Digital Commons Network^™

Emergent Disorder Induced Transport In Active Matter Systems, Josh Steimel

IdeaFest 2026

Creating randomized obstacles for magnetic particles to traverse in varying magnetic fields in hopes of finding immerging patterns. Responsible for creating CAD files in large quantities and making functional resin prints with obstacles on the micro-scale.

Effect Of Hydration Pack Load Carrying Configuration On Trail Running Energetics And Performance, Ryan Giglio

IdeaFest 2026

Lit Review for KINS 492W Senior Seminar, looking at the effects of hydration pack configuration on metabolic cost/energetics in trail running.

How To Get High Off Of Exercise, Quade Kenison

IdeaFest 2026

Literature review on the effects of exercise on substance use disorders for my senior seminar class.

Characterizing Regional Human Necromicrobiome Communities In A Semi-Arid Desert To Inform Postmortem Interval (Pmi) Estimation, Georgia Rane Swelstad

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Accurate estimation of the postmortem interval (PMI) remains challenging in forensic anthropology, particularly in arid and high-elevation environments where decomposition processes and insect activity are highly variable. Postmortem microbial succession has emerged as a promising alternative framework for PMI estimation. However, the effects of climate and elevation on microbial decomposition dynamics remain insufficiently characterized.

This study examines skin-associated microbial succession in human remains decomposing at the Forensic Investigation Research Station (FIRS) in western Colorado, a semi-arid, high-elevation environment. Microbial samples collected from five anatomical sites during the early postmortem interval are analyzed using 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene sequencing, and …

Expanding Access To Swim Education: A Grant Proposal For Subsidized Youth Aquatic Programs, Emme Ryffel

IdeaFest 2026

This project is the development and submission of a grant proposal requesting $2,000 to support subsidized swim lessons and camp programming for youth in Humboldt County. The initiative addresses drowning prevention, health equity, and youth development by reducing financial barriers to participation. If funded, the program will serve 55 youth with subsidized swim lessons and swim camp positions. This project also highlights the grant-writing process and collaboration with the Sponsored Programs Office.

Adverse Effects Of Sleep Deprivation On Athletic Performance, Armando Morales

IdeaFest 2026

Sleep is crucial to physical recovery, brain function, and health which contribute greatly to athletic performance. Athletes often find themselves sleep deprived due to training demands, academic or work obligations, travel, and stress related to competition. Studies have shown that lack of sleep can have adverse effects on the body and brain. Endurance, recovery, reaction time, and decision making can all be decreased by sleep deprivation. This article reviews how sleep deprivation as well as sleep quality affect athletes' performance.

What Are You Compensating For?, Nathan Aguilar

IdeaFest 2026

Meta-analysis of muscle compensation and the side effects, both short term and long term. Understanding muscle activation response with induced fatigue, injury, and rehabilitation techniques and methods.

But What If I Hate It? The Intersection Of Collegiate And Career Pathways In Kinesiology, Tyler Yeo

IdeaFest 2026

The Progression of Kinesiology Degrees and the Career Opportunities Presented Post Grad: The Evolving Identity of the Study of the Body in Motion. Many students can enter the field without a full understanding of professional opportunities or required qualifications. Inconsistencies in degree structure, professional identity, and career pathways create challenges for student recruitment, workforce development, and professional recognition. Therefore, this literature review examines how kinesiology education aligns with workforce demands, professional identity, and future opportunities.

Public Lands In Public Hands, Adeli Burdeinii

IdeaFest 2026

Sage, Melia, and I were placed with the BLM Arcata field office to work on a variety of ecological restoration projects and public outreach. BLM Arcata Field Office's main mission is to help restore and preserve the natural environment for the good of the public and wildlife. This past year, our tasks included monitoring, upkeep, and outreach on public lands. In our time with the BLM, we educated the public on the resources they are using and how to treat them right so everyone can enjoy them for many years to come, worked on wildlife and plant monitoring projects to …

California's Salmon River - History Of Whitewater Paddling Short Film, Will Ross

IdeaFest 2026

My project is a short film that will provide information about the history of private and commercial whitewater rafting and kayaking on California’s Salmon River. It will consist of recorded interviews from people who live in the area, have guided commercially in the area, and who have a long history of paddling in the area. Additionally, I will have historic footage of whitewater paddling on the Salmon River and will record modern footage of people paddling on the Salmon River. It will be at least five minutes long and will include interviews and knowledge from at least five people.

North Coast Growers Association: An Organization For The Community, Ava Colony

IdeaFest 2026

Our college corps placement with North Coast Growers Association (NCGA) has allowed us to have a deeper experience with the broader Humboldt community through the local food system. As a NCGA interns our tasks varied from aiding in the farmers' markets, packing food boxes for the Harvest Box Program, or attending educational outreach events for schools. These programs support food equity, sustainable economic and agricultural practices, and community engagement. Through this experience we have learned the importance and complexities of a robust local food system, and the positive effects it can have on a community.

Food As Good Medicine, Azariah Mohr

IdeaFest 2026

As a college corps fellow, I worked with Potawot Health Village to address food insecurity. I planted and harvested produce and medicinal herbs that were dispersed to tribal members throughout Humboldt county. This careful work promotes holistic health initiatives rooted in eating organically and tending to the land. Through this experience I learned how to harness community with food and traditional knowledge at the forefront.

Sdoh Screening To Advance Breast Cancer Equity, Elizabeth Root

IdeaFest 2026

This quality improvement initiative aims to increase the number of breast cancer patients who receive treatment within 90 days of diagnosis by implementing standardized social determinants of health (SDOH) screening during intake at a cancer navigation community-based setting. Patient navigators will identify health-related social needs and coordinate referrals to community resources to mitigate barriers to care. Process measures include screening and referral rates, and outcome measures include time to treatment initiation and patient satisfaction with the screening and referral process. This intervention seeks to reduce disparities in breast cancer outcomes and improve health equity.

Are You Safe From Tsunami, In A Worst Case Scenario, Magnitude 9 Subduction Zone Earthquake In Humboldt County?, Melanie Michalak

IdeaFest 2026

Humboldt County is located above a major plate boundary called the Cascadia Subduction Zone. Every several hundred years, the plate interface ruptures, causing a magnitude 8-9 earthquake, and disrupts the seafloor and water column, resulting in tsunami waves that will surge onshore in low-lying coastal areas. This interactive poster visually explains how tsunamis form, tests participants' understanding about tsunamis, and presents up-to-date tsunami hazard maps in Humboldt County. We seek to debunk common myths and misconceptions, and educate and empower our community to prepare for a local tsunami event.

Professional Development On A Personal Level With Trinidad Coastal Land Trust, Ronica Reyes

IdeaFest 2026

As a college corp fellow I served at Trinidad Coastal Land Trust focusing on increasing coastal access in the form of stewardship workdays, trail maintenance, community outreach, and day-to-day operations. This work matters to all who come in contact with the Trinidad coast no matter the species. Through this experience I've made meaningful impacts and connections to place and people.

Methods For Degradation Of Pla-Quinoa Composites, Rafael Bernard

IdeaFest 2026

Polylactic acid (PLA) composites were created by integrating quinoa chaff that had been refluxed in a toluene and ethanol solution, with differing ratios of the chaff. These composites underwent testing such as bomb calorimetry, infrared (IR) spectroscopy, water uptake, water contact angle & degredation, antioxidant assay and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). A cellulase enzyme was also purified from E-Coli bacteria for use in degradation studies. Current tests indicate that the refluxing of raw chaff increases homogeniztion of composites, which in turn allows for the increase of certain physical properties as well as increased degredation. This gives promising results concerning the …

From Textbook To Treatment: Designing And Building A Bench-Scale Drinking Water Treatment System, Neeshelle Jaimes

IdeaFest 2026

In Humboldt County, California, the Humboldt Bay Municipal Water District (HBMWD) draws source water from the Mad River aquifer via Ranney Collectors, where natural filtration produces high-quality water that is disinfected prior to distribution to the cities of Arcata, McKinleyville, Eureka, Blue Lake and Manila. As a result, there is no conventional surface water treatment plant in the area for environmental engineering and water science students at Cal Poly Humboldt to visit and learn from. To address this lack of visibility, we developed a bench-scale demonstration water treatment plant for Dr. Yacob Tesfayohanes’ drinking water treatment course.This project scales down …

Your Brain As A Long Distance Runner, Sebastian Vaisset-Fauvel

IdeaFest 2026

Despite the performance benefits of endurance training, long-distance runners are at risk of declining performance and chronic fatigue when training load exceeds recovery capacity. Acutely, running can increase neurochemicals, blood flow, and neural activity, which temporarily enhances attetion and cognitive function. Chronically, running leads to structural and functional brain adaptations in regions involving memory, motor control, and decision making. However, Excessive training without adequate recovery can lead to Overtraining Syndrome (OTS) This review investigates how endurance running shapes the brain through acute and chronic adaptations, and how excessive training may shift these benefits toward maladaptive neural changes associated with overtraining …

“An Extremely Dangerous Institution:” The Cultures And Controversy Of Public Social Dances In Montana, 1900-1930, Danielle Allison Brown

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This paper explores public social dances east of the Continental Divide in Montana from 1900 to 1930. Rural social dances in schoolhouses and urban dances in dance halls created two different dance cultures. The relaxed nature of rural dances preserved the traditional values of nineteenth-century social dances, which reinforced community and family ties. Urban dances reflected the modern fads of the roaring twenties and challenged traditional values with sexual suggestiveness. Progressive Era moral reformers concerned about the possibility that social dance promoted illicit sexuality participated in an anti-dance movement and pushed for regulations of social dances. The anti-dance movement in …

What Is Contributing To Injuries In Adolescent Athletes, And What Are The Physical And Psychological Consequences?, Luis Sandoval

IdeaFest 2026

This review examines recent research covering the factors contributing to injuries in adolescent athletes and the associated physical and psychological consequences. Key contributors include excessive training loads without adequate recovery and early sport specialization. The review also explores how these injuries affect long-term musculoskeletal health, mental well-being, and continued sport participation. Findings highlighted the need for improved training guidelines, reduced early sport specialization, and a greater emphasis on long-term athlete development keeping mental health in mind.

Nutrient Timing For Sprint Performance, Zachary Blood

IdeaFest 2026

Research on current findings related to nutrient timing strategies, and their possible affects on sprint performance and recovery.

Unmuted: An Augmentative And Alternative Communication User’S Experience In Accessing And Engaging In Mental Health Care, Kanbi Faith Knippling

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Communication accessibility is a critical yet underexamined factor influencing access to and engagement in mental health care for individuals who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). Existing literature suggests that AAC users experience significant barriers to obtaining communication-accessible mental health services, including limited provider preparation, communication-related assumptions, and broader structural inequities. Despite growing recognition of these concerns, little research has explored how AAC users experience and navigate mental health counseling or how communication accessibility shapes participation in care.

This single-case study explored communication accessibility within the context of an adult AAC users' experiences accessing and engaging in mental health counseling. …

Bridging The Gap: Improving Access To Specialty Care For Adults With Type 2 Diabetes In Rural Communities, Sydney Castil

IdeaFest 2026

Rural communities face disparities in managing Type 2 diabetes due to limited access to specialized care, leading to poor glycemic control and higher complication rates. In rural Northern California, provider shortages hinder timely, evidence-based treatment. This project proposes integrating a diabetes nurse specialist in a local hospital to deliver education, support medication management, coordinate care, and monitor outcomes. The goal is to improve HbA1c levels, reduce complications and readmissions, and enhance self-management, addressing gaps in care and reducing health disparities.

Uncovering Behavioral Constructs Underlying Social And Environmental Activism: An Exploratory Factor Analysis, Harmony Switzer-Tryon

IdeaFest 2026

Do values pledged at graduation endure over time? This study examines long-term social justice and environmental behaviors among Humboldt alumni (N = 1,240) who took the Humboldt Graduation Pledge. Using exploratory factor analysis, we identify key dimensions of sustained engagement across personal, civic, and professional domains. Results highlight workplace-based activism as a central avenue through which alumni enact these commitments, suggesting that institutional pledges may shape not just intentions, but long-term behavior in everyday and professional life.

Prevention Of Escherichia Coli Biofilm Formation Using Slpa Protein Extracted From Lactobacillus Helveticus, Scarlet Renner

IdeaFest 2026

Dental health in pets is often neglected, leading to gingivitis and periodontitis. Probiotics are thought to inhibit oral pathogenic bacteria through surface layer proteins, preventing biofilm formation and occupying binding sites. We explored Lactobacillus helveticus and its protein SLpA in preventing biofilm formation in mCherry expressing Escherichia coli. SLpA was extracted using lithium chloride and centrifugation. E. coli was mixed with L. helvetius and SLpA. Fluorescence values were collected with a sodium alginate and calcium chloride gel in each well to allow bacterial adherence and compared to a blank. Results show L. helveticus and SLpA inhibit biofilm formation of E. …

Complete Arcs From Plane Curves, Desmond West-Hedlund

IdeaFest 2026

We discuss the conditions under which the Fq-rational points of a smooth degree-d projective plane curves are maximal under inclusion with respect to the property that no d+1 are collinear in the plane.

Why Global Context Matters When Creating And Consuming Media, Sawyer Chrisman

IdeaFest 2026

My project examines the Humboldt International Film Festival (HIFF) archive, compiling data on two specific categories (narrative and experimental), the countries that submit to these categories for the festival, and the years. The archive of films dates back to 2015. Then I am writing a paper looking at three countries that have submitted and see the global context of why they submitted and what message is being presented in the film.

Shoe-Surface Interaction And Lower Extremity Injury Risk In Sports: Balancing Performance And Safety, Jack Rice

IdeaFest 2026

Looking at the difference in shoe and cleat design on shoe-surface interactions and the role that plays on athlete performance and injury risk.

Hydrotherapy As An Emerging Treatment For Children With Cerebral Palsy, Monserrat Rodriguez

IdeaFest 2026

This project explores cerebral palsy (CP) with a focus on classification, severity, and the role of pain in limiting movement and participation in children. It reviews common land-based interventions used in rehabilitation, highlighting their benefits in improving motor function and independence, as well as their limitations such as fatigue and reduced engagement. The project then introduces hydrotherapy as an emerging intervention, examining its benefits in improving movement, balance, and participation. Current research suggests hydrotherapy can enhance rehabilitation outcomes, especially when used alongside traditional therapies.

Growing Agroecology: Two Case Studies From The U.S. Student Farm Movement, Amelia B. Armstrong

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Scholars and activists identify agroecology as a crucial science, practice, and movement to move towards more just, equitable, and sustainable agriculture and food systems. Yet, the exploitative industrial food system, that deepens inequalities like food insecurity (Clapp et al., 2025), reduces farmer autonomy (Rotz, 2015), and contributes to increased carbon emissions (Lin et al., 2011) and biodiversity decline (Rotz, 2015), still dominates. Understanding and mobilizing the different spaces that teach agroecology, then, is a crucial step in challenging the dominant industrial food system. Agroecology education in university settings is an important domain to investigate as potential contributors to this movement, …