Presenters

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2025 Presenters

Amapola Garcia-Gomez, Ashley Gutierrez-Carreto, & Luis Prado

"Bridging the Gap: Investigating Health Care Access Disparities and Their Impact on Chronic Disease Management in California" (PDF)  

In the US, disparities in healthcare access can lead to poor management of chronic diseases, which are a leading cause of mortality and healthcare costs. Understanding how access barriers such as the lack of insurance, delays in care, and difficulty finding providers affect disease outcomes is crucial to developing targeted interventions. Therefore, our target audience will be policymakers, public health officials, and healthcare providers. Civilians like us should care about this issue, too, as we investigate disparities in healthcare access impact the management and control of chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and asthma across different population groups in California.

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Brandon Khuu & Laurence Garcia

"A Comparative Analysis of Business Regulations in San Francisco and Burlingame: Permits, Ordinances, and Entrepreneurial Challenges" (Canva)

This project explores the differences in business regulations between San Francisco and Burlingame, focusing on permits, zoning laws, safety rules, taxes, and overall business climate. By looking at city codes, talking to business owners and officials, and reviewing case studies, the goal is to understand the challenges and benefits of running a business in each place. The final presentation will break down how local rules impact business success and offer useful insights for entrepreneurs deciding where to set up shop.

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Brianna Xu

"The Integration of Traditional Chinese Medicine Into the Search for New Antibiotics" (PDF)  

The misuse of antibiotics has contributed to the rapid development of antibiotic resistance in clinically relevant bacterial species such as Staphylococcus aureus, which is a human pathogen that causes soft skin and tissue infections and is one of the leading causes of hospital acquired infections. There are already multiple strains of antibiotic-resistant S. aureus—notably, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)—highlighting the need for alternative treatment methods.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has an established history in medicine and has been used to treat infections for thousands of years. This study aims to determine the antimicrobial activity against S. aureus in four TCM plants: Ziziphus jujuba, Citrus reticulata pericarpium, Ginkgo biloba, and Panax ginseng.

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Junvir Gabriel Espe

"Bamboo Ceilings in Concrete Jungles: The Lack of Proportionate Filipino-American Political Representation on a State Level" (PDF)  

In this research, factors leading to the lack of Filipino-American political representation at the state level are explored. Despite Filipino-Americans being the third largest Asian American population in the United States, they still have minimal political representation. This research concludes that low representation is a direct result of stigmatizing government systems as corrupt, prioritizing economic survival over politics, favoring STEM fields over political science, and internalizing the model minority myth. This research was conducted through interviews from notable figures in the San Francisco Bay Area Fil-Am community: Drs. Rod Daus-Magbual, Leo Paz, and Liza Erpelo. The paper also offers a call to action to address the stigmas of politics within Filipino-American families.

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Ken Reyes & Sophia Escobar

"Neuroplasticity in Learning and Neurological Disorders" (PDF)  

The brain constantly changes throughout life in a process called neuroplasticity, which occurs in response to learning or neurological disorders. Neuroplasticity allows the brain to rewire itself, strengthening neuron connections and enabling new experiences and knowledge. It also helps the brain adapt after trauma, such as strokes, tumors, or injuries, aiding recovery. This study interviewed a person who had a brain tumor and stroke to explore their rehabilitation experiences. Findings show that neuroplasticity plays a crucial role in helping stroke survivors regain bodily and cognitive functions and learn new skills.

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Luis Jibaja Prado

"Forecasting Gasoline Prices in California Using LSTM Neural Networks: A Time-Series Approach" (PDF)  

Since the pandemic, California's rising gasoline prices have significantly impacted transportation costs and economic stability. This research explores whether machine learning can effectively forecast gasoline prices by using Long-Short Term Memory (LSTM) networks, a type of recurrent neural network (RNN) designed to capture long-term dependencies in time-series data. Using weekly gasoline price data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) along with key factors such as crude oil inputs, refinery activity, gasoline stocks, and imports, I trained an LSTM model to predict future prices. The dataset was split into training (70%), validation (20%), and test (10%) sets while maintaining time-dependent relationships. Through multiple experiments with different LSTM configurations,

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Maylene Marks

"Political Participation in Hmong-American Communities" (PDF)  

My presentation is a comparative study and analysis of two Hmong-American communities: Fresno, California, and the Twin Cities of Minnesota.

I discuss the history of Hmong American politics in each state, followed by an independent analysis of each state's Hmong population, economic state, and political involvement. Following this analysis, I compare each state's situation and discuss possible reasons for political participation level differences, ranging from American imperialism in the Vietnam War to gang violence in the Central Valley. I conclude my presentation with the statement that California's Hmong population is politically suffering in comparison to Minnesota's population. Finally, I will wrap up with a proposition of possible solutions to improve Hmong-Californian communities.

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Rhema Bethany

"Social Capital and Psychological Dimensions in Revitalizing Bay Area Downtowns" (Canva)

This research examines the role of social capital in shaping individuals' engagement with neighborhood communities, emphasizing often-overlooked psychological dimensions such as trust and empathy. The study investigates three Bay Area downtowns using mixed methodologies—including surveys, ethnographic research, in-depth interviews, and environmental analyses. Findings reveal that some downtowns thrive by fostering high engagement through experiences that meet emotional needs via strong social ties. In contrast, those primarily serving functional needs often exhibit social fragmentation and limited trust. By integrating insights from social neuroscience, urban studies, and psychology, this research provides practical strategies to rebuild social cohesion and enhance urban resilience.

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TuongVan Do

"Deconstructing Colonialism: Lê Phổ - Master of Vietnamese Modernism" (PDF)  

Existing within a third space, colonized populations are neither fully part of the colonizer's culture nor do they completely belong to their own. To be liminal is to be "in between" where cultural transformation can occur and construct new discursive forms of expression. This state of liminality can effectively interrogate the complex relationship between imperialism and the (re)imagining of Native identity.

Learn how Lê Phổ decolonized and (re)appropriated (re)presentation through Western Impressionistic techniques in tandem with Vietnamese artistic traditions to render deeply personal subject matter, centralize VietNam, and craft a singularly distinctive subjective voice that (re)directs the gaze towards Native reclamation and agency.

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2025 Poster Session

• Alex Eberhard: "From Imperialism to Diaspora: Untangling U.S. Influence and Marcos' Legacy on Driving Migration"
• Alexandre Mascari Dumont: "The Science of Separation: Unpacking the Gas Chromatograph"
• Andrea Anderson: "Investigation of Antibiotic Properties of Symbionts Associated with Selected Algae of the North Coast of California"
• Ashley Gutierrez Carreto, Luis Jibaja Prado, & Amapola Garcia Gomez: "Bridging the Gap: Investigating Health Care Access Disparities and their Impact on Chronic Disease Management in California"
• Brianna Xu: "The Integration of Traditional Chinese Medicine into the Search for New Antibiotics"
• Cassandra (Shwe) Tae: "Fentanyl Overdose Prevention: Naloxone and Test Strips Efficacy"
• Claire Liu, Jillian Lampaya, Poe Chan Myayt, Qian Zhao, & Zishan Li: "How Household Income Shapes Food Insecurity from 2010–2019"
• Deniz Scarpace & Choon Loo: "Developing Skyline's First Herbaria"
• Emmanuel Fernandez & Rumisa Irshad: "Determining the efficacy of calamansi in regulating Staphylococcus epidermidis growth"
• Eugena Siu: "Obesity Shaped by Cultural Differences"
• Iqra Chughtai & Jaded Rodriguez: "Purifying Proteins Using ӒKTA Pure System: Efficiency, Accuracy, Innovation"
• Isaac Pailano: "Fukushima Nuclear Disaster"
• Jason Mead: "Bioreactor: The Engine of Biotechnology"
• Jiaxuan Qiao: "Kinetic Isotope Effects & Reaction Mechanism"
• Jiselle Pantig-Velasco: "Zirconia Used for Dental Restoration Success"
• Juliet Fong & Saoirse Price: "Prickly Pear Seeds vs. Flesh"
• Katherine Kyi: "Advanced Media Dispensing: Introducing the MediaFill Automatic Plate Pourer"
• Kimberly Cabrigas & Henry Huynh: "Skyline's Colorful Plasmids"
• Luis Jibaja Prado: "Forecasting Weekly Gasoline Prices in California Using LSTM Neural Networks: Balancing Model Complexity and Generalization"
• Mbalenhle Mahlangu: "The Hidden Cost of Poverty: Socioeconomic Status & Early Childhood Neuroplasticity"
• Muyao Du: "How Education Contributes to Economic Growth"
• Jia Haria, William Phyo, Nicole Smith, Mariela Alana Ochoa, Christian Dizon, Yuting Duan, Jasmin Khuu, Thant Zayar (Eddy) Htut, Brandon Khuu, Jake Szeto, Susanne Schubert, Thanh Nguyen: "Counterstories & Stereotypes"
• Roco Oblea: "Marijuana on Neurological Diseases and Disorders"
• Thant Zayar Htut: "Energy Conservation of Geometric Bodies Through Fluid Medium"
• Xinyue Wu: "Statistical Modeling of Plastic Degradation Rates in Marine Ecosystems"
• Yuting Duan: "Onbserving Cosmic Rays: Design and Implementation of a Peltier Cooler-Based Cloud Chamber"

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2024 Presenters

Alexandra Szabo

"Breaking the Cycle" (PPT)

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. 

 

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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" (PDF)  

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.

 

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Celina Buncayo

"The Youth are our Future" (PDF)  

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.

 

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Erin Denny

"Electronic Nose (eNose) for Home Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) Detection in Seniors with Cognitive Decline" (PDF)  

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.

 

 

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John Michael Rada

"Upper Limb Transhumeral Prosthesis" (PDF)  

Using 3D printing technology and gear transmissions, The CARE Lab Upper Limb Prosthesis team has designed an affordable and lightweight prosthetic. The prosthesis uses cycloidal drive transmission, planetary gear transmission, and IMU sensor, load cell and Bowden cable for intuitive control for the prosthetic. This research has pointed out the significance of 3D designing and 3D printing settings, contributing to a lightweight yet strong prosthetic arm design.

 

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Megan White & Kea Kyle

"Assembly and Annotation of Azolla Pinnata" (PDF)  

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.

 

 

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Miles Tolosa

"Liwanagan Ang Daan: Light the Way" (PDF)  

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.

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Princess Johanna Eusantos

"Economic Spending and Health Inadequacies among Unhoused Populations" (PDF)  

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.

 

 

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Raisa

"Parental Emotional Neglect and Adolescent Mental Health" (Canva)

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.   

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Sahil Niwas

"Pluripotency Validation of Prader Willi Syndrome iPSC lines" (PDF)  

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.

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Simon Herrmann

"Fuzz Button Connector Research" (PDF)  

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.

 

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Tuongvan Do

"In Defense of Home: Trung Sisters and the 36" (PPT)

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. 

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Veronica Johnson

"Iron Gall Ink" (PDF)  

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.

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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" (PDF)  

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2024 Poster Session

• Abigail Alfonso: "Combating Dental Disparities in Underserved Populations"  
• Angeline Aguilar and Team: "Skyline's Porcelain Thrones"  
• Aye Chan Moe: "Burmese Students Struggle in United States"  
• Camille Catolos & Daniela Ushizima: "Hyperparameter Optimization of Plant Root Segmentation"  
• Codie Lai & Team: "Xenon Purity Monitor (XPM) Laser Attenuator Control"  
• Elisa Pullens: "Cultural Impact of the California Gold Rush"  
• Gabriel Hapin & Jonnald Hernandez: "A Computational Simulation to Educate the Relationship between Black Holes and Time Dilation"  
• Jaden Wedlake: "Liquid Crystal Elastomers: Bridging Fiction with Reality"  
• Kadae H. Aung & Chester Huey: "Efficient Deployment Of Deep Learning Model On Cortex-M Based Microcontrollers Using Deep Compression"  
• Kea Kyle & Megan White: "Assembly and Annotation of Azolla pinnata Genome"  
• Mowen Tan: "Optimizing Autonomous Navigation: Line Following Car with Photosensor Integration"  
• Nida Currier-Herzallah & Team: "Brand Name Sanitized Wipes Vs Generic Name Santized Wipes"  
• Paola Tagashira: "Understanding Environmental Exposure Links to Autism"  
• Phone Thant Myo: "ElectroStatic Counter Circuit"  
• Sean Ruiz & Team: "Pulse Testing of Photomultiplier Tube for Cosmic Muon Detection"  
• Tyler Kuwada & Team: "Socioeconomic Dynamics in San Francisco"  
• DataJam Friday Team: "Electric Avenues: Optimizing EV Charging Infrastructure for Equitable Adoption in San Mateo"  

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2023 Presenters