporting events. By designing an outdoor<br />
amphi<strong>the</strong>ater with a capacity ranging from 250-<br />
400 persons, <strong>Pacific</strong> can increase <strong>the</strong> variety and<br />
quality <strong>of</strong> events <strong>of</strong>fered to its students and <strong>the</strong><br />
Stockton community. The preliminary design <strong>of</strong><br />
Greek Theater dimensions and layout will be<br />
based primarily on a capacity dictated by cost<br />
effective use <strong>of</strong> space. Candidate site locations<br />
will be selected based on dimensions and a<br />
feasibility analysis. After selecting a final site,<br />
<strong>the</strong> design will be finalized, including <strong>the</strong><br />
evaluation and design <strong>of</strong> slopes and foundation,<br />
stormwater management, structural<br />
considerations, and an engineer’s estimate <strong>of</strong><br />
costs.<br />
San Joaquin Regional Transit District<br />
Mall Transfer Station Expansion Project<br />
William Moreno, Jesse Proud, Vicki Thai<br />
Faculty Mentor: Scott Merry<br />
The San Joaquin Regional Transit District<br />
(SJRTD) has expressed a desire to expand an<br />
existing mall transfer station in <strong>the</strong> City <strong>of</strong><br />
Stockton on West Yokuts Avenue between<br />
<strong>Pacific</strong> Avenue and Claremont Avenue, between<br />
<strong>the</strong> Weberstown and Sherwood Malls. The new<br />
transit station will house Metro Hoppers<br />
(Hoppers), a bus service that accommodates<br />
Americans with Disabilities (ADA) certified<br />
passengers. Currently six (6) Hoppers are using<br />
<strong>the</strong> nor<strong>the</strong>rn region <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> mall parking lot as a<br />
passenger loading and unloading zone. The<br />
purpose <strong>of</strong> this project is to provide a permanent,<br />
efficient, and user-friendly bus transfer facility<br />
for mall patrons and bus passengers.<br />
Tekton Prestige Engineering (Tekton)<br />
understands that SJRTD plans to develop a mall<br />
transfer station at Yokuts Avenue to assist traffic<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> existing Hoppers. The new facility will<br />
accommodate bus access for <strong>the</strong> transit route<br />
entering and exiting <strong>the</strong> transit stop, as well as<br />
accessibility for pedestrians from <strong>the</strong><br />
surrounding area <strong>of</strong> stores and restaurants. To<br />
facilitate movement <strong>of</strong> pedestrians through <strong>the</strong><br />
street without conflict with motor vehicles,<br />
designated pedestrian crosswalks and sidewalks<br />
connecting <strong>the</strong> two malls. The expansion project<br />
also requires new pavement design and <strong>the</strong><br />
planning <strong>of</strong> an adjacent parking garage to<br />
recover eliminated parking spaces. Engineered<br />
solutions will be designed per California<br />
Department <strong>of</strong> Transportation (Caltrans)<br />
Highway Design Manual, American Association<br />
<strong>of</strong> State and Highway Transportation Officials<br />
(AASHTO) specifications and ADA standards.<br />
65
Computer Science Senior Projects<br />
Media Aggregation Website<br />
Jeremy Ai<br />
Faculty Mentors: Jinzhu Gao, Michael<br />
Doherty<br />
The goal <strong>of</strong> my project is to design and create a<br />
website where users can post and share media<br />
content. Such content includes images, news<br />
stories, videos, and links to external websites.<br />
While many such websites already exist, <strong>the</strong> goal<br />
<strong>of</strong> this project is to take a variety <strong>of</strong> features<br />
from o<strong>the</strong>r such sites and combine <strong>the</strong> best<br />
features into one website. Anonymous posting is<br />
a prominent feature; users will not have to create<br />
any account before posting content or comments.<br />
Users will also be able to vote on content, with a<br />
positive vote ratio providing greater visibility,<br />
and a negative vote ratio resulting in poor<br />
visibility or even deletion. Content visibility will<br />
also be affected by o<strong>the</strong>r factors, such as view<br />
count and time <strong>of</strong> creation. Such features attempt<br />
to allow for well received content to be visible<br />
for a short period <strong>of</strong> time, before making way for<br />
new content.<br />
<strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Pacific</strong> Helper App<br />
Andrew Dirksen, Jerry Chen, Chris Trondsen<br />
Faculty Mentors: Jinzhu Gao, Michael<br />
Doherty<br />
We have developed an iPhone app to aid current<br />
students, prospective students, faculty and<br />
anyone else who wishes to understand <strong>the</strong><br />
<strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Pacific</strong>. Our application<br />
provides three features commonly used by <strong>the</strong><br />
faculty and enrolled students. Features including<br />
links to most used sites, a customized Google<br />
map to display building names, and a staff<br />
directory.<br />
• The Links section provides websites most<br />
commonly used most by students and<br />
faculty, such as Inside<strong>Pacific</strong>, <strong>the</strong> <strong>Pacific</strong><br />
Bookstore, and <strong>Pacific</strong>’s home page. It will<br />
also include commonly used external sites,<br />
such as ratemypr<strong>of</strong>essor.com.<br />
• The map section will help students find <strong>the</strong><br />
location <strong>of</strong> campus buildings. We are also<br />
working on GPS navigation, and building<br />
name search.<br />
• The Staff Directory provides contact<br />
information for <strong>Pacific</strong> faculty and staff, for<br />
students in need <strong>of</strong> any kind <strong>of</strong> assistance.<br />
The directory features search functionality<br />
and will display name, email, and phone<br />
number.<br />
Lanmes<br />
Kyle Dodge<br />
Faculty Mentors: Jinzhu Gao, Michael<br />
Doherty<br />
My project is to design and build a fullyfunctional,<br />
lightweight Instant Messaging<br />
program that allows users to communicate with<br />
each o<strong>the</strong>r without sending data outside <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir<br />
trusted local network. The program is based on<br />
<strong>the</strong> *nix command line, and has no graphical<br />
interface. This allows <strong>the</strong> user to load <strong>the</strong><br />
program without much waiting time, and<br />
conserves system resources by not requiring a<br />
Graphical User Interface (GUI), which would<br />
take up memory and processing time. It also<br />
allows <strong>the</strong> user to run <strong>the</strong> program without<br />
having to install a windowing system, like X.<br />
The program will be written in C, and most <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> work will be done using <strong>the</strong> Eclipse<br />
environment. Aside from basic messaging,<br />
Lanmes will include a discovery feature that<br />
allows <strong>the</strong> user to see who else is using Lanmes<br />
on <strong>the</strong>ir LAN. Basic sending <strong>of</strong> a message only<br />
requires that a user enter <strong>the</strong> destination IP<br />
address and <strong>the</strong> message, but effort will be put<br />
into allowing a "quick response" feature,<br />
avoiding <strong>the</strong> need for <strong>the</strong> user to type <strong>the</strong> entire<br />
IP address. While some <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> features like<br />
"discovery" and "quick response" seem essential<br />
for an instant messenger, it is imperative that <strong>the</strong><br />
application stay lightweight and quick.<br />
Browser-Based Mobile Application for<br />
Lawrence Livermore National<br />
Laboratory<br />
Thomas Mendoza<br />
Faculty Mentors: Jinzhu Gao, Michael<br />
Doherty<br />
Mobile devices change at a very rapid pace.<br />
Consequently, <strong>the</strong> applications run on <strong>the</strong>m must<br />
change to continue to be usable and keep up with<br />
updates to both hardware and operating systems.<br />
The browser-based application I've created<br />
(essentially a mobile web-application) meets <strong>the</strong><br />
mobile data collection requirements we've<br />
established while being easy to maintain and<br />
cross-platform since it runs on anything with a<br />
browser. Additionally, <strong>the</strong> application is<br />
persistent allowing it to function both on and<br />
<strong>of</strong>fline.<br />
66
Computer Science Senior Projects<br />
Chapter Connection Phone App<br />
Peter Miller<br />
Faculty Mentors: Jinzhu Gao, Michael<br />
Doherty<br />
The Chapter Connection Phone App is an<br />
Android application that centralizes around<br />
chapter communications. It initially targets<br />
fraternities and sororities but will eventually be<br />
expanded to support general chapters or clubs <strong>of</strong><br />
any kind. This app will provide an easy way to<br />
communicate within a group about private<br />
matters as well as to communicate with people<br />
outside <strong>the</strong> group for sharing information about<br />
events and news. The app will be free to <strong>the</strong> end<br />
user but organizations will be a charged a service<br />
fee for server space.<br />
A user will request access to a particular group,<br />
with ei<strong>the</strong>r member access or guest access.<br />
Since <strong>the</strong>re will be different group levels <strong>of</strong><br />
users, <strong>the</strong> communication aspect <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> app can<br />
be easily controlled. If a notification needs to be<br />
pushed out to members <strong>of</strong> a group saying that <strong>the</strong><br />
chapter meeting is at 5pm, it can be sent just to<br />
those members <strong>of</strong> that permission level. If a<br />
campus wide message needs to be sent out<br />
regarding philanthropy, it can be sent to<br />
members, students, administrators, etc. There<br />
will also be o<strong>the</strong>r functions <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> app that will<br />
be activated according to <strong>the</strong> type <strong>of</strong> user.<br />
Vengeance<br />
Michael Ongaro<br />
Faculty Mentors: Jinzhu Gao, Michael<br />
Doherty<br />
Vengeance is a shooter game developed for <strong>the</strong><br />
Android mobile platform which has a twodimensional<br />
and a three-dimensional version.<br />
The character is controlled through an on-screen<br />
directional pad as well as on-screen buttons. The<br />
object <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> game is to eliminate all enemies in<br />
each level. The player can accomplish this by<br />
running through <strong>the</strong> streets, or by climbing<br />
buildings through <strong>the</strong> process <strong>of</strong> jumping onto<br />
ledges and window sills. There are power-ups<br />
scattered throughout <strong>the</strong> level to aid <strong>the</strong> player in<br />
<strong>the</strong>ir objective <strong>of</strong> defeating all <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> enemies.<br />
fleeing <strong>the</strong> scene through <strong>the</strong> windows at <strong>the</strong><br />
back <strong>of</strong> his home. In a blind rage caused by <strong>the</strong><br />
death <strong>of</strong> his beloved, John retrieves <strong>the</strong> pistol<br />
that he has kept in case <strong>of</strong> an emergency. With<br />
his weapon in hand, John pursues his wife’s<br />
murderers through <strong>the</strong> dark streets <strong>of</strong> Monopolis.<br />
The game starts with John Raven hot on <strong>the</strong> tails<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> attackers and ready to achieve his goal <strong>of</strong><br />
vengeance.<br />
Secure Electronic Voting Website<br />
Victor Tachkov<br />
Faculty Mentors: Jinzhu Gao, Michael<br />
Doherty<br />
Up until now, <strong>the</strong> faculty at <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
<strong>Pacific</strong> has been casting <strong>the</strong>ir votes in faculty<br />
elections using <strong>the</strong> archaic method <strong>of</strong> exchanging<br />
emails and marking names on Portable<br />
Document Format (PDF) forms. With <strong>the</strong><br />
implementation <strong>of</strong> my project, <strong>the</strong> Secure<br />
Electronic Voting Website, <strong>the</strong> difficulties<br />
associated with manually counting votes and<br />
coercing faculty members to vote will be<br />
mitigated. The proposed website provides a<br />
user-friendly interface for voting in an election<br />
from <strong>the</strong> comfort <strong>of</strong> one’s desk over <strong>the</strong> Internet.<br />
As <strong>the</strong> title suggests, <strong>the</strong> website will implement<br />
various preventative security measures, such as<br />
encrypting sensitive information stored on <strong>the</strong><br />
server and preventing users from abusing and<br />
leveraging <strong>the</strong> system to gain an unfavorable<br />
advantage over <strong>the</strong> competition. The website is<br />
currently being developed using Micros<strong>of</strong>t’s<br />
ASP .NET Framework with C# as <strong>the</strong> server-side<br />
scripting language.<br />
The story <strong>of</strong> Vengeance begins in <strong>the</strong> major<br />
metropolitan city <strong>of</strong> Monopolis. The main<br />
character, John Raven, comes home after work<br />
one night to find his wife murdered in cold<br />
blood. John hears sounds <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> murderers<br />
67
Electrical & Computer Engineering Senior Projects<br />
Virtual Gloves<br />
Edward Berbano, Gary Tang, Chris Xiong<br />
Faculty Mentor: Jennifer Ross<br />
We are creating a pair <strong>of</strong> motion-sensing gloves,<br />
also known as virtual reality gloves for <strong>the</strong>ir use<br />
in applications such as virtual reality, teleoperation<br />
<strong>of</strong> robotics, and video games. These<br />
gloves will use flex resistors and electronic<br />
accelerometers and gyroscopes as sensors. This<br />
means <strong>the</strong> gloves will be able to detect finger<br />
curvature and hand position and orientation.<br />
They will be also be able to detect both <strong>the</strong><br />
hand's location as well as where it is pointing.<br />
The gloves will be battery-powered and will<br />
transmit wirelessly to a computer, where a demo<br />
program will process <strong>the</strong> data and display a pair<br />
<strong>of</strong> hands whose motions correspond to <strong>the</strong> user's<br />
movements. We will be demonstrating tasks<br />
such as browsing files and manipulating buttons<br />
in a virtual environment.<br />
Piano Note Recognizer<br />
Jay Brink, Mark Reed, Brandon Shields<br />
Faculty Mentor: Cherian Ma<strong>the</strong>ws<br />
We have designed and built a digital piano note<br />
recognizer. The device is able to detect and<br />
display note names as well as <strong>the</strong>ir position on<br />
<strong>the</strong> staff. The device recognizes a range <strong>of</strong> notes<br />
from one octave below, to one octave above<br />
Middle C. It has two modes <strong>of</strong> operation, <strong>the</strong><br />
first <strong>of</strong> which will be a listening mode where <strong>the</strong><br />
device will detect a sound is played and display<br />
it to <strong>the</strong> user on an LCD screen. In <strong>the</strong> second<br />
mode, <strong>the</strong> device will display a note to be played<br />
by <strong>the</strong> user, listen for it to be played, display <strong>the</strong><br />
note played, and confirm whe<strong>the</strong>r it is correct or<br />
not. For signal processing, we develop<br />
MATLAB code using a fast Fourier transform<br />
and translated it to our microprocessor. We<br />
created a custom fabricated circuit board to hold<br />
our design. The device is battery operated and<br />
rechargeable with a standard 120 V AC Plug.<br />
Digital Note Recognizer<br />
Justin Charette, Kenton Suzuki, Nick Yuen<br />
Faculty Sponsor: Cherian Ma<strong>the</strong>ws<br />
Our team has designed and built a portable and<br />
user friendly piano note recognizer. This device<br />
has two modes <strong>of</strong> operation. The first mode<br />
displays notes on <strong>the</strong> musical staff as <strong>the</strong> user<br />
plays <strong>the</strong> piano or o<strong>the</strong>r musical instrument. The<br />
second mode prompts <strong>the</strong> user to play a note and<br />
verifies that <strong>the</strong> correct note was played on <strong>the</strong><br />
LCD screen. This project is designed, built and<br />
thoroughly tested. Several algorithms were<br />
considered for analyzing <strong>the</strong> audio signals. After<br />
testing a few, we developed code in MATLAB<br />
to process <strong>the</strong> audio signal and translated our<br />
solution to <strong>the</strong> Arduino Nano platform. Our<br />
unique design is implemented on our own<br />
printed circuit board that we created using Eagle<br />
ayout tools. The finished portable battery<br />
operated device will recognize single notes one<br />
octave above and below middle C.<br />
Wind Power Generator on a Movable<br />
Platform<br />
Trang Nguyen, Jon Hagerty, Joe Hasekamp<br />
Faculty Mentor: Elizabth Basha<br />
Our project is to build a portable wind power<br />
generation unit. The application <strong>of</strong> this<br />
generator is to power a network <strong>of</strong> sensors<br />
deployed to collect data in <strong>the</strong> field. The<br />
assembly must be on a moveable platform to<br />
self-align itself with <strong>the</strong> wind, and transmit data<br />
wirelessly to a laptop for data collection. The<br />
device powers itself and chargs a backup battery<br />
for operation on low wind days. The generation<br />
unit must be able to stand outdoor conditions for<br />
continual operation in all wea<strong>the</strong>r conditions.<br />
68
Presenter Abstract Index<br />
Convertible Tandem Bike System<br />
Steven Barry, Molly Beckler, Craig Burton,<br />
Jessica Ovieda<br />
Faculty Mentor: Kyle Watson<br />
Tandem bicycles present many advantages to<br />
bicycle riders, but <strong>the</strong>y are uncommon and<br />
inconvenient to own. The purpose <strong>of</strong> this project<br />
is to create a system that will transform two<br />
individual bicycles into one fully functional<br />
tandem bicycle, and <strong>the</strong>n back into two<br />
individual bicycles. An attachment was<br />
designed and fabricated out <strong>of</strong> steel tubing and<br />
fittings to allow two individual bicycles to join<br />
into one tandem system. The design avoids<br />
permanent alterations to <strong>the</strong> individual bicycles,<br />
and allows ei<strong>the</strong>r bicycle to occupy <strong>the</strong> front or<br />
rear position <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> tandem system. This proves<br />
<strong>the</strong> concept that a convenient tandem bicycle is<br />
possible through <strong>the</strong> transformation <strong>of</strong> individual<br />
bicycles.<br />
Rotational Molding Machine for Small Parts<br />
Lindsey Miho, Joel Parra Hermosillo, Bonnie<br />
Zhu<br />
Faculty Mentor: Kyle Watson<br />
Rotational molding is a manufacturing process<br />
that is capable <strong>of</strong> fabricating hollow objects out<br />
<strong>of</strong> a <strong>the</strong>rmoplastic material that is heated and<br />
rotated in order to form <strong>the</strong> desired shape. The<br />
primary advantages <strong>of</strong> this process are that it<br />
involves inexpensive tooling in comparison with<br />
o<strong>the</strong>r manufacturing processes that are able to<br />
fabricate similar parts; very little material is<br />
wasted while fabricating a part; a part can be<br />
fabricated quickly and easily; and <strong>the</strong> products<br />
made from rotational molding can be recycled,<br />
<strong>the</strong>reby satisfying industrial sustainability goals.<br />
These benefits make rotational molding ideal for<br />
prototyping and for creating parts that can be<br />
studied in Materials Science, Manufacturing, and<br />
Polymer and Composite Materials, where<br />
samples can be easily fabricated and <strong>the</strong> behavior<br />
and material properties <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se samples can be<br />
studied.<br />
For this project, <strong>the</strong> objectives for <strong>the</strong> design and<br />
fabrication <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> machine are to design and<br />
fabricate a device that is capable <strong>of</strong> rotation<br />
about two axes with a fixture capacity <strong>of</strong> up to 1<br />
cubic foot, a variable heat source <strong>of</strong> up to 500°F,<br />
and a variable speed system with a range <strong>of</strong> up to<br />
50 rpm for a total cost <strong>of</strong> under $1750.<br />
Automated Whiteboard Eraser<br />
Carl Castro, ByungHoon Park, Daniel Schow,<br />
Phillip Yun<br />
Faculty Mentor: Kyle Watson<br />
The automated whiteboard eraser is a<br />
whiteboard/eraser system where an automated<br />
eraser system is integrally mated with a<br />
whiteboard such that <strong>the</strong> simple press <strong>of</strong> a button<br />
will activate <strong>the</strong> system and cause <strong>the</strong> eraser to<br />
clean <strong>the</strong> board. The eraser is a vertically<br />
oriented wiper which spans <strong>the</strong> height <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
board and is held in place by brackets at <strong>the</strong> top<br />
and bottom <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> board. The brackets are<br />
floating on bearings at <strong>the</strong> top and bottom <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
board, such that <strong>the</strong>y are free to move<br />
horizontally along <strong>the</strong> board when driven by a<br />
motive force. A motor and track system is<br />
mounted on <strong>the</strong> back <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> board, such that<br />
when activated, <strong>the</strong> motor assembly crawls along<br />
<strong>the</strong> track and moves <strong>the</strong> brackets at <strong>the</strong> top and<br />
bottom <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> board. The brackets <strong>the</strong>n move <strong>the</strong><br />
vertical wiper horizontality across <strong>the</strong> board,<br />
erasing <strong>the</strong> contents <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> board in one pass.<br />
The entire system is operated by a simple, 3<br />
button interface mounted on <strong>the</strong> frame <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
whiteboard and controlled by a Parallax<br />
BasicStamp control circuit.<br />
Recirculating Solar Hot Water Heater<br />
System<br />
Lane Cowan, Ernesto Hernandez, Michael<br />
Sandoval<br />
Faculty Mentor: Kyle Watson<br />
Reducing <strong>the</strong> cost <strong>of</strong> heating water for household<br />
use by <strong>the</strong> means <strong>of</strong> a passive solar collector is<br />
<strong>the</strong> goal <strong>of</strong> this project. A solar hot water heater<br />
system with <strong>the</strong> ability to heat water from a preexisting<br />
household water heater was designed<br />
and built to reduce both <strong>the</strong> cost <strong>of</strong> heating and<br />
reduce <strong>the</strong> carbon footprint <strong>of</strong> each household.<br />
The panel consists <strong>of</strong> a frame that is well<br />
insulated and uses conduction as well as<br />
convection processes to heat <strong>the</strong> water flowing<br />
through <strong>the</strong> copper tubing. It was determined<br />
from testing that four gallons <strong>of</strong> water could be<br />
heated from 65 degrees Fahrenheit to 120<br />
degrees Fahrenheit in one hour. It was also<br />
determined that a savings <strong>of</strong> $10 per month<br />
could be achieved by recirculating <strong>the</strong> water<br />
from <strong>the</strong> household water heater to <strong>the</strong> solar<br />
collector.<br />
69
Presenter Abstract Index<br />
Student Presenter Session Page<br />
Juan Manuel Abundes Poster Session II, Poster #73 61<br />
Kimiko Agari Poster Session II, Poster #57 56<br />
Jacky Aguilar Poster Session II, Poster #61 57<br />
Marisol Aguilera Poster Session I, Poster #9 40<br />
Caroline Aguirre Senior Art & Design Show 19<br />
Jeremy Ai Computer Science Senior Projects 66<br />
Hasan Alkazemi Poster Session II, Poster #37 50<br />
Hasan AlKazemi Poster Session II, Poster #61 57<br />
TyaCamellia Allred Oral Session, 10:20-10:40 31<br />
Gwen Alldredge Poster Session II, Poster #35 49<br />
Steven An Poster Session II, Poster #44 52<br />
Chynna Andeola Oral Session, 10:20-10:40 31<br />
Mat<strong>the</strong>w Anderson Civil Engineering Senior Projects 64<br />
Casey Ardrey Poster Session II, Poster #43 52<br />
Aaron Au Poster Session II, Poster #44 52<br />
Elizabeth Avelar Civil Engineering Senior Projects 65<br />
Olga Bachour Poster Session II, Poster #45 53<br />
Steven Barry Mechanical Engineering Senior Projects 69<br />
Ellen Barton Oral Session, 11:40-12:00 32<br />
Zachary Bates Senior Art & Design Show 20<br />
Molly Beckler Mechanical Engineering Senior Projects 69<br />
Edward Berbano Electrical & Computer Engineering Senior Projects 68<br />
Lindsay Biggarn Senior Art & Design Show 21<br />
Sejal Bhayani Poster Session II, Poster #38 50<br />
Jay Brink Electrical & Computer Engineering Senior Projects 68<br />
Logan Brodnansky Poster Session II, Poster #33 49<br />
Craig Burton Mechanical Engineering Senior Projects 69<br />
Maya Campbell-Unsoeld Oral Session, 11:00-11:20 32<br />
Rubi Carrillo Poster Session I, Poster #15 42<br />
Brenna Carillo-Zazueta Poster Session II, Poster #33 49<br />
Gracie Castillo Poster Session II, Poster #24 45<br />
70
Presenter Abstract Index<br />
Student Presenter Session Page<br />
Carl Castro Mechanical Engineering Senior Projects 69<br />
Antonia Centeno Poster Session II, Poster #38 50<br />
Kai Chang Poster Session II, Poster #45 53<br />
Shannon Chapman Poster Session II, Poster #5 39<br />
Justin Charette Electrical & Computer Engineering Senior Projects 68<br />
Tyler Chuang Bioengineering Senior Projects 63<br />
Megan Chavez Oral Session, 11:20-11:40 32<br />
Erica Chean Poster Session II, Poster #25 46<br />
Annie Chen Poster Session II, Poster #46 53<br />
Annie Chen Poster Session II, Poster #47 53<br />
Jerry Chen, Computer Science Senior Projects 66<br />
Richard Chen Poster Session II, Poster #62 57<br />
Sandy Chen Poster Session II, Poster #46 53<br />
Sandy Chen Poster Session II, Poster #47 53<br />
Sarah Chiu Poster Session II, Poster #74 61<br />
Jonathan Choy Poster Session II, Poster #37 50<br />
Sophia Chou Poster Session II, Poster #61 57<br />
Allison Colberg Senior Art & Design Show 22<br />
Joanna Mari Concha Guhit Poster Session II, Poster #27 46<br />
Kassandra Cooper Poster Session II, Poster #48 53<br />
Monica Cortez-Guardado Poater Session I, Poster #8 40<br />
Theresa Cortez-Guardado Poster Sesssion I, Poster #8 40<br />
Cynthia Co Ting Keh Poster Session II, Poster #63 58<br />
Lane Cowan Mechanical Engineering Senior Projects 69<br />
Amir Cruz-Khalili Poster Session I, Poster #10 41<br />
Oliver Dam Poster Session II, Poster #49 54<br />
Aaron Davis Senior Art & Design Show 23<br />
Marissa Davis Poster Session I, Poster #10 41<br />
Nestor Decierdo Bioengineering Senior Projects 63<br />
Minhchau Dinh Oral Session, 1:40-2:00 34<br />
Minhchau Dinh Poster Session II, Poster #34 49<br />
71
Presenter Abstract Index<br />
Student Presenter<br />
Session<br />
Abstract<br />
Page<br />
Andrew Dirksen Computer Science Senior Projects 66<br />
Thanh Do Civil Engineering Senior Projects 64<br />
Kyle Dodge Computer Science Senior Projects 66<br />
Emily Duarte Oral Session, 3:40-4:00 35<br />
Ginny Durakovich Poster Session I, Poster #11 41<br />
Mat<strong>the</strong>w Ebia Poster Session II, Poster #20 44<br />
Mat<strong>the</strong>w Ebia Bioengineering Senior Projects 63<br />
Emilio Cortes Elviña Poster Session II, Poster #26 46<br />
Evan Eyster Civil Engineering Senior Projects 64<br />
Dameon Flores Civil Engineering Senior Projects 64<br />
Itzel Flores Poster Session I, Poster #15 42<br />
Alec Follmer Poster Session II, Poster #35 49<br />
Alina Franco Poster Session I, Poster #11 41<br />
Chelsea Fredrick Oral Session, 4:20-4:40 36<br />
Bryant Fukuda Civil Engineering Senior Projects 64<br />
Diana Furukawa Poster Session II, Poster #36 50<br />
Theresa Gallagher Senior Art & Design Show 24<br />
Ana Garcia Oral Session , 9:00-9:20 30<br />
Ernest A. Garcia Poster Session II, Poster #21 44<br />
Gabriella Giannini Oral Session 4:40-5:00 36<br />
Tyler Glassford Poster Session I, Poster #12 41<br />
Alisa Gordon Poster Session I, Poster #13 42<br />
Caroline Grant Civil Engineering Senior Projects 64<br />
Gurbir Gudia Poster Session II, Poster #70 60<br />
Arlen Guillen Oral Session, 4:00-4:20 36<br />
Seung Wan Ha Poster Session II, Poster #32 48<br />
Nathan Haberkern Poster Session II, Poster #50 54<br />
Jon Hagerty Electrical & Computer Engineering Senior Projects 68<br />
Haley Hartwick Poster Session I, Poster #3 38<br />
Joe Hasekamp Electrical & Computer Engineering Senior Projects 68<br />
Xaio Xaio He Poster Session I, Poster #13 42<br />
72
Presenter Abstract Index<br />
Student Presenter Session Page<br />
Scott Henderson Civil Engineering Senior Projects 65<br />
Ernesto Hernandez Mechanical Engineering Senior Projects 69<br />
Brandon Hill Bioengineering Senior Projects 63<br />
Alex Hoang-Mendoza Poster Session II, Poster #62 57<br />
Johanna Hsieh Poster Session II, Poster #31 48<br />
Brianna Hu Poster Session II, Poster #33 49<br />
Christine Hu Poster Session II, Poster #69 60<br />
Jonathan Huang Poster Session II, Poster #51 54<br />
Vivian Huangi Poster Session II, Poster #46 53<br />
Vivian Huangi Poster Session II, Poster #47 53<br />
Heidi Huh Poster Session II, Poster #25 46<br />
Dandre Ignacio Poster Session I, Poster #14 42<br />
Jennifer Immel Oral Session, 10:00-10:20 31<br />
Jonel Imutan Poster Session I, Poster #12 41<br />
Marissa Ito Oral Session, 9:20-9:40 30<br />
Tabrisha Johnican Poster Session I, Poster #10 41<br />
Brianna Juhrend Poster Session II, Poster #18 43<br />
Codi Kaiser Oral Session, 11:40-12:00 32<br />
Sean Kagan Poster Session I, Poster #12 41<br />
Patrick Kang Poster Session II, Poster #39 51<br />
Lisa Keikoan Poster Session II, Poster #40 51<br />
Moid Khan Poster Session II, Poster #28 47<br />
Elaina Khoo Poster Session II, Poster #73 61<br />
Charles Kim Poster Session II, Poster #32 48<br />
Cina Kim Poster Session II, Poster #42 52<br />
Eugene Kim Poster Session II, Poster #64 58<br />
Jin Kim Oral Session, 10:40-11:00 31<br />
Stephen Kim Poster Session II, Poster #52 54<br />
Hilary King Oral Session, 11:20-11:40 32<br />
Jay Ko Poster Session II, Poster #65 58<br />
Evan Kristiansen Poster Session II, Poster #53 55<br />
73
Presenter Abstract Index<br />
Student Presenter Session Page<br />
Evan Kristiansen Poster Session II, Poster #54 55<br />
Rebecca Kutcher Poster Session II Poster #4 38<br />
Joanna Kwan Poster Session I, Poster #16 43<br />
Sirena Lau Poster Session II, Poster #74 61<br />
Nick Le Poster Session II, Poster #40 51<br />
Hyungsuk Lee Poster Session II, Poster #73 61<br />
Isaac Lee Poster Session II, Poster #66 59<br />
Jaeyoung Lee Poster Session II, Poster #39 51<br />
Una Lee Poster Session II, Poster #74 61<br />
Victoria Lewis Poster Session II, Poster #46 53<br />
Victoria Lewis Poster Session II, Poster #47 53<br />
Yifeng Li Poster Session II, Poster #63 58<br />
Albert Lin Poster Session II, Poster #67 59<br />
Connie Lin Poster Session II, Poster #33 49<br />
Daniel Kee Lu Poster Session II, Poster #41 51<br />
Diana Lujano Poster Session I, Poster #9 40<br />
Tex Mabalon Poster Session II, Poster #45 53<br />
Hasna Manghi Poster Session II, Poster #46 53<br />
Hasna Manghi Poster Session II, Poster #47 53<br />
Lyndsi Mark Poster Session I, Poster #9 40<br />
Michelle Martinez Poster Session I, Poster #16 43<br />
Mariah Mayon Poster Session II, Poster #64 58<br />
Ann McAdam Oral Session, 9:40-10:00 30<br />
Alexander Mendoza Poster Session II, Poster #32 48<br />
Thomas Mendoza Computer Science Senior Projects 66<br />
Lindsey Miho Mechanical Engineering Senior Projects 69<br />
Peter Miller Computer Science Senior Projects 67<br />
Pauline Montemayor Poster Session II, Poster #29 47<br />
Pauline Montamayor Poster Session II, Poster #39 51<br />
Jorge Montanez Poster Session I, Poster #15 42<br />
Aliza Moody Oral Session, 10:20-10:40 31<br />
74
Presenter Abstract Index<br />
Student Presenter<br />
Session<br />
Abstract<br />
Page<br />
William Moreno Civil Engineering Senior Projects 65<br />
Pachai Moua Poster Session II, Poster #58 56<br />
Natalie Muradian Civil Engineering Senior Projects 65<br />
Bertha Muro Mora Poster Session I, Poster #14 42<br />
Maria Nattestad Poster Session II, Poster #59 56<br />
Eeva Nelson Oral Session, 3:20-3:40 35<br />
Brian Ng Poster Session I, Poster #14 42<br />
Josh Hai Ngo Civil Engineering Senior Projects 64<br />
Christopher Nguyen Poster Session II, Poster #39 51<br />
Nancy Nguyen Poster Session II, Poster #65 58<br />
Quang Nguyen Poster Session II, Poster #38 50<br />
Stephanie Nguyen Poster Session II, Poster #29 47<br />
Trang Nguyen Electrical & Computer Engineering Senior Projects 68<br />
Vickie Nguyen Poster Session II. Poster #74 61<br />
Raquel O’Connor Poster Session II, Poster #48 53<br />
Raquel O’Connor Poster Session II, Poster #55 55<br />
Raquel O’Connor Poster Session II, Poster #56 56<br />
Steve Oh Poster Session II, Poster #63 58<br />
Sally Ok Poster Session II, Poster #66 59<br />
Amy Olmos Oral Session, 3:00-3:20 35<br />
Michael Ongaro Computer Science Senior Projects 67<br />
Kristin Oshiro Poster Session II, Poster #59 56<br />
Nicole Otte Poster Session I, Poster #13 42<br />
Jennifer Ou Poster Session II, Poster #73 61<br />
Jessical Ovieda Mechanical Engineering Senior Projects 69<br />
Amber Overgard Poster Session II, Poster #41 51<br />
Bhupinder Padda Poster Session II, Poster #71 60<br />
Rajneet Padda Poster Session II, Poster #72 61<br />
Mary Paduano Poster Session II, Poster #30 48<br />
Raymond Pandez Poster Session II, Poster #65 58<br />
ByungHoon Park Mechanical Engineering Senior Projects 69<br />
75
Presenter Abstract Index<br />
Student Presenter Session Page<br />
Jun Park Poster Session II, Poster #62 57<br />
Joel Parra-Hermosillo Mechanical Engineering Senior Projects 69<br />
Asma Patel Poster Session II, Poster #48 53<br />
Asma Patel Poster Session II, Poster #55 55<br />
Asma Patel Poster Session II, Poster #56 56<br />
Neal Patel Poster Session II, Poster #48 53<br />
Neal Patel Poster Session II, Poster #55 55<br />
Neal Patel Poster Session II, Poster #56 56<br />
Priya Patel Poster Session II, Poster #22 45<br />
Priya Patel Poster Session II, Poster #33 49<br />
Derek Paw Poster Session II, Poster #49 54<br />
Frances Pham Poster Session II, Poster #63 58<br />
Pauline Pham Poster Session II, Poster #62 57<br />
Christina Pham-Le Poster Session II, Poster #31 48<br />
Brian Phan Poster Session II, Poster #19 43<br />
Susan Phy Poster Session II, Poster #31 48<br />
Hansel Poerwanto Poster Session II. Poster #57 56<br />
Danielle Procope Oral Session, 1:00-1:20 33<br />
Danielle Procope Oral Session, 2:420-2:40 35<br />
Jesse Proud Civil Engineering Senior Projects 65<br />
Annalisa Purnell Poster Session I, Poster #7 39<br />
Justin Pyun Poster Session II, Poster #19 43<br />
Faheen Qazi Poster Session II, Poster #49 54<br />
Christina Quach Poster Session II, Poster #73 61<br />
Taylor Rabara Poster Session II, Poster #68 59<br />
Mark Radanovich Senior Art & Design Show 25<br />
Darya Ramanava Oral Session, 1:20-1:40 33<br />
Grace Ramos Bioengineering Senior Projects 63<br />
Nydia Ramos Poster Session I, Poster #15 42<br />
Megan Rangel Poster Session I, Poster #11 41<br />
Reisa Rara Poster Session II, Poster #68 59<br />
76
Presenter Abstract Index<br />
Student Presenter Session Page<br />
Hannah Rea Poster Session I, Poster #2 38<br />
Mark Reed Electrical & Computer Engineering Senior Projects 68<br />
Felicia Resendez Poster Session II, Poster #73 61<br />
Tiffany Riley Poster Session II, Poster #48 53<br />
Tiffany Riley Poster Session II, Poster #55 55<br />
Tiffany Riley Poster Session II, Poster #56 56<br />
John Romero Civil Engineering Senior Projects 64<br />
Katie Ross Poster Session II, Poster #42 52<br />
Kelly Rush Poster Session I, Poster #16 43<br />
Sadaf Sahibzada, Poster Session I, Poster #10 41<br />
Michael Sandoval Mechanical Engineering Senior Projects 69<br />
Anthony Sandoval-Junio Poster Session I, Poster #9 40<br />
Lia Santini Senior Art & Design Show 26<br />
Lindsay Sasaki Oral Session, 11:40-12:00 32<br />
Timothy Schell Oral Session, 11:20-11:40 32<br />
Daniel Schow Mechanical Engineering Senior Projects 69<br />
Jordan Schreiber Oral Session, 2:00-2:20 34<br />
Jennifer Sese Senior Art & Design Show 27<br />
Nadia Shaheen Poster Session II, Poster #60 57<br />
Aneesha Sharma Poster Session II, Poster #68 59<br />
Nina Shenke Poster Session I, Poster #12 41<br />
Brandon Shields Electrical & Computer Engineering Senior Projects 68<br />
Andrea Soto Poster Session I, Poster #16 43<br />
Isha Srivastava Bioengineering Senior Projects 63<br />
Sara Stookey Poster Session I, Poster #1 38<br />
Kenton Suzuki Electrical & Computer Engineering Senior Projects 68<br />
Jayme Swalin Poster Session I, Poster #6 39<br />
Victor Tachkov Computer Science Senior Projects 67<br />
Gary Tang Electrical & Computer Engineering Senior Projects 68<br />
Eileen Thai Bioengineering Senior Projects 63<br />
Vicki Thai Civil Engineering Senior Projects 65<br />
77
Presenter Abstract Index<br />
Student Presenter Session Page<br />
Clifton Thammavongsa Senior Art & Design Show 28<br />
Moe Thien Poster Session II, Poster #62 57<br />
Christina Thompson Poster Session I, Poster #11 41<br />
Lan Tran Poster Session II, Poster #31 48<br />
Lan Tran Poster Session II, Poster #37 50<br />
Thao Tran Poster Session II, Poster #66 59<br />
Vu Tran Poster Session II, Poster #65 58<br />
Graham Travenick Poster Session II, Poster #32 48<br />
Mike Trinh Poster Session II, Poster #39 51<br />
Chris Trondsen Computer Science Senior Projects 66<br />
Laura Tsu Poster Session II, Poster #23 45<br />
Roberto Vera Civil Engineering Senior Projects 64<br />
Chris Weber Poster Session II, Poster #32 48<br />
Gregory Weissmann Civil Engineering Senior Projects 64<br />
Chad Wierlo Poster Session II, Poster #32 48<br />
Breanna Wong Poster Session II, Poster #36 50<br />
Sarah Anne Wong Poster Session II, Poster #30 48<br />
Chris Xiong Electrical & Computer Engineering Senior Projects 68<br />
Alex Yee Poster Session II, Poster #56 56<br />
Ka<strong>the</strong>rine Yin Poster Session II, Poster #64 58<br />
Nick Yuen Electrical & Computer Engineering Senior Projects 68<br />
Phillip Yun Mechanical Engineering Senior Projects 69<br />
Alexa Zaharris Poster Session I, Poster #15 42<br />
Yutian Zeng Poster Session II, Poster #29 47<br />
Damasio Zepeda Civil Engineering Senior Projects 64<br />
Lifang Zhou Poster Session II, Poster #73 61<br />
Bonnie Zhu Mechanical Engineering Senior Projects 69<br />
Amanda Zimmerman Senior Art & Design Show 29<br />
78
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