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Executive Committee - Agenda, 3/4/2025, Academic Senate

Academic Senate Agendas

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Protein Digestibility Impacted By Bacillus Coagulans, Pasteurization And Protein Source In Ready-To-Drink Protein Beverages, Samantha L. Bass, Samantha L. Bass

Master's Theses

The goal of this study was to assess how to maximize the digestibility of protein in protein beverages utilizing various protein sources, differing temperature/storage combinations, and the addition of probiotics (Bacillus coagulans). The protein sources used included 3 milk proteins and 2 plant protein sources (micellar casein, milk protein concentrate, reduced-calcium milk protein concentrate, pea protein isolate, and soy protein isolate). Soy protein isolate was chosen because it is readily available and commonly used as a plant protein alternative. Pea protein isolate was chosen because it is a non-allergen, and similarly, it is readily available. Milk protein concentrates …

Aged 539 Graduate Internship Report - Avenal High School, Ryan D. Deaver

Agricultural Education: Graduate Internship Reports

This report includes documentation that Avenal High School meets the quality criteria required for High School Agriculture Education Programs. The documents are used for reviewing a school as well as applying for grant funding through the Agriculture Incentive Grant. There are supporting documents provided to show proof of things that are being done as well as areas that may need improvement.

Efficacy Of Immersive Virtual Reality Gameplay In Environmental Attitude Change: The Case Of Abandoned Offshore Oil Platforms In Santa Barbara, Arun Prasad Srinivasan Manoharan

Master's Theses

Public perception plays an important role in shaping conservation policies and decisions, especially in contested environmental spaces. Offshore oil platforms, historically viewed as environmental hazards, have been found to serve as marine habitats that support diverse marine life. However, public perception remains largely negative, influenced by concerns over pollution from past oil spill accidents. Traditional environmental education methods, such as lectures and documentaries, often fail to engage audiences effectively or shift entrenched opinions. This study explores the efficacy of immersive Virtual Reality (VR) gameplay in changing environmental attitudes, specifically in the context of abandoned offshore oil platforms in Santa Barbara, …

Performance Of Neural Networks On Fpga For Embedded Devices Using Hls4ml Framework, Alam N. Romo Lopez

Master's Theses

As machine learning models such as neural networks are investigated for their applications across many fields, the demand for models that can be implemented on an embedded device grows. Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) have become an attractive option for implementing these models in hardware. This thesis considers the viability of FPGA implementations for machine learning on low-resourced embedded systems. The hls4ml project is a promising prospect for machine learning on FPGA devices. To test hls4ml, we used a model trained on the MNIST digits dataset, which was then synthesized for the PYNQ-Z2 device. We fine tuned the performance by …

Realistic Bionic Arm Development For Transradial Amputation, Bailey A. Wall, Lilly Noel Curdy, Ruthie Mccall, Courtney Mahoney, Andres Trejo

Biomedical Engineering

The VeraLimb realistic bionic arm is intended for use by individuals with a trans-radial amputation or congenital limb deficiency below the elbow to provide functional hand and arm movements. This advanced prosthetic device is designed to mimic a biological hand's natural motion, dexterity, control, and aesthetic, giving the user a higher sense of restored limb functionality. It offers an experience that closely restores motor function in a way that resembles having a natural hand rather than interacting with a mechanical device. The VeraLimb is suitable for daily activities, allowing users to grasp, manipulate, and interact with objects. It is designed …

Gather: Combating Food Insecurity With Accessible Solutions, Claudia Maldonado

Graphic Communication

t Throughout my college experience, I have met countless students struggling to maintain a healthy lifestyle, in large part because they do not have the resources to cook healthy meals, are on tight budgets, lack transportation, and simply do not have the time. Through my senior project, I aim to address the issue of food insecurity for college students by completely redesigning and prototyping a concept developed collaboratively with my team members, Callie Russo and Reilly Yuen, during the UX Fest SLO competition (Maldonado, Russo, & Yuen, 2024). This intuitive app, Gather, would link food-insecure college students' CalFresh profiles to …

Muon Veto Panel Uniformity Tests At Yale Wright Laboratory For The Cuore And Cupid Experiments And Visualizing Dirac Spinors In The Chiral Basis With The Bloch Sphere, Reagen Neeva Garcia

Physics

This senior project is divided into three sections that describe my path and experiences in under graduate research. The first provides an introduction to the field of particle physics and the search for neutrinoless double beta decay (0νββ) with the Cryogenic Underground Observatory for Rare Events (CUORE) experiment, as well as its upgrade, CUPID (CUORE Upgrade with Particle IDentification). The second section details my contributions to these experiments, including my summer working at Yale’s Wright Laboratory on R&D for the CUPID experiment. In this section I describe my work on the experiment’s muon veto system and on light detector development …

Operating Room Forcing Function, Olivia Rankin, Makena Moragne, Sasha Rovinsky

Biomedical Engineering

The Operating Room Forcing Function system aims to address the persistent issue of wrong-site, wrong-procedure, and wrong-patient errors (WSPEs) in surgical settings. WSPEs are largely caused by circumvention of the timeout procedure (a planned pause before incision to stop and confirm crucial details of the procedure to be performed known as ‘The Universal Protocol’). The goal set forth by our sponsor, Dr. Robert Turbow, is to develop a lock-out mechanism that requires a timeout to be performed by all appropriate personnel before an operation can begin.

Hospitals are extremely complex systems with competing values, productivity pressures, fast paced work, tight-coupled …

The Suture Guide, Nicole Schnettler, Ciara Murphy, Jocelyn Corona Cabrera

Biomedical Engineering

In the surgical field and specifically wound closure, there is a growing demand for techniques that allow surgeons to quickly, accurately, and ergonomically close surgical wounds while still optimizing patient recovery and not compromising the cosmetic appearance in wound closure. Currently more advanced and developed products exist for laparoscopic suturing, but not for superficial suturing. This project aims to find a way to close the most superficial layer of the skin in surgical incisions that is faster and more comfortable than current suturing techniques. The design process began with stakeholder interviews and market research, identifying key shortcomings of current manual …

Space Crash, Tyler T. Le

Computer Science and Software Engineering

Space Crash is a game made using Unity Game Engine which utlizes a rollback netcode in order to handle online multiplayer. The purpose of such netcode is to predict user inputs accross the server in order to cause less delay between players who are playing through the network.

Vanlife Desalination, Emily Rhee, Tomas Franco, Marco Jimenez

Mechanical Engineering

Van life can be defined as the unconventional lifestyle of living in a car, van, or motor vehicle. Living in a motor vehicle allows for you to effectively live in whatever location you deem fit, and with that comes certain standards that need to be met; one being fresh potable water used for drinking, hygiene, and basic living. The scope of this project is to design a system that can effectively remove salt from seawater (desalinate) and can be integrated into a van that can be used for off-grid living.

In this project we worked to create a design that …

Development Of Planetary Drive System For Formula Sae Electric Race Car, Brian Wong, Bradley Maruoka, Joshua Charles Fine, Madison Kai

Mechanical Engineering

Hub motors are compact electric motors mounted directly on each outboard wheel hub. Utilized in Formula SAE and Formula Student vehicles, this configuration offers several advantages over traditional drivetrains, including packaging optimization within the chassis, vehicle traction, and improved efficiency. Although hub motors are not yet common in 4WD vehicles, they are being explored for use in EVs and may become more common in the future. Every year, Cal Poly Racing FSAE designs and builds a formula-style race car. To improve drivetrain performance, the team is investigating the achievability of a hub motor 4WD drivetrain, requiring extensive research, development, and …

Wind Turbine Rotor Test Stand, Ashlen Brooke Sperry, Cayley Mckee, Kristofer Lee Pascua, Francisco Medina

Mechanical Engineering

Dr. Lemieux and the mechanical engineering department at Cal Poly are renowned for the countless projects that allow students to be a part of hands-on learning and the “Learn by Doing” experience. One such experience is the wind energy class that requires students to design, build, and test wind turbine rotors; however, a test stand for these rotors is needed. Dr. Lemieux and the senior project team will design and build a test stand that will enable the simultaneous testing of two student-designed rotors at the existing wind turbine site. In addition to energy measurement, Lemieux emphasizes the importance of …

Pre-Vent Cpap Belly Device, Brandon D. Nguyen, Cameron A. Zipper, Eugina Lee

Biomedical Engineering

The CPAP Belly Pre-Vent device was developed to prevent stomach distension caused by Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) treatment in premature neonatal patients under 2 kg. CPAP therapy provides critical respiratory support but can lead to air accumulation in the stomach due to esophageal insufficiency. This accumulation, known as CPAP belly, can interfere with lung expansion and feeding efficiency. The goal of this project was to design, develop, and test a device that passively vents excess air from the stomach to alleviate these issues.

The main phases of the project consist of identifying customer requirements and translating them to engineering …

Comparing The Work-Life Balance And Stress At General Contractors And Cm Agencies, Lucca A. Arcolino

Construction Management

The struggle for a work-life balance has become a significant issue in the construction industry, resulting in personal and organizational challenges. This paper will compare work-life balance and stress between industry professionals working at a CM agency and those at a general contractor. A CM agency is responsible for overseeing the construction project alongside the owner by providing planning, cost estimation, scheduling, and quality assurance. In contrast, the general contractor is responsible for managing the day-to-day operations on-site. A survey was distributed to both types of construction firms to collect data about work hours, work-life balance, stress, and biggest stressors. …

Type Qualifiers As Catalysts For Language Evolution, Jasper Kahn

Master's Theses

Mainstream programming languages continually evolve to make correct and perfor- mant programs authored in the language easier to write. Successful new languages often succeed by improving on these qualities over existing languages that have not evolved fast enough. Many improvements derive from research in Static Analysis, but there is often a significant lag between the research and features becoming available in mainstream languages. This thesis focuses on the theory of type qualifiers as a possible means of accelerating the adoption of research results into common usage. Type Qualifiers have a two-decade lineage of static analysis tools, with active research today, …

Yolot: A Recurrent Yolo Model For Robust Video-Based Automotive Object Detection, Dylan Jay Baxter

Master's Theses

Though incredibly effective at detecting objects in isolated frames, modern object detection models are often not designed to take advantage of information present in previous frames of a video stream, despite that data being readily avail- able. To address this shortcoming, this paper proposes YOLOT, a modification of the widely used YOLOv8 object detection model, which seeks to utilize this temporal information with the addition of recurrent structures. In the design of YOLOT, a series of recurrent convolutional modules were inserted at backbone and neck outputs and the final and most effective design was found to be the insertion of …

Literature Review: New Life K9s Informational Video, Samuel E. Moore

Graphic Communication

New Life K9s is an organization that seeks to unite service dogs with veterans and first responders who are suffering from PTSD and other effects of their heroic work. The organization is seeking a concise informational video that highlights their work and explains their organization to potential donors and the general public. My senior project’s goal is to create this video in a way that accurately showcases the work of New Life K9s and conveys the value of their work. I will be using footage that the organization provides and will incorporate techniques of video editing, color correction, audio editing, …

Releaf By Design: Eco Conscious Cannabis Packaging, Abigail Jane Fleishman

Graphic Communication

ReLeaf is an innovative project that explores the dynamic intersection of sustainability and functionality in cannabis packaging. This project explores the urgent need for environmentally responsible solutions in an industry often reliant on single-use plastic. This project uses an innovative lens to research current eco-friendly packaging using kraft paperboard tubes, ultraviolet glass jars, and post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastics. This project aims to create a packaging solution that meets industry safety standards while appealing to eco-conscious consumers by prioritizing recyclability, biodegradability, aesthetic design, and compliance with safety regulations. The branding strategy, embodied in the name “ReLeaf,” emphasizes the therapeutic benefits of …

Circular Restricted Three Body Manifold Trajectories Via Koopman Operator Theory, Lindsey Langton

Master's Theses

There are a multitude of computational techniques capable of modeling the behavior of nonlinear dynamic systems over time. In the field of astrodynamics, the most frequently used tools are numerical integrators, specifically Runge-Kutta algorithms. These algorithms have successfully produced numerous two-body trajectories, as well as an increasing number of three-body trajectories when two-body dynamic models fail to produce Δv values within the realm of mission feasibility. Koopman operator theory is an alternative method for modeling nonlinear dynamic behavior that captures an approximation of a nonlinear dynamic system on a defined basis in the Hilbert space. The Koopman operator is an …

Treating Ground Water For Agricultural And Individual Consumption, Gabby Miller, Bronson Scott, Michael Clawson

Biomedical Engineering

This project, conducted in collaboration with Cal Poly seniors and Da Vinci High School students, aims to develop a solar-powered groundwater purification system. This system is designed to provide clean water for agricultural use and individual consumption, addressing the growing concerns of groundwater contamination and accessibility needs. The final prototype integrates a gravity filtration system combined with chemical purification, utilizing aluminum sulfate and chlorine to remove particulates, bacteria, and organic compounds.

The research phase involved an extensive review of groundwater contamination issues, existing filtration technologies, and market analysis. Key design constraints included cost-effectiveness, ease of maintenance, and minimal energy consumption, …

Tiny Temp Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Infant Temperature Monitor, Alexandria Lukacsffi, Sydney Dedrick

Biomedical Engineering

This document outlines the key steps taken in the specification, design, and functionality of the Tiny Temp Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Infant Temperature Monitor. The BICEP team identified temperature monitors for infants in incubators in the NICU as an area of need after surveying hospitals in the San Luis Obispo area. Current thermometers are oversimplified in design, consisting of only the temperature probe and a piece of adhesive holding the probe directly onto the infant's skin. As a result, the adhesive is weak to prevent harm to the infant and, therefore, falls off the infant easily and frequently, posing a …

Peripheral Vagus Nerve Stimulation (Pvns) Device For Epilepsy, Logan P. Beckstrand, Alexander P. Crary, Grace E. Heller

Biomedical Engineering

Our research team developed a PVNS for Epilepsy device which is intended to act as a preventative measure against seizures for patients with epilepsy. The device is a less invasive alternative to the VNS device on the market using electroacupuncture at the Shenmen and Xin points along the posterior pinna to stimulate the vagus nerve.

Sprinter Start Block Training Aid, Kayla Lovejoy, Kevin Almontes

Biomedical Engineering

Currently, track and field sprinters ranging from beginner level to world-class have no practical tool that provides quantitative feedback of value on quality of start and quality of the three distinct phases of their sprint race, such that they can quantify the value of their adjustments. Our team will create a device that integrates with the sprint starting block to provide quantifiable data on the quality of a sprinter’s start. This Statement of Work describes drawbacks of current solutions, existing patents, customer requirements, engineering specifications, and our project plan.

Investigating The Benefits Of Utilizing Mass Timber In Construction, Eden Hitzke

Construction Management

Over the past decade, mass timber—an umbrella term for engineered wood products used as primary structural elements—has gained traction in the USA as a sustainable material for multistory buildings. Mass timber is a compelling alternative to steel and concrete due to its practical construction benefits, which were discovered through interviews with architects, engineers, and contractors. The interviews reveal advantages such as a streamlined construction process, reduced site disruption, and improved structural precision thanks to off-site manufacturing. Mass timber’s biophilic aspect improves indoor occupant satisfaction and market appeal. By documenting real-world experiences, the study highlights mass timber’s benefits due to its …

Augmented Reality In Construction, Brendan Trinh

Construction Management

This research focuses on how augmented reality (AR) technology could assist construction projects by increasing quality control, efficiency, and collaboration. AR tools, such as Revizto, overlay 3D models into real-world construction sites, allowing the project teams to test installations and discover issues before they occur. This study aims to determine how AR affects project costs, the construction schedule, and quality. To further understand this, interviews were conducted with McCarthy Builders' Virtual Design and Construction (VDC) employees. They discussed their experiences with AR on active job sites, including its benefits, limitations, and potential improvements. Studies from an internship with McCarthy Builders …

Modular Construction And Integrated Project Delivery: Cal Poly Slo’S Student Housing Expansion, Nikita Taktarov

Construction Management

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is addressing the increasing demand for on-campus housing through an innovative modular dormitory project. This project, which adds approximately 4,000 new beds, marks a shift from traditional construction methods to a more efficient and collaborative approach using the Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) model. Unlike traditional CSU contracts that place most of the risk on contractors, this model promotes shared responsibility between the university, architects, and builders, leading to better cost control and project efficiency. A key feature of this program is the use of prefabricated construction, where building components are assembled off-site and then transported …

Cal Poly Construction Spanish Class, Josue E. Basilio

Construction Management

This project develops a Construction Spanish & Communication course for Cal Poly’s Construction Management program to address the growing need for bilingual communication on job sites. The course equips students with essential Spanish language skills for safety meetings, work instructions, and team coordination, improving job site efficiency and inclusivity. Deliverables include a detailed course outline in preparation for the semester conversion, curriculum, course catalog entry, and a first-day lecture presentation. The course blends lecture-based instruction with hands-on activities like role-playing, translation exercises, and real-world simulations. Assessments include scenario-based quizzes, a reflection essay, participation grading, and a final exam to ensure …

Development Of A Work Plan For The Mass Timber Installation Phase In The Gateway Decathlon, Eduardo Contreras

Construction Management

This project was the development of detailed work plan for the installation of mass timber components in the Gateway Decathlon project, which emphasizes sustainable construction practices aimed at reducing environmental impact. The work plan provides a step-by-step guide for the efficient and safe assembly of structural elements, covering the sequence of tasks, necessary materials and tools, safety procedures, and quality checks to ensure proper execution. By connecting theoretical design concepts with practical construction activities, the plan addresses various logistical challenges encountered during building phases. It highlights the advantages of using mass timber, such as reduced carbon emissions and reliance on …