Office of Undergraduate Research

Engage

2024-2025 Projects

Please be advised some projects are only available for one semester. Projects with a "Term" section are for a select semester. All other projects are for the academic year.

College of Business

  • Dr. Honggang Wang
    • Project Description: Time Capsule: Decoding Environmental Transformations in Southern California Through Machine Learning.
      • Project Overview
        The "Time Capsule: Decoding Environmental Transformations in Southern California Through Machine Learning" project aims to meticulously examine and interpret the shifts in air quality, water purity, and general environmental conditions in Southern California over recent decades. Utilizing advanced machine learning techniques, this comprehensive study will collect and analyze vast datasets including historical and current environmental metrics. The primary objectives are to identify critical trends, assess the impact of anthropogenic activities, and predict future environmental scenarios. By transforming raw data into actionable insights, the project seeks to inform and empower policymakers, stakeholders, and the community, facilitating proactive decisions for sustainable environmental management and public health protection. This project not only highlights the temporal changes in Southern California's environment but also sets a precedent for data-driven environmental monitoring and strategy development on a broader scale.
        • Task 5.1: Assess the impact of urban development and policy changes on environmental quality.
        • Task 5.2: Correlate environmental data with public health data to evaluate the implications of environmental changes on human health.
        • 6. Predictive Analytics
          • Task 6.1: Develop predictive models to forecast future environmental conditions based on past and current data.
          • Task 6.2: Provide actionable insights that can aid in environmental planning and management.
        • 7. Visualization and Reporting
          • Task 7.1: Create interactive visualizations that clearly communicate the findings and trends over the past decades.
          • Task 7.2: Prepare comprehensive reports and papers detailing the methodologies, findings, and recommendations.
        • 8. Stakeholder Engagement and Dissemination
          • Task 8.1: Engage with local communities, policymakers, and environmental organizations to share findings.
          • Task 8.2: Use the results to inform and enhance policy-making and community planning processes.
      • Goals of the Project
        1. To map and analyze the historical and current environmental changes in Southern California to better understand the dynamics of air and water quality.
        2. To leverage machine learning techniques to predict future environmental conditions and potential impacts on public health.
        3. To provide data-driven insights and recommendations to policymakers, researchers, and the general public to foster informed decision-making for environmental sustainability.
    • Mode: Virtual
    • Responsibilities: The student spends about 30 minutes reading articles. Then spend 30m/60m to collect, explore, and analyze air/water/weather datasets. The student assistant also likes to learn some analytics programming (Python) with machine learning packages. 
    • Preferred Skills: Genuine interest in machine learning and studies of complex environmental systems.
    • Skills/laboratory techniques/knowledge that the students will gain from participating in this project: Analytics skills for large-scale systems, deep understanding of machine learning models, python programming.

College of Engineering

  • Dr. Jinsung Cho
    • Project 1 Description: Life cycle assessment of LEED buildings at CPP by using Building Information Modeling. 
    • Mode: Hybrid
    • Responsibilities: Tuesday and Thursday commitment. 
    • Preferred Skills:
      • Literature review
      • Simple software related Building Information Modeling
      • Knowledge of Civil and Construction Engineering and Management
    • Skills/laboratory techniques/knowledge that the students will gain from participating in this project: 
      • Criticality of life cycle assessment for sustainability
      • Energy Consuption Analysis of Green Buildings

 

  • Dr. Jinsung Cho
    • Project 2 Description: Lucia will lead the entire research project related to tunneling engineering and management tools. The abstract of this research has been accepted by the World Tunneling Council (WTC) conference. She is writing the conference proceedings, due by September 30.
    • Mode: In-person
    • Responsibilities: Tuesday and Wednesday commitment. 
    • Preferred Skills:
      • Civil Engineering major
      • Finished CE 3101, Construction Engineering class
    • Skills/laboratory techniques/knowledge that the students will gain from participating in this project: 
      • Literature review: search for articles and technical papers
      • Tunneling construction 

  • Dr. Anas Salah Eddin
    • Project Description: Building an Autonomous Racing Model
      • Introduction:
        Are you interested in autonomous driving and robotics? We have an exciting research project designed specifically for undergraduate students like you! Join us in building and testing an F1TENTH autonomous racing model, and gain practical experience in perception, planning, and control systems.
      • Objectives:
        • Build an F1TENTH autonomous racing model: Assemble a 1/10th scale autonomous vehicle and equip it with sensors for environment perception.
        • Develop perception algorithms: Implement object detection, lane detection, and obstacle avoidance algorithms to enable the model to understand its surroundings.
        • Design planning and control systems: Create algorithms for path planning and control, allowing the model to navigate the racing track autonomously with optimized speed and safety.
        • Test and evaluate: Conduct thorough testing and evaluation of the model's performance, analyzing its speed, accuracy, and reliability in various scenarios.
      • Methodology:
        • Explore existing research: Study the current knowledge and best practices in perception, planning, and control systems for autonomous driving.
        • Hands-on hardware setup: Assemble the F1TENTH vehicle, integrate sensors, actuators, and communication interfaces, ensuring a functional setup.
        • Software development: Implement perception algorithms and design planning and control systems to bring the autonomous racing model to life.
        • Testing and evaluation: Create diverse test scenarios, collect data, and assess the model's performance, making iterative improvements as needed.
      • Expected Outcomes:
        • Functional autonomous racing model: Build and configure a 1/10th scale vehicle equipped with sensors and communication interfaces.
        • Implemented perception, planning, and control systems: Develop algorithms enabling the model to autonomously navigate the racing track and make informed decisions.
        • Performance evaluation and improvements: Test and evaluate the model's capabilities, identifying areas for enhancement and refining its speed, accuracy, and reliability.
      • Conclusion:
        Take part in this unique undergraduate research opportunity and delve into the fascinating world of autonomous driving! By building and testing an F1TENTH autonomous racing model, you will gain valuable skills and hands-on experience in perception, planning, and control systems. Join us on this rewarding journey and prepare yourself for a future career in the dynamic field of autonomous driving.
    • Mode: In-person
    • Responsibilities: 
      • Hardware setup and calibration: Assemble and calibrate the F1TENTH vehicle, ensuring proper functionality.
      • Software development: Work on perception, planning, and control algorithms to enhance the model.
      • Testing and debugging: Run the model, evaluate performance, and make necessary adjustments.
      • Data collection and analysis: Collect sensor data, analyze results, and identify strengths and weaknesses.
      • Collaboration and brainstorming: Engage in collaborative discussions, problem-solving, and idea exchange.
      • Documentation and reporting: Maintain thorough documentation of progress, including code and test results.
      • Continued learning: Stay updated with the latest advancements in autonomous driving through self-study and research.
    • Preferred Skills: While no specific prerequisites are required, we have a preference for students with some programming background, particularly in languages such as Python or other similar languages. We also strongly encourage students who are interested in learning programming and have a passion for autonomous driving to apply.
    • Skills/laboratory techniques/knowledge that the students will gain from participating in this project: Participants will acquire valuable skills in programming, robotics, sensor integration, perception algorithms, path planning and control, as well as hands-on experience in testing and evaluation. Additionally, they will develop collaboration and teamwork abilities through active engagement in the project.

 

  • Dr. Tamer Omar
    • Project Description: Frontier Technologies cybersecurity Research Lab (https://www.cpp.edu/faculty/tromar/page3.shtml)
    • Project 1 Description: Extension of Network Coverage using UAVs and SDRs for Disaster Recovery
      This project aims at presenting a potential solution to the lack of connectivity available for individuals located inside of a disaster-impacted region. The project explores the construction of a mobile base transceiver station that uses Software Defined Radios (SDRs) and equipped into an Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). the lab hosts the Universal Software Radio Peripheral (USRP) used to create the virtual interfaces required to create the backup communication systems. Students program the USRPs using lab view software to create the required relay stations for such application to restore the wireless networks in case of disasters.
    • Project 2 Description: Flow Control Build and Destroy Federated Learning Approach for Securing-SDNs.
      Software-defined networking, or SDN, is a new concept developed to shift the current paradigm of network infrastructures by providing a central control layer and improves network management and implements programmability for flexibility. This project aims at analyzing the effects of different network and host based attacks such as Distributed Denial of Service attacks (DDoS) on an SDN environment. Students investigate approaches to detect and mitigate these attacks and use the flexibility of OpenFlow, a common SDN protocol, to secure this new networking trend.
    • Project 3 Description: 5G Self Organized Network (SON) Simulator/Emulator:
      This project has both a software-based approach and a hardware-based approach.
      1. Software based SON simulator aims to model a 5G mobile service providers' core network, access network, and self-healing controller. This consist of modeling and designing a 5G network environment and creating a management system to oversee and maintain the network autonomously. The project will be designed/implemented using C++ to implement network core classes, C# to implement the network simulator Graphical User Interface (GUI), and MATLAB to implement the access network radio frequency signaling. The simulator will create and configure accurate networking scenarios that to determine the potential self-healing solutions in case of network failures or congestion. Figure 1 shows a snap shot of the simulator code with all developed classes and a sample network of seven cells used to present the simulated network. WNSL host the simulator application developed by CPP students.
      2. Hardware based SON focus on using a 5G network implemented at CPP to support 5G research projects. The implemented network core network, gNodeB's, and user phone are the hardware infrastructure used to research SON approaches to test and improve network performance with different network loads such as Wireless Sensor Network and Internet of Vehicles traffic. The 5G implementation is the first in CPP and the hardware can be used in multiple IoT/embedded system applications.
    • Project 4 Description: Autonomous/Remote Pilot less Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV) Racing Command Center.
      This project aims at creating a race between autonomous and a remotely controlled UGVs through wireless link using car (VRX) simulator. The remote pilot less team will use a VRX racing simulator and IoV (Internet of Vehicle) technology to support driving the remote pilot less UGV. IoV technologies relying on wireless communication to send car and driving controls from the VRX simulator to an API (Application Program Interface). The API server is connected to the internet and thus transferring the data that is being collected from the simulator to the vehicle. The server will act as a cloud service to communicate the data to the vehicle and return the outdoor driving conditions back to the simulator. The simulator controls the vehicle by using a communication link (modem) attached to the vehicle and operated by Sprint. The modem connects the vehicle to receive controls\send feedback from\to the VRX simulator. On the other hand the Autonomous Vehicle (AV) team will program the vehicle to autonomously race and rely on sensors to get feedback about the surrounding environment and act in the race track.
    • Mode: Hybrid
    • Responsibilities: 
      • The students perform one the following activities in a typical day according to the phase of their research project:
        • A Day during Phase 1: Students will be collecting data and improving their understanding about a research topic by conducting literature surveys and collecting user and system requirements
        • A Day during Phase 2: Students will be designing a solution to a problem in hand after finishing their research survey using a new creative approach.
        • A Day during Phase 3: Students will be develop and Implement the new approach using software and hardware devices if needed and integrate them into operating running systems.
      • The students will typically perform the following activities in their day participating in the projects:
        • Literature surveys
        • System Design
        • System implementation and integration
        • Systems testing
        • Research writing and Technical documentation 
    • Preferred Skills: 
      • General Skills:
        1. Passion for research and developing new ideas.
        2. Passion to learn new technologies.
        3. Passion for design, implementing and testing new ideas.
      • Project Specific Skills:
        1. Programming skills in C++, Python or others is plus.
        2. Microcontrollers hardware assembly and software programming knowledge is a plus.
        3. Wired and Wireless Networks basics understanding is a plus.
        4. Cybersecurity basics understanding is a plus.
        5. AWS machine learning and data organization skills are a plus.
        6. Cisco routers management skills are a plus.
    • Skills/laboratory techniques/knowledge that the students will gain from participating in this project: According to the project the following skills can be gained by the students:
      • Skills in C++, Python or others is programming languages.
      • Microcontrollers hardware assembly and software programming knowledge.
      • Wired and Wireless Networks basics.
      • Cybersecurity basics understanding.
      • AWS machine learning and data organization skills.
      • Network management and communication systems skills.

College of Letters, Arts, and Social Sciences

  • Dr. Shayda Kafai
    • Project Description: Students will contribute to a new book project that centers disabled, queer femme of color worldmaking and pedagogy in the classroom. As disabled, chronically ill, and neurodiverse queer of color learners and educators, we are in need of healing. We have learned and taught in an academic system that bets on our forgetting of who we are and what we need, a system that bets on our exhaustion, on our extraction and burnout. This project seeks to answer the following question: how can a disabled queer femme of color praxis intervene within the university’s mandates of hyper-productivity and ableism to craft learning and teaching that is more sustainable, that severs the mythology of what it means to be a “good student,” a “good educator?” Students will support in the creation of a literature review, learning how to conduct and develop semi-structured qualitative interviews using queer, disabled, decolonial methodologies, and how to code data.
    • Mode: Hybrid
    • Responsibilities: On a typical day students will conduct research at the CPP library, create mentor-supported interview questions, and will learn how to conduct research using queer, disabled methodologies.
    • Required Skills: Motivation to conduct intersectional, qualitative research.
    • Skills/laboratory techniques/knowledge that the students will gain from participating in this project: Students will gain skills in research, in how to create a literature review, craft interview questions and develop a code for analysis.

  • Dr. Annie Danis
    • Project Description: Community-based Archaeology Lab (CAL)
      You will assist in the functioning of the Community-based Archaeology Lab housed in building 5 at Cal Poly Pomona. The intern will be trained in lab management including supply inventory, artifact storage, and cataloging. The interns will also support Dr. Danis' ongoing partnerships with communities on and off campus through professional relationship building and event planning.
      This year interns will finalize artifact catalogs for collections from turn-of-the-century San Fransisco, a "type collection" of various materials common in Californian Archaeology contexts, and a collection of contemporary material culture gathered from Cal Poly Pomona waste bins. You will learn basic artifact care by material type, database management, data entry, and artifact storage techniques.
      This year, the interns will support two community partnerships; the first is with the Amache Alliance/Sand Creek Massacre Foundation in organizing this Fall's youth ambassador trip to the two important cultural heritage sites. The second is a partnership with waste management staff on campus and in the local area. You will assist in writing professional emails, creating social media content, and event planning with Dr. Danis.
    • Mode: Hybrid
    • Responsibilities: Depending on your interests, a typical day participating in this project looks like:
      1. Coming into the lab in Building 5 to continue sorting or cataloging artifacts, inventorying supplies, or maintaining equipment.
      2. Doing materials/artifact research in the lab, library, or remotely
      3. Communicating via email, phone, and zoom with community partners, getting quotes for event costs, and updating event schedule worksheets.
    • Required Skills: Introduction to archaeology and at least one upper-division archaeology class preferred but not required if you have project management or inventory experience in another field (retail, admin assisting, etc.)
    • Skills/laboratory techniques/knowledge that the students will gain from participating in this project: Artifact care by material type, database management, data entry, and artifact storage techniques, event planning, community-based relationship building

College of Science

  • Dr. Andrew Steele
    • Project Description: We have three projects in the lab:
      1. We are using genetic approaches to identify dopamine neurons required for food anticipatory activity in mice
      2. We are using genetic approaches to determine which dopamine neurons are required for diet-induced obesity in mice
      3. We are characterizing novel engineered adeno-associated viruses for their potency for gene therapy in the brain.
    • Mode: In-Person
    • Responsibilities: Most protocols are student friendly in that they can be spread across multiple days. All projects involve tissue histology, staining, and microscopy.
    • Preferred Skills: Completion of intro series and genetics is required.
    • Skills/laboratory techniques/knowledge that the students will gain from participating in this project: Microscopy, neuroanatomy, animal handling, feeding studies, antibody staining, and graphing

 

  • Dr. Janel Ortiz
    • Project 1 Description: Camera trapping with photo tagging emphasis project: this project includes fieldwork to set up/check/pick up cameras to detect wildlife in various greenspaces (on and off campus) which will require in-person work with a partner. This project also includes identifying wildlife through camera trap photos (which can be done remotely or on-campus, independently following training) and camera prep for the field (in person in lab) as well as photo processing before the identification process (in person in lab).
    • Project 2 Description: Camera trapping and tick sampling/identification emphasis project: this project includes fieldwork to set up/check/pick up cameras to detect wildlife in various greenspaces which will require in-person work with a partner. At a subset of those greenspaces, we will be actively sampling for ticks (also in-person work). The person on this project will also assist with a passive tick surveillance project which will include contacting partner organizations that are collecting ticks off (domestic and wild) animals and submitting them to us for identification and processing (can be done remotely, independently after training). A major emphasis of this project is tick identification from active sampling in the field and the passive sampling from those submitted (of dead specimens) to species, sex, and life stage. Tick identification will be in-person lab work on-campus.
    • Mode: In-person
    • Responsibilities: All camera trapping typically takes place early in the day from 6:00 a.m. (sunrise) onward to beat the heat, wrapping up at about 1:00 p.m. or 2:00 p.m. depending on a variety of factors. Camera trapping is for one month per season (fall, winter, spring, summer) and tick sampling follows a couple of weeks later through the technique of cloth dragging. Wildlife photo processing and tick identification can be done on return from fieldwork or on days when fieldwork is not needed. Fieldwork is approximately 6 days a month/season for camera trapping and another 4-6 days a month/season for tick sampling. All remaining time will be spent identifying wildlife in photos and ticks under the microscope depending on the project you are participating in and working on your independent project materials.
    • Preferred Skills: Basic computer navigation, able to sit at a computer for periods of time with breaks, comfortable in outdoor settings (with heat and insects) with sometimes steep and rugged terrain while carrying ~10lbs, comfortable learning Google Drive/OneDrive/Photo databases, observant, attention to detail, basic use of a microscope, comfortable handling live and/or dead insect specimens (depending on project emphasis), attentive to detail when labeling and naming samples or documents.
    • Skills/laboratory techniques/knowledge that the students will gain from participating in this project: 
      • Skills: Physical endurance with hiking, wildlife signs, collaboration with undergraduate/graduate students/veterinary school faculty/community partners, communication, technique of camera trapping, microscope use
      • Knowledge: Wildlife species and tick identification, species-habitat associations, ecological field techniques & safety

  • Dr. Rohit Bhide
    • Project Description: Using light to drive organic reactions: Many organic reactions, including the ones that make important pharmaceutical drugs, suffer from low selectivity, low reaction yields and/or the use of highly reactive and hazardous reagents. Is it possible to find alternate chemical routes that are less hazardous and more efficient? Yes! In this project, my group will strategically design functional photocatalysts that can drive organic reactions with light as the source of energy. Moreover, my group will investigate how the structure of these photocatalysts affects their photochemistry, selectivity and catalytic efficiency for light-driven organic reactions. Furthermore, students will covalently link these photocatalysts to abundantly available substrates such as cotton, glass wool, glass fiber, silica nanoparticles, etc., which will enable easy recycle and reuse of these photocatalysts. Overall, this research will play a critical role in the development of cleaner, greener and more efficient synthetic routes to producing valuable fine chemicals. Students will contribute to all aspects of this research including brainstorming ideas, synthesis and characterization of compounds, data analysis and writing scientific journal articles. Dr. Bhide will provide training, guidance and mentorship to students at all stages of the project. Also, if you like to work with colored fluorescent compounds, then you will love this project!
    • Mode: In-Person
    • Responsibilities: The project will have three parts: (i) using simple organic reactions, students will synthesize series of strategically designed photocatalysts with varying structures, (ii) students will then study the fundamental photochemistry of these catalysts using absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy, (iii) students will perform various light-driven organic reactions using the photocatalyst in a photoreactor. On a given day, students will be working on one of these three parts. All the experimentation will be conducted in a chemical laboratory. Students will record their experiments using lab notebooks. Other than performing experiments in the lab, the project will also involve reading chemistry books and scientific journal articles, finding and reviewing literature, analyzing data and assisting Dr. Bhide with writing manuscripts for publications.
    • Preferred Skills: Currently enrolled or previously completed CHM 3140. Organic chemistry lab skills preferred.
    • Skills/laboratory techniques/knowledge that the students will gain from participating in this project: 
      • Research skills: Constructing/proving/disproving hypotheses, problem solving, critical thinking and reasoning
      • Lab skills: Lab safety, air-free chemical synthesis, unit operations such as separations, distillations, etc., and maintaining lab notebooks.
      • Instrumentation skills: Absorption spectroscopy (UV-Vis and FTIR), steady state and time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy, Photoreactors, NMR spectroscopy, Mass spectrometry, Gas/Liquid chromatography.
      • Scientific communication and presentation skills using MS Word, MS PowerPoint.
      • Networking: Opportunities to connect with academia and industry experts through collaborations and/or attending conferences.

  • Dr. Md Iftekhar Alam
    • Project 1 Description: P-wave velocity (VP) characterization of a limestone basement unit
      Physical properties of the subsurface materials, such as their velocity, density, and porosity, are of great interest to environmental, engineering, and archeological studies. Due to the variation in degree of compaction of the medium, and heterogeneity of the shallow subsurface, these properties are often difficult to predict between well cores. Instead, indirect measurements could be made through nonintrusive geophysical methods. Seismic methods play a significant role in subsurface modeling for the characterization of both laterally continuous and point anomalies. This is because the physical properties affect the rigidity and compaction of the medium, which in turn governs the propagation velocities of seismic waves. Therefore, physical properties of the subsurface can be extracted from the seismic data through appropriate processing and modeling.
      The goal of the project is to characterize a lithological boundary between limestone basement and the overlying alluvial deposits using P-wave velocity (VP) modeling. Data is acquired from a riverbank site and made available to the faculty mentor through a collaborative project. The outcome of the study will have a broader impact on the application of VP characterization of subsurface features related to lithologic boundaries and discontinuities such as faults. The understanding gained from the study and modeling approach could be applied to model various geologic features in southern California as well.
    • Project 2 Description: Shear wave velocity (VS) modeling of a limestone basement unit
      The degree of heterogeneity of the shallow earth makes anomaly characterization highly unpredictable. One of the main challenges in application of surface geophysical methods lies in the uncertainty of making a conclusive interpretation on anomaly characterization using a single method. To overcome this variability, integration of multiple techniques is commonly applied. Studies have shown successful applications of more than one geophysical method to characterize subsurface structures at various scales. The purpose of this study is to generate a shear wave velocity model (VS) using multichannel analysis of surface wave (MASW) to complement VP model derived from the same dataset. Estimation of the VS will not only supplement the VP characterization, but also provide a scope to understand the elastic behavior that could be derived by combining VP and VS.
    • Mode: Hybrid
    • Responsibilities: Daily student activities will involve a range of tasks. The first few weeks (3 to 4) of activities will include conducting literature review, background development of the seismic data analysis. Then, in the second phase students will be working on familiarizing the seismic velocity modeling workflow while performing the velocity model building and model validation simultaneously. Throughout the project duration the students will be working in close collaboration with the faculty and other students in the research group, sharing their results and participating in group discussions. Additionally, a summary report will be prepared for a potential journal or conference presentation.
    • Preferred Skills: 
      • Communication skills
      • Preferably geology or engineering undergraduate students but anyone interested in subsurface modeling are welcome.
      • Courses such as shallow subsurface geophysics, and/or algebra will be beneficial.
    • Skills/laboratory techniques/knowledge that the students will gain from participating in this project: 
      • P (project 1)- and S (project 2)-wave velocity modeling
      • Basic seismic data processing workflow
      • Teamwork and project management
      • Application of surface geophysical method in subsurface characterization to model various structures and lithologic boundaries

Don B. Huntley College of Agriculture

  • Dr. Helen Trejo
    • Project Description: While interest in sustainability has developed over several decades, social and economic complexities can impact its growth. Given the context of the pandemic, global fibers produced, consumer interest in sustainability, and emerging sustainable agriculture efforts, this is an exploratory study that considers US consumers’ existing use of fibers, their preferences, perceptions of the local economy based on abrupt changes during the pandemic. The primary research questions are: (1) What are common and preferred materials among US consumers? (2) How familiar are consumers with terms such as a) slow fashion, b) fibershed, c) carbon footprint, and d) regenerative agriculture? (3) What are consumers’ perceptions of local economic health? This research is critical especially due to ongoing discourses regarding climate change, the role of sustainable fashion, uncertain economic conditions after the pandemic.
    • Mode: Hybrid
    • Responsibilities: Student will meet with the faculty advisor, read previous students’ research, develop an academic research paper, and conduct open-ended qualitative data analysis. Involves virtual/ in person meetings in Building 45 in the Apparel Merchandising & Management department TBD.
    • Preferred Skills: Student should be interested in research about sustainable fashion, be self-starting, patient, and willing to engage in detailed data analysis. Interest in pursuing graduate school is preferred.
    • Skills/laboratory techniques/knowledge that the students will gain from participating in this project: Student will gain hands-on experience with an existing sustainable fashion research project. Will gain extensive experience with academic writing, IRB training, and data analysis. Ultimately, the student will work on a project that can be presented at the CPP RSCA conference through a poster or oral presentation, and contribute towards completing an academic manuscript for peer review.

 

  • Dr. Md Arif Iqbal
    • Project Description: With the rise of fast fashion, social media activism for sustainable fashion consumption has been an important issue in the global fashion supply chain. Recently, social media influencers have become a very important player in shaping the consumption behavior of the Gen Z population. As sustainability became an important topic for the Gen Z population, the influencers in social media have an influence on these young consumers for their sustainable consumption behavior. It is imperative to study how social media influencers influence Gen Z consumers regarding their fashion consumption. This study will employ a content analysis and qualitative approach to investigate and understand the motives and perspectives of social media influencers in terms of sustainable fashion consumption. The main research question is how social media influencers are impacting the behavior of young consumers in the context of sustainable fashion consumption and what internal and external drivers impact the relationship of the influencer and Gen Z consumers while influencing their behavior towards sustainable fashion. The contents of two social media platforms, TikTok and Instagram, will be analyzed (content analysis). The thematic analysis will be conducted, and hermeneutic interpretation will be performed based on the analysis of the data. The grounded theory approach will be performed to establish the relationship among the themes found from the data analysis and will further be used for better explanation and interpretation of the data. The student assistant will have the opportunity to gain hands-on research experience. I will train the student for the specific jobs the student will do. Students will be involved in the literature review, data collection, data analysis, manuscript writing, and research presentation. The students' participation and contribution will be Hybrid. There is no in-person meeting requirement for literature review, annotated bibliography, data collection, and analysis. There will be only two in-person meetings in a semester (one at the beginning and one at the end). All the weekly meetings (need-based) will be on Zoom. There is no travel associated with the project. Any student who wants to work remotely will be able to manage.
    • Mode: In-person
    • Responsibilities: The students' participation and contribution will be Hybrid. There is no in-person meeting requirement for literature review, annotated bibliography, data collection, and analysis. There will be only two in-person meetings in a semester (one at the beginning and one at the end). All the weekly meetings (need-based) will be on Zoom. There is no travel associated with the project. Any student who wants to work remotely will be able to manage. The typical days of work are flexible.
    • Preferred Skills: Time management
    • Skills/laboratory techniques/knowledge that the students will gain from participating in this project: The student assistant will have the opportunity to gain hands-on research experience. I will train the student for the specific jobs the student will do. Students will be involved in the literature review, data collection, data analysis, manuscript writing, and research presentation.

Citrus College

  • Dr. Lucia Riderer
    • Project 1 Description: Students design, build and code a four-motor airborne drone using microcontrollers and 3D printed structural components. The drone will be capable of flying to some altitude and hovering in place, while collecting data pertaining to various quantities to investigate how those quantities affect each other. One example of such investigation will focus on the relationship between the propeller speed and altitude.
    • Project 2 Description: Students design, build and code a rover that features interchangeable tank treads. The effect of different tread segment lengths on various aspects of the rover’s motion as determined by onboard sensors will be investigated.
    • Mode: In-person
    • Responsibilities: The activities performed by the students will be different as the projects progress. To begin with, students will spend time to do individual instructor guided research pertaining to drones, rovers and Arduino coding. Then, they will define the task(s) that they want to accomplish, followed by creating engineered models designed to accomplish those tasks, followed by testing the model(s) created and providing solutions to any engineering problems that might arise during testing.
    • Preferred Skills: Students will be required to have successfully completed at least the first General Physics-Mechanics course, demonstrate willingness and commitment to do individual research and all the required work to complete a project and present it in a professional environment. 
    • Skills/laboratory techniques/knowledge that the students will gain from participating in this project: Students will learn how to conduct a literature review to build their knowledge and gain insight into applying their newly gained knowledge to real world problems. They will learn Arduino programming and Computer-Aided Design (CAD), and how to convey their ideas via CAD. They will learn how to use a 3D printer. In addition, they will learn various key aspects of technical writing, how to create a professional poster and how to present their research in a professional environment.

Mt. SAC

  • Dr. Theodore Wong
    • Project 1 Description: CubeSat
      The student researcher will utilize hardware and flight control software developed by the CPP Broncospace team to construct and program a fully functional space-ruggedized vehicle for deployment by the International Space Station (ISS). The research student will be responsible for the construction of all satellite circuit boards, the construction of the structure of the satellite frame, radio transmitter and deployable antenna, the hardware and software integration, the testing of all on-board systems, and the design of a unique payload experiment. The CubeSat completed by the research student will be launched as part of the NASA CubeSat Launch Initiative (CSLI) program. The anticipated launch window is projected to be during the summer of 2025.
    • Project 2 Description: High-Power Solid Fuel Rocketry
      The project is divided into two parts, with part 1 commencing in the fall of 2024 and part 2 in the spring of 2025. For part 1, the goal of the project is to design, construct, and launch a high-power rocket using a commercial solid-propellant motor with a minimum impulse energy of 320 newton-seconds. This requires research and skills utilizing design software, automated shop tools such as 3d printers and laser cutters, power tools, and measuring devices such as calipers. In addition, knowledge of physics, basic electronics, and problem-solving skills are necessary. The research student will participate in a series of classroom workshops that teaches the student the basic skills in rocketry design and construction techniques. From the classroom, the research student will schedule time in laboratory classrooms to complete construction of their rocket. The project will culminate with the launching of the completed project during the 1st and 3rd Saturdays in November at the Friends of Amateur Rocketry (FAR) experimental launch site in the Mohave Desert.
      For part 2 of the project occurring in spring 2025, the research student will design a larger rocket for the purpose of competing in the annual FAR rocketry competition. The larger rocket will utilize a fabricated fiberglass composite airframe, an experimental solid-propellant and a rocket motor case and nozzle designed and fabricated by the research student. In addition, deployment electronics, ballast systems, video transmission systems, and an autonomous drone will be designed and fabricated to be flown onboard the rocket to fulfill the required missions of the competition. The competition will take place the first weekend in June 2025 at the FAR experimental rocket launch site in the Mohave Desert.
    • Mode: In-person
    • Responsibilities:
      • Project 1:
        The project will be very hands-on. Most sessions will utilize a classroom lab to fabricate various components, such as soldering of surface mount components, mechanical construction of the satellite frame, integration of the various subsystems. In addition, some sessions will require the student to research and brainstorm ideas for a payload experiment such as measuring gamma radiation.
      • Project 2:
        Most objectives for the project will be completed in an laboratory environment. There are initial sessions in a classroom setting to familiarize the student with various software used to complete the project such as CAD, 3D printing, and rocket design and rocket motor design software. The majority of sessions will be spent in fabricating, integrating, and testing in a laboratory location.
    • Preferred Skills: 
      • Project 1:
        Electronic skills such as soldering and reading a schematic, mechanical skills such as using hand tools, measuring devices such as calipers and micrometers, knowledge of physics to understand orbital mechanics in order to track objects in low-earth-orbit, software skills to modify and load the flight controller software (Circuit Python). Note that most of these skills are not a pre-requisite for the student to starting the project as the mentor will be provide on-going training.
      • Project 2:
        CAD skills to created designs, 3D printing to fabricate various rocket components such as avionics bays and nosecones, electronic skills to develop deployment and telemetry avionics, metal working skills such as welding, manual machining to fabricate motor cases and nozzles. Note that most of these skills are not a pre-requisite for the student to start the project as the mentor will be providing the training.
    • Skills/laboratory techniques/knowledge that the students will gain from participating in this project:
      • Project 1:
        Satellite design and construction, systems engineering, orbital mechanics, radio transmission and receiving systems, software programming, satellite payload design, satellite tracking systems, satellite vibration testing.
      • Project 2:
        Rocket aerodynamics, rocket propulsion systems, systems design, electronic design and fabrication, 3D printing, laser cutting, project management, metal fabrication, construction of structures utilizing fiberglass and carbon fiber.