Major and Classification Buisiness Administration Faculty Mentor A. Cyrus Arman, Ph.D. Candidate in Physics Department Physics McNair Project Exploring the Positive Effects of Tax and Subsidy on California Homeowners’ Earthquake Insurance Purchase Abstract“When it comes to earthquakes, the question for many Californians is not if they will hit, but when and how hard.” – Bill Lockyer, California State Treasurer Looming …

Major and Classification Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Faculty Mentor Shelia Murphy, Ph.D. Department Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism McNair Project Television and Its Effects on Contraceptive Use in Young Adults AbstractBefore attending college, students spend more time with mass media (television, music, magazines movies) than they have had in school or with their parents. Most of the media …

Major and Classification Biology and Spanish Faculty Mentor Michel Baudry, Ph.D. Department Neurobiology and Neuroscience McNair Project AbstractAlzheimer’s Disease (AD) is more prevalent in women than in men, suggesting that the depletion of female steroid hormones, such as progesterone (P4) and estrogen, in post-menopausal women aggravates the risk of developing AD. Based on several in vitro and in vivo experiments …

Major and Classification Biological Sciences Faculty Mentor Brian Francis, Ph.D. Department Keck School of Medicine McNair Project AbstractGlaucoma is an ocular disease that leads to degeneration of retinal ganglion cells. In the chronic version of glaucoma, lack of pain creates patients that are often unaware that they their eyesight has begun to deteriorate. They remain unaware of their condition until …

Major and Classification Physics Faculty Mentors William Steier, Ph.D. Satsuki Takahashi, Ph.D. Department Electrical Engineering/Electrophysics McNair Project AbstractBecause of its sensitivity to electric fields and ability to withstand electromagnetic pulse attacks, Titanium indiffused Lithium Niobate waveguide has been a reasonable choice to be used as a Fabry-Perot resonant modulator (as electric field sensors) in non-metal radio frequency receivers. In this …

Major and Classification Psychology Faculty Mentor Miranda Barone, Ph.D. Department Psychology McNair Project Female Gang Members Social, Cultural, and Economic Motives for Joining Gangs in South Central Los Angeles AbstractWhen hearing the words “gang” and “gang member”, violence and crime are often associated with the two terms. For the most part these associations are justified; however focusing on this relationship …

Major and Classification Psychology Faculty Mentor Miranda Barone, Ph.D. Department Psychology McNair Project AbstractDating during adolescence is correlated with the development of interpersonal skills including sharing, intimacy, communication, and negotiation as well as the establishment of future healthy relationships. In the academic setting, minority students seeking mates within their race may be unable to date due to a scarcity of …