Student Projects

Nicole Steplewski presents her research on the filter pads of whale sharks.

Students in Professor Trina Ming’s Habitat Restoration class practice transect techniques.

Environmental Sociology students have created podcasts available on Spotify and on Apple podcasts, featuring episodes on:

The environmental impact of music festivals
Tensions between surfers and conservationists over berms at Aliso Creek
Beach access in Southern California
Air quality near the ports of LA
Outdoor access for BIPoC people
Pismo clams and efforts of citizen scientists

Recent ENST capstone projects:

Avalon Andrews, “The Alleopathic Potential of Sweet Potato Cultivars: Suppressing Invasive Weeds with Agroecological Farming” with Prof. Sara Johnson
Steve Anticona, “Proportional Analysis of Adult Daughters to Founder Mother Mites as a Possible Early Warning System in the Management of Varroa destructor in A. mellifera Colonies” with Professors Sara Johnson, Scott Hewitt, and Elaine Lewinnek
Hannah Batchelor, “Rose Gardens of the Rich and Powerful: What Do Roses Signify?” with Prof. Sara Fingal
Nathalie Carrillo, “Determining the Genetic Structure and Diversity of Restored Eelgrass (Zostera marina) Beds in Newport Bay” with Prof. Jennifer Burnaford
Mayra Chavez-Tobar, “Food Waste Diversion from Landfills through Food Pantries” with Prof. Justin Tucker
Aimee Frappied, “Eco- and Sustainable Branding: A Case Study of Sustainability Assessments and Effects on Consumer Behaviors” with Prof. April Bullock
Christina Furio, “A Comparative Analysis of Site Management Plans to Assist in the Recovery of Wintering and Breeding Western Snowy Plovers at Balboa Peninsula, Newport Beach, California” with Prof. Tony Bomkamp
Prasad Galhena, “Per- and Polyflouroalkyl Substances in the Environment: An Overview of the Occurrence, Distribution, and Remediation” with Prof. Sudarshan Kurwadkar
Leon Garoyan, “Overview of Municipal Solid Waste Options” with Prof. Justin Tucker
Karolina Guerrero, “Decolonial Research: Exploration of Human-Environmental Relationships and Indigenous Epistemologies” with Prof. Sarah Grant
Amy Heil, “Foraging Behavior of Mammalian Herbivore in Response to Predation Risk” with Prof. Sara Johnson
Alex Lewandowski, “Habitat Restoration and Maintenance Plan for the California Native Meadow at the Fullerton Arboretum” with Prof. Trina Ming
Steven Mendoza, “Site Restoration Using the Pleistocene Plants of California” with Prof. Trina Ming
Calvin Nguyen, “Vermiculture Community Connections” with Prof. Sara Johnson
Jase Oesterblad, “Challenging the National Wetland Plant List Indicator Status of Tree Tobacco (Nicotiana glauca)” with Prof. Tony Bomkamp
Martika Orozco, “Dinosaurs in Los Angeles County: A Photo-Ethnography of Oil Wells” with Prof. Sarah Grant
Avery Patterson, “Shore Bird Reaction to Oyster and Eelgrass Restoration” with Prof. William Hoese
Aelna Sakamoto, “Mojave River Forks Dam Habitat Management Plan” with Prof. Justin Tucker
Nicole Steplewski,“Exploring the Anatomical Differences in Juvenile and Adult Whale Shark (Rhincodon typus) Filter Pads” with Prof. Misty Paig-Tran
Mike Ventri, “A Disaster-Resistant Building Design: Sustaining a Minimal Ecological Footprint” with Prof. April Bullock
Andrew Scott Williams, “Remote Sensing of a Wetland” with Prof. Rich Laton
Ifeyani Williams, “Are California Native, Edible/Medicinal Pollinators More Effective at Attracting Pollinators than Non-Natives?” with Prof. April Bullock
Grace Young, “Environmental Stewardship and Social Interactions with Interpretive Signage among Visitors in a Marine Protected Area in Orange County” with Prof. Jennifer Burnaford