2024 Bay Honors Research Symposium Presentations and Papers

Below is the full schedule of the 2024 Bay Honors Research Symposium, which took place on 4 May 2024 at Stanford University.

All papers and presentations that have been submitted to Think You?! are hyperlinked; papers will render a PDF while video presentations are housed on YouTube. Participants are responsible for captioning of their videos; in some cases, YouTube’s auto-generated captions may be employed. The date of publication is indicated in parentheses.

Session 1

Room 30

Irene G. Frazer, West Valley College. “Breaking the Cycle: Addiction Predictors and Policy.” Mentor: Prof. Naomi Wagner
Konatsu Okita, Cañada College. “Psychology of Eating Habits: Comparison between Japan and America.” Mentor: Prof. Rebekah Sidman-Taveau
Cordelia Tucker, Irvine Valley College. “Cheap and Trendy Nicotine: Investigation of Disposable Vape Use Among College Majors and Its Impacts on Nicotine Addiction.” Mentor: Prof. Emily Liu

Room 105

Sydney Hoang and Sana Vosoughi, Irvine Valley College. “A Statistical Study of Prime Pairs in the Twin Prime Conjecture in Number Theory.” Mentor: Prof. Lan Pham
Oscar Lopez, West Los Angeles College. “Quadcopter Design with Infinitesimally Adjustable Arms Coupled with a Pr-Existing Universal Controller.” Mentor: Prof. Mark Mueller
Willow McElderry, Las Positas College. “A Non-Logical Standard of Rationality? Logical and Material Rules of Inference.” Mentor: Prof. Jeremiah Bodnar

Room 107

Aliza Hameed, Irvine Valley College. “Magnetic Fields and Their Applications in Solar Panel Efficiency.” Mentor: Prof. Amir Ahsan

Room 202

Celina Buncayo, Skyline College. “A Call to Improve Voter Education in San Mateo County High Schools.” Mentor: Prof. Jesse Raskin
Galia Diaz-Montoya and Robert Ly, Irvine Valley College. “How Dietary Phytoestrogens Affect Sleep and Academic Performance in Young Female Adults.” Mentor: Prof. Celina Lee
Andres Cruz and DiMarco Marenco, Los Medanos College. “Dead Asleep: The Cytotoxic Effects of Benczocaine.” Mentors: Prof. Dennis Gravert and Prof. Robert Heischman

Room 203

Sally Jebory, Irvine Valley College. “Didn’t He Die? Record Labels Exploit Deceased Black Rappers.” Mentor: Prof. Emily Liu
Ruth Lee, Cosumnes River College. “Gratitude: The Replacement of Envy in the Pursuit of Happiness.” Mentor: Prof. Richard Schubert
Malcolm Troup, Las Positas College. “What is Normal is Good: A Study on Self-Perception and Impression Formation’s Interaction with Being Considered as ‘Normal’.” Mentor: Prof. Robin Roy

Room 205

Nicolette Fierro, Reedley College. “The Effects of Stereotype Threat on Community College Attrition Rates.” Mentor: Prof. Anya Connelly-Howland
Kexuan Li, Irvine Valley College. “Obstacles or Opportunities? Test-Optional Policies in College Admissions.” Mentors: Prof. Emily Liu and Prof. Kurt Meyer
Luis Romero, Cañada College. “Student Perspectives on Best Practices for Supporting Undocumented Students at Cañada College.” Mentors: Ms. Nimsi García and Prof. Michael Hoffman

Room 217

Atharv Attri, Irvine Valley College. “Crypto Anomaly Detection with Unsupervised Quantum Machine Learning.” Mentor: Prof. Carrie Goulding
Jasreet Kaur-Keith, West Valley College. “The Risk-Equity Premium and Government Intervention.” Mentor: Samuel Liu
Kaveh Malekzadeh and Shiv Patel, Irvine Valley College. “Exploring the Effectiveness of AI-Driven Algorithmic Trading Through Sentiment Analysis.” Mentor: Prof. Jeff Barnett

Room 219

Hannah Lupse, American River College. “Searching for a Cure: Investigating the Endemic Low Youth Voter Turnout in Community College.” Mentor: Prof. Kathleen Collihan
Devin Matosian, College of San Mateo. “The Shifting Dynamics of Retail Investing: Predatory Gamification Has Exploited Novice Investor.” Mentor: Prof. Steven Lehigh

Room 303

Ashley Bowers, Las Positas College. “The Silent Journey South: Migration from Mesa Verde.” Mentor: Prof. Daniel Cearley
Raymond Chen, Santiago Canyon College. “Speaking Across Time: Language Coexistence in a Changing China.” Mentor: Prof. Vienne Vu
Andy Pham, Irvine Valley College. “To Share or Seize? Building the Thirty-Meter Telescope on Mauna Kea.” Mentor: Prof. Carrie Goulding

Room 305

Logan Heine, Cabrillo College. “Perfection’s Downfall: Investigating the Shared Failures of Perfection in ‘The Birth-Mark’ and Hyper Light Drifter.” Mentor: Prof. Steven Schessler
Ralph Pineda, Los Medanos College. “The Psychology of EVIL: A Literary Exploration of Moral Dissonance in Zola and Amis.” Mentor: Prof. Jenniffer Saito
Howard Qin, Cañada College. “Fate’s Divine Weavings: Exploring the Element of Destiny of Heroes’ Journeys in Norse and Greek Mythologies.” Mentor: Prof. Maureen Wiley

Session 2

Room 30

Miray Laktineh, Mt. San Jacinto College. “Human Rights Violations against Syrian Girls: Complex Factors and Western Media Portrayals.” Mentor: Prof. Michelle Stewart
Christina Nava, Modesto Junior College. “It Takes a Complicit Village: The Cultural Sanctioning of Domestic Violence.” Mentor: Prof. Eva Mo

Room 105

Alyssa Agarie, Irvine Valley College. “Study of Filaments of the Nematode T. acceti Using Various Oils.” Mentor: Prof. Anton Peshkov
Luis Blas, Cabrillo College. “Spaceship, Magnets, Water, Plants: Using Sci-Fi to Revolutionize Pump Technology with MHD Drives.” Mentor: Prof. Marcus Watson
Edward Song, Las Positas College. “Bridging Theory and Reality: Developing a High-Fidelity Physics Engine for Projectile Motion.” Mentor: Prof. Jennifer Siders.

Room 107

Donya Sharafkhanian and May Kyi Phyu Thinn, Irvine Valley College. “Unlocking the Past: Can Childhood Video Games Improve Stress Levels in College Students by Evoking Nostalgia?” Mentor: Prof. Kurt Meyer

Room 202

Mehrsa Gholikhamesh, Las Positas College. “Unveiling the Growth Dynamics: Exploring the Impact of Gibberellic Acid (GA3) on Wisconsin Fast Plants.” Mentor: Prof. Amber Kerr
Nicolas Lam and Spencer Song, Mt. San Antonio College. “Alfalfa Seed Germination Unaffected by Scarification.” Mentor: Prof. Diana Churchill
Liliya Stepanyan, Glendale Community College. “The Effect of spoT and badM Genes on EPS Expression and Motility in Paraburkholderia unamae.” Mentor: Prof. Shelley Thai

Room 203

Raina Dent, Las Positas College. “Radical Feminist Movements? Discarded Identities Lead to Feminist Revolutions.” Mentor: Prof. Joanna Tice Jen
Kexuan Li, Irvine Valley College. “The Virgin Queen and the Grandmother of Europe: A Comparative Analysis of Women’s Status in Elizabethan and Victorian England.” Mentor: Prof. Emily Liu
Kaylin Nishida, Irvine Valley College. “Sigma Males in the Wild: Toxic Masculinity Facilitates Eco-Fascism on TikTok.” Mentor: Prof. Emily Liu

Room 205

Yana Berezina, Las Positas College. “Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Food Recommendation Program.” Mentors: Prof. Kai Blaisdell and Prof. Carlos Moreno
Woraporn Sae-Hia, Irvine Valley College. “AI-Powered Mass Personalization: Reshaping Marketing for Young Adults.” Mentor: Prof. Emily Liu
Ying Zhen, San José City College. “Using a New Integration Training Method to Improve Aerialists’ Performance.” Mentor: Prof. Cristina Leal

Room 219

Owen Blum, Irvine Valley College. “The American Veil: Wage Labor, Seclusion, and the Creation of the American Nuclear Family Home.” Mentor: Prof. Brittany Adams
Jerika Harris, Los Medanos College. “Words Matter: Dismantling Sexist Terminology on Women’s Reproductive Health.” Mentor: Prof. Stephanie St. Onge
Kaitlin Rock, Irvine Valley College. “The Naked Truth: An Analysis of Sylvia Plath and Cardi B’s Poetic Contributions to the Feminist Movement.” Mentor: Prof. Emily Liu

Room 303

Ellie Nguyen, Shreya Kalyanaraman and Thuong Nguyen, Irvine Valley College. “Influencing Public Health? Social Media Affects Public Perceptions of Unpasteurized Milk.” Mentor: Prof. Emily Liu
Emily Alvazian and Keylin Bedrosian, Glendale Community College. “Tech vs. Ties: The Impact of Technology and Family on Children’s Political Views.” Mentors: Prof. Michael Harnett and Prof. Cameron Hastings

Room 305

Terry Haggin, West Valley College. “Philosophies of Man’s Relationship to Nature in Whitman and Cowper.” Mentor: Prof. Julie Maia
Morgan Koo, Irvine Valley College. “Biblical Literalism and Gender: Impositions Upon American Women from the 16th to 20th Centuries.” Mentor: Prof. Brittany Adams
Sophia Marentette, Cabrillo College. “Hiding Hermaphrodites: Exploring the Absence of Intersex Statuses in the Art Historical Canon.” Mentor: Prof. Heather Gray

Session 3

Room 30

Debra Duvair, Sacramento City College. “Comparative Analysis of the Homeless Crisis: Assessing Strategies Pursued by Local Governments.” Mentor: Prof. Dana Armstrong
Sean Lu, Irvine Valley College. “The compass of Convergence: Charting Development Pathways Informed by High-Income Models.” Mentor: Prof. Mark Collinson
Aliyah Ramirez, Los Medanos College. “Actions Speak Volumes: East Contra Costa County’s Housing Crisis.” Mentor: Prof. Cindy McGrath

Room 105

Galia Diaz-Montoya and Robert Ly, Irvine Valley College. “In the Midst of Generational Trauma and a Machista Culture: How Catholic Fascism in Central Latin America Affects Latinx Students’ Self-Perception and Academic Success Through Gender Role Stereotypes.” Mentor: Prof. Celina Lee
Nicole Sahrling, Las Positas College. “Brainspotting: A Way Through the Silent Epidemic.” Mentors: Prof. Irena Keller and Prof. Ashley Young.

Room 107

Joseph Awad and Steven Chamul, Mt. San Jacinto College. “The Impact of Social and Economic Conservatism on Depressive Symptoms.” Mentors: Prof. Michelle Vogel Trautt and Prof. Nicholis Zappia
Michelle Ly, Crafton Hills College. “‘I Somewhat Matter’.” Mentor: Prof. Giovanni Sosa
Amy Nguyen, College of San Mateo. “Reframing the Narrative Around the Imposter Phenomenon in Higher Education.” Mentors: Prof. Judith Hunt and Prof. Minu Mathur

Room 202

Gustavo Costa, Cañada College. “Analysis of Urban Solid Waste Management Indicators in the Three largest South American Economies.” Mentor: Prof. Rebekah Sidman-Taveau
Vy Nguyen, Irvine Valley College. “Food Waste Recycling Policy: A Comparative Study of South Korea and the United States.” Mentor: Prof. Joon Kil
Kenneth Pilco, MiraCosta College. “ASEAN Resilience: A Path Towards a Monetary Union.” Mentor: Prof. Kristen Kuyck

Room 203

Vivian Owens, Las Positas College. “The archaeology of absence: How natural disasters leave gaps and cause rebirths in our urban landscapes.” Mentor: Prof. Daniel Cearley
Mya Ward, Chaffey College. “The Rise and Fall of Agriculture in the Inland Empire.” Mentor: Prof. Allison Tripp

Room 205

Joanna Chiu, Las Positas College. “Morals and Ethics of AI and Machine Learning in Creative Fields.” Mentor: Prof. Carlos Moreno
Areeba Balkhi, Erin Denny and Ryan Rossovich, Skyline College. “Electronic Nose for Home Urinary Tract Infection Detection in Seniors with Cognitive Decline.” Mentor: Prof. Susanne Schubert
Hongzhi Luo, Irvine Valley College. “An AI Powered Formula Recognition Model.” Mentor: Prof. Lan Pham

Room 217

Alexia Gallon, Irvine Valley College. “Foreign Worker Dilemma: A Comparative Analysis of Japan and the UK’s Labor Force.” Mentor: Prof. Joon Kil
Matt Aaron Magnaye, College of San Mateo. “Healing Across the Ocean: Filipino Nurses Bridging healthcare Gaps in America.” Mentor: Prof. Sarah Mangin-Hinkley
Collin McDonnell, MiraCosta College. “How Can Organized labor in the Contemporary United States Rebound from Decades of Decline?” Mentor: Prof. Christopher Sleeper

Room 219

Mehtaab Bath, Las Positas College. “Reimagining Identities: The Intersection of Posthumanism and Gender Fluidity in Contemporary Fashion.” Mentor: Prof. Soraya Renteria
Tracy Le, Irvine Valley College. “Flicker to Fade: Students’ Consumption of Fast Fashion for High School Dances.” Mentor: Prof. Emily Liu
Nina Soltero, City College of San Francisco. “Mixed Marriages: Exploring Non-White Interracial Marriages.” Mentor: Prof. Rebecca Ancheta

Room 303

Kai Cameron, Brooke Hackinson and Paolina Sanchez, Saddleback College. “The Nature of Our Classrooms: Reimagining Learning Environments through Biophillic Designs.” Mentor: Prof. Jessica Budica
Cindy Chen and Youyang Qin, Foothill College. “Evaluating Academic Outcomes in the Tinsley Voluntary Transfer Program: A Progressive Study on Interdistrict Desegregation.” Mentor: Prof. Bill Ziegenhorn
Nishabell Rubio, Mt. San Antonio College. “Extra Credit as an Incentive to Improve Student Performance.” Mentors: Prof. Esha Ahmed and Prof. Louis Vayo

Room 305

Nadia Jahanbin, Irvine Valley College. “The Significance in Diminishing Shame Culture: An Analysis of Cancel Culture.” Mentor: Prof. Alex Weil
Gerelle Samaniego, Cosumnes River College. “Grief and Happiness: A Daoist Critique of the Buddhist Perspective.” Mentor: Prof. Richard Schubert
Malcolm Troup, Las Positas College. “The Self as an Algorithm Constructed by Desire as an Argument for Strong Psychological Egoism.” Mentor: Prof. Jeremiah Bodnar