College of Science

Department of Applied Environmental Science

Students presenting their research to a classroom

 

 

Capstone Festival

CSUMB's science majors present their capstone projects twice a year: at the Spring Capstone Festival in May, and at the Fall Capstone Festival in December. These diverse, exciting talks and poster presentations by our Environmental Studies and Environmental Science, Technology and Policy seniors are open to all students and the public.

 

The Department of Applied Environmental Science Spring 2024 Capstone Festival will take place on Friday, May 17, 2024, from 10:15 am - 2:30 pm (PST) in Tanimura & Antle Family Memorial Library, Rm 1188.

The following majors presented during this session:

 

Spring 2024 Capstone Festival 

10:30 AM | Introduction from Department Chair, Dr. Susan Alexander (View Recording)

10:33 AM | ENSTU Presentations

ENSTU 472: Projects in Environmental Education - Dr. Victoria Derr
 It Starts with a Seed: Connecting the Las Lomas Community through Environmental Education
by Mercedes Geneva Howarth, Aide Servera Cortez, Celia Constance Wood, Emiliano Ortega Langarica

Education for an Ecological Hero: Developing a Curriculum & Outreach for the American Beaver
by Alana Owings, Bryana Alverez, Cameron Stairs, Cody Whitney, Noah Esparza, Tia Hanes

Restricted Access to a Public Resource: Results from Salinas River Community Outreach 
by Tammy Chen, Nathan Ito, Isabelle Thompson, Santiago Romero, Leia Ishimatsu, Daniel Bautista

Water Diaries: Stories of Water Justice through Natural Dye
by Nicole Bonello, Jocelyn Mendoza, Evelyn La, Quinn Bayer, Azalea Wiley

11:24 AM | ESTP Presentations 

ENVS 464: Wildlife Management & Conservation - Dr. Jennifer Duggan
Effects of squirrel animal ambassadors on attitudes towards wildlife management at CSUMB
by Kelsy Deckard, Connor Farrow, Sonia Kortenkamp, Graham Piercey, Dylan Sandoval, Zoe Schimnowski

ENVS 475: Projects in Natural Resource Management - Dr. Robert Burton
Rooting for the Underdog: Perennial Bunchgrass Communities in the Ecological Arena of California Annual Grasslands
by Emily Horvath, Riley Rhodes, Emily Donahue, Summer Julian, RJ Mcpeek, and Dominique Morales

12:22 PM | Break

12:45 PM | ESTP Presentations 

GEOL 460: River Hydrology & Monitoring - Dr. James Guilinger
Preliminary Assessment of Gully Erosion Across Santa Lucia Preserve, Monterey County, CA
by Timothy Hart, Sarah Jane Burke, David Gonzales, Zaim Fuentes

Quantifying controls on boulder movement during the 2023 floods using drone photogrammetry along the Carmel River
by Izac Torres, Brandon Alexander

ENVS 402: Honors Capstone - Dr. John Olson
Water Temperature Variation of Pajaro River Channelized with Levee
by Ellery Charleton

Murky waters: using satellite measured turbidity to estimate river nitrate concentrations
by Alexandra (Lexi) Yokomizo

1:45 PM | Poster Presentations            

GEOL 460: River Hydrology & Monitoring - Dr. James Guilinger
Preliminary Assessment of Gully Erosion Across Santa Lucia Preserve, Monterey County, CA
by Lisa Irvine, Kevin Ogan, Manuel Villa Alvarado

Quantifying controls on boulder movement during the 2023 floods using drone photogrammetry along the Carmel River
by Izac Torres, Brandon Alexander

ENVS 402: Honors Capstone - Dr. John Olson
Water Temperature Variation of Pajaro River Channelized with Levee
by Ellery Charleton

Murky waters: using satellite measured turbidity to estimate river nitrate concentrations
by Alexandra (Lexi) Yokomizo

ENSTU 472: Projects in Environmental Education - Dr. Victoria Derr
Water Diaries: Stories of Water Justice through Natural Dye
by Nicole Bonello, Jocelyn Mendoza, Evelyn La, Quinn Bayer, Azalea Wiley

 

 

 

 

 

Capstone Schedule Archives

  • Fall 2023 Capstone Festival 

    9:00 AM | Introduction from Department Chair, Dr. Susan Alexander (View recording)

    9:00 AM | ENSTU Presentations

    ENSTU 471: Projects for Sustainable City Year - Dr. Seth Gustafson
    Biophilic Design in Cypress Knolls
    by Corinn Biglin, Madison Creech, Katie Lampkin, Anna Lucido, Hunter Romo

    Community Energy and Microgrids in Marina
    by Skye Murphy-Connolly, Cameron Garrison, Nathan Blakely, Tianyi Luo

    Building a College Town: Improving the Relationship between CSUMB and the City of Marina
    by Jeannette Sanchez, Ánh Cao, Jacob Diaz, Araceli Suarez-Padilla, Michaela Velasco

    Analysis of and Recommendations for Marina's Local Coastal Program
    by Chloe Taylor, Amanda Cross, Nate Brown, Ben Pedersen, Andrew Hernandez

    Expanding Community Outreach in Marina
    by Fernanda De la Cruz-Reynoso, Cienna De Leon, Madison Moreno, Grace Neff, Isabelle Thompson

    ENSTU 497: Independent Capstone - Dr. Tori Derr
    Capturing Magical Moments in the Carneros Creek Outdoor Classroom
    by Madison Moreno

    10:15 AM | ESTP and ENSCI Presentations 

    ENVS 402: Independent Capstone - Dr. John Olson
    The California Red-Legged Frog, Rana draytonii Habitat: Defining and Predicting their Current and Future Ranges
    by Connor Quiroz

    ENVS 410/Bio 488: Capstone Seminar/Freshwater Ecology - Dr. John Olson
    Comparing New Zealand Mudsnail Populations From Previous Surveys in The Carmel River
    by Richard Arcia, Melissa Castillo, Emmanuel Diaz-Campos, Stefano Rincon

    Effect of Signal Crayfish Weight on Their Predation of the New Zealand Mud Snail Within the Carmel River
    by Charles Armstrong-Huntley, Nathan Oliver, Ashley Rawlins

    ENVS 660: Professional Environmental Science- Dr. John Olson
    Assessing the effects of flow duration on the accuracy of biological assessment indices throughout Central California streams
    by Skylar Wolfe  [Additional authors: ENVS 660 students listed below]

    ENVS 660: Professional Environmental Science- Dr. Fred Watson
    Low recruitment in ancient stands of white oaks, Rana Creek Preserve, Monterey County, California
    by Alyssa Anzalone, Connor Ohara-Baker, Mary Snook [Additional authors: Sarah Beilman, Charley Abernathy, Malcolm Tunnell, Skylar Wolfe, Caroline Bolen, Sarah Winkel, Gehard Gross, Rebecca Baggott ]

    11:15 AM | Poster Presentations 

    Quantifying post-fire estuarine marsh platform sediment dynamics in response to post-fire runoff and flooding events
    by Lisa Irvine & Ellery Charleton                   Faculty Mentor: Dr. Jimmy Guilinger

    Creepy Hillsploes: Multimethod analysis of earthflows in Hollister, CA
    by Abraham Porras-Vargas                            Faculty Mentor: Dr. Jimmy Guilinger

    Daily water temperature variation of Pajaro River channelized by levees
    by Ellery Charleton                                           Faculty Mentor: Dr. John Olson

    Analysis of Fire Retardant in Runoff
    by Lexi Yokomizo                                              Faculty Mentor: Dr. John Olson              

    ENVS 436: Remote Sensing - Dr. Fred Watson
    Survey of California Coast Live Oaks following a defoliation event caused by Oak Moths. Do Oak Moths kill oak trees at an alarming rate?
    by Marily Muñoz-Serrano

    Synchronous Defoliation of Coast Live Oak due to California Oak Moth
    by Jonathan Logie

    Quantifying the Temporal Frequency of Defoliation Events by the California Oak Moth, Phryganidia californica, in a Defined Geographical Area within Former Fort Ord
    by Miguel Alvarado

    Evaluating the Phenology of California Oak Moths (Phryganidia californica) across California using Inaturalist Observations
    by Sean Shea-Lichter

    ENVS 402: Independent Capstone - Dr. John Olson
    The California Red-Legged Frog, Rana draytonii Habitat: Defining and Predicting their Current and Future Ranges
    by Connor Quiroz

    ENVS 410/Bio 488: Capstone Seminar/Freshwater Ecology - Dr. John Olson
    Comparing New Zealand Mudsnail Populations From Previous Surveys in The Carmel River
    by Richard Arcia, Melissa Castillo, Emmanuel Diaz-Campos, Stefano Rincon

    Effect of Signal Crayfish Weight on Their Predation of the New Zealand Mud Snail Within the Carmel River
    by Charles Armstrong-Huntley, Nathan Oliver, Ashley Rawlins

    ENSTU 497: Green Roof Independent Study - Dr. Tori Derr
    Gathering CSUMB Community Input: Green Roof Visual Preference Survey Results
    by Evelyn La

    ENSTU 471: Projects for Sustainable City Year - Dr. Seth Gustafson
    Biophilic Design in Cypress Knolls
    by Corinn Biglin, Madison Creech, Katie Lampkin, Anna Lucido, Hunter Romo

    Community Energy and Microgrids in Marina
    by Skye Murphy-Connolly, Cameron Garrison, Nathan Blakely, Tianyi Luo

    Building a College Town: Improving the Relationship between CSUMB and the City of Marina
    by Jeannette Sanchez, Ánh Cao, Jacob Diaz, Araceli Suarez-Padilla, Michaela Velasco

    Analysis of and Recommendations for Marina's Local Coastal Program
    by Chloe Taylor, Amanda Cross, Nate Brown, Ben Pedersen, Andrew Hernandez

    Expanding Community Outreach in Marina
    by Fernanda De la Cruz-Reynoso, Cienna De Leon, Madison Moreno, Grace Neff, Isabelle Thompson

  • Spring 2023 Capstone Festival (View recording

    9:00 AM | Introduction from Department Chair, Dr. Susan Alexander

    9:05 AM | ESTP Presentations

    ENVS 464: Wildlife Management and Conservation - Dr. Jennifer Duggan 

    • "Small mammal responses to wetland restoration with an agricultural matrix" by Joshua Acevedo, Nicholas Castro, Kaylynn Chavez, Elise Vasquez, Kris Weiser, and Alexandra Wojcik 

    ENVS 402: Honors Capstone- Dr. Jennifer Duggan 

    • "Valley Oak recruitment at the Santa Lucia Preserve in central California" by Mario Coronado Cartmell  

    ENVS 475: Projects in Natural Resource Management- Dr. Robert Burton 

    • "Quantifying the Benefits of Managed Goat Grazing of the Grasslands of the Fort Ord National Monument" by Samantha Maners, Daniella Espindola, Darius Liles III, Valeria Rodriguez, Raymond Lehrman, and Joshua Lietsch

    GEOL 460: River Hydrology and Monitoring- Dr. James Guilinger  

    • "Drivers of Trail 1 Instability, Who's Behind the Wheel?" by Fariah Ain Satti, Eric Reid, Tori Klopstock, and Marie Tolteca

    11:00 AM | ENSTU Presentation

    ENSTU 472: Projects in Environmental Education- Dr. Victoria Derr 

    • "Building Community Capacity for Climate Action and Transformative Sustainability Education" by Aleah Adame, Pita Alvarez, Josh Brooks, Philip Cipollone, Michelle Cone, Kyle Detoro, Jack Flynn, Janet Garcia, Renee Gutierrez, Alexis Hernandez, Hunter Isbell, Ryan Laguercia, Annie Jones, Cambria Novelly, Tobias Osborne, Kathryn Patrick, Amber Phillips, Kris Rose, Emilio Santamaria, Jeni Schmedding, Hayli Stewart, and Emily Towne

    11:35 AM | Break and Refreshments 

    11:45 AM | Poster Presentations 

    GEOL 460: River Hydrology and Monitoring- Dr. James Guilinger

    • "Drivers of Trail 1 Instability, Who's Behind the Wheel?" by Fariah Ain Satti, Eric Reid, Tori Klopstock, and Marie Tolteca

    ENSTU 472: Projects in Environmental Education- Dr. Victoria Derr 

    • "Berry Edible: The Teaching of Sustainable Agriculture" by Aleah Adame, Kyle Detoro, Janet Garcia, Renee Gutierrez, and Tobias Osborne
    • "Pollinators in Action" by Philip Cipollone, Hunter Isbell, Amber Phillips, Kris Rose, and Hayli Stewart 
    • "Enhancing Green Spaces at Los Arboles Middle School" by Pita Alvarez, Josh Brooks, Jack Flynn, Alexis Hernandez, Cambria Novelly, Kathryn Patrick, Emilio Santamaria, and Emily Towne
    • "¡La Voz! Placemaking and Community Building: Implementing a Student Voice Center Using Bottom-Up Approaches" by Michelle Cone, Annie Jones, Ryan Laguercia, and Jeni Schmedding
  • Fall 2022 Capstone Festival (View recording)

    9:00 AM | Introduction from Department Chair, Dr. Susan Alexander

    9:05 AM | ESTP Presentations

    ENVS 410/446: Capstone Seminar/Landscape Ecology- Dr. Jennifer Duggan 

    • "Spatial and temporal variation in cat attacks on wildlife"
      by Richard Avelino, Vanessa Garcia, Vicky Luk, Frank
      Raggio, Monica Urias, Samuel Villasenor-Mendibles
    • "Mesopredator release in Monterey County: Influence of coyote presence on domestic cat attacks on wildlife" by Thomas Fortunak, Amanda Jones, Stella Mcswain, Madison Pelland, Alicia Ventura, Vanessa Ventura 

    ENVS 402: Honors Capstone- Dr. Jennifer Duggan 

    • "The effects of native plants on insect pollinators in the urban parks of Seaside, California" by Diego Salgado 

    ENVS 410/BIO 448: Capstone Seminar/Freshwater Ecology- Dr. John Olson 

    • "Effects of fire break on streams" by Nadia McCoy, Bryan Mendez, Madison "Lane" Castro 
    • "Analysis of Carmel River post 2020 Carmel River Fire" by Alana Leyva, Megan Valverde, Peyton Huck

    ENVS 402: Honors Capstone- Dr. John Olson 

    • "Impacts of Arundo Removal on Aerial invertebrates in Ephemeral Streams" by Natalie Hunter

    ENVS 436: Remote Sensing- Dr. Fred Watson 

    • "Spatial extent and patterns of defoliation of oaks by moths on the former Ford Ord, Monterey County, California, Fall 2022" by Trent Baker and Amelia Sobrepena

    10:35 AM | ENSCI MS Presentation

    ENVS 660: Professional Environmental Science- Dr. Fred Watson and Dr. John Olson 

    • "Contributions in Support of Land Conservation & Public Access Strategy for the Monterey Peninsula Regional Park District" by Anna Herrera, Janelle Vasquez, Kathy Uccello 

    10:45 AM | ENSTU Presentations

    ENSTU 471: Projects for Sustainable City Year- Dr. Dan Fernandez 

    • "Analysis of Fog Water Collection in Daly City and the North Coast County Water District Communities" by Tatum Bachmeier, Dario Conti, Melissa Diaz-Rios, Jennifer Lagunas Garcia, Gaby Padilla
    • "Fog Water Harvesting in San Mateo County" by Demi Cook
    • "Cost Estimates for Implementation of Municipal Fog Collectors" by Nathen Blankinship, Hunter Isbell, Heather Knight, Jacob Mortensen, Rafael Perez
    • "Standard Operating Procedures (SOP’s) for Implementation of Fog Collectors" by Rory Engelke, Danijela Jozinovic, Olivia Montosa, Morgan Tschumi
    • "Generation of a GIS-based Habitat Suitability Model for Fog
      Abundance in San Mateo County" by Gus Albertsen, Chloe Meteigner, Jacob Morales, Yesenia Segovia Garcia
    • "The Future of Fog: An Analysis, Comparison, & Sustainable
      Development Goals (SDG) Evaluation of Fog Collection at Two Sites in Pacifica" by Alani Colmenarez, Olivia Equinoa, Crystelle Vargas

    11:10 AM | Break and Refreshments 

    11:15 AM | Poster Presentations 

    ENSTU 497: Independent Study- Dr. Tori Derr 

    • "Campus Green Roof and Green Spaces: Feasibility Study and CSUMB Input" by Lupita Alvarez, Olivia Equinoa, Chloe Meteigner, Sam Nieves, Jeni Schmedding, Yesenia Segovia Garcia 

    ENSTU 471: Projects for Sustainable City Year- Dr. Dan Fernandez 

    • "Analysis of Fog Water Collection in Daly City and the North Coast County Water District Communities" by Tatum Bachmeier, Dario Conti, Melissa Diaz-Rios, Jennifer Lagunas Garcia, Gaby Padilla
    • "Fog Water Harvesting in San Mateo County" by Demi Cook. 
    • "Cost Estimates for Implementation of Municipal Fog Collectors" by Nathen Blankinship, Hunter Isbell, Heather Knight, Jacob Mortensen, Rafael Perez
    • "Standard Operating Procedures (SOP's) for Implementation of Fog Collectors" by Rory Engelke, Danijela Jozinovic, Olivia Montosa, Morgan Tschumi
    • "Generation of a GIS-based Habitat Suitability Model for Fog Abundance in San Mateo County" by Gus Albertsen, Chloe Meteigner, Jacob Morales, Yesenia Segovia Garcia
    • "The Future of Fog: An Analysis, Comparison, & Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Evaluation of Fog Collection at Two Sites in Pacifica" by Alani Colmenarez, Olivia Equinoa, Crystelle Vargas 

    ENVS 402: Honors Capstone- Dr. Jennifer Duggan 

    • "Tracking space use of rodents in agricultural ditches" by Phoebe Lord

    ENVS 546: Landscape Ecology- Dr. Jennifer Duggan 

    • "Cats, coyotes, and cover types- oh my! The landscape of fear in Monterey County" by Sarah Beilman, Erika Garig, Emily Kron

    ENVS 410/BIO 448: Capstone Seminar/Freshwater Ecology- Dr. John Olson 

    • "Monitoring the Condition of San Jose Creek Post Firebreak Disturbance Event" by Nadia McCoy, Bryan Mendez, Madison "Lane" Castro 
    • "Analysis of Carmel River post 2020 Carmel River Fire" by Alana Leyva, Megan Valverde, Peyton Huck  

    ENVS 402: Honors Capstone- Dr. John Olson

    • "Impacts of Arundo Removal on Aerial Invertebrates in Ephemeral Streams" by Natalie Hunter 

     

  • Spring 2022 Capstone Festival (View recording)

     

    The Spring 2022 Capstone Festival took place on Friday, May 20, 2022 from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm 

     

    8:30 - 9:00 AM | Light refreshments

    9:03 AM | Introduction from Department Chair, Dr. Susan Alexander

    9:06 AM | ENSTU Presentations

    • "Outdoor Green Spaces at Los Arboles Middle School" by Maximilian Graves, Karina Guzman, Carolina Pantoja. ENSTU 472: Projects in Environmental Education. Course Professor: Dr. Victoria Derr. 
    • "Tending the Soil of Embodied Science Learning" by Maya Cota, Athena Hochevar, Tianna Jones, Holly Julson, Emilee O'Brien. ENSTU 472: Projects in Environmental Education. Course Professor: Dr. Victoria Derr. 
    • "Native Plants: Building a Connection Between 7th Grade Students and the Environment" by Lucia Hercher, Arianna Lara, Emely Real, Zoe Samerjan. ENSTU 472: Projects in Environmental Education. Course Professor: Dr. Victoria Derr. 
    • "In Pursuit of a Food Forest" by Red Glines, Kailee Huebner, Holly James, Ryan Roberts. ENSTU 472: Projects in Environmental Education. Course Professor: Dr. Victoria Derr. 
    • "Introducing Students to Birds and Ecosystem Roles" by Griffin Hunt, Brynna Reilly, Lucia Vega-Escutia. ENSTU 472: Projects in Environmental Education. Course Professor: Dr. Victoria Derr. 
    • "Caring through Cob" by Sam Nieves, Maraena Spencer-Yochelson, Elyse Valdivia. ENSTU 472: Projects in Environmental Education. Course Professor: Dr. Victoria Derr. 

    9:51 AM | ESTP Presentations (ENVS 475)

    • "Quantifying Bunchgrass Community Response to Managed Grazing: Culmination of three years of research - Fort Ord National Monument" by Sabrina Bento, Katelyn Navarette, Ariana Chavez, Summer Alinaeem, Ben Versteeg, Marshall Compton, Aaron Ále, Kayla Fon, Gregory Burdine, Karin Itakura. ENVS 475: Projects in Natural Resource Management. Course Professor: Dr. Rob Burton. 

    10:30 AM | Break

    10:40 AM | ESTP Presentations (GEOL 460)

    • "Hydrologic baseline of a brackish five-pond restoration wetland in the first year" by Joshua Ewell, Kaitlynn Funcsh, Arioch M’Greene, Jesse Rodriguez, Alyssa Schaer, and Ryan Wells. GEOL 460: River Hydrology & Monitoring. Course Professor: Andria Greene. 
    • "Water quality baseline of a brackish five-pond restoration wetland in the first year" by Andrea Cihasky, Katherine Day, and Gretchen Wichman. GEOL 460: River Hydrology & Monitoring. Course Professor: Andria Greene.
    • "Plant and invertebrate baseline of a brackish five-pond restoration wetland in the first year" by Bibiana Carrazco, Mayra Cuevas-Cardenas, Brian Eichel, Valerie Li, and Katherine Melchor. GEOL 460: River Hydrology & Monitoring. Course Professor: Andria Greene.

    11:19 AM | ESTP Presentations (ENVS 402)

    • "The influence of salinity on leaf litter decomposition rates in tidal streams" by Gretchen Wichman. ENVS 402: Honors Capstone. Course Professor: Dr. John Olson. 
    • "Effects of macroinvertebrates on leaf decomposition rates" by Alyssa Schear. ENVS 402: Honors Capstone. Course Professor: Dr. John Olson. 
    • "Does the percentage of gravel in a river system have an effect on California Stream Condition Index (CSCI) scores" by Lauren Marshall. ENVS 402: Honors Capstone. Course Professor: Dr. John Olson. 
    • "Detection of the California Floater (Anodonta californiensis) Using eDNA in Fort Hunter Liggett, CA" by Cindy Matuch. ENVS 402: Honors Capstone. Course Professor: Dr. John Olson. 
  • Fall 2021 Capstone Festival (view recording)

     

    The Fall 2021 Capstone Festival took place on Friday, December 17th from 2:00 - 5:00 pm. 

    1:30 - 2:00 PM | Light refreshments will be served outside of the library

    2:03 PM | Introduction from Department Chair, Dr. Susan Alexander

    2:06 PM | ENSTU Oral Presentations

    • "Pedestrian and bicycle counts at the intended road diet at the Intersection of E. Alisal Street and Hebbron Avenue in Salinas" by Wendy Feng, Justin Luis, Ethan Quaranta, and Kevin Edmondson. ENSTU 471: Projects for Sustainable City Year. Course Professor: Dr. Daniel Fernandez. 
    • "Pedestrian and bicycle counts at the intended road diet at the Intersection of E. Alisal Street and Madeira Avenue in Salinas" by Joshua Wozynski, Spencer Montoya, and Harrison Rushworth. ENSTU 471: Projects for Sustainable City Year. Course Professor: Dr. Daniel Fernandez. 
    • "Pedestrian and bicycle counts at the intended road diet at the Intersection of E. Alisal Street and Wood Street in Salinas" by Rachel Torres, Jennifer Moreno, Candi Whitehead, Mariah Windmon, Claire Larson, Jose Santillan. ENSTU 471: Projects for Sustainable City Year. Course Professor: Dr. Daniel Fernandez. 
    • "Pedestrian and bicycle user behaviors prior to and following the intended E. Alisal road diet project" by Logan Phillips, Tyler Winters, Caroline Willett, Gabriella Ulloa, Paula Maldonado. ENSTU 471: Projects for Sustainable City Year. Course Professor: Dr. Daniel Fernandez. 
    • "Story Map of Community Involvement in Restoration at Fort Ord National Monument" by Alisa Lopez. ENSTU 494: Capstone Internship. Course Professor: Dr. Suzy Worcester. 

    3:18 PM | ESTP & ENSCI (M.S.) Oral Presentations

    • "Population Dynamics as Bacterial and Algal Species Interact in Unfavorable Conditions" by Armando Flores. ENVS 402: Honors Capstone. Course Professor: Dr. Arlene Haffa. 
    • "Regrowth of Chaparral Vegetation after Fire and the Impacts of Bulldozed Fuel Breaks" by Timothy Randazzo (ESTP). ENVS 436: Remote Sensing. Course Professor: Dr. Fred Watson. 
    • "Native plant restoration design and success criteria at Fort Ord Dunes Campground" by Aubrie Heckel, California Biordi, Emma Debasitis, Brooke Fulkerson, Lissa Giacalone, Adrian Gonzalez, Connie Machuca, Shawn Melendy, Duncan Miller, Isaac Nicholes, Kierra Rambonga, Monica Sanchez, Michelle Tarian (ENSCI MS). ENVS 660: Professional Environmental Science. Course Professor: Dr. Fred Watson. 
    • "Assessing habitat use of small vertebrates using noninvasive camera surveys" by Sienna Carrillo, Grant Ehlers, Zoey Madsen, Annabelle McCarthy, Corina Reed, Alexsa Rivera, Jasmine Rodriguez, and Isaiah Woodard. ENVS 410/446: Capstone Seminar. Course Professor: Dr. Jennifer Duggan. 

    4:14 PM | ESTP Oral Presentations (continued)

    • "Predicting groundwater nitrogen concentrations in the Salinas Valley" by Bonnie Dawson, Epifanio Estrada, Ashley Morris, Kyle Zentner. ENVS 410/448: Capstone Seminar. Course Professor: Dr. John Olson. 
    • "Assessing the effects of adding large woody debris on stream invertebrates" by Jasmine Costanzo, Veronica Moran, Artemis Sophocleous, Nate Walton. ENVS 410/448: Capstone Seminar. Course Professor: Dr. John Olson. 
    • "Using stalgmites delta18 O to determine past precipitation" by Esra Reichert. ENVS 497: Independent Study. Course Professor: Dr. John Olson. 
  • Spring 2021 Virtual Capstone Festival

    The Department of Applied Environmental Science Capstone Festival took place on Thursday, May 20th from 2:00 - 5:00 pm.

    Spring 2021 Schedule

    2:00 PM | Introduction from Department Chair, Dr. Susan Alexander
    2:03 PM | ESTP Oral Presentations
    3:03 PM | ENSTU Oral Presentations
  • 9:00 AM | Brief Introduction from Department Chair, Dr. Susan Alexander

    9:03 AM | ESTP Oral Presentations

    10:30 AM | ENSTU Oral Presentations

  • Spring 2020 Schedule

    1:00 PM | Brief Introduction from Department Chair, Dr. Suzy Worcester

    1:03 PM | ESTP Oral Presentations

    1:55 PM | 5-minute break

    2:00 PM | ESTP Oral Presentations (continued)

    2:25 PM | ENSTU Oral Presentations

  • Fall 2019 Schedule

    9:00 AM | Brief Introduction from Department Chair, Dr. Suzy Worcester

    9:05 AM | ESTP Oral Presentations

    • "Patterns of outdoor cat predation in central California". By Marinn Browne, Erin Elm, Griffin Hummeldorf, and Larissa Neilson. ENVS 446. Course professor: Dr. Jenny Duggan.
    • "Removal of Arundo donax improves benthic macroinvertebrate diversity". By Fransico (Paco) Villegas. ENVS 402. Course professor: Dr. John Olson.
    • "Determining the Ideal Number of Ramp Traps for Dry Stream Sampling Using Species Area Curves". By Madison McCarty. ENVS 402. Course professor: Dr. John Olson.
    • "Detection of California Red-Legged Frogs in Monterey County using Environmental DNA". By Kathryn Nickel, Bijan Emadi, and Jessica Skaggs. BIO 448. Course professor: Dr. John Olson.
    • "Quantifying the progress of the New Zealand Mudsnail (P. antipodarum) invasion in the lower Carmel River". By Anthony Yung, Bridget Rittmann, Kayla Lane, and Madyson Slaven. BIO 448. Course professor: Dr. John Olson.

    10:05 AM | 10-minute break

    10:15 AM | ESTP & ENSTU Poster Session

    • "Patterns of outdoor cat predation in central California". By Alexus Cobarrubias, Will Gorham, and Yessica Cuevas Perez. ENVS 446. Course professor: Dr. Jenny Duggan.
    • "Removal of Arundo donax improves benthic macroinvertebrate diversity". By Paco Villegas. ENVS 402. Course professor: Dr. John Olson.
    • "Determining the Ideal Number of Ramp Traps for Dry Stream Sampling Using Species Area Curves". By Madison McCarty. ENVS 402. Course professor: Dr. John Olson.
    • "Detection of California Red-Legged Frogs in Monterey County using Environmental DNA". By Kathryn Nickel, Bijan Emadi, and Jessica Skaggs. BIO 448. Course professor: Dr. John Olson.
    • "Quantifying the progress of the New Zealand Mudsnail (P. antipodarum) invasion in the lower Carmel River". By Anthony Yung, Bridget Rittmann, Kayla Lane, and Madyson Slaven. BIO 448. Course professor: Dr. John Olson.
    • "A Bike Lane Study and Plan for the City of Pacific Grove". By Joseph Huerta, Josh Bowman, Neil Morrison, Rilynn Misa, and Darryl Lewis. ENSTU 471. Course professor: Dr. Daniel Fernandez.
    • "Development of Electric Vehicle Infrastructure in the City of Pacific Grove". By Mitchell Balce, Stephano Murguia, Lauren Bailey, Ezekiel Avila, Joshua Norden, and Bryan Jung. ENSTU 471. Course professor: Dr. Daniel Fernandez.
    • "Stormwater Runoff in Pacific Grove: Mitigation Techniques and Public Outreach". By Shannon Skidmore, Jordan McCabe, Kevin Weaver, and Eleanor Markarian. ENSTU 471. Course professor: Dr. Daniel Fernandez.
    • "Green Business Certification in the City of Pacific Grove". By Jiane Dionisio, Miki Ijima, Natalie Olivas, Richard Conell, Skylar Saechao, and Marrion Gestat. ENSTU 471. Course professor: Dr. Daniel Fernandez.
    • "Single-Use Plastic Ordinance in the City of San Juan Bautista". By Jack Jarvis, Alyssa Albert, Brianna Arroyo, Vanessa Arroyo-Sanchez, Evalina Hansen, and David Valenzuela. ENSTU 471. Course professor: Dr. Daniel Fernandez.

    11:00 AM | ENSTU Oral Presentations

    • "A Bike Lane Study and Plan for the City of Pacific Grove". By Joseph Huerta, Josh Bowman, Neil Morrison, Rilynn Misa, and Darryl Lewis. ENSTU 471. Course professor: Dr. Daniel Fernandez.
    • "Stormwater Runoff in Pacific Grove: Mitigation Techniques and Public Outreach". By Shannon Skidmore, Jordan McCabe, Kevin Weaver, and Eleanor Markarian. ENSTU 471. Course professor: Dr. Daniel Fernandez.
    • "Green Business Certification in the City of Pacific Grove". By Jiane Dionisio, Miki Ijima, Natalie Olivas, Richard Conell, Skylar Saechao, and Marrion Gestat. ENSTU 471. Course professor: Dr. Daniel Fernandez.
    • "Development of Electric Vehicle Infrastructure in the City of Pacific Grove". By Mitchell Balce, Stephano Murguia, Lauren Bailey, Ezekiel Avila, Joshua Norden, and Bryan Jung. ENSTU 471. Course professor: Dr. Daniel Fernandez.
    • "Single-Use Plastic Ordinance in the City of San Juan Bautista". By Jack Jarvis, Alyssa Albert, Brianna Arroyo, Vanessa Arroyo-Sanchez, Evalina Hansen, and David Valenzuela. ENSTU 471. Course professor: Dr. Daniel Fernandez.
  • For Environmental Science, Technology & Policy, Environmental Studies, and Biology majors. Click on each presentation section to view individual presentation details.

    9:00 AM | Welcome by Dr. Suzy Worcester, Chair

    9:05 AM - Oral Presentations: Environmental Studies with Spanish translation

    • Creating a More Inclusive Sustainability by Mapping Campus Resources. By Noah Sforza. Community Partner: Lacey Raak, CSUMB Sustainability Office, and Rick Boggs, Campus Planning and Development. Course: ENSTU 497. Professor: Dr. Tori Derr.
    • Engaging the Head, Heart, and Hands of Students in an Environmental Education Context. By Talia Banarie, Juan Barragan, Caitlyn Barrera, Jack Bates, Jen Becker, Andrea Cedillo, Jeffrey Chen-Bromley, Celeste Espino, Jacob Gams, Jasmin Gonzalez, Cecilia Gutierrez, Keiley Hansen, Andrew Hernandez, Sydney LaMothe, Kianni Ledezma, Killian May, Nick Ramsey, Natalie Shuman, Balpreet Sidhu, Savannah Townsley, Selene Yabes, Vivian Rivera. Community Partner: Julie Haws, Los Arboles Middle School. Course: ENSTU 472. Professor: Dr. Tori Derr.

    10:00 AM - Oral Presentations: Environmental Science, Technology & Policy

    • Steelhead Passage and Channel Stability Following Dam Removal on the Carmel River, CA (Spring 2019). By Mikaela Bogdan, Katelyn Datan, Rene De La Fuente, David Nava, Rene Nunez, Madalyn Price, Samantha Scalise,Peter Vannerus, Trenton Westerson. Course: GEOL 460. Professor: Dr. Doug Smith.
    • Establishing an Analytical Framework for Monitoring and Managing Native Bunchgrass on Fort Ord National Monument: Focused Grazing Treatment, Field Data Collection Techniques, and Interpolation Models. By Cheyenne Ford, Brittany Godwin, Nathan Hardoin, Axel Kent, Julius Lubin, Duncan Miller, Tiffany Rivera, Crecencia Sanchez, Shaylea Stark. Course: ENVS 475. Instructor: Dr. Rob Burton.
    • Comparison of Supervised and Unsupervised Image Classification Methodologies to Assess Open Ground Extent on Fort Ord National Monument. By Carina Aguilar, Karla Jassa, Madison Ono, Peter Vannerus. Course: ENVS 475. Instructor: Dr. Rob Burton.
    • Assessing Temporary Streams in California: Are Bryophytes Stable Indicators of Dry Stream Health? By Megan Rodenbeck. Course: ENVS 402. Professor: Dr. John Olson.

    11:05 AM | 15-minute break

    11:20 AM - Oral Presentations: Biology

    • Predicting Growth Efficiency of Pesticide-Remediating Bacteria Using a Gompertz Equation-Based Model. By Dominique Scott. Course: BIO 491. Professor: Dr. Aparna Sreenivasan. Research advisor: Dr. Nathaniel Jue.
    • Toxin Sensitivity of Sea Anemone Shaker Channels. By Daniel Olivares. Course: BIO 491. Professor: Dr. Aparna Sreenivasan. Research advisor: Dr. Zambrano Timothy Jegla.
    • Reference Intervals of Electrocardiographic Parameters for Sedated Southern Sea Otters (Enhydra lutris nereis). By Jessica Folck; Michael Murray, DVM; Michael Lesser, DVM, ACVIM Cardiology. Course: BIO 491. Professor: Dr. Aparna Sreenivasan.
    • The first de novo genome sequence for the sex-changing Sea Goldie, Pseudanthias squamipinnis. By Josue Duque, Dakota Jackson, Mercedez Lam. Courses: BIO 410, BIO 492. Professor: Dr. Nathaniel Jue.

    12:20 PM | 40-minute lunch break

    1:00 PM - Poster Presentations: Biology, Environmental Science, Technology & Policy

    • Effects of Anaerobic Soil Disinfestation on Antibiotic Resistance in Soil-Borne Bacteria and Crop Yield. By Shane Brennen, Christopher Gonzales, Cheyenne Rees, Monica Esquivel-Zarate, & Malia Dietz. Course: BIO 421. Instructor: Jennifer Kato.
    • The Effect of Anaerobic Soil Disinfestation on the Morphology of Bacterial Populations in Agricultural Soil. By Briann Warchut,Tyler Kenney, Perla Haddad, Jessica Yates. Course: BIO 421. Instructor: Jennifer Kato.
    • Assessment of microbial diversity and nitrate reduction potential of ASD-treated bacteria. By Micaela Colmenarez, Melissa Fidler, Kyle Lamb, Amitesh Kumar, Kenneth Urbanski. Course: BIO 421. Instructor: Jennifer Kato.
    • β-Lactam Antibiotic Resistance in Isolated Anaerobic Soil Disinfestation Treated Bacteria. By Sharon Vielman, Brenda Ramirez, Clara Saldana, Stephanie Gutierrez, Marisol Cano. Course: BIO 421. Instructor: Jennifer Kato.
    • Analysis of Enzymatic Activity of ASD Treated and Non-treated Soil Bacteria. By Jaelyn Rojas, Lauren Ha, Andrea Rivas, Malik Yasin. Course: BIO 421. Instructor: Jennifer Kato.
    • Comparison of Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria in Pre-ASD and Post-ASD Treated Soil. By Miranda Mora, Marc Jacquez, Cherina Billington, Fernando Sedano, Klarissa Flores-Magana. Course: BIO 421. Instructor: Jennifer Kato.
    • Analysis of Antibiotic Resistance to b-lactam in pre and post ASD treatment. By Brian Schulze, Yulia Loshkareva, Jacob Valencia, Matthew Morris, Harlee Rorro. Course: BIO 421. Instructor: Jennifer Kato.
    • Observed Shift of Microbial Communities Between Pre and Post ASD Samples. By Emanuel Leon, Sydnee Winbush, Frankie Vasquez, Laiza Hernandez, Uma Crouch. Course: BIO 421. Instructor: Jennifer Kato.
    • Quantifying the Cross-Sensitivity of Glass pH Electrodes in Alkaline Solutions. John Goeltz PhD (research advisor). By: Olivia Boisen, Alesha Corral, Emily Pope and John Goeltz PhD. Course: BIO 491. Professor: Dr. Aparna Sreenivasan.
    • Predicting Growth Efficiency of Pesticide-Remediating Bacteria Using the Gompertz Equation for Predicting Modeling. Nathaniel Jue PhD. (research advisor). By Dominique Scott, Nathaniel Jue PhD. Course: BIO 491. Professor: Dr. Aparna Sreenivasan.
    • Toxin Sensitivity of Sea Anemone Shaker Channels. Zambrano Timothy Jegla PhD (research advisor). By Daniel Olivares. Course: BIO 491. Professor: Dr. Aparna Sreenivasan.
    • Testing the Influence of Intraspecific Variation in Behavior on Foraging Decisions by Shrubland Small Mammals. By Miya Fukutomi, Jennifer Duggan PhD. Course: BIO 491. Professor: Dr. Aparna Sreenivasan.
    • Reference Intervals of Electrocardiographic Parameters for Sedated Southern Sea Otters (Enhydra lutris nereis). By Jessica Folck; Michael Murray, DVM; Michael Lesser, DVM, ACVIM Cardiology. Course: BIO 491. Professor: Dr. Aparna Sreenivasan.
    • Investigation of the Lip1 protein in early G1 events in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. By Dominic Elijah DiSiliva, Doug R Kellogg PhD, Aparna Sreenivasan PhD. Course: BIO 491. Professor: Dr. Aparna Sreenivasan.
    • Annotation of contig 49 of Drosophila takahashii. By Lisbeth Alvarez, Aparna Sreenivasan PhD. Course: BIO 492, BIO 461. Professor: Dr. Aparna Sreenivasan.
    • Evolutionary Conservation of Mael-PD in D. takahashii. By Alexander Torres, Aparna Sreenivasan PhD. Course: BIO 492, BIO 461. Professor: Dr. Aparna Sreenivasan.
    • Using Comparative Genomics to Study Evolutionary Conservation Between Drosophila melanogaster and Drosophila takahashii. By Gwyneth Harris and Aparna Sreenivasan PhD. Course: BIO 492, BIO 461. Professor: Dr. Aparna Sreenivasan.
    • The Relationship Between Arthropod Communities and the Present of Lichen in Oak Woodlands. By Elizabeth Reyes Gallegos and Gerick Bergsma, PhD (research advisor). Course: BIO 461. Professor: Dr. Aparna Sreenivasan.
    • The first de novo Genome Sequence for the Sex-Changing Sea Goldie, Pseudanthias squamipinnis. By Josue Duque, Dakota Jackson, Mercedez Lam. Course: BIO 410. Professor: Dr. Nathaniel Jue.
    • Assessing Accuracy and Precision of Drone Imagery at Otter Landing Zone. By Mikaela Bogdan, Katelyn Datan, Rene De La Fuente, David Nava, Rene Nunez, Madalyn Price, Samantha Scalise, Peter Vannerus, Trenton Westerson. Course: GEOL 460. Professor: Dr. Doug Smith.
    • Assessing Temporary Streams in California: Are Bryophytes Stable Indicators of Dry Stream Health? By Megan Rodenbeck. Course: ENVS 402. Professor: Dr. John Olson.
  • 9:00 AM | Coffee & conversation

    9:10 AM | Welcome by Dr. Suzy Worcester, Chair

    9:15 AM - Oral Presentations: Marine Science

    • Latitudinal Variation in Intertidal Species Composition and Anthropogenic Effects Along the California Coastline. By Hadley Giebeler, Connor Greenwood, Samantha Northcott, Marisol Figueroa, Megan Featherly, Amanda Smith, Emely Romo. Course: MSCI 485. Professor: James Lindholm, PhD.
    • From top to bottom: A latitudinal survey of subtidal communities along the California coast using long-term monitoring protocols. By Gabriella Kalbach, Heidi Pitkin, Olivia Connors, Justin Gill, David Deering, Zoe Thornton, Megan Fee, Raymond Arida. Course: MSCI 485. Professor: James Lindholm, PhD.
    • Effects of hypoxia and ocean acidification on Gopher rockfish physiology. By Ali Ayala, Madison Bashford, Amber Gherlone, Lauren Kashiwabara, Cameron Robertson, Jennifer Sanchez, Roxanna Sanchez, Irene St. Andrew, Michael Walker. Course: MSCI 430. Professor: Cheryl Logan, PhD.

    10:25 AM | 20-minute break

    10:45 AM - Oral Presentations: Environmental Science, Technology & Policy

    • The Invasive New Zealand Mud Snail: An Analysis on Velocity Tolerances. By Katharina Zimmermann, Kelsey Trammell. Course: BIO 448. Professor: John Olson, PhD.
    • Arthropods Collected from Streamside Vegetation as Bioindicators of Dry Stream Health. By Christopher Terry. Course: BIO 448. Professor: John Olson, PhD.
    • Using an ecosystem services approach to inform management of campus green spaces. By Devon Jimenez, Kayla Marshall, Gabriela Rico Monroy, Sarah Morgan, Ashley Ruiz, Olivia Woolery. Course: ENVS 446. Professor: Jennifer Duggan, PhD.

    11:30 AM - Oral Presentations: Biology

    • Creating a Dry Index for Non-Perennial Rivers and Streams. By Emma Haines. Course: BIO 491. Capstone Instructor: Dr. Aparna Sreenivasan, Research Advisor: Dr. John Olson.
    • New Materials for Batteries: Gross and Fine Tuning of Redox Activity. By Parker Smith. Course: BIO 491. Capstone Instructor: Dr. Aparna Sreenivasan, Research Advisor: Dr. John Goeltz.

    12:00 PM | 30-minute lunch break

    12:30 - 2:00 PM | Poster Presentations

    Biology Posters | Advisor: Dr. Jennifer Kato "Projects in Microbiology"; Course: BIO 421

    • Analysis of Bacteria Isolated from the Gill of a Rockfish Native to the Santa Cruz Kelp Bed. By Jordan Kasiah, Peter Cavallaro, Jesus Arellano, Kaylee Koh, Adriana Arias.
    • Denitrification Capabilities of Isolated Bacteria from KGB Rockfish exposed to Hypoxic, Oxic, and Varying pH Conditions. By Awatef Barta, Berenice Hernandez, Annalise Rodriguez, Jasmine Vargas, Vivian Nguyen.
    • Environmental Influences on Pseudomonas Resistance to Antibiotics. By Cindy Gonzalez, Trephena Mazoz, Kiara Medina, Alyssa White.
    • P. aeruginosa: A potential facilitator in the breakdown and digestion of polycyclics. By Megan Baxley, Sallie Canumay, Daniela Juarez Badilla.
    • The effects of varying pO2 and pH levels of Pseudomonas sustainability in rockfish. By Calvin Tran, Kinnedy Houston, Lia Cuevas, Roberto Ladino, Sabrina Carter.
    • Comparative Analysis of Pseudomonas isolated from KGB rockfish treated in hypoxic v. oxic conditions. By Spencer Fern, Savannah Willems, Natalie Hicklin, Maria Del Carmen Rocha, Samuel Alarcon.
    • Predicting the Penicillin Resistance of P. aeruginosa. By Eli Weiss.
    • Variability of antibiotic resistance in bacteria genera comparing hypoxic and oxic cultures isolated from KGB rockfish. By Carolina Soehnchen, Bryan Sierra-Rivera, Calvin Liu, Marisa Gutierrez.

    Biology Posters (cont.) | Capstone Instructor: Dr. Aparna Sreenivasan; Course: BIO 491

    • Creating a Dry Index for Non-Perennial Rivers and Streams. By Emma Haines. Course: Research Advisor: Dr. John Olson.
    • New Materials for Batteries: Gross and Fine Tuning of Redox Activity. By Parker Smith. Course: Research Advisor: Dr. John Goeltz.

    Environmental Studies Posters | Advisor: Dr. Daniel Fernandez; Course: ENSTU 471

    • Bi-lingual Plant Guide. By Tanya Amaro, Maria Cardenas, Abigail Melchor-Aguila, Jillian Robb, Andrea Vega.
    • Fruit Tree Survey. By Blanche Duann, Jessica Laufer, Eessa Vanderspek, Alexander Wallach.
    • Fremont Blvd. Redesign. By Sara Bricker, Fady Ellaham, Dallas Perriera, Roman Puppo.
    • Compost Collection. By Fabiola Larios, Jakob Method, Emily Reynolds, Stephanie Wolfe.
    • Linear Park Planning. By Natalie Buffo, Anthony Cruz, Brian Jackson, Joshua Penick, Rebecca Pope.

    Environmental Science, Technology, and Policy Posters | Advisor: Dr. Jennifer Duggan; Course: ENVS 446.

    • Using an ecosystem services approach to inform management of campus green spaces. By Will Allen, Justin Castaneda, Rosie Eisner, Mark Pena, Abigail Rivera, Haley Unmacht.

    Environmental Science, Technology, and Policy Posters | Advisor: Dr. John Olson; Course: BIO 448.

    • The Invasive New Zealand Mud Snail: An Analysis on Velocity Tolerances. By Katharina Zimmermann, Kelsey Trammell.
    • Arthropods Collected from Streamside Vegetation as Bioindicators of Dry Stream Health. By Christopher Terry.
  •  

    Please join us for the Fall 2018 Celebration of Environmental Studies Capstones! For more information, for details on presenters and topics check out the informational flyer.

    When? Friday, December 14, 2018

    Where? Tanimura & Antle Family Memorial Library, Room 1176

    What time? 3:00 - 6:30 PM

    Schedule

    3:00 - 4:15 PM | Sustainable City Year Capstones with City of Seaside

    4:30 - 6:00 PM | Independent Capstones

    6:00 - 6:30 PM | Celebration!

  • Thursday, May 17th, 2018

    9:00 am - 5:00 pm

    Tanimura & Antle Family Memorial Library

    Room 1188

    Biology, Environmental Studies, Marine Science, and Environmental Science, Technology and Policy students will be presenting their capstone projects and posters.

    9:00 - 9:05 - Welcome by Dr. Suzy Worcester, Chair, School of Natural Sciences

    9:05 - 9:50 - Oral Presentations: Environmental Studies

    • Ethnic Representation and Outreach to the Latino Community - the Sustainable City Year Program. By: Raquel Hernandez and Sarcee Munoz-Renteria. Course: ENSTU 471. Professor: Victoria Derr, PhD
    • Seaside Tactical Urbanism - the Sustainable City Year Program. By: Samuel Alvarez, Nico Di Jerlando, Iris Espinoza, Emily Jackson, Jack Martin, Aaron Read. Course: ENSTU 471. Professor: Victoria Derr, PhD
    • Journey to Junior Rangerhood: Evaluating the Carneros Creek Outdoor Classroom Project. By: Mason Fernandez. Course: ENSTU 403. Professor: Hester Parker, PhD

    9:50 - 10:05 - 15-Minute Break

    10:05 - 12:00 - Oral Presentations: Marine Science

    • Kelp Wanted? Assessment of Black Abalone (Haliotis cracherodii) across the Monterey Peninsula. By Isidro Blanco, Lynette Childs, Eric Ho, Janette Lares, Morgan MacIsaac, Cristal Martinez, Arezu Merpour, Elizabeth Morales, Rachel Owen, Cassandra Speidel. Course: MSCI 445. Professor: Alison Haupt, PhD
    • May the Strongy-est survive: A survey of purple sea urchins along Monterey Bay. By Ariana Bondoc, Avery Calhoun, Korey Cimock, Nanor Derderian, Brendan Di Dio, Gabriella Gough, Charles Nye, Kyndace Safa, Laing Welch. Course: MSCI 445. Professor: Alison Haupt, PhD
    • Quantifying long-term population dynamics in relation to habitat reconnection. By Kirby Bartlett. Independent Honors MSCI. Advisor: Alison Haupt, PhD
    • Effects of projected upwelling conditions on metabolic poise of larval Gopher rockfish (Sebastes carnatus). By Madison Heard. Independent Honors MSCI. Advisor: Dr. Cheryl Logan, PhD
    • Effects of fluctuating versus static upwelling conditions on the copper rockfish. By Leilani Chantry, Kerissa Eslick, Gema Garcia, Maggie Gusman, Satarah Jackson, Roxeen Ng, Devon Preyer, Annalyn Roberts, Jessica Rodriguez, Alexander Wheeler. Course: MSCI/BIO 430. Professor: Cheryl Logan, PhD
    • Development of a swimming speed sensor for white sharks. By Patrick Breckinridge, Steven Davidson, Anthony Gutierrez, Katelin Lally, Stephanie Miller, Christopher Nanna, Cody Roberts. Course: MSCI 437. Professor: Steve Moore, PhD
    • Demersal Fish Assemblage Interactions and Microhabitat Associations in the Deep Photic Zone of the Carmel Submarine Canyon. By Aaron Agredano, Alyssa Bellamy, Morgan Deraya, Sarah Farnsworth, Angela Fortuna, Brooke Fulkerson, Daniel Gross, Lauren Kapphahn, Kyle Mooers, Steven Rayo, Zoe Zepp. Course: MSCI 455. Professor: James Lindholm, PhD

    12:00 - 12:30 - 30-Minute Break

    12:30 - 2:00 - Oral Presentations: Environmental Science, Technology, & Policy

    • Partitioning Sediment Sources at Hollister Hills Off- Highway Vehicle Park. By Nathan Adams, Ann Batoon, Ryan Brown, Paul Carson, Kyle Dziuba, Emma Haines, Magnolia Morris, Elizabeth Patron, Megan Pentecost, Casey Sigelakis, Adrianna York. Course GEOL 460. Professor: Doug Smith, PhD
    • Distribution and habitat characteristics of native bunchgrass within a coastal California grassland, Fort Ord National Monument, Monterey CA. By Noel Garcia Martinez, Nicholas Some, Catrina Toy, Nicole Inglis. Course: ENVS 475. Professor: Rob Burton, PhD
    • Two Decades of Perspective on Native grassland management and the use of targeted grazing in Fort Ord National Monument. By Rachel Duckworth, Alex Holiday, Emmanuel Kendle. Course: ENVS 475. Professor: Rob Burton, PhD
    • The Recovery of Sobranes Creek from Wildfire. By Sage Shrader, Hegel Sundiam, Madeline Wainscott, Jessica Williamson. Course: ENVS 410/BIO 448. Professor: John Olson, PhD
    • The Effects of a New Zealand Mud Snail Invasion on Macroinvertebrates in the Carmel River. By Trevor Masters, Sara Mojica, Isabella Munguia. Course: ENVS 410/BIO 448. Professor: John Olson, PhD

    2:00 - 2:15 - 15-Minute Break

    2:15 - 2:50 - Oral Presentations: Biology

    • The first draft de novo genome sequence for the hemiclonal fish, Poeciliopsis monacha. By Rachel Hewitt, Connor Kemling, Sophia Santos, Katrina Wildermuth. Course: BIO 410. Professor: Nate Jue, PhD
    • Galectin-3 Inhibitor GR-MD-02 Increases CD8 T Cell Infiltration of MCA-205 Tumors. By Leah R. Martin, Michael J. McNamara PhD, Mohammad Farhad, Stephanie N. Linch PhD, Melissa J. Kasiewicz, Ian Hilgart-Martiszus, Peter G. Traber, and William L. Redmond PhD. Advisor: William Redmond, PhD
    • The Effect of Low-Dose (400mg) Versus Standard Dose Efavirenz (600mg) Among HIV-Infected Adults and Adolescents: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. By Robert Castro, Andrew Anglemyer, Hacsi Horvath, George Rutherford. Advisor: Andrew Anglemyer, PhD (NPS)

    3:00 - 4:50 - Poster presentations: Biology (14 posters), Environmental Science, Technology & Policy (2 posters), and Environmental Studies (4 posters)

    Biology Posters

    • The Effect of Low-Dose (400mg) Versus Standard Dose Efavirenz (600mg) Among HIV-Infected Adults and Adolescents: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. By Robert Castro, Andrew Anglemyer, Hacsi Horvath, George Rutherford. Advisor: Aparna Sreenivasan PhD
    • The Investigation of the Role of Lac1/Lag1 in Early G1 Events in the Cell Cycle of the Yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. By Alexander Ferriera, Leah Martin, Doug Kellogg PhD. Advisor: Aparna Sreenivasan PhD
    • Cape Mendocino as a Barrier to Larval Dispersal using the Limpet Lottia digitalis. By Skylar Kensinger. Advisor: Eric Crandall PhD
    • Galectin-3 Inhibitor GR-MD-02 Increases CD8 T Cell Infiltration of MCA-205 Tumors. By Leah R. Martin, Michael J. McNamara PhD, Mohammad Farhad, Stephanie N. Linch PhD, Melissa J. Kasiewicz, Ian Hilgart-Martiszus, Peter G. Traber, and William L. Redmond. Advisor: William Redmond PhD
    • Loci Synteny Between Drosophila melanogaster and Drosophila eugracilis. By Pamela Recio. Advisor: Aparna Sreenivasan PhD
    • Generation of Temperature Sensitive Lac1 Mutants in Budding Yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) in BIO 461- A Research Intensive Course. By Shafer Smith, Lauren Kent, Alexander Ferreira. Advisor: Aparna Sreenivasan PhD
    • Investigating macroscopic fungal communities in the Fort Ord National Monument. By Danahe Pelcastre, Ana Maria Carrillo, Margaux Karp, Trevor Throne, Ruth Hastings, Timmy Tran, Ryan Fansett. Course: BIO 425. Professor: Tim Miles, PhD
    • Sun solarization of the pathogen Phytophthora tentaculata. By Amy Adams, Natalie Colin-Santana. Course: BIO 425. Professor: Tim Miles, PhD
    • Gram-Negative Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria Identified from Salinas Valley Agricultural Runoff Water. By Pauline Seto, Erica Bellmaster, Maritza Valle, Itzel Gonzalez. Course: BIO 421. Professor: Jenn Kato, MS
    • Pseudomonas Susceptibility Among Select Antibiotics and the Influence on Bioremediation in Agricultural Fields. By Kathy Tom, Hannah Lever, Frances Gonzalez, Cristina Zaragoza. Course: BIO 421. Professor: Jenn Kato, MS
    • Comparative Analysis of Denitrifying Bacteria Found in the Salinas Agriculture Runoff Water. By Rubi Rangel, Alyssa Salinas, Celeste Rangel, Nancy Aldaco. Course: BIO 421. Professor: Jenn Kato, MS
    • Characteristics of Pseudomonas sp. as an important bioremediation factor in the degradation of Malathion. By Mollie Black, Katie Berryman, Haley Kammeier, Grace Llyod, Hailey Vallejo. Course: BIO 421. Professor: Jenn Kato, MS
    • The Advantageous Effects of Pseudomonas on Plant Growth. By Kelsey Asuncion, Mathew Rodriguez, Nicole Scarborough, Shima Baboldashtian. Course: BIO 421. Professor: Jenn Kato, MS
    • Processes of Bacterial Denitrification in Water Runoff. By Alexa Torres, Nuvia Garcia-Merino, Eduardo Valles, Josiah Inovejas, Brian Ruiz. Course: BIO 421. Professor: Jenn Kato, MS

    Environmental Science, Technology, & Policy Posters

    • Magnitude and Timing of Sediment Transport Processes in Two Landside Complexes at Hollister Hills Off-Highway Vehicle Park. By: Nathan Adams, Ann Batoon, Ryan Brown, Paul Carson, Kyle Dziuba, Emma Haines, Magnolia Morris, Elizabeth Patron, Megan Pentecost, Casey Sigelakis, Adrianna York. Course: GEOL 460. Professor: Doug Smith, PhD
    • The Effects of a New Zealand Mud Snail Invasion on Macroinvertebrates in the Carmel River. By Trevor Masters, Sara Mojica, Isabella Munguia. Course: ENVS 410/BIO 448. Professor: John Olson, PhD

    Environmental Studies Posters

    • Seaside Ethnic Group Representation and Outreach to Latino Community (2 posters). By Raquel Hernandez & Sarcee Munoz-Renteria. Course: ENSTU 471. Professor: Victoria Derr, PhD
    • Tactical Urbanism in Seaside. By Samuel Alvarez, Nicolo Di Jerlando, Iris Espinoza, Emily Jackson, Jack Martin & Aaron Read. Course: ENSTU 471. Professor: Victoria Derr, PhD
    • Fort Ord Assimilation. By Nick Del Buono, Kirk Gharda & Nathan Morrison. Course: ENSTU 471. Professor: Victoria Derr, PhD
  • 9:00 - 9:05 - Welcome by Dr. Suzy Worcester, Chair, School of Natural Sciences

    9:05-10:30 - Oral Presentations: Environmental Studies

    • Inspiring Field Experiences in Seaside California. By Kristie Moody, Kathryn Dailey, Ryan Vasquez, and Robert Banales
    • Engaging the CSUMB Community in the City of Seaside’s Campus Town Development. By Kaylie Low, Ann Cheshinski, and Chad Navarrete
    • Experiential Education for Change at Los Arboles Middle School. By Katie Brown. Community Partner: Los Arboles Middle School, Marina CA
    • Flows to the Bay. By Emilee Ahearn and Michael Lotito. Community Partner: Return of the Natives Restoration Education Project
    • Bird’s Eye View: Interpreting Bird Banding at Fort Ord Natural Reserve. By Rachel Perpignani

    10:30-10:45 -15-Minute Break

    10:45-11:15 - Oral Presentations: Biology

    • Change in Total Mercury Levels in Sergestes similis in Monterey Bay from 2011 to 2016. By Jesse Suggs. Mentors: Dr. John Goeltz (CSUMB) and Dr. Anela Choy (MBARI)
    • Spider Species Richness across Habitat Types at the University of California, Fort Ord Natural Reserve (UCFONR). By Andrew Caudillo. Mentor: Dr. Jenny Duggan

    11:15-12:15 - Oral Presentations: Environmental Science, Technology & Policy

    • Camera Traps at the Santa Lucia Preserve: Capturing the Importance of Citizen Scientists. By Cherelle Allord, Cristina Criollo, Bailey Gastelum, Samantha Gautreaux, and Rosalinda Vizina
    • Camera Traps at the Santa Lucia Preserve: Responses of Cosmopolitan Species to Exurbanization. By Katie Chiapuzio, Blaine Conroy, Yakira Galvez, Madison Meek, and Dale Wilkison
    • Camera Traps at the Santa Lucia Preserve: Modeling Space Use of Wide-Ranging Carnivores. By Virginia Camacho, Sarah Epstein, Matt Kendall, Ryan Mendoza, and Char’Mane Robinson
    • Testing the Influence of Personality on Foraging Decisions by Shrubland Small Mammals. By Rebecca Roberts

    12:15-12:45 - 30-Minute Break

    12:45- 1:30  - Oral Presentations: Marine Science

    • Scale Driven Estimates of Marine Biodiversity: Applications to Coastal Monitoring Programs. By Athena Genschaw, Katelin Lally, Araceli Murillo, Brenda Ortiz, Justin Rawlins, Kristen Steed, and Caleb Yakel
    • Back from the Deep: A Latitudinal Survey of California’s Kelp, Fish and Invertebrate Communities. By Nicholas Andrighetto, Patrick Breckinridge, Aubryanna Colyer, Thomas Dolan, Dylan Jones, Travis Leggett, Timothy Paulson, and Keenan Washburn

    1:30- 3:00 - Poster presentations: Biology (13 posters) and Environmental Studies (2 posters)

    Biology Posters

    • Using Comparative Genomics to Study Evolutionary Relationships between Drosophila Species. By Drew Plassman. Mentor: Dr. Aparna Sreenivasan
    • Assessment of Local Soil Bacteria Capable of Degrading Pesticides as a Sole Carbon Source. By Alyza Valdez. Mentor: Dr. Arlene Haffa
    • Spider Species Richness across Habitat Types at the University of California, Fort Ord Natural Reserve (UCFONR). By Andrew Caudillo. Mentor: Dr. Jenny Duggan
    • Change in Total Mercury Levels in Sergestes similis in Monterey Bay from 2011 to 2016. By Jesse Suggs. Mentors: Dr. John Goeltz (CSUMB) and Dr. Anela Choy (MBARI)
    • Recording the Dynamic Passing Cloud Display in Cuttlefish. By Valerie Hinojoza-Rood. Mentor: Dr. Roger T. Hanlon (Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA)
    • The Role of Dongsha Atoll in an Indo-Pacific Metapopulation of Blue Striped Snapper. By Dana Briggs
    • Bacterial Degradation of Winery Effluent. By Tonie Rosier, Sarah Benning, Katelyn Fidler, Sarah Burdette, and Anthony Ellsworth
    • Determining Antibiotic Resistance in Winery Ponds. By Dylan Martin, Tyler Miller, Sarah Petty, Julian Quilatan, and Clint Walterman
    • BOD Levels and Glucose Fermentation in Winery Ponds. By Marissa Partida-Bueno, Zakiya Poole, and Lissa Ramos
    • Biochemical Analysis of Citrobacter in winery Ponds. By Daniel Aguirre, Carolina Guia, Jonathan Lugo, and Kaitlin Vallin
    • Assessment on the Effectiveness of the Wastewater Filtration System at Gonzalez Winery. By Darby Graham, Julie Flores, Marin Ewing, Mykayla Latronica, and Svetlana Butova
    • The Presence of Denitrifying Bacteria in Winery Wastewater Ponds and Applications to Agricultural Purposes. By Nathaniel Bond, Sylveen Hall, Brenda Hernandez, and Kate Ingram
    • Antibiotic Resistance in Winery Pond Water. By Daniel Caldwell, Sofia Hernandez, Lane Lewis, Alyssa Licata, and Taylor Morris

    Environmental Studies Posters

    • Inspiring Field Experiences in Seaside California. By Kristie Moody, Kathryn Dailey, Ryan Vasquez, and Robert Banales
    • Engaging the CSUMB Community in the City of Seaside’s Campus Town Development. By Kaylie Low, Ann Cheshinski, and Chad Navarrete
  • Spring 2017 Capstone Program

    Fall 2016 Capstone Program

    Spring 2016 Capstone Program

    Fall 2015 Capstone Program

    Spring 2015 Capstone Program

    Fall 2014 Capstone Program

Visit CSUMB's Department of Applied Environmental Science to access capstone presentation videos. These capstone presentations contain student's work completed as part of their capstone requirement under supervision of a principal investigator. The results presented do not necessarily reflect the opinion or policy of CSUMB, its staff, or students.

For more details on specific capstone projects, please visit the University Capstone & Thesis Archive.