M.A./M.S. Theses and Research Projects

Current M.A./M.S. Theses and Research Projects

 

Understanding Flood Risk Perceptions in San Francisco's Mission Bay North Neighborhood

Jared Livingston
Thesis
Year: 2026
Committee: Nancy Wilkinson, XiaoHang Liu

Abstract
This study examines flood risk perception in San Francisco's Mission Bay North neighborhood, a reclaimed-bay infill area where approximately 70% of the land falls within the SFPUC 100-year flood zone. Using a mixed-methods design combining a cognitive mapping exercise with a quantitative questionnaire on flood experience, awareness, worry, and preparedness, 21 residents were surveyed between January and June 2025. The cognitive mapping analysis produced a mean Lee Sallee Index of 0.087 across participants, well below the 0.3 spatial-agreement threshold identified by O'Neill et al. (2015), indicating substantial divergence between residents' mental maps of flood risk and the SFPUC 100-year flood extent. Duration of residency did not significantly affect LSI scores, suggesting the spatial gap is community-wide rather than concentrated within a particular residency group. All 21 survey respondents scored within the Moderate flood risk perception category, with no respondents falling in the Low, High, or Very High ranges. Flood exposure was not significantly associated with higher overall flood risk perception and neither agency confidence and worry nor awareness and worry were significantly correlated in this sample. These findings indicate that residents share a baseline awareness of flood risk but lack accurate spatial understanding of where flood risk is concentrated within their neighborhood. This pattern reflects a communication and education gap rather than a general awareness gap creating implications for how flood agencies communicate risk in newly developed neighborhoods.

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Evaluating the Long-Term Success of San Pedro Creek Restoration, Pacifica CA

Fiona Lawler
Thesis
Year: 2026
Committee: Jerry Davis, Nancy Wilkinson

Painting by Fiona Lawler

Abstract
Urbanization increases impervious surfaces which leads to an increase in runoff, effectively creating a flashier stream hydrograph. The increased stream flow leads to channel enlargement where net lateral channel erosion and channel incision enlarge the stream channel. In San Pedro Creek Pacifica, CA, deep incision below the Capistrano Bridge culvert made the fish ladder installed there nonfunctional, creating a barrier for federally threatened steelhead trout. The Capistrano Fish Passage Restoration Project completed in 2005 restored the stream reach by gradually increasing the slope with log step-pools and removing the old Denil fish ladders to improve stream habitat and health. This research examined the long-term effectiveness of the stream restoration project and results show that it is still a success after 20 years with the longitudinal profile displaying minimal incision or aggradation and an increase of only 0.013% in slope over 17 years. The barrier has effectively been removed as fish count data show that steelhead trout were observed upstream. Out of the 15 log steps, two logs were undercut with one log potentially becoming undercut in the near future. Natural log and pebble recruitment will be limited due to the small diameter of the riparian trees and pebble sizes in transport are unlikely replacements. Rephotography however showed that high flows likely move larger boulder within the stream. The restoration reach will require ongoing maintenance if there is no change in the current stream management which removes flow obstructions for flood control concerns.

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Fighting for space: Cyclists’ access to San Francisco State University through mobile methods

David Prigge
Thesis
Year: 2026
Committee: Jason Mark Henderson, Jerry Davis

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"Hitting Home": Geographic Disparities of Opioid Overdoses and Vulnerabilities in Oakland, CA.

Isis Raele
Thesis
Year: 2026
Defense Date: 05-06-2026
Committee: XiaoHang Liu, David Herrera

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Assessing metamorphic pressure-temperature conditions for Ledge Mountain granulites, Adirondack Highlands, NY

Zach Smirnov
Thesis
Year: 2026
Committee: Mary Leech, John Caskey

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Nonprofits Combatting Nitrate Contamination of Drinking Water in California’s San Joaquin Valley

Kazi Amina Ashraft Disha
Thesis
Year: 2026
Committee: Nancy Wilkinson, Aritree Samanta, Leora Nanus

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Vulnerabilities to Dry Wells: Socioeconomic Disparities in the San Joaquin Valley

Nayelli Guzman-Cruz
Thesis
Year: 2026
Committee: XiaoHang Liu: Nancy Wilkinson

Abstract
Groundwater depletion in California’s San Joaquin Valley has contributed to widespread domestic well failures, raising concerns about environmental justice and equitable implementation of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). This study examined the demographic profile of communities living near reported dry wells in SGMA-designated high-priority basins. Census block group data from 2023 were spatially allocated using address points to estimate race and poverty within dry-well buffer areas. Buffer populations were compared across three incorporated place-based reference populations using a multi-scale framework and hot spot identification. Results showed that demographic patterns remained generally consistent across spatial scales, indicating that racial composition near reported dry wells was not highly sensitive to geographic scale. Hispanic or Latino residents comprised more than half of the population living near reported dry wells but were not proportionally overrepresented relative to incorporated place-based reference populations. White residents were consistently overrepresented within buffer areas, while Black and Asian residents were underrepresented, and poverty rates were comparable to reference populations. Weighting by dry-well distribution refined interpretation by emphasizing where wells were most numerically concentrated. Hot spot analysis identified the Madera–Chowchilla area as a priority location for targeted mitigation and resource allocation.

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Assessment of Coastal Dune-Vegetation Dynamics Using Kite Aerial Photography

Julia Epstein
Thesis
Year: 2026
Defense Date: 05-07-2026
Committee: Jerry Davis, Leora Nanus: Andrew Oliphant

Abstract
The dunes in the Sunset District in San Francisco, California have seen increasing levels of erosion over the past several years, which puts the neighborhood at risk and necessitates costly sand management for the City and County of San Francisco where critical infrastructure must be regularly cleared of sand moving inland. A revegetation project intended to alter the morphology of a small sand embankment with native dune grass to stabilize it by trapping sand and slowing erosion from wind. 

This study assessed the progress and impact of the dune revegetation project at Ocean Beach by using kite aerial photography (KAP) combined with Structure from Motion techniques to collect high accuracy and high-resolution imagery and topographic data to analyze change over time at the study site. Data collection included five aerial surveys, two ground surveys to assess the accuracy of the KAP-derived elevation models, and four vegetation surveys. This data was then analyzed through land cover classification and geomorphic change detection to assess change over time, and to assess the accuracy of the KAP-derived data. We found kite aerial photography to be an effective, low-cost method for acquiring high quality and accurate data for mapping coastal sand dunes and a viable alternative to more expensive traditional survey methods and other types of remote sensing. Surveys accurately captured sand movement and vegetation survivorship throughout the ten-month period.