UROP Research Mentor Project Submission Portal: Submission #911 | Center for Undergraduate Research and Academic Engagement

Submission information

Submission Number: 911

Submission ID: 15181

Submission UUID: 0aa3ca11-97cb-4d7d-a172-a2c0f3568e26

Submission URI: /urop-research-mentor-project-submission-portal

Submission Update: /urop-research-mentor-project-submission-portal?token=DVNtRzwwTKxQk1bzrxY5N4stKt5FB1sQ_fQkjB_3Cy4

Created: Mon, 08/19/2024 - 06:56 PM

Completed: Mon, 08/19/2024 - 06:56 PM

Changed: Thu, 09/12/2024 - 05:42 PM

Remote IP address: 38.86.154.217

Submitted by: Anonymous

Language: English

Is draft: No

Webform: UROP Project Proposal Portal

Submitted to: UROP Research Mentor Project Submission Portal

Research Mentor Information

Primary Research Mentor Name Melanie Medina

Research Mentor Preferred Pronouns She/Her/Ella

When potential research assistants are reaching out via email, what is your preferred honorific? {Empty}

Contact Email (FSU Email if affiliated) mrmedina@bio.fsu.edu

Position Title Graduate Student

Faculty Advisor Name Don Levitan

Faculty Advisor's FSU Email levitan@bio.fsu.edu

FSU College (if applicable) Arts and Sciences

FSU Department or Non-FSU Organization Affiliation Biological Science

Headshot (optional) {Empty}

Additional Research Mentor(s)

Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from above) {Empty}

Research Assistant Supervisor Preferred Pronouns {Empty}

Research Assistant Supervisor Preferred Honorific? {Empty}

Contact Email (FSU Email if affiliated) {Empty}

Name of Other Faculty/Collaborator(s) (if applicable) {Empty}

Other Faculty/Collaborator(s) Preferred Pronouns {Empty}

Other Faculty/Collaborator(s) Preferred Honorific? {Empty}

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Overall Project Details

Title of the Project The effect of the environment on mate choice in a copulating simultaneous hermaphrodite

Project Keywords Reproduction, marine biology, ocean

Are you currently looking for research assistants? No

Number of Research Assistants Needed 2

Relevant Research Assistant Major(s) Biology, Environmental science, Biology teaching. I'm open to other majors but students must have some previous knowledge in biology and/or zoology

Project Location: On FSU Main Campus

If the project location is off campus, does the research assistant(s) need to provide their own transportation? No, the project is remote

Please select the choice that most accurately describes your expectations for the research assistant(s): In-person

Approximately how many hours a week would the research assistant(s) need to work? 10

Roughly what time frame do you expect research assistant(s) to work? Flexible schedule (Combination of business and outside of business. TBD between student and research mentor.)

Overall Research Project Description The aim of my project is to examine potential changes of mating behaviors in response to changing conditions in simultaneous hermaphroditic species. Social conditions like partner's recent mating history, environmental conditions like temperature and salinity, and the phenotype of a partner's size will be tested. I'm interested in understanding the effects that these have on reproduction and copulation.

Research Tasks Student may need to participate in experiments that evaluate the relation between the environment and copulation in simultaneous hermaphrodites. Most of the work will involve computer work that includes measuring: 1) body length of experimental individuals, 2) record oviposition, 3) counting the number of egg chains and number of eggs laid, and 4) measuring egg sizes after treatment. All measurement will be performed using a stereoscopic microscope and taking images to be later analyzed using ImageJ. If I have live animals in the lab, then the student will work on husbandry, or caring for the animals 3-5 times per week. This includes: food preparation, feeding, aquaria water changes, and general upkeep, student will have to care for their own animals and keeping track of fertilization, egg hatching, and period until hatching. Student may accompany me to the filed once or twice to collect live animals.

Skills that research assistant(s) may need: Required: open minded, good communication, desire to learn, must be computer literate, enthusiastic. Felling comfortable working with marine animals, and getting dirty. Open to coming to field site and working outdoors for up to 3 hours.
Recommended: some knowledge of excel, powerpoint.

Mentoring Philosophy As mentor, I will be involved in my mentee’s development, by being mindful of their future by fostering skill sets that are valuable not only to their present work but also to their future careers. As I work with my mentee, I will encourage their independence while fostering open communication, and following up with them in their progress, and encouraging problem solving conversations, as this is a necessary skill set for their professional development. One way I will do this is by introducing them to resources that can help them thrive on their own or when I’m not around. Another way is by having them present their work at our lab, and potentially at conferences to get them comfortable talking about their research. I like to have regular one-on-one meetings but also allow the mentee to work independently while making sure I am always available.

Please provide a link to your publications, a video clip, or a website for your research project (if applicable): {Empty}

Please add any additional information here (if applicable): I really would love to mentor students that are curious about research and that can help me finish experiments left from my last year of research at FSU. So I need people excited to learn and that are self motivated and enthusiastic.

Are you interested in participating in the UROP Research Mentor Roundtable? No

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UROP Program Elements

Mentor Handbook, FAQs, and Communication Yes

UROP Performance Evaluation Yes

Materials Grant Yes

UROP Poster Presentation Yes

Faculty Advisor Confirmation Yes

Are you interested in attending in a UROP Research Mentor Workshop Series? No

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Year 2024

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