Skip to main content

2025 Symposium

The Social Action Student Symposium logo

5th Annual Social Action Student Symposium (SASSy)

May 2, 2025

Program and Schedule of Events

Session 1A: On Psychological Well-Being and Ill-Being
Location: Russian River Valley Room

  • “Just People Helping People:” The Desirability of Adoption of Peer Support Mental Health Services by High School and College-Aged Youth Shannon McEntee
  • “Unmasking The Doubt: The Impact of Socioeconomic Status on Mental Health and Imposter Syndrome in College Students” Yareli Gonzalez Calderon
  • “How Do Fires and Smoke Influence Individuals’ Ability to Engage in Outdoor Activities, and What are the SubsequentEffects on Their Mental Health in Sonoma?” Hailey Crawford
  • “Eritrean Sign Language Project” Sveva Dal Pont, Marina Scanagatta, Samara Stout, Clair Demchuk

Faculty Discussant: Dr. James Dean

Session 1B: Good Medicine? Artificial and Natural Healing
Location: Dry Creek Valley Room

  • “Artificial Intelligence, the Environment, and the Lack of Legislation” Alexsandra Zyrianov
  • “Ethically Evaluating Medical Nursing Robots” Leah Hall, John Sullins
  • “Healing Landscapes: Indigenous Curanderas and Ecosystem Adaptation in Mexico and California” Edgar Munoz Corona, Phillip Sparkes, Rosemary Marshall, William Gabbert

Faculty Discussant: Dr. Zeke Baker

 

Session 2A: Girls Just Wanna Have Fun(damental) Rights
Location: Russian River Valley Room

  • “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun In A Man's World: Sexualities Surviving The Patriarchy ” Madelyn Boyd
  • “Latinas' Challenges in Accessing Counseling Services and Possible Solutions In Northern California” Karina Esquer
  • “Women in Male Dominated Churches” Vera Lubbs
  • "Black Maternal Mortality in the United States" Arianna Riddle

Faculty Discussant: Dr. Cynthia Boaz

Session 2B: Eco-Psychology, Education, and Community Belonging
Location: Dry Creek Valley Room

“Exiting High School Senior Rite of Passage Curriculum” Janis Phillips
“The Native Plant Garden as a Site for Connecting People with Nature” David Smith, Michele Aguilar, Nick Bradford
“Equity in Nature: Increasing Access for BIPOC and Other Marginalized Communities in Nature” Michele Aguilar

Faculty Discussant:  Dr. Andy Martinez

Session 2C: Engaging Human Rights (1): Transportation, Infrastructure and Community
Location: Alexander Valley Room

  • “Building Community, One Sidewalk at a Time” Nathan Callahan
  • “Smart Support for the SMART Train” Shawn Ramus
  • “Safer Travels: Improving Infrastructure at the Rohnert Park SMART Station” Warren Kent Rhodes

Faculty Discussant: Dr. Michelle Jolly

 

Session 3A: Achieving Democratic Governance
Location: Russian River Valley Room

  • “The Influence of New Public Management on Public Budgeting”  Aron Sherman
  • “Temporary Business Model Innovation: A Public Value Adding Opportunity” Devin Fox
  • “Voting, Simplified: Determining Voter Behavior across California,” Nathan Callahan

Faculty Discussant: Dr. Bryan Burton

Session 3B: Help on the Way? Insights into Pro-Social Behavior
Location: Dry Creek Valley Room

  • “Who Stands By? Insights from a Campus-Wide Survey of SSU Students” Nick Bradford, Katelynn Stocks, Dominic Arcuri, Zach Blaustone 
  • “Democrat vs. Republican. Someone Gets Shoved. What Happens Next?” Zachary Blaustone
  • “What Are The Effects of Racial Microaggressions on Cognitive Functioning?”  Ezra De La Cruz

Faculty Discussant: Dr. Robert Chase

Session 3C: Engaging Human Rights (2): Fulfilling Basic Needs
Location: Alexander Valley Room

  • “Financial Literacy for Young People” Kelly Collins Geiser
  • “Addressing Food Insecurity in East Oakland” Darrilyn Simmons
  • “Shower of Relief: Bringing Mobile Showers to the Unsheltered Community of Sebastopol” Alexsandra Zyrianov, Vanessa Sanchez, Dominga Gomez
  • "Restoring & Rebuilding Safety: Expanding and Enhancing Sonoma County's Safe House for Domestic Violence Survivors" Ursula Senghas-Poles

Faculty Discussant: Dr. James Mestaz
 

Political Science Now: Conspiracies, Trust, and Good Administration
Location: Sonoma Valley Room

Join in dialogue with student researchers in Political Science and Masters of Public Administration (MPA) programs while enjoying coffee, tea, and light refreshments

  • “Project Blue Beam: Why Political Elites Use Conspiracy Theories to Solicit Distrust in Government” Anna Jew, Selah Earnshaw
  • “Covid–A Pandemic of Misinformation” Gabriel Alward, Jacob Karapetian
  • "Who Trusts the Government Anyways? Public Perception of the JFK Assassination" Moana Laie, Megan Bressel
  • "Election Fraud 2024: A Study of Belief in the Republic" Victoria Weidhase, Graycin Marchese-Culver
  • "Unraveling the Web: The QAnon Conspiracy and Its Impact on Modern Discourse" Morgan Cummins, Brianna Phillips
  • "Osama Bin Laden's Objective Achieved: 9/11, The End of the Great Power" Matila Bulimaibau (Kula), Jasmin Soto
  • "An Analysis of Rohnert Park Public Safety" Erica Botello
  • "Assessing the Impact and Effectiveness of Workforce Development Programs for Teens" Franchi Montez
  • "Unleashing Potential: An Examination of Volunteer Retention and Recruitment Strategies in Animal Welfare" Skylar Mittlestead
  • “Scaling Success: Strategic Government Alliances for Nonprofit Impact and Sustainability” Clare Schuett-Hall
  • "How Do Financial Challenges Impact Retention and Graduation Rates for Undergraduate Students at Sonoma State University?" Brittney Edmondson
  • "Leading an Organization Today: A Government Case Study for Public Administrators" Justin Lawrence Brandt
     

Session 4A: Crimes of the Past, Present, and Future
Location: Russian River Valley Room

  • “The History of Slavery in Sonoma County, 1850-1865” Cole Rubert, Mikey Carrillo
  • “The Growing Threat of White-Collar Crime” Zuri Lopez, Mellisa Felix, Hector Barrios, Ashley Talbot
  • "Empowering Seniors: Raising Awareness and Preventing Victimization" Nayeli Nuno-Ledezma, Citlaly Reyes Farias, Aidan McMains, and Sirene Renteria

Faculty Discussant: Dr. Diana Grant

Session 4B: Engaging Human Rights (3): Rectifying Social Injustice
Location: Dry Creek Valley Room

  • “Justice for Undocumented Immigrant Families” Karina Esquer
  • “Repairing Congregation Shomrei Torah's Relationship with Social Justice” Sofia Fichera
  • “Raíces de Resistencia: A Farmworker-Led Model for Collective Land Ownership and Food Sovereignty in Sonoma County” Edgar Munoz Corona
  • "After School Tutoring Program: Arroyo High School" HT Townes
     

Faculty Discussant: Dr. Heather Smith
 

Location: Sonoma Valley Room

Please join us on the Sonoma Valley Room for a catered reception and presentation of certificates to our student authors and presenters