Four California State University, Long Beach undergraduate students walked away with top honors at the 22nd annual CSU Student Research Competition, a statewide contest that showcases the significant research done by undergraduate and graduate students throughout the 23-campus CSU system.
Richard Roberson, a psychology major, and Adam Trivison, a finance major, won first place for their presentations. Aerospace engineering major Oscar D. Mejia and biochemistry major Rebecca Graziano both won second place. They were among more than 150 students presenting their research in 19 categories May 2-3 at California State University, East Bay. Each participant made oral presentations before juries of professional experts from major corporations, foundations, public agencies, colleges and universities in California.
Roberson won for his presentation “The Effects of Stress on Performance on a Stimulus-Response Task.” His research, which has been conducted with psychology Professor Kim Vu, has studied people's natural response tendencies during times of stress. Through his research, Roberson has found that displays and controls – such as the knobs on a kitchen stove – should be organized based on people's natural tendencies in order to enhance efficiency and minimize errors. Roberson was also awarded the university's inaugural Outstanding Undergraduate Summer Stipend Student Award at the University Celebration of Research, Scholarly and Creative Activity on May 1.
“I have always been interested in learning and understanding how people are able to figure out how to use different designs and products that are not intuitive,” Roberson said. “In the future, I would like to work in industry designing and improving system interfaces. Furthermore, reading the literature on stimulus response compatibility has helped me to refine my critical thinking skills, so that I am more prepared to enter my post-baccalaureate appointment with the National Institute of Mental Health.”
Trivison won first place for his research “For What it’s Worth: Understanding the Comparative Accuracy and Explainability Performance of Relative Value Models and Absolute Value Models,” which statistically compared the accuracy of five different models used to estimate the value of a business.
“These models are used by a multitude of professionals on a daily basis, so a comparison of their accuracy fills a very meaningful gap in research,” said Trivison who worked with Professor Pamela Miles Homer. “I used two types of discounted cash flow (DCF) models: the Abnormal Earnings and the Free Cash Flow. I also looked at three Simple Multiple models that used forward earnings as the value driver: The One, Two, and Three-Year Forward Multiple Models. The Two-Year Forward Multiple Model was found to be most accurate.”
Graziano’s presentation, “Di-Alkyl 2-Halo Phenyl Phosphates: Effect on Butyryl Cholinesterase Activity,” focused on a class of unique organic molecules that potentially could be used in the treatment of Alzheimer's Disease. The ultimate goal of her research with Professors Roger Acey and Ken Nakayama is to identify particular compounds that can inhibit the activity of the protein Butyryl Cholinesterase, which has been implicated in the progression of Alzheimer’s Disease, and increase levels of a chemical that controls cognitive function. Ultimately, her research aims to enable patients to regain their memory.
Mejia’s presentation, “Trajectory Simulation for the P-8A Launch Vehicle,” highlighted the development of a numerical tool for simulating the trajectory and landing point of a suborbital rocket subject to winds aloft. Working with California Launch Vehicle Education Initiative (CALVEIN) mentor Charlie Hoult and faculty advisor Eric Besnard, Mejia applied the tool to a prototype launch vehicle flight tested last year by CSULB and Garvey Spacecraft Corporation.
Each CSU campus was allowed a maximum of 10 presentations. In addition to Roberson, Trivison, Mejia and Graziano, CSULB students Yasser Eddebbar, April O'Brien, Julie Whited, Yuhua Liang, Janice Lee and Seija Rohkea also participated in the competition.