Digital Commons Network^™

How Does User Control Reduce Irritation Of Mid-Roll Ads, Elijah Villanueva

College of Engineering Summer Undergraduate Research Program

Large video platforms like YouTube and Twitch rely extensively on advertising for revenue. Often, they deploy mid-roll advertising: ads that play in the middle of video content, interrupting it. Such interruptions can irritate consumers significantly. This project primarily involves conducting user testing of an already-developed YouTube browser extension that that gives users some control over when mid-roll ads play. We hope to ascertain how effectively the design mitigates user irritation from mid-roll ads. Tasks will involve recruiting people into a laboratory setting where they will use the browser extension, interviewing them about their experience, and manually extracting themes from the …

Mastering Undergraduate Algorithms: Improving Problem-Solving Skills And Fluency Through Scaffolding Learning Modules, Anissa Soungpanya

College of Engineering Summer Undergraduate Research Program

The primary objective of the undergraduate algorithms course is to equip students with the ability to design and analyze algorithms, prove theorems about computation, and effectively communicate these algorithms and proofs to a human audience. In addition, the course aims to help students foster their fluency in the process of formulating and solving computational problems. Scaffolding exercises and activities that focus on these aspects could serve as useful learning tools in providing targeted feedback and helping students develop their confidence and fluency. To address the challenges that students encounter when solving algorithmic problems -- particularly in regard to problem decomposition …

Analyzing Wearable Sensor Data From Individuals Undergoing Motor And Neurological Rehabilitation, Carly Smith

College of Engineering Summer Undergraduate Research Program

An ongoing study funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) is focused on developing computational models of rehabilitation for people post-stroke. Stroke affects around 800,000 people per year in the US, and often leaves people with limited motor (movement) and neurological (brain-based) capability. Wearable sensors may allow clinicians to better understand how these individuals recover, and to better design therapies and interventions. We are seeking students who can use existing software, and perhaps adapt the software to extract, analyze, and visualize detail from study participants. This project will involve with the Cal Poly PI, and collaborators from physical therapy. This …

Supporting Migrant Education Program Students, Yaneli Cruz

College of Engineering Summer Undergraduate Research Program

This project explored the impact of the EPIC engineering camp on Migrant Education Program (MEP) participants, a group often academically disadvantaged due to frequent moves, limited resources, and lack of encouragement to pursue higher education. Because no new IRB-approved data could be collected during camp, pre- and post-camp surveys that students had already completed were analyzed. I converted the data into CSV files, built SQL tables, and wrote a Python script to automate the process of filtering and comparing MEP students, Session 1, with non-MEP peers. Results showed that 28% of MEP students started camp unsure about engineering, but 11% …

Behind The Prompt: The Environmental Impact Of Llm Inference, Lucy Hegenderfer, Isaac Huang

College of Engineering Summer Undergraduate Research Program

As the size and demand for large language models (LLMs) increase, the environmental impact of computational inference often exceeds training; yet industry lacks a standardized method of calculating this expanding environmental footprint. Complexity arises with task-specific computational demands, infrastructure overhead, and various GPU architectures, making cross-model assessments burdensome. Combining environmental engineering and computer science principles by validating Jegham et al.’s meta-model, we predict the carbon emissions and water consumption during inference, providing metrics to raise user awareness of AI’s growing environmental footprint. Additional work supports integration into a multi-agent conversational system that encourages responsible scheduling and prompting, guiding the user …

Augmented Reality Application For Real-Time Coastal Data Visualization, Nithyasri Palanisamy

College of Engineering Summer Undergraduate Research Program

This project aims to develop an Augmented Reality (AR) application that overlays real-time coastal environmental data onto physical landscapes when viewed through AR devices such as smartphones and mixed reality headsets. By integrating data from machine learning models, computer vision-based event detection, coastal sensors, and geospatial mapping technologies, the application will provide users with an immersive and interactive experience, enhancing their understanding of coastal dynamics and environmental changes. The application will focus on observing coastal phenomena such as rip currents, tracking endangered coastal species and marine mammals, monitoring crowd levels on beaches, etc. Data sources will include NOAA's National Data …

A Biomimetic Fe Model Of The Human Foot For Kinematic And Footwear Analysis, Brady K. Nakamura

College of Engineering Summer Undergraduate Research Program

The idea of the present proposal is to develop a biomimetic foot model and validate the model accuracy in predicting plantar stresses on the foot, using insole pressure sensors. The incidences of foot pain can often be coupled with uncomfortable footwear and prolonged usage of a shoe may be associated with long-term musculoskeletal disorders in the lower limb. While multiple studies have tracked the progression of knee osteoarthritis (OA) or midfoot OA and have studied the effect of orthotic treatment on the foot pain across individuals [1], there are few biomimetic models of the foot that can study and associate …

Motivation And Engagement In Outreach Activities, Aurora Geisen

College of Engineering Summer Undergraduate Research Program

If the four elements of motivation and engagement are present in engineering outreach activities, does this affect the desire to become an engineer? Four elements: Autonomy, Purpose, Community, Mastery.

If the four elements of motivation and engagement are present/increased, and thereby motivation and engagement increase, do more students attending an engineering outreach event want to become engineers? If yes, then those activities where the four elements are increased/present should show an increase in students who are engaged and motivated to become engineers. If no, then the design of activities is not a major deciding factor in whether a student wants …

Hands-On Vs. Critical-Thinking Labs And Engineering Pathways: A Gender-Comparative Analysis, Stacey Rodas Duarte

College of Engineering Summer Undergraduate Research Program

The purpose of this study is to compare short-term changes in students’ interest in engineering following two instructional formats: a hands-on lab activity (metal casting) and a critical thinking based lecture/lab (bmed). Using pre and post lab surveys, we evaluated changes in student engagement, confidence, and perceptions of engineering as a potential career. We also examined whether these patterns varied by gender among middle and high school students.

Understanding The State Of Neuroinclusive Teaching, Jovita Maria Joseph

College of Engineering Summer Undergraduate Research Program

We build on prior work by others and by the PI investigating the needs and the state of support for neurodiverse students in STEM at the college level—beginning with the state of support at Cal Poly. Key questions we explore include institutional and peer support and belonging; neuroinclusive course design and the efficacy of syllabi; and the impact of low- versus high-stakes assessments on neurodiverse students. The project consists of three pillars: (1) theory—situating our research with respect to prior work; (2) empirical analysis—learning from the previous survey refining our research questions, and designing further experiments; and (3) institutional research—gathering …

Math+Cs Integrated Curriculum For K-12 Computer Science Education, Amogh Arora

College of Engineering Summer Undergraduate Research Program

This is a proposal for an activity to initiate an effort to create a series of X+CS integrated curricula for learning Computer Science (CS) in K-12. As a start, we examine Mathematics and CS standards, to find the cross-cutting concepts between the two fields. By leveraging these concepts, we bring to the foreground the ways CS can be used in the mathematical context. The goal for this research is to create a 15-week teacher training curriculum that will expose teachers to the CS concepts of Abstraction, Data Representation, Problem Comprehension and Decomposition, Control Structures, Functions and Generalization. Historically, Mathematics and …

Impact Of Composite Materials Research On Underrepresented Communities, Neil Mahesh Bedagkar, Ramanan Sritharan, Wyatt Barnes

Mechanical Engineering

This research assesses how advancements in composites material research affect communities from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, using a dual track strategy to quantitatively and qualitatively examine their impact. A keyword-based classification algorithm was applied to a sample of research papers from ScienceDirect spanning the last 24 years to quantify which engineering industries benefit most from this research. The findings indicate that the construction industry benefits the most, followed by the automotive, defense, renewable energy, and biomedical sectors. A broader qualitative analysis of the social implications of these industries was also conducted to provide context. Each sector were found to have either …

Building A Novel Question-Answering System Using Retrieval-Augmented Generation For The California Fair Political Practices Commission, Saanvi Dua

Master's Theses

The California Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) receives a high volume of inquiries via email from public officials, the general public, and other agencies, which currently requires staff to manually search through informational documents and manuals to provide timely responses. This process is both labor- and time-intensive.

To address this challenge, we design a question-answering (QA) system that drafts responses to emailed questions by retrieving relevant information from the FPPC’s manuals using a retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) framework. Although the current implementation focuses on a single manual, the system is designed to be adaptable to the broader set of FPPC documents. …

Deep Learning Framework For Option Pricing, Kyle Rytand Bistrain

Master's Theses

Accurately pricing American options with market data presents a significant challenge, as foundational models like the Black-Scholes-Merton (BSM) model rely on assumptions that deviate from real-world financial data -- such as log-normal returns, constant volatility, and no dividends -- and fail to account for the key early exercise feature of American options. While parametric models can adjust for these features, the complexity of the resulting models renders them prohibitively difficult to apply in practice for nonspecialists. In response, modern machine learning (ML) techniques provide a set of flexible and powerful alternatives, and recent research has explored the application of ML …

Enhancing Preparedness: A Genetic Study Of Sar-Cov-2 And Other Microbial Public Health Threats In Wastewater From A College Town, Christian N. Hutchinson

Master's Theses

Problem

The SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic revealed both the systemic vulnerabilities of our healthcare system as well as the importance of timely, localized data for informing public health responses. Traditional testing approaches were essential but often failed to capture the full extent of viral spread, especially in those with mild or asymptomatic conditions that relied on at home testing. This underreporting hindered effective allocation of resources and made developing effective intervention strategies difficult. We also realized the potential for wastewater surveillance to be applied to tracking antimicrobial resistance gene markers. Taken together, this approach should have important implications for improving public …

An Evaluation Of The Relationship Between Beef Cattle Grazing Activity Traits And Conception Methods During The Breeding Season, Jason Dubowsky

Master's Theses

Efficient use of native rangelands and improved reproductive success are primary objectives in beef cattle production. Grazing behavior during the breeding season may be influenced by pasture characteristics, including size and water availability, as well as physiological differences due to reproductive status. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between grazing activity and conception method in crossbred Angus cows over a 2-year period. The study was conducted during the winter months (December – February) on the Central Coast of California with a mean temperate of 53 degrees Fahrenheit. Cows (n = 76) were blocked by age and then randomly assigned …

Spatially Resolved Kinematics Of Slacs Lens Galaxies. I. Data And Kinematic Classification, Shawn Knabel, Tommaso Treu, Michele Cappellari, Anowar J. Shajib, Chih-Fan Chen, Simon Birrer, Vardha N. Bennert

Physics

We obtain spatially resolved kinematics with the Keck Cosmic Web Imager (KCWI) integral-field spectrograph for a sample of 14 massive (11 < log₁₀(M₍★₎/M☉) < 12) lensing early-type galaxies at z ∼ 0.15–0.35 from the Sloan Lens ACS (SLACS) Survey. We integrate kinematic maps within the galaxy effective radius and examine the rotational and dispersion velocities, showing that 11/14 can be classified as slow rotators. The data set is unprecedented for galaxy-scale strong lenses in terms of signal-to-noise ratio (S/N), sampling, and calibration, vastly superseding previous studies. We find the primary contributions to systematic uncertainties to be the stellar template library and wavelength range of the spectral fit. Systematics …

Anti-Ableist Teaching: Centering Disabled Perspectives In Collaborative Content-Creation, Suzanne Stolz, Toni Saia

Feminist Pedagogy

Although many service professionals (teachers, paraprofessionals, therapists, counselors) learn that disability inclusion is important, much of what they learn is still rooted in deficit terms. This paper describes why and how a collaboration of disabled scholars uses centering as a strategy in content development for an anti-ableist teaching resource website.

Transformative Pedagogy: Going Beyond An Inclusive Curriculum, Heather Mcnamee

Feminist Pedagogy

This critical commentary argues that approaches toward inclusion in higher education, particularly within curriculum design, are insufficient for creating true systemic change. While efforts to include marginalized voices in humanities curricula indicate some progress, the foundational frameworks continue to center privileged perspectives, relegating marginalized voices to mere additions rather than centralizing them. Drawing on examples from history, social studies, and anti-violence work, this commentary contends that higher education must move beyond inclusion and toward a reimagining of curriculum that critically examines and dismantles the power structures underpinning knowledge production. The commentary emphasizes the need for a curriculum that not only …

Mentoring In The Undergraduate Classroom And Beyond: Creating A Feminist Praxis, Satarupa Dasgupta

Feminist Pedagogy

In the following critical commentary, it is discussed how mentoring--- in the classroom and in academia---can be a feminist practice that comprises an essential part of being a feminist educator. Mentorship encompasses a process in which the mentor disseminates knowledge as well as psychosocial support that are perceived by the mentee as essential for professional or personal development (Sedlacek et al., 2007). Mentorship has been specifically found to fulfill professional needs for women, while enhancing their self-worth and sense of competence, and providing instances of role modeling and social affirmation (Meschitti & Lawton Smith, 2017).

De/Colonizing Education Research With Lessons From The Field, K. Kayon Morgan

Feminist Pedagogy

Academia is a reproductive site of settler colonialism (Mayorga et al., 2019) with practices and systems that exclude diverse identities. For universities to become more inclusive spaces, we must dismantle colonialist ideologies. One way is to consider alternative research approaches (Smith, 2021). This paper presents narratives from lessons in the field of research and teaching. The narrative encourages faculty and students to disrupt the status quo and normalize de/colonized research approaches in academia (Bhattacharya, 2021).

Planting Roots: A Pedagogy Of Action, Veronica Rose Popp, Danielle Phillips-Cunningham

Feminist Pedagogy

We discuss how we put feminist pedagogies into action while developing a collaborative research and writing project about Nannie Helen Burroughs (1879-1961). We also explore how our collaborative research project influenced the development of a happy, fruitful, and long-lasting research partnership that broadens the conversation about incorporating feminist teaching practices into higher education. Burroughs set students on ways to find their own pathways, affecting change in ways they found most important. We engaged in our project with similar commitments.

Teaching About Violence Against Women: Reflections On Threshold Concepts, Maddy Coy

Feminist Pedagogy

No abstract provided.

Using Classroom Response Systems For Feminist Pedagogy In Large Classes, Sarah Rainey-Smithback, Nicole Kalaf-Hughes

Feminist Pedagogy

Most practitioners using feminist pedagogy assert small, discussion-based classrooms are best suited for creating power-sharing spaces where students are co-creators of knowledge. While we do not disagree that small classes are well-matched for feminist pedagogy, we challenge the assumption that feminist pedagogy cannot be practiced in large classes. This article explores how Top Hat, a web-enabled classroom response system (CRS), can be used to facilitate feminist pedagogy in a large Introduction to Women’s Studies class. Using data on student perceptions of the CRS, as well as instructor reflections on a technology-centered feminist classroom, this work suggests CRS can be used …

Building An Inclusive Classroom: Digital Humanities (Dh) And Critical Disability Studies (Cds) In The Francophone World, Vidya H. Surti, Kaliane Ung

Feminist Pedagogy

The purpose of this co-authored article by a teacher and student is to contemplate the feminist implications of infusing Critical Disability Studies and Digital Humanities into the traditional humanities classroom. Furthermore, this article implements strategies for inclusive and flexible pedagogy. This article will contribute a case study for an interdisciplinary project of academic rigor, while mitigating student wellbeing through mechanisms of classroom autonomy.

Spatio-Temporal Variability Of San Francisco Bay Plume From Space, Piero L. F. Mazzini, Cassia Pianca, L. Fernando Pareja-Roman, Kelly L. Cole, Ryan K. Walter, Renato M. Castelao, Elias J. Hunter, Robert J. Chant

Physics

As brackish turbid waters exit San Francisco Bay, one of the largest estuaries in the U.S. West Coast, they form the San Francisco Bay Plume (SFBP), which spreads offshore and influences the Gulf of the Farallones (GoF), an ecologically significant region in the California Current System that is also home to three National Marine Sanctuaries. This paper provides the first observationally based investigation of the spatio-temporal variability of the SFBP, using a plume tracking algorithm applied to more than two decades (2002-2023) of ocean color data from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensor onboard satellites Aqua and Terra. The …

Innovating Digital Library User Experience: A Student-Led "Learn By Doing" Collaboration, Heather L. Cribbs, Camille L. Paradis, Danielle T. Daugherty

Library Scholarship

This case study presents a year-long user experience (UX) research project that redesigned Cal Poly’s Kennedy Library website for the first time in over a decade. Grounded in the university’s “Learn by Doing” pedagogy, students led all phases: identifying top user tasks, validating usability methods, and testing a WordPress prototype. The project emphasized real-world skill-building, with students serving as UX researchers, designers, and developers. Findings from a campus-wide top tasks survey shaped the development of usability tests, revealing critical pain points and guiding iterative improvements. Students conducted and analyzed usability testing with Loop11, uncovering user needs related to search functionality, …

Measurements Of Spinal Posture During Common Strawberry Picking Positions Using Inertial Measurement Units, Madeline E. Everson

Master's Theses

Physically demanding professions, such as agriculture, put people at an increased

risk for experiencing back pain. This is due to the awkward and harmful postures sustained

throughout their workday. While studies have been done demonstrating that back pain is

prevalent amongst this community, most do not collect motion capture (MoCap) data,

leaving the specifics of the kinematics, such as the amount of time spent in harmful

postures, unknown. Unfortunately, MoCap data is typically limited to that of a lab or

facility where the cameras are housed. Therefore, this study aimed to mitigate the

inaccessibility of traditional MoCap by validating that …

Owl Integrations Soil Monitor, Derek Chau, Armaan Kahlon

Electrical Engineering

This paper examines the design process and results concerning the OWL Integrations soil monitor. Disaster relief relies heavily on digital communications, especially in environments where conventional methods (e.g. Wi-Fi, cellular, fiber optics) are unusable. To help emergency services assess disaster-stricken areas, a soil monitoring system was developed using LilyGo T-Beams (ESP32), programmed with specialized firmware known as the ClusterDuck Protocol to collect data pertaining to moisture and temperature. The project is sponsored by OWL Integrations, with help from the Cal Poly Electrical Engineering (EE) Department. Results show positive prospects, with the product able to make 4 km transmissions, operate for …

A Wearable-Based Approach To Spinal Posture Tracking And Assessment, Sydney Marie Sherman, Noah Jeffery

Biomedical Engineering: Graduate Reports and Projects

This paper describes the design, manufacturing, and testing of a novel spinal posture tracking wearable device with embedded sensors. Currently on the market, most of the spinal posture tracking devices only focus on one segment of the spine and therefore do not track the entirety of human posture. The objective for this project was to create a wearable device in the form of a “smart shirt” that offers insights into posture trends throughout the day by tracking the entire spine. To begin the project, multiple designs were developed for the sensor array and wearable materials. These concepts were compared against …