UROP Research Mentor Project Submission Portal: Submission #1301

serial: '1301'
sid: '21101'
uuid: 7a5e0ccc-e545-47f7-96c4-7bc107ab7040
uri: /urop-research-mentor-project-submission-portal
created: '1755716597'
completed: '1755716859'
changed: '1756135763'
in_draft: '0'
current_page: ''
remote_addr: 144.174.214.38
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_: 'Yes'
  confirmation_1: '1'
  contact_email_fsu_email: ''
  contact_email_fsu_email2: ''
  contact_email_fsu_email_if_affiliated_: th22u@fsu.edu
  faculty_advisor_confirmation: ''
  faculty_advisor_name: ''
  faculty_advisor_s_fsu_email: ''
  fsu_college: 'FAMU-FSU College of Engineering'
  fsu_department_if_applicable_: 'Mechanical Engineering'
  headshot_optional_: '62826'
  if_the_project_location_is_off_campus_does_the_student_need_to_p: 'Yes'
  mentoring_philosophy: 'As a mentor, I work best with students who are inquisitive, pro-active, and problem solvers. I do not like to micro-manage. I see my job as being a resource to my research students, helping to solve problems when stuck, providing overall vision, and occasionally giving nudges in the right direction. I see my students as the expert in their given project, and I expect students to go learn skills, find possible solutions, try many things that may or may not work, and ultimately to come to research meetings ready to teach me all the cool things they’ve learned, tried, and developed. I aim to creating a safe environment in which mentees feel that it is acceptable to fail and learn from their mistakes. I do expect mentees to take ownership of their work and have accountability for their effort in the project. Overall, I want to do fun engineering work that makes a difference in human lives, and I want my students to feel empowered to do difficult things and solve challenging problems.'
  mentor_handbook_and_faqs: '1'
  name_of_other_faculty_collaborator_if_applicable_: ''
  number_of_assistants_needed_faculty_postdoc_max_6_graduate_stude: '2'
  other_faculty_collaborator_s_preferred_pronouns: ''
  overall_research_project_description: |
    This project explores how humans acquire complex motor skills by partnering with performers in the FSU Circus. Circus athletes regularly learn new, physically demanding skills that require balance, coordination, and timing—making them an ideal group for studying the process of motor learning.

    Our goal is to understand how these athletes progress from their very first attempt at a skill to a polished performance in front of an audience. To do this, we will collect longitudinal video data of practice sessions, capturing each step of skill acquisition. Students working on this project will attend practice sessions (approximately three times per week, 30 minutes each) to record video of an athlete learning a new skill, store this data securely, and then help analyze the movement patterns across the training period.
    By studying how skilled athletes acquire new abilities, we aim to generate insights that can eventually be translated to rehabilitation contexts. For example, the same principles that enable circus performers to master new movements may also inform how patients recovering from neuromuscular injuries (e.g., stroke, spinal cord injury) can relearn everyday motor skills such as walking or reaching.
  please_add_any_additional_information_here: ''
  please_provide_a_link_to_your_publications_a_video_clip_or_a_web: 'https://rthmlab.wixsite.com/taylorgambon'
  please_select_the_choice_that_most_accurately_describes_your_exp: In-person
  please_select_the_location_of_your_project_: 'FSU Circus'
  position_availability_for_student_research: 'Flexible schedule'
  position_title: Faculty
  primary_research_mentor_name: 'Taylor Higgins'
  project_keywords: 'athletics, human movement, motor learning, biomechanics'
  relevant_student_major_s_: 'Engineering and pre-med majors preferred.'
  research_mentor_preferred_pronoun2: ''
  research_mentor_pronouns: She/her
  research_mentor_supervisor_if_different_from_above_: ''
  research_tasks_for_student_research_assistant_s_: |-
    Attend and record practice sessions (~3 per week).
    Manage and organize video data for long-term analysis.
    Participate in coding and analyzing changes in human movement as learning progresses.
  roundtable_times_and_zoom_links: ''
  skills_that_research_assistants_may_need_: |-
    Reliability and punctuality (must consistently attend scheduled practice sessions).
    Attention to detail in recording and organizing video data.
    Basic technical/computer skills (e.g., saving files, organizing data, working with external hard drives).
    Strong communication and professionalism when interacting with circus performers and coaches.
    Curiosity and willingness to learn about human movement and motor learning research.
    (Optional/Preferred) Prior experience with video editing, coding data, or quantitative analysis of human movement (not required but beneficial).
  title_of_the_project: 'Studying Human Motor Learning in Partnership with FSU Circus'
  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=c-fPZJ7Qg8O_PdooHll3xY-deXyD_gWidQyB6Y-W2Mc'
  urop_performance_evaluation: '1'
  urop_poster_presentation: '1'
  when_potential_research_assistants_are_reaching_out_via_email_2: ''
  when_potential_research_assistants_are_reaching_out_via_email_wh: ''
  when_students_are_reaching_out_via_email_what_is_your_preferreda: 'Dr. '
  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'