113 Students Attend Annual Undergraduate Research Conference

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The research project by Cristina Dypiangco examined Uber’s unorthodox corporate strategies when responding to a crisis.
The research project by Cristina Dypiangco examined Uber’s unorthodox corporate strategies when responding to a crisis.

When it comes to research, Cal Poly Pomona students are eager to show and tell.

A contingent of 113 students presented their findings at the 24th Annual Southern California Conferences for Undergraduate Research (SCCUR) at UC Riverside on Nov. 12. The students were accompanied by 18 faculty mentors.

Cal Poly Pomona students made 35 oral and 31 poster presentations, delivering the second-highest total of presentations. Cal State Fullerton led all colleges and institutions at the event with 78 overall entries. In oral presentations, Cal Poly Pomona had the highest total.

“Hands-on research experience helps students gain confidence in carrying out intellectual exercise. The SCCUR conference further enhances their ability to articulate why they are working on a project, what they are learning and the impact of their work on the society,” says Sadiq Shah, associate vice president for research, innovation and economic development. “This whole process helps shape their aspirations for their future careers.”

Examples of the wide range of topics in oral presentations include:

  • “Parental Inclusivity Within Higher Education Institutions.” Student: Kimberly Alvarez. Faculty mentor: José M. Aguilar-Hernández, ethnic and women’s studies.
  • “A Comment on Comments: The Evolution of a Social Experience on Websites.” Student: Ashish Hingle. Faculty mentor: Sonya Zhang, computer information systems.
  • “Fruit Harvesting Robots.” Student: Withanage Mahathanthila. Faculty mentor: Maryam Shafahi, mechanical engineering.
  • “Where’s the Magma: An Analysis of the Subsurface of Long Valley Caldera Based on Earthquake Statistics.” Student: Kyle Macy. Faculty mentor: Jascha Polet, geological sciences.

The topics of the poster presentations were just as diverse and included:

  • “Trazodone Hydrochloride Administration to Mitigate Laboratory Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) Aggression.” Students: Courtney Fukushima and Kierra Kuhlman. Faculty mentor: Cord Brundage, animal and veterinary sciences.
  • “Sentence Comprehension of Ambiguous Sentences in Younger and Older Adults.” Student: Cloe Zeidan. Faculty mentor: Eleanor Rossi, psychology.
  • “Designers Role on Eco-Labeling.” Student: Jacob Johnson. Faculty mentor: Chitra Dabas, apparel merchandising and management.

Cal Poly Pomona will host the 2017 Southern California Conferences for Undergraduate Research next November.

Students who are currently conducting research at Cal Poly Pomona are encouraged to participate in the Student Research, Scholarship and Creative Activities Conference, previously known as the CPP Student Research Conference.

This conference will be held on March 3, 2017. In addition to oral, performance, and poster presentations, there will be a creative works showcase highlighting art and design projects. Register for the campus conference starting on Dec. 1 at www.cpp.edu/cppsrc/.

Ten students from the Cal Poly Pomona conference will be nominated for the CSU systemwide competition at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo on April 28-29, 2017.