UROP Project
database, programming, web development
Research Mentor: Amanda Lovett,
Department, College, Affiliation: Center for Ocean-Atmospheric Prediction Studies, Arts and Sciences
Contact Email: alovett@coaps.fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor):
Research Assistant Supervisor Email:
Faculty Collaborators: Shawn R. Smith
Faculty Collaborators Email: smith@coaps.fsu.edu
Department, College, Affiliation: Center for Ocean-Atmospheric Prediction Studies, Arts and Sciences
Contact Email: alovett@coaps.fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor):
Research Assistant Supervisor Email:
Faculty Collaborators: Shawn R. Smith
Faculty Collaborators Email: smith@coaps.fsu.edu
Looking for Research Assistants: No
Number of Research Assistants: 1
Relevant Majors: Computer science, computer engineering, information technology, scientific computing, or a related field
Project Location: 2000 Levy Avenue, Building A, Suite 292
Research Assistant Transportation Required: FSU bus system provides transport between main campus and Innovation Park
Remote or In-person: In-person
Approximate Weekly Hours: 5-10,
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link: Not participating in the Roundtable
Number of Research Assistants: 1
Relevant Majors: Computer science, computer engineering, information technology, scientific computing, or a related field
Project Location: 2000 Levy Avenue, Building A, Suite 292
Research Assistant Transportation Required: FSU bus system provides transport between main campus and Innovation Park
Remote or In-person: In-person
Approximate Weekly Hours: 5-10,
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link: Not participating in the Roundtable
Project Description
If you are looking for a research project that will allow you to gain real world experience with programming, web development, and relational databases, this is the project for you. The Marine Data Center (MDC) at FSU is looking for a student who is willing and eager to develop a web interface that will be actively used by the data management team at the MDC.The MDC receives data from numerous research vessels on a daily basis, which includes variables such as air temperature, sea level pressure, wind speed/direction, and more. Not only does the MDC process and store this variable information, metadata regarding how these variables are obtained (ex. What device was used) is stored as well. In some instances however, we want to ignore new, incoming metadata.
The goal of this project is to develop a web interface in which users can add, remove, or modify unique variable identifiers that are stored in a blacklist. Currently the only way to make changes is manually through a MySQL interface, which is not user friendly. The student will learn HTML and PHP development, how to use MySQL and develop an understanding of relational databases, and how to make technical information accessible to non-technical users via a web user interface.
Research Tasks: The student will be responsible for developing web-based code to assist data analysts and senior scientists, and will do so under the guidance of in-house software developers. They will learn to read and understand existing code systems and validate code results through testing and debugging. Additionally, the student will obtain hands-on experience with relational databases by learning about database queries and how to efficiently execute them. In the end, the student will integrate their code into an existing web user interface that is used operationally by the MDC staff. The student will be expected to report on their progress to superiors on a weekly basis and communicate should any issues arise.
Skills that research assistant(s) may need: The ability to learn new programming languages and frameworks, paying attention to detail, and communicating effectively with team members will be essential. Any level of experience with past programming projects, specifically those involving HTML, PHP, and databases will be beneficial, but is not necessary. Experience with Linux or using a command line interface is desired, but not required.