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Investigating Rattlesnake Social Networks and Improving Their Public Image Through Unobtrusive Technologies and Community Science
No full textWhile technology is often blamed for humans’ increasing disconnect with nature, it can also serve as a tool to facilitate empathy and conservation action for wildlife. Snakes are among the most feared animals on the planet, though their understudied social interactions provide opportunities to make scientific discoveries and change public perceptions. Project RattleCam was founded as a camera trap project in 2021 and launched the first off-grid livestream on a den of wild Prairie Rattlesnakes (Crotalus viridis) in 2024. Both camera types captured hundreds of Prairie Rattlesnakes gathering in the summer as they prepared to give birth to pups before hibernating together. My research focused on the drivers of community livestream engagement, investigated social relationships among rattlesnakes using camera technologies, and measured changes in human youth perceptions of snakes through a RattleCam-based curriculum.
The Colorado RattleCam Livestream received considerable media attention in its first year. To examine the impact of media on livestream viewership, I plotted a comprehensive list of media articles against YouTube engagement metrics. Increases in watch time, viewers, and subscribers were strongly positively associated with bursts of media coverage. I also examined a select group of YouTube comments that reflected a sense of community among the viewers and potential improvements in perceptions toward snakes compared to before viewers started watching the livestream.
Community scientists helped me generate social networks for two populations of Prairie Rattlesnakes by processing camera trap photos, naming individual snakes, and reviewing livestream footage. Associations among individuals were nonrandom, and females were more gregarious (had higher weighted degrees) than males. Pregnant females spent the most time with other pregnant females, though they were not more gregarious than nonpregnant females.
I led a team in creating a science curriculum for third through fifth graders called RattlEd to amplify Project RattleCam’s impact on youth. I evaluated how our curriculum changed student knowledge and perceptions of snakes by surveying fourth and fifth graders before and after participating in the unit. Students felt less fearful and negative about rattlesnakes following the RattlEd unit. Students’ drawings also shifted from mostly depicting snakes as predators toward a more balanced view of snakes that reflected what they watched on the RattleCam livestreams. Livestreaming technology shows great potential for showcasing animal aggregations, particularly of secretive species. Such livestreams can connect the public with nature and scientific research, and improve perceptions of unpopular animals such as rattlesnakes
Prompting for Refusal: Teaching Against and Without AI
No full textThis Original Teaching Activity describes two modules that enact feminist pedagogy to teach AI refusal, a set of lectures and associated activities which we developed for first-year courses during the 2023-2024 academic year. These activities invite students to refuse AI while also understanding its function and deployment. They explore the consolidations of power which make generative AI technologies both possible and harmful. Instead of presuming the inevitability of AI to replace working and learning or change the world, these activities offer students a materialist framework to refuse the hype, grounding their understanding of generative AI in its techno-political origins and actual capabilities
Eggbeater Antenna Design 915 MHz
No full textThe Sal-E cube sat mission that is planned for launch in 2026 includes a 902-928 MHz receiving module called the Space Quacker Advanced Development (SQUAD) module. The SQUAD module uses the LoRa modulation format for unlicensed uplink to the satellite using the 902-928 MHz Industrial, Scientific, and Medical (ISM) band. The goal of the SQUAD module is to demonstrate the link robustness of the LoRa communication standard to a low earth orbit (LEO) satellite using this ISM band. To demonstrate this communication link, a 902-928 MHz uplink ground station needs to be established at Cal Poly. The goal of this SURP project is to demonstrate that a student-designed and built circularly polarized “Egg Beater” antenna with a power amplifier is capable of making the LEO link using LoRa modulation with adequate signal-to-noise ratio margin. The use of the “Egg Beater” type of antenna, LoRa Modulation, and a power amplifier greatly simplifies the uplink design by eliminating the need for an expensive Az-El rotator and complicated antenna tracking needs while still providing a reliable satellite uplink signal
Exploring Impact of Student’s Proximity to Summer Camp and Demographics on their Interests in Engineering
No full textEPIC is a one-week Cal Poly program where middle-and high-school students explore engineering through hands-on projects in a university setting. In partnership with the Migrant Education Program (MEP), EPIC reserves spots for migratory students and provides bilingual counseling and support. These services ensure equitable access and a welcoming environment for students developing English proficiency
AI-Driven Embedded Camera System for Real-Time Traffic Anomaly Detection
No full textIn this project, we will collaborate with Caltrans District 5 (covering San Luis Obispo County and surrounding regions) to develop a small, battery-powered, camera-based embedded system utilizing an NVIDIA Jetson board and neural networks to detect highway traffic anomalies. The device will analyze real-time traffic flow patterns and send alerts regarding detected anomalies. Unlike the stationary commercial camera systems currently in use, the proposed system offers increased mobility, affordability, and will give Caltrans engineers improved access over system outputs
Approximating the Maximum Weighted Independent Set Problem Empirically
No full textIn this project we investigate approximation algorithms for the maximum weighted independent set (MWIS) problem in random graphs that approximate real-world graphs, such as social networks. The problem involves finding a large collection of nodes in a network (vertices in a graph) such that no two nodes are directly connected to one another. Applications of the MWIS problem are broad and include clique-finding algorithms as well as the use of large independent sets in distributed algorithms. We build on prior work by the mentor with a SURP 2024 and senior project, in which preliminary findings suggested that a standard greedy algorithm for finding large independent sets, when applied to certain random graphs—can be sped up without any loss in the quality of the solution found. In fact, we found that in the average case the faster version of the algorithm finds a better solution, avoiding the speed-quality tradeoff that is common in algorithm design. We seek to verify and explain this behavior through theory and experiments. This is an opportunity for the mentee to engage in theoretical research and reinforce their algorithmic fundamentals—and to gain experience in experimental design. The mentee will also gain practical, hands-on experience running experiments with standard graph packages for Python, as well as porting the code to C++, parallelizing it, and running it on a computing cluster
Radiative Heat Transfer Using Spectrometers
No full textRadiative heat transfer and the fundamental understanding of the electromagnetic spectrum, ranging from infrared to ultraviolet, are crucial topics for space environments and aerodynamic re-entry systems. The advancement of the aerospace curriculum in these areas will lay the cornerstone for undergraduate students focusing on experiential learning. A specific laboratory experiment involving black body radiation and modes of heat transfer, with a particular emphasis on radiation, will be scoped, designed, and fabricated during the SURP performance period. The outcomes of this work will standardize the introductory courses on heat transfer specific to aeronautics and astronautics concentrations, which is mainly lacking outside of the Cal Poly Aerospace curriculum in an undergraduate setting. The work will also address the pedagogical methods that adhere to Bloom\u27s Taxonomy, meeting learning outcomes, grading, and assessment. The student researcher will gain hands-on experience with conducting the specified activities, developing an operational and safety manual, and potentially co-authoring an education research-based paper
Light-Activated Self-Folding of Polystyrene-Based Shape Memory Polymers: A Comparison of Laser Induced Graphene and Marker Patterns
No full textShape memory polymers (SMPs) are a class of stimuli-responsive materials capable of undergoing programmable shape transformations upon thermal activation. Among various heating methods, light-induced activation provides a contact-free, spatially selective, and controllable approach for triggering self-folding behavior, making it particularly valuable for applications in soft robotics, aerospace structures, and biomedical devices. Despite the growing interest in SMPs, a systematic investigation into the influence of photothermal patterning materials, light intensity, and heat distribution on self-folding behavior remains limited. This research aims to explore the self-folding response of a commercially available SMP by employing photothermal materials such as carbon black and laser-induced graphene to enhance light absorption and localized heating. The study will involve precise pattern deposition, targeted light irradiation, and real-time image analysis to quantify folding characteristics such as bending angles, response times, and deformation kinetics. Additionally, heat transfer and temperature distribution will be analyzed using a thermal resistance network model and finite element simulations to provide deeper insight into the underlying mechanisms of light-induced actuation. The outcomes of this study will advance the fundamental understanding of light-responsive SMPs and contribute to the development of remotely controlled, programmable actuation systems for next-generation engineering applications
Forecasting Floral Demand to Reduce Operational Cost and Optimize Production
No full textThe floral industry faces rising operational costs, increasingly strict environmental regulations, and high market volatility, all of which threaten the sustainability of flower production. Accurate demand forecasting and production planning are therefore critical to minimize waste and reduce costs while maintaining competitiveness.
This thesis develops mathematical models for optimization, forecasting, and production planning in the floral industry, extending recent work on production planning and trapezoidal demand modeling. We integrate time-series forecasting methods with optimization techniques from production planning and operations research to model both short-term demand fluctuations and medium-term capacity constraints. The mathematical framework links linear and nonlinear optimization, time-series analysis, and mathematical modeling to provide a comprehensive approach for improving decision-making in flower production.
By simulating and validating model performance on real and simulated data from floral producers, the research demonstrates how mathematical modeling can enhance forecasting accuracy, improve resource allocation, and reduce operating costs. These insights contribute to a broader understanding of how applied mathematics can support sustainability and efficiency in agricultural production systems
Pilot-Scale Nitrification of Primary Clarifier Effluent Using Biofilm on Geomembrane Panels
No full textMany municipal wastewater treatment plants must meet effluent standards for nitrogenous compounds. Biofilm and suspended growth reactors are commonly used at full-scale to nitrify ammonia as part of nitrogen removal. The present research was a step in exploring whether an aerated biofilm supported on geomembrane panels could nitrify efficiently enough to have lower total costs compared to existing technologies. The research was conducted in a Mediterranean climate using four 1-m3 pilot tanks – two for panel biofilms and two for reference suspended growth treatment.
Over four months, tests were conducted on two hydraulic residence times (nominally 10 h and 20 h), two aeration intensities, and thick and thin biofilms. They were continuously fed municipal primary clarifier effluent (total ammonia nitrogen [TAN] averaged 48 mg/L). Biofilm tanks removed an average of 15 mg/L-d and reference tanks achieved average removal rates of 25 mg/L-d in an activated sludge mode and 19 mg/L-d in aerated lagoon mode.
For the biofilm, the best performance was achieved in the tank with thin biofilm and 20 h residence time. Its biofilm area-specific TAN removal rate averaged 1.06 g/m2-d, which is comparable to conventional biofilm technologies such as moving bed bioreactors. However, at a TAN loading rate of ~1 g/m2-d, scaling-up a panel configuration to achieve low effluent TAN concentrations would be challenging