Pacific McGeorge School of Law
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ArticulAmp: Redesigned Prototype Electrolarynx
No full textMany laryngeal cancer patients and trauma victims lose their ability to speak after undergoing laryngectomies, relying on devices that inadequately replicate natural speech such as an electrolarynx. Traditional electrolarynx devices are predominantly handheld, produce monotonous, robotic tones, and lack ergonomic and intuitive design features. The ArticulAmp is a redesigned electrolarynx prototype that addresses these limitations by delivering a wearable solution with enhanced tonal quality, adjustability, and user comfort - bridging the gap between functionality, accessibility, and human-centered design.
The ArticulAmp\u27s design employs two vibration modules powered by eccentric rotating mass (ERM) vibration motors placed on both sides of the neck with a comfortable elastic band to simulate vocal cord vibrations. A compact controller, worn at the hip, allows for real-time adjustment of pitch and volume, offering both portability and ease of use. The materials selected for the housing and vibration modules prioritize skin compatibility, comfort, and easy sanitation.
The ArticulAmp is an innovative leap forward in affordable, accessible, and dignified speech restoration technology. By enabling more natural and effortless communication, it supports greater independence and confidence for individuals who have lost their voice. With its user-centric design and potential clinical application, ArticulAmp has the potential to improve quality of life for thousands of patients while setting a new benchmark in electrolarynx products
Simpleberry
No full textSweetness has always been something I’ve gravitated toward—not just in flavor, but in feeling. With Simple Berry, I wanted to explore how something as small as a jar of jam can bring comfort, familiarity, and joy into people’s daily lives. This project gave me the chance to blend visual storytelling with brand identity in a way that feels both playful and grounded.
The campaign uses visual metaphor as a central unifier, inspired by nature’s purest instinct: attraction to sweetness. I chose animals like the bee, butterfly, and hummingbird—creatures naturally drawn to nectar—to mirror how consumers are drawn to the jam itself. This felt like the perfect way to express the brand’s identity without being overly literal, and it allowed me to build something that’s light, approachable, and sincere.
From the label design to the larger campaign, every choice was made with simplicity and sweetness in mind. The clean layout, soft colors, gradient, and natural imagery all work together to emphasize a product that’s made for everyday life—but still feels a little magical. After all, that’s what Simple Berry is all about: keeping things simply fresh, naturally sweet
Malevolence
No full textWhat you see and how you interpret the work depends on who you are as a person. For me, this series of works represents the malevolence that exists in our reality. The ceramic masks are inspired by See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil. Growing up, I was often told to ignore the wrongdoings of others, especially adults so I wouldn’t get into trouble. While this phrase has different interpretations, this is the one that has shaped my understanding. These pieces can be viewed in many ways, but to me, they serve as a commentary on today’s social climate. Those with the power to create change often turn a blind eye, choosing silence over action for the sake of self-preservation. In creating these pieces, I began by constructing masks from tape, paper, and wire. I layered clay over the forms to sculpt the faces. The snakes were tedious to craft, as they needed to be hollow to prevent them from exploding in the kiln. I started the process by shaping the snake\u27s mid sections, ensuring they had enough structural support before building up the body. I had to sculpt the detailed head and tail separately before attaching them to avoid the masks from caving
Pathway to Focus: Creating a Space for Regulation and Learning
No full textAs part of the University of the Pacific\u27s College Corps, our group decided to create a project to help improve student focus, emotional regulation, and well-being through structured movement. Inspired by observing the teacher aides at Colonial Heights taking short walks with students and the research on the benefits of movement-based learning, we developed the sensory hallway project at Colonial Heights to provide an inclusive and engaging space where students can regulate their energy levels and emotions while also enhancing their concentration.
A sensory hallway specifically refers to a designated pathway created by placing interactive panels and tactile surfaces with engaging elements along the walls, floors, and ceilings, featuring activities like hopping, skipping, jumping, and stretching, which give students a way to self-regulate before class.
This project will create a stimulating space where students can participate in movement exercises that allow them to take the time to self-regulate and improve their behavior during class. We hope this space supports students academically and fosters their social-emotional development
Keeping the Spark Alive: Sustaining Alumni Engagement Over Time
No full textAt the heart of this initiative is the desire to listen deeply to the voices of our current fellows across all programs. Our goal is to gather their ideas, hopes, and honest reflections on what alumni engagement could and should look like in the years ahead. By inviting fellows to share their perspectives, we aim to ensure that the future of our alumni community is shaped by those who know the experience best. The insights we collect will be shared with the Stockton Service Corps team to help shape their upcoming three-year alumni engagement plan, making it more meaningful and responsive to the needs of our community.
Fellows have already shared inspiring ideas, such as creating Alumni Mixers to build genuine connections through both social gatherings and professional development opportunities. There is excitement around the idea of an Alumni Mentorship Program, where past members can guide and encourage current fellows as they grow in their careers and service journeys. Fellows also imagine an Alumni Directory or Online Community—a dedicated space to stay connected, exchange opportunities, and foster ongoing relationships. Highlighting alumni stories through newsletters, social media, or live storytelling events was another heartfelt suggestion, to celebrate alumni impact and inspire both current and future fellows. Additionally, fellows see great value in organizing career and networking opportunities, like job fairs or panels, to support alumni as they navigate their next steps.
By centering the voices of our fellows, we hope to co-create a thoughtful and enduring alumni engagement strategy—one that not only keeps our alumni connected but also honors the spirit of service that brings us together. Through this collaborative effort, we can build a stronger, more vibrant community for years to come
Enhancing Enrollment Strategies for Unbound Stockton
No full textUnbound Stockton Community Charter School is dedicated to redefining education through innovative outreach and enrollment initiatives that prioritize family engagement and accessibility. To ensure that our mission aligns with the diverse needs of Stockton’s families, we have launched a community-driven outreach effort aimed at fostering awareness, inclusivity, and long-term educational success. This initiative encompasses a range of strategies, including direct engagement with local families, collaboration with community organizations, and the development of accessible enrollment resources. By hosting informational sessions and interactive workshops, we aim to empower families with the knowledge and confidence to choose Unbound Stockton as their educational home. Thoughtful planning and active community participation are at the heart of this project. We recognize the importance of reaching historically underserved populations and ensuring that every family, regardless of background, feels welcomed and supported in navigating the enrollment process. By addressing barriers to access and providing tailored resources, we strive to make quality education a reality for all
Tips and Pointers: Capture and Keep Attention
No full textPoster Session Tips and Pointers 2025
Capture and keep attention!
Do you want to create an engaging poster for your next poster session? Come learn some tips and pointers that will capture and keep attention on your research! We will review content, design, and tools that will focus on your work
Synthesis of Alanine-Containing Peptides
No full textIntroduction:
Peptides are molecules composed of two or more amino acids linked by peptide bonds. Unique combinations of just twenty canonical amino acids can result in the production of hundreds of thousands of different peptides and proteins, each of which have different structures and thus different functions in the human body. Alanine (A) is one such fundamental amino acid, with important roles such as the facilitation of gluconeogenesis, which is linked to muscle metabolism and energy production. This research focuses on synthesizing short peptides containing alanine, i.e., the peptides VGTA, CAG and ACG.
Method:
Peptides were synthesized through solid phase peptide synthesis (SPPS), starting with the addition of rink amide resin to an SPPS vessel. The resin acts as the foundation for building the peptide chain. The procedure starts with a deprotection step using 20% piperidine in dimethylformamide (DMF) to remove the Fmoc protecting group from the resin. This allows for the first amino acid to be coupled to the deprotected resin. Prior to the amino acid coupling, the peptide goes through a series of wash steps involving methanol (MeOH) for removing unwanted polar byproducts, dichloromethane (DCM) for removing nonpolar impurities, and DMF for washing out any residual soluble reagents from prior deprotection steps. The coupling reaction utilizes Hexafluorophosphate Benzotriazole Tetramethyl Uronium (HBTU) as the activating agent, N,N’- Diisopropylethylamine (DIPEA) as the base, and DMF as the solvent. The process of deprotection and coupling is repeated until the desired peptide chain is successfully built. The resin is removed through cleavage using trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) for cleaving the peptide from the resin and for removing side chain protecting groups, phenol for stabilizing and protecting amino acid side chains during the process, triisopropylsilane (TIPS) for preventing any undesirable side reactions, and MilliQ water as the solvent. The cleaved peptide is then purified and shell frozen before being placed on the lyophilizer where the peptide undergoes sublimation to remove excess solvents and unbound reagents.
Results/Conclusion:
Multiple alanine-containing peptides were successfully synthesized and confirmed through mass spectrometry analysis. These peptides will be utilized in future research projects to thermochemical properties and reactivity
Enhancing Splice Site Detection Through Deep Learning and Retrieval-Augmented Generation
No full textSplice site recognition plays a critical role in understanding transcriptomic regulation, yet detecting these sites in single-cell RNA-seq data remains a major challenge due to sparsity and biological variability. This project focuses on building a deep learning framework that combines Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) for learning sequence patterns and Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) for enhancing interpretability. CNNs are trained to distinguish donor and acceptor splice sites using k-mer encoded DNA sequences, capturing both local motifs and broader sequence context. In parallel, RAG is used to retrieve relevant biological knowledge and annotations that contextualize model predictions, offering a more interpretable explanation of splicing signals
Inhibitory Activities of Surface-Associated Bacteria from California and Florida Algae
No full textMarine algal surface-associated bacteria (SAB) inhabit highly competitive and diverse marine environments, where they face challenges such as high salinity, osmotic stress, and UV radiation. In response, these bacteria produce secondary metabolites that may serve as chemical defenses, including potential antibiotics active against human pathogens. To discover novel antibiotic drug leads, algae samples were collected from three California beaches (Stinson Beach, La Jolla, and Santa Cruz) and the Florida Keys. SABs were isolated from plates where algal surface swabs were plated on A1 medium, then cultured in liquid A1 medium (10 g/L starch, 4 g/L yeast, 2 g/L peptone), and cryopreserved. We utilized 3 antimicrobial screening methods—pour-over assay, disk diffusion, and single-dose broth assay— to test the 532 isolates against four human pathogens: Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, and Salmonella sp. In the pour-over assay, 11 isolates from an initial pool of 332 California SABs and 17 isolates from approximately 200 Florida SABs, produced zones of inhibition indicative of antibiotic production. The disk diffusion assay also confirmed antibiotic production in 14 samples. These antibiotic-producing isolates were then cultured large scale in 500 mL A1 media for 48 hours, extracted using XAD-16 resin, and then the broth was further extracted using ethyl acetate. Single-dose broth assay was conducted on the fractions from the large-scale extracts. The next steps will be isolation and characterization of the antibiotic secondary metabolites