UROP Research Mentor Project Submission Portal: Submission #1071

serial: '1071'
sid: '19951'
uuid: f69bee9c-2d71-4ab1-9036-6d533e35a529
uri: /urop-research-mentor-project-submission-portal
created: '1753990483'
completed: '1753990483'
changed: '1758043218'
in_draft: '0'
current_page: ''
remote_addr: 146.201.212.130
uid: '0'
langcode: en
webform_id: urop_project_proposal_portal
entity_type: node
entity_id: '1116'
locked: '0'
sticky: '0'
notes: ''
metatag: meta
data:
  roundtable_info: {  }
  approximately_how_many_hours_a_week_would_the_research_assistant: 5-10
  are_you_currently_looking_for_students_: 'No'
  confirmation_1: '1'
  contact_email_fsu_email: dzierden@fsu.edu
  contact_email_fsu_email2: ''
  contact_email_fsu_email_if_affiliated_: srsmith@fsu.edu
  faculty_advisor_confirmation: ''
  faculty_advisor_name: ''
  faculty_advisor_s_fsu_email: ''
  fsu_college: 'Arts and Sciences'
  fsu_department_if_applicable_: 'Center for Ocean-Atmospheric Prediction Studies'
  headshot_optional_: ''
  if_the_project_location_is_off_campus_does_the_student_need_to_p: 'Tallahassee City Bus (Innovation Park, Engineering School)'
  mentoring_philosophy: 'Overall, I believe in providing an inquiry-based learning experience where mentors provide general guidance to the student, but let the student find their way to a solution to a research task or question. Trying something that does not work is both expected and encouraged. I promote a very interactive learning environment where the student can engage with other students, scientists, software developers, and technicians. I provide an informal lab experience and want the student to be comfortable to ask any questions to improve their understanding of the task at hand. I also expect the student to take ownership of their research and be willing to communicate their results and ask questions within a structured communications environment (e.g., weekly team meetings).'
  mentor_handbook_and_faqs: '1'
  name_of_other_faculty_collaborator_if_applicable_: ''
  number_of_assistants_needed_faculty_postdoc_max_6_graduate_stude: '1'
  other_faculty_collaborator_s_preferred_pronouns: ''
  overall_research_project_description: |
    The summer of 2025 has brought extreme heat to many areas of the United States, including North Florida. Although daytime maximum temperatures have reached record levels, a lesser-known occurrence is record maximum nighttime low temperatures. Nighttime minimum temperatures are of great interest in the context of human health, invasive species, quantities of pests, and the production of several types of fruits (e.g., peaches). Are you curious about whether nighttime low temperatures are getting warmer? Are we getting few cold extremes? And if so, why is this occurring? Are you interested in statistics and data analysis? If you have an interest in the variations of the weather in Florida, data analysis, and/or computer programming, this UROP project is right for you. The project will include working with weather observations from several different sources, including stations run by the National Weather Service, WeatherSTEM, and the Florida Automated Weather Network.

    Some goals of this UROP project will focus on analyzing and evaluating weather observations from multiple sources to 
    (1)	Identify thresholds that define extreme maximum nighttime temperatures throughout the annual cycle
    (2)	Determine if there has been a change in the frequency of extreme maximum nighttime temperatures over the past several decades
    (3)	Consider the role that changes weather, ocean, or land surface conditions could have in the variations in extreme maximum nighttime air temperatures.
    The student chosen for this project is encouraged to develop additional questions as they work with these weather data.

    This research project will provide students with an introduction to weather observations, the challenges of making those observations in diverse land use locations, the opportunity to work with the scientific data formats used for weather observations, and experience in programming and data analysis necessary to process and evaluate weather data. The student may also engage with communities outside the weather realm (e.g., oceanographers, agricultural specialists, urban planners) to examine the associations and influences variations in nighttime low temperatures may have on these communities.
  please_add_any_additional_information_here: ''
  please_provide_a_link_to_your_publications_a_video_clip_or_a_web: 'https://www.coaps.fsu.edu/shawn-smith'
  please_select_the_choice_that_most_accurately_describes_your_exp: In-person
  please_select_the_location_of_your_project_: 'Research Building A, 2000 Levy Avenue, Tallahassee, FL 32310'
  position_availability_for_student_research: 'During Business Hours'
  position_title: Faculty
  primary_research_mentor_name: 'Shawn R. Smith'
  project_keywords: 'Meteorology, Weather, Climate, Data Analysis, Statistics'
  relevant_student_major_s_: 'Meteorology, Environmental Science, Physical Geography, Computer Science, Scientific Computing, Engineering, Statistics'
  research_mentor_preferred_pronoun2: ''
  research_mentor_pronouns: ''
  research_mentor_supervisor_if_different_from_above_: 'David Zierden'
  research_tasks_for_student_research_assistant_s_: |
    The student will learn about the methods and technology used in Florida to make weather observations, including gaining an understanding of the challenges of making measurements in diverse land use environments.
    The student will learn how to work with “real” weather data and will be advised on how to assess the quality of the observations prior to application to a scientific question.
    The student will apply statistical methods to identify extreme event thresholds and to identify variations in the occurrence frequency of such events.
    The students will also gain skills in computer programming (e.g., Python), data analysis, and preparing scientific plots and graphs.  

    Students will be expected to report regularly to their scientific mentors during team research meetings. They will prepare graphs and tables to present their research results and will present their results via their UROP poster to their research mentors and at the FSU UROP Symposium. For Fall 2025, we anticipate the student will work in person at our lab in Innovation Park.
  roundtable_times_and_zoom_links: ''
  skills_that_research_assistants_may_need_: |
    Required: Basic computer skills (e.g., familiar with Mac or PC environment, web browsing, Microsoft office suite). A willingness to learn new techniques, be very detail oriented, and to participate as part of a team.

    Recommended: Introductory knowledge of computer programming (e.g., any of C, C++, Python) and familiarity with the LINUX operating environment. We anticipate the student will be able to learn many concepts and coding techniques during the project. 
  title_of_the_project: 'Analysis of Extreme Minimum Temperatures in Florida'
  update_url: 'https://cre.fsu.edu/urop-research-mentor-project-submission-portal?token=ssdXannMa8PrVT-yzG0omZWEcyBH7iBy9E4cHERfdjM'
  urop_performance_evaluation: '1'
  urop_poster_presentation: '1'
  when_potential_research_assistants_are_reaching_out_via_email_2: Mr.
  when_potential_research_assistants_are_reaching_out_via_email_wh: ''
  when_students_are_reaching_out_via_email_what_is_your_preferreda: Mr.
  would_you_like_to_participate_in_the_urop_research_mentor_round2: 'No'
  would_you_like_to_participate_in_the_urop_research_mentor_roundt: ''
  year: '2025'