Digital Commons Network^™

Conversational Social Robot, Julianna M. Christopoulos, Mackenzie Goldman, Cece E. Hujanen, Jared Hunter

Mechanical Engineering

Background: Social robots are used in various settings to reduce burden on human workers and expand opportunities for people in need of assistance.

Challenge: Design a humanoid robot head and torso capable of holding conversations and interacting with a user using a LLM and motion. Conversations are limited to discussing Cal Poly resources and opportunities with visitors to the Bently Research Center on campus.

Scitechatorium, Olivia Lafferty, Yvonne Brien Miller, Colton Swinth, Savannah Pinheiro, Gage Heinze

Mechanical Engineering

Bellevue Santa-Fe Charter School (Bellevue) is a K6th grade public charter elementary school in Avila Beach, California. The primary focus at Bellevue is fostering unique learning experiences, empowering students through project-based learning, and engaging students in creative endeavors. Following these themes, the school has allocated space and funding for an on-campus science and technology museum known as the SciTechatorium. The museum is currently open during students’ lunch period, providing interactive displays on concepts in human biology, nature and wildlife, physics, and electronics. Bellevue’s K-6th grade science teacher, Christian Strauli, and Bellevue parent volunteers are primarily responsible for the museum’s upkeep …

Combustion Liner Optimization, William Weeks, Daniel Reed, Isaac Trull

Mechanical Engineering

Solar Turbines provides gas power generation solutions, focusing on gas turbine engines and compressors. The Gas Turbine Products Engineering (GTPE) team at Solar Turbines needs a way to efficiently and cost-effectively maintain the combustion liner of the Taurus model gas turbine at or below the cold-side temperature target. The current system involves a manufacturing process with ergonomic concerns and uncertain cooling effectiveness.

To address this, our team proposed a new combustion liner system featuring impingement cooling. We provided Solar Turbines with heat transfer models of both the existing and proposed designs, demonstrating improved cooling performance. Additionally, a prototype of the …

Tread: A Digital Solution For Sustainable Travel, Audrey Claire Talmi, Amy Besford

Graphic Communication

This senior project aims to create an eco-tourism website that promotes sustainable and ethical travel by connecting users with local businesses, communities, and culturally respectful experiences. As mainstream tourism increasingly contributes to environmental degradation and social displacement, this platform will provide responsible alternatives by avoiding over-touristed destinations and favoring underrepresented areas. It will allow users to book flights, lodging, and activities while educating them on the consequences of over-tourism. Through a combination of intuitive user interface, thoughtful user experience, engaging visual design, and curated educational content, the website will serve not only as a booking platform but as a digital …

Seattle's New Edition, Kyle Gray

Graphic Communication

My project is to create and develop the branding of the NBA's newest franchise: The Seattle Grunge. Grunge is a genre of alternative rock that emerged in the mid-1980s particularly in the city of Seattle. With my team, I am looking for seamless cohesion with other logos in the Association while establishing an emotional connection between the fanbase and its city. The project will consist of a complete creation of the team’s logo/branding, court, 3 jersey designs (home/away/city connect), merchandise, season ticket packaging, and a full marketing report (team logo exposure/connection to the city).

A Digital Dive: Redesigning The Cabrillo High School Aquarium Website, Jacob V. Cacho

Graphic Communication

Tucked away on the Central Coast in Lompoc, you’ll find the Cabrillo High School (CHS) Aquarium. Started in 1986, the CHS Aquarium is the only high school aquarium of its kind in the nation run entirely by high school students. This 10,000+ square foot aquarium serves an underserved community at a Title I school, where students manage all aspects of animal care, nutrition, breeding, educational curriculum development, and visitor tours.

This program is truly one-of-a-kind and deserves the spotlight for just how unique it is. As a CHS graduate, I felt the current website lacked in many areas and could …

Style Guides For Individualized Branding And User Experience, Paige N. Stainsby

Graphic Communication

The increase of digital platforms has led to more competition and brand saturation, making it harder for users to distinguish between companies online. This essay explores how the Aesthetic-Usability Effect influences user perception, particularly for lesser-known organizations. From interviews with professionals in UX/UI Design and Content Design, I examined how to create a wholistic style guide that can sustain longevity within a company as well as garner trust and engagement amongst users. The interviews highlighted the importance of consistent, accessible design systems and consistent communication within teams. These insights offer practical implications for designers working to differentiate brands in crowded …

Truehue: Finding The Right Shade For You, Rania Price

Graphic Communication

Six in ten women struggle to find the right foundation or concealer due to the lack of representation and unreliable color-matching tools. This highlights the need for a more inclusive solution in the beauty industry. Introducing TrueHue—an innovative app prototype designed to address the widespread challenge of accurate color matching. TrueHue leverages Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) AI technology to provide precise, personalized makeup shade recommendations. Users begin by selecting their skin type, desired price range, and type of product they’re seeking. The app then captures a full-face image to analyze undertones and overall skin tone. TrueHue recommends the best shade …

Ray Collection: Forging A New Fashion Genre, Olivia R. Cooper

Graphic Communication

This senior project addresses a gap in the fashion industry by creating a new genre through a unique collection and comprehensive branding. The "RAY" collection draws inspiration from the designer's artistic roots and is a deeply personal homage to influential female artists like Frida Kahlo, Louise Bourgeois, and Leonora Carrington, whose works have inspired the designer's creative journey. Each piece in the collection draws direct inspiration from these artists, reflecting the creator's vision and self-expression, a key element of the streetwear genre incorporated into the designs.

The project also heavily emphasizes fashion branding, encompassing a logo, brand identity, social and …

Digitalizing Organization: Creating A Digital And Customizable Bullet Journal, Ashley Ho

Graphic Communication

This project presents a digital, customizable bullet journal designed to improve organization, creativity, and accessibility. Using a user-centered design approach and principles of design thinking, the planner addresses common barriers to traditional journaling, such as time-consuming setup and lack of flexibility. Based on survey feedback, the final product includes a 2026 calendar, habit trackers, budgeting tools, and customizable weekly spreads in a print-friendly PDF format. The project highlights how digital tools can enhance personal productivity and well-being, with broader applications in UX/UI design and digital wellness solutions.

Project Cheetah: Narrative Website Design For The Cheetah, A Record-Breaking Human-Powered Vehicle, Natalie Olivia Garbarino

Graphic Communication

The Cheetah is a 1992 world speed record-breaking bike designed and built by three mechanical engineering graduates from UC Berkeley: Jon Garbarino, James Osborn, and Kevin Frantz. After years on display at the Tech Interactive in San Jose, the bike is returning home to Berkeley’s engineering school for public display. In accompaniment of the exhibit, the Cheetah engineering team requested printed signage with a QR access to a comprehensive website detailing the Cheetah narrative. There is an abundance of media from the engineering process — extensive photographic documentation, substantial archival documents, reputable external media coverage, and an in-progress docuseries — …

Smart Choices, Strong Voices: Empowering The Next Generation, Alexandra J. Bruce-Valverde

Graphic Communication

Smart Choices, Strong Voices (SCSV) is a financial and voter education pamphlet for students that is easy to understand and unbiased and helps to create a more financially and politically literate generation. The expectation for young adults in today's current world is for us to be able to make well-informed decisions about finances and politics. However, when we are constantly bombarded by misinformation and lack easy access to reliable, accessible education in these topics, these expectations become unreasonable. Exposure to this misinformation affects how we show up for ourselves and our democracy. As our world becomes more and more politically …

Analyzing “Sex Ed: The College Edition” - A Comprehensive Workshop Increasing Sexual Literacy On Cal Poly’S Campus, Merav Tzori

Kinesiology and Public Health

"Sex-Education: The College Edition", is a comprehensive and interactive workshop based on Cal Poly student data collected via survey. The workshop aimed to address sexual health knowledge and behavior gaps in the student population and provide sexual education about anatomy, barrier methods, contraception, STIs, and more. The following paper discusses the creation, execution, and efficacy of the workshop that was conducted with seven student groups.

The Application Of Behavior Analytic Strategies For Latino Catholic Mass To Increase Accessibility For Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Andrea Canelo Serrano

Research Papers

No abstract provided.

A Polarized View Of The Young Pulsar Wind Nebula 3c 58 With Ixpe, N. Bucciantini, J. Wong, R. W. Romani, F. Xie, C. Y. Ng, S. Silvestri, N. Di Lalla, Y. J. Yang, S. Zhang, P. Slane, W. T. Ye, M. Pilia, N. Omodei, M. Negro

Faculty Publications

Pulsar wind nebulae (PWNe) are among the most efficient particle accelerators in the Universe; however, the physical conditions and magnetic geometry in their inner regions remain poorly understood. X-ray polarization now provides a unique opportunity to investigate the magnetic field structure and turbulence properties close to the sites where high energy particles are accelerated. Here, we report on recent X-ray polarization measurements of the PWN 3C 58 by the International X-ray Polarimeter Explorer (IXPE). 3C 58 is a young system that displays a characteristic jet-torus structure that, unlike those in other PWNe, is observed almost edge-on. This nebula exhibits a …

Blueprint For A Youth Violence Intervention Program In East Baton Rouge Parish: Adapting Hospital-Based Strategies, Kristina G. Little, Elizabeth Winchester, Judith L F Rhodes

Reports

Youth violence in East Baton Rouge Parish remains a persistent public safety and public health challenge. This report proposes an adapted, evidence-informed model for East Baton Rouge Parish that retains the core components of traditional HVIPs while leveraging existing legal, hospital, and social service resources. The model is grounded in a public health framework and emphasizes trauma-informed, bedside intervention at the “teachable moment” when youth are most receptive to change, and long-term wraparound case management. The report concludes with recommendations for implementing this adapted approach, including identifying a health system champion, building referral protocols, embedding training, and developing a long-term …

Research Newsletter Faculty Of Arts & Sciences: Issue Iv, Faculty Of Arts And Sciences

Faculty of Arts and Sciences Archives

• Research Newsletter
• RISE Programme
• Early Career Faculty Support
• Grant Writing
• Community-Based Water Management
• Climate Change Projects
• Student Internships
• AHRC Network Workshop
• Dr. Nichola Khan
• Grants Consultant
• Mishal Hammad Saeed

Understanding Garden Resource Use By Low-Income Families With Children, Mai Thao, Rita S. Stephenson, Katherine R. Arlinghaus, Abby L. Gold

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

Home gardens are an important supplemental source of food for many families and provide multiple health benefits. However, the practice of gardening may be more challenging for low-income families with limited access to gardening resources. The University of Minnesota Extension offers gardening resources, but it is unclear how these resources are used by low-income families with children. Aim 1 of the project was to understand access to and use of Extension and other vegetable gardening resources by low-income families with children. Aim 2 of the project was to develop a set of recommendations for improving access to existing resources and …

Understanding Perspectives On Nonstructural Strategies In Louisiana's Southwest Coastal Project, Fenstermaker, Restore The Mississippi River Delta, Uno-Chart

CHART Publications

The Southwest Coastal Louisiana Storm Risk Management and Ecosystem Restoration Project (referred to as the SW Coastal project) is a project run by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) to reduce hurricane and storm damage risk in a 4,700 square mile area located in Calcasieu, Cameron, and Vermilion Parishes. Due to the low elevation, flat terrain, and proximity to the Gulf of Mexico in these Parishes, the people, economy, environment and cultural heritage are at risk of flooding from tidal surge and waves from tropical storms. Land subsidence, combined with sea-level rise, is expected to increase the potential for …

Measuring Collective Impact Of Extension Programs Addressing Substance Use And Mental Health, Omolola A. Adedokun, Olumuyiwa M. Desmennu, Alex Elswick, Nichole Huff, Brooke Jenkins, Katherine Jury, Heather Norrman-Burgdolf

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

Extension excels at working across program areas and disciplinary boundaries inside and outside land-grant institutions to address complex social issues within communities. However, evaluation of the collective impact of these concerted programmatic initiatives remains a persistent challenge for Extension. To better understand the broader impact of Extension’s cohesive, concurrent response to complex issues such as substance use and mental health, there is a need to shift from isolated evaluations of individual or single Extension programs to a focus on collective impact assessment. This article describes the University of Kentucky Extension planning process and outputs of a collective impact evaluation initiative …

Assessing Solar Photovoltaic Accessibility And Social Vulnerability In Santa Clara, Andréa Georgenes

Silicon Valley Power Sustainable Futures Program

The City of Santa Clara is expanding its solar photovoltaic (PV) infrastructure to meet ambitious climate goals, aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2035 [1]. While solar energy is a clean, increasingly affordable alternative to fossil fuels, adoption remains uneven. Low-income households and communities of color continue to face barriers to access, highlighting a critical need to align clean energy goals with equity strategies.

Multiplicity As An Ai Governance Principle, Michal Shur-Ofry

Indiana Law Journal

As AI becomes increasingly embedded in our daily lives, this Article explores one of its critical, yet overlooked, societal implications: the propensity of large language models (LLMs) to generate mainstream, standardized content, potentially narrowing their users’ worldviews.

Taking a close look at the technological underpinnings of LLMs, the analysis suggests that—due to the combination of human judgments, training datasets, and inherent features of the underlying technological paradigm—LLMs’ outputs are likely to be geared toward the popular and to project to their users concentrated, mainstream worldviews, sidelining a broader spectrum of perspectives. This Article explores the asymmetrical power relations between LLMs …

Unpacking Open Source Bio, Jorge L. Contreras

Indiana Law Journal

For at least a quarter of a century, life science researchers around the world have undertaken initiatives loosely based on principles, goals, and institutional structures derived from the open source software (OSS) movement—approaches that I term “open source bio.” Yet open source bio lacks a clear definition and set of guiding principles. Given public calls for greater openness in life science research, it is useful to understand how open source bio projects have fared over the past quarter century: how they were structured, what they hoped to achieve, and, as social and policy experiments, whether or not they were successful. …

Discord And The Pentagon's Watchdog: Countering Extremism In The U.S. Military, Amy Gaudion

Indiana Law Journal

In his 2022 book, Ward Farnsworth crafts a metaphor from the lead-pipe theory for the fall of Rome to consider how rage and misinformation traveling through today’s technology-enabled pipes are poisoning our civic engagement and threatening our governmental structures: “We have built networks for the delivery of information––the internet, and especially social media. These networks too, are a marvel. But they also carry a kind of poison with them. The mind fed from those sources learns to subsist happily on quick reactions, easy certainties, one-liners, and rage.”1 This Article carries the metaphor into a new context and considers what should …

Defragging Ownership: How Corporations Sliced, Diced, And Sold The Bundle, Joao Marinotti

Indiana Law Journal

Personal property ownership is in a precarious state, facing structural, economic, and legal assaults. As a result, the autonomy, security, and privacy that ownership once protected have been displaced by a tenuous reliance on opaque contractual arrangements and corporate goodwill. Owners no longer enjoy the unfettered right to access, use, and control their personal property. Through a range of seemingly unrelated business practices, companies have leveraged their growing power to disaggregate the property bundle into compartmentalized rights and privileges, which can then be individually licensed, leased, restricted, or even revoked. Purchases no longer mark the end of buyer-seller relationships; instead, …

Personal Information Sharing Behavior Using Social Media: A Bibliometric Analysis From 2007-2024, Ashraf Sharif, Khalid Mahmood, Shafiq Ur Rehman

Libraries

This study explores personal information sharing behavior publication patterns and trends on social media from 2007-2024 with an aim to highlight the annual growth of personal information sharing behavior (PISB) on social media platforms, key patterns in the PISB literature in terms of frequently cited authors, countries, institutions, sources, highly cited papers, collaboration and authorship patterns, thematic evolution, keyword and key factor analysis (such as countries, sources, and keywords). We used Scopus database for data extraction, and 1020 pertinent records were chosen. The data was evaluated with Microsoft Excel, Access, Biblioshiny and VOSviewer software. The United States of America is …

Efficient Blending Of Large Language Models, Sandeep Chatterjee

Master’s Dissertations

Due to the limited capabilities of single Large Language Models (LLMs), multiple LLMs can be employed in tandem for better reliability of answers. Blending refers to combining the strengths of various LLMs to make use of their complementary capabilities for generating high-quality responses. It is a non-trivial problem, and the task becomes even more difficult when aiming for minimal latency and supervising the blending components. The standard framework, LLM- Blender, approaches this in three stages: response generation, candidate selection via ranking, and response fusion through summarization. However, this pipeline faces two critical limita- tions—high latency due to repeated ranking steps, …

Geometry Based Uav Trajectory Planning For Mixed User Traffic In Mm Wave Communication, Sk Abid Hasan

Master’s Dissertations

Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) assisted communication is a revolutionary technology that has been recently presented as a potential candidate for beyond fifth-generation millimeter wave (mmWave) communications. Although mmWaves can o↵er a notably high data rate, their high penetration and propagation losses mean that line of sight (LoS) is necessary for e↵ective communication. Due to the presence of obstacles and user mobility, UAV trajectory planning plays a crucial role in improving system performance. In this work, we propose a novel computational geometry-based trajectory planning scheme by considering the user mobility, the priority of the delay sensitive ultra-reliable low-latency communications (URLLC) and …

Prenatal Substance Exposure And Positive Developmental Delay Screening Among Patients In Foster Care, Lauren Malthaner, Jill Mcleigh, Gregory Knell, Katelyn Jetelina, Folefac Atem, Sarah Messiah

Behavioral Health/Developmental Delay

Prenatal substance exposure (PSE) is a known risk factor for negative birth outcomes and long-term health outcomes like neurodevelopmental problems. Children in foster care have increased exposure to PSE and higher proportions of developmental delay compared with the general population. It is unclear whether differences still exist among developmental delay screening among children in foster care with and without PSE.

For questions about this study or others, please email [email protected]

childrens.com/fostercare

Designing A Model To Empower Rural Communities For Self-Sufficiency In Zanjan Province, Iran, Azra Ganjkhanloo, Alireza Poursaeed, Roya Eshraghi Samani, Marjan Vahedi

The Philippine Agricultural Scientist

In this research, empowerment is conceptualized as the process through which rural villagers organize themselves to enhance their self-sufficiency, assert their right to independent decision-making, gain control over resources, and address and overcome poverty. This study aimed to develop an empowerment model for rural communities in Zanjan Province, Iran, focusing on achieving self-sufficiency and assessing the model using structural equation modeling. The study compared the main components of the model using the post-event technique and validated the variables of self-sufficiency in rural communities through a descriptive-correlational design and structural equation modeling. The sample comprised 384 villagers selected via stratified random …