Digital Commons Network^™

Testing The Reliability Of Civic Science Data Collection Of Plant Traits In A Perennial Sunflower Domestication Experiment, Robyn A. Brooks

Master of Science in Environmental Sciences and Management Projects

Civic science has been prevalent in environmental science for many years. The use of volunteers and the community as a helping hand in research continues to link society and science, as well as increases the magnitude and breadth of environmental studies. Assessments of data quality produced by civic science is an important component in validating the accuracy and reliability of the research. In this study, the reliability of civic science was tested by assessing the variation within data gathered from undergraduate Cal Poly students. Using a common garden experimental set up, the health of twelve wildtype silphium genotypes were assessed …

Establishing A Baseline Vegetation Study Of The Monterey Pine Forest Understory In The Fiscalini Ranch Preserve, Natalie Nemeth

Master of Science in Environmental Sciences and Management Projects

There is invaluable genetic information in native Monterey pine forests; having unadulterated genetic information is critical for the pine industry as well as conserving native trees in native stands. The Monterey pine forest and its understory are incredibly sensitive and precious ecological systems. Maintaining healthy remnant forests, including understory vegetation, is important for local biodiversity. In 2020, the Monterey pine was listed as an endangered species candidate, yet so little has been published about Monterey pine in California, with outdated reports and a lack of information about the forest floor. Monterey pine is endemic to only three locations on the …

Evaluating Traditional And Novel Modalities Of Self-Monitoring In Females With Low-Literacy & Obesity: A Feasibility Study, Anita H. Kelleher

Master's Theses

This study aimed to determine the feasibility of three distinct self-monitoring modalities employed as part of a weight-loss intervention among Spanish- and Mixtec-speaking women with low-no literacy who were overweight or obese (body mass index, BMI> 25). Primary outcomes assessed include self-monitoring adherence, weight, body composition, and diet quality. Participants (n=18) were recruited from the Cal Poly Women and Infants Mobile Health Unit, and contacted if they had a BMI> 25 and did not attend school beyond elementary level (6th grade). Upon enrollment, participants were asked to attend a weekly meeting at which the lifestyle intervention was delivered by a …

Lift Fixture Control System, Steven Ly

Mechanical Engineering

The Final Design Review (FDR) reports on the senior design project undertaken by a mechanical engineer senior at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. The project seeks to assist Maxar’s need for a lift fixture for their spacecraft that will locate its center of gravity and move the pick point directly over the center of gravity (C.G.). This will allow the crane to attach to this point and lift the spacecraft without any swinging motion that could damage the spacecraft or harm personnel working near it. Their current solution is creating a new lift sling for each time they …

Examining Introductory Computer Science Student Cognition When Testing Software Under Different Test Adequacy Criteria, Austin Shin

Master's Theses

The ability to test software is invaluable in all areas of computer science, but it is often neglected in computer science curricula. Test adequacy criteria (TAC), tools that measure the effectiveness of a test suite, have been used as aids to improve software testing teaching practices, but little is known about how students respond to them. Studies have examined the cognitive processes of students programming and professional developers writing tests, but none have investigated how student testers test with TAC. If we are to improve how they are used in the classroom, we must start by understanding the different ways …

Timber Buckling Restrained Brace, Faith Sharp, Armando Castaneda Jr

Architectural Engineering

The timber buckling-restrained brace (TBRB) experiment at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly), began in 2018 with the goal of finding whether timber may provide proper restraint against buckling of a steel brace. The TBRB was motivated by the limited lateral force resisting systems (LFRS) available for low-to-mid-rise, type V construction; this system would provide strength and ductility at a scale and level of cost appropriate to timber construction.

Early research consisted of uniaxial component testing, where researchers played with the balance between the core brace design and utilization of timber casings for buckling restraint, with minimal …

Rekindling The Human Spirit Through Urban Design: Creating Spaces For Joy, Sharon Charlotte Ng

City and Regional Planning

What makes people joyful? How can we foster happy, healing spaces through urban design that allow for all community members to channel emotional wellbeing? In a fast paced, consumer-oriented economy, the importance of maintaining mental health and well-being is often ignored. This paper seeks to answer these questions through the synthesis of existing literature on urban design, society, and case study analyses of existing public spaces. Although the research focuses on social transformation through the implementation of urban design principles, the disciplines of city planning, public health, sociology, and psychology are discussed as well. The research explores techniques that would …

Fabrication Of Lab-Scale Polymeric And Silicon Dioxide Nanoparticle-Enabled Thin Film Composite Reverse Osmosis Membranes For Potable Reuse Applications, Timothy J. Dinh

Master's Theses

Reverse osmosis (RO) is widely used for water reclamation and is one of the most feasible technologies for addressing water scarcity around the world. RO membrane fabrication procedures are continually being optimized and modified to enhance the treatment performance and efficacy of the RO process. A review of the existing literature published on membrane fabrication revealed that a detailed and reproducible methodology consistent among prior studies was not available. Therefore, the primary objective of this study was to utilize techniques from prior research to develop a reliable lab-scale membrane fabrication process for studying the potable reuse applications of TFC RO …

Strawberry Disease Management Improvement For Macrophomina Root Rot And Botrytis Fruit Rot, Yu-Chen Wang

Master's Theses

Strawberry production in California is limited by plant diseases such as Macrophomina root rot (caused by Macrophomina phaseolina) and Botrytis fruit rot (BFR) (caused by Botrytis cinerea). Current disease management strategies are compromised due to fumigant regulations or ineffective disease management practices. This thesis investigated methods to potentially improve the management of these two diseases.

Host plant resistance evaluations for Macrophomina root rot were conducted for the 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 growing seasons. Fifty-one strawberry genotypes were screened in two field experiments where plants were inoculated artificially with Macrophomina phaseolina in both seasons. A wide range of plant resistance …

Deep Learning For Detecting Trees In The Urban Environment From Lidar, Julian R. Rice

Master's Theses

Cataloguing and classifying trees in the urban environment is a crucial step in urban and environmental planning. However, manual collection and maintenance of this data is expensive and time-consuming. Algorithmic approaches that rely on remote sensing data have been developed for tree detection in forests, though they generally struggle in the more varied urban environment. This work proposes a novel method for the detection of trees in the urban environment that applies deep learning to remote sensing data. Specifically, we train a PointNet-based neural network to predict tree locations directly from LIDAR data augmented with multi-spectral imaging. We compare this …

Utilizing Prefabrication In Order To Achieve Leed Credits, Phillip E. Waldman

Construction Management

This paper is a dissertation on the concept and benefits of utilizing panelization in construction to achieve LEED credits. Panelization is the process of prefabricating construction framing materials, such as walls, floors, and roof systems, to streamline and improve the construction process. This dissertation aims to examine: (1) how prefabrication can optimize construction through effective waste management (2) how prefabrication manufacturing plants are more efficient, cost-effective, and better for the environment with regard to material use and recycling than traditional construction methods (3) how prefabrication can be used to obtain LEED credit points for the Construction and Demolition Waste Management …

The Close Agn Reference Survey (Cars): Tracing The Circumnuclear Star Formation In The Super-Eddington Nls1 Mrk 1044, N. Winkel, T. A. Davis, I. Smirnova-Pinchukova, V. N. Bennert, F. Combes, M. Gaspari, K. Jahnke, J. Neumann, C. P. O'Dea, M. Pérez-Torres, M. Singha, G. R. Tremblay, H. W. Rix

Physics

Context. The host galaxy conditions for rapid supermassive black hole growth are poorly understood. Narrow-line Seyfert 1 (NLS1) galaxies often exhibit high accretion rates and are hypothesized to be prototypes of active galactic nuclei (AGN) at an early stage of their evolution.

Aims. We present adaptive optics (AO) assisted VLT MUSE NFM observations of Mrk 1044, the nearest super-Eddington accreting NLS1. Together with archival MUSE WFM data, we aim to understand the host galaxy processes that drive Mrk 1044’s black hole accretion.

Methods. We extracted the faint stellar continuum emission from the AGN-deblended host and performed spatially resolved emission line …

Prefabrication And Modular Construction: Cm 214 Residential Construction Learning Module, Matthew V. Keeth

Construction Management

The residential construction industry in the United States has certainly stuck to the conventional methods of stick-built construction nationwide. What if there was a better way? This project seeks to educate future Construction Management students about a smarter, more efficient, and sustainable method of homebuilding: Modular Construction. Distinguishing the difference between prefabrication and modularization is a necessary standard. Prefabrication is defined as the process of manufacturing the essential structural components of a home at a factory off-site. The large scale structural components of a home are then transported to the jobsite for easy installation. In addition, Modular Construction is defined …

Associations Between Parenting Stress, Parent Feeding Practices, And Perceptions Of Child Eating Behaviors During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Lupita Maria González, Amy Lammert, Suzanne Phelan, Alison K. Ventura

Kinesiology and Public Health

The aim of this study was to explore associations between parenting stress, feeding practices, and perceptions of children's eating behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic. Parents (n = 284) of children ages 4–6 years completed a cross-sectional online survey during the onset of pandemic-related stay-at-home mandates in the U.S. Parents reported current levels of parenting stress, feeding practices, and child eating behaviors. Parents also reported whether parenting stress had increased, stayed the same, or decreased since prior to the onset of pandemic-related stay-at-home mandates. Greater levels of parenting stress were associated with less desirable feeding practices, including greater odds of …

Asce's Response To The Pandemic: Execution Of A Remote Exceed Teaching Workshop, Kelly Salyards, Allen Estes, Camilla M. Saviz, Patricia Clayton, Julian Ly Davis, Corinna Marie Fleischmann, Tonya Lynn Nilsson, Pinar Omur-Ozbek, Fethiye Ozis, Monica Palomo, Carolyn M. Rodak, Cassandra Rutherford, Cristina Torres-Machi, Dion Karean Coward, Leslie Nolen

Architectural Engineering

The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Excellence in Civil Engineering Education (ExCEEd) Teaching Workshop (ETW) started in 1999 and has produced 1035 graduates from 266 colleges and universities throughout the world. ASCE has conducted 44 week-long, inperson workshops without interruption for over two decades. The ExCEEd graduates returned to their home universities and applied the lessons of this workshop to the classes they teach. The details and long-term benefits of the ETW have been reported in many venues.

In Spring 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic swept the nation and remained a persistent threat throughout 2021. As a result, the in-person …

Assessing The Cost And Fuel Consumption Of Off-Road Agricultural Equipment, Michael Mccullough, Lynn Hamilton, Cory Walters

Agribusiness

Since 1995, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) emission rules have mandated that off-road engine manufacturers gradually phase in lower emitting diesel engines across all tractor and other off-road equipment sold in the United States. Starting in 1996 with Tier 1 emission standards for tractors between 175-750 horsepower (hp), all tractors were scheduled to be rated as Tier 4 Final by 2015. During the transition period, emission credit agreements made between manufacturers and EPA allowed for nonattainment of some tractors such that several tractor models were produced post 2015 that did not meet Tier 4 Final standards. Tier 4 standards are …

Executive Committee - Agenda 6/2/2022, Academic Senate

Academic Senate Agendas

No abstract provided.

Deep Ocean Vehicle (Dov) Scientific Payload, Nikki Arm, Mason Gariepy, Brianna Roberts, Kyle Walsh

Baker/Koob Endowments Awarded Projects

This report aims to provide technical insight into the Deep Ocean Vehicle project performed by the Barrel Eye Explorers. The project was a part of the 2021-2022 Interdisciplinary Senior Project class at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. The team consisted of Nikki Arm, Mason Gariepy, Brianna Roberts, and Kyle Walsh who were engineering students in the Mechanical, Materials, General, and Industrial engineering departments, respectively. This project was sponsored by Dr. Crow White and overseen by Karla Carichner.

Representing Your Destination: A Comparative Analysis Between The Destination Marketing Organizations Discover Los Angeles And I Amsterdam, Alli Mihalka

Experience Industry Management

Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs) are the backbone of tourism. There are many strategies to encourage this, especially in large cities such as Los Angeles and Amsterdam. The purpose of this study was to compare and contrast the marketing strategies used byDiscover Los Angeles and I amsterdam. The following marketing strategies were analyzed: video advertisements, websites, posts on social media, and events. I amsterdam accurately displays the culture of the city through their media and events. While Discover LA does this successfully in event marketing, they struggle to do this through their media. DMOs do not currently use their social media …

Process Support Building Savannah River Site, Victoria Zawacki

Fire Protection Engineering: Culminating Experience Project Reports

A report on the fire and life safety analysis of the Savannah River Site Process Support Building is required in order to receive a Master of Science in Fire Protection Engineering from the California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. The Process Support Building is a two-story office building that was first occupied in 2013, with a floor area of approximately 10,000 ft2. The building contains mainly personal offices, but also contains conference and turnover rooms, a Computer Simulation Room, an Observation Room, and a lunch area. The analysis includes both prescriptive and performance-based analysis.

The Process Support Building is …

Prescriptive And Performance-Based Analysis Of Colorado Liberal Arts College, Victor Wight

Fire Protection Engineering: Culminating Experience Project Reports

This project consists of a prescriptive and performance-based analysis of an existing two-story college building. The building is located in downtown Colorado Springs, Colorado. Colorado Liberal Arts College is used for general education courses with the focus on creative fields such as dance, graphic design, and art. The building consists of classrooms, offices, an art gallery, dance studio, and a bookstore.

A prescriptive based design was completed using the code requirements laid out in the International Building Code (IBC) 2015 Edition and applicable National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Codes. The prescriptive based analysis consisted of analyzing life safety and egress, …

Two-Storey Office Building, Colin Mallett

Fire Protection Engineering: Culminating Experience Project Reports

This FPE 596 culminating project report was developed to meet the requirements for completion of the Fire Protection Master’s Program at Cal Poly. The report is intended to provide a detailed understanding of fire and building code requirements as well as describe both prescriptive and performance based approaches to human behavior in fire scenarios, building evacuation strategies, egress design and tenability analysis. An overall determination will be made to evaluate if the building provides the expected levels of safety for building occupants from fire.

The office building #211 was designed and constructed to be compliant with the International Building Code …

Mount Sac Gym & Aquatics Center: Fire & Life Safety Report, Alex Hoeft

Fire Protection Engineering: Culminating Experience Project Reports

This report has been prepared to review and analyze the Fire and Life Safety status of the proposed Gym & Aquatics building at Mt. San Antonio College. This was done using two methods: prescriptive and performance based. The prescriptive section examines the explicitly code-mandated requirements for the building and the performance-based section examines implicit requirements for the building based on the goals presented in the Life Safety Code, NFPA 101.

The subject building is a 147,000 square foot, two-story, steel-framed athletics complex occupied primarily for assembly and business uses. The structure has an indoor and outdoor component with two gymnasiums …

Existing Multipurpose Assembly Building, Garrett Mitchell Pelton

Fire Protection Engineering: Culminating Experience Project Reports

This report contains the compliance and life safety review of a multi-purpose assembly use building located in Denver, Colorado. The analysis contained within analyzes the prescriptive requirements of the structure as it stands today and then later reviews an alternative approach utilizing a performance based analysis. Due to this determination the building is evaluated as is and it is noted there are particular features that as a newly constructed building would require a different compliance approach.

This building was originally constructed in 1965 and has undergone two major additions. The East addition added the entire lower level in 1978 and …

Grange Insurance Audubon Center-Fire Protection Life Safety Report, Gabriel Levy

Fire Protection Engineering: Culminating Experience Project Reports

This technical approach narrative presents the intent and methodology of the Fire Protection and Life Safety systems for the Grange Insurance Audubon Center located at 505 W Whittier St. Columbus OH 43215. The primary goal of the structure is to provide life and property protection in a fire scenario while taking into account the costs of implementing the criterion and risks associated with the facility. This will be achieved through the appropriate application of requirements listed in the 2015 International Building Code (IBC) and the International Fire Code (IFC) as adopted by the City of Columbus, Ohio, and any reference …

Jack E Brown Chemical Engineering Building At Texas A&M University, Daniel Higdon

Fire Protection Engineering: Culminating Experience Project Reports

The Jack E Brown Chemical Engineering building at Texas A&M is located in College Station, TX. While this building is dedicated to chemical engineering, it serves many different departments as they use the lecture halls on the first floor. It was built and opened in 2004 and has 206,500 square feet with 7 stories. The building consists of multiple labs as well as study hall rooms, computer labs, offices, and the normal MEP/storage rooms. Jack E Brown building is one of the foremost buildings of the Texas A&M engineering quadrant and is further proof that Texas A&M desires to keep …

Bio-Inspired Fire-Resistant Building Materials, Ryan Lee

Materials Engineering

An increased frequency of fires in California motivates the development of fire damage mitigation strategies, including environmentally-friendly fire-resistant materials. A novel succulent-inspired sandwich composite consisting of HardiePlank (a cement-fiber composite), waxed paper, cardboard, paper, and mucilage (here labeled HPWM) is proposed. Sample manufacturing considerations were investigated, and the resulting composite design was evaluated for aging, mechanical, and flammability performance. Variability in sample manufacturing was assessed by measurements of sample weight before and after applying mucilage. Thermogravimetric analysis was conducted on sample materials to better understand thermal degradation. HPWM samples using two different types of waxed paper (soy wax, beeswax) were …

Graduate Assistant - Graduate Internship Report, Karlie H. Talbot

Agricultural Education: Graduate Internship Reports

The Graduate Assistant serves as an aid to the Department of Agricultural Education and Communication during the months of January through June. The Graduate Assistant traditionally co-teaches AGED 220: Agricultural Youth Conferences, leads the recruitment efforts to gather judges for the South Coast Region Speaking Finals in King City, co-advises the State FFA Judging Finals Leadership Team, and prepares the California Agricultural Teachers’ Association (CATA) Conference program, amongst many other smaller tasks. Historically, the Graduate Assistant has been an individual of the fall cohort of student teachers, allowing them to be present in this role in the spring; however, …

Aged 539 Graduate Internship Report: Sonora-La Habra Program Review, Mary K. Riley

Agricultural Education: Graduate Internship Reports

This graduate internship report includes the documentation required in meeting the quality criteria for secondary-level programs of instruction in agriculture. The documents are concurrently used for the Agriculture Incentive Grant review process at Sonora High School conducted by representatives of the California Department of Education. The supporting material includes information to receive state and local funding, outline the goals and objectives of the program, along with an overview of Sonora High School, the agriculture program and the community.

Aged 539 Internship Project, Brandon M. Green

Agricultural Education: Graduate Internship Reports

This report details responsibilities as an assistant coach with the Cal Poly Rodeo program, tasked with Men's Events and Facility Management, in fulfillment of AGED 539.