Join us for uSOAR 2024!
This is a LIVE, half-day symposium to spotlight and celebrate student research projects. All are welcome!
DATE: Friday, April 19th
TIME: 1-4pm
PLACE: Fireside Dining, Bldg 6, Skyline College
FREE, light refreshments - no registration required.
uSOAR 2024 will spotlight:
- Student Research Presentations
- Keynote Speaker
- Research and Leadership Opportunities
Along with spotlighting the research process and student research, uSOAR is a springboard for future student research projects. The symposium is designed to educate, nurture, and inspire Skyline College students to grow and challenge themselves in academic commitment and pursuit of rigorous, creative, community-based, and culturally relevant scholarship.
QUESTIONS? Contact us at: usoar@smccd.edu
2024 Presenters
Alexandra Szabo
"Breaking the Cycle"
In previous research, I investigated the cycle of poverty in Native American communities. Education is a way out, but many reservations are still struggling for basic needs, such as water, electricity and internet. According to usa.gov, there are 574 officially recognized tribes, eligible for federal funding. My question is this: if these resources are available, why haven’t we seen any major changes so far? I followed the money to see what options tribes have, to transform reservations and provide a place their members can call their home. The Bureau of Indian Affairs provides a link between tribal and federal government, through contracts and grants, but their hands are tied by the Congress, often providing only 20% of what has been applied for. Providing up-to date living standards is a matter of urgency, but there are several obstacles to overcome, such as lack of funding, misallocation, and embezzlement.
Ashley Gutierrez Carreto, Tyler Kuwada and Daria Baitazarova
"Socioeconomic Dynamics in San Francisco: Estimating the Impact of Wealth Distribution on Public Sector Metrics in San Francisco"
Analysis of the effects of wealth distribution on various public sector fields to investigate the depth of economic inequality in San Francisco utilizing various data science methods in Python.
Celina Buncayo
"The Youth are our Future"
The youth are our future — but what if they don’t vote? In this paper, I studied the low youth voter turnout in California and the correlation between an effective voter education and higher youth voter turnout. I surveyed 57 students from four public high schools in San Mateo County on their specific issues with voting and what they need from a voter education curriculum.
Erin Denny
"Electronic Nose (eNose) for Home Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) Detection in Seniors with Cognitive Decline"
Our research explores how urinary tract infections in incontinent seniors with cognitive decline can be diagnosed more effectively and quickly using a home-based test repurposed from clinical sensors.
Gerson Fernandez
Join me in diving into a collection of recipes and anecdotes that make up my first cookbook titled Buen Provecho. My project is focused on capturing the oral history and sazón in the dishes that are being passed down into a savory cookbook.
John Michael Rada
"Harnessing the Power of Motion - Unlocking Efficiency in Energy Conversion"
This presentation delves into the fascinating world of my honors research, exploring a motor that converts mechanical energy into electrical energy.
Megan White & Kea Kyle
"Assembly and Annotation of Azolla Pinnata"
Our project is about the genome assembly and annotation of Azolla Pinnata. We extracted DNA from three Azolla fern species and prepared them for genome sequencing. We are in the process of assembling and annotating the genome using de novo software. Our goal with this project is to provide more perspective on the evolutionary connections of Azolla ferns.
Miles Tolosa
This project explores the relationship between the modern-day Filipino-American community-college student and the four-year university system in California (UC’s, CSU’s). An integral part of the college experience is the ability to form social connections with those around you. An effective way to build these relationships is through on-campus involvement. Nearly every UC and CSU has an on-campus Filipino-American organization. For Filipino students transferring from community college, these organizations serve as an opportunity to acclimate to extended campus life, as well as form meaningful relationships. Community college students as a whole are already at a disadvantage socially, having foregone their first two years of the four-year university experience. This study aims to examine the research question: How can we acclimate Filipino-American community college students to four-year university life by leveraging the presence of on-campus Fil-am organizations? Using Leny Strobel’s Decolonization framework, research conducted by Fli-am students, and surveys conducted both at Skyline College and San Francisco State University, this research aims to propose a solution that can be integrated at campuses across California.
Princess Johanna Eusantos
"Economic Spending and Health Inadequacies among Unhoused Populations"
The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between economic spending and the rise of health issues in our society. It is vital to comprehend how economic considerations affect health outcomes given the growing concern around the world.
Raisa
"Parental Emotional Neglect and Adolescent Mental Health"
Parental emotional neglect has emerged as a significant factor contributing to adverse effects on adolescents’ health, and for the most part, their mental health. This study reveals a host of detrimental outcomes associated with caregiver emotional neglect, including social deficits, long-term mental instability, increased psychopathology, and a compromised self-esteem. The developmental process of adolescents is hindered by caregiver emotional neglect, raising concerns as adolescents often fail to seek help when needed. This gap in accessing mental health resources necessitates further exploration, particularly for individuals facing stigma or unaware of available support systems. In response to this need, a website has been curated, accumulating diverse mental health resources in San Francisco and San Mateo County. The aim is to establish a safe-hub for adolescents grappling with mental health challenges, bridging the gap between those in need and the available support services.
Sahil Niwas
"Pluripotency Validation of Prader Willi Syndrome iPSC lines"
Prader–Willi syndrome (PWS) is a complex genetic disorder caused by lack of expression of many genes on chromosome 15, particularly from the paternal copy of the 15q11-q13 region. This disease is primarily characterized by hypotonia, followed by a switch to hyperphagia. These individuals rapidly become obese, have decreased growth velocity and intellectual disabilities. Some evidence also suggests individuals are at high risks of developing heart disease at a young age. In this study, we will validate PWS patient-derived human induced pluripotent cells (hiPSCs) to determine its utility aimed at discovering the viability of candidates to be included in cardiovascular functional studies. We show four hiPSCs lines derived from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of PWS individuals to validate their pluripotency markers and ability to differentiate into three primary germ layers. By leveraging these cell lines, we may provide a valuable model of an imprinting PWS disorder useful in understanding its effect on endothelial cells and cardiomyocyte functions.
Simon Herrmann
"Fuzz Button Connector Research"
My research that I have conducted is based around the goal of testing the effectiveness of the electrical connector called "Fuzz Buttons" for their potential application in the nEXO Detector. This involved creating an output PCB and an assembly involving an interposer to house the Fuzz Buttons. We are currently ordering/creating parts with hopes of starting electrical testing in the coming months.
Tuongvan Do
"In Defense of Home: Trung Sisters and the 36"
What prompts two privileged high-born young women to risk security, status, wealth, family and – indeed – life itself to take up arms against intransigently avaricious invaders intent upon cultural domination? Could it be because, to them, in the words of Yi-Fu Tuan, the idea of “place” as “a concretion of value” where “one can dwell” subsumes all of these merits and more? In my research, I seek to learn more about the motivations of two extraordinary women who became warrior-queens, inspired a nation, empowered a people, and historically memorialized the meaning of homeland.
Veronica Johnson
"Iron Gall Ink"
Ink made from oak galls and iron was used for over a thousand years due to its durability and water resistance. Unfortunately, the reaction mechanism involved in the oxidative step that gives the pigment molecules their water resistance can damage the paper or parchment the ink was used on. A huge portion of the world’s written cultural heritage has been written using iron gall ink, and is therefore susceptible to this type of damage or even destruction. My research focuses on recreating historic recipes to study the effects of different processing methods and ingredients on characteristics of the final ink.
Yuting Duan and the DataJam Friday Team
Including Eden Huang, Veronica Johnson, Pan Cho and Yuting Duan
"ELECTRIC AVENUES: Optimizing EV Charging Infrastructure for Equitable Adoption in San Mateo"
Who Can Participate?
SMCCD Students from all disciplines are welcome:
Arts, Languages, & Communication
Business, Entrepreneurship, & Management
Society (Social Sciences) and Education
STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math)
Interdisciplinary projects
What are the Presentation Formats?
Students present their work either in 15-minute formal panel presentations chaired by faculty members, in poster form, or in exhibition or performance.
The conference seeks to replicate professional and scholarly meetings, and many undergraduate scholars participate in uSOAR as a "first conference" experience, going on to present their work at national professional meetings.
2023 uSOAR PROGRAM - A SUCCESS!
We celebrated the outstanding work and achievements of our amazing faculty and undergraduate researchers and fostered important exchanges and dialogue between faculty and students by hosting a LIVE symposium!
