The project is a study of health and well-being in young adults, including how stress and protective factors shape biomarker and health outcomes. In the course of participating in this research, students will attain a greater understanding of the research process, including generating and testing research questions, building on previous research, the IRB process and importance of confidentiality and steps taken to protect confidentiality in human subjects research, safety in the lab, and teamwork. Students will be able to assist in an ongoing project and develop skills in data scoring, analysis, and the collection of biomarker data. They will have opportunities to share their insights into ongoing and new research questions from the study.

The research project is centered around gamification in enhancing science learning. By developing and implementing a science-based game, we will explore how game-based learning can motivate students, increase engagement, and improve learning outcomes.

Questions driving the project:
How can gamification be effectively integrated into science education to enhance student learning and motivation?
What specific game mechanics and design elements can be used to promote the understanding of key scientific concepts?
How does game-based learning impact student attitudes towards science and their overall learning experience?

The project will involve:
Identifying core concepts: Identify key scientific concepts that will be the focus of the game.
Game Design and Development: Design and develop a game that aligns with identified learning objectives, incorporating engaging gameplay mechanics, challenges, and rewards. Consider game genres such as card games, board games, video games, puzzle games, escape rooms, etc. Consider how gameplay mechanics, game art work, etc. can potentially impact players’ experiences.
Game Testing: Conduct game testing to gather feedback on gameplay, mechanics, and learning outcomes.
Analysis: Analyze data (such as pre and/or post-game survey feedback) to assess the impact of the game on student learning, motivation, and engagement.

PI: Kristina Faul

Project Title: Completing a 10-year hydrologic record and sedimentary history of the Leona Creek/Lake Aliso Watershed/Reservoir Pair

Overall Project Description: The Leona Creek watershed, and associated ephemeral Lake Aliso, are affected by climate change, urban pollution pressures, and historical acid mine (AMD) drainage. Urban reservoirs may provide unintentional ecosystem services such as contaminant sequestration. For a 10-year period including a drought cycle, Laura Rademacher (University of the Pacific) and I collected water and sediment samples to research whether the system served as a source or sink for nutrients, carbon, and metals in our local urban watershed.

Proposed Student Project: The Russell student will build on work done by earlier Russell Scholars by collating 10 years of major metal data from collected water samples from the four sites in the watershed. Once this data set of existing analyses is assembled, the student will identify any outstanding samples that need to be analyzed for major metals. Subsequently, there is a possibility of the student being introduced to use of a microwave plasma atomic emission spectrophotometer (MP-AES) in my lab to measure any remaining water samples for a specific major metal. Finally, under my guidance, the student will interpret the assembled 10-year metal concentration record.

We propose to integrate an evaluation model into the emerging activities proposed by the City of Hayward’s general plan. Our team will partner with the City to evaluate local tobacco control and to identify population trends in response to smoke-free multiunit housing policy as directed by their general plan. We will also partner with Eden Youth, a community-based organization that serves a predominantly HispanicLatinx population in South Hayward whose mission focuses on youth racial and health equity. As research partners, these Hayward residents will inform the interpretation of the general plan evaluation through their deep connections to the community, advocacy skills, local expertise and lived experiences. The US Department of Health and Human Services has informed that urban planning and public health have an evidence-based association showing reduced health disparities given a supportive built environment. General plans help guide decisionmaking about the built environment and specify implementation activities to achieve goals for the built environment.

Research on health disparities has shown that multiunit housing is a key location for secondhand smoke exposure, especially in predominantly Hispanic/Latinx and Black communities. The lack of smoke-free housing among low-income and communities of color can be associated with pro-tobacco social norms observed in disadvantaged communities such as Hayward. The ubiquitous tobacco retailer presence and extensive marketing of tobacco products in poorer neighborhoods and in communities of color compound the issue. Such structural barriers add to low agency for these communities to adopt a smoke-free environment.

Our longitudinal, mixed methods, community-based participatory approach will focus on the interconnection between analysis of general plan objectives (smoke-free housing), smoke-free policy adoption and associated health indicators. We will measure whether smoke-free goal language plus policy adoption leads to decreased smoking prevalence in multiunit housing complexes in Hayward, increased quit attempts in this community and population improvement in overall smoking-related morbidity.

Students may participate in a few research projects. A) One project attempts to determine whether populations of endangered plants are growing or declining and how quickly they are doing so. This involves demographic methods in the field followed by population viability analyses. B) Another is determining whether a rare plant is evolving to increase out-crossing (over self-pollination), which leads to higher genetic diversity – essential in a rapidly changing climate; this work will be done primarily in the common garden. C) Whether more genetically diverse populations are more likely to persist than genetically depauperate ones. This relies on molecular work that has already been done, and our focus will be primarily on data analysis and interpretation.

Project 1:
Title: The Role of Social Media in Sexual Identity Development and Peer Interactions Among Sexual Minority Youth

This project aims to examine how social media influences the psychosocial well-being of sexual minority youth, with a focus on sexual identity development and peer interactions. Specifically, it will explore the associations between: (a) authentic and positive self-presentation on social media and sexual identity clarity, and (b) sexual identity clarity and peer interactions on social media.

Using a longitudinal qualitative approach, this study will collect survey data at 2-3 time points to capture changes over time. By examining these relationships across multiple points, we aim to uncover how positive and authentic self-presentation on social media may serve as a protective factor in sexual identity development among sexual minority youth.

Project 2:
Title: Development and Initial Validation of a Scale Assessing Ethnic-Racial Identity Developmental Pathways among African American Adolescents and Emerging Adults

In psychology, ethnic and racial identity (ERI) theories and measures are typically categorized as either developmental or attitudinal models. Scholars have argued that people do not distinguish between the racial, ethnic, or cultural aspects of their identities in their everyday lives. Therefore, the term ERI might more accurately represent the psychological experiences of youth of color as they develop their identities. This project represents the initial effort to develop an ERI Pathway Scale that integrates the lifespan model, addressing limitations in current measures.

The methodology involves three phases: item generation, scale development, and scale validation. Phase 1 focuses on domain identification, item generation, and expert evaluation. Phase 2 includes pre-testing questions, survey administration, and item reduction. Phase 3 tests dimensionality, reliability, and validity.