2025 Symposium

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
• [Title forthcoming] 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

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