UROP Project
Music Textbook Projects Research
music, world music, music pedagogy, ethnomusicology
Research Mentor: Dr. Dr. Michael Bakan, he/him
Department, College, Affiliation: Musicology, Music
Contact Email: mbakan@fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor):
Research Assistant Supervisor Email:
Faculty Collaborators: Dr. Dr. Abby Rehard she/her
Faculty Collaborators Email: arehard@fsu.edu
Department, College, Affiliation: Musicology, Music
Contact Email: mbakan@fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor):
Research Assistant Supervisor Email:
Faculty Collaborators: Dr. Dr. Abby Rehard she/her
Faculty Collaborators Email: arehard@fsu.edu
Looking for Research Assistants: Yes
Number of Research Assistants: 2
Relevant Majors: Open to all majors, though some knowledge of music is essential.
Project Location: On FSU Main Campus
Research Assistant Transportation Required: 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:
Not participating in the roundtable
Number of Research Assistants: 2
Relevant Majors: Open to all majors, though some knowledge of music is essential.
Project Location: On FSU Main Campus
Research Assistant Transportation Required: 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:
Not participating in the roundtable
Project Description
I am currently involved in the relatively late-stage research and development phases of two independent textbook projects, both scheduled for copyright year 2028 publication:1. Music: Context, Sound, and Meaning (1st ed., with Oxford University Press)
2. World Music: Traditions and Transformations (5th ed., with McGraw-Hill)
Both books will be published either exclusively or primarily in digital formats with abundant linked media (Spotify and YouTube playlists, interactive listening guides, online musical illustrations, chapter "Musical Guided Tours, etc.") Also, both are written principally for entry-level undergrad liberal/general studies courses for non-music majors, so are designed to be engaging and accessible for that readership.
Research Tasks: Manuscript and proof pages proofreading and fact checking; testing and development of online links to embedded musical and video examples; testing and development of online interactive activities, test banks, index, and other student and instructor resources.
Skills that research assistant(s) may need: REQUIRED: Strong proofreading skills, English language fluency and good writing/reading skills, detail oriented, and an interest in music, culture, history, and the intersections between them in global perspective.
RECOMMENDED: good basic tech skills working with online platforms like Spotify and YouTube; technical facility and creative vision for developing online learning resources like interactive listening and video viewing guides and lecture PowerPoints; photography skills and basic equipment; musical background and training of some kind.
Mentoring Philosophy
My mentoring philosophy emphasizes clear communication with and guidelines for my mentees; the establishment of a professional, collegiate, and collaborative research relationship; acknowledgment of mentees in published work resulting from the projects pursued; and continued professional support (reference letters, career consultation) during and subsequent to the mentorship period.Additional Information
Link to Publications
World Music: Traditions and Transformations https://share.google/YJjhWnq8XifJtZnXBInvestigating Virus-Host Cell Interactions During the Nuclear Translocation of HIV-1
Lentivirus, HIV-1, Capsid core, Uncoating, Virus Nuclear Translocation
Research Mentor: Dr. Satya Prakash Singh, Satya
Department, College, Affiliation: Biological Science, Arts and Sciences
Contact Email: ssingh7@fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor): Dr. Ashwanth Francis Dr. Francis
Research Assistant Supervisor Email: acfrancis@bio.fsu.edu
Faculty Collaborators:
Faculty Collaborators Email:
Department, College, Affiliation: Biological Science, Arts and Sciences
Contact Email: ssingh7@fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor): Dr. Ashwanth Francis Dr. Francis
Research Assistant Supervisor Email: acfrancis@bio.fsu.edu
Faculty Collaborators:
Faculty Collaborators Email:
Looking for Research Assistants: Yes
Number of Research Assistants: 1
Relevant Majors: Biology
Project Location: On FSU Main Campus
Research Assistant Transportation Required: Remote or In-person: In-person
Approximate Weekly Hours: 10, 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
Number of Research Assistants: 1
Relevant Majors: Biology
Project Location: On FSU Main Campus
Research Assistant Transportation Required: Remote or In-person: In-person
Approximate Weekly Hours: 10, 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
HIV-1 belongs to the genus Lentivirus, a group of retroviruses characterized by a prolonged incubation period before disease manifestation in their hosts. Lentiviruses, including HIV-1, simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV), equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV), and feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), infect a variety of mammalian species, including humans and non-human primates. Following entry into the cytoplasm of a target cell, HIV-1 undergoes reverse transcription to generate a DNA copy of its RNA genome. This viral DNA is subsequently transported into the nucleus, where it integrates into the host genome, establishing a stable and productive infection.Although numerous viral and host factors involved in HIV-1 infection have been identified, many aspects of the molecular mechanisms governing viral replication and nuclear translocation remain poorly understood. In the Kasha Laboratory, we employ a range of molecular and cellular biology approaches to investigate the mechanisms of HIV-1 infection. Our research utilizes fluorophore-labeled chimeric viruses to visualize the uncoating process and nuclear translocation of individual viral particles in living cells using advanced fluorescence microscopy techniques. By examining viral trafficking and replication dynamics at different time points and subcellular locations, particularly in the absence of key host factors or in the presence of antiviral compounds, we gain valuable insights into the cellular pathways that regulate HIV-1 infection. These studies contribute to a deeper understanding of virus-host interactions and may reveal novel therapeutic targets for antiviral intervention.
Research Tasks: Mammalian cell culture
Fluorescence and live-cell microscopy
Molecular cloning
Reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR)
Agarose gel electrophoresis
SDS-PAGE
Western blotting
Skills that research assistant(s) may need: Interest in learning molecular biology techniques and about viruses
Team work, participate in various lab activities
Knowledge to use MS Word and Power Point
Mentoring Philosophy
UROP will provide an excellent opportunity for me to develop as a mentor while helping to train and inspire young minds. My primary goal is to foster students' confidence, encouraging them to think independently, critically evaluate scientific problems, and effectively communicate their own ideas. I maintain an open-door approach and am always available to discuss new concepts, provide guidance, and address any challenges they may encounter during their research projects. I am committed to creating a safe, inclusive, and supportive research environment where students can learn new techniques, expand their scientific knowledge, and develop essential research skills. I believe this experience will have a lasting impact on their personal and professional growth.Additional Information
Link to Publications
https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=C9v5R_4AAAAJ&hl=enVision-Language-Action Models for Robotic Assembly in Modular Construction
Modular Construction; Robotics; Vision-Language-Action Models
Research Mentor: Roshan Panahi, Dr.
Department, College, Affiliation: Civil and Environmental Engineering, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering
Contact Email: rpanahi@eng.famu.fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor):
Research Assistant Supervisor Email:
Faculty Collaborators:
Faculty Collaborators Email:
Department, College, Affiliation: Civil and Environmental Engineering, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering
Contact Email: rpanahi@eng.famu.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: Computer Science; Electrical Engineering; Mechanical Engineering
Project Location: Walter Smith Architecture Building, 1938 S. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Tallahassee, FL 32307-4200
Research Assistant Transportation Required: Yes Remote or In-person: In-person
Approximate Weekly Hours: 7, Flexible schedule (Combination of business and outside of business. TBD between student and research mentor.)
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link:
Number of Research Assistants: 1
Relevant Majors: Computer Science; Electrical Engineering; Mechanical Engineering
Project Location: Walter Smith Architecture Building, 1938 S. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Tallahassee, FL 32307-4200
Research Assistant Transportation Required: Yes Remote or In-person: In-person
Approximate Weekly Hours: 7, Flexible schedule (Combination of business and outside of business. TBD between student and research mentor.)
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link:
- Day: Monday, August 31
Start Time: 2:00
End Time: 2:30
Zoom Link: https://fsu.zoom.us/j/99225339098 - Day: Tuesday, September 1
Start Time: 1:00
End Time: 1:30
Zoom Link: https://fsu.zoom.us/j/93987059441
Project Description
What if you could order a home customized to your preferences and have it manufactured and delivered to your site? This is the vision behind mass customization in modular construction. Modular construction is a construction method in which building components or modules are manufactured in a controlled factory environment and then transported to the project site for installation. Although this approach offers significant benefits in productivity, quality, and construction speed, producing highly customized homes in a factory remains challenging. Changes in design may require adjustments to production processes, tooling, workflows, and worker tasks. The workforce must also quickly understand and adapt to new designs, which can reduce productivity and increase the risk of errors. Robotics can help address some of these challenges by assisting workers with repetitive, labor-intensive, or frequently changing construction tasks. However, conventional industrial robots typically require task-specific programming, making frequent reprogramming for customized production costly and time-consuming. Recent advances in vision-language models (VLMs) and vision-language-action (VLA) models provide new opportunities for more flexible robotic systems. These models can enable robots to interpret visual information, understand natural-language instructions, and translate those instructions into actions. Therefore, this research aims to investigate the use of VLMs and VLA models to enable a robotic arm to perform construction-related pick-and-place and assembly tasks with minimal task-specific programming.Research Tasks: (a) Use ChatGPT, Claude, or a similar AI tool to: (1) generate code that instructs the robotic arm to pick up an object and place it at a specified location; (2) generate Python-based computer vision code to detect a piece of lumber in a video; and (3) detect the center point of the lumber and control the robotic arm to pick up the object using the detected coordinates.
(b) Learn about vision-language-action (VLA) models through online videos and other educational resources.
(c) Test the developed models in the lab using the robotic arm and provided software, and assist with data annotation, writing, and presentations as needed.
Skills that research assistant(s) may need: Familiarity with Python programming. Prior experience with robotics projects is highly encouraged. Strong interest in robotics and artificial intelligence (AI). Self-motivated, disciplined, and willing to learn independently. Ability to attend in-person lab sessions for approximately 5–10 hours per week.
Mentoring Philosophy
My mentoring philosophy is grounded in effective communication, which I foster by adding my students to our research Slack channel, where we can regularly share updates, discuss progress, address challenges, and stay connected throughout the research process.Additional Information
Link to Publications
https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=_j_BDPQAAAAJ&view_op=list_works&sortby=pubdatePhysiological and Metabolic Impacts of Chronic Sleep Restriction
Sleep, mice, RNA, molecular, data science, physiology, coding, neuroscience, hippocampus
Research Mentor: Dr. Lisa Lyons, she/her
Department, College, Affiliation: Biological Science, Arts and Sciences
Contact Email: lyons@bio.fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor): Natalie Storch she/her
Research Assistant Supervisor Email: nstorch@fsu.edu
Faculty Collaborators:
Faculty Collaborators Email:
Department, College, Affiliation: Biological Science, Arts and Sciences
Contact Email: lyons@bio.fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor): Natalie Storch she/her
Research Assistant Supervisor Email: nstorch@fsu.edu
Faculty Collaborators:
Faculty Collaborators Email:
Looking for Research Assistants: Yes
Number of Research Assistants: 2
Relevant Majors: Neuroscience, Biology, Computer Science, Computational Biology, Biostatistics, Biochemistry, BMS
Project Location: On FSU Main Campus
Research Assistant Transportation Required: Remote or In-person: In-person
Approximate Weekly Hours: 10, During business hours
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link:
Not participating in the roundtable
Number of Research Assistants: 2
Relevant Majors: Neuroscience, Biology, Computer Science, Computational Biology, Biostatistics, Biochemistry, BMS
Project Location: On FSU Main Campus
Research Assistant Transportation Required: Remote or In-person: In-person
Approximate Weekly Hours: 10, During business hours
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link:
Not participating in the roundtable
Project Description
Sleep restriction and chronic insomnia are significant public health concerns that affect millions of children, teenagers and adults. Chronic sleep restriction impairs learning and cognitive performance, increases disease risk for many diseases, and aggravates neurological disorders. We are interested in the physiological, neural, and molecular consequences of chronic sleep restriction. We seek undergraduate research assistants to help investigate the impacts of chronic sleep restriction in a mouse model.Research Tasks: Student will be assisting with chronic sleep restriction experiments and tissue collection. Student will need to complete training necessary for working with animals on an animal care protocol. Student will be responsible for checking on animals when assigned, assisting with sleep restriction and maintaining accurate records of weight and behavior. Student will also be expected to learn basic molecular skills in the laboratory in preparation for assisting with molecular experiments. Student will also help with lab maintenance, be expected to read assigned literature, and attend weekly lab meetings. This project requires all in person work.
Skills that research assistant(s) may need: Strong background in biology and neuroscience. Pipetting experience required. Recommended: experience with solution making and coding in R.
Mentoring Philosophy
I strive to help students become critical thinkers who ask questions, pay attention to details, and discuss science and scientific results from multiple angles. I encourage students to show initiative in their work and in their approach to science through a lab atmosphere that emphasizes reading scientific literature and discussing scientific questions and approaches. Everyone in the lab is encouraged to think about the research objectives and how the objectives may be achieved. I work with students to plan experiments or find solutions for problems that arise, but I encourage students to work independently to perform experiments after training.Additional Information
Link to Publications
https://www.bio.fsu.edu/faculty.php?faculty-id=lyonsMolecular Impacts of Chronic Sleep Restriction
Sleep, mice, RNA, molecular, neuroscience, hippocampus
Research Mentor: Natalie Storch, Ms.
Department, College, Affiliation: Biological Science, Arts and Sciences
Contact Email: nstorch@fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor):
Research Assistant Supervisor Email:
Faculty Collaborators:
Faculty Collaborators Email:
Department, College, Affiliation: Biological Science, Arts and Sciences
Contact Email: nstorch@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: Cell and Molecular Neuroscience, Biology, Biochemistry, BMS
Project Location: On FSU Main Campus
Research Assistant Transportation Required: Remote or In-person: In-person
Approximate Weekly Hours: 10, During business hours
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link:
Not participating in the roundtable
Number of Research Assistants: 1
Relevant Majors: Cell and Molecular Neuroscience, Biology, Biochemistry, BMS
Project Location: On FSU Main Campus
Research Assistant Transportation Required: Remote or In-person: In-person
Approximate Weekly Hours: 10, During business hours
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link:
Not participating in the roundtable
Project Description
Sleep restriction and chronic insomnia are significant public health concerns that affect millions of children, teenagers and adults. Chronic sleep restriction impairs learning and cognitive performance, increases disease risk for many diseases, and aggravates neurological disorders. We are interested in the molecular consequences of chronic sleep restriction. We seek undergraduate research assistants to help investigate the impacts of chronic sleep restriction in a mouse model.Research Tasks: Student will be assisting with chronic sleep restriction experiments and tissue collection. Student will need to complete training necessary for working with animals on an animal care protocol. Student will be responsible for checking on animals when assigned, assisting with sleep restriction and maintaining accurate records of weight and behavior. Student will also be expected to learn basic molecular skills in the laboratory in preparation for assisting with molecular experiments. Student will also help with lab maintenance, be expected to read assigned literature, and attend weekly lab meetings. This project requires all in person work.
Skills that research assistant(s) may need: Strong background in biology and neuroscience. Pipetting experience required. Recommended: experience with solution making.
Mentoring Philosophy
I strive to help students become critical thinkers who ask questions, pay attention to details, and discuss science and scientific results from multiple angles. I encourage students to show initiative in their work and in their approach to science through a lab atmosphere that emphasizes reading scientific literature and discussing scientific questions and approaches. Everyone in the lab is encouraged to think about the research objectives and how the objectives may be achieved. I work with students to plan experiments or find solutions for problems that arise, but I encourage students to work independently to perform experiments after training.Additional Information
Link to Publications
Post-victimization reporting and help-seeking behaviors among hate crime victims: A systematic review
hate crime victimization, victim reporting, help-seeking, victim services, systematic review
Research Mentor: Sarah Wouters, she/her
Department, College, Affiliation: Criminology, Criminology and Criminal Justice
Contact Email: swouters@fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor): Lexi Faulkner she/her
Research Assistant Supervisor Email: afaulkner2@fsu.edu
Faculty Collaborators:
Faculty Collaborators Email:
Department, College, Affiliation: Criminology, Criminology and Criminal Justice
Contact Email: swouters@fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor): Lexi Faulkner she/her
Research Assistant Supervisor Email: afaulkner2@fsu.edu
Faculty Collaborators:
Faculty Collaborators Email:
Looking for Research Assistants: Yes
Number of Research Assistants: 1
Relevant Majors: Criminology, sociology, social work, psychology, public health, or related majors.
Project Location: On FSU Main Campus
Research Assistant Transportation Required: Remote or In-person: Partially Remote
Approximate Weekly Hours: 5-6, 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
Number of Research Assistants: 1
Relevant Majors: Criminology, sociology, social work, psychology, public health, or related majors.
Project Location: On FSU Main Campus
Research Assistant Transportation Required: Remote or In-person: Partially Remote
Approximate Weekly Hours: 5-6, 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
A growing body of research has begun to identify the different ways in which hate crime versus non-hate crime victims seek help to cope with their experiences. However, these studies vary widely in terms of the populations, help-seeking behaviors, and victimization types they include, as well as the methodologies used to examine help-seeking patterns. Our project involves conducting a systematic review of the existing literature on hate crime victim help-seeking in order to take stock of what we know (and don't know) and subsequently guide future policy/research.Research Tasks: Database searches for relevant literature
Article screening (using Covidence)
Reading, annotating, and extracting important information from scientific articles
Basic coding/data management (in Stata)
Citation management
Skills that research assistant(s) may need: Required: Strong academic writing and verbal communication skills
Required: Strong attention to detail
Required: Experience reading and annotating scientific research articles
Recommended: Experience using databases to identify relevant research (e.g., using GoogleScholar, Scopus, PubMed, ProQuest, etc.)
Recommended: Experience or familiarity with citation management programs (e.g., Zotero, Mendeley, EndNote, etc.
Recommended: Basic knowledge of research methods and statistics.
Mentoring Philosophy
Our priority as research mentors is to promote your transition from a passive consumer of knowledge to an active producer of it. As graduate students ourselves, we will promote a safe space for you to ask questions and make mistakes (arguably, the most important steps in this transition). We hope to learn about your individual goals and unique skills, knowledge, and lived experiences, then offer flexible support that meets you where you are as aspiring researchers. Over the course of this project, we will strive to provide you with transferrable skills and resources to elevate your reading, synthesis, and data skills moving forward. In return, we ask that you engage in this partnership with the highest level of integrity, honesty, and a willingness to accept and apply constructive feedback.Additional Information
Link to Publications
Flock Cameras and Crime
Economics, Crime, Public Policy, Criminology
Research Mentor: Sam Herrin,
Department, College, Affiliation: Economics, Social Sciences and Public Policy
Contact Email: srh24d@fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor):
Research Assistant Supervisor Email:
Faculty Collaborators:
Faculty Collaborators Email:
Department, College, Affiliation: Economics, Social Sciences and Public Policy
Contact Email: srh24d@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: Economics, Statistics, Political Science, Sociology, Mathematics, Psychology, Criminology, etc (open to all majors)
Project Location: On FSU Main Campus
Research Assistant Transportation Required: Remote or In-person: Partially Remote
Approximate Weekly Hours: 10, Flexible schedule (Combination of business and outside of business. TBD between student and research mentor.)
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link:
Number of Research Assistants: 2
Relevant Majors: Economics, Statistics, Political Science, Sociology, Mathematics, Psychology, Criminology, etc (open to all majors)
Project Location: On FSU Main Campus
Research Assistant Transportation Required: Remote or In-person: Partially Remote
Approximate Weekly Hours: 10, Flexible schedule (Combination of business and outside of business. TBD between student and research mentor.)
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link:
- Day: Monday, August 31
Start Time: 12:00
End Time: 12:30
Zoom Link: https://fsu.zoom.us/j/94392854178
Project Description
What is the effect of Flock automatic license plate reader (ALPR) cameras on crime? Do the effects of Flock cameras vary spatially within a city? This project aims to answer these questions. Our primary empirical methods rely on observing crime rates before and after Flock cameras were installed in an area. Then, we compare this to the changes over time for areas that did not install Flock cameras. The difference between these two yields the causal estimate of interest (i.e., what is the effect of Flock on crime?). We expect to find an effect on deterrence: as ALPRs become widespread, criminals perceive a higher probability of apprehension and therefore commit fewer crimes; clearance: after a crime is committed, ALPRs make it easier for law enforcement to find and arrest criminals; displacement: if a Flock camera is in area A, but not area B, a criminal might choose to commit a crime in area B instead of A to avoid detection. The goal is to turn this into a publishable paper that informs researchers, policymakers, and law enforcement on this emerging technology.Research Tasks: Primarily public records requests, emailing, literature review, or possibly idea generation
Skills that research assistant(s) may need: Recommended: Basic familiarity with excel or other methods of organizing/cleaning data
Mentoring Philosophy
My mentoring philosophy is built around helping students think like researchers before they think like research assistants. Almost anyone can do menial data cleaning (especially with the help of AI). If possible, I want to have students gain some basic level of intuition for causal research and to build good habits of curiosity, deep understanding, and research integrity. The ideal research assistant will be able to “own” part of the project.Additional Information
Link to Publications
Educational AI Chatbots for Children's STEM Learning at Public Libraries
AI chatbot; STEM learning; parent-child interaction; public library
Research Mentor: Dr. Soo Hyeon Kim, she/her
Department, College, Affiliation: School of Information, Communication and Information
Contact Email: soohyeon.kim@fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor): Gi Woong Choi he/his
Research Assistant Supervisor Email: giwoong.choi@fsu.edu
Faculty Collaborators:
Faculty Collaborators Email:
Department, College, Affiliation: School of Information, Communication and Information
Contact Email: soohyeon.kim@fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor): Gi Woong Choi he/his
Research Assistant Supervisor Email: giwoong.choi@fsu.edu
Faculty Collaborators:
Faculty Collaborators Email:
Looking for Research Assistants: Yes
Number of Research Assistants: 2
Relevant Majors: computer science, data science, software engineering, information science
Project Location: This job will require travel to local public libraries in Tallahassee area.
Research Assistant Transportation Required: Yes Remote or In-person: Partially Remote
Approximate Weekly Hours: 5-10, During business hours
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link:
Not participating in the roundtable
Number of Research Assistants: 2
Relevant Majors: computer science, data science, software engineering, information science
Project Location: This job will require travel to local public libraries in Tallahassee area.
Research Assistant Transportation Required: Yes Remote or In-person: Partially Remote
Approximate Weekly Hours: 5-10, During business hours
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link:
Not participating in the roundtable
Project Description
Are you interested in building AI chatbots for children’s STEM learning program at public libraries through two research projects, funded the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS)? The first project, entitled Family Makers, focuses on integrating an AI chatbot within public library engineering programs for collaborative use by parents and children without librarian facilitation. The second project aims to develop a GenAI-integrated Mathematizing Public Library Storytimes (MPLS) program that can increase children’s (3-5 years) algebraic reasoning, as well as caregivers’ and public librarians’ self-efficacy in math literacy skills. Once developed, AI chatbots will be tested at children’s STEM programming at two public libraries.Research Tasks: AI chatbot development for two projects; data collection at public libraries; data analysis
Skills that research assistant(s) may need: Required qualification:
• Previous experience developing an AI chatbot (or similar applications)
• Valid driver’s license and access to reliable personal transportation.
Recommended qualification:
• Previous experience working with children
Mentoring Philosophy
Mentoring is a big part of my professional identity, and I am very excited to collaborate with students at all levels. I take great fulfillment in guiding students as they transition into critical thinkers and independent researchers. To support this, I employ a research-apprenticeship model rooted in learning-by-doing approach. Students will work side-by-side with me through data collection and analysis and have ample opportunity to observe real-world research practices while actively engaging in them. I have witnessed that this research-apprenticeship model provides students a safe and supportive environment to experiment, learn, and grow as a researcher and a critical thinker.Additional Information
Link to Publications
https://soohyeon.kim/Vision-Language-Action Models for Robotic Assembly in Modular Construction
Vision-Language-Action Models (VLA); Construction Robotics; Modular Construction; Computer Vision; Robotic Assembly
Research Mentor: Prof. Juyeong Choi,
Department, College, Affiliation: Civil and Environmental Engineering, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering
Contact Email: jchoi3@fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor): Dr. Roshan Panahi Roshan
Research Assistant Supervisor Email: rp25q@fsu.edu
Faculty Collaborators:
Faculty Collaborators Email:
Department, College, Affiliation: Civil and Environmental Engineering, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering
Contact Email: jchoi3@fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor): Dr. Roshan Panahi Roshan
Research Assistant Supervisor Email: rp25q@fsu.edu
Faculty Collaborators:
Faculty Collaborators Email:
Looking for Research Assistants: Yes
Number of Research Assistants: 3
Relevant Majors: Relevant Research Assistant Major(s):
Computer Science
Electrical Engineering
Computer Engineering
Mechanical Engineering
Civil Engineering
Industrial Engineering
Project Location: RIDER Center (1753 W Paul Dirac Dr, Tallahassee, FL 32310)
Research Assistant Transportation Required: Yes Remote or In-person: In-person
Approximate Weekly Hours: 7, During business hours
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link:
Number of Research Assistants: 3
Relevant Majors: Relevant Research Assistant Major(s):
Computer Science
Electrical Engineering
Computer Engineering
Mechanical Engineering
Civil Engineering
Industrial Engineering
Project Location: RIDER Center (1753 W Paul Dirac Dr, Tallahassee, FL 32310)
Research Assistant Transportation Required: Yes Remote or In-person: In-person
Approximate Weekly Hours: 7, During business hours
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link:
- Day: Monday, August 31
Start Time: 3:30
End Time: 4:00
Zoom Link: https://fsu.zoom.us/j/99874344936?from=addon - Day: Tuesday, September 1
Start Time: 4:30
End Time: 5:00
Zoom Link: https://fsu.zoom.us/j/91434855422?from=addon - Day: Wednesday, September 2
Start Time: 3:30
End Time: 4:00
Zoom Link: https://fsu.zoom.us/j/98206142929?from=addon - Day: Thursday, September 3
Start Time: 4:30
End Time: 5:00
Zoom Link: https://fsu.zoom.us/j/97177409136?from=addon
Project Description
This project investigates the use of vision-language models (VLMs) and vision-language-action (VLA) models to enable more flexible robotic assembly in modular construction. Modular construction can improve productivity, quality, and construction speed, but customized production often requires frequent changes to manufacturing processes and robot programming. To address this challenge, the research will explore how artificial intelligence can allow a robotic arm to interpret visual information, understand natural-language instructions, and perform construction-related pick-and-place and assembly tasks with minimal task-specific programming. The project will integrate computer vision, Python programming, and robotic control to detect construction materials, determine their locations, and guide a robotic arm to manipulate them. The long-term goal is to support more adaptable and automated manufacturing systems for mass-customized modular construction.Research Tasks: • Use ChatGPT, Claude, or a similar AI tool to: (1) generate code that instructs the robotic arm to pick up an object and place it at a specified location; (2) generate Python-based computer vision code to detect a piece of lumber in a video; and (3) detect the center point of the lumber and control the robotic arm to pick up the object using the detected coordinates.
• Learn about vision-language-action (VLA) models through online videos and other educational resources.
• Test the developed models in the lab using the robotic arm and provided software, and assist with data annotation, writing, and presentations as needed.
Skills that research assistant(s) may need: Requirements: Familiarity with Python programming. Prior experience with robotics projects is highly encouraged. Strong interest in robotics and artificial intelligence (AI). Self-motivated, disciplined, and willing to learn independently. Ability to attend in-person lab sessions for approximately 7 hours per week.
Mentoring Philosophy
I believe that open and consistent communication is essential to a successful mentor-mentee relationship. To support this, I will hold bi-weekly meetings with my UROP students to help them define their goals, monitor their progress, and reflect on their development. In addition, I will invite them to my research group’s Slack channel, where they can easily reach out to me or other mentors at any time for guidance, feedback, or support.Additional Information
Link to Publications
Ecological Encounter - Meeting More-than-human beings affectively through Arts
Affective knowing, Ecological Awareness, Arts-making, Living Inquiries, More-than-human encounters
Research Mentor: hl23d@fsu.edu Hsuan-Chi Liu, she/ they
Department, College, Affiliation: Arts Leadership, Education and Therapy, Fine Arts
Contact Email: hl23d@fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor):
Research Assistant Supervisor Email:
Faculty Collaborators:
Faculty Collaborators Email:
Department, College, Affiliation: Arts Leadership, Education and Therapy, Fine Arts
Contact Email: hl23d@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: Open to all majors while preferring environmental sciences or arts majors, or those who embrace ecological knowledge or practices artistically in life.
Project Location: We can discuss online and see how the mentee would like to participate. I am now based in Sarasota and in the process of conducting this dissertation research in a museum space. Also welcome the in-person help if the assistant would like to participate!
Research Assistant Transportation Required: No, the project is remote Remote or In-person: Partially Remote
Approximate Weekly Hours: 5 hours, Flexible schedule (Combination of business and outside of business. TBD between student and research mentor.)
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link:
Number of Research Assistants: 1
Relevant Majors: Open to all majors while preferring environmental sciences or arts majors, or those who embrace ecological knowledge or practices artistically in life.
Project Location: We can discuss online and see how the mentee would like to participate. I am now based in Sarasota and in the process of conducting this dissertation research in a museum space. Also welcome the in-person help if the assistant would like to participate!
Research Assistant Transportation Required: No, the project is remote Remote or In-person: Partially Remote
Approximate Weekly Hours: 5 hours, Flexible schedule (Combination of business and outside of business. TBD between student and research mentor.)
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link:
- Day: Monday, August 31
Start Time: 1:30
End Time: 2:30
Zoom Link: https://fsu.zoom.us/j/99284452032 - Day: Tuesday, September 1
Start Time: 1:30
End Time: 2:30
Zoom Link: https://fsu.zoom.us/j/99284452032 - Day: Wednesday, September 2
Start Time: 1:30
End Time: 2:30
Zoom Link: https://fsu.zoom.us/j/99284452032 - Day: Friday, September 4
Start Time: 12:00
End Time: 8:00
Zoom Link: The recording from the main part of the roundtable on Sep 2nd: https://fsu.zoom.us/rec/share/f30lWtWVRDnjbQl7U5BVuDty26jDtrj2T71a-9tUPYVhCyBA4fsJc5DzADXBZcw_.fUjj_9Z8uhPBVHuL
Project Description
The goal of this project for my PhD dissertation is to engage community participants in a museum setting for scientific and artistic practices within an education program. It aims to engage the community in civic practices across backgrounds, and I would like to serve as a facilitator-researcher who creates a framework that can ignite possibilities to conserve the environment creatively, while advocating community dialogues and care for more-than-human beings drawing on creative powers.As my pedagogical practices develop these three years, I value roaming, embodied, affective, and expressive ways to engage people into the ecology so as to unfold imagination and affects that can awaken ecological awareness. Prompting community members to foster deep understanding and drawing on the affective forces those species and spaces may hold from a post-human angle, the final design would be envisioned as participatory artistic practices with community members, while the unique prompts I create for facilitation or response to the place can also be documented or cataloged as a zine for more people to learn about sustainable actions and practice that can be taken.
Research Tasks: - Program ideation (If participating in this collaboration, the acknowledgement should also be given)
- Experimenting with arts materials or practices
- Guidance Booklet Making (If participating in this collaboration, the acknowledgement should also be given)
- Conducting interviews (TBA, this needs to be confirmed)
- On-site photography (If the mentee would like to come)
- On-site assistance and/or facilitation (If the mentee would like to come)
Skills that research assistant(s) may need: Feel comfortable with artistic practices (required)
Feel comfortable with open-ended discussion and honor their creativity to enrich the project (required)
Be responsive and prompt to the emails or other communication forms (required)
Mentoring Philosophy
I believe in how human beings can unfold their potential through connections with the surroundings and inner creativity. Learning from my work experience at a science center in Taiwan as well as workshop facilitation experiences I gained during my doctoral studies in the Museum Education and Visitor-Centered Curation program, I hold an educational perspective foregrounding creating pedagogical encounters. From my internship experience at the John and Mable Ringling Museum, I also learned how their “wonder” practices truly shape their institutional culture. Accordingly, I would like to work with a mentee to explore how our communication and collaboration can motivate each other in the research process and to witness how creativity and the moments of awe can shape us. I envision building trust and connection in a kind of open, inspiration-sparking dialogues, while setting explicit goals for us. I view mentorship as a scaffolding and reciprocally nourishing process, in which I listen to the mentee's current stage and challenges, and share my experience or suggested directions accordingly. Creative practices may also take place to support our work and communication. Overall, I will remain mindful of checking in with the mentee about our progress and examining if the work also celebrates our creativity and brings a sense of achievement. While there is expected work for the mentee, a degree of freedom should also be valued for them to unfold their interest and autonomy.Additional Information
CV: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1QXk_cZZFmZp0--BYP0weiZb_vgL7_anJ/view?usp=sharingPortfolio: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wJT2P4Wkbec9tetgE-3IzeowIQRAmoUb/view?usp=sharing (Some cases that show my orientation can be found Page 9-12 and 20-24).