CSUSM Symposium 2025

39th Annual CSU Statewide Competition Announcement

We are thrilled to announce the outstanding achievements of our CSUSM delegates at the 39th Annual CSU Statewide Research Competition, hosted by California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt, on April 25-26, 2025. Selected from the top projects at the CSUSM Symposium on Student Research, Creative Activities, and Innovation, our delegates excelled in Health, Nutrition, and Clinical Sciences, Biological and Agricultural Sciences, and Behavioral, Social Sciences & Public Administration.

A special congratulations to Bianca Delia for securing 1st place in Behavioral, Social Sciences & Public Administration (undergraduate).

First Place

 

Bianca Delia - Dr. Yasmin Sherafat, Faculty Mentor
Psychology, Undergraduate 
Role of Neuromodulators in Aging and Addiction in the Mesolimbic Reward Pathway

 

In case you missed the Awards Ceremony, click here to see the competition results. 

 

Join us in applauding the hard work and commitment of all of our CSUSM delegates!

2025 Symposium Finalist & Runners-Up

Finalists

Runners-Up

• 2025 Symposium Finalists

  Bianca Delia - Dr. Yasmine Sherafat, Faculty Mentor
  CHABSS | Behavioral, Social Sciences, and Public Administration, Undergraduate
  Role of Neuromodulators in Aging and Addiction in the Mesolimbic Reward Pathway

  Imaan Sahid - Dr. Darcy Taniguchi, Faculty Mentor
  CSTEM | Biological and Agricultural Sciences, Undergraduate
  Characterizing temporal changes in the marine environment off Oceanside, California 

  Juan Leyva - Dr. Sean Newcomer, Faculty Mentor
  CEHHS | Health, Nutrition, and Clinical Sciences, Graduate
  Estimating the Impact of a Menthol Flavor Ban on Cigarette Pack Purchase Behavior

  Kaitlyn Sung - Dr. Alison Kreisler, Faculty Mentor
  CHABSS | Behavioral, Social Sciences, and Public Administration, Undergraduate
  Semaglutide acutely decreases intake of sucrose-rich food & blunts body weight cycling in a rat model of binge-eating

  Matthew Leslie - Dr. James K. Jancovich, Faculty Mentor
  CSTEM | Biological and Agricultural Sciences, Undergraduate
  Characterization of the Ambystoma tigirnum virus 89R Gene

  Maya Qaddourah - Dr. Sajith Jayasinghe, Faculty Mentor
  CSTEM | Biological and Agricultural Sciences, Undergraduate
  Bioinformatics Analysis Suggests That SE_1780 protein from Staphylococcus epidermis may be a member of the Fph Family of Lipases

  Mikaela Speets-Drake - Dr. Elinne Becket, Faculty Mentor
  CSTEM | Biological and Agricultural Sciences, Graduate
  Exploring Microbial Communities and Their Spatiotemporal Patterns Across Mission Bay

  Nathan Lenski - Dr. Asherlev Santos, Faculty Mentor
  CHABSS | Behavioral, Social Sciences, and Public Administration, Graduate
  Behind the Numbers: Examining Disparities in Homelessness in San Luis Obispo County

  Troy Tekonopoulos - Dr. Mathew Stone, Faculty Mentor
  CHABSS | Behavioral, Social Sciences, and Public Administration, Graduate
  Understanding Risk Perceptions in a Changing Tobacco Marketplace

• 2025 Symposium Runners-Up

  Abigail Lopez - Dr. Lori Heisler, Faculty Mentor
  CEHHS | Health, Nutrition, and Clinical Sciences, Undergraduate
  An Examination of Oral Persuasive Narratives from Middle School to College

  Alyson Portillo - Dr. Allison Jobin Faculty Mentor
  CHABSS | Behavioral, Social Sciences, and Public Administration, Undergraduate
  Association Between Educator Burnout and Evidence-Based Intervention Implementation Fidelity

  Callie Steppat - Dr. Dennis Kolosov, Faculty Mentor
  CSTEM | Biological and Agricultural Sciences, Undergraduate
  The Role of Voltage-Gated Ion Channels KCNH1 and KCNH8 in Regulating Ion Transport in the Malpighian Tubules of Cabbage Looper Larvae

  Erica Rodas Montejo - Dr. Carlos Luna Lopez, Faculty Mentor
  CSTEM | Biological and Agricultural Sciences, Undergraduate
  Synthesizing RGD-alginate Hydrogel to Support Stem Cell Differentiation into Adipocyte

  Gustavo Benitez - Dr. Eric Leas, Faculty Mentor
  CHABSS | Behavioral, Social Sciences, and Public Administration, Undergraduate
  Disparities and impact of flavor restrictions on tobacco products in online vaping retailers

  Kaden Winspear - Dr. Sergio Nigenda Morales, Faculty Mentor
  CSTEM | Biological and Agricultural Sciences, Graduate
  Eastern Pacific fin whales through the lens of conservation genomics

  Milly Lopez - Dr. Kimberley Pulvers, Faculty Mentor
  CHABSS | Behavioral, Social Sciences, and Public Administration, Graduate
  Anxiety, Cannabis Use, and E-Cigarette Use among Young Adults who Identify as LGBTQIA+

  Nashea Lampkins - Dr. Julie Jameson , Faculty Mentor
  CSTEM | Biological and Agricultural Sciences, Graduate
  The upregulation of genes in gamma delta T cells and their correlation to alopecia areata in humans

  Taen Bounthapanya - Dr. Oliver Berghof, Faculty Mentor
  CHABSS | Humanities and Letters, Graduate
  (Re)Connecting Through the Art of Translation: Remembering the Words of Elders and Ancestors in translating Sieosavat from Lao to English