Research University · Journal 02
A decade of student questions, public scholarship, posters, and research trajectories—organized as a living, source-aware archive.
Official PAUSD AAR source794
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507
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William X
Taxes fund many vital services and infrastructure, such as education and roads. The question is how much tax can be raised without sacrificing growth--or taxes will even cause a loss of growth at all. This project looks at the impact of these taxes on a good measure of the economy, the GDP.
Wendy X and Christine Z
The recent discovery that bacteriophages may influence the development of Parkinson's disease sparked our interest in a less explored area. We investigated the relationship between bacteriophages and Parkinson's disease by interviewing researchers and professors, analyzing literature, and conducting an experiment studying the abundance of specific bacteriophages in varied environments. We hope that our research may inspire the growing science community.
Sarthak P.
While films, television shows, and theatrical productions are popular sources of entertainment, audiences often do not realize what is happening behind the scenes. Racial discrimination in the workplace is something that society has been dealing with for generations. The Film and Theatre industries are no exception to this; historically, Asian and Asian American actors have been offered comparatively few roles and oftentimes these actors are cast only to portray certain stereotypes. The Theatre and Film industries
Miranda Y.
Alzheimer's disease is the 6th leading cause of death in the United States, but currently, there is no cure (Alzheimer’s Association). To treat Alzheimer's disease, we must first fully understand the molecular mechanisms behind it and the pathological roles of the tau protein that classify diseases such as Alzheimer's disease as tauopathies. The tau protein has the normal role of attaching to and organizing microtubules, which are crucial for maintaining cell structure, transporting materials within cells, and sepa
Patille P.
My research project is about understanding how the media, specifically the TV industry, portrays people with "invisible disabilities," which are defined as physical, mental, or neurological conditions that limit a person’s movements, senses, or activities but is invisible to a casual observer. I want to understand how the actors' performance of these roles affects the audience, and if it is a factor in shaping their personal perception of people with disabilities. I seek to further my understanding of this topic by
Audrey C.
Digital wallets are skyrocketing in popularity in China. They are becoming the most-adopted payment method in China. Some of the key drivers of this success include advertising, promotional sales, and gamifying contents through cultural holidays, but the approaches used in China might not be as effective in driving popularity of digital wallets in the United States. It is important to study digital wallets and their role in the U.S. By creating a focus group discussion, correlational analysis might address to the r
Isabel S
I will design and build a prototype of a device that generates electricity using the power of ocean waves. It will be efficient and portable so that it can be easily be used by people who have been affected by natural disasters or do not have access to electricity. My prototype will involve a coil and a magnet that induces a current as it shakes.
Sarah M
In PAUSD, 85% of white students are meeting the standards for English and Math, while only 45% of African Americans are meeting the English standards and 35% are meeting the standard for Math (Kolar, 2017); one of many examples of the achievement gap in the district. Social dynamics between races are one cause of this achievement gap; these race-based social stressors, such as stereotype threat and fear of discrimination, release cortisol, a steroid hormone that increases when the body is stressed and causes loss i
Kevin B.
For my project, i will be testing 3 different sensors. 2 of these sensors are currently used in self-driving technology; however, the third sensor--a heat sensor--will be used as well. I will be coding the algorithm and testing the different sensor and algorithm pairs in an obstacle course. I will be observing the time it takes in order to complete the course and also to see how many obstacles the car hit.
Ashley P. and Cathy H.
15% of the Earth's population, or one billion people worldwide, have a disability. Despite such a vast community, people with disabilities face discrimination, including in the workplace due to employment bias. Furthermore, artificial intelligence is a field that rarely employs people with disabilities. This is why we decided to found 4ai. 4ai is a startup, annotating nonprofit based in Palo Alto, California that aims to provide jobs to people with disabilities and make advancements in the field of artificial intel
Jordan P.
My research focuses on seeing whether music is effective tool in educating people regarding racism and police brutality. After gaining insight into this issue, they can share their knowledge with others. My hope is that this project creates more awareness about the issue.
Madeline L.
My study will analyze perceived social support in SELF ambassadors. Information will be collected on feelings of being supported by SELF mentors as well as feelings of being a support to mentors and students in the cohort. In addition, my study will analyze factors that influence this sense of perceived social support.
Kenzo M.
With a sport as popular as soccer, it is crucial that “the beautiful game” is accessible to all, no matter one’s economic status. Soccer is a global phenomenon, but the “pay to play” system has shifted the dynamics of the sport in the U.S., so that youth soccer is now focused on generating profits from this “business” even as these payments bar many kinds from being able to participate. This research will investigate how the “pay to play” system in youth club soccer affects kids of various backgrounds and the measu
Lexy J
I am studying the effects that trade war with China has on the United States, particularly our economic standing. Research of current events will be used to extrapolate likely outcomes. Maintaining an unbiased stance in collecting U.S. trade data is challenging, since the U.S. is so politically polarized, so I will draw equally from "conservative" and "liberal" sources.
Otto B
Living in California, we all know what fire season means: lots of smoke and many homes lost. My goal is to determine if there is a correlation between income level and the impact of the wildfire, and to use that information to determine the role of community engagement.
Zihao F.
There is a problem with a lack of political representation for the bottom 80% of the U.S. population, despite the fact that the United States considers itself a democratic society. Since Presidents continue to be elected through the Electoral College and not the popular vote, society is negatively affected because “middle America” does not believe that their needs and voices are heard. A possible cause of this problem is that the ultra-rich can purchase political favors and that the U.S. “Social Experiment” in demo
Ramsey B
The goal of this project is to build a computational model to predict how many “likes” images will get from users of social media. The model will be trained and tested for accuracy by using data sourced from social networks. This data may be collected automatically with a computer program. This work is intended to help content creators improve their products.
Charlie W
Do Americans and Europeans have drastically different ideas about the idea of a "gap year" between high school and college? Why is it so much more popular in the rest of the West than it is in America? Is the American opinion changing?
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