Digital Commons Network^™

Aventuras En Todo El Mundo, Maya G. Blair

World Languages and Cultures

This project is a fictional collection of stories baed loosely off of my own travel experiences during my college years. My goal with this piece of literature is to expose the reader to a wide variety of different cultures around the world. I do this with by recounting events which are loosely based off of my own adventures. I found inspiration for this piece of literature from my adventures for sure, but especially from my friends and all the amazing people who I met on my travels.

By understanding other cultures and people we can collaborate better on a global …

Cascaded Linear Regulator With Positive Voltage Tracking Switching Regulator, Brandon K. Nghe

Master's Theses

This thesis presents the design, simulation, and hardware implementation of a proposed method for improving efficiency of voltage regulator. Typically, voltage regulator used for noise-sensitive and low-power applications involves the use of a linear regulator due to its high power-supply rejection ratio properties. However, the efficiency of a linear regulator depends heavily on the difference between its input voltage and output voltage. A larger voltage difference across the linear regulator results in higher losses. Therefore, reducing the voltage difference is the key in increasing regulator’s efficiency. In this thesis, a pre switching regulator stage with positive voltage tracking cascaded to …

An Overview Of Lasers And Their Applications, Luis Cristian Giovanni Guerrero

Physics

This paper is an overview of lasers and their applications. The fundamentals of laser operation are covered as well as the various applications of advanced laser systems. The primary focus is to highlight some of the technological advancements made possible by lasers in the last half-century.

"The Hoof" Satire Column: Humorous Critiques For Student News Engagement, Hannah M. Benson

Journalism

The following study investigates how to develop and maintain a satire column within a university newspaper in order to increase news-related engagement within a student body. The changes within the media are growing exponentially and the California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly) student who developed “The Hoof” saw the need for satirical content created by students, for students. The column’s focus was to create and publish entertaining and informative articles concerning Cal Poly-related issues. With scholarly research, the intent of the column aims to mimic the style of well-known satirists and follow the principles of public journalism, …

Does The Press Have A Right To Be Wrong?: Fake News, Press Freedom, And Defamation Law In 2021, Nathan T. Danielson

Journalism

The following study analyzes defamation lawsuits filed against Fox News and its on-air personalities by companies that manufactured and maintained voting machines used in the 2020 US presidential election. Smartmatic and Dominion accused Fox in court of broadcasting debunked allegations that the companies had rigged the election against incumbent president (and longtime Fox viewer) Donald Trump. The size of the sought-after damages, and the size of Fox itself, make this the largest “fake news suit” in history. This study explores the merits of the suits, defenses to defamation (particularly opinion, political speech, and retraction) and the potential ramifications of a …

Executive Committee - Agenda, 4/28/2020, Academic Senate

Academic Senate Agendas

No abstract provided.

Integrated Visionaries, David Ocelotl Garcia, Eden Knapp, Catherine Trujillo

Creative Works

Integrated Visionaries, David Ocelotl Garcia, University Art Collection, College of Science and Mathematics. Acrylic on board.

Cal Poly’s College of Science and Mathematics unveiled a 22’ by 6’foot diversity-themed mural on May 26, 2017 in the main lobby of the Warren J. Baker Center for Science and Mathematics (No. 180). The mural—“Integrated Visionaries”—represents the study and research of science and mathematics while considering themes of inclusivity, diversity and community. It integrates a stylized approach that allows viewers to see themselves in the mural. This catalog is based on the onsite installation and opening reception for the mural in May 2017.

Aged 539 Internship Report - Waterford High School Agriculture Department, Crestina M. Abraham

Agricultural Education: Graduate Internship Reports

This internship and project report includes validation documents required in meeting the quality criteria for secondary-level programs of instruction in agriculture. The supporting material includes information to receive state and local funding, outline the goals and objectives of the program, along with an overview of Waterford High School, the agriculture program, and the community.

Cal Poly Students Struggle For Gay Rights, Dio Capilla

Cal Poly's History: Student Research Reports

This paper follows the gay rights movement at Cal Poly and San Luis Obispo through the 1970s. Cal Poly’s Gay Students Union (GSU) was first proposed in 1972, but had to undergo a series of legal battles before Cal Poly administration finally granted the organization official school recognition four years later. University President Robert E. Kennedy only signed the Union’s bylaws under the direct advisory of the State Attorney General. Kennedy claimed his opposition to the club was only for legal reasons, but this claim did not hold up against previous statements made by the administration. Further discrimination was faced …

Forgotten Opposition: Cal Poly Reactions To American Imperialism In The 1980s, Cooper Lock

Cal Poly's History: Student Research Reports

The Reagan Administration employed aggressive rhetoric in combating the supposed spread of communism in Latin America during the 1980s. The El Salvador ruling party’s fight against the leftist Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front became a hotspot for United States foreign aid and involvement. Extensive amounts of money poured into the region, inciting equally extensive disapproval and distrust from the American people. The reactions to these events at a national level have been extensively covered, whereas university students’ have been left relatively in the dark. This paper analyzes Cal Poly reactions and responses to United States foreign policy throughout the decade. …

The Sage Without A Country: The Political And Literary Life Of Dr. Shih-Shun Liu (劉 師 舜) (1900-1996), Caleb Yung-Jen Liu

History

Shih-Shun Liu was my great-grandfather as well as a diplomat for the Republic of China from the late 1920s until 1958. While his life is relatively left unknown to many historians, his contributions to the Kuomintang are significant and help us to understand the inside workings of the ROC and its diplomacy during this time period. Liu was a beneficiary of the Boxer Indemnity scholarship provided by the United States and made use of his love for education and poetry to pursue a literary career that defined the second portion of his life. Liu’s life as a scholar and diplomat …

History 303 Research And Writing In History: Cal Poly History Presented To Professor Andrew Morris California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo A Course Taken In Partial Fulfillment Of My Bachelor Of Arts Degree In History By Victoria Duehring March 13, 2020 The Discovery Of Margaret Chase And Why It Takes A Detective To Learn About Women, Victoria Duehring

Cal Poly's History: Student Research Reports

Scholarly work on the experience/erasure of Miss Margaret Chase: first and only female president of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. With the main focus being on difficulties throughout her life, and impact of the male gaze on her legacy: which resulted in an extreme lack of direct primary sources. Through analysis of gender issues during Chase’s presidency and the effect of her erasure on campus it is clear that there is a disadvantage to being a woman in a position of power on Cal Poly’s campus. This disadvantage is chronicled throughout Chase’s life, but also to this day as there …

Audio Loop Station, Samuel M. Lopez

Electrical Engineering

A digital loop station is an electronic device that takes an analog audio signal, samples it with an Analog-to-Digital converter, stores it digitally in a system memory, and repeatedly outputs the content to a Digital-to-Analog converter. The signal is controlled by use of a microcontroller and amplified by external circuitry. The purpose of a digital loop station is to record and store an audio sample in real-time then playback the stored signal and superimpose additional audio signals over it. This project details a 16-bit digital loop station that samples at a rate of 44.1 kHz which is the industry standard …

Methods To Increase Algae Biomass Productivity In Raceway Pond Monocultures, Ryan S. Anderson

Master's Theses

The economics of algae biofuels and bioproducts would be improved by increased biomass productivity. Two studies on this potential are described in this thesis – one on a locally isolated filamentous yellow-green alga and the other on a planktonic strain genetically improved via selective enrichment.

Polycultures have been viewed as productive, stable, and, in some cases, harvestable by natural bioflocculation. Local native strains might have higher productivity than culture collection strains because they are already adapted to local outdoor conditions. In this study, the filamentous yellow-green alga Tribonema minus was isolated from a local volunteer polyculture. Its productivity as a …

Insulative (Direct Current) Dielectrophoretic Foul-Less Filtration In Microfuidic Systems, Matthew A A Whitman

Master's Theses

Filtration is a technology that is used almost ubiquitously in society from uses raging from filtration of macroparticles from water to pharmaceutical grade filtration products to remove anything larger than a protein. However, with such a wide range of uses, most filtration products have the same issue; membrane clogging (fouling) that prevents continuous use and requires frequent maintenance. This thesis hypothesizes that by applying a direct current (DC) to an insulating array of posts, they will create a foul-less insulative dielectrophoretic filter (iDEP) that does not clog since particles will levitate above the insulating array.

This thesis tested an inherited …

Reducing Uncertainty: A Student Perspective On An Introductory Communication Course, Hannah Williams, Campbell Warren

Communication Studies

This assessment examines the Cal Poly Communication Studies (COMS) Department’s organizational needs and obstacles to effectively educating students in the major. We also propose a research question and method in order to provide the COMS department with insight into their organizational needs. Specifically, we have identified issues in overall educational effectiveness in correspondence with the needs and perspectives of their students. We will look into this issue through interviews, surveying, and analyzing the current COMS curriculum.

Travel Big Spend Less, Jessica Sharpe

Journalism

Travel Big Spend Less is a blog designed for college students who are looking for inspiration and ways to travel on a budget. I started this website after taking Advanced Digital Journalism (JOUR 410) and finding a way to keep my study abroad spirit alive. Creating the website from scratch as well as creating multimedia journalism components for the website have been one part of this project.

After starting this platform my friend and I who studied abroad together decided that we should write a book as well. The book is titled “A Guide to Studying Abroad.” Both the blog …

A Year After Blackface: Where Are We Now? A Mustang News Campus Climate Special Edition, Quinn Augusta Fish

Journalism

The following is the introductory editorial I wrote for Mustang News’ special edition newspaper entitled “A Year After Blackface: Where Are We Now? A Campus Climate Special Edition” (Fish, 2019). Though lengthy, it serves as an effective abstract for this research paper:

I’m Quinn Augusta Fish and I’m a journalism and ethnic studies senior at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. I am a white, cisgender, heterosexual, upper-middle class woman; most of which I knew nothing about before coming to Cal Poly. In the class structure that is America today, I exist in the second ring, just under white, cisgender, heterosexual …

Diy Incubator, Aryan Zia, Grace Spurlock, Garrett Janney

Biomedical Engineering

This project report provides detailed information on designing and building a DIY Incubator. The device is indicated for growing and maintaining BSL-1 mammalian or bacterial cell culture with a temperature control in the range of 25-45°C ± 1°C. The device is made fully programmable via an Arduino, and is structurally designed to fit two T75 cell culture flasks at a time. The device is able to return to a specified temperature set point within 10 minutes and maintains 5% CO2 partial pressure conditions. The incubator has a small physical footprint, with an overall dimension of 22in x 16in x 15.5in …

More Than Sport: A Case Study On Sport Diplomacy Within The 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, Caleb J. Mcneil

Experience Industry Management

Throughout society’s history and into today, sport continues to be at the forefront of leisure activities and the media. Those in the sports industry understand this constant attraction and therefore try to promote unity in terms of diplomatic, social and political relations. The purpose of this study was to examine the strategies implemented by Russia during the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics to promote sport diplomacy among athletes and fans. The researcher designed a case study examining the programs, marketing, and soft power strategies used by Russia during the Sochi Winter Olympics. The results indicate that Russia failed to capitalize on …

Sin City Platforms: A Comparative Analysis On The Social Media Practices Of Select Hotels On The Las Vegas Strip, Kaitlin Beuschlein

Experience Industry Management

Social media has become a popular form of communication in recent years due to the prevalence of mobile devices. This has prompted companies to implement platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter into their marketing strategies to better reach customers. The purpose of this study was to compare and contrast the social media marketing strategies of select hotels on the Las Vegas strip. The Cosmopolitan and The Venetian hotels were selected for this study. The study strategically analyzed the Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter pages for both hotels utilizing a comparative analysis guide developed by the researcher. It was concluded that …

Investigando La Creación De Un Canal De Noticias BilingüE En Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo: Un Estudio De La Representación LingüÍstica, Paige Farris Mcgill

World Languages and Cultures

The purpose of this research study is to determine if there is a desire or demand for a bilingual English-Spanish news outlet at Cal Poly. Spanish is considered the most relevant language because it is the second most frequently spoken language in the community. Results are based on analysis of data collected through an electronic survey and various interviews. Demographics of the university as well as the surrounding community are also factors to consider.

Rebar Impalement Safety, Spencer C. Nefores, Steven M. Hoover

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

This project is sponsored by Webcor with the purpose of finding a better solution to rebar impalement safety. The current rebar impalement safety caps being used by Webcor were found to frequently fall off after being installed. This results in workers being exposed to the hazard for longer than desired. The research that has been done by the team showed that rebar impalement is a serious hazard and results in injury or death every year. Site visits and interviews were performed to aid in understanding the problem and designing solutions. The customer needs, current state of the problem, existing solutions, …

Parklets San Luis, Owen Kenny, Preston Jag Stebel, Leonidas Goodman, Lukas Braun

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

Downtown San Luis Obispo has been a popular destination for tourists, students, families, and roadtrippers. However, according to Ryan Betz, Interim Assistant to the City Manager, foot traffic and retail business revenue has been decreasing. Downtown SLO does not have enough free public spaces. Recent projects such as sidewalk bump outs and lighted crosswalks have aimed at making SLO more pedestrian accessible, but they have not actually made downtown more pleasurable. These projects have not seemed to drive any more business or traffic downtown. There are a myriad of ways to rectify this; studies show that having a free place …

Esophageal Temperature Mapping And Monitoring Sheath, Nicole M. Rogers, Hillary Johnson, Alexander Silva

Biomedical Engineering

The purpose of this document is to provide a product development summary for an accessory device that joins an esophageal temperature probe and a mapping catheter together to be used during cardiac ablation. Catheter ablation therapy is performed in the left atrium, utilizing extremely hot or cold temperatures to create scar tissue and treat atrial fibrillation and other arrhythmias. The close positioning of the left atria adjacent to the esophagus presents a large risk as the extreme temperatures used during ablation can lead to esophageal damage or fistulas. This device is designed to integrate correlate data from the temperature probe …

Predicting The Prevalence Of Autonomous Heavy Equipment In The Construction Industry, Mitchell T. Bongi

Construction Management

Autonomy is a topic that is gaining speed throughout the world as labor shortages rise, wages increase the desire for greater safety in dangerous fields accelerates. One industry that has had a slower start but looks to join the autonomous bandwagon is construction. Different experts in different fields from engineers to construction managers give different timelines as to when this autonomous technology will be normally present in certain construction industries, however an accurate timeline has yet to be determined. The objective of this paper is to provide a more accurate timeline as to when autonomous heavy equipment will be prevalent …

Neurofibromatosis Type 1 Implicates Ras Pathways In The Genetic Architecture Of Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Jessica A. Kaczorowski, Taylor Smith, Amanda M. Shrewsbury, Leah R. Thomas, Valerie S. Knopik, Maria T. Acosta

Psychology and Child Development

The genetic architecture of neurodevelopmental disorders is largely polygenic, non-specific, and pleiotropic. This complex genetic architecture makes the search for specific etiological mechanisms that contribute to neurodevelopmental risk more challenging. Monogenic disorders provide an opportunity to focus in on how well-articulated signaling pathways contribute to risk for neurodevelopmental outcomes. This paper will focus on neurofbromatosis type 1 (NF1), a rare monogenic disorder that is associated with varied neurodevelopmental outcomes. Specifically, this paper will provide a brief overview of NF1 and its phenotypic associations with autism spectrum disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and specific learning disorders, describe how variation within the NF1 gene …

Automating Deep-Sea Video Annotation Using Machine Learning, Hanson Egbert, Lubomir Stanchev, Benjamin Ruttenberg

Computer Science and Software Engineering

As the world explores opportunities to develop offshore renewable energy capacity, there will be a growing need for pre-construction biological surveys and post-construction monitoring in the challenging marine environment. Underwater video is a powerful tool to facilitate such surveys, but the interpretation of the imagery is costly and time-consuming. Emerging technologies have improved automated analysis of underwater video, but these technologies are not yet accurate or accessible enough for widespread adoption in the scientific community or industries that might benefit from these tools. To address these challenges, we developed a website that allows us to: (1) Quickly play and annotate …

Tiny Disco: A Cost-Effective, High-Fidelity Wireless Audio System, Luke Martin Liberatore

Computer Engineering

The Tiny Disco is a WiFi based concert system, featuring improvements on popular “Silent Disco” concerts. Rather than being tied to compression and bandwidth restrictions present in traditional silent disco systems, the Tiny Disco system can deliver 320kbps+ audio quality, and allows listeners to bring their own headphones, further lending to the high quality audio experience.

Tiny Disco uses a Raspberry Pi as the audio server, and Espressif ESP32 microcontrollers as audio receivers/clients. The Tiny Disco is primarily geared toward smaller concerts and niche events where audio quality is valued, though due to its WiFi-based architecture, it can be expanded …

Timber-Strong Design Build Competition, Anna Luehrs, Lilliann Lai, Dolores Herrera, John Leone

Architectural Engineering

The November 2019 Timber-Strong Design Build Competition, hosted by National Council of Structural Engineers Association (NCSEA), was developed by the American Wood Council (AWC), Simpson Strong-Tie Company Inc. (SST), and APA - The Engineered Wood Association (APA) to cultivate timber design, building, and sustainability experience for students. Participating students gained exposure to performance analysis, construction management, building practices, and project bid preparation while practicing as a design construction firm. In the process of this hands-on experience, students were expected to procure all building materials and tools themselves with some aid from sponsors. The goal of the competition was to provide …