UROP Project

Spatial Navigation Skills in Parkinson's Disease – A Meta-Analysis.

meta-analysis, psychology, parkinson's disease, spatial navigation
Research Mentor: Dorota Kossowska-Kuhn,
Department, College, Affiliation: Psychology, Arts and Sciences
Contact Email: kuhn@psy.fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor):
Research Assistant Supervisor Email:
Faculty Collaborators:
Faculty Collaborators Email:
Looking for Research Assistants: Yes
Number of Research Assistants: 2
Relevant Majors: Open to all majors
Project Location: ZOOM
Research Assistant Transportation Required: No, the project is remote
Remote or In-person: Fully Remote
Approximate Weekly Hours: 5-10, Flexible schedule (Combination of business and outside of business. TBD between student and research mentor.)
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link: Wednesday, September 6th, 12:00 pm- 1:00 pm https://fsu.zoom.us/j/6673437216
Thursday, September 7th, 12:00 pm- 12:30 pm, 1:30pm- 2 pm https://fsu.zoom.us/j/6673437216

Project Description

A meta-analysis is a statistical method that combines results from multiple studies on a particular topic to provide a summary estimate of the standardized effect size. We plan to determine not just whether (statistical significance), but how big a difference there is between cognitively healthy older adults and people with Parkinson's Disease (PD) for navigation accuracy. By conducting a meta-analysis, we can get a better understanding of a research question than just by looking at individual studies. Preparing a meta-analysis requires a thorough understanding of research methods and statistical analysis. As an undergraduate student, this is an opportunity to hone your research and analytical skills, which will be valuable not just in your academic studies but also in your future career.
Dementia exerts a significant influence on both global societies and individuals. Among the various types of dementia, Alzheimer's Disease (AD) stands as the most prevalent. Spatial disorientation emerges as one of the initial indicators of AD. Our aim in conducting this meta-analysis is to substantiate whether spatial navigation abilities are likewise compromised in individuals afflicted by Parkinson's Disease.

Research Tasks: - literature review
-data collection
- data coding
- data analysis

Skills that research assistant(s) may need: No specific skills are required.

Mentoring Philosophy

My mentoring philosophy revolves around empowering undergraduate students to excel in their project work through a combination of ownership, accountability, shared experience, and interactive learning. I believe in fostering an environment that nurtures their growth and encourages independent thinking.
I emphasize giving mentees ownership of their work by involving them in project decisions, from goal setting to execution. This not only bolsters their confidence but also instills a sense of responsibility for their outcomes. I promote accountability by setting clear expectations and milestones, enabling them to track their progress and take pride in their achievements.
Drawing from my own experience, I share stories of challenges and successes, illustrating the real-world applications of their efforts. This bridges the gap between theory and practice, enhancing their understanding and motivation. I also encourage open dialogue, where questions and ideas are welcomed, creating an interactive platform for collaborative learning.
I understand that each student is unique, with varying skills and aspirations. To accommodate this, I tailor my guidance, offering guidance that aligns with their interests and goals. I provide resources, recommend reading materials, and suggest relevant workshops, fostering holistic development.
In conclusion, my approach to mentoring undergraduates centers on nurturing their autonomy, cultivating responsibility, leveraging shared experiences, and fostering an interactive learning ecosystem. By doing so, I aim to not only support their immediate project objectives but also to equip them with lifelong skills for success.

Additional Information


Link to Publications


Energy Equity in the Gulf Region

Energy, equity, social vulnerability
Research Mentor: Dr. Kassie Ernst, she/her
Department, College, Affiliation: Engineering, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering
Contact Email: kernst@eng.famu.fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor): Dr. Ivanna Pengelley she/her
Research Assistant Supervisor Email: ipengelley@fsu.edu
Faculty Collaborators:
Faculty Collaborators Email:
Looking for Research Assistants: Yes
Number of Research Assistants: 3
Relevant Majors: Open to all majors
Project Location: On FSU Main Campus
Research Assistant Transportation Required: No, the project is remote
Remote or In-person: Partially Remote
Approximate Weekly Hours: 5, Flexible schedule (Combination of business and outside of business. TBD between student and research mentor.)
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link: View the recording of the project overview here: https://fsu.zoom.us/rec/share/TqqccKfXboJfl9hXE_I7qHPmlviV_ri4U9fWD8vc51Oly2NnVLEaHfL_SZ3By0ZI.488K6MWlJCp3Vt0K?startTime=1694030981000

Tuesday, September 5 at noon,
Wednesday, September 6 at 4 pm


fsu.zoom.us/my/kassernst



Kassie Ernst is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Kassie Ernst's Personal Meeting Room

Join Zoom Meeting
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Project Description

Our research explores ways that equity, community, and social vulnerability are, or are not, considered when energy decisions are being made in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico Region. The project involves three areas of focus. First, we have explored current literature and are currently building out a manuscript to a journal. Additionally we will explore local governmental documents to learn what they say about energy equity, and build out methods to analyze these documents. Then, we will develop methods to analyze data about what actually happens in communities on the ground.


Research Tasks: literature review, data collection, data analysis, conducting interviews

Skills that research assistant(s) may need: Awareness of social inequities (required); ability to navigate research databases (required); critical thinking (required); strong writing and communication skills (recommended)

Mentoring Philosophy

I enjoy supporting new scholars in their journeys to become strong researchers. Our team works collaboratively to determine attainable goals, and we meet regularly to work together. Through this we develop meaningful relationships while students are able to learn through an interactive and engaging project.

Additional Information


Link to Publications


Complementor Evolution, Power-Dependence, and Performance: Evidence from the Video-Game Industry

Complementor, Evolution, Power-Dependence, Platforms
Screenshot 2023-07-17 115606 (2).png
Research Mentor: Mr. Kalan Horton,
Department, College, Affiliation: Management, Business
Contact Email: Kgh20t@fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor):
Research Assistant Supervisor Email:
Faculty Collaborators:
Faculty Collaborators Email:
Looking for Research Assistants: No
Number of Research Assistants: 2
Relevant Majors: Any Business Majors and/or technology related fields preferred.
Project Location: Remote
Research Assistant Transportation Required: No, the project is remote
Remote or In-person: Fully Remote
Approximate Weekly Hours: 7, Flexible schedule (Combination of business and outside of business. TBD between student and research mentor.)
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link: Tuesday Sept 5th, 4:00 - 4:30 p.m. - https://fsu.zoom.us/j/3724871184
Wednesday Sept 6th, 4:00 - 4:30 p.m. - https://fsu.zoom.us/j/3724871184
Thursday Sept 7th, 4:00 - 4:30 p.m. - https://fsu.zoom.us/j/3724871184

Project Description

This project seeks to investigate the power balancing strategies utilized by complementors (i.e., video games) to circumvent the bottlenecks enforced by platforms (i.e., video game consoles) within the platform ecosystem. We investigate associated relationships empirically by conducting a quantitative analysis of the impact of network integration and quantify its effects within the U.S. video game industry, a commonly used empirical context within platforms and network effects. We intend to utilize a sample from the video game industry of over 14,000 video game titles across 36 focal platforms between 1977 and 2022.

Research Tasks: Data collection and possibly data analysis.

Skills that research assistant(s) may need: Proficiency with search engines and computer use. Likely will involve Data Scraping using Excel and/or Python.

Mentoring Philosophy

My mentoring philosophy is built on fostering holistic growth. I aim to empower mentees with critical thinking, leadership skills, and ethical values to thrive in complex strategic environments.

Additional Information


Link to Publications


Making Predictions Using a Mathematical Model of Bacteria

Math, Statistics, Biology, Bacteria, Coding
Math.jpg
Research Mentor: Ms. Susan Rogowski, she/her
Department, College, Affiliation: Mathematics, Arts and Sciences
Contact Email: sr19a@fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor):
Research Assistant Supervisor Email:
Faculty Collaborators:
Faculty Collaborators Email:
Looking for Research Assistants: No
Number of Research Assistants: 1
Relevant Majors: Mathematics, Statistics, Biology, Computer Science, Scientific Computing, Engineering
Project Location: On FSU Main Campus
Research Assistant Transportation Required:
Remote or In-person: Partially Remote
Approximate Weekly Hours: 6, Flexible schedule (Combination of business and outside of business. TBD between student and research mentor.)
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link: Wednesday, September 6th, 2 - 2:30pm, https://fsu.zoom.us/j/94238704905
Thursday, September 7th, 5 - 5:30pm, https://fsu.zoom.us/j/97307908365

Link to Wednesday Recording: https://fsu.zoom.us/rec/share/1seKZROP1o-6ZUz0aDNv4oMHS44InD2uHKML3Izfgq6-k39UsGStYE56MDN6hRlS.Iv8Ad4Y4LBrEYVVQ

Project Description

We will be studying the bacterial gradostat. A gradostat is an interconnected system of devices where bacteria is continuously grown. This tool is commonly used in biology labs to grow, harvest, and maintain a desired cell culture of bacteria. Gradostat systems are also commonly used within biology as a “crude” model for microbial ecological systems where there may be competition between multiple bacteria populations. One of the benefits of the gradostat is that one can model almost exactly what happens in the physical device using a system of mathematical equations. We will study these mathematical equations in detail and work on simulating them through MatLab or Python. We will also apply the statistical method known as Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) to make predictions about the gradostat system. In particular, we will be interested in estimating and predicting the growth rate of the bacteria.

Research Tasks: First, the student will be assigned some articles and textbook chapters to read to gain some necessary background knowledge. After reading, the student should write up a short summary of the reading to share and discuss with me. The student will work with me to develop code in MatLab or Python to simulate our mathematical model. Finally, the student will prepare a poster to present their results. The student may have the opportunity to submit their poster to local and national conferences if they would like.

Skills that research assistant(s) may need: Recommended Pre-Requisite Courses: Calculus or Pre-Calculus
Recommended (but, definitely not required!) Skills: Some experience with coding on MatLab or Python

Mentoring Philosophy

As a mentor, my main goal is to create a safe and brave environment where my mentee feels motivated to take risks and make mistakes. Ultimately, I believe to grow as a student and a researcher we must experience failure in order to learn. As a graduate student, I am relatively new to the research mentor space. So, I will be working, growing, and learning alongside my mentee. We will be taking risks and learning together! I hope that we will have a collaborative relationship where we can hold each other accountable to reach our goals.

Additional Information


Link to Publications


Climate change vulnerability of the Bonaire National Marine Park in the Caribbean

marine science, climate change, coral reefs, mangroves, seagrass, GIS, management, conservation
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Research Mentor: Ms. Laurel Field, she/her/hers
Department, College, Affiliation: Department of Biological Science, Arts and Sciences
Contact Email: lcf22a@fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor):
Research Assistant Supervisor Email:
Faculty Collaborators: Dr. Sarah Lester she/her/hers
Faculty Collaborators Email: slester@fsu.edu
Looking for Research Assistants: No
Number of Research Assistants: 1
Relevant Majors: Biological Science, Computational Biology & Science, Environmental Science, Environment & Society, Geography, Environmental Science & Policy, Natural resources & Conservation, Computer Science, Oceanography
Project Location: On FSU Main Campus
Research Assistant Transportation Required:
Remote or In-person: In-person
Approximate Weekly Hours: 5-8 hours a week, During business hours
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link: Wednesday, Sept 6th from 1:00-1:30pm https://fsu.zoom.us/j/99427371140

Project Description

This research is aimed at understanding the climate vulnerability of the national marine park in Bonaire, which is a country that is part of the Dutch Caribbean. The goal is to map human uses of the marine environment, overlay the locations of important species and habitats, and evaluate historical patterns in sea surface temperature. This project does not involve lab or field work but will involve working with large and diverse datasets, mapping, and coding. Students could be involved with the following research components: literature review, data compilation and synthesis, data organization, and data analysis and mapping, based on student interests. Students working on this project will have the opportunity to gain experience with coding, analysis, and mapping in R as well as some use of ArcGIS to organize and visualize data.

Research Tasks: Research tasks may include:
- using google earth or satellite images to estimate human uses of the marine park (e.g., fishing vessel counts, visitation to beaches based on vehicle numbers)
- collection and analysis of remote sensing data (e.g., sea surface temperature) as well as other existing data sources (e.g., benthic habitat maps, coral bleaching data, coral disease data)
- cross-referencing remotely sensed temperature data with in-situ temperature measurements (instruments in the water in Bonaire).
- review literature on topics like assessing climate vulnerability of coastal environments, methods for comparing water temperature data to remote sensing data
- map extent of important habitats, locations of field sampling and restoration projects, and human uses onto the marine park in Bonaire

Skills that research assistant(s) may need: It is required that the student have some familiarity with basic software like Word, Excel and the Google Earth Engine. It is required that the student have experience with scientific writing and reading scientific papers.
It will be useful if the student has some experience with R Studio or ArcGIS, but is not required. However, students working on the project should be willing to learn some technical and coding skills, based on what most interests them.

Mentoring Philosophy

I aim to introduce mentees to new skillsets, data types, and analysis methods with the goal of identifying what component of the research is most interesting to the student. I will encourage student ownership over components of this research, while providing support and guidance as needed. I will work to keep lines of communication open and to promote interactive learning in a safe space. Further, I will provide mentees with opportunities to learn about how scientific research can inform marine policy and management in the face of climate change. I also want to encourage students to consider their educational and professional goals and can provide advice about how to reach those goals.

Additional Information

Lester Lab website: https://www.lester-lab.com/

Link to Publications

https://www.lenfestocean.org/en/research-projects/tools-to-assess-and-respond-to-climate-impacts-on-bonaire-national-marine-park

God’s Watchers: Domestic Surveillance and Religious Activism from the Civil War to the War on Terror

Religion, Surveillance
Research Mentor: Dr./Mr. Michael J. McVicar, He/Him
Department, College, Affiliation: Religion, Arts and Sciences
Contact Email: mmcvicar@fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor):
Research Assistant Supervisor Email:
Faculty Collaborators:
Faculty Collaborators Email:
Looking for Research Assistants: Yes
Number of Research Assistants: 3
Relevant Majors: English, History, Political Science, Sociology, Religion, etc.
Project Location: On FSU Main Campus
Research Assistant Transportation Required:
Remote or In-person: In-person
Approximate Weekly Hours: 5, Flexible schedule (Combination of business and outside of business. TBD between student and research mentor.)
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link: Not participating in the Roundtable

Project Description

From mega-surveillance on the mind-boggling scale of the National Security Agency’s controversial bulk collection of cellular metadata to the banal head-counting embodied in census records, citizens routinely accept—and, increasingly, resist—state-sponsored oversight. Likewise, business surveillance techniques—whether in the form of frequent-shopper cards that track every purchase, CCTV systems that follow a customer’s every move, or “cookies” that monitor web traffic—are a routine aspect of contemporary life. Far less understood and virtually ignored by scholars of American history and average citizens alike are the surveillance practices of voluntary associations, especially in the expansive private sector of churches, parachurch organizations, patriotic groups, and non-sectarian moral reform organizations with religious connections. Yet, the very state and corporate surveillance systems that most Americans take for granted today have emerged from the nexus of governmental, business, and religious interests that coalesced at the dawn of the twentieth century.

Research Tasks: Primarily, the research assistant will read, summarize, and discuss a number of primary sources related to religion and surveillance in American history. These sources will include Federal Bureau of Investigation files (including material released under the Freedom of Information Act [FOIA]), archival collections, newspapers, microfilmed primary sources available at FSU and through interlibrary loan, electronic databases, and archival collections available in the region. Secondary responsibilities could include filing and managing FOIA requests, digitizing and analyzing the content of primary sources, and reading secondary literature on the history of religion and surveillance in the United States.

Skills that research assistant(s) may need: If the student can read, write, and take good notes, they'll be fine.

Mentoring Philosophy

I do not have a defined mentoring philosophy. I prefer to work one-on-one with students. I will provide concrete instructions for assessing primary sources and work closely with students.

Additional Information


Link to Publications

https://religion.fsu.edu/person/michael-j-mcvicar

Assessing Use and Application of Science for Decision-Making in the Gulf of Mexico Region

survey analysis, literature review, implementation science, ecosystem-based management, natural resources management, peer-reviewed publication, Gulf of Mexico, actionable information
1Professor Kassie Ernst 01 mw 091119.jpg
Research Mentor: Dr. Kassie Ernst, she, her, hers
Department, College, Affiliation: Student Services and Undergraduate Affairs/Civil and Environmental Engineering, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering
Contact Email: kernst@eng.famu.fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor):
Research Assistant Supervisor Email:
Faculty Collaborators: Dr. Ivanna Pengelley she/her
Faculty Collaborators Email: ipengelley@fsu.edu
Looking for Research Assistants: Yes
Number of Research Assistants: 5
Relevant Majors: Open to all majors.
Project Location: On FSU Main Campus
Research Assistant Transportation Required: No, the project is remote
Remote or In-person: Partially Remote
Approximate Weekly Hours: 5-10, Flexible schedule (Combination of business and outside of business. TBD between student and research mentor.)
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link: View the recording of the project overview here: https://fsu.zoom.us/rec/share/TqqccKfXboJfl9hXE_I7qHPmlviV_ri4U9fWD8vc51Oly2NnVLEaHfL_SZ3By0ZI.488K6MWlJCp3Vt0K?startTime=1694030637000
September 6th 4-5 p.m. fsu.zoom.us/my/kassernst



Project Description

This work assesses the use of scientific information for planning and management in the Gulf of Mexico Region. It mainly focuses on natural resources management and whether and how scientific information is used in planning, policy, and decision-making. UROP participants will analyze survey results, report findings, and compare findings within a research group. UROP participants will also conduct a literature review focused on actionable information and how science, and scientific information, is used to inform decision-making.

Research Tasks: analyze survey results, write findings, compare findings with others, produce visualization of results, conduct a literature review, compare and contrast findings with the literature

Skills that research assistant(s) may need: Awareness of social inequities (required); ability to navigate research databases (required); critical thinking (required); strong writing and communication skills (recommended)

Mentoring Philosophy

I enjoy mentoring undergraduate students and connecting them to research and projects that makes their work meaningful and impactful. I believe a mentor is a temporary role that supports a mentee in their growth and development. It is important for mentees to know where they want to go in order to get the best support from a mentor. Most of my time towards building a mentorship relationship occurs within our weekly check-in time. It is important that you can articulate your needs as a mentee within that time and are able to be at those meetings. Moving forward, I advocate for my mentees, send them resources, and am available to meet when needed.

Additional Information


Link to Publications

https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=9qLtsYUAAAAJ&hl=en

Perception of General Music Education

Music, Education, General, Perception, Descriptive
Headshot- Filtered.JPG
Research Mentor: Ms. Crystal Berner, She/her/hers
Department, College, Affiliation: General Music Education, Music
Contact Email: cnb05c@fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor):
Research Assistant Supervisor Email:
Faculty Collaborators:
Faculty Collaborators Email:
Looking for Research Assistants: No
Number of Research Assistants: 2
Relevant Majors: Open to all majors
Project Location: On FSU Main Campus
Research Assistant Transportation Required:
Remote or In-person: In-person
Approximate Weekly Hours: 5, Flexible schedule (Combination of business and outside of business. TBD between student and research mentor.)
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link: Not participating in the Roundtable

Project Description

This descriptive research project would investigate perceptions of students/teachers in relation to "General Music Education." This project would begin to examine what beliefs that educational professionals have in relation to a somewhat controversial topic. Currently, many music educator preparation programs have well-established programs of study for students intending on becoming choral, band, and strings teachers. Unfortunately, not many schools provide adequate and robust programs to allow students to pursue "general music" as their area of focus, and this could in part be due to a somewhat negative perception of the field. This study would hope to answer questions like: (1) are general music education teachers as important as choral, band, and orchestra teachers?; and (2) what are our perceptions of "general music education"?; and (3) why do we perceive "general music education" the way that we do?

Research Tasks: Literature review
Questionnaire development (pilot testing)
Data collection
Data analysis


Skills that research assistant(s) may need: Basic searching skills (research articles)- required
Experience with questionnaire/survey development- recommended
Basic statistics skills- recommended
Interest in music education- recommended

Mentoring Philosophy

I am a PhD graduate student in the College of Music and am looking to mentor students in their beginning stages of research because I absolutely love to teach. After teaching music for thirteen years, I decided it was time to pursue a career in academia. While supervising a music education intern, I discovered my true passion: teaching teachers.
I am excited to work with students who can embrace the three C's of mentorship: Clarity, Communication, and Commitment.
Clarity- I strive to be as clear in my own expectations while working with students on a project and therefore welcome questions, wonderings, and even constructive criticism after building a healthy rapport. Clear expectations leave little room for "guesswork" in something as complex as research.
Communication- I will actively listen to student questions to best provide the support necessary for completion of research tasks and assignments. I will challenge students to express their thoughts clearly and thoroughly both in-person and in academic writing.
Commitment- I will promise to make myself available to student-researchers and encourage them to do the same throughout this experience.
Most importantly, I would like to grow as a mentor and supervisor as much as I would like to see my students learn. The values of clarity, communication, and commitment are reflected in my approach to research. Teaching and learning have and will always be my greatest passions.

Additional Information


Link to Publications


Understanding brain neural circuit divergence during the evolution of new species

speciation, behavioral evolution, neurobiology, computational biology
lemmon.jpg
Research Mentor: Dr. Alan R. Lemmon,
Department, College, Affiliation: Scientific Computing, Arts and Sciences
Contact Email: alemmon@fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor):
Research Assistant Supervisor Email:
Faculty Collaborators:
Faculty Collaborators Email:
Looking for Research Assistants: No
Number of Research Assistants: 2
Relevant Majors: Open to all majors
Project Location: On FSU Main Campus
Research Assistant Transportation Required:
Remote or In-person: In-person
Approximate Weekly Hours: 8, Flexible schedule (Combination of business and outside of business. TBD between student and research mentor.)
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link: Not participating in the Roundtable

Project Description

The student will join a collaboration to understand how the architecture of neural circuits constrains or facilitates the evolution of behavior. We have been studying for ~20 years how reproductive behaviors (male acoustic signals and female preferences for these signals) diverge and evolve as new species form. We are currently using an empirically based computational model of four interconnecting neurons to understand how changes in the activities of neurotransmitter receptors affect the response of the neurons in the circuit and behavior of females choosing among males producing different mating calls. The student will use the existing model to develop an interactive simulator that will allow the user to see graphically how phenotypes at different levels change in concert. More specifically, the user of the simulator will be able to select a frog call to play to the input neuron, select properties of the receptors, then see how the neurons in the circuit fire in real time. The resulting effect on the female preference functions will also be displayed. Finally, we will conduct simulations of frog populations evolving on a fitness landscape, with the goal to understand how the architecture of the neural circuits may direct influence the evolution of reproductive isolation as the populations diverge into multiple species.

Research Tasks: Utilizing existing software. Developing and testing a graphical user interface. Managing data files. Potential for programming simulations of evolution.

Skills that research assistant(s) may need: Required: enthusiasm for scientific research; motivation to work hard and persevere through challenges; positive attitude; determination to learn; ability to work individually and as part of a team; dependability.

Recommended: Prior experience in computer programming (e.g., Matlab and/or JavaScript and/or web design) would be beneficial but is not required.

Mentoring Philosophy

The selected UROP student will join a team of 6 other undergraduates, several graduate students and two PIs and who are working on different aspects the chorus frog system, including genetics, behavior, fieldwork, neuroscience, and modeling. Our integrative approach provides diverse training in these areas for undergraduate students in order to better prepare them for an academic career. The PIs meet one-on-one with undergraduate researchers weekly to help them design and carry out high level research with the goal of publication.

Additional Information


Link to Publications


The Films of Alexander Sokurov

film, film director, scholarly editing
Research Mentor: Dr. Lisa Wakamiya, she/her
Department, College, Affiliation: Modern Languages and Linguistics, Arts and Sciences
Contact Email: lwakamiya@fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor):
Research Assistant Supervisor Email:
Faculty Collaborators:
Faculty Collaborators Email:
Looking for Research Assistants: Yes
Number of Research Assistants: 1
Relevant Majors: English, Film, History, Modern Languages (East Asian, French, German, Italian, Linguistics, Middle East Studies, Russian, Spanish)
Project Location: On FSU Main Campus
Research Assistant Transportation Required:
Remote or In-person: Partially Remote
Approximate Weekly Hours: 5-8, Flexible schedule (Combination of business and outside of business. TBD between student and research mentor.)
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link: Thursday, September 7: 3:00-3:30 p.m. https://fsu.zoom.us/my/lisaryokowakamiya

Project Description

I am co-editing a collection of scholarly essays titled ReFocus: The Films of Alexander Sokurov, to be published with Edinburgh University Press. Alexander Sokurov is one of the most renown filmmakers working today, and the collection will be an important contribution to the existing scholarship on his work. Major scholars in the field have already contributed their chapters. I am now working with my co-editor to prepare the volume for submission to the press and final publication. I will mentor the UROP research assistant to help me with the process of preparing the volume for submission of the final manuscript to the press.

Research Tasks: preparation of a bibliography, formatting chapters using Chicago style references, possible transliteration from Russian to English, preparation of an index, ensuring consistent spelling, transliteration, etc. across the volume, formatting of images according to publishers guidelines

Skills that research assistant(s) may need: Required: ability to use Word and Google docs, attention to detail, ability to follow publisher's guidelines, familiarity with how books use bibliographies and indexes to cite and organize scholarly references

Mentoring Philosophy

Mentoring is an opportunity for professional and intellectual development, both for me and the mentee. I see our relationship as collaborative, with both of us sharing the goals of making valuable contributions to existing scholarship and advancing the state of the field. I especially encourage the students with whom I work to develop their own scholarly projects, and will encourage them to create a project of publishable quality, eventually finding venues for the presentation and publication of the final work. It is important for me to know the goals and interests of the mentees with whom I work, so that I can understand and appreciate what they wish to achieve with their projects. Ultimately, the mentee and I should see our working relationship as part of the project, one that evolves over time and adapts to new developments, and is something we can eventually be as proud of as the project itself.

Additional Information


Link to Publications

https://fsu.academia.edu/LisaRyokoWakamiya