UROP Research Mentor Project Submission Portal: Submission #1021 | Center for Undergraduate Research and Academic Engagement

Submission information

Submission Number: 1021

Submission ID: 19701

Submission UUID: 17ad8709-a5a3-40bb-b593-d60737b15f5f

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

Submission Update: /urop-research-mentor-project-submission-portal?token=f6n-jWdwPvkT0JGwJ5KjS6ngp4NaQNaMGFVad73zYQY

Created: Wed, 06/11/2025 - 08:14 PM

Completed: Wed, 06/11/2025 - 08:30 PM

Changed: Mon, 08/25/2025 - 03:07 PM

Remote IP address: 217.180.196.69

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 Kea Kamiya

Research Mentor Preferred Pronouns She/Her/Hers

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

Contact Email (FSU Email if affiliated) ksk23a@fsu.edu

Position Title Graduate Student

Faculty Advisor Name Rob Duarte

Faculty Advisor's FSU Email rduarte@fsu.edu

FSU College (if applicable) Fine Arts

FSU Department or Non-FSU Organization Affiliation Studio Art

Headshot (optional)

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}

Contact Email (FSU Email if affiliated) {Empty}

Overall Project Details

Title of the Project Florida Samurai: Sculpture in Memoriam of Japanese Americans in Florida

Project Keywords Sculpture, Metalworking, Art, Asian American history, Japanese Diaspora

Are you currently looking for research assistants? Yes

Number of Research Assistants Needed 1

Relevant Research Assistant Major(s) Open to all Majors, though a Major in Art or History could be helpful

Project Location: On FSU Main Campus

If the project location is off campus, does the research assistant(s) need to provide their own transportation? Yes

Please select the choice that most accurately describes your expectations for the research assistant(s): Partially Remote

Approximately how many hours a week would the research assistant(s) need to work? 7-10

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 This project involves the creation of two approximately seven-foot sculptures memorializing Yetsu Kamiya and Masa Kamiya. They were a mother and daughter who lived in the Japanese American settlement of Yamato in what is now Delray Beach, Florida. The project requires creation of sculptures via welding, metalworking, painting, sewing, and other multimedia work. The structure of the sculpture will be welded steel in the shape of a koi with painted fabric panels sewn into the structure. The painted panels will be drawn from research surrounding the Yamato colony and the lives and experiences of these Japanese American women.

Research Tasks Digitize resources, literature review, assistance with grinding and sanding, prepping canvases, measuring, applying for shows

Research tasks for this project would be separated into studio assignments and historic record assignments. The major historic records assignment would be to digitize paper journal entries from the early 1900s. These journals span many years and are dense with information. A digitized version of this resource would make it searchable and allow it to be secured in an additional form. Historic record assignments would also include searching interviews and online databases for information about Yamato, Masa, and Yetsu. Studio assignments would involve assisting with the creation of the sculptures. Tasks like assisting in mapping where the painted panels will be sewn in, assistance with grinding and sanding, prepping canvases, measuring, and applying for shows.

Skills that research assistant(s) may need: Required: Typing, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Attention to detail, Comfortable online with database and online research, Willingness to learn and use power tools
Recommended:
Experience writing applications and writing about art, prior experience with power tools and basic art processes

Mentoring Philosophy I approach mentoring as a collaborative process with communication at its core. I hope to give research assistants a glimpse into the world of researching for the arts and sculpture as research. Mentees’ goals and understanding will be assessed at meetings that will be held every two weeks. Most of the time the mentee will be working directly with me, so that I am able to get to know their talents, interest, and motivations throughout the project. Art is wonderfully flexible and allows for errors to become learning without much loss. Because of this, positive reinforcement and space to fail and improve are imbedded in this project. Serving as a mentee myself allowed me to become the artist that I am today. I hope to give my mentees a similar experience.

Please provide a link to your publications, a video clip, or a website for your research project (if applicable): https://keasuiko.wixsite.com/kea-kamiya

Please add any additional information here (if applicable): The linked website is not for this project specifically, but gives examples of similar projects.

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

Roundtable times and Zoom links {Empty}

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? Yes

{Empty}

Year 2025

update url https://cre.fsu.edu/urop-research-mentor-project-submission-portal?element_parents=elements/research_mentor_information/headshot_optional_&ajax_form=1&_wrapper_format=drupal_ajax&token=f6n-jWdwPvkT0JGwJ5KjS6ngp4NaQNaMGFVad73zYQY