By Dylan Smith, Managing Editor
For two decades, the Student Research Conference (SRC) has given Toros a platform to showcase the results of their dedicated scholarship. This year, more than 400 graduate and undergraduate students, along with alumni, participated in the three-day event, held at Loker Student Union from Mar. 4-6.
Started in 2006, the conference gives student scholars experience presenting work in a professional setting. Participants are paired with mentors who offer them guidance and support throughout the research process.
“The fact that it’s the 20th annual SRC, the fact it’s kept going every year—even during the pandemic—is just testament to how much our students want to get involved in research and do their own independent studies,” said anthropology professor Ken Seligson, the SRC co-chair.
The event began with a keynote address by Karla Torres, who graduated from CSUDH in 2023. Torres earned both her bachelor’s in English education and her master’s in Teaching English as a Second Language at Dominguez Hills. She currently works as a data labeling specialist at Meta, the parent company of Facebook.
Torres discussed her transition from conducting research at CSUDH with a non-tech background to working with generative AI at Meta. She highlighted the value of transferable research skills, explaining how her experience in research helped her secure a job despite lacking a software background.
“When I was interviewing for Meta, the hiring managers were particularly interested in how I worked with ambiguity and how I worked with critical thinking,” she said. “So these are really fundamental skills that you develop as you do your own research.”
Torres stressed the importance of being open and asking questions when you’re new to a position, adding that transparency is fundamental to developing skills in unfamiliar areas. She said it’s ok to make mistakes, especially when entering a new space.
“I remember it was my first time that I made a mistake and I couldn’t sleep at night,” she said. “No one even remembered that I made a mistake, so I was giving myself a hard time.”
Conference brings together scholars from several disciplines
Presenters from fields such as creative arts, design, education, and the physical and mathematical sciences shared their research. Participants could choose from five formats: a 10-minute oral presentation, a poster presentation, a symposium, a roundtable discussion, or a development project session.
Kristopher Ryan Manalang, a second-year computer science student, presented a poster analyzing how self-driving, traditional, and mixed vehicle fleets affect traffic and climate on Southern California highways. Manalang, a researcher in the Physics Department, told The Bulletin he has a deep passion for computer science, particularly in advancing AI and machine learning.
“It’s a big part of our world today and as we know, AI and machine learning is improving exponentially,” he said. “I’ve always been interested in cars, and I’ve grown up around cars, so it’s kind of combining both passions at once.”
Manalang was not the only student showcasing research with real-world applications. Second-year biology student Jerry Salinas presented a poster titled, “Silencing of CARF Impairs Fatty Acid Oxidation in Hepatocytes.” In layman’s terms, how liver cells break down fat when a specific protein is turned off—or silenced—and how that could cause health issues. Salinas said the presentation took over a month to fully compile and edit.
While multiple winners were announced under each presentation category, “Best of Show” honors were awarded to Dwanjai Oprien, Vincent Espinoza, Kimberly Rivera, and the team of Victoria Lancey, Daniel Hufnagel, Nick Murdach, and Gloria Rangel.
Prizes included a $100 gift certificate from the Sustainability Office. Cain Library also offered awards for participants who utilized library research in their presentations.
Seligson said the statewide competition will be hosted by Cal Poly Humboldt next month, adding that at least five Toros will represent CSUDH.
Torres, Seligson advise students to be curious and ambitious
Torres, the CSUDH alumna, encouraged those interested in research to seek mentorship, emphasizing its role in professional growth. She recommended that students stay in touch with their professors and inquire about available research assistantships. She advises students to expand their opportunities by attending conferences, joining research labs, and staying connected on platforms like LinkedIn.
“I cannot stress enough the importance of visiting your professors office hours, it’s very important,” she said.
Torres said that in the future she hopes to explore more opportunities in the tech industry and better develop her software skills by learning coding. “I’m still very early on in the industry and being able to learn new skills is very important,” she said.
“Challenge yourself to do something you maybe thought you’d never be doing,” Seligson said. “Check out the oral presentations, check out the poster presentations, and hopefully it’ll spark, like, a real excitement to potentially participate yourselves.”
