Annual Student Symposium Competition Winners

With appreciation, Associate Vice President for Research, Dr. Haley Ye, commends the following students for participating in the Student Research Symposium at Cal State LA on February 28, 2025:

First Overall
Samuel Groysman
B.S. Biochemistry 
Sensitive Imaging of Electroactive Species in Plasmonic Electrochemical Microscopy Enabled by Electrostatic Nanoconfinement
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Yixian Wang

Second Overall
Isuru Rajapakshe
M.S. Electrical Engineering
Spectral Changes in sEEG as a Biomarker for rTMS Efficacy in Major Depressive Disorder
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Deborah Won

Third Overall
Hannah Calistri
M.A. Anthropology
Preservation and Contamination: Identifying Pesticides on Ethnographic Woven Materials using Portable X-Ray Fluorescence
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Amira Ainis

Cal State LA Delegates

Congratulations to the students who will represent Cal State LA at the 39th CSU Student Research Competition at Cal Poly Humboldt:

Behavioral and Social Sciences

  • Drusilla Szakto
    B.A. Psychology
    Examining Eyewitness Decision Making Under Real World Conditions Using the Field Simulation Paradigm
    Faculty Mentor: Dr. Mitchell Eisen

Humanities and Political Science

  • Isaac Collins
    Master of Social Work
    Black Americans Attitudes and Perceptions of Mental Health Services
    Faculty Mentor: Dr. Margarita Villagrana
  • Marjorie Hunt
    M.A. History 
    The Wild and Unfree: Geographies of Nature and Slavery in Mid-Nineteenth Century Rio de Janeiro
    Faculty Mentors: Dr. Kittya Lee
  • Hannah Calistri
    M.A. Anthropology
    Preservation and Contamination: Identifying Pesticides on Ethnographic Woven Materials using Portable X-Ray Fluorescence
    Faculty Mentor: Dr. Amira Ainis
  • Arwa Hammad
    B.A. Philosophy, Option in Pre-Law; B.S. Political Science, Option in Pre-Law
    Stretching Democracy: Third Parties and the Necessity of Democratic Elasticity 
    Faculty Mentor: Dr. Amira Ainis

Biological and Health Sciences

  • Yahan Lin
    B.S. Biochemistry 
    Investigating the roles of TlyA and FtsZ in circadian control of cell division in cyanobacteria
    Faculty Mentor: Dr. Susan Cohen

Engineering and Computer Sciences

  • Isuru Rajapakshe
    M.S. Electrical Engineering
    Spectral Changes in sEEG as a Biomarker for rTMS Efficacy in Major Depressive Disorder
    Faculty Mentor: Dr. Deborah Won
  • Alejandro Sanchez
    B.S. Mechanical Engineering
    Improving the performance of lithium-ion batteries at high temperatures for space applications
    Faculty Mentor: Dr. Chris Bachman

Physical Sciences

  • Samuel Groysman
    B.S. Biochemistry
    Sensitive Imaging of Electroactive Species in Plasmonic Electrochemical Microscopy Enabled by Electrostatic Nanoconfinement
    Faculty Mentor: Yixian Wang
  • Evelyn Scott
    M.S. Physics
    Protostar Disk Dynamics of Oph IRS 63
    Faculty Mentor: Dr. Susan Terebey

 

Outstanding Presentation Awards

Congratulations to the following students for receiving an Outstanding Presentation Award.

Behavioral and Social Sciences

Name(s)ProgramTitleFaculty Mentor(s)
Mei KuM.A. PsychologyThe Contributions of Rumination, Catastrophizing, and Depression in the Associations Between Adverse Childhood Events and Gastrointestinal Symptoms in a Predominantly Hispanic/Latino SampleDr. Yvette Szabo
Sarena EworonskyB.A. PsychologyExploring the Role of Juror Bias on Decision-Making in a Civil CaseDr. Alma Olaguez

 

Humanities I: Humanities and Communities

Name(s)ProgramTileFaculty Mentor(s)
Marjorie HuntM.A. History The Wild and Unfree: Geographies of Nature and Slavery in Mid-Nineteenth Century Rio de JaneiroDr. Kittiya Lee
Humberto Hernandez MendezB.A. Sociology, Women’s Gender & Sexualities StudiesTranifesting Community Transition: On the Binary Structures of ICE, Gender-Based Violence, and the Impacts on Undocumented Gender-Variant People of ColorDr. Molly Talcott

 

Humanities II: Anthropology and Archeology 

Name(s)ProgramTitleFaculty Mentor(s)
Hannah CalistriM.A. AnthropologyPreservation and Contamination: Identifying Pesticides on Ethnographic Woven Materials using Portable X-Ray FluorescenceDr. Amira Ainis


Political Science

Name(s)ProgramTitleFaculty Mentor(s)
Arwa HammadB.A. Philosophy; B.S. Political ScienceStretching Democracy: Third Parties and the Necessity of Democratic ElasticityDr. Michael McLendon


Biological and Health Sciences

Name(s)ProgramTitleFaculty Mentor(s)
Teegan BoydM.S. KinesiologyNeck Muscle Functional Characteristics in Individuals with Forward Head PostureDr. Leila Rahnama
Yahan LinB.S. BiochemistryInvestigating the roles of TlyA and FtsZ in circadian control of cell division in cyanobacteriaDr. Susan Cohen

 

Computer Science

Name(s)ProgramTitleFaculty Mentor(s)
Isuru RajapaksheM.S. Electrical EngineeringSpectral Changes in sEEG as a Biomarker for rTMS Efficacy in Major Depressive DisorderDr. Deborah Won
Rajkin ChakrobartyB.S. BiochemistryPost transcriptional modifications: thermodynamic insights on the enzymatic amination reaction of Uracil to CytosineDr. Olaseni Sode


Engineering 

Name(s)ProgramTitleFaculty Mentor(s)
Andy DamasM.S. Mechanical EngineeringCirculation Patterns in Horizontal Rectangular Enclosures due to Humidity in AirDr. Arturo Pacheco-Vega
Alejandro SanchezB.S. Mechanical EngineeringImproving the performance of lithium-ion batteries at high temperatures for space applicationsDr. Chris Bachman


Physical Sciences
 

Name(s)ProgamTitleFaculty Mentor(s)
Evelyn ScottM.S. PhysicsProtostar Disk Dynamics of Oph IRS 63Dr. Susan Terebey
Samuel GroysmanB.S. BiochemistrySensitive Imaging of Electroactive Species in Plasmonic Electrochemical Microscopy Enabled by Electrostatic NanoconfinementDr. Yixian Wang

 

Behavioral and Social Sciences

Name(s)ProgramTitleFaculty Mentor(s)
Angel Chen and Beth SantanaM.S. Nutritional Science; B.S. Nutritional ScienceThe Role of Food Pantries in Los Angeles in Promoting Fruits and Vegetables ConsumptionDr. Kathryn Amanda Hillstrom
Noemi AlanisB.A. PsychologyParental Perceptions of Math Language and Learning Skills in Educational YouTube VideosDr. Corinne Bower
C. Kenobi Donart, Zarife Agin, and Mei KuM.S. Psychology; B.A. Psychology; M.A. PsychologyStressful life events and mental health: Emotion dysregulation accounts for depression, anxiety, and stress symptomsDr. Yvette Z. Szabo
Lisette G. Bailey and Evelyn Mojarro-PedrozaM.A. Psychology; B.A. PsychologyVoting Trends Among Hispanic Americans: A Comparative Study of 2016 through 2022 Was “Latinos for Trump” a real change in voting behavior or media sensationalism?Dr. Heidi Riggio

 

Biological Sciences

Name(s)ProgramTileFaculty Mentor(s)
Tshering Y. BhutiaB.A. PsychologyOptimizing tissue clearing protocols to investigate three-dimensional circuits in rodent spinal cord following injuryDr. Michael Selvan Joseph
Alfredo Gonzalez, Aidan Reyes, and Jaelyn AsamoahM.S. Chemistry; B.S. Biological Sciences; B.S. BiochemistryInvestigating the Relationship Between Thermal Hysteresis and Ice Recrystallization Inhibition Activity in Hyperactive Insect Antifreeze Protein MutantsDr. Xin Wen
Parker SaikleyB.S. MicrobiologyInvestigating the Role for Rbp2 in the regulation of the circadian clock in cyanobacteriaDr. Susan Cohen

Education

Name(s)ProgramTitleFaculty Mentor(s)
Qiong WuM.A. Child DevelopmentExamining Challenges of Chinese Immigrant Male Early Childhood Educators through Acculturation and Cultural CapitalsDr. Yafen Lo

Engineering and Computer Science

Name(s)ProgramTitleFaculty Mentor(s)
William Pasillas, Derreck Soriano, and Isuru RajapaksheB.S. Electrical EngineeringChanges in neural network associations with RTMS for depressionDr. Deborah Won
Nathan BrieuB.S. Mechanical EngineeringExperimental simulation and optimization study of the hydrogen-rich gas production via a methanol steam reforming reactorDr. Petr Vozka
Jordan DooseM.S. Computer ScienceComputer-Vision Based Landing Guidance for Autonomous Marine ExplorationDr. Salvador Rojas

Physical and Mathematical Sciences

Name(s)ProgramTitleFaculty Mentor(s)
Damian SalasB.A. GeographyAll Burnt Up: Changes in California Wildfires and their Consequences on Air QualityDr. Jingjing Li and Dr. Alireza Farahmand
Tommy TaingB.S. ChemistryUtilization of Titanium and Indium-based Porphyrin Metal-Organic Frameworks for Fabrication of Photovoltaic Solar CellsDr. Yangyang Liu
Jonathan DavidsonM.S. MathematicsMonochromatic Rectangles in GridsDr. Jason O’Neill