Bridges to the Baccalaureate - Mentor List

Julia Alber, PhD, MPH, Associate Professor, Kinesiology and Public Health

My research focuses on communication technologies and survey methods to understand and promote cancer prevention behaviors to ultimately reduce cancer disparities. I have a broad background in health behavior and community health, with specific training and expertise in measurement development and health communication methods. Additionally, I have expertise in tobacco control and prevention advocacy and research through my previous studies and involvement in the local tobacco control coalition. As the Chair of the Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE)’s History Committee, I have expertise in documenting and disseminating historical research in the field of health education and promotion. Much of my research focuses on community-based partnerships with local and national organizations (e.g., Hepatitis B Foundation, Society for Public Health Education, local health department, Campus Health & Wellbeing). 

I am committed to supporting mentees in preparing to work in fields that promote public health by providing a rigorous mentored research experience, completing annual mentoring and responsible conduct of research workshops, and meet regularly with my mentee. I am passionate about training the next generation in important areas of cancer prevention (e.g., tobacco control and prevention) and health communication. I am excited to participate in the Bridges to the Baccalaureate program because it will expand opportunities at Cal Poly for underrepresented students to engage in high quality research.  

Keywords: Health communication; tobacco; cancer prevention 

 

Paul Anderson, PhD, Professor, Computer Science and Software Engineering 

My research lab is about empowering and engaging students and collaborators with the potential of computational approaches to solve biological questions. 
I am professor of Computer Science and Software Engineering at Cal Poly, where I lead the Data Science Research Group. Before joining Cal Poly, I pioneered data science programs at College of Charleston. My team focuses on applying AI to bioinformatics and genomics, exploring machine learning and explainable algorithms. We collaborate on projects spanning genomics, chronic pain, cancer informatics, and more. I also co-direct the Bioinformatics Research Group and the Bioinformatics and Applied Data Science Core at Cal Poly. 

 

James Antony, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology and Child Development 

The various prongs of my research surround one central question: How do memories persist? Episodic memory – or memory for specific events – changes over time, as some features are forgotten, while others become more resistant to forgetting via consolidation. Crucially, this process of memory change is modulated by the precise way these memories are formed and reactivated. My research centers on how long-term memory retention relies on reactivation during both sleep and wake (e.g., during re-learning of previously encoded memories) as well as factors at encoding, such as surprise and interactions among memories. I have tackled these questions using a variety of methodologies (e.g., behavior, eye tracking, electroencephalography, naturalistic neuroimaging, autobiographical questionnaires) while using advanced computational techniques (e.g., computational modeling, graph theory, multivariate analyses, real-time designs). 

 

Kelly Bennion, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Psychology and Child Development  

In a world in which we cannot possibly remember everything, my research aims to elucidate the factors that may promote successful memory using a combination of behavioral, eye tracking, polysomnography, and neuroimaging approaches. I am particularly interested in the effects of several real-life variables (e.g., emotion, physiological arousal, stress, motivation) on memory, as well as understanding how sleep affects memory. Given research showing that sleep selectively enhances memory for certain experiences over others, I seek to better understand how such information is initially selected for this preferential processing, and how we may best prioritize information during encoding to lead to optimal consolidation during sleep. 

In part due to my upbringing as a first-generation woman of color in science, I am passionate about promoting academic and research opportunities for underrepresented students. Since 2019, I have directed the BEACoN Research Mentoring Program, a funded research mentoring program for underrepresented students within the Office of University Diversity and Inclusion. Overall, I am very committed to mentoring and providing underrepresented students with quality research experiences and professional development advice to help them progress in their careers. I look forward to being part of the Bridges to the Baccalaureate program and the great benefits that it will bring our Cal Poly students.  

Keywords: Memory; Sleep; Stress 

 

Jay Bettergarcia, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology and Child Development 

I lead the Queer Community Action, Research, Education, and Support (Q C.A.R.E.S.) research team. With this team, I utilize community-based action research and mixed method designs to study LGBTQ mental health and wellness, including affirming approaches to mental health care for transgender and non-binary people. I also investigate evidence-based approaches to teaching and training about diversity, including the reactions (resistance and receptiveness) often encountered in diversity trainings and how to "roll with resistance." My goal is to better understand the experiences of LGBTQ community members, especially those who are underserved, and to utilize data to create evidence-based strategies for teaching and training about sexual orientation and gender diversity. See the website at https://www.queercares.com   

 

Kelly Bodwin, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Statistics 

My primary areas of research are development of open-source tools for data science education, and clustering/community detection methodology for biological and social science data.  Some of my current projects include a novel data mining method for large-scale binary data, an R package for automatically generating teaching materials in R Markdown and Shiny, a cross-disciplinary study of social networks in historical political groups, and a collaborative analysis of soil experiments in local vineyards. 

The Bridges to the Baccalaureate program will allow me to mentor students from even more diverse backgrounds than those I already have the privilege to work with.  I will continue to emphasize ethical practice in data science, asking my students to think about who is impacted or might be harmed by the results of their analysis.  I also look forward to teaching new researchers to develop reproducible habits, such as using version control and maintaining clear code documentation.  Finally, I am committed to a focus on communication, as I believe a project is not successful if the results are not clearly interpreted in a way that is accessible to the target audience. 

Keywords: Data Science; Data Mining  

 

Kristen Cardinal, PhD, Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering 

My main area of research focus over the past 15+ years has centered around developing and using tissue-engineered blood vessels as in vitro preclinical models for testing intravascular devices. I have utilized and built upon well-established techniques for creating tissue-engineered constructs in order to create model systems that are reproducible and scalable. My early work focused on applying existing techniques to the creation of these models, while more recent work has explored new scaffold approaches, new geometries, and new cell types for customizing the models. My lab currently focuses on tissue engineering neurovascular models to evaluate devices that treat aneurysms and stroke.  For example, we create and grow in vitro blood vessels that have aneurysms in them, and then implant and evaluate flow diverters in those vessels. 

I believe in a team-based approach in my research lab, and strong teams are built from a diverse group of people.  I also feel strongly that undergraduates can learn and perform top-notch research, and I enjoy leading teams, programs, and projects that get students involved with these hands-on experiences. I direct our MEDITEC program, which brings industry-sponsored projects to campus and provides projects for 35-45 undergraduates per year. I have been a key member of our CIRM-funded MS specialization in Regenerative Medicine since it’s inception in 2009, and I am currently the Program Director of our new undergraduate COMPASS program, which trains a diverse group of undergraduate students in regenerative medicine.  Additionally, I lead an active research lab on campus, focused on tissue engineering as described above, which consistently includes12-15 student researchers. 

Keywords: Tissue Engineering; medical device testing 

 

Jean Davidson, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Biology 

My overall scientific interests are the intersection of computational tools and biology.  My research and teaching at Cal Poly focus on problem-solving, creativity, and cross-disciplinary approaches. I am an active member of many academic and industry projects which provide unique insights into the workforce demands we must be focusing our training on. I have made significant contributions to the study of the intersection of genomics and human health, special focus on utilizing publicly available bioinformatics databases, and novel clinical genomic sequencing, to explore human disease, such as rare genetic disorders and pancreatic cancers. 

I believe in lowering barriers of entry to computational and analytical thinking, especially in non-computer science majors. I have extensive interactions both at Cal Poly and within the entire CSU system to develop immersive, technical, experiential learning experiences especially related to biotechnology and bioinformatics. As a mentor in the Bridges to the Baccalaureate program I am committed to continue being an inclusive and supportive mentor to the students I am fortunate to work with, a majority of which are underrepresented minority and women individuals.    

Keywords: Computational modeling; Genetics; Human Health 

 

Alex Dekhtyar, PhD, Professor, Department of Computer Science 

My research is in the areas of databases, data science, applied machine learning, and software requirements engineering. I have participated in numerous cross-disciplinary research projects in the areas of bioinformatics, kinesiology, digital humanities, political science, and several other areas.  My current objectives are in the areas of cross-disciplinary applied computing/data science research, and in broadening participation in computing education. Specific projects I work on include the Digital Democracy project (building software support for investigative journalism in the context of California State legislative activities), the UFAT project (evaluating the quality of urban tree covers), the NOSES project (software support for elephant seal observations and automated counting of elephant seals), the PathML project (analysis of videos depicting human physical activity), the Cureos project (software support for a career/job experience matching system for undergraduate students), and the SlaveShipDB project (software for access to and analysis of an archive of historical records related to capture of slave ships by the British Navy in the 19th century). 

I have significant experience working with students with non-computing backgrounds: several of my M.S. students hold undergraduate degrees in English, Chemistry, Biology, Animal Science, Mathematics, and Statistics, and I have worked with students from these and several other disciplines as part of several past and on-going projects. I am excited about the Bridges to the Baccalaureate at Cal Poly application because it will enable me to continue to support students from underrepresented backgrounds to pursue biomedical research careers and fits well within the data science and Cal Poly mission to support equity and undergraduate research.   

Keywords: Computer Science; Data Science; Applied Machine Learning; Cross-disciplinary projects 

 

Scott Eagon, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry 

Our research group focuses on the development of small molecule pharmaceuticals and probes, particularly those targeting infectious diseases and cancer.  Students are involved in all aspects of drug synthesis and pre-clinical development.  Our group is also interested in developing new synthetic methods to produce compounds quickly & with minimal purification in an effort to reduce development costs.  Students majoring in Chemistry, Biochemistry, or related majors are welcome to join, but two quarters of organic chemistry lab are normally required to join due to the complexity of the chemistry involved.  Current projects include the development of kinase-based chemotherapy agents, biological probes to better understand disease-related proteins, new treatments to combat leishmaniasis, the development of host-orientated compounds to combat anthrax and the Ebola virus, the development of new classes of antibiotics, and in silico screening programs to discover new drug candidates for infectious diseases.  More information about our research and team can be found at our website here:  https://eagonlab.github.io/ 

During my career, I have met many students with the desire to do research, but facing obstacles that prevent their involvement.  Humanity makes the best advances when working together, and drug discovery is no different.  I’ve had the pleasure of working with the BEACoN program at Cal Poly to help support students, and Bridges to the Baccalaureate is another excellent way to support students with the desire to do research.  I’m honored to be a part of the program and look forward to helping dedicated students find their path in STEM. 

Keywords: Drug Development; Medicinal Chemistry; Synthetic Organic Chemistry 

 

Eric Espinoza-Wade, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering 

The primary goals of my research include the application of novel engineering approaches to address outstanding problems in rehabilitation health science. In rehabilitation, there is a broad lack of understanding of how and why certain people respond to therapies. This work focuses on the development of tools to facilitate the extraction of objective, quantifiable measures of ability from non-invasive lightweight sensors. These approaches combine signal processing, dynamical systems, and principles of machine learning to extract features predictive of clinical measures of performance. They also establish novel approaches to monitoring the capabilities of individuals (un-impaired and those living with motor-neurological deficits) in the laboratory and in home settings. We often find that social robots and software agents are helpful in our study designs. 

I look forward to providing a strong research environment wherein training and mentoring will result in positive outcomes for undergraduate underrepresented student researchers. Through funded research projects, including an NIH R15 award, I have mentored undergraduate and graduate students (MS and PhD) in the overlapping domains of engineering and health science. This experience includes mentoring of undergraduate students through the Educational Advancement Program (at Univ. Tennessee), and through the BEACoN program (at Cal Poly). These programs focus on providing research opportunities to underrepresented students. Through these programs, and through other funded research opportunities, I have mentored over 25 undergraduate student researchers. This work has resulted in two undergraduate first-author journal articles and five first-author conference papers and abstracts. These activities demonstrate my dedication to training, mentoring, and the promotion of a supportive research environment. 

Keywords: Rehabilitation Health Science; Therapy; Control Systems Engineering; Machine Learning 

 

Mallary Greenlee-Wacker, PhD, Associate Profession, Department of Biological Sciences 

I am an immunologist and interested in host-pathogen interactions, immunology, cell biology, extracellular vesicles, sepsis, and immunology education. 

 

Christine Hackman, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Kinesiology and Public Health 

Broadly, my research focuses on gender equity in behavioral and health outcomes and from there, I have two related but separate lines of research. First, I examine intimate partner violence (sexual harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, stalking) in young adults. Previously, I have explored consequences of intimate partner violence to marginalized populations (e.g., LGBTQ+) and have also investigated novel prevention programs (e.g., using virtual reality). My second line of research investigates abortion access in young adults through both qualitative and quantitative means. 

Throughout my career at Cal Poly, I have demonstrated a strong commitment to undergraduate research mentorship, and I have mentored over 40 Cal Poly undergraduate students. My mentees have received the American Public Health Association Public Health Education and Health Education Student Award in 2021 (for two separate abstracts) and several of my mentees have graduated to pursue MPH or public health PhD programs. I have a strong commitment to training mentees in best practice in the field of intimate violence prevention, and to work with collaborators that also believe in undergraduate and graduate-centered research. I am also committed to helping students transition to a medical and research program based on their skills, experience and interests. I want to be involved as a mentor in the Bridges to the Baccalaureate program because of its focus on and support of undergraduates from diverse backgrounds. 

Keywords: Intimate Partner Violence; Sexual Assault; Abortion Access 

 

Todd Hagobian, PhD, Professor, Department of Kinesiology and Public Health 

My research is focused on physiology and metabolism as it relates to diabetes and obesity. I have over 20 years of extensive clinical research experience focused on lifestyle interventions and biological mechanisms to improve weight, health outcomes, and risk for diabetes, and impact of endocrine disruptors on diabetes risk markers. I have worked on a series of weight-loss, diabetes, and intervention studies, and NIH and other externally funded studies. Presently, I am PI on a funded American Diabetes Association award to determine the direct effects of orally administered bisphenol A on insulin sensitivity and hepatic glucose production. 

I have provided undergraduates with rigorous training in unbiased design methods, study methodology, analysis, interpretation, responsible conduct of research, and reporting of results in an ethical manner including presentations and publications. Bridges to the Baccalaureate at Cal Poly will allow me to combine my extensive research experience, which includes undergraduate students, with my dedication to increase accessibility and opportunities for underrepresented students. I fully believe that Bridges to the Baccalaureate at Cal Poly will have a major impact on underrepresented students within the program and lay the foundation for all student research experiences at the institutional level by promoting an inclusive, safe environment, and sense of belonging to the scientific field. I am enthusiastically committed to the Bridges to the Baccalaureate at Cal Poly program, and to developing the next generation and diversity of biomedical researchers.   

Keywords: Diabetes; Obesity; Physiology 

 

Scott Hazelwood, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering 

The focus of my research is on orthopedic biomechanics, specifically as it relates to osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, and bone fracture. This research combines both experimental investigations and computational modeling. I have extensive experience in bone and cartilage mechanics, and have been involved with numerous research projects examining the mechanical influences on the cellular mechanisms of the bone and cartilage remodeling processes; the effects of exercise, age, injury, diseases, and the treatment of diseases on the growth, remodeling, and degradation processes of bone and cartilage; the mechanical properties of bone and cartilage tissue; bone fracture, fracture healing, and fracture fixation; and orthopedic implant designs and the remodeling response of bone following insertion of these implants. My expertise in orthopaedic biomechanics has translated well to motion analysis experiments, and for the past eight years I have served as a co-director of the Human Motion Biomechanics Lab at Cal Poly.   

As a Bridges to the Baccalaureate mentor, I am committed to supporting trainees in their transition to the biomedical workforce in a career that is consistent with their skills, interest, and values and am excited to contribute to this project that will bring great opportunities to students at Cal Poly. For over 25 years I have conducted biomechanics experiments and have performed solid modeling of skeletal tissue.  During this time, I have served as the research advisor or co-advisor for 62 graduate students, 64 undergraduate students, and 5 medical students. 

Keywords: Orthopedic biomechanics; Osteoporosis; Bone 

 

Sarah Keadle, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Kinesiology and Public Health  

My research interests are in the measurement of physical behaviors, including exercise, sleep, and sedentary screen time, primarily using device-based measures. I am also interested in how these behaviors collectively impact health outcomes. My research has focused on developing and validating new methods to assess physical activity and sedentary time using direct observation as a criterion measure and have contributed to several projects related to methodical issues in using activity monitors in large-scale epidemiology cohorts. I also have ongoing trials to examine how screen time and exercise relate to health.  

The Bridges to the Baccalaureate program will enable me to combine my experience and belief in the value of a structured research training program with my commitment to focus on opportunities for underrepresented students. I believe it will have a great impact on the students within the program and the entire University as a whole, as Cal Poly continues to strive to become a more welcoming and diverse institution. I am strongly committed to developing and implementing a program that will prepare students for scientific research careers. I am the director of research training in the Center for Health research, where I established a seminar series on the science of health disparities that has hosted six external speakers and has been attended by >700 students. I have a strong mentoring track record, with several first-author student publications, winning the CSU student research competition and pursuing PhDs in Kinesiology and Epidemiology.  

Keywords: Screen time; Sleep; Wearable Devices 

 

Martine Lappe, PhD, Associate Professor, Sociology and Science, Technology, and Society, Department of Social Sciences 

My research focuses on lived experiences of health, science, and medicine. I am the Principal Investigator of a five-year study, titled “Behavioral Epigenetics in Children: Exploring the Social and Ethical Implications of Translation,” uses qualitative research methods and traditions in science studies and biomedical ethics to examine how epigenetic research is influencing understandings of child development and social policies related to pregnancy, parenting, and inequality in the United States. The grant is part of my ongoing research on the consequences of genomic and epigenetic knowledge as it is produced and taken up across laboratories, clinics, and communities. 

I am also currently completing the book, Anticipating Autism: Science, Uncertainty, and Care in the Post-Genomic Era. The book explores the meanings of autism for families, scientists, and policy makers, and examines the impacts of autism science and activism on experiences of pregnancy and parenting today. 

 

Jane Lehr, PhD, Professor, Department of Ethnic Studies and Women’s, Gender & Queer Studies 

I am the founding Director of the Office of Student Research and Professor in Ethnic Studies and Women’s, Gender & Queer Studies at Cal Poly. My graduate training is in Science & Technology Studies and Women's Studies at Virginia Tech and my teaching and research focus on the complex relationships between gender, race, culture, science, technology, and education. Effective Summer 2023, I am an appointed member of the CSU Student Success Network Advisory Board. I have substantial grant support focused on strategies to enhance recruitment, retention and improve academic programs for underrepresented students in STEM fields. 

 

Adrienne Lent, DrPH, Assistant Professor, Department of Kinesiology and Public Health  

My research focuses on healthcare system and policy related access to cancer care in the US, especially among underserved and underrepresented groups. My dissertation focused on rural urban disparities in the capacity of health systems to deliver cancer care. I use population-level data to examine how the Affordable Care Act has shaped healthcare coverage and preventive behaviors. I also research healthcare system barriers faced by individuals who use tobacco who want to quit. My research in this area is rooted in collaborations with diverse trainees at various stages from underserved/underrepresented backgrounds.  

As someone with experience in training grants, I understand the importance of mentoring trainees from diverse backgrounds and achieving productivity related outcomes. I have coordinated the University of Arizona's T32 Cancer Prevention and Control Health Disparities Training Program (T32CA078447). My responsibilities included managing national recruitment of diverse applicants, day to day operations, professional development activities, core curriculum delivery, and evaluation activities. I want to bring these experiences to Bridges to the Baccalaureate at Cal Poly and help increase the diversity of the biomedical workforce.  

Keywords: Access to Care; Health Disparities; Health Policy 

 

Andres Martinez, PhD, Professor, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry 

I am interested in developing simple, portable and inexpensive point-of-care diagnostic tests. These tests are designed to be used at home or in the field by people with minimal training to qualitatively or quantitatively detect disease markers or other analytes. Currently, my research team is investigating methods of storing and stabilizing reagents at room temperature to extend the shelf life of the tests, we are developing biochemical reactions for generating a signal in response to the concentration of an analyte, and we are developing devices capable of automatically performing tests that require two or more steps. I believe that point-of-care diagnostics have the potential to revolutionize the way healthcare is delivered around the world and improve access to healthcare for people living in remote areas or who cannot afford traditional, centralized, diagnostic tests. The development of diagnostic devices is inherently interdisciplinary and provides opportunities for learning and applying engineering, chemistry, biology and medicine.  

I am excited to participate in the Bridges to the Baccalaureate program because I know firsthand of the impact meaningful undergraduate research experiences can have on an individual’s career path and how these experiences can encourage students from underrepresented groups to pursue graduate degrees and careers in the sciences. 

Keywords: Point-of-care Diagnostics; Analytical Chemistry, Microfluidics 

 

Nathaniel Martinez, MD, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Biology 

The research in my laboratory primarily relates to point-of-use diagnostics, 3D- cell scaffold engineering and HIV-1 assembly. On-going projects in my laboratory include 1) determining the role of the Endocytic Recycling Compartment on the Assembly of the HIV-1 virus by characterizing host-viral interactions. Components of the HIV-1 virus particles (non-infectious) require interaction with specialized host cell membrane regions. I hypothesize that recruitment of important HIV-1 components is regulated through the endocytic recycling compartment and other rapid-recycling compartments. 2) Point-of-care Diagnostics for the Quantitation of Human Hormones & Biological Analytes. We are interested in the development of inexpensive, accessible, reliable and user-friendly quantitative diagnostics for human hormones and biological analytes.    

As a mentor in the Bridges to the Baccalaureate program I am committed to mentoring students in responsible conduct of research, scientific methods, data interpretation and professional development to support them in their biomedical research career. The research conducted in my laboratory is primarily molecular in focus and is well-suited for undergraduate student trainees. I am actively engaged in the day-to-day research projects, and I spend >20 hours/week of student-mentor contact with students in my laboratory. The model that I employee in my lab is that of team-projects, where 3-5 undergraduate students will work on a similar project under the tutelage of a graduate student. Undergraduates directly report on day-to-day research inquiries to their lead graduate student and then in more depth during weekly small-group meetings. 

Keywords: Point-of-use Diagnostics; Cell Scaffold; HIV-1 

 

Suzanne Phelan, PhD, MA, Professor, Department of Kinesiology and Public Health 

My specialization is in behavioral treatment of obesity and methods to promote cardiometabolic health in perinatal and postpartum women and children.  I have been actively involved in behavioral weight control research targeting cardiometabolic risk factors in Hispanic childbearing women for the past 20 years. I have worked on a series of long-term weight loss trials, including Look AHEAD, STOP Regain, and Fit Moms/Mamas Activas. I have co-led the National Weight Control Registry (NWCR), tracking behavioral, motivational, and environmental factors among 10,000 long-term successful weight losers.  Currently, I am PI of NIH-funded multi-site randomized trials testing behavioral weight management interventions in diverse, multi-cultural patient populations before, during, and after pregnancy. I am also PI on the WW Success Registry (WWSR) that is studying the psychosocial processes underlying long-term successful weight control. I, thus, have extensive experience of behavioral weight control approaches, their use in randomized clinical trials, diverse families, and their impact on weight related and cardiometabolic outcomes.   

As a long-time faculty advisor and mentor, I have extensive experience in training and preparing students from diverse backgrounds for research-related careers in health-related fields. For example, I received an NIH Diversity Supplement Award (HD084282S2) for a promising undergraduate student who went from struggling in coursework to graduating with honors and is now pursuing a career as a physical therapist in the biomedical field. I am committed to timely graduation, promoting inclusive, safe, and supportive research environments, and providing training in rigorous and unbiased design, methodology, analysis, interpretation and reporting of results. I am excited to create a centralized training hub with an inclusive learning environment that provides our students with engaging and rewarding experiences in biomedical research. 

Keywords: Pregnancy; Lifestyle Intervention; Obesity 

 

Joni Roberts, PhD, Professor, Department of Kinesiology and Public Health 

My research background is appropriate for this training program because I study the connections between social behaviors and environments and the impact they have on various diseases. Specifically, sexual health diseases such as sexually transmitted infections, HIV/AIDs and obesity. My most recent work focuses on socio-cultural barriers to reproductive healthcare among women of diverse backgrounds. The results indicated a myriad of barriers, including culture, the patient –provider relationship and fear of HIV status. These studies highlight that there are multiple factors that are related to health care decision seeking behavior. This is also true among adolescent populations, adolescents rely heavily on their relationships with peers, parents and healthcare providers when making decisions about their health.  

I have dedicated my career to supporting and mentoring underrepresented students at the undergraduate and graduate level primarily women, women of color and international students.  This mentorship is evidenced in conference and manuscript publications, presentations, acceptance into advanced degree programs i.e., doctoral, post-doctoral and fellowship programs. My students have received training on multiple research methodologies including qualitative and mixed methods and have participated at multiple levels of the research process – data collections, analysis, literature review and survey creation and testing. As a woman of color who benefited from mentoring programs like these, I am intentional about providing mentoring to the next generation of scientists. I am excited to participate in the Bridges to the Baccalaureate program because it affords me another opportunity to expand my reach on Cal Poly’s campus through mentoring undergraduate students, particularly those from underrepresented backgrounds. 

Keywords: Sexual Health; Sexually Transmitted Diseases; Socio-cultural Barriers 

 

Angelos Sikalidis, PhD, Professor, Department of Food Science & Nutrition 

I have conducted research in the areas of obesity and cancer as well as in the area of amino acid metabolism and signaling and use in chronic diseases, such as T2DM, risk attenuation. Following my military obligation fulfillment 2010-2012 as II Lieutenant, I conducted research at Harvard Medical School in the field of Immunology as a Post-Doctoral Associate. Next, I served as a founding faculty of a Nutrition and Dietetics English speaking program in a private Medical University in Istanbul, Turkey (Istanbul Yeni Yuzyil University) where I served as an Asst/Assoc Professor from 2013-2018. In Istanbul, apart from teaching primarily Metabolism, I became rather interested in Public Health issues pertaining to Nutrition and the issue of epidemiological transition with particular emphasis on T2DM a real health challenge in Turkey.  
At Cal Poly, I serve as a Professor in the Food Science & Nutrition Dept. My teaching is in the broader area of metabolism and I involve students in T2DM related research.  

 

Jeffrey Sklar, PhD, Professor, Department of Statistics 

I have supervised more than 30 Senior and undergraduate Summer Research Projects with topics ranging from sports analytics to postsecondary outcomes including graduation and changing majors.  In addition to advising students throughout the duration of their projects, I have also served as the designated Statistical Consultant in many quarters throughout my tenure at Cal Poly. Through my role as the consultant, I have helped hundreds of students, faculty, and staff in fields such as Engineering, Agriculture, City and Regional Planning, Biology, and Kinesiology and Public Health with their questions related to design implementation, appropriate statistical methodology, and interpretation of results. 

The Bridges to the Baccalaureate program will provide another opportunity to mentor students and guide them through their research projects in a structured environment. I am interested in supervising students who might be interested in using statistical methods including linear and generalized linear mixed effects models and survival analysis methods to address research questions in the biological and health sciences.    

Keywords: Analytics; Statistics 

 

Emily Taylor, PhD, Associate Dean and Professor, Department of Biology 

My research interests are in environmental physiology of reptiles, particularly the intersection of hydric and thermal physiology as it pertains to impacts of climate change. I have published over 50 peer-reviewed publications in high-impact journals. As an environmental physiologist, my research spans the fields of ecology, physiology, and because I study a federally endangered species, conservation biology. As a result, my research program is of interest to many students, ranging from pre-med students interested in physiology to wildlife biology students interested in conserving biodiversity. 

I am committed to mentoring students in basic biomedical science with the Bridges to the Baccalaureate program to help them advance in their biomedical research careers. My lab consists of students with diverse interests who work together and cross-pollinate, learning a lot about not only their own research area but also the other students’ work. I have mentored numerous pre-health professions students in my laboratory and am in touch with many previous students who are now doctors, physician’s assistants, nurses, clinical lab scientists, and other health professionals. 

Keywords: Environmental Physiology; Reptiles; Climate Change 

 

Jafra Thomas, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Kinesiology and Public Health 

My research is focused on knowledge translation of physical activity promotion materials. I have led several studies which examined the extent physical activity promotion resources would support health literacy among patients and the public. Unsurprisingly, there is still progress which needs to be made concerning reading grade level and providing material which matches physical activity guidelines. One unique finding of my work, however, is that irrespective of organizational category, material often has similar potential for knowledge translation concerning the primary content (e.g., my current work has yet to examine juxtaposed advertisements). The potential for knowledge translation is low to moderate, and often constrained because aspects of the material undermine health literacy promotion (e.g., personable writing, incomplete or untrustworthy advice/information). Across several studies, my work identifies tensions in design that limit evidence-based practices (promoting mastery-approach for building confidence yet over emphasis on outcomes when targeting attitudes). These findings add indirect empirical evidence that professionals and students receive little training about barriers to health literacy promotion, especially regarding physical activity promotion. 

I am committed to mentoring students in basic biomedical science with the Bridges to the Baccalaureate program to help them advance in their biomedical research careers. My lab consists of students with diverse interests who work together and cross-pollinate, learning a lot about not only their own research area but also the other students’ work. I have mentored numerous pre-health professions students in my laboratory, and I am in touch with many previous students who are now pursuing advance professional preparation (e.g., graduate school) to become medical doctors, physician’s assistants, nurses, clinical lab scientists, and other health-related professionals. 

Keywords: Physical Activity Promotion; Health Literacy; Barriers 

 

Marilyn Tseng, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Kinesiology and Public Health 

My currently ongoing studies explore the role of neighborhood or community characteristics on immigrant health. As an epidemiologist, I have conducted numerous externally funded studies examining associations of psychosocial factors, lifestyle behaviors, geospatial, and neighborhood characteristics with risk for chronic illnesses such as diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and breast, prostate, and colorectal cancers. This work is the foundation for a broad perspective on immigrant health status and trajectories, and it underlies my current work among Chinese communities in Philadelphia, PA, and Latinx communities in Santa Maria, CA. 

I have served as an academic and/or research mentor for >30 undergraduate or graduate students over the course of my career. For me, each experience has represented a long-term commitment to the student’s success, involving helping the student discover their goals and working towards those goals together. This has come in many different forms: collaboration on research; advising on coursework; guidance on graduate programs or career paths; and seeking out opportunities to enhance the student’s experience. Many of my mentees are first-generation college students. I have been a mentor in Cal Poly’s BEACoN program and in the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation in STEM (LSAMP). The Bridges to the Baccalaureate mechanism will offer unique opportunities for our students, and I look forward to contributing to its implementation and success at Cal Poly. 

Keywords: Neighborhood Built Environment; Enclaves; Immigrant Health 

 

Alison Ventura, PhD, Professor, Department of Kinesiology and Public Health 

I employ biobehavioral approaches to understand the nature and quality of early parent-child feeding interactions and how these early interactions predict children’s risk for obesity and related comorbidities. My research is highly interdisciplinary, combining a wide array of complementary fields including nutrition science, human development, family studies, biobehavioral health, and prevention science. My work has contributed to our understanding of how breast- versus bottle-feeding may shape caregivers' feeding practices, as well as infant feeding behaviors. The overall objective of this research is to understand the factors that either promote or hinder infants' developing abilities to self-regulate energy intake and highlight modifiable behaviors that can be targeted through primary prevention programs. More information my research and our lab’s current research projects can be found here: 

https://healthykids.calpoly.edu/ 

I am committed to continuing and expanding mentorship within the Bridges to the Baccalaureate program. My research often attracts students from a wide array of disciplines and backgrounds and provides these students with unique opportunities to work and grow within a highly collaborative, supportive, diverse, and inclusive environment. I have substantial experience mentoring undergraduate and graduate students throughout my training and my time as an independent investigator. I strive to ensure students engage in meaningful experiences across all phases of the research process, ranging from study design, data collection, data analysis and interpretation, and writing and presentation of results. I work closely with students to ensure our time together is mutually beneficial, providing them with the skills and mentorship they need to advance to the next step on their career path in a timely manner. 

Keywords: Parent-Child; Feeding; Obesity 

 

Long Wang, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering 

My research focuses on developing multifunctional material-based sensing systems and data analytical techniques for assessing structural performance and human health. The proposed project is strongly supported by my previous experience in multidisciplinary research and student mentoring. I have successfully developed several bottom-up manufacturing techniques for engineering nanomaterial systems (e.g., spray coating, screen printing, and inkjet printing) in a scalable and low-cost manner. Based on the fabricated functional nanomaterials, I have designed wearable fabric sensors for smart garment applications and tattoo-like printed graphene sensing skins that can robustly monitor human motions and vital signs. 

I am committed to providing a rigorous and inclusive training experience for students within the Bridges to the Baccalaureate at Cal Poly program. I believe in multidisciplinary approaches to innovatively solve real-world engineering problems and I highly value collaborations with researchers from various disciplines. I have closely mentored students from diverse educational and social backgrounds, including 8 undergraduates and 2 graduates (each for a minimum of 3 months). In addition, I have advised senior design teams from the Biomedical Engineering Department on designing wearable sensors. One of the projects has been selected by the California State University Program for Education & Research in Biotechnology (CSUPERB) for potential commercialization.  

Keywords: Data Analytical Techniques; Sensing Systems; Human Health 

 

Katharine Watts, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry 

My research focuses on the biological synthesis of small-molecule natural products in the genus Actinobacteria. Student work at Cal Poly has focused on cloning and sequencing biosynthetic pathways, modification of biosynthetic pathways to deduce individual gene function, and engineering biosynthetic enzymes to change their function. Students in my group learn techniques in microbiology, molecular biology, biochemistry, bioinformatics, and analytical methods such as mass spectrometry and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Current projects revolve around two molecules of interest with distinct structures. We are also passionate about bringing impactful research experiences into the classroom and assessing learning outcomes.  

I have demonstrated a commitment to training students in both scientific methodology and professional development. Within 9 years at Cal Poly, I have directly mentored 43 undergraduate students, of which 25 (58%) have been women and members of other under-represented groups. I serve as Co-Director of the Frost Undergraduate research program within the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. In this role I aid in matching 50+ students with faculty and work 30-40hrs/week for 8 weeks (about 2 months) on research projects. I work with the program director to oversee the scientific, career and professional development activities for the program, as well as community-building social events. I am committed to working with students within this Bridges to the Baccalaureate at Cal Poly program to teach them rigorous scientific methodology, analysis and interpretation of data and support their professional development.   

Keywords: Small-molecule; Actinobacteria; Biosynthesis 

 

Michael Whitt, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering 

My research area in the field of science is the study of hemodynamics and vascular mechanics and non-invasive measurements of blood flow via a number of techniques, including calibrated cuff plethysmography and doppler ultrasound. Another research area to science is my work on the biomedical understanding of heat stress, including cardiovascular metrics, the effects of a high heat risk environment, and other related questions. I am currently working with environmental engineers in a multi-university cross functional effort to solve environmental problems with biomedical and environmental engineering fundamentals.   

I look forward to making contributions as a mentor to Bridges to the Baccalaureate at Cal Poly and mentoring students in support of their transition into careers in the biomedical research workforce. This project offers considerable synergy with my current responsibilities as a Biomedical Engineering faculty member. As a current co-advisor for the Cal Poly National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) chapter and former advisor of the Miami Dade College Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) chapter, which was the first Junior College SHPE chapter, the mission of this program is synergistic with both NSBE and SHPE missions. Throughout my career, I have focused on creating innovative learning opportunities, be that through cross-disciplinary collaboration, experiential learning, or other means of developing professionalization among graduate trainees. I am further committed to creating educational opportunities among a diverse group of students, as evidenced by my work with Center for Leadership Development (Indianapolis, IN) and Academy of Business Leadership (Rosemead, CA). I look forward to bringing my myriad of experiences together to contribute to the success of the Bridges to the Baccalaureate program at Cal Poly.   

Keywords: Hemodynamics; Vascular Mechanics; Blood Flow 

 

Matthew Zoerb, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry 

I have developed a research program in analytical and atmospheric chemistry driven by the participation of undergraduate students. Our research is centered on the climate and air quality impacts of atmospheric aerosols, with a particular focus on wildfire smoke emissions. Direct air sampling and monitoring, laboratory-based instrumental analysis and method development, and computational modeling and data analysis are all leveraged to address our research goals. We seek to relate the factors that control the introduction of material into the atmosphere, what its chemical and physical properties are, and how these components impact human health and planetary processes.    

It is my goal to provide students with a broad array of opportunities to enhance their skills and experience for future education or employment. Participation in each stage of project development, execution, and dissemination is expected from all my research students. Rather than assign my students specialized tasks, I encourage them to engage in all aspects of their projects so they can connect concepts to the big picture motivating their work. Experience in research setting from concept to publication prepares students for successful careers and gives them a valuable perspective on how to identify and approach scientific problems. I maintain a small, focused group of undergraduate students and have had several students continue their education in graduate programs in chemistry and related fields.   

Keywords: Analytical Chemistry; Air Quality; Wildfire Smoke