UROP Project
Communication and Marketing Evaluation for Higher Education Opportunities
communication, marketing, social media
Research Mentor: David Montez, He/Him
Department, College, Affiliation: Center for Undergraduate Research and Academic Engagement, Undergraduate Studies
Contact Email: dmontez@fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor): Juniper Curtis She/Her
Research Assistant Supervisor Email: jsc21g@fsu.edu
Faculty Collaborators:
Faculty Collaborators Email:
Department, College, Affiliation: Center for Undergraduate Research and Academic Engagement, Undergraduate Studies
Contact Email: dmontez@fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor): Juniper Curtis She/Her
Research Assistant Supervisor Email: jsc21g@fsu.edu
Faculty Collaborators:
Faculty Collaborators Email:
Looking for Research Assistants: Yes
Number of Research Assistants: 2
Relevant Majors: Media Communication Studies, Advertising, Public Relations, Marketing, English, Statistics, Professional Sales, still open to all majors
Project Location: On FSU Main Campus
Research Assistant Transportation Required: Remote or In-person: Partially Remote
Approximate Weekly Hours: 7, During business hours
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link:
Not participating in the roundtable
Number of Research Assistants: 2
Relevant Majors: Media Communication Studies, Advertising, Public Relations, Marketing, English, Statistics, Professional Sales, still open to all majors
Project Location: On FSU Main Campus
Research Assistant Transportation Required: Remote or In-person: Partially Remote
Approximate Weekly Hours: 7, During business hours
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link:
Not participating in the roundtable
Project Description
This project will examine how social media can most effectively promote undergraduate research opportunities and events at Florida State University. The student researcher will conduct a structured literature review of academic and industry sources on social media promotion best practices, covering topics such as posting frequency, content format, audience targeting, and platform-specific engagement strategies. In parallel, the researcher will collect and statistically analyze two years of historical social media engagement data (e.g., likes, shares, comments, click-throughs, follower growth) from the program's accounts to identify patterns, high-performing content types, and opportunities for improvement. The project will conclude with a set of evidence-based recommendations that synthesize findings from the literature with the program's own engagement data, informing future social media strategy for undergraduate research marketing efforts.Research Tasks: Conduct literature search — Search academic databases (e.g., Google Scholar, Communication & Mass Media Complete) and industry sources (e.g., Hootsuite, Sprout Social, HubSpot reports) for best-practice literature.
Synthesize literature review — Organize findings into themes (e.g., content type, timing, audience engagement tactics, platform algorithms) and write a summary report.
Collect engagement data — Pull two years of historical post-level data from relevant social platforms (via native analytics tools or export).
Clean and organize data — Structure the dataset for analysis (e.g., by platform, post type, date, engagement metric).
Conduct statistical analysis — Apply descriptive and/or inferential statistics to identify trends, correlations, and top-performing content characteristics.
Compare findings to literature — Assess how well the program's actual engagement patterns align with (or diverge from) best practices identified in the review.
Develop recommendations — Draft actionable, evidence-based recommendations for improving future social media strategy.
Prepare final deliverables — Write up the literature review, data analysis, and recommendations; prepare a poster presentation summarizing key findings.
Skills that research assistant(s) may need: Recommended: Microsoft software suite including Excel
Mentoring Philosophy
My mentoring philosophy is grounded in the belief that undergraduate research should serve the student's growth first, and the project's output second. I see my role less as a supervisor directing a set of tasks and more as a guide helping students build confidence, curiosity, and ownership over their own intellectual work. Research skills matter, but so does learning to ask good questions, and tolerate ambiguity, — skills that outlast any single project.In practice, this means I involve students early in shaping the direction of their work rather than simply assigning tasks. I encourage them to voice ideas, challenge assumptions, and make real decisions about their project, even when that means a slower or less polished result than if I directed every step myself. I also prioritize open communication. I check in regularly, not just on progress, but on how a student is experiencing the work — what's engaging them, what's frustrating them, and what they hope to get out of the experience. I try to meet students where they are, adjusting my level of guidance based on their confidence and experience rather than applying a one-size-fits-all approach. Ultimately, I measure success not by what a project produces, but by whether a student leaves the experience more curious, more capable, and more confident in their own ability to think and work independently.