BC/CSUB Research Programs

Faculty Research Mentor: Dr. Sungwook Hong (CSUB, Engineering)

Dr. Hong’s research program aims at designing next-generation engineering materials with extraordinary properties. To achieve this goal, students will focus on the discovery of novel materials and interfaces by using atomic-scale modeling and simulations in coordination with virtual reality visualization. CSUB/BC undergraduate students will be actively involved in being trained with research skills (e.g., hands-on practices, generating scientific inquiry, and analyzing results) on contemporary industry topics, and academic writing skills, all of which aim to support their success in STEM fields. Students will conduct research in computational design of a wide range of materials including metal nanoparticles for the application in solid-fuel rockets, hydrocarbon-based fuel for the application in aerospace vehicles, and ultra-strength glass-ceramic materials for the application in aircraft windows. Dr. Hong’s research topics with the use of computational design and manufacturing skills can address industry needs of various high-demanding areas in engineering; therefore, will uniquely prepare students to better reach the STEM workforce and be competitive for long-term employment at local engineering companies and government agencies.

Faculty Research Mentors: Dr. Saeed Jafarzadeh (CSUB, Computer & Electrical Engineering & Computer Science) and Dr. Steven Brown (BC, Engineering)

A team of students will work on a robotics platform. The participants will learn and have hands-on experience with both hardware and software. The microcontroller we use in this program is Arduino. Arduino lets the software interact and control the robot. The initial goal is to build the robot and learn its operation. But after this initial phase, the students will add sensors to the robot to empower the robot to identify, solve, and navigate a maze. Depending on their progress, students may explore the use of other available sensors to implement further functionalities for the robot.

Faculty Research Mentor: Dr. Kane Keller (CSUB, Biology)

Developing a thorough understanding of the diverse mechanisms by which species interactions can affect ecological communities remains necessary for effective conservation and restoration activities. Bracken fern, Pteridium aquilinum, is a widespread, highly competitive, and ecologically dominant species that even produces a variety of secondary chemical compounds. This species is also becoming more abundant within its range, perhaps exacerbated by anthropogenic changes. Due to the potential for long-lasting effects on ecological communities, our research will explore how variation in bracken fern physical and chemical traits influences species interactions as well as how this can alter biodiversity and the establishment of species of conservation concern. We will be performing lab-based and field research, which will include the opportunity for visits to central coast field sites. Students will learn a mixture of skills and techniques, such as: performing ecological experiments; biochemical assays; assessing biodiversity; how to critically read scientific literature; and gaining experience in data collection and analysis. This research will provide insight into our understanding of how a dominant plant species affects species interactions and diversity within communities, and even our ability to manage, conserve, and restore species that are increasingly threatened by anthropogenic activities.

Faculty Research Mentor: Dr. Zhongzhe Liu (CSUB, Engineering)

The project will be focused on energy and resource recovery through synergistic reforming of agricultural wastes and greenhouse gases. The agricultural industry is facing many challenges at the nexus of nutrients, energy, and water with the increase of agricultural production. One of the challenges is how to sustainably and properly dispose of a high volume of agricultural waste such as dairy waste. On the other hand, due to the increasing pressures on the environment and California’s ambitious goal of going carbon neutral by 2045, greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide need to be captured or converted. In this project, a new thermochemical method will be developed to synergistically treat agricultural waste streams and carbon dioxide along with energy and resource recovery. Students will have a chance to operate a conversion system and gain hands-on experience as a process engineer.

Faculty Research Mentor: Dr. Ehsan Reihani (CSUB, Computer and Electrical Engineering and Computer Science)

We will investigate parallelization techniques to run an optimization problem in parallel processes in a remote server. We will use OpenMP and MPI tools to perform synchronization and communication between the optimization problem processes. With MPI, each process has its own memory space and executes independently from the other processes. With OpenMP, threads share the same resources and access shared memory. The students will learn how to use these tools on a small scale and then will apply them to a simple optimization problem. This research will result in timing benchmarks for Open MP and MPI for a given optimization problem and recommend practices to use each tool for a given class of optimization solvers.

Faculty Supervisors: Professors Gilbert Ayuk (BC, Physics) and Professor Brian Ryals (CSUB, Math)

In this project, students will get to explore and study a class of discrete-time dynamical systems. Mathematically, these are difference equations that describe how a system evolves over time. The models feature parameters that can be tuned, and one of the main goals in the project will be to study “bifurcations” in the models, which are qualitative changes in the long-term behavior of a system. Students will learn important mathematical concepts, such as periodic points, stability, eigenvalues, and what it means mathematically for a system to be chaotic. The project will have a mix of low-dimensional systems that can be studied with pen, paper, and a calculator, as well as larger dimensional systems that necessitate running simulations. As such, students will learn both how to analyze bifurcations experimentally as well as how to calculate them in a mathematically precise manner. Overall, this project aims to provide a comprehensive introduction to discrete-time dynamical systems with applications. Students would need some knowledge of matrices, trigonometry, and calculus, but no other mathematical background is assumed. The project involves some small programming that will be taught as part of the project.

Faculty Supervisors: Steven Brown (BC, Engineering) and Saeed Jafarzadeh (CSUB, CEECS)

An embedded system is a microprocessor-based or microcontroller-based computer hardware system with software that is designed to perform a dedicated function, either as an independent system or as a part of a larger system. In this research program, we learn how to use and design embedded systems. These systems are made of both hardware and software. The software interacts and controls the hardware, while the hardware consists of computational hardware, sensors, and actuators. Embedded systems are what engineers use to make systems smart.

The specific microcontroller we use in this program to build an embedded system is Arduino. The first week of the program focuses on Arduino and how to code it to interact with sensors and actuators. By the end of the first week, we start forming ideas around embedded systems and propose systems to build individually or as a team of two students. The second, third, and fourth weeks will be dedicated to designing and building the proposed system. Finally, the last week of the program will be focused on preparing a video presentation describing the work done in the program and what's learned.

Faculty Supervisors: Lucas K. Hall (CSUB, Biology) and Ann-Marie Hodge (BC, Biology)

In this summer research project, students will learn about and use different non-invasive sampling techniques to study the endangered San Joaquin kit fox here in Bakersfield.

Researching endangered species is a challenging undertaking, as biologists strive to gather vital information about the status of fragile populations while also minimizing stress on individual animals. Traditional methods of trapping and attaching radio collars or other tracking devices involve considerable stress and potential disruption to normal physiology and behavior. Advances in remotely triggered camera technology, combined with other forms of non-invasive sampling such as passive hair collection, scat analysis, and track pads, can yield a wealth of information with no need to physically handle individual animals. Non-invasive strategies have been used to produce a range of insights on critically endangered species, including population estimation, feeding ecology, breeding behavior, habitat selection, and temporal activity patterns.

Because this project will involve working with a nocturnal species, our daily work schedule will vary. There will be phases of work that start early in the morning (5am), late at night (10pm), and work during the middle of the day, depending on the task at hand. In addition, opportunities to participate in this project will arise as soon as late May to early June. Much of this research will take place outdoors (sometimes off-campus), and as such, students should anticipate variable working conditions that may involve low and high temperatures and potentially rough terrain.

Faculty Supervisors: Maryam Jalalifarahani, BC; Saeed Jafarzadeh, CSUB

In this research program, students learned what an embedded system is and designed a working embedded system utilizing Arduino kits. Students designed and constructed the hardware and software for their own unique smart systems.

 

 

Larry Davis, participated in the CV PATH program at UC Merced, where he spent four weeks working with his faculty advisory working to design dynamic moldings that support the fabrication of sustainable housing and building materials.