UROP Research Mentor Project Submission Portal: Submission #1043

Research Mentor Information
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Primary Research Mentor Name: Dr. Chris Omni, MPH, MLS
Research Mentor Preferred Pronouns: She/Her
When potential research assistants are reaching out via email, what is your preferred honorific?: Dr. 
Contact Email (FSU Email if affiliated): comni@fsu.edu
Position Title: Faculty
FSU College (if applicable): Social Sciences and Public Policy
FSU Department or Non-FSU Organization Affiliation: African American Studies / OMNI Institute of Well-being
Headshot (optional): https://cre.fsu.edu/system/files/webform/urop_project_proposal_portal/19811/Omni.Headshot.jpeg

Additional Research Mentor(s)
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Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from above): Vince Omni, MFA
Research Assistant Supervisor Preferred Pronouns: He/Him
Research Assistant Supervisor Preferred Honorific?: Mr.
Contact Email (FSU Email if affiliated): vomni@fsu.edu
Name of Other Faculty/Collaborator(s) (if applicable): Gemini Williamson
Other Faculty/Collaborator(s) Preferred Pronouns: she/her
Other Faculty/Collaborator(s) Preferred Honorific?: {Empty}
Contact Email (FSU Email if affiliated): GOW23@fsu.edu

Overall Project Details
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Title of the Project: Behind the Scenes of SoulClap: A Black Joy Journal
Project Keywords: Black Joy; Creative Writing; Open Access Publishing; Editorial Research; Narrative Archiving 
Are you currently looking for research assistants?: No
Number of Research Assistants Needed : 2
Relevant Research Assistant Major(s):
English; African American Studies; Editing, Writing & Media; Art, Communication, or Digital Humanities; Environmental Humanities

Project Location:: remote
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):: Fully Remote
Approximately how many hours a week would the research assistant(s) need to work?: 7
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:
SoulClap is an open-access journal that centers Black Joy as a creative, communal, and scholarly force. The inaugural issue, themed Black Joy and Nature, is a collaborative effort between the OMNI Institute of Well-being and Florida State Open Publishing (FSOP) to amplify joyful, life-affirming narratives from across the African diaspora.

As a UROP research assistant, you will join the editorial team supporting the Fall 2025 submission window (Sept 1 – Dec 1). Your work will involve organizing, cataloging, and archiving submissions, as well as helping maintain smooth editorial workflows. This opportunity is ideal for students interested in publishing, community-based research, Black studies, or archival storytelling.

You will contribute to the behind-the-scenes process of publishing SoulClap’s inaugural issue and help establish a model for future volumes.

Research Tasks:
Cataloging submissions using spreadsheets and project management tools; Creating metadata entries (title, author, genre, theme tags); Tracking submission status and supporting peer review logistics; Reading and summarizing select submissions for internal review; Participating in weekly team check-ins and editorial planning; Assisting with digital archiving in collaboration with FSOP

Skills that research assistant(s) may need::
Required: 
* Detail-oriented with strong organizational and reading skills
* Comfort using Google Drive and Google Sheets
* Ability to work respectfully with sensitive, creative, and personal material

Recommended:
* Interest in publishing and community-engaged research
* A joyful, collaborative presence


Mentoring Philosophy:
I view mentoring as a sacred, reciprocal relationship rooted in trust, cultural care, and joy. Informed by eco-womanism, my mentoring practice honors the interconnectedness of land, lineage, and liberation. I support the whole person—mind, body, and spirit—not just the academic identity.

Whether mentoring through research, writing, or intergenerational storytelling, I encourage students to bring their full selves into the work. Their lived experiences, ancestral memory, and emotional insight are not side notes—they are sources of knowledge and power. I help students recognize that their stories matter and that scholarship can be soulful.

My style is affirming yet accountable. I walk alongside mentees, offering guidance that is grounded in deep listening, clarity, and collaboration. I center joy as both method and outcome—because when students feel seen and safe, they flourish.

Projects like SoulClap and Dear Beloved SoulFlower (a secondary UROP experience) invite students into a model of scholarship that is healing, embodied, and impactful. Whether we’re cataloging submissions or curating research for publication, I teach that publishing is not just a product—it’s a process of becoming.

Ultimately, my goal is not to replicate myself but to help each student uncover and amplify their unique voice. Mentorship, to me, is about creating space where confidence can grow, authenticity can lead, and joy can take root.

Please provide a link to your publications, a video clip, or a website for your research project (if applicable):: www.OmniInstituteOfWellbeing.org 
Please add any additional information here (if applicable)::
We will host a UROP Research Mentor Roundtable on Tuesday, September 2, 2025 at 7pm EST. Feel free to tune in, activate your joy, and learn more about SoulClap. https://fsu.zoom.us/my/blackjoy 


Are you interested in participating in the UROP Research Mentor Roundtable?: Yes
Roundtable times and Zoom links:
If you missed the roundtable, please visit the following link - https://youtu.be/2-2czUMjgY0

Roundtable Info:
- Day: Tuesday, September 2
  Start Time: 6:00
  End Time: 7:00
  Zoom Link: https://youtu.be/2-2czUMjgY0

UROP Program Elements
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Mentor Handbook, FAQs, and Communication: Yes
UROP Performance Evaluation: Yes
Materials Grant: Yes
UROP Poster Presentation: Yes

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Year: 2025
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