Student Projects 2010


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Analysis of Chinese Nanotechnology: Policies, Patents, and Publications
Richard P. Appelbaum, Yasuyuki Motoyama, James Walsh, Rachel A. Parker, Claron Ridge
With collaboration by Indy Hurt

China’s bid to become a global leader in nanotechnology by putting into place the physical and intellectual infrastructure for domestic innovation is explored in this poster. Chinese government publications are reviewed, and conclusions are based on interviews with 63 established nanoscience scholars, governmental policy-makers, and engineers.

Although nanotechnology in China has been on an uphill trajectory for the past decade, China now has a sufficiently strong network of scientists to make China a global player. There is a growing realization that nanotechnology can be truly useful—it can be used for improvement of products at the lower end of the value chain.


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Habitat Analysis of Maui Humpback Breeding Grounds using GIS
Kristen LaBonte, Rachel Cartwright, Blake Gillespie
The AuAu channel between the islands of Maui and Lanai, Hawaii, is heavily utilized as a breeding ground by humpback whales of the Central North Pacific stock and comprises a critical habitat for this resurging population. This study explores fine-scale dynamics of habitat preference within the region. Data were collected along randomly placed transect lines that provided equal coverage of inshore and offshore regions of the AuAu channel, during March 2008 and 2009. Locations of 121 groups, containing a total of 292 whales, were obtained. Details of group location, composition and behavior were recorded, along with measurements of abiotic factors?current and turbidity. A preliminary review of the results suggests that patterns of habitat preference in this region differ from those reported for other breeding regions. Whereas most mysticete female and calf pairs prefer shallow, inshore waters, in this region female and calf groups showed no such preference.


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Spatial Database for Off-Shore Energy & Mineral Resources Infrastructure, Pacific West Coast Region
Michael Goodchild, Gargi Chaudhuri, Chris Hakes, Kathleen Mullaney, Nathaniel Royal, Phillip Mihatov, Zach Chehayeb
Conversion of the MMS Pacific Region existing shape files and raw data from NAD 27 to NAD 83 are represented in this poster, adding or correcting metadata for existing and new coverages, using Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) standards as necessary. Other Public Domain GIS coverages are collected and recommendations are made for commercial coverages to aid in new leasing for the Renewable Energy Program within the Pacific Region.


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Sound Cues in Geographic Representation
Kitty Currier
Department of Geography
University of California, Santa Barbara
How is sound used in geographic representation? Pocock (1989) contends that the dominance of vision over hearing has caused sound to be overlooked in geographic study. This survey investigated how existing software, research, Internet projects, and live demonstrations use sound in the representation of geographic information, using projects described in geography literature and not-for-profit Internet websites.


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Cognitive Surveyor—A Tool for User-centered Urban Design
Drew Dara-Abrams
Departments of Geography and Psychology
University of California, Santa Barbara
The usefulness of Cognitive Surveyor for urban designers and city planners is detailed in this poster.


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County Contingency Evacuation Zones
Office of Emergency Services
Santa Barbara County, California


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Fuel Modification Parcel Inventory
Kathryn Kirkpatrick, Fire Management Officer
Robert Taylor, Ph.D., Fire GIS Specialist
Marti Witter, Ph.D., Fire Ecologist
Gregory Elwood, GIS Technician
National Park Service, Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area
Using ESRI ArchGIS software, an inventory of assessor parcels adjacent to the National Park Service lands in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area has been generated and is used as the basis for a Fire Planning, Fuel Modification Database.

As part of the Moorea Coral Reef Long Term Ecological Research (MCR-LTER) project the effects of sea level, water mass, and current variability on coral reef ecosystems on time scales of hours to years are examined.


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Patterns and Forcing of Primary Productivity in the Santa Barbara Channel, California
Mark A. Brzezinski, Marine Science Institute and Department of Ecology Evolution and Marine Biology
Libe Washburn, Institute for Computational Earth System Science and Department of Geography
Chris C. Gotschalk, Marine Science Institute
Nick Dellaripa, Department of Physics
University of California, Santa Barbara
The relationship between phytoplankton productivity in the Santa Barbara Channel, California and various forcing processes is examined using observations from 16 cruises from 2001?2006 obtained as part of the Santa Barbara Coastal Long Term Ecological Research (SBC-LTER) project.


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Low-frequency sea level and current variability in a coral reel ecosystem: Effects of mesoscale processes
Libe Washburn, Department of Geography & Marine Science Institute, UCSB
Jim Hench, Duke Marine Lab, Beaufort, NC
James Leichter, Scripps Inst. Oceanography, UCSD
Melanie Fewlings, Department of Ecology Evolution & Marine Biology, UCSB
Sally MacIntyre, Marine Science Institute, UCSB
Chris C. Gotschalk, Marine Science Institute, UCSB

As part of the Moorea Coral Reef Long Term Ecological Research (MCR-LTER) project the effects of sea level, water mass, and current variability on coral reef ecosystems on time scales of hours to years are examined.


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Opuntia fiicus-indica: A Solution for Food Insecurity
Ian E. Morales
Department of Geography, UCSB
University of California, Santa Barbara

Opuntia ficus-indica, the prickly pear, has long been domesticated as a food crop in the central Mexican highlands, holding the greatest potential to contribute in the battle against food insecurity in arid nations. Its ability to withstand droughts while producing fruits makes it an ideal crop. By analyzing maps displaying global soils, top soil pH, and annual precipitation and digitizing the regions ideal for Opuntia-ficus-indica growth, we are able to produce potential global growth ranges that can be used to initialize introduction programs that may help reduce the prevalence of hunger and malnutrition around the world.


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Crime in Isla Vista
Matt Yee, Ryan Hoyer, Marc Cilurzo, Brandon Flickinger, Matt Petty, and Tylor Headrick

Department of Geography
University of California, Santa Barbara

A dataset provided by the IV Foot Patrol for 2009 was used to compile maps to observe the crimes in Isla Vista according to type of crime, date, day of week, time, and location.


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Earthquake Risk in Isla Vista Using HAZUS-MH
Nichole Simmons, Yvonne Rivera, and Anand Shivaprasad
Department of Geography
University of California, Santa Barbara

This research attempts to identify and quantify the earthquake risk and hazard vulnerability of the Isla Vista community.


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Art in Isla Vista

Alexis Buchwald, Matt Fairall, John Knestaut, Emma Phoja, and Ankur Shah
Department of Geography
University of California, Santa Barbara
Identification of the distribution and “hubs” of art in the small community of Isla Vista.


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Food in Isla Vista
Brad Becker, Josh Cohen, Joe Dondero, Katie Manion, Lindsay Hislop
Department of Geography
University of California, Santa Barbara

The project compiles a single online, coherent, dataset on the restaurants, bars, and grocery stores in Isla Vista, on the UCSB campus, and in a few select locations in Goleta that provide food resources for students living in Isla Vista. Use of this dataset is intended to eliminate the need to use multiple services and websites, and adds relevant information for the user. Implementing this information as an online GIS would allow users to browse through meaningful information for consumer decision making, including a cost analysis.


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Emergency Planning On the UCSB Campus: Re-evaluating Earthquake Evacuation Locations with ArcGIS
Mike Canchola, Humphrey Duan, Nicholas Meisinger, Jamie Ryan, Eric Wilder, Troy Zada
Department of Geography
University of California, Santa Barbara

This project examines emergency planning procedures for high-magnitude earthquakes that hold the potential to substantially impact the UCSB campus. This project analyzes the various factors that influence emergency planning on campus to provide the Department of Environmental Health and Safety with a plan for the locations of eleven new First Aid Station sites.


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Aggregate Risk Assessment for Least Bell’s Vireo Habitat at Sweetwater Reservoir
Kirsten Zecher, GISP, GIS Analyst, DUDEK
Mike Howard, Project Manager/Biologist, DUDEK

Based on a risk assessment to determine the physiological tolerance to inundation of riparian plant species such as willows, DUDEK develops a scaled risk analysis that considers short-term effects and long-term habitat recovery periods.