Student RSCA Competition Finalists 2026
The 2026 SJSU RSCA Competition selected students from across the university to advance to the 40th Annual CSU Student Research Competition, hosted right here at SJSU on April 23–25, 2026. Meet our finalists below
Competitors needed to demonstrate:
- Clarity of purpose
- Appropriateness of methodology
- Interpretation of results
- Value of the research or creative activity
- Ability of the presenter to articulate the research or creative activity
- Organization of material presented
After the presentation, each student or group of students was required to answer questions
from a panel of judges.
Finalists
Below are the finalists in alphabetical order of primary investigator name.
Latine Parents’ Views on Their Children’s Code-switching, Academic Experiences, and Self-Identity: A Qualitative Exploration
Student Investigator:
Andrea Castillo, Psychology
Project Category: Behavioral and Social Sciences
Faculty Mentor: Li Shen (Jesslyn) Chong, Psychology
Body Brain Connect: Visual Attention in Human-Computer Interaction via Eye and Brain Activity
Team Members:
Jonathan Chiu, Human Factors and Ergonomics (Concentration in UX)
Allison Tran, Audiology
Ayush Sunil Gawai, Applied Data Intelligence
Project Category: Interdisciplinary
Faculty Mentor: Yue Luo, Industrial & Systems Engineering
A RAG-Based Approach to Personalized Driver Warnings in Automated Vehicles
Student Investigator: Jenny Dinh-Tran, Human Factors and Ergonomics
Project Category: Engineering and Computer Science
Faculty Mentor: Gaojian Huang, Industrial & Systems Engineering
Developing Chemical Tools to Explore How Site-Specific Ubiquitination Drives Protein Destabilization and Influences Amyloid Formation
Student Investigator: Jeslyn Hopham, Chemistry, concentration in Biochemistry
Project Category: Biological and Agricultural Sciences
Faculty Mentor: Emma Carroll, Chemistry
AI in the Human Factors Classroom: Disentangling Human vs. Machine Writing Styles
Student Investigator: Christine Lo, Psychology
Project Category: Education
Faculty Mentor: Gaojian Huang, Industrial and Systems Engineering
Evaluating the Impact of a Continuous Glucose Monitor Distribution Pilot on A1C Outcomes
Student Investigator: Jyoti Sah, Biological Sciences
Project Category: Health, Nutrition, and Clinical Sciences
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Rabia Aslam (Roots Community Health); Andrew Carter, Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program
Delineating the transcriptional activator complex controlling post capillary venule expression
Team Members:
Rhea Shaik, Psychology
Hannah Carolino, Forensic Science, Biology
Jocelyn Cabrera, Biological Sciences
Noah McKenna, Microbiology
Project Category: Biological and Agricultural Sciences
Faculty Mentor: Theresa Dinh, Biological Sciences
Examining "Origin Narratives" in Food Packaging: An Application of Co-Cultural Theory
Student Investigator: Xinyang (Alex) Shan, MA Communication Studies
Project Category: Interdisciplinary
Faculty Mentor: Marie Haverfield, Communication Studies
Comparative Effects of DC and AC Electrical Stimulation on Keratinocyte Migration
Team Members:
Nourdean Shraim, Biomedical Engineering
Shweta Raghuraman, Biomedical Engineering
Project Category: Engineering and Computer Science
Faculty Mentor: Patrick Jurney, Biomedical Engineering
Echoes of Expression: Adobe Aero Art Exhibit
Student Investigator: Phuong-Trang (Maria) Vu, Pictorial Art
Project Category: Creative Arts and Design
Faculty Mentor: Nick Szydlowski, Library Innovations
