Symposium on Student Research, Creative Activities, & Innovation

Congratulations! 

Congratulations to the 2025 Symposium Runner-Ups and Finalists!

What is the Symposium on Student Research, Creative Activities, and Innovation (SRCI)? 

CSUSM hosts an annual internal competition to select ten SRCI projects that will represent CSUSM at the system-wide CSU Student Research Competition. During this internal competition, undergraduate and graduate students from all disciplines present their research conducted as part of a CSUSM-sponsored project. 

2025 CSUSM Symposium

Join us for the 2025 Symposium on Student Research, Creative Activities, and Innovation, where we will select the top ten projects to represent CSUSM at the 39th annual CSU Student Research Competition, hosted by California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt, on April 25-26, 2025. 

• Date: February 28, 2025
• Times: 2:00 pm - 5:00 pm 
• Location: Markstein Hall
• Deadline to apply: January 31, 2025 by 5:00 pm
  • There are limited presentation slots, so submissions will be reviewed in the order they are received.
• Organized by: The Office of Graduate Studies and Research (OGSR) and Committee for Undergraduate Research (CUGR)

Guests: Support your peers, witness innovative research, and celebrate the achievements of our talented CSUSM students. All members of the campus community and supporters are invited to attend. If parking is required, please notify ogsr@csusm.edu.

Participants: Showcase your research, creative activities, and Innovation. Gain valuable experience and have the opportunity to represent CSUSM on a statewide stage. Submit your project and be part of this incredible journey! 

Symposium Sessions: 

• Session 1: MARK 101

  2:00-2:15 PM: Brent Reed

  Biomechanical and Motor Control Analysis of Mixed Martial Arts Movements

  2:15-2:30 PM: Christine Frazier

  Validating the Psychedelic Experience: Depictions of Native Americans, Science, and the East in U.S. Media

  2:30-2:45 PM: Emily Holman

  The Monsters of Mourning: A Study of Grief through Cryptozoology

  2:45-3:00 PM: Taen Bounthapanya

  (Re)Connecting Through the Art of Translation: Remembering the Words of Elders and Ancestors in translating Sieosavat from Lao to English

  3:00-3:15 PM: Juan Leyva

  Effects of Booties on Foot Skin Temperature During Surfing

• Session 2: MARK 102

  2:00-2:15 PM: Alyson Portillo

  Association Between Educator Burnout and Evidence-Based Intervention Implementation Fidelity

  2:15-2:30 PM: Alyssa Nieves

  Supporting Formerly Incarcerated Students and Assessing the Role Trauma has in their Educational Journey

  2:30-2:45 PM: Raquel Yoshinaga

  Students of Color Leverage their Social Capital to Navigate STEM Classrooms

  2:45-3:00 PM: Troy Tekonopoulos

  Understanding Risk Perceptions in a Changing Tobacco Marketplace

• Session 3: MARK 104

  2:00-2:15 PM: Josue Vides

  Impact of age on NACHO in the amygdala

  2:15-2:30 PM: N/A

  2:30-2:45 PM: Milly Lopez

  Anxiety, Cannabis Use, and E-Cigarette Use among Young Adults who Identify as LGBTQIA+

  2:45-3:00 PM: Nathan Lenski

  Behind the Numbers: Examining Disparities in Homelessness in San Luis Obispo County

  3:00-3:15 PM: Karina Marquez

  Knockdown of NACHO in the hippocampus causes deficits in recognition memory and reduces anxiety-like behaviors in mice.

• Session 4: MARK 106

  2:00-2:15 PM:  Mikaela Speets-Drake

  Exploring Microbial Communities and Their Spatiotemporal Patterns Across Mission Bay

  2:15-2:30 PM: Camila Valderrama-Martínez

  Comparing the Mobilome of Nearshore Microbial Communities between Exogenous Plastic Marine Substrates and Water Column

  2:30-2:45 PM: Veronica Useche

  Does HCN2 regulate the excretory function of MTs in economically important insects?

   

  2:45-3:00 PM: Nathaniel Kenner

  Characterization of the Ranavirus ambystoma1 5L Viral Protein

  3:00-3:15 PM: Nashea Lampkins

  The upregulation of genes in gamma delta T cells and their correlation to alopecia areata in humans 

• Session 5: MARK 201

  2:00-2:15 PM: Maya Qaddourah

  Bioinformatics Analysis Suggests That SE_1780 protein from Staphylococcus epidermis may be a member of the Fph Family of Lipases

  2:15-2:30 PM: Kaden Winspear

  Eastern Pacific fin whales through the lens of conservation genomics

  2:30-2:45 PM: Fermin Corona

  Characterizing a two-level fluctuator through the Allan Variance

  2:45-3:00 PM: Arianna Serrano

  Substrate Scope Preparation for Gold-Catalyzed Friedel–Crafts- like Alkylation Reactions

   

• Session 6: MARK 203

  2:00-2:15 PM: Erica Rodas Montejo

  Synthesizing RGD-alginate Hydrogel to Support Stem Cell Differentiation into Adipocyte

  2:15-2:30 PM: Josue Navarrete

  Taxonomic and Functional Analysis of Microbial Communities on a Gradient of Urbanization

  2:30-2:45 PM: Symphony Rutkowski

  Investigating the Role of Rad51 Strand Invasion Function of CCTG Breakage

  2:45-3:00 PM: Matthew Leslie

  Characterization of the Ambystoma tigirnum virus 89R Gene

  3:00-3:15 PM:  Krissa Casao & Riley Millan

  Citizen Science Survey Methods to Support of Bat Conservation in a Coastal San Diego County Salt Marsh Lagoon

• Session 7: MARK 208

  2:00-2:15 PM: Marisa Mendoza

  Taxonomic and Functional Profiles of Nearshore Microbial Communities associated with Water and Plastic Marine Substrates

  2:15-2:30 PM: Hannah Smith

  The Immune-Stimulating effects of Oyster Mushrooms on Children's Python leukocytes against bacteria in vitro

  2:30-2:45 PM: Imaan Sahid

  Characterizing temporal changes in the marine environment off Oceanside, California 

  2:45-3:00 PM: Callie Steppat

  The Role of Voltage-Gated Ion Channels KCNH1 and KCNH8 in Regulating Ion Transport in the Malpighian Tubules of Cabbage Looper Larvae

  3:00-3:15 PM: Emily Pham

  To pee or not to pee: The regulation of HCN channels of ion transport in the Yellow Fever mosquito Aedes aegypti osmoregulatory organ MTs as a way to produce urine

• Session 8: MARK 205

  2:00-2:15 PM: Abigail Lopez

  An Examination of Oral Persuasive Narratives from Middle School to College

  2:15-2:30 PM: Keneth Munoz

  Hematopoietic Stem Cell & Gene Therapy for Friedreich’s Ataxia

  2:30-2:45 PM: Alexander MacDonald & Alexander Anderson

  No sex differences in fat oxidation in response to exercise prescribed according to maximal heart rate or ventilatory threshold.

  2:45-3:00 PM: Kaitlyn Sung

  Semaglutide acutely decreases intake of sucrose-rich food & blunts body weight cycling in a rat model of binge-eating 

• Session 9: MARK 209

  2:00-2:15 PM: Justin Gans

  History and The Zone of Interest: The Changing Landscape of Holocaust Film

  2:15-2:30 PM: Bianca Delia

  Role of Neuromodulators in Aging and Addiction in the Mesolimbic Reward Pathway

  2:30-2:45 PM: Zoey Morrissette

  What is the Impact of Air Pollution on the Number of Crimes?

  2:45-3:00 PM: Gustavo Benitez

  Disparities and impact of flavor restrictions on tobacco products in online vaping retailers

Participant Information

• Prep Session

  Prior to the event, we will be hosting a session to help you better prepare with tips on presentation, PowerPoint dos and don’ts, logistics, and event statewide competition guidelines.  

  Date:  February 18, 2025

  Time: 12:00-12:50 pm 

  Location: Mark 103 

  Presenter:  Richard Armenta

• Resources

  Resource Page

  Participation Criteria

• Event Agenda

  Oral Presentations: 2:00 PM - 3:15 PM

  Reception: 3:15 PM in the MARK Lobby

  Awards Ceremony:  4:00 PM in MARK 125

• CSUSM Delegate Coaching Session
  We will offer individual 20-minute coaching sessions to the ten student delegates. We know you will practice with your research mentor, and this would be an additional opportunity to help make your presentation sparkle. Details will be sent to student email. 

Judges & Mentors

Be a part of something special by volunteering as a judge or moderator! Your involvement can make a huge difference in our student's success. It's a fantastic opportunity to engage with innovative, creative activities, and research while supporting our talented students. 

If interested in participating, please contact ogsr@csusm.edu. 

• Judge Details

  Judge Information Video

  For judges, we are seeking a commitment to the following: 

  Before the event: Review the participants' papers in your assigned room.

  During the event: Proceed over their oral presentations and choose a finalist and runner-up from your room.

  If this sounds right for you, please sign up. 

  Note: Juror's areas of expertise may not necessarily align with the specific disciplinary category they are evaluating.

• Moderator Details

  Moderator Information Video

  Primarily responsibilities:

  Timekeeping: Ensuring that each presenter adheres to their allotted time for presentations.

  Room Management: Facilitating smooth transitions between sessions and maintaining order within the presentation rooms.

  Introductions: Welcoming attendees, introducing judges, and presenting each student presenter.

  If this sounds right for you, please sign up.

Application Information

• Application Process
  • Read the Participation Criteria: Ensure you understand the requirements. 
  • Log into InfoReady: If you don't have an account, you'll be prompted to create one. 
  • Complete the Application: Include your written summary. Ensure your submission is the most updated version, as it will be considered final.
  • Use Your School Email: Check it regularly for all correspondence.
  • Group Submissions:
    • Plan for no more than two total presenters.
    • Designate one person to submit. Each group should choose one member to handle the submission process. 
    • Include the names and emails of all group members in the application. Ensure spelling is correct. 
    • Select one person from your group to be the travel representative. Only one representative from the winning group will travel as a CSUSM delegate.   
• Written Summary Guidelines

  Haven't written a project summary/abstract before? 

  Different disciplines have different approaches for the organization of the project narrative/description (or "body" of the paper). One common approach is the IMRaD format, but this may not be the format most common in your discipline. 

  • • Introduction – what is the topic; why study it? (may include a thesis statement and/or research question)
    • Materials & Methods – how was the research conducted?
    • Results – what was found in the research?
    • Discussion & Conclusions – what do the findings mean?

  Note: It is important to communicate your research clearly and effectively to a general audience. 

  Check-out: 

  • University of Wisconsin-Madison: Writing an Abstract for Your Research Paper (includes sample abstracts from the humanities, social sciences, and sciences)
  • SACNAS: How to Write a Successful Abstract (Webinar) 
  • Published papers in your discipline that have a project summary/abstract
    
• Faculty Mentor Approval

  Upon submitting your application, your faculty mentor will receive an email notification.

  Faculty mentors must approve submissions within three days by responding to the email.

  Check with your advisor to ensure they receive the confirm your submission.

  Once approved, you will receive a confirmation email with event details.

• CSUSM Winners

  Winners of this event will receive a cash award and the opportunity for one representative from the winning  project to travel to the CSU Student Research Competition.

  This prestigious competition celebrates excellence in undergraduate and graduate scholarly research and creative activity by recognizing outstanding student achievements across 23 campuses of the California State University (CSU).