Cal Poly Humboldt hosts CSU Research Competition for first time in 39-Year history

Nervous excitement filled the air on the campus of Cal Poly Humboldt this weekend as hundreds of students from across the state gathered for the 39th Annual California State University (CSU) Student Research Competition.

For the first time in the event’s nearly four-decade history, Cal Poly Humboldt played host, welcoming student researchers, faculty and judges from all 23 CSU campuses. The two-day event began Friday, April 25, and concluded Saturday, April 26.

“This is a big deal,” said Kacie Flynn, associate vice president of research and executive director of the Sponsored Programs Foundation at Cal Poly Humboldt. “It’s the first time in 39 years that Humboldt has hosted the CSU-wide research competition, and we are very excited.”

Flynn played a key role in preparing for the event, which featured research presentations across a wide range of disciplines, including physical sciences, engineering, health and interdisciplinary studies.

Cal Poly Humboldt students earned top honors at the event, with several research teams placing in competitive categories. 

Harmony Switzer-Tryon took second place in the Behavioral, Social Sciences and Public Administration category for her project, “Emotional Intelligence Scores of Adult Children of Narcissistic Mothers.” 

Bahar Rouzbehani and Gaia Campos received an honorable mention in the same category for their study, “First Responders: Strain, Coping, and Camaraderie in Municipal Firefighting.” 

David Schmitz and Rafael Bernard were awarded second place in the Interdisciplinary category for their work titled “Preparation and Evaluation of Polylactic Acid-Quinoa Composites.”

The competition kicked off in Founders Hall with a presentation by Isaac Obery, an undergraduate student from CSU Long Beach. Obery presented in the Physical and Mathematical Sciences category with his project titled “Perfect Polychorons: Equable Shapes in Higher Dimensions.”

The final presentation of the weekend came from Sean Chryz Iranzon and Daniel Ramos Mejia, undergraduate students from San José State University. Competing in the interdisciplinary category, the pair presented “Design and 3D Printing of Vascular Networks Using a Diffusion-Based Strategy.”

“Being the last presentation is really refreshing,” said Chryz Iranzon. “We’ve already watched multiple presentations, so we have a better understanding of the judges’ style and the timing. And being last means you’re freshest in the judges’ minds — that’s pretty cool.”

Beyond the competition, the San José State students also found time to explore the natural beauty of Humboldt County.

“We’ve seen the flowers all over campus — they take me away. And we saw this redwood trail that looks like it’d be a cool spot for meditation,” Chryz Iranzon added.

For Ramos Mejia, the competition was more than just an academic opportunity, it was personal.

“I have a PI who did this competition at Cal Poly SLO and he won. That really motivated me. I wanted to try, and not just try, but win,” Ramos Mejia said.

Both students shared that the experience broadened their understanding of the CSU system and the research taking place across California.

“Being part of this is nice,” Ramos Mejia said. “At San José State, we don’t always know what students at other CSUs are working on. Hearing their research was the highlight of my trip.”

The research experience they brought to the competition also served as a launchpad for their post-college careers.

“I landed a full-time lab manager position at Stanford,” Ramos Mejia said. “I’m going to continue gaining research experience, and hopefully in the next two years, I’ll be starting a Ph.D.”

Chryz Iranzon is taking a slightly different route.

“Right now, I’m building up my resume in the industry. After a year or two, I’ll decide whether I want to return to academia for a Ph.D. or keep pursuing different branches of industry that I enjoy,” Chryz Iranzon said.

With Humboldt’s redwoods as a backdrop, the 39th Annual CSU Student Research Competition proved to be more than a showcase of academic excellence — it was a celebration of curiosity, collaboration and the next generation of innovators.