Digital Commons Network^™

Validation Of Mobile Devices In Arbitrary Locations Against Force Plate Standard For Balance Assessment, German J. Ellsworth

Master's Theses

With balance assessment being essential to the prediction of fall risk and detection and assessment of motor disorders, increasing clinical accessibility to objective balance metrics is essential. Work has been done validating center of mass (COM) acceleration metrics against well regarded force plate center of pressure (COP) position standards for mobile device data acquisition systems, but most research is restricted to devices being close to the COM or strapped in a harness configuration. Through the use of rigid body kinematics and the inverted pendulum model, this study develops novel methodology for calculating COM acceleration using mobile devices in arbitrary positions, …

Barriers To And Solutions For Fuel Treatments In The Central California Coast Ranges, Sierra Dawn Lyman

Master's Theses

In recent years, the Western United States has experienced an increase in fire activity due to multiple factors, including anthropogenic climate change, historical forest management focused on suppression, and the expanding wildland urban interface (WUI). In response, California is working to accelerate the pace and scale of forest management and fire hazard reduction efforts. Although fuel treatment projects are being implemented, they often encounter various barriers. While existing literature highlights these barriers, it tends to overlook the solutions being applied in practice to overcome them. Using an ethnographic approach that includes key informant interviews and participant observation in four sites …

A Data-Driven Framework For Analyzing And Predicting Social Media Engagement During Rumor Propagation, Joseph E. Faza

Master's Theses

The spread of rumors on social media has become a significant concern, as platforms like X (formerly known as Twitter) enable rapid dissemination of unverified information. These rumors can shape public perception and behavior, making it crucial to understand the dynamics of their spread. The main objective of this study is to explore how users interact with rumor-related tweets and identify key factors that predict tweet engagement. By analyzing tweets from seven different rumor events, this research aims to uncover patterns in user engagement and provide insights into the spread of misinformation. The study utilized a dataset of tweets from …

Of Geese And Grass: Investigating Impacts Of Brant Grazing On Eeelgrass, Dakota L. Osborne

Master's Theses

Grazing pressure is important in structuring plant communities, particularly in aquatic environments. Eelgrass (Zostera marina), a keystone species in estuaries across North America, is experiencing widespread population declines. As a keystone species, eelgrass provides numerous important functions, including: 1) water filtration, 2) sediment stabilization, 3) providing refuge and nursery habitat for numerous species, and 4) carbon sequestration. Benefits which could be lost if eelgrass beds continue to diminish. California has experienced some of the greatest eelgrass declines, and Morro Bay, CA experienced a 96% decrease in eelgrass from 2007 to 2017. Most studies to date have examined bottom-up …

Representation Theory Arising From Groups In Physics, Jaxon Green

Master's Theses

A representation is a group homomorphism whose image is a group of invertible matrices. Representations and their associated matrices are analyzed through well-established techniques from linear algebra. We characterize representations by a unique decomposition into irreducible representations just as we characterize the decomposition of matrices into their eigenspaces. Through the study of these representations, we uncover mathematical relationships that underlie groups with physical applications. Due to physical symmetries, we study how the irreducible representations of groups that embody the actions of even the most basic rotations are utilized in the computation of irreducible representations groups that reflect more complicated mechanics, …

Assessment Of Dune Change Using Historical Aerial And Satellite Photos, Topographic Surveys, And Wave Data At Toro Creek Beach, Owen D. Emerson

Master's Theses

Coastal sand dunes play an important role in the littoral processes of California’s coastline. Functioning as both source and sink for sand, these dunes often protect coastal infrastructure and provide a buffer between anthropogenic development and coastal forces. At Toro Creek Beach, north of Morro Bay California, recent extreme winter storms have raised concerns about the erosion of the sand dunes that front California State Highway 1. This thesis attempts to characterize the historical growth and recession patterns of the Toro Creek dunes since 1977, the dune movement over the 2023-2024 winter seasons, the wave forcings behind recent high erosion …

Seal Counting On Our Plages (S.C.O.O.P.), Kaanan Kharwa

Master's Theses

The Vertebrate Integrative Physiology (VIP) lab monitors the population of northern elephant seals at the largest mainland breeding colony, located at Piedras Blancas (San Simeon, CA). As the population expands, more human-seal interactions and conflicts over land use occur. The VIP lab's work informs California State Parks and helps with the management of the rookery. Currently, members of the VIP lab fly a drone over the beaches, capture multiple images, and manually count the seals, which takes around 14 to 21 hours of analysis per survey. Machine learning methods such as Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) and Region-based Convolutional Neural Networks …

Enabling Emg-Based Silent Speech Transcription Through Speech-To-Text Transfer Learning, Alexander T. Garcia

Master's Theses

In recent years, advances in deep learning have allowed various forms of electrographic signals, such as electroencephalography (EEG) and electromyography (EMG), to be used as a viable form of input in artificial intelligence applications, particularly for applications in the medical field. One such topic that EMG inputs have been used is in silent speech interfaces, or devices capable of processing speech without an audio-based input. The goal of this thesis is to explore a novel method of training a machine learning model to be used for silent speech interface development: using transfer learning to leverage a pre-trained speech recognition model …

Creatures And Clans: The Symbolic Significance Of Animal Imagery In Jacob's Blessings And Beyond, Gregory S. Szarycz

Between the Species

This article delves into the symbolic significance of animals in the blessings of Jacob, particularly focusing on Genesis 49:1-28. It explores the nuanced portrayal of various animals and their characteristics, shedding light on the author’s keen observation of nature and its integration into the biblical narrative. Drawing on scholarly insights and biblical commentary, the article analyzes the use of animal metaphors to delineate the distinctive traits of each tribe as described in Jacob’s blessings. Through a comparative study of zoological characteristics and biblical symbolism, the article elucidates the deeper meanings embedded within these blessings and their relevance to understanding the …

As-980-24 Resolution On The Commendation Of Keith Humphrey, Vice President For Student Affairs, 2012-24, Executive Committee

Academic Senate Resolutions

Resolves that the Cal Poly Academic Senate commends and thanks Keith Humphrey for his commitment and dedication to the well-being, development, and success of Cal Poly students who, thanks to his tireless efforts, are 'Ready Day One' as professionals and as positive members of their communities.

As-981-24 Resolution On The Proposed Integration Of California State University (Csu) Maritime Academy And California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, Executive Committee

Academic Senate Resolutions

Resolves that the Academic Senate of Cal Poly encourages the California State University’s Chancellor’s Office, the CSU Board of Trustees, and the administrations of both Cal Poly and Cal Maritime to engage in transparent and frequent consultation with the senates, faculty, staff, and student governments at each campus, and it further resolves that the CSU Chancellor’s Office, the CSU Board of Trustees, and the administrations of both Cal Poly and Cal Maritime recognize the respective expertise of each campuses’ senates, faculty, staff, and student governments regarding curriculum, academic calendar planning, resource allocation and planning, policy implementation, facilities use and management, …

As-982-24 Resolution On The Proposed 14-Week Trimester Calendar And Year-Round Operations, Executive Committee

Academic Senate Resolutions

Resolves that the Academic Senate objects to the proposed 14-week term length, which is presented in the 2026-2027 Academic Calendar, because it implements symmetrical fall, winter, and spring term lengths that modify, without senate consultation and approval, the sixteen-week fall and spring semester term lengths and asymmetrical summer term in AS-942-22; and further resolves that the Academic Senate strongly encourages the administration to postpone the adoption of symmetric trimesters proposed in the 2026-2027 Academic Calendar until Cal Poly has had the opportunity to institute the Quarter to Semester transition as it originally was mandated by the Chancellor’s Office in 2021, …

Executive Committee - Minutes, 8/26/2024, Academic Senate

Academic Senate Minutes

No abstract provided.

Executive Committee - Agenda, 8/26/2024, Academic Senate

Academic Senate Agendas

No abstract provided.

Balance Assessment Using A Handheld Smartphone With Principal Component Analysis For Anatomical Calibration, Evan C. Anthony, Olivia K. Kam, Stephen M. Klisch, Scott Hazelwood, Britta Berg-Johansen

Biomedical Engineering

Most balance assessment studies using inertial measurement units (IMUs) in smartphones use a body strap and assume the alignment of the smartphone with the anatomical axes. To replace the need for a body strap, we have used an anatomical alignment method that employs a calibration maneuver and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) so that the smartphone can be held by the user in a comfortable position. The objectives of this study were to determine if correlations existed between angular velocity scores derived from a handheld smartphone with PCA functional alignment vs. a smartphone placed in a strap with assumed alignment, and …

2024: An Ai Odyssey, Margaret A. Murray

Feminist Pedagogy

This critical commentary examines the potential implications of artificial intelligence (AI) on feminist pedagogy. Drawing on the work of Wellner and Rothman (2020), Toupin (2023), and Adam (1995), this paper considers how AI could be used to advance feminist pedagogy, but raises a series of concerns as well. Challenges to critical thinking and motivating students are raised. Finally, the paper concludes by arguing for bringing AI and conversations about its use into the classroom in a way that is mindful of its potential and limits.

A Review Of "Feminist Designer: On The Personal And The Political In Design", Camila Afanador-Llach

Feminist Pedagogy

No abstract provided.

Carceral Liberalism: Feminist Voices Against State Violence, Andrea Michaels

Feminist Pedagogy

The following book review of Shreerekha Pillai’s Carceral Liberalism: Feminist Voices against State Violence (2023) is an expansive and timely collection of essays on the carceral state in its implications for feminist educators. This review focuses on the connections and connectivity of two essays in the collection that attempt to address a minor examination of the person as political.

Book Review: The Trouble With White Women, Kristen Desjarlais-Deklerk

Feminist Pedagogy

No abstract provided.

Anti-Oppressive Pedagogy & Cultural Humility: An Intersectional Faculty Development, R. Danielle Scott, Elizabeth A. Harsma

Feminist Pedagogy

No abstract provided.

The Dildo Question: When Sex Positivity And Patriarchy Clash In The Classroom, Kate Maddalena

Feminist Pedagogy

This Critical Commentary describes how sex positivity can be a Trojan Horse for uncritical and toxic behavior in the classroom and suggests a pedagogical approach to help avoid the co-opting of sex positive ideologies for patriarchal power.

Lessons From A First Year Seminar: Teaching “Mean Girls” To Become “Nasty Women”, Elif S. Armbruster Phd

Feminist Pedagogy

This essay explores what happened in a First Year Seminar on "Nasty Women in American Literature" when a group of students, instead of embracing the strength and independence that the phrase "nasty woman" came to embody, turned into a group of "mean girls"--led by a "queen bee"--and dominated the course through alliance-building, gossip, and distraction. The Suffolk University English professor teaching the course explains the challenging environment that ensured and what she learned from the experience, enabling her to make important changes in her teaching of the course the following semester.

Interprofessional Collaboration As A Feminist Pedagogy: A Call For The Unsettling Of Care In Health Professions Education, Ivana Guarrasi, Rhonda Cornell, Sally Clemenson

Feminist Pedagogy

No abstract provided.

A Commentary On The Challenges Of Feminist Pedagogy From The Perspective Of Graduate Student Instructors, Megan Y. Phillips, Emily L. Tingle, Kaitlyn P. Hall, Rachel Allison

Feminist Pedagogy

This critical commentary addresses feminist pedagogy for graduate student instructors in the context of the Department of Sociology at Mississippi State University, a public 4-year university in the South. We cite the phenomenon of the neo-liberalization of the university as a disadvantage for feminist pedagogy, specifically as tests the ability of graduate student instructors of record to experiment with pedagogical practices. We illustrate moments of disempowerment and frustration within the institution, as well as ways that we have combatted the challenges of engaging with feminist pedagogy as graduate student instructors.

Feminist Iterations Of “The Implosion”: New Techniques For Teaching About Science, Technology, And Society Through The “Implosion Project”, Maya Cruz

Feminist Pedagogy

This article outlines a new and explicitly feminist iteration of Professor Joseph Dumit’s (2014) “Implosion Project.” The “Implosion Project” is a classic pedagogical technique used widely in the field of Science and Technology Studies as an innovative way to teach students to critically engage with the complex relationships of science, technology, and society, and provides an important opportunity to center an explicitly feminist pedagogical approach when teaching students about the systems of power that shape, and are shaped by, the complex relationships between science, technology, and society. Since the “Implosion Project” does not center an explicitly feminist pedagogical approach, this …

College Students Learn How To “Take Action!” To Disrupt Racial Microaggressions, Justine N. Egan-Kunicki, Renee N. Saris-Baglama

Feminist Pedagogy

The topic of prejudice and discrimination may be addressed in a variety of disciplines. When these topics are discussed in the classroom, students may not recognize microaggressions as acts of explicit or implicit prejudice. We designed and evaluated an Apply and Take Action! assignment to help students recognize microaggressions and learn techniques to disrupt them. Students were asked to identify definitions, key terms, and examples of microaggressions and microinterventions, and apply this knowledge to address a hypothetical scenario. Students favorably evaluated and recommended the assignment’s use. This assignment may benefit students who are targets of microaggressions, as well as those …

Undergraduate Student Process Reflections On Utilizing Photovoice To Learn Principles Of Feminist Research, Rachel C. Ormsbee, Ashtyn Winchell, Jenny English, Allie Martian, Molly L. Craig, Nikki M. Michaels, Amanda Haab, Abigail Girardot, Lauren Winter, Penelope Reed, Clare J. Hendricks, Alison Gaarsland, Elizabeth H. D'Amico, Alysah K. Southworth, Lilyanna Blevins, Tricia Saam, Genevieve R. Cox

Feminist Pedagogy

Photovoice is a qualitative research method often applied within participatory action research (PAR). Photovoice centers on the experiences and perspectives of its research participants, who capture photographs and develop narratives highlighting their communities’ strengths and concerns from their individual lens. Due to its connections with and development from feminist theories, Photovoice offers pedagogical potential in teaching feminist research principles. This article explores student process reflections on the application of Photovoice as a qualitative investigative method in an undergraduate capstone course where students act as the researchers. Integral to the course was the analysis of existing research, critical discussion, and Photovoice …

Gps Accuracy Of Smartphones For Crowdsourcing Research, Derron L. Dike

Master of Science in Environmental Sciences and Management Projects

ABSTRACT GPS Accuracy of Smartphones for Crowdsourcing Research Derron Dike Utilizing crowdsourcing with smartphones as a method for field data collection can contribute an array of data for scientific studies and land management applications. This study used crowdsourcing to examine smartphone built-in GPS performance for providing location-specific information with potential forestry applications. The usability of smartphones for GPS data collection in forestry studies or other practical applications is dependent on the level of accuracy required for those applications. A Smartphone Accuracy Trial was designed to test the GPS accuracy performance of current smartphones. Participants used the ArcGIS Field Maps application …

Power Controller For Insulated Solar Electric Cooker, Ryan Koshy, Justin Tae-Hoon Kim

Electrical Engineering

Insulated Solar Electric Cookers, or ISECookers, are devices created to aid those in impoverished regions improve safety, sustainability, and quality of life regarding their cooking practices. ISECookers present an alternative to traditional biofuel/biomass energy sources and provide a closed-loop, self-sustaining system that can be used in a variety of environments. These devices present solutions to widespread issues such as pollution, deforestation, and hazardous emissions as a result of traditional cooking in developing regions around the world. A notable obstacle of these devices is power delivery. Given the varying conditions experienced by a solar panel (inclement weather, irradiance irregularities, etc.), it …

Modeling, Simulation, And Experimental Testing Of A Single-Legged Hopper, John Anthony Bennett

Master's Theses

Legged robots are well-suited for navigating unstructured terrain due to their ability to perform agile dynamic motions. Building on the efforts of Cal Poly's Legged Robotics Group, this project focuses on achieving stable forward hopping with a single legged robot.

A comprehensive model of leg hopping is formulated, with leg dynamics during flight and stance phases derived using Euler-Lagrange equations. During the stance phase, a spring-mass system models the leg-ground interaction. The touchdown and lift-off conditions are formulated mathematically, and state mappings between phases are determined via momentum conservation. A two-phase hybrid controller is designed, incorporating trajectory planning during flight …