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Executive Committee - Agenda, 1/6/2015, Academic Senate

Academic Senate Agendas

No abstract provided.

Executive Committee - Meeting Minutes, 1/6/2015, Academic Senate

Academic Senate Minutes

No abstract provided.

Cal Poly Appoints Parsons Vice President To Serve Two-Year Term As Visiting Cybersecurity Center Director, Public Affairs Office

Press Releases

No abstract provided.

A Is For Animal: The Animal User’S Lexicon, Joel Marks

Between the Species

In Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking Glass, Humpty Dumpty explains to Alice, “When I use a word … it means just what I choose it to mean — neither more nor less.” When Alice questions this license, Humpty Dumpty replies, “The question is … which is to be master — that’s all.” The present article offers a lexicon of words that are used by human beings, however unintentionally or ingenuously, to maintain their mastery or prerogatives over other animals. A motivating assumption of the article is that putting on display the verbal menagerie in animal agriculture, animal experimentation, and …

Aerodynamic Testing And Development Of Sunswift Eve, Simon Ambrose, Graham Doig

Aerospace Engineering

The current understanding of the aerodynamic performance of Sunswift’s solar-electric race car eVe is limited, despite the design and manufacture of the vehicle in 2012-13. This paper describes an investigation into the aerodynamic behaviour of the vehicle and details the successive design and development of drag minimisation strategies. A study of the ex­ternal airflow around the vehicle was undertaken through a computational fluid dynamics analysis, with validation offered through the results of real-world track testing. Particular reference is made to the Sunswift team’s successful long-range electric vehicle land speed record attempt on 23 July 2014. A predicted 10% reduction in …

Cold War Culture: The Social Functions Of The Cal Poly Rotc From 1953-57, Anthony Wong

The Forum: Journal of History

No abstract provided.

Religious Communities Of 1960s America, Amy Hart

The Forum: Journal of History

No abstract provided.

Man And Machine In The World Of Steam: The Emergence Of Steampunk As A Cultural Phenomeon, Solange Kiehlbauch

The Forum: Journal of History

No abstract provided.

Information For Authors

The Forum: Journal of History

No abstract provided.

Does The Production Of Isoprene Affect The Productivity Of Poplars?, Erik J. Mcfarland, Elizabeth Ann Parra, Greg Barron-Gafford, Rebecca Larkin Minor, Maggie Heard

STAR Program Research Presentations

Poplar trees are known to produce a chemical called isoprene that plays a complex, and not fully understood, role in the chemical process of photosynthesis. Understanding why plants produce isoprene and under what conditions will help scientists make more accurate predictions about poplars’ photosynthetic capabilities in future climates.

What benefit could isoprene provide a plant? The literature suggests its production could help plants tolerate heat stress. We studied two genetic lines of trees in a common garden of Populus, one line with the gene for producing isoprene and a second line without that gene. We subjected some trees of …

The Proteomic Response In The Crustacean Molting Gland Of Land Crab Gecarcinus Lateralis In Response To Artificially Induced Molting Throughout Its Molting Cycle., Andrea Reider, Talia B. Head, Lars Tomanek, Donald L. Mykles

STAR Program Research Presentations

Molting in crustaceans is a highly complex physiological process involving negative regulation by two paired endocrine glands, the X-organ/sinus gland complex (XO/SG) and the Y-organ (YO). The XO/SG complex is responsible for making molt-inhibiting hormone (MIH) which negatively regulates synthesis of molting hormones (ecdysteroids) by the YO. Eyestalk ablation (ESA) removes the source of MIH and provides an experimental means to manipulate and induce molting, although the physiological effects of ESA on the YO have not been fully characterized. Analysis of gene expression in the XOs and YOs has lead to the development of a proposed molecular signaling pathway which …

Chloroamino Acids As A Chemical Explanation For Viking Labeled Release Soil Activity On Mars, John C. Hironimus

STAR Program Research Presentations

The Viking missions to Mars, which took place in the 1970’s, performed several experiments on martian soil in an attempt to discern if there was microbial life present. In one set of experiments, a nutrient solution containing amino acids and organic substrates tagged with carbon-14 was injected into sample cells containing martian soil, and the evolution of labeled CO2 was monitored. The evolution of labeled CO2 indicated that there was a process occurring that broke down the nutrients in solution and released CO2 as a byproduct. Cellular metabolism releases CO2, so this result supported the idea of microbial life on …

Effects Of Biosphere 2 Summer Science Academy On Students' Attitudes About Science, Erica Oberg

STAR Program Research Presentations

The Biosphere 2 Summer Science Academy is a week-long residential science outreach program focused on experiential learning and research at Biosphere 2 in Arizona. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of the Biosphere 2 Summer Science Academy in influencing students’ attitudes toward science and leadership. Participants included 43 middle school students (22 male and 21 female) and 45 high school students (23 male and 22 female). A utilization-focused approach to evaluation was used in the survey design. Survey results will be used to provide feedback for future program improvement. A pre and post participant questionnaire included …

Seven Anion Comparison For The Center And West Hill Slope Systems In The Landscape Evolution Observatory (Leo) Project, Sarah C. Corrigan, Edward Hunt, Katerina Dontsova

STAR Program Research Presentations

The Landscape Evolution Observatory (LEO) consists of 3 theoretically identical, artificial hill slopes, the East, West, and Center slopes, aiming to investigate the movement of water, carbon, and energy. These slopes were designed to be identical in that they were all built to be the same size, and filled with the same amount of the same ‘soil’, which is actually granular basalt with loamy sand properties, with some small clay particle fractions to enhance its ability to hold water and for chemical weathering. With such a complex soil mixture, however, the geochemical differences between slopes at a given …

Stability Of Lidocaine Tested By Forced Degradation And Its Interactions With Serum Albumin, Lindsay Nichols

STAR Program Research Presentations

A concern for future long-term manned space expeditions is the ability to treat illnesses with appropriate pharmaceuticals. However, pharmaceuticals degrade faster in space than on Earth presumably due to an abundance of space radiation. The stability of Lidocaine was investigated because it is a common pain reliever currently used on the International Space Station. One of the most common proteins in blood is serum albumin, which acts as a carrier to distribute drugs throughout the body. It is important to know how well the drug binds to serum albumin so that the rate of distribution of Lidocaine-bound protein in blood …

Tropical Wetlands As A Dominant Driver Of Long-Term Atmospheric Methane Changes, Carrie Ann Sharitt, Ed Dlugokencky

STAR Program Research Presentations

Atmospheric methane has important indirect and direct contributions to climate. It has a radiative forcing of 0.5 W/m2 which is second only to carbon dioxide. It is also important in atmospheric chemistry by affecting the oxidizing capacity of the atmosphere. The main sources of methane to the atmosphere are known but the relative contributions of each source have large uncertainties. Atmospheric measurements are used to try to understand methane’s budget of emissions and losses. Approximately 2/3 of methane emissions are from anthropogenic sources (fossil fuel exploitation, ruminant animals, landfills, and rice agriculture) and about 1/3 are from natural sources (wetlands, …

Fabrication And Characterization Of A Vertically-Oriented Graphene Supercapacitor, Patrick R. Rice, Jiaxin Cui, Ahmad Badr, Michael M. Oye, Jessica E. Koehne, Meyya Meyyappan

STAR Program Research Presentations

Supercapacitors, otherwise known as electrical double layer capacitors, are a new type of electrochemical capacitor whose storage capacity is governed by two principals: the electrostatic storage achieved by a separation of charge at the interface of an electrode with an electrolytic solution, and pseudocapacitance, whose electrical energy is achieved by faradaic redox reactions. This project reports the synthesis and characterization of vertically-oriented graphene grown on copper substrates as electrodes in electric double-layer capacitor. Graphene is a two-dimensional pure carbon material with a high potential for energy storage. With vertically-grown graphene, an exponentially-larger surface area is made available, allowing an increase …

Detection Of Catecholamines Produced In Planktonic P. Aeruginosa And S. Aureus Treated With Adult Bovine Serum, Jorge A. Serrano, Anil Serrano, Shaleni Singh, Jaime Fuentes, Robert Crawford Dr., Rivkah Isseroff, Thomas Peavy

STAR Program Research Presentations

Bacterial biofilms play a critical role in inducing and sustaining chronic wounds that are serious health threats. Bacterial biofilms can also be found on medical prosthetics and implants that sustain infections in patients and cause life threatening situations. Bacteria self-produce these sticky extracellular substances termed a biofilm which help them to adhere to each other forming a community of microorganisms. One of the major issues is that biofilms have antimicrobial characteristics and provide protection from the immune system; biofilms are found in over 80% of human bacterial infections. Formation of a bacterial biofilm occurs when an individual (planktonic) bacterial cell …

Fall 2015 Class Schedule, Office Of The Registrar

Class Schedules

No abstract provided.

Fall 2015 Final Exam Schedule, Office Of The Registrar

Final Exam Schedules

No abstract provided.

Spring 2015 Final Exam Schedule, Office Of The Registrar

Final Exam Schedules

No abstract provided.

Winter 2015 Final Exam Schedule, Office Of The Registrar

Final Exam Schedules

No abstract provided.

Cal Poly Float Wins Lathrop K. Leishman Trophy At 2015 Rose Parade, Public Affairs Office

Press Releases

No abstract provided.

Subversion Of The Transgender Gaze Through Cisnormativity, Debra Beight

sprinkle: an undergraduate journal of feminist and queer studies

This paper analyzes Halberstam’s interpretation of the transgender gaze as it applies to the character portrayal of Brandon Teena in the film Boys Don’t Cry. An oppositional approach examines the idea of a cisgender gaze that compromises the subjectivity of not only the character of Brandon but extending to dismissiveness towards trans identity as a whole. Dissecting the reveal scene from the film highlights Halberstam’s process of the transgender gaze and allows for a focus on cisgender interpretation and demands that illustrate cisnormative expectations on trans bodies and behaviors. Connecting these demands is the concept of abjection as described by …

“I Didn’T Think You Could Be Any More Butch”: Gender Performance, Expressions Of Masculinity And Rape In Veronica Mars, Chelsee Bergen

sprinkle: an undergraduate journal of feminist and queer studies

No abstract provided.

The Case Of M.C. – An Argument For Legal, Medical, And Social Recognition Of Ambiguity, Debra Beight

sprinkle: an undergraduate journal of feminist and queer studies

This paper is an examination of the interconnectedness of juridical, medical, and social constructs surrounding intersex/DSD (Difference/Disorder of Sex Development) sex assignment surgeries. Looking at a pending court case involving a child that was in state custody at the time of their sex assignment surgery, we can observe the influences of the medical industry’s tendency to treat intersex conditions like disabilities, as sites of therapeutic interventions. These pathologized intrusions become government-sanctioned interventions that are supported by, and in turn bolster, societal expectations of conformity and normalcy.

Liberation Is Not Wearing A Bra To The Gym, Maggie Deagon

sprinkle: an undergraduate journal of feminist and queer studies

No abstract provided.

Grotesque Bodies: Transsexuals’ Struggle For Truth In Iran, Marie Lecuyer

sprinkle: an undergraduate journal of feminist and queer studies

Many western commentators have been shocked by the legislation addressing transsexual’s’ right to transitioning and sex reassignment surgery in a strictly-gendered regulated county like Iran. As if all of a sudden Iran rose among countries of the Middle East as a paradise for transsexuals. Other recurrent narratives depicted the Iranian members of the LGBT community as victims of a purely theocratic and authoritarian regime, forcing non-gender normative individuals to change sex to fit in society. Rather, the space given to transsexuals now allowed to function more freely and be at peace with themselves reshapes the LGBT community’s relation to the …

Between Autonomy And Alienation: Creating The Self Via Sex-Reassignment Surgery, Annthony M. Duffey

sprinkle: an undergraduate journal of feminist and queer studies

Upon a consideration of self-creation and the introduction of the gender binary a potential limiter of autonomy, sexQreassignment surgery (SRS) beckons significant reconsideration by the biomedical/ethical field, ranging from the transpersons who undergo it to the preoperative processes that oversee it. Autonomy does not underlie a majority of SRS on prevailing biomedical hypotheses; SRS is granted to those candidates who report symptoms of dysfunction and denied to candidates who do not confirm such suspicions. This research proposes that, upon his or her failure or refusal to demonstrate some understanding of the potentially limiting influence of the gender binary, a candidate …

Effects Of School Curriculum On Sexual Health, Emma Sturm

sprinkle: an undergraduate journal of feminist and queer studies

Surveys indicate that, when asked directly, women have positive perceptions of their vaginas and perceive vaginal, sexual, and reproductive health as important. However, when asked about their actual habits relating to vaginal health, women’s answers seemed to suggest the opposite. This disconnect between perceptions and practice suggest there may be some societal influence keeping the women from carrying out their health maintenance as well as they would like to. This paper examines the role schools play in controlling women’s sexuality, which may be contributing to the lack of accessibility to vaginal, sexual, and reproductive health.