Graduate Collaborative Research Program

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Rae McNeish, Assistant Professor of Biology

Graduate Competitions:
CSUB Student Research Competition - First Place - 2023, First Place - 2024 and Second Place - 2025
CSUB Grad Slam - 2022, 2023 and 2024

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Isolde Francis, Associate Professor of Biology

Graduate Competitions:
CSUB Student Research Competition - 2025
CSUB Grad Slam - 2024

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Isolde Francis, Associate Professor of Biology

Graduate Competitions:
CSUB Student Research Competition - 2025
CSUB Grad Slam - 2024

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Rae McNeish, Assistant Professor of Biology

Graduate Competitions:
CSUB Student Research Competition - 2024 and First Place - 2025
CSUB Grad Slam - 2023 and Second Place - 2024
CSU Grad Slam 2025
WAGS 2025

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Lucas Hall, Assistant Professor of Biology

Graduate Competitions:
CSUB Student Research Competition - 2024 and 2025
CSUB Grad Slam - Second Place - 2023 and 2024
CSU Grad Slam 2024

Faculty Advisor: Dr. R. Brandon Pratt, Professor of Biology

Graduate Competitions:
CSUB Student Research Competition - 2025
CSUB Grad Slam - First Place - 2024

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Amber Stokes, Associate Professor of Biology

Graduate Competitions:
CSUB Student Research Competition - 2025
CSUB Grad Slam - 2024

Project Title: Microplastic Seasonal Variation and 'Community' Composition in Coastal Shellfish and Sediments Across Levels of Estuary Protection Status and Watershed Anthropogenic Development 

Faculty Advisor:
Dr. Rae McNeish, Assistant Professor of Biology

Graduate Competitions:
CSUB Student Research Competition - Second Place - 2024
CSUB Grad Slam - 2023

Project Title: Application of the River Continuum Concept to arid streams across an elevational gradient 

Faculty Advisor:
Dr. Rae McNeish, Assistant Professor of Biology 

Graduate Competitions:
CSUB Student Research Competition - 2024
CSUB Grad Slam - 2023

Project Title: Invasive Ailanthus Altissima Leaf Decomposition in Freshwater Ecosystems and Impacts on Macroinvertebrate Communities

Faculty Advisor:
Dr. Rae McNeish, Assistant Professor of Biology 

Graduate Competitions:
CSUB Student Research Competition - 2023 & First Place - 2024
CSUB Grad Slam - 2022 & First Place - 2023
WAGS 3MT Competition - 2024
CSU 2024 Grad Slam - 2024

Project Title: The Affects Artificial Light at Night has on Urban and Non-Urban Populations of San Joaquin Kit Fox

Faculty Advisor:
Dr. Lucas Hall, Assistant Professor of Biology 

Graduate Competitions:
CSUB Student Research Competition - 2024
CSUB Grad Slam - Second Place - 2023
CSU Grad Slam 2024

Project Title: The Effects of Chronic Creatine Supplementation on Cardiovascular Function, Lower Body Strength, and Fall Risk in Oder Adults 

Faculty Advisor:
Dr. Jahyun Kim, Assistant Professor of Kinesiology

Graduate Competitions:
CSUB Student Research Competition - First Place - 2023 & First Place - 2024
CSUB Grad Slam - 2022 & 2023

Project Title: Microplastic Patterns in Stormwater Runoff from CSUB Buildings 

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Rae McNeish

Project Title: Native soil inoculum may not affect establishment of two California shrub species 

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Brandon Pratt

Project Title: Terrestrial-Aquatic Connections: Cattle Grazing Effects in Stream Ecosystems and Aquatic Macroinvertebrates

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Rae McNeish

Project Title: Tree Height and the Diameter of Water Transport Cells in Wood Campus Trees

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Anna Jacobsen 

Project Title: Terrestrial-Aquatic Connection: A Riparian Invasive Plant Impacts Aquatic Macroinvertebrates and Ecosystem Processes 

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Rae McNeish

Project Title: The Road Stress Traveled: Using a Non-invasive Water-borne Method of Collecting Corticosterone from Taricha Granulosa

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Amber Stokes

Project Title: The Efficacy of RIPC is Varied Based Upon Physical Activity and Prolonged Sitting Time on Augmentation Index

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Jahyun Kim

Project Title: Can RIPC Mitigate Muscle Damage Induced by Eccentric Exercise? 

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Jahyun Kim 

Project Title: Allelopathic Effects of Bracken Ferns

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Kane Keller

Project Title: Restoration of Southern California Chaparral By Succession through Coastal Sage Scrub

Faculty Advisor:
Dr. Brandon Pratt, Professor of Biology

Graduate Competitions:
CSUB Student Research Competition - 2023
CSUB Grad Slam - 2022

Project Title: Let It Flow: BioFlourescence in Taricha Granulosa

Faculty Advisor:
Dr. Amber Stokes, Associate Professor of Biology

Graduate Competitions:
CSUB Student Research Competition - 2022 & 2023
CSUB Grad Slam - Second Place -2021 & 2022 
CSU Grad Slam - 2022 & 2023

Project Title: Determining the Origin and Formation of NWA11788: A New Lunar Meteorite

Faculty Advisor:
Dr. Katie O'Sullivan, Assistant Professor of Geology

Graduate Competitions:
CSUB Student Research Competition - First Place - 2023
CSUB Grad Slam - 2022

Project Title: Imitation is the Sincerest Form of Flattery

Faculty Advisor:
Dr. Amber Stokes, Associate Professor of Biology

Graduate Competitions:
CSUB Grad Slam - 2022

Project Title: Invasive Ailanthus Altissima Leaf Decomposition in Freshwater Ecosystems and Impacts on Macroinvertebrate Communities

Faculty Advisor:
Dr. Rae McNeish, Assistant Professor of Biology 

Graduate Competitions:
CSUB Student Research Competition - 2023 & First Place - 2024
CSUB Grad Slam - 2022 & First Place - 2023
WAGS 3MT Competition - 2024
CSU 2024 Grad Slam - 2024

Project Title: Using Habitat Restoration Treatments in an Effort to Manage and Save Imperiled Species

Faculty Advisor:
Dr. Lucas Hall, Assistant Professor of Biology

Graduate Competitions:
CSUB Student Research Competition - 2023
CSUB Grad Slam - 2022 

Outstanding Graduate of Biology and Outstanding Graduate of the College of NSME - 2024

Project Title: Chronic Remote Ischemic Preconditioning (RIPC) Attenuates Arterial Stiffness and Changes Hemodynamic Measures in Prehypertension Individuals

Faculty Advisor:
Dr. Jahyun Kim, Assistant Professor of Kinesiology

Graduate Competitions:
CSUB Student Research Competition - First Place - 2023 & First Place - 2024
CSUB Grad Slam - 2022 & 2023

Project Title: The Effect of Schrub Cover on Vapor Pressure Deficit and Other Leaf Functions of California Shrubs (Cercocarpus Betuloides)

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Brandon Pratt

Project Title: Allelopathic Effects of Bracken Ferns (Pteridium Aquilinum) on Germination Across Populations

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Kane Keller

Project Title: Analyzing the Geochemical Composition and Mineral Characteristics of the Lunar Meteorite NWA 11788

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Katie O'Sullivan

Project Title: San Joaquin Kit Fox Population Estimate on CSUB

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Lucas Hall

Project Title: Leaf Vessel Length and Leaf-Stem Connections: Structure of Water Transport Pathways in Woody Plants 

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Anna Jacobsen

Project Title: How to Escape your Predators in 5 Not So Easy Steps: Predator Responses in the Rough-Skinned Newt, Taricha Granulosa

Faculty Advisor: Amber Stokes

Project Title: How to Escape your Predators in 5 Not So Easy Steps: Predator Responses in the Rough-Skinned Newt, Taricha Granulosa

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Amber Stokes

Project Title: The Effect of Plastic Pollution on Macroinvertebrate Communities in a Freshwater Pond

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Rae McNish

Project Title: Camera Trap Survey of Terrestrial Vertebrates in Potential Buena Vista Lake Shrew Habitat Across the Tulare Basin 

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Lucas Hall

Project Title: Allelopathic Effects of Bracken Ferns (Pteridium Aquilinum) on Germination Across Populations 

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Kane Keller

Project Title: The Effects of Fire on Bat Activity in Sequoia and Kings Canyon 

Faculty Advisor:
Dr. Anna Doty, Assistant Professor of Biology 

Graduate Competitions:
CSUB Student Research Competition - First Place - 2022 & 2023
First Place - CSUB Grad Slam - 2021
WAGS 3MT Competition - 2022
CSU 2024 Grad Slam - 2022

Project Title: To Glow or Not to Glow: Biofluorescence in Taricha Granulosa

Faculty Advisor:
Dr. Amber Stokes, Associate Professor of Biology 

Graduate Competitions:
CSUB Student Research Competition - 2022 & 2023
CSUB Grad Slam - Second Place - 2021 & 2022
CSU Grad Slam - 2022 & 2023

Project Title: Investigation of the Presence of Potential Tetrodotoxin Binding Protein in the Blood of the Rough-Skinned Newt, Taricha Granulosa

Faculty Advisor:
Dr. Amber Stokes, Associate Professor of Biology 

Graduate Competitions:
CSUB Student Research Competition - 2021 & 2022
CSUB Grad Slam - 2020 & 2021

Project Title: Correlation of Behavior, Toxicity, and Aposematic Coloration in Taricha Granulosa

Faculty Advisor:
Dr. Amber Stokes, Associate Professor of Biology

Graduate Competitions:
CSUB Student Research Competition - 2022
CSUB Grad Slam - 2021

Project Title: Burnout/Compassion Fatigue in Healthcare Workers Before and After the COVID-19 Pandemic

Faculty Advisor:
Dr. Heidi He, Associate Professor of Nursing

Graduate Competitions:
CSUB Student Research Competition - 2022
CSUB Grad Slam - 2021

Project Title: Searching for Coccidiodes on the Channel Islands, California

Faculty Advisor:
Dr. Antje Lauer, Professor of Biology 

Graduate Competitions:
CSUB Student Research Competition - 2022
CSUB Grad Slam - 2021

Project Title:  Do Nurses Provide Comprehensive Diabetic Education on Medication, Diet, Exercise, and Preventive Measures?

Faculty Advisor:
Dr. Annie Boehning, Associate Professor of Nursing

Graduate Competitions:
CSUB Student Research Competition - 2022
CSUB Grad Slam - 2021

Project Title: Assessment of Self-Perceived Stress Levels Among Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Faculty Advisor:
Dr. Annie Boehning, Associate Professor of Nursing 

Graduate Competitions:
First Place - CSUB Student Research Competition - 2022
CSUB Grad Slam - 2021

Outstanding Graduate of Nursing and Outstanding Graduate of the College of NSME - 2022

Project Title: Plastic and Natural Leaf Breakdown in Aquatic and Terrestrial Habitats 

Faculty Advisor:
Dr. Rae McNeish, Associate Professor of Biology 

Graduate Competitions:
CSUB Student Research Competition - 2021 & Second Place -  2022
CSUB Grad Slam - 2020 & 2021

Outstanding Graduate of the College of NSME - 2023

Project Title: Searching for Pieces of the Lunar Mantle in a Lunar Meteorite

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Katie O'Sullivan

Project Title: Effects of Anthropogenic Disturbances on Species Interactions

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Kane Keller

Project Title: Photosynthesis and Stomatal Conductance of Shrub Species from Mediterranean-Type Climate Regions

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Brandon Pratt

Project Title: Seed Bank Density and Viability in Santa Catalina Chaparral Shrub Species 

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Anna Jacobsen

Outstanding Graduate of Biology - 2022

Project Title: Riverine Litter: Bridges Impact the Distribution of Anthropogenic Litter in a Freshwater Rive

Faculty Advisor:
Dr. Rae McNeish, Associate Professor of Biology

Graduate Competitions:
CSUB Student Research Competition - 2021 & 2022
CSUB Grad Slam - 2020 & 2021

Project Title: Exploring Reflections of parent-Child Communication Surrounding Mental Health

Faculty Advisor:
Dr. Richard Zamora, Assistant Professor of Psychology

Graduate Competitions:
CSUB Student Research Competition - 2021
CSUB Grad Slam - 2020 

Outstanding Graduate Student for the College of Social Sciences and Education - 2021

Project Title: Investigating the Role of Methylated Cytokinins in Rhodococcus fascians Pathogenicity

Faculty Advisor:
Dr. Isolde Francis, Assistant Professor of Biology

Graduate Competitions:
CSUB Student Research Competition - 2021
CSUB Grad Slam - 2020 

Project Title: Lunar Meteorite GeoChemical Analysis and Connection to Lunar Source Terrain 

Faculty Advisor:
Dr. Katie O'Sullivan, Assistant Professor of Geology

Graduate Competitions:
CSUB Student Research Competition - 2021
CSUB Grad Slam - 2020 

Project Title: Unraveling the Molecular Mechanisms Driving the Recently Revealed Motility Rhodococcus fascians

Faculty Advisor:
Dr. Isolde Francis, Assistant Professor of Biology

Graduate Competitions:
CSUB Grad Slam - 2020

Project Title: Investigation of the Presence of Potential Tetrodotoxin Binding Protein in the Blood Plasma of the Rough-Skinned Newt, Taricha Granulosa

Faculty Advisor:
Dr. Amber Stokes, Associate Professor of Biology 

Graduate Competitions:
CSUB Student Research Competition - 2021 & 2022
CSUB Grad Slam - 2020

Project Title: Exploring the Biocontrol Potential of Streptomyces Species Against Pythuym Violae, a Dominant Carrot Pathogen

Faculty Advisor:
Dr. Isolde Francis, Assistant Professor of Biology

Graduate Competitions:
CSUB Student Research Competition - Second Place - 2020 & First Place 2021
CSUB Grad Slam - Second Place - 2020
CSU Grad Slam - 2021

Project Title: Benefits of Napping Among Night Shift Workers

Faculty Advisor:
Dr. Annie Boehning, Associate Professor of Nursing

Graduate Competitions:
CSUB Student Research Competition - 2021 
CSUB Grad Slam - 2020

Outstanding Graduate Student for Nursing - 2021