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Undergraduate Research
Opportunities Center
N e w s l e t t e r |
J A N U A R Y - A P R I L 2 0 2 4
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 |  | On the last weekend in March, I attended the CSU-LSAMP (Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation) annual meeting, where I learned that the CSU-LSAMP Alliance has been awarded another five years of funding from the National Science Foundation. We at UROC are very excited about this; especially because our portion of the award will allow us to continue providing some terrific benefits to our CSU-LSAMP@Monterey Bay student participants – including research funding along with support for our annual Costa Rica Research Expedition. Since its inception in 2009, the UROC team has consistently gone after and garnered these types of external funding, often partnering with campus colleagues or other institutions in the region. Success in this realm (with a cumulative total of roughly $20 million and counting in external funds brought to campus) translates into more opportunities for our students, faculty, and staff engaged in helping facilitate undergraduate research – our very raison d’être. With these funds we’ve been able to provide support for thousands of research scholarships, thousands of student presentations at local and national conferences, and support for dozens of faculty participating in curriculum development via the CUREs (Course-based Undergraduate research) Faculty Fellows program, to name a few initiatives. Given that 82% of our UROC participants are from underserved groups (first-generation, Pell eligible, traditionally underrepresented minorities, and transfer students), we are especially grateful to all of these grantors for providing this important support, and look forward to continuing our efforts to providing financial and academic support to our students. We hope you enjoy the current newsletter, in which you can see for yourself many of the amazing things our students are doing.
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In related news, UROC, along with Dr. JP Dundore-Arias of the College of Science, hosted a delegation of regional and national representatives from the United States Department of Agriculture as well as the Office of Partnership and Public Engagement on campus in late March. We had the opportunity to showcase various initiatives supported by USDA grants, including new USDA NextGen projects, and a group of UROC students in our new AGPS (Agricultural Plant and Soil Sciences) program discussed their research activities in a mini poster session outside the UROC suite (see picture). The visitors were very impressed with the students and their research projects, and lingered well beyond the scheduled finish time talking with students, faculty, and staff. We really enjoyed having this group on campus - and of course having an extra opportunity for students to hone their research communication skills.
Finally, I want to extend heartfelt congratulations to our UROC students who put in the hard work to craft amazing scholarship & fellowship applications – this year we’re delighted that 3 UROC students have been named as Goldwater Scholars, and 2 other UROC Scholars plus 4 UROC alums have been awarded GRFP Fellowships (see more information below in this newsletter)!
Best wishes to you all for a smooth and successful finish to the semester!
John “Buck” Banks, Ph.D.
UROC Director
Image of Buck providing instruction during 2024 Costa Rica Winter Research Expedition
Image of student research presentations to USDA Representatives
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Time to Compete!
The Annual CSU Student Research Competition
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The California State University Student Research Competition (CSU SRC) is held each spring to promote excellence in undergraduate and graduate scholarly research and creative activity by recognizing outstanding student accomplishments across the 23 CSU campuses. The 38th annual competition will be hosted at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo April 26-27, 2024. There will be nearly 250 student presentations over 2 days across 24 sessions, with 1st and 2nd place awards selected in each session.
Wish The CSUMB Delegation good luck!
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Oscar Murillo-Espinoza, undergraduate
Arithmetical Structures on Canoe Paddle Graphs
CSUMB Faculty Mentor: Dr. Alison Lynch
Category: Biological and Agricultural Sciences
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Ilia Borromeo and Mariana Jimenez, undergraduate & alum
Exploring the Recovery of the Pismo Clam (Tivela stultorum) in the Monterey Bay
CSUMB Faculty Mentor: Dr. Alison Haupt
Category: Biological and Agricultural Sciences
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Alyssa Walter, undergraduate
Phenology of Cryptic White Shark Mating Inferred From Mating Scars
CSUMB Faculty Mentor: Dr. Salvador Jorgensen
Category: Biological and Agricultural Sciences
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Matthew Ritchey, undergraduate
Neuromuscular Fatigue in Pickleball
CSUMB Faculty Mentor: Dr. Eric Martin
Category: Health, Nutrition and Clinical Sciences
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Connor Quiroz, undergraduate
The California Red-legged frog, Rana draytonii, Habitat: Defining and Predicting their Current and Future Ranges
CSUMB Faculty Mentor: Dr. John Olson
Category: Biological and Agricultural Sciences
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Jissel Antonio, undergraduate/alum
Uniendo Nuestras Voces: A Study of Collective Experiences of Oppression in Schools
CSUMB Faculty Mentor: Dr. Chrissy Hernandez
Category: Humanities and Letters
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Margaret Falknor, undergraduate
Testing the Reliability of a Modified Spider Test for Pickleball
CSUMB Faculty Mentor: Dr. Eric Martin
Category: Health, Nutrition and Clinical Sciences
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Sarina Regis and Katelyn Huie, undergraduate
Trend Identification in X-Ray Diffraction Peaks of Historic Cartridge Cases from Fort Ord, CA
CSUMB Faculty Mentor: McKenzie Floyd
Category: Physical and Mathematical Sciences
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Maria Fernanda Corral Cervantes and Aislynne Chappell, undergraduate
Unveiling the Connection between Parents’ Education and First-Generation Psychology Alumni’s Choice of Higher Education or Workforce
CSUMB Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Jennifer Dyer-Seymour
Category:Behavioral, Social Sciences and Public Administration
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Sofie Santucci, graduate
Exploring Factors Influencing Viewers' Perception of AI-Generated Educational Videos: Trust, Attitude, Mindset, and Ethics
CSUMB Faculty Mentor: Dr. Jenny Lin
Category: Business, Economics, and Hospitality Management
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Ronald E. McNair Scholars Reina Yorba-Rico, Melanie Abarca, Montcerat Navarro Carpio, Levi Mahler, Mikayla Castillo, and UROC staff visited Arizona State University and the University of Arizona in the annual McNair Grad School Expedition during spring break. During their trip they explored research-intensive graduate programs, networked with faculty and graduate studies staff, and also were able to connect with two CSUMB McNair alums Jesus Orozco (‘22) and Lily Amador (‘22), both of whom are completing their degrees at ASU and U of A, respectively.
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McNair Scholars Yeritzi Victoria and Dolores Marquez joined Dr. Renee Penalver to visit the University of Texas at El Paso where Dr. Penalver will be giving a lecture. Both McNair Scholars have an interest in studying bilingualism at the doctoral level–and what better way to explore than at Dr. Penalver’s alma mater.
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McNair Scholars Rosa Acevedo Duran, Jissel Antonio, and Kimmy Smith, and Koret Scholar, Alo Wilson were invited panelists sharing their experiences conducting community-based research at the Community, Careers and Curriculum: Critical Service Learning Across the Disciplines event on April 11 that highlighted the impact service learning has on transforming scholarship, communities, and civic engagement. The panel discussion was facilitated by Associate Professor of Service Learning Institute and McNair Scholar Alum, Dr. Chrissy Hernandez.
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McNair Scholar, Sarina Regis, presented at the American Academy of Forensic Sciences in Denver, Colorado. Along with her research partners, UROC Researchers Katelyn Huie and Madi Loewen, and with the support of their research mentor, McKenzie Floyd, they presented their research on trend identification of x-ray diffraction peaks of bullet cases found in Fort Ord. Congratulations, everyone!
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Congratulations to McNair Scholar alum and new(ish) parents Abel Duarte and Karina Ruiz (both '16) | |
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Goldwater Scholars 2024, Awarded! | |
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Congratulations to the following CSUMB students on being named 2024 Goldwater Scholars – the most prestigious undergraduate award for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in the country. This year there were 508 awards made from 1,353 nominees from 466 academic institutions. Two of the awardees in this cycle are Ronald E. McNair Scholars, and one is a UROC Scholar.
Notably, CSUMB was one of only two CSUs to be awarded this year; this is the first time a psychology major from our campus has won this prestigious award (congrats, Efrain!). With this year’s awards, CSUMB continues its 9-year consecutive streak of students winning this nationally competitive award! Read more about it on CSUMB News.
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Oscar Murillo-Espinoza
McNair Scholar
Category: Mathematical Sciences
Mentors: Dr. Alison Lynch (CSUMB) Dr. Jim Brown (Occidental College) and Dr. Lipika Deka (CSUMB).
Career goal: Obtain a Ph.D. in mathematics and instruct the next generation of mathematicians at a four-year institution.
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Anne (Annie) Hansen
UROC Scholar
Category: Geosciences
Mentors: Dr. Sherry Palacios (CSUMB); Dr. Brodie Pearson and Mr. Ryan Solomar (Oregon State University).
Career goal: Ph.D. in Applied Ocean Science and Engineering. Create low-cost, accessible technologies for coastal and estuarine management, while creating a space for disabled scientists in higher education.
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Efrain Ramirez
McNair Scholar
Category: Psychology
Mentors: Dr. Danielle Burchett (CSUMB); Dr. Paul B. Ingram (Texas Tech); Dr. Renee Penalver (CSUMB).
Career goal: Ph.D. in Psychological Clinical Science or Clinical Psychology to conduct research in psychometrics and quantitative psychology and teach at the university level.
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Graduate Research Fellowship Program, 2024, Awarded! | |
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Several CSUMB students, all UROC students, 2 current and 4 alum, have been recognized by the National Science Foundation's Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP):
Undergraduates
- Ingrid Martinson, Marine Science, CSUMB Mentor: Dr Sherry Palacios
- Zachery Vaydar, Marine Science, CSUMB Mentor: Dr. Alison Haupt.
Alumni
- Amalia Seigel, Marine Science, University of Miami
- Vanessa Garcia, Biology, Pennsylvania State University
- Eva Scrivner, Marine Science, University of Connecticut
- Annabelle McCarthy, Biology, Michigan State University
For the 2024 competition, NSF made 2,037 funded award offers and 1,716 Honorable Mention awards.
The purpose of the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) is to help ensure the quality, vitality, and diversity of the scientific and engineering workforce of the United States. A goal of the program is to broaden participation of the full spectrum of diverse talents in STEM. The five-year fellowship provides three years of financial support inclusive of an annual stipend of $37,000.
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Congratulations to the following newly published UROC alumni and their research faculty! | |
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Hana Moyle, UROC Researcher, and Dr. Steven Kim, Associate Professor, Department of Mathematics and Statistics. ShinyCore: An R/Shiny program for establishing core collection based on single nucleotide polymorphism data. Plant Methods.
Michael Haidar, UROC Researcher and Koret Scholar, and Dr. Glenn Bruns, Associate Professor, School of Computing and Design. Neural Memory Decoding with EEG Data and Representation Learning. arXiv.
Kimberly Smith, McNair Scholar, Rosa Acevedo-Duran, McNair Scholar, and Dr. Jennifer Lovell, Professor, Psychology Department. Youth Are the Experts! Youth Participatory Action Research to Address the Adolescent Mental Health Crisis. Healthcare.
Selina Espinoza, McNair Scholar, Melissa-Ann Lagunas, Koret Scholar, Claudia Rocha, Koret Scholar, and Dr. Jennifer Lovell, Professor, Psychology Department. Perceived Risks and Therapeutic Benefits of Cannabis Among College Students Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic. Cannabis.
Red Glines, UROC Researcher, and Dr. Victoria Derr, Associate Professor, Department of Applied Environmental Science. Blurring Boundaries and Realizing Just Potential: How Diverse California Schools Enact Sustainability-in-Place. Children, Youth and Environments.
Melissa-Ann Lagunas, Koret Scholar. Asian Americans’ Intentions to seek help: The mediating influence of self-stigma on the theory of planned behavior. Stigma and Health.
Matthew Mondragon, LSAMP. Charactering arginine, ornithine, and putrescine pathways in entoric phatobionts. Microbiology Open.
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CSU-LSAMP Costa Rica Winter
Research Expedition 2024
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Funded by Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP), a total of 10 students, representing Cal Poly Humboldt, Chico State, Cal State Channel Islands, Fresno State, Cal State San Bernardino, and, CSU Monterey Bay, embarked on a research expedition to the small village of Mastatal to collect and measure body/leg lengths of spiders and beetles in farmland and nearby forests to answer questions about how best to preserve biological diversity in heavily managed landscapes. Students collected and processed nearly twice as many spider and beetle specimens from the previous expedition -- over 1300! They measured their body lengths (and leg lengths in the case of spiders) in order to better understand how traits like mobility and predation ability might be potential drivers of the abundance and diversity patterns. Students also spent time in Santa Maria de Dota, a small town in the coffee highlands in the world-famous Tarrazú region and over in the coast where they toured Manuel Antonio National Park. At the end of the expedition, specimens were delivered to taxonomic specialist colleagues at the Museo Nacional de Costa Rica in San Jose, Costa Rica, for further identification.
Find out more about the program & check out our Instagram page to see how much fun we had!
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For nearly the last 10 years, the California State University Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (CSU-LSAMP) has recognized the outstanding academic, research, and service achievements of selected LSAMP students and alumni across the CSU-wide alliance in a publication PROUD (Program Recognizing Outstanding Undergraduate Distinction). The PROUD scholars have distinguished themselves in so many ways and we are PROUD to recognize the following CSUMB students who were selected to be featured this academic year. Learn more about their accomplishments as well as those of the LSAMP community across the CSU. | |
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Hannah Kim
Outstanding Service/Leadership
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Spencer Winter
Outstanding Academic & Research in STEM
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Monica Urias
Outstanding Research in STEM & Service/Leadership
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Dr. Bautista returns to UROC! | |
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On February 8th, the Bautista Family welcomed Juliana Alicia Bautista, born just after 9pm weighing 6lb 8 oz and measuring 18.5in. Congratulations, Jessica! We’re thrilled for you and your family.
Dr. Jessica Bautista returns to the office on April 15!
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Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity
Spring Showcase
Celebrating National UGR Week 2024
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Join us to kickoff National Undergraduate Research Week 2024 at the UROC Research, Scholarship, & Creative Activity Spring Showcase on Friday, April 12, from 12-4pm. This event provides undergraduate researchers representing the diversely funded UROC programs, an opportunity to share their research, scholarship, and creative work with the CSUMB and surrounding community.
Koret Scholars, McNair Scholars, UROC Scholars, and UROC Researchers will present current research projects as part of the poster gallery or oral presentations. A special session includes 10-minute oral presentations from the CSUMB Delegates from Delegates, selected to compete at the upcoming CSU Student Research Competition in late April at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. The Research Fair focusing on Faculty research will take place from 12-3pm.
National Undergraduate Research Week is April 15-19 and UROC will host a number of workshops and events in celebration. Check out the week’s events here.
Come celebrate Undergraduate Research Week with us!
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Friday Fellowships and Scholarships, too
2025-26 Cycles are Opening
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Open to all CSUMB students. Attend an informational session to learn about the writing resources available to apply for these nationally competitive awards. | |
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Fulbright Fellowships, opens April 2
With its mission to foster mutual understanding between nations, advance knowledge across communities, and improve lives around the world, Fulbright is the premier international exchange program that offers many funded opportunities for graduating seniors and alum eager to make a global impact. Fulbright offers a research study grant as well as a teaching English grant as part of the U.S. Student Fulbright Program. Information session, April 19 at 1pm.
Knight-Hennessy Scholarship, opens June 1
The Knight-Hennessy Scholars (KHS) cultivates and supports a multidisciplinary and multicultural community of graduate students from across Stanford University, and delivers engaging experiences that prepare graduates to be visionary, courageous, and collaborative leaders who address complex challenges facing the world. Information session, June 14 at 1pm.
NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program, opens mid-July
The purpose of the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) is to help ensure the quality, vitality, and diversity of the scientific and engineering workforce of the United States. The program recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students who are pursuing full-time research-based master's and doctoral degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) or in STEM education. Information webinar.
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Pictured right: National Association of Fellowship & Scholarship (NAFA) Advisors at their regional meeting visiting the Denning House for Knight Hennessy Scholars at Stanford University.
If you are interested in learning more about these competitive awards, contact Natasha Oehlman, noehlman@csumb.edu
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Please join UROC in celebration of our graduating UROC Scholars, Koret Scholars McNair Scholars, and UROC Researchers at UROC's Annual Year End Celebration. The Year End Celebration will be held at the University Center Ballroom (bldg. 29) on Wednesday, May 8, 2024 from 4:30-6:30pm. Doors open at 4:00pm. All are welcome– please invite your family and friends to celebrate with you. We hope to see you there! | | |
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Chat with us!
Want to get involved in research but don't know where to start? Set up a virtual consultation on the UROC website!
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