Digital Commons Network^™

Exploration Of Mental Health Stressors And Proposing Interventions Among Heavy-Civil Construction Workers, Enrrique Zarate

Construction Management

The mental health of heavy civil construction workers is an often-overlooked issue. Long hours, job insecurity, physically demanding work, and workplace culture contribute to significant stress, anxiety, and other mental health challenges among workers in this industry. This research aimed to assess the mental health conditions of heavy civil construction workers, identify key stressors, and propose effective intervention strategies to improve overall well-being. Using a combination of surveys and interviews, this study gathered both quantitative and qualitative data to gain a comprehensive understanding of workers’ mental health. The surveys provided broad insights into common stressors and overall mental health of …

An Analysis Of Factors Affecting Retention Of Skilled Trades Workers At Construction Companies, James R. Walsh

Construction Management

Construction trades are going through a difficult time in recruiting right now and have been for the past 5 to 10 years. More tradesmen and women from the baby boomer generation are retiring and the rate of replacement by younger people is not enough to keep the workforce at the numbers that would be ideal for a healthy construction industry. This paper delves into what companies can do to make work a place that employees want to be and aims to provide strategies companies can use to retain a quality workforce.

Asphalt Rubber Chip Seals A Cost Effective And Sustainable Solution For Road Infrastructure, Gunnar C. Bertsch

Construction Management

Asphalt Rubber Chip Seals provide a durable, cost effective, and environmentally friendly alternative to traditional paving methods by incorporating recycled waste tires. This study evaluates Asphalt Rubber Chip Seals implementation in Arizona and Michigan comparing its effectiveness to conventional paving approaches and the current applications in California. Variations in state funding for road maintenance significantly impact infrastructure quality and longevity, influencing the choice of paving solutions. ARCS has demonstrated resilience in extreme weather conditions, making it a viable option for expansion to states like Arizona and Michigan, where climate variations pose challenges for pavement longevity. The research assesses construction costs, …

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. …

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, …

Petals To Pigment: The Creative Exploration Of Natural Dyeing, Makayla R. Flint

Graphic Communication

Petals to Pigment: The Creative Exploration of Natural Dyeing is a collection of clothing and materials dyed with flowers, foliage, bugs, and other natural elements. In this project, I explored the creative potential of sustainable, non-toxic dyes as an alternative to synthetic options. Using natural dyes, I developed designs that are environmentally conscious as well as one-of-a-kind. By practicing experimental dyeing techniques, including varying mordants and extraction methods, I collected data and analyzed it to assess color variability, fabric interaction, and dye longevity.

Alongside the dyed textiles, I designed a digital magazine documenting my process that includes descriptions, dye samples, …

Civility War, Jonathan Speirs

Graphic Communication

Civility War is a poster series that examines contemporary civil conflicts in contemporary world history and the precedent it sets for American political polarization. The early 2010s marked the beginning of America’s current ascent to historical highs for incidences of politically-fueled violence in the forms of hate crimes and domestic terrorism. With the documentation of the effects of similar circumstances available today in the digital age, spreading awareness for the human cost of using violence for political aims is highly topical. This project also attempts to address the aversion university students have to publicly discussing political opinions, as less than …

Optimizing Biofungicide Use In Managing Winegrape Powdery Mildew On The Central Coast Of California, Edgar G. Godoy Monterroso

Master's Theses

Grapevine powdery mildew caused by the fungal pathogen Erysiphe necator is a persistent threat to wine grape production in California. While synthetic fungicides remain the primary management strategy, increasing concerns over pesticide resistance, environmental impact, and regulatory restrictions have driven interest in biofungicides as a sustainable alternative. However, their efficacy is inconsistent, requiring research into optimized application strategies, integration with synthetic fungicides, and their effects on disease suppression, grape yield, and fruit quality.

This two-year study (2023–2024) was conducted at two vineyard sites, Trestle Vineyard in the San Luis Obispo Coast AVA and a commercial vineyard in the Arroyo Grande …

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.

Academic Senate - Agenda, 2/25/2025, Academic Senate

Academic Senate Agendas

No abstract provided.

Academic Senate - Minutes, 2/25/2025, Academic Senate

Academic Senate Minutes

No abstract provided.

Documentary Review: Fattitude, Aubree A. Herman

Feminist Pedagogy

No abstract provided.

What’S Empowerment Got To Do With It?: Body Neutrality In The Neoliberal Institution, Michelle Colpean, Cassidy D. Ellis

Feminist Pedagogy

No abstract provided.

To Eat Or Not To Eat: Body Neutrality In The Context Of Educator Eating Disorders, Victoria Mcdermott, Nike Jacob

Feminist Pedagogy

Academia, like many other industries, polices its members through explicit and implicit systems of oppression: thinness, patriarchy, accessibility, and whiteness. Previous research has argued that professors who meet the criteria of current beauty standards (e.g., thinness, attractiveness) experience higher student evaluations, more opportunities for promotion, and better overall academic success than those in diverse body shapes and sizes. As a result, decoupling one's sense of self-worth from these expectations based in power can prove challenging. The present critical reflection and commentary explores the perceptions of two academics with histories of eating disorders (e.g., anorexia and binge-eating disorder), disordered eating, and …

An Attitude Of Openness: Adapting Body Neutrality For Performers, Kerstin A. Vaughn, Emily Baird

Feminist Pedagogy

For performers, specifically dancers and actors, the body constitutes the vast majority of focus and training. It is what we present onstage, share with audiences, and contract to casting directors and choreographers. Our bodies, the way they look and move, directly influence the amount and quality of work we make. The concept of body neutrality, then, poses an interesting challenge for performers and those of us who train them. How do we balance a healthy relationship with the body while also thinking critically about all of the ways our bodies carry meaning in performance? How do we, as educators, promote …

Executive Committee - Minutes, 2/18/2025, Academic Senate

Academic Senate Minutes

No abstract provided.

Academic Senate - Agenda, 2/11/2025, Academic Senate

Academic Senate Agendas

No abstract provided.

Constructing Madness In The Era Of Synthesis: Madness In Medieval Western Europe, 12th-15th Centuries, Amy R. Gavello

The Forum: Journal of History

No abstract provided.

Contraceptive Contingencies: Key Points That Shaped The Birth Control Pill, Emma Fay

The Forum: Journal of History

No abstract provided.

Full Issue, Amy R. Gavello, Julia Taylor

The Forum: Journal of History

No abstract provided.

As-988-25 Resolution In Support Of Cal Poly's Transgender And Gender Non-Conforming Community, Academic Senate

Academic Senate Resolutions

Resolves that the Cal Poly Academic Senate unequivocally affirms its support for the rights, safety, and well-being of members of the Cal Poly community who identify as transgender, gender non-conforming, or any other identity encompassed within the LGBTQIA+ community; and it further resolves that the Academic Senate supports members of the Cal Poly community who identify as transgender, gender non-conforming, or any other identity encompassed within the LGBTQIA+ community and encourages the administration to continue implementing and expanding initiatives that provide education and training on gender inclusivity for all students, faculty, and staff; ensure access to gender-inclusive facilities, including restrooms …

Academic Senate - Minutes, 1/14/2025, Academic Senate

Academic Senate Minutes

No abstract provided.

Executive Committee - Minutes, 1/7/2025, Academic Senate

Academic Senate Minutes

No abstract provided.

Two Decades Of Change: Evolving Costs Of Regulatory Compliance In The Produce Industry, Lynn Hamilton, Michael Mccullough

Agribusiness

Rising costs of regulation are an increasing concern for California growers. An initial study of regulatory costs in California agriculture was conducted in 2006, as means to compare California’s regulatory environment to other competing states. Industry groups in the Salinas Valley contacted Cal Poly to update the original study in 2018 as new state and federal laws imposed significantly higher regulatory burdens on growers, specifically with respect to food safety, water quality, labor wages, air quality and worker health and safety. This report updates the previous case study to reflect the 2024 regulatory environment for California growers, and provides a …

Dc To Ac Voltage Source Converter Control System, Mohummad Tark Elgassier, Jordan M. Reichhardt, Brayden Richard Young

Electrical Engineering

The Voltage Source Converter Control System integrates a control system for a 2-phase half-bridge voltage source converter (VSC) utilizing a TMS320F2837xD Dual-Core Real-Time Microcontroller. VSCs are critical for the integration of power production into the power grid. They allow for accurate control over DC-AC energy conversion. Additionally with the improvement of renewable energies VSCs play a critical role in controlling the flow of these environmentally controlled and more unpredictable sources of energy. The control system regulates the output current and voltage, regulates switching patterns, and maintains power stability under varying loads. Within the control system Digital control systems, PWM generation, …

Building Design - Bsc App Tools For Structural Systems, Jens G. Pohl

Architecture

Relationship to Building Science (BSc) App: In the domain of Building Science (BSc), this paper focuses on building design principles related to building loads and the conceptual analysis and approximate sizing of structural members and structural systems. It provides direct access to a BSc App that offers more than 420 calculation and information functions in the entire range of building science areas, comprising daylighting, artificial lighting, noise control, room acoustics, climate and thermal comfort, solar energy, and structural systems (https://research.chobugroup.com/buildingscience/analyzer/).

Information Content: The paper briefly explains the structural concepts and principles that underlie the selection and approximate sizing of structural …

Building Design - Bsc App Tools For Thermal Comfort, Control, Heat Flow And Solar Energy, Jens G. Pohl

Architecture

Relationship to Building Science (BSc) App: In the domain of Building Science (BSc), this paper focuses on thermal comfort fundamentals, climate concepts and design principles, and solar energy opportunities that should be considered during the early stages of building design. It provides direct access to a BSc App that offers more than 420 calculation and information functions (https://research.chobugroup.com/buildingscience/analyzer/) in the entire range of building science areas, comprising daylighting, artificial lighting, noise control, room acoustics, climate and thermal comfort, solar energy, and structural systems.

Information Content: The paper briefly explains the principles of biology and physics that underlie thermal comfort at …

Author Bios, Author Bios

Intertidal

Intertidal Vol. 3 Author Bios