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You are here: Home / Archive / News / Student Research Day caps off decade of consistent growth, student achievement

Student Research Day caps off decade of consistent growth, student achievement

February 18, 2015

Psychology students Aimee Miller, Christopher Odudu, Lizzette Ceja and Kaitlin O’Brien nab a second place honor during Student Research Day (O’Brien not pictured).
Psychology students Aimee Miller, Christopher Odudu, Lizzette Ceja and Kaitlin O’Brien nab a second place honor during Student Research Day (O’Brien not pictured).

With consistent growth during an entire decade of outstanding student research, faculty mentorship, and well-deserved accolades, the 10th Annual Student Research Day (SRD) at California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH) highlighted an event poised for expansion for years to come.

This year 352 students shared their research throughout the top floor of the Loker Student Union and in the University Library in the form of 237 presentations and posters, making it the largest SRD to date.

Ceilique Hatcher
Ceilique Hatcher, sociology.

Students from a wide array of disciplines were awarded prizes for their research and presentations, and 10 winners were selected to represent the university during the system-wide CSU Student Research Competition later in the semester at CSU San Bernardino.

Presentations and posters were judged by more than 80 CSUDH professors, administrators, alumni, and professionals, including Emily McGruder, coordinator of the Humanities External Degree (HUX) program who co-chaired SRD last year, and judged multiple sessions throughout the daylong event this year.

“Research is a high-impact practice which faculty talk about a lot these days. The best thing about Student Research Day is the value the students get out of learning to verbally express their ideas while finding their voice in front of a live audience,” said McGruder while judging a Humanities and Letters morning session. “We do research not just for the sake of research, but to have some impact, and this is a venue where students get to share that with their peers while clarifying what they’ve learned. It’s also an incredible display of the quality of the teaching at CSU Dominguez Hills and the quality of student engagement.”

During the morning poster session, Ceilique Hatcher, a sociology major, explored some the psychological pitfalls of social media and shared them with interested passersby’s and judges during her poster presentation entitled ”The Anomie of Social Networking: Feeling of Isolation through Facebook.”

“My research found mixed results. In some cases I found that Facebook does cause isolation, but in other ways Facebook nurtures and provides young people a better avenue for finding friends and quality interactions with people,” she said. “The lack of face-to-face communication is the primary contributor to the isolation because people miss out on the emotional and body language cues necessary to communicate fully with someone.”

James McIntosh
James McIntosh with Assistant Professor Margaret Manning (left) and Cynthia Babich, Del Amo Action Committee.

James McIntosh, who is majoring in negotiation, conflict resolution and peacebuilding at CSUDH, provided his investigative research via a PowerPoint presentation called “Art as a Response to Community Conflict.”

His research focused on the Del Amo Superfund environmental cleanup site in Harbor Gateway, the Montrose Chemical Corporation of California’s manufacturing of the pesticide DDT from 1947 until 1982, and the construction of the San Pedro Waterfront Project.

“I found the effected community to be the most fascinating part of my research. There are people who live next to the [superfund] site who are trying to create full and complete lives, even though there are other people who are not necessarily respecting their right to do so,” he said. “The thing that I learned the most is that people will always advocate for themselves, and that awareness still needs to be raised regarding this issue until we reach a tipping point for change to occur. And we’re about to reach that tipping point.”

At the end of the morning sessions, all SRD presenters, judges and volunteers were invited to lunch in the Loker Student Union Ballroom C, which was emceed by Randolph Cauthen, professor of English at CSUDH and co-chair of the SRD organizing committee.

Andrew Soto
Andrew Soto, psychology.

During his remarks, Cauthen invited student presenters to join in on one of the focus groups going on throughout the day to discuss their experiences of not only conducting their research but also presenting it during SRD.

“The reason we do research is to make things better. We research diseases to find out how to cure them. I personally have been researching the Occupy Wall Street movement so we can cure some of the diseases our country has had over the past few years,” said Cauthen to the packed room. “We are also researching how this day [SRD] works, and how your research here at CSUDH works because we want to improve that for you.”

Cauthen also announced the Undergraduate, Research, Scholarship and Creatively Activity office’s first cohort of Student Research Fellows and their $1,000 prize. It was awarded to the student researchers whose work was judged “superior.” The fellowship helps the students “continue their research, scholarship or creative activity.”

Those who attended the lunch were treated to two excerpts from the ballet Don Quixote. Dance student Galina Doty performed a solo Dulcinea variation, followed by students Sarah Cash, Johanne Casio, Keirone Hill, Devin McGee and Doty performing the Gypsy Scene.

Psychology major Andrew Soto, who was awarded one of the fellowships, presented his poster ”Neuropsychological Assessment: Operationalizing ‘Quality of Education’ as High School Rankings Instead of Reading Level” during SRD, and participated in two other presentations. His poster also won second place in the morning session.

Daniel Hernandez
Daniel Hernandez, health science.

“What an honor. Student Research Day does so much for the students; it’s amazing, has great networking opportunities, and it’s visionary,” said Soto. “It’s very much like a professional conference.”

After lunch, Daniel Hernandez, a health science student, addressed water and farmland conservation, and the pollution reduction benefits of residents growing their own produce at home during his presentation “Using Technology to Grow a Personal Aboveground Garden while in Observation of Southern California’s Drought.”

Hernandez also shared the limitations of his home garden proposal during his research.

“I found that to make significant reductions in the human carbon footprint there would need to be many of these units built and used around the state,” said Hernandez, referring to the raised garden he built at his home to help conduct his research. “I also learned it takes five gallons of water a day to water a fully grown tomato plant, and was surprised by how many miles produce travels on a truck to get to the grocery stories. But planting your own garden is still a positive. In the end, it’s all about empowering people. When you empower the people you empower the community, and a community that is empowered will make things happen.”

Yesiyesa Robledo and Albert You
Yesiyesa Robledo and Albert You, occupational therapy.

Occupational therapy students Yesiyesa Robledo and Albert You researched “The Lived Experience of Undocumented College Students.”

“I enjoyed the interview process and getting to know the stories of the undocumented students,” said Robledo. “You do the research and do the reading, but when you really talk to someone and learn their struggles it takes on a different perspective and really hits home, especially when you consider a lot of these students didn’t even know they were undocumented until they were getting ready to apply for a driver’s license.”

To cap off the SRD, 42 student presentations were honored during a reception and awards ceremony in the University Library. First place winners received $100, while second place awardees took home $50. The event included live music, brief remarks from Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Ellen Junn, and the presentation of awards by John Price, professor of physics and co-chair of the SRD organizing committee.


SRD 2015 winners
Forty-two student presentations were honored during the Student Research Day reception.

2015 STUDENT RESEARCH DAY SESSION WINNERS

Behavioral and Social Sciences I

FIRST PLACE: Leah Sanchez, Anthropology

Deciphering Cahuachi and the Larger Nasca Culture Complex

Faculty Mentor: Jerry Moore, Anthropology

 

SECOND PLACE: Sophia DeLaTorre, Claudia Aguilar, Oswaldo Carvajal, Tatyana Kaplan,

and Chadrick Bray, Psychology

Debiasing Perceptions of Forensic Evidence

Faculty Mentor: Heather Butler, Psychology

 

Behavioral and Social Sciences II

FIRST PLACE: Leah Sanchez, Anthropology

The Impact of New Technology and Digital Culture on California State University,

Dominguez Hills

Faculty Mentor: Ana Pitchon, Anthropology

 

SECOND PLACE: Stephanie Ellor and Cristina Garcia, Psychology

Situations of Helping Behavior

Faculty Mentor: Heather Butler, Psychology

 

Behavioral and Social Sciences III

FIRST PLACE: Shalana Bradford, Communications

Instagram: Seeking Self-Acceptance through Selfies

Faculty Mentor: Nancy Cheever, Communications

 

SECOND PLACE: Ray Jaquez, Psychology

Let’s Talk about Sex(ting): An Examination of Sexting among a Diverse Sample

Faculty Mentor: Keisha Paxton, Psychology

 

Behavioral and Social Sciences IV

FIRST PLACE: Victoria vanTwist, Marina Armendariz, and Yessenia Magana, Psychology

Obesity-Related Eating Behaviors and Actual Health Status of Latino College Students

Faculty Mentor: Silvia Santos, Psychology

 

SECOND PLACE: Cynthia Ayala-Munoz and Thomas Foley, Psychology

The Relationship between Exercise, Income, and Behavioral Regulation in Older Adults

Faculty Mentor: Karen Wilson, Psychology

 

Business, Economics, & Public Administration I

FIRST PLACE: Jasmine Jackson, Business Administration

Bio-Poem: Sam Walton

Faculty Mentor: Gary Polk, Business Administration

 

SECOND PLACE: Nalleli Reyes, Sarah Shorb, and Wendy Wang, Occupational Therapy

Civilian Employment among Veterans

Faculty Mentor: Claudia Peyton, Occupational Therapy

 

Creative Arts I

FIRST PLACE: Linda Avila, Art and Design

Paws for a Cause: Victims of Domestic Violence and their Pets

Faculty Mentor: Michele Bury, Art and Design

 

SECOND PLACE: David Bobadilla and Miguel Huizar, Digital Media Arts

Selfies While Driving

Faculty Mentor: George Vinovich, Digital Media Arts

 

Creative Arts II

FIRST PLACE: Laura Murphy, Negotiation, Conflict Resolution and Peacebuilding

Power of Personal Practice: 151 Self-portraits and Haikus

Faculty Mentor: Gilah Hirsch, Studio Art

 

SECOND PLACE: Gabriela Granados, Art and Design

Chicano Murals: Educational Conduits for Future Generations

Faculty Mentor: Marisela Chavez, Chicana/Chicano Studies

 

Education I

FIRST PLACE: Odeth A. Martinez, Chicana/Chicano Studies and Anthropology

Memorias de Resistencia!: Queer Chicana Voices Challenging the

Myth of Exceptionality

Faculty Mentor: Corina Benavides Lopez, Chicana/Chicano Studies

 

SECOND PLACE: Joshua Lozano and Jose Franco, Psychology

Student Satisfaction in the Communications Department at CSUDH

Faculty Mentor: Nancy Cheever, Communications

 

Health, Nutrition, and Clinical Science I

FIRST PLACE: Vicky Chin, Laura Cole, and Lisa Eisenberg, Occupational Therapy

Animal-Assisted Therapy through the Lens of Occupational Therapy

Faculty Mentor: Claudia Peyton, Occupational Therapy

 

SECOND PLACE: Haley Arnold, Candace Chatman, and Cassandra Duwe, Occupational Therapy

A Phenomenological Exploration: Caring for People with Down Syndrome

Faculty Mentor: Claudia Peyton, Occupational Therapy

 

Health, Nutrition, and Clinical Science II

FIRST PLACE: Janette Wong, Health Sciences

The Association of BMI with Adolescent Mental Health Indicators

Faculty Mentor: Enrique Ortega, Health Sciences

 

SECOND PLACE: Ariana LeBrun, Sarah Marrich, and Jonathan Moh, Occupational Therapy

Photovoice Exploration: Meaningful Co-Occupations of Parents of Children with

Autism Spectrum Disorder

Faculty Mentor: Claudia Peyton, Occupational Therapy

 

Humanities and Letters

FRIST: Melissa Williams, English

Marie De France and Her Subversive Faerie

Faculty Mentor: Debra Best, English

 

SECOND PLACE: Christine Walker, English

People and Places in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein

Faculty Mentor: Debra Best, English

 

Behavioral and Social Sciences V

FIRST PLACE: Jasmin M. Rodriguez, Psychology

Examining Cognitive Functioning and Emotion Regulation in Meditators and Non-Meditators

Faculty Mentor: Tara Victor, Psychology

 

SECOND PLACE: Christopher Odudu, Aimee Miller, Kaitlin O’Brien, and Lizzette Ceja, Psychology

Differences in Prefrontal Cortex Activation and Executive Functioning

Between Low-Tech and High-Tech Users

Faculty Mentors: Larry Rosen, Mark Carrier, and Alex Lim, Psychology

 

Behavioral and Social Sciences VI

FIRST PLACE: Aimee Miller and Kaitlin O’Brien, Psychology

The Relationship between Technology Use and the Development of Internet Addiction: Evidence for the Moderating Effect of Executive Function

Faculty Mentors: Mark Carrier and Larry Rosen, Psychology

 

SECOND PLACE: Jeffrey Rokkum and Jane Jacob, Psychology

Multitasking Across Generations

Faculty Mentor:  Mark Carrier, Psychology

 

Biological and Agricultural Sciences

FIRST PLACE: Ashley Potter, Biology

Bleaching and its Effect on the Competitive Interactions of the Symbiotic Cnidarian, Anthopleura elegantissima

Faculty Mentor: Jacqueline Padilla-Gamino, Biology

 

SECOND PLACE: Thalia Jimenez, Biology

The Role of BMP4/SMAD/Dusp9 Signaling in the Self Renewal of

Mammary Cancer Stem Cells

Faculty Mentor: Leonardo Martinez, Chemistry

 

Business, Economics, and Public Administration II

FIRST PLACE: Audrey Ngo, Communication

Missing the Point: How Fox News and MSNBC Politicize Media Coverage of the Michael Brown Shooting in Ferguson, Missouri

Faculty Mentor: Brant Burkey, Communications

 

SECOND PLACE: Joel Klingenberg, Negotiation, Conflict Resolution and Peacebuilding

Marijuana Legalization: California’s Turn

Faculty Mentor: Margaret Manning, Negotiation, Conflict Resolution and Peacebuilding

 

Business, Economics, and Public Administration III

FIRST PLACE: Oliver John Baptiste, Sociology

Socioeconomics and Court-Documented Evictions: Urban Sustainability in a

Rentership Society

Faculty Mentor: Matt G. Mutchler, Sociology

 

SECOND PLACE: Binnae Bridwell, Public Administration

The Deaf and Access to Healthcare: A Review and Assessment

Faculty Mentor: Hugo Asencio, Public Administration

 

Computer Science

FIRST PLACE: Basil Alhakami, Computer Science

Integrating Data Aggregation and Data Distribution in Sensor Networks

Faculty Mentor: Bin Tang, Computer Science

 

SECOND PLACE: Setu Taase, Computer Science

Keystroke Rhythm Detection with Graphics Aid

Faculty Mentor: Mohsen Beheshti, Computer Science

 

Education II

FIRST PLACE: Marlene Cortes, Psychology

The Influence of English as a SECOND PLACE Language on Verbal Fluency Performance

Faculty Mentor: Tara Victor, Psychology

SECOND PLACE: Melissa Merrill, Special Education

What Do You Want? Using Picture Communication Symbols with Bilingual

Preschool Aged Children with Special Needs

Faculty Mentor: Anthony Normore, Special Education

 

Health, Nutrition, and Clinical Science III

FIRST PLACE: Nick Alvarez-Jett, Erika Borska, and Taryn Erickson, Occupational Therapy

History of Fear of Falling in Community-Dwelling Older Adults

Faculty Mentor: Claudia Peyton, Occupational Therapy

 

SECOND PLACE: Marina Armendariz, Psychology

Latino College Students Caring for Relatives with Type 2 Diabetes: A Proposal

Faculty Mentor: Silvia Santos, Psychology

 

Health, Nutrition, and Clinical Science IV

FIRST PLACE: Whitney Baird, Bethany Grigsby, and Eric Carlson, Occupational Therapy

Transgender Identity and the Experience of Transition: A Phenomenological Study

Faculty Mentor: Claudia Peyton, Occupational Therapy

 

SECOND PLACE: Nasreen Jokhio, Chanmi Ha, and Rebekka Manzella, Occupational Therapy

The Experiences of Adults Practicing Aikido: An Ethnography

Faculty Mentor: Claudia Peyton, Occupational Therapy

 

Physical and Mathematical Sciences

FIRST PLACE: Warren Nanney, Chemistry

Optimization of Small-Molecule F6: Fullerene Organic Solar Cells

Faculty Mentor: Kenneth Rodriguez, Chemistry

 

SECOND PLACE: Cassandra Maddux, Chemistry and Biochemistry

Characterizing the Anti-fouling Ability of Thermally Responsive Polymers

Faculty Mentor: Kenneth Rodriguez, Chemistry and Biochemistry

 

Poster Presentations

 

Morning Session

FIRST PLACE: Chelsea McElwee, Psychology

Parent-Child Communication and Sexual Behavior in Adulthood

Faculty Mentor: Keisha Paxton, Psychology

 

SECOND PLACE:  Andrew Soto, Psychology

Neuropsychological Assessment: Operationalizing “Quality of Education” as

High School Rankings Instead of Reading Level

Faculty Mentor: Carl Sneed, Psychology

 

Afternoon Session

FIRST PLACE: Claudio Carini, Michelle Garcia, Brandon Gay, and Martha Ramos, Anthropology

Integrated Geophysical Surveys at Archaic and Formative Archaeological Sites in Tumbes, Peru

Faculty Mentor: Jerry Moore, Anthropology

 

SECOND PLACE: Lisa Dinh, Chemistry and Biochemistry

Development of a Copper (II) Ion-Selective Electrode Membrane Using Luxol Fast Blue

Faculty Mentor: Barbara Belmont, Chemistry and Biochemistry

 

Filed Under: News Tagged With: Awards, Sociology, Students

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