UROP Project
Antecedents and Consequences of Character
character, virtue, morality, character education
Research Mentor: Dr. Heath Maranges,
Department, College, Affiliation: Psychology, Arts and Sciences
Contact Email: maranges@psy.fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor):
Research Assistant Supervisor Email:
Faculty Collaborators:
Faculty Collaborators Email:
Department, College, Affiliation: Psychology, Arts and Sciences
Contact Email: maranges@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: 1
Relevant Majors: Psychology
Project Location: On FSU Main Campus
Research Assistant Transportation Required: Remote or In-person: In-person
Approximate Weekly Hours: 9-11, 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: Psychology
Project Location: On FSU Main Campus
Research Assistant Transportation Required: Remote or In-person: In-person
Approximate Weekly Hours: 9-11, 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
Individuals’ character and virtues shape one’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviors across domains such as intellect, morality, and performance that promote both the individual's and broader social group's well-being. The different character traits that individuals develop are key factors in many life outcomes—certain character traits are often linked to delinquency, behavioral problems, and academic success; resiliency, motivation, and stress; and mood and well-being across the lifespan. Our lab is focused on how character is being measured, the characteristics of the studies conducting this research, and identifying (1) what factors lead to the development of certain character traits and (2) which outcomes are associated with these character traits. This project includes collecting data in the lab, conducting literature reviews on character and virtue in psychology and educational research, building a database with relevant study detail, and analyzing key study characteristics and associations. Through this research, one will not only learn how different character traits affect life outcomes, but also the different factors that lead to the development of character traits, how these character traits are most commonly being measured, and the limitations in character research.Research Tasks: Collecting data through in-lab participants
Literature reviews
Reading literature
Extracting data from research articles
Entering data into database
Writing
Presenting
Skills that research assistant(s) may need: Familiarity with Microsoft and Google Drive (specifically excel/google sheets; required)
Experience in creating APA style literature reviews
Understanding how to read basic research results sections (recommended and can be taught)
Curiosity and perseverance
Mentoring Philosophy
The Maranges lab values hands-on research experience and fosters opportunities to engage in all parts of the research experience. We prioritize identifying research assistants’ goals and working toward them while growing the understanding of the research process and the theoretical content and constructs of their studies. New research assistants work closely and develop collaborative relationships with the graduate students and more senior lab members to learn and develop their skills in a supportive environment.Additional Information
Link to Publications
https://heathermmaranges.com/How does the Science of Virtue Measure It?
character, virtue, morality, character education
Research Mentor: Casey Timbs,
Department, College, Affiliation: Psychology, Arts and Sciences
Contact Email: timbs@psy.fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor):
Research Assistant Supervisor Email:
Faculty Collaborators:
Faculty Collaborators Email:
Department, College, Affiliation: Psychology, Arts and Sciences
Contact Email: timbs@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: 1
Relevant Majors: The development of one’s character and virtue shapes how individuals think, feel, and behave across moral domains such as their performance and intellect. Therefore, the study of character and virtue has been a key focus across diverse topics in psychological research—from academic success and job performance to individual personality traits, overall well-being, and life satisfaction. But across these various topics, how is character and virtue actually being measured? Our goal is to review the scientific literature on character and virtue to understand how it tends to be measured, to identify the strengths and weaknesses of these measurements, and to assess the most common associations within the character literature. Research in the lab building on this work entails the empirical study of moral virtue and character, providing opportunities to engage with participants via data collection. Through this research, one will learn how character is measured in the field, what the most common outcomes and predictors are in character literature, and what limitations are important to address.
Project Location: On FSU Main Campus
Research Assistant Transportation Required: Remote or In-person: In-person
Approximate Weekly Hours: 9-11, During business hours
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link:
Not participating in the roundtable
Number of Research Assistants: 1
Relevant Majors: The development of one’s character and virtue shapes how individuals think, feel, and behave across moral domains such as their performance and intellect. Therefore, the study of character and virtue has been a key focus across diverse topics in psychological research—from academic success and job performance to individual personality traits, overall well-being, and life satisfaction. But across these various topics, how is character and virtue actually being measured? Our goal is to review the scientific literature on character and virtue to understand how it tends to be measured, to identify the strengths and weaknesses of these measurements, and to assess the most common associations within the character literature. Research in the lab building on this work entails the empirical study of moral virtue and character, providing opportunities to engage with participants via data collection. Through this research, one will learn how character is measured in the field, what the most common outcomes and predictors are in character literature, and what limitations are important to address.
Project Location: On FSU Main Campus
Research Assistant Transportation Required: Remote or In-person: In-person
Approximate Weekly Hours: 9-11, During business hours
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link:
Not participating in the roundtable
Project Description
The development of one’s character and virtue shapes how individuals think, feel, and behave across moral domains such as their performance and intellect. Therefore, the study of character and virtue has been a key focus across diverse topics in psychological research—from academic success and job performance to individual personality traits, overall well-being, and life satisfaction. But across these various topics, how is character and virtue actually being measured? Our goal is to review the scientific literature on character and virtue to understand how it tends to be measured, to identify the strengths and weaknesses of these measurements, and to assess the most common associations within the character literature. Research in the lab building on this work entails the empirical study of moral virtue and character, providing opportunities to engage with participants via data collection. Through this research, one will learn how character is measured in the field, what the most common outcomes and predictors are in character literature, and what limitations are important to address.Research Tasks: Data collection/Running participants
Literature reviews
Skimming and extracting data from research methods and results sections
Entering data into database
Writing
Presenting
Skills that research assistant(s) may need: Familiarity with Microsoft and Google Drive (specifically excel/google sheets; required)
Experience in creating APA style literature reviews
Understanding how to read basic research papers(recommended and can be taught)
Conscientiousness, communication, and eagerness to learn new skills
Mentoring Philosophy
The Maranges lab values hands-on research experience and fosters opportunities to engage in all parts of the research experience. We prioritize identifying research assistants’ goals and working toward them while growing the understanding of the research process and the theoretical content and constructs of their studies. New research assistants work closely and develop collaborative relationships with the graduate students and more senior lab members to learn and develop their skills in a supportive environment.Additional Information
Link to Publications
https://heathermmaranges.com/Harnessing Plant-Associated Bacteria to Improve Drought Resilience
Plant-microbe interactions, microbiology, genetics
Research Mentor: Dr. Gara Dexter,
Department, College, Affiliation: Biology, Arts and Sciences
Contact Email: gnd25@fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor):
Research Assistant Supervisor Email:
Faculty Collaborators: Prof. David Thoms
Faculty Collaborators Email: dto22@fsu.edu
Department, College, Affiliation: Biology, Arts and Sciences
Contact Email: gnd25@fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor):
Research Assistant Supervisor Email:
Faculty Collaborators: Prof. David Thoms
Faculty Collaborators Email: dto22@fsu.edu
Looking for Research Assistants: Yes
Number of Research Assistants: 2
Relevant Majors: biochemistry, biological science,
Project Location: On FSU Main Campus
Research Assistant Transportation Required: Remote or In-person: In-person
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: biochemistry, biological science,
Project Location: On FSU Main Campus
Research Assistant Transportation Required: Remote or In-person: In-person
Approximate Weekly Hours: 5-10, During business hours
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link:
Not participating in the roundtable
Project Description
Plant-associated bacteria produce an enormous diversity of metabolites and bioactive compounds that can affect plant health, the majority of which have not been characterized. Understanding how these compounds influence plant responses to environmental stressors like drought is especially important because water availability is one of the major environmental constraints on plant growth and agricultural productivity. Identifying bacterial metabolites that help plants maintain growth and survive under drought conditions could reveal new mechanisms of plant-microbe interaction and provide new tools for improving plant resilience to drought stress.The overall goals for the project are: 1) establish a reliable experimental system for measuring drought responses in Arabidopsis, 2) identify bacterial strains or compounds that improve plant performance during simulated drought conditions, and 3) investigate the biological basis of promising drought-protective effects.
Research Tasks: Plant growth and maintenance, bacterial culture, preparation of media and experimental treatments, drought-stress assays, data collection and analysis, literature review, experimental troubleshooting, scientific writing, poster presentation.
As the project progresses, the student may also participate in experiments designed to characterize promising bacterial treatments and identify candidate bacterial compounds or pathways associated with drought protection.
Skills that research assistant(s) may need: Required: Willingness to learn, reliability, attention to detail, scientific curiosity
Recommended: A strong background in biology.
Mentoring Philosophy
I will provide close guidance at the beginning of the project as the student learns laboratory techniques, experimental design, record keeping, and data analysis. My goal is to enable undergraduate researchers to understand the scientific reasoning behind their experiments, not just learn to follow protocols. As students gain confidence and experience, they will be able to work with more independence. I want students to feel comfortable asking questions, discussing issues or errors, and troubleshooting unexpected results. My goal is to help students develop strong research skills and the confidence to think independently about scientific problems.Additional Information
Link to Publications
https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=aYxm6O4AAAAJHOT-KG: Harmonic Optimal Transport for Knowledge Graph Completion
machine learning; artificial intelligence; knowledge graphs; mathematics; link prediction
Research Mentor: Astrit Tola, Dr.
Department, College, Affiliation: Mathematics, Arts and Sciences
Contact Email: atola@fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor):
Research Assistant Supervisor Email:
Faculty Collaborators:
Faculty Collaborators Email:
Department, College, Affiliation: Mathematics, Arts and Sciences
Contact Email: atola@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 students of all majors.
Students from the following programs may find the material connects especially well to their coursework: Computer Science; Mathematics; Statistics; Data Science; Scientific Computing; Computational Science; Physics; Electrical and Computer Engineering; Information Technology.
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:
Not participating in the roundtable
Number of Research Assistants: 1
Relevant Majors: Open to students of all majors.
Students from the following programs may find the material connects especially well to their coursework: Computer Science; Mathematics; Statistics; Data Science; Scientific Computing; Computational Science; Physics; Electrical and Computer Engineering; Information Technology.
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:
Not participating in the roundtable
Project Description
Almost every AI system you use every day depends on a knowledge graph, a huge collection of facts written as simple statements: Tallahassee - is the capital of - Florida. When you ask a voice assistant a question, when a search engine shows you a box of facts about a person, when a streaming service explains why it recommended something, a knowledge graph is doing the work behind the scenes. Hospitals and pharmaceutical researchers use them to connect drugs, genes, and diseases; banks use them to trace patterns of fraud.The problem is that these graphs are always incomplete. Even the largest ones are missing an enormous number of true facts, simply because nobody ever wrote them down. So a central question in machine learning is: given the facts we already have, can a computer figure out which facts are missing? The goal of this project is to design and test a new approach to knowledge-graph link prediction. We will investigate whether the proposed model can identify missing facts more accurately than current methods, particularly for relations with multiple possible answers.
Research Tasks: The student will review recent knowledge-graph completion research from major AI conferences, maintain a shared reference library, and prepare short, plain-language summaries for discussion and use in the paper’s background section. They will also locate and reproduce public implementations of several established methods, troubleshoot the code as needed, and verify reported results. With my guidance and a provided mathematical specification, the student will implement and test the project’s core scoring function in Python using PyTorch and an optimal-transport library.
Skills that research assistant(s) may need: Recommended - Basic programming in Python
Mentoring Philosophy
My mentoring philosophy is centered on meeting students where they are and providing the support, instruction, and encouragement they need to grow. I begin by learning about each student’s goals, interests, strengths, and current level of preparation. I identify gaps in their knowledge and directly teach the concepts or skills they need to move forward, adjusting my explanations and expectations so that the material remains challenging but understandable. I believe effective mentoring should build on what a student already does well while helping them develop new abilities. Together, we break larger projects into clear and manageable milestones, regularly review progress, and address difficulties before they become barriers. I provide honest and constructive feedback by clearly identifying areas that need improvement and offering specific guidance on how the student can improve. As students gain knowledge and confidence, I gradually reduce my level of guidance and encourage them to take greater ownership of their work. I ask students to investigate questions, compare possible approaches, explain their reasoning, and defend their conclusions. This process helps them develop independence while remaining accountable for their preparation, decisions, and progress.Additional Information
Link to Publications
https://astrittola.github.io/publications.htmlPRISM: Pseudo-Riemannian Ising Signed Model
machine learning; artificial intelligence; signed networks; mathematics; link prediction
Research Mentor: Astrit Tola , Dr.
Department, College, Affiliation: Mathematics, Arts and Sciences
Contact Email: atola@fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor):
Research Assistant Supervisor Email:
Faculty Collaborators:
Faculty Collaborators Email:
Department, College, Affiliation: Mathematics, Arts and Sciences
Contact Email: atola@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 students of all majors.
Students from the following programs may find the material connects especially well to their coursework: Computer Science; Mathematics; Statistics; Data Science; Scientific Computing; Computational Science; Physics; Electrical and Computer Engineering; Information Technology.
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:
Not participating in the roundtable
Number of Research Assistants: 1
Relevant Majors: Open to students of all majors.
Students from the following programs may find the material connects especially well to their coursework: Computer Science; Mathematics; Statistics; Data Science; Scientific Computing; Computational Science; Physics; Electrical and Computer Engineering; Information Technology.
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:
Not participating in the roundtable
Project Description
Many real-world networks contain both positive and negative relationships. For example, users on an online platform may trust or distrust one another, countries may form alliances or rivalries, and genes may activate or suppress other genes. These are known as signed networks. When some relationship labels are missing, a machine-learning model can be used to predict whether those relationships are likely to be positive or negative.Many existing methods rely on simple assumptions about how relationships behave, such as the idea that “the enemy of my enemy is my friend.” However, real networks do not always follow these patterns. People and organizations often have complicated or inconsistent relationships, and current models may perform poorly in precisely these difficult cases.
The goal of this project is to develop a new mathematical and machine-learning approach that represents positive and negative relationships directly within the geometry of the model. We will test whether this representation improves the prediction of missing relationship signs, especially when traditional assumptions fail. We will also investigate whether the model can provide a meaningful numerical measure of conflict within a network. The student will help implement the model, evaluate it on established signed-network datasets, compare it with leading existing methods, and analyze when and why it succeeds or fails.
Research Tasks: The student will review recent signed networks completion research from major AI conferences, maintain a shared reference library, and prepare short, plain-language summaries for discussion and use in the paper’s background section. They will also locate and reproduce public implementations of several established methods, troubleshoot the code as needed, and verify reported results. With my guidance and a provided mathematical specification, the student will implement and test the project’s core scoring function in Python using PyTorch.
Skills that research assistant(s) may need: Recommended - Basic programming in Python
Mentoring Philosophy
My mentoring philosophy is centered on meeting students where they are and providing the support, instruction, and encouragement they need to grow. I begin by learning about each student’s goals, interests, strengths, and current level of preparation. I identify gaps in their knowledge and directly teach the concepts or skills they need to move forward, adjusting my explanations and expectations so that the material remains challenging but understandable. I believe effective mentoring should build on what a student already does well while helping them develop new abilities. Together, we break larger projects into clear and manageable milestones, regularly review progress, and address difficulties before they become barriers. I provide honest and constructive feedback by clearly identifying areas that need improvement and offering specific guidance on how the student can improve. As students gain knowledge and confidence, I gradually reduce my level of guidance and encourage them to take greater ownership of their work. I ask students to investigate questions, compare possible approaches, explain their reasoning, and defend their conclusions. This process helps them develop independence while remaining accountable for their preparation, decisions, and progress.Additional Information
Link to Publications
https://astrittola.github.io/publications.htmlGenomic architecture of the major histocompatibility complex in a highly polygynous bird
genetics, major histocompatibility complex, bird, sexual selection
Research Mentor: Dr. Pearl Rivers Key,
Department, College, Affiliation: Biological Science, Arts and Sciences
Contact Email: prr17@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: prr17@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: Biology
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: Biology
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
Parasites and disease pose a significant natural selective force. Social interactions, including mating behavior, can affect these selection dynamics. The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) is a highly polymorphic gene complex that is conserved across vertebrate taxa and functions in the adaptive immune response. While many studies have focused on female mate choice for male MHC diversity or dissimilarity, few studies have been able to convincingly demonstrate such choice or distinguish between natural selection on the MHC and related sexual selection. To better understand how natural selection by parasites and disease influences patterns of sexual selection, this project will test hypotheses about the relationship between the structure and expression of MHC genes and reproductive behavior in a highly polygynous neotropical bird, the lance-tailed manakin (Chiroxiphia lanceolata).Research Tasks: Reading primary literature, DNA sequence alignment, animal behavior video analysis, data collection, data analysis
Skills that research assistant(s) may need: Attention to detail, strong organizational skills, patience with repetitive tasks. Interest in birds, evolution, and genetics is a plus.
Mentoring Philosophy
My mentoring philosophy is rooted in the belief that effective mentorship empowers students to become independent thinkers, scientists, and communicators. My role as a mentor is not simply to provide answers, but to guide mentees through the process of discovery and help them develop the skills needed to navigate unfamiliar challenges independently. I encourage mentees to take increasing ownership of their research while providing guidance and feedback appropriate to their level of experience. I also emphasize critical thinking and clear scientific communication as foundational skills for successful research. I encourage mentees to engage deeply with the primary literature, formulate their own hypotheses, critically evaluate evidence, and communicate their ideas effectively. Ultimately, I aim to mentor scientists who are confident in their ability to ask important questions, learn from unexpected results, and contribute thoughtfully and independently to the scientific community.Additional Information
Link to Publications
Disability Inclusion in Classical Education: Teacher Perspectives
disability, education, classical, mixed methods
Research Mentor: Mrs. Timea Hyatt,
Department, College, Affiliation: Communication Science and Disorders, Communication and Information
Contact Email: thz13@fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor):
Research Assistant Supervisor Email:
Faculty Collaborators:
Faculty Collaborators Email:
Department, College, Affiliation: Communication Science and Disorders, Communication and Information
Contact Email: thz13@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: Communication Science and Disorders, Special Education, Elementary Education, Family and Child Sciences, Social Work, Psychology, Philosophy
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:
Number of Research Assistants: 1
Relevant Majors: Communication Science and Disorders, Special Education, Elementary Education, Family and Child Sciences, Social Work, Psychology, Philosophy
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:
- Day: Monday, August 31
Start Time: 12:00
End Time: 12:30
Zoom Link: https://fsu.zoom.us/j/5422665004 - Day: Tuesday, September 1
Start Time: 12:00
End Time: 12:30
Zoom Link: https://fsu.zoom.us/j/5422665004
Project Description
This study seeks to investigate teachers’ perspectives on developing and managing a disability inclusive classroom within a Classical education setting. This study is also designed to provide findings that will help inform Classical and general education programs on disability-inclusive practices within classrooms. Findings will also be used to inform program refinement to enhance future professional preparation.Research Tasks: Research tasks will vary but may look like this:
1.) Literature Review Projects:
Create an annotated bibliography on disability inclusion in private schools, faith-based schools, and Classical education.
Review literature connecting UDL and Classical education.
Summarize key arguments from disability theory, social model of disability, and critical disability studies.
Develop a matrix comparing how inclusion is conceptualized across educational philosophies.
Search for literature on "human flourishing" and disability.
2.) Recruitment and Sampling:
Build a database of Classical schools nationwide.
Identify Classical school associations and networks.
Create contact lists for recruitment.
Track recruitment responses and participation rates.
Identify underrepresented regions or school types in sample.
3.)Survey and Interview Support:
Pilot-test survey items.
Review interview questions for clarity and bias.
Develop demographic summaries of participants.
Organize interview scheduling and tracking.
Create interview summary sheets immediately after interviews.
4.) Qualitative Data Analysis:
Generate preliminary codes from transcripts.
Develop a codebook.
Compare inductive themes with UDL categories (engagement, representation, expression).
Identify disconfirming cases.
Create excerpts organized by theme.
5.) Assist with intercoder agreement procedures:
Definitions of inclusion
Perceptions of disability
Teacher preparation
Curriculum adaptation
Barriers to participation
Supports and accommodations
Classical philosophy references
Human flourishing
Truth, goodness, and beauty
Tensions between rigor and accessibility
Learner variability
UDL-aligned practices
Skills that research assistant(s) may need: 1.) Some basic literature review skills—recommended.
Search academic databases (ERIC, PsycINFO, Education Source, Google Scholar)
Identify peer-reviewed sources
Summarize articles accurately
Create annotated bibliographies
Organize references using Zotero, EndNote, or Mendeley
2.) Qualitative research skills—recommended.
Recommended skills include:
Reading interview transcripts carefully
Identifying patterns and themes
Basic coding of qualitative data
Maintaining reflexivity
Writing analytic memos
Recognizing both confirming and disconfirming evidence
3.) Organization and project management—required.
Spreadsheet management
Tracking participants and recruitment efforts
Maintaining research logs
Attention to detail
Following protocols consistently
Managing files securely
4.) Professional communication—required.
Professional email communication
Scheduling interviews
Following up politely with participants
Taking accurate notes during meetings
Communicating progress clearly
5.) Knowledge of disability and inclusion—recommended or an openness to learning about.
Special education
Disability studies
Inclusive practices
Universal Design for Learning
Educational accessibility
Interest in Educational Philosophy
Classical education
Human flourishing
Liberal arts traditions
Philosophy of education
Ethics
Mentoring Philosophy
My belief is that mentorship is a collaborative relationship that supports both professional growth and personal flourishing of the mentee, while the mentor also receives valuable assistance on a project. In an effective mentorship, skills that will be developed range from technical, to personal, to professional. I hope to help individuals clarify their values, identify their strengths, pursue excellence, and build academic and professional confidence. I also believe that mentorship contributes to career and life success at every stage and that no single mentor can meet all a mentee's needs. Therefore, I encourage mentees to develop diverse mentoring networks that provide complementary sources of guidance, support, and expertise.As a mentor, I strive to create a supportive and reflective environment characterized by trust, mutual respect, open communication, and shared responsibility. I seek to understand each mentee's unique interests, goals, and developmental needs, while helping them recognize their own strengths and values. Together, we establish clear expectations, set meaningful goals, and regularly reflect on progress.
My approach is also informed by my love for Classical education: a commitment to inclusion for all learners, a love for lifelong learning, and whole person human flourishing (not just academic). I view mentorship as an opportunity to empower others, give valuable experiences unique to higher education, cultivate deep thinking, and support the development of scholars, clinicians, and professionals who will contribute positively to their communities and fields of practice.
Additional Information
I look forward to meeting some potential UROP mentees!Link to Publications
How school Principals makes sense of School-community paetnership.
Qualitative research, School Leadership, Nepal
Research Mentor: Bhushan Dahal, He/him
Department, College, Affiliation: ELPS, Education, Health, and Human Sciences
Contact Email: bd22@fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor):
Research Assistant Supervisor Email:
Faculty Collaborators:
Faculty Collaborators Email:
Department, College, Affiliation: ELPS, Education, Health, and Human Sciences
Contact Email: bd22@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: Education.
Project Location: On FSU Main Campus
Research Assistant Transportation Required: Remote or In-person: Fully 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: 2
Relevant Majors: Education.
Project Location: On FSU Main Campus
Research Assistant Transportation Required: Remote or In-person: Fully 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: Tuesday, September 1
Start Time: 12:00
End Time: 2:00
Zoom Link: https://fsu.zoom.us/j/92289504023 - Day: Thursday, September 3
Start Time: 12:00
End Time: 1:00
Zoom Link: https://fsu.zoom.us/j/92289504023
Project Description
This research project examines how school principals in Nepal make sense of school–community partnerships. In Nepal’s public-school system, principals carry multiple leadership and administrative responsibilities. One of their most significant roles is serving as a bridge between the school and its community. Principals who serve as the secretary of the School Management Committee (SMC), a formal governance body mandated by national policy for all public schools. In this capacity, principals play a central role in facilitating communication, collaboration, decision-making, and relationships between schools and community members.Prior research has explored school–community partnerships and various dimensions of principal leadership, limited attention has been given to how principals themselves interpret, understand, and enact their roles in these partnerships. This study tries to address that gap by examining principals’ sensemaking processes related to school–community partnerships in Nepal. The study will draw on Institutional Review Board (IRB)-approved data.
Research Tasks: We will do a literature review and data analysis.
Skills that research assistant(s) may need: Having some knowledge of research would be very helpful. Someone from Nepal would be ideal, if not someone from a South Asian country, who would have some familiarity with the context, as my research is in Nepal's setting.
Mentoring Philosophy
I love working independently to fulfill collective goals. I am not a micro-management kind of person, so someone who can work creatively, come up with some creative ways to show our work, but stay within the framework of the research project would be great.Additional Information
Link to Publications
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/15554589261458415Mapping the Local Food System: An Ethnographic Approach to Food and Community in Tallahassee
Food systems, Tallahassee, ethnography, sustainability, community research
Research Mentor: Dr. Burge Abiral, She/her/hers
Department, College, Affiliation: Anthropology, Arts and Sciences
Contact Email: ba25h@fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor):
Research Assistant Supervisor Email:
Faculty Collaborators:
Faculty Collaborators Email:
Department, College, Affiliation: Anthropology, Arts and Sciences
Contact Email: ba25h@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: Open to all majors
Project Location: On FSU Main Campus
Research Assistant Transportation Required: Remote or In-person: Partially Remote
Approximate Weekly Hours: 8, Flexible schedule (Combination of business and outside of business. TBD between student and research mentor.)
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link:
Number of Research Assistants: 3
Relevant Majors: Open to all majors
Project Location: On FSU Main Campus
Research Assistant Transportation Required: Remote or In-person: Partially Remote
Approximate Weekly Hours: 8, 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: 2:00
Zoom Link: https://fsu.zoom.us/j/93974159075 - Day: Friday, September 4
Start Time: 2:00
End Time: 4:00
Zoom Link: https://fsu.zoom.us/j/93974159075
Project Description
This project investigates how food is produced, distributed, and made meaningful in Tallahassee and the surrounding North Florida region. By focusing on the local food system, this research asks how farmers, nonprofits, policy organizations, food banks, and community gardens understand food-related problems differently, and what values and assumptions underlie those differences. Why does one organization talk about “food insecurity” while another talks about “food sovereignty”? What does “local” or “sustainable” mean to a small farmer versus a food policy council? These differences reflect different theories of what the problem is, who is responsible, and what a solution would look like.This project builds the empirical and analytical foundation for a future undergraduate course on food systems. Research assistants will learn to map and describe the food system, and to read it as a site where social, economic, and political questions play out in everyday life. In doing so, they will gain hands-on experience in core skills of anthropological and qualitative social science research: close reading, interpretive analysis, organizational research, and, for interested students, introductory interviewing.
No prior research experience is required. Curiosity, attention to detail, and a willingness to look carefully at things that might initially seem straightforward matter most.
Research Tasks: Students will work on four interconnected tasks, moving from foundational mapping to interpretive analysis:
1. Food system mapping
Students will identify and catalogue key actors across the Tallahassee food system, including producers, distributors, emergency food providers, community organizations, and policy bodies. This produces a working database that the whole team contributes to and shares, which is a map of who is doing what, for whom, and with what stated goals.
2. Close reading of organizational materials
Students will analyze the public-facing materials of a selection of organizations, including websites, social media, annual reports, and mission statements, paying close attention to language and framing. How does each organization define the food problem? Who do they identify as responsible? Who do they speak for, and who remains invisible in their account? Students will produce short interpretive memos guided by structured prompts provided by the faculty mentor.
3. Comparative analysis
Students will bring their individual close readings into conversation with each other, identifying patterns, tensions, and silences across the food system. Where do different actors share assumptions? Where do their framings conflict? This stage emphasizes collaborative thinking and is structured around regular group meetings with the faculty mentor.
4. Introductory interviews (for interested students)
Students who are interested may conduct short, focused interviews with representatives from one or two organizations, asking how they define key problems and who they see as allies or obstacles in the food system. This component is optional and will be pursued with appropriate preparation and Human Subjects Research training.
Skills that research assistant(s) may need: Strong reading and writing skills: required
Curiosity and comfort with interpretive, open-ended questions: required
Familiarity with qualitative or social science research: helpful
Basic comfort with online research and document analysis: helpful
Mentoring Philosophy
I begin mentoring by meeting students where they are. First- and second-year students rarely have research experience, and my job is to build it through small, concrete steps that gradually develop competence and confidence in their own thinking. Three commitments follow from this.1. Scaffolding: I structure research tasks so that each is achievable while building toward something larger. A student who has never read an academic article learns first to identify its argument, then to situate it among others, then to see what a body of scholarship does and doesn’t address.
2. Ownership: I begin by asking what each student hopes to get from the experience, and shape their work accordingly. I provide structure and guidance, but within that structure I expect students to make decisions, pursue their own hunches, and bring their curiosity to the work, which becomes easier as their confidence grows. I treat students as junior researchers developing their capacity to ask questions.
3. Collaboration: My research assistants meet regularly as a group, not only with me, so that they learn to think alongside peers and challenge each other’s readings. This co-learning is central to how I teach and work.
Throughout, I give direct, specific feedback and share my own thinking openly, including its uncertainties. Good research involves not knowing, getting stuck, and revising, and students should feel comfortable saying “I don’t understand this yet.” Ultimately, I want them to leave this experience with a sense of what it means to think carefully about the world.
Additional Information
https://fsu.zoom.us/rec/play/HcaJRLCr3381MNg9R2mxv37Gab3FXidHxBs6e8CunTKfvajpNrvmkhepMbPsVNjeJzIBhRFAKJe8WBF5.wc32UcC2LrS5behQ?accessLevel=meeting&canPlayFromShare=true&from=my_recording&continueMode=true&oldStyle=true&componentName=rec-play&originRequestUrl=https%3A%2F%2Ffsu.zoom.us%2Frec%2Fshare%2FfWYw4oKBx26yhDtc33dJWH6bfEPwaC22-_tWbHzn7nJGEozd2BKvlJyMsJD3HfXz.qJV395Eskzbo3IRxLink to Publications
https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=pahIh1UAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=aoSocial Media, Influencers, and Rural Life
Social media, rural representation, influencers, digital media, sustainability
Research Mentor: Dr. Burge Abiral, She/her/hers
Department, College, Affiliation: Anthropology, Arts and Sciences
Contact Email: burge.abiral@fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor):
Research Assistant Supervisor Email:
Faculty Collaborators:
Faculty Collaborators Email:
Department, College, Affiliation: Anthropology, Arts and Sciences
Contact Email: burge.abiral@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: Open to all majors.
Project Location: On FSU Main Campus
Research Assistant Transportation Required: Remote or In-person: Partially Remote
Approximate Weekly Hours: 8, Flexible schedule (Combination of business and outside of business. TBD between student and research mentor.)
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link:
Number of Research Assistants: 3
Relevant Majors: Open to all majors.
Project Location: On FSU Main Campus
Research Assistant Transportation Required: Remote or In-person: Partially Remote
Approximate Weekly Hours: 8, 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: 2:00
Zoom Link: https://fsu.zoom.us/j/93974159075 - Day: Friday, September 4
Start Time: 2:00
End Time: 4:00
Zoom Link: https://fsu.zoom.us/j/93974159075
Project Description
Social media is full of images of rural life: people baking bread, tending gardens, raising animals, living “simply” and “sustainably” off the land. These images circulate widely and shape how millions of people think about nature, agriculture, and what a good life looks like. But whose version of rural life gets represented, and whose gets left out? What happens when a lifestyle becomes an aesthetic, something to be curated, consumed, and sold?This project investigates how rural and agricultural life is represented on social media, and what those representations reveal about broader cultural anxieties around sustainability, gender, and the relationship between nature and capitalism. Research assistants will help build the scholarly foundation for this project by mapping and synthesizing English-language academic literature at the intersection of digital media studies, environmental humanities, and cultural anthropology. They will also conduct close analysis of a small number of English-language accounts, learning to read digital self-representation as cultural material.
Students with an interest in digital methods will also have the opportunity to explore the technical and ethical dimensions of social media data collection, investigating what tools exist for gathering publicly available content at scale, what their limitations are, and what responsible data collection looks like in practice. This is an exploratory component aimed at building methodological awareness.
The literature and methods groundwork students develop will directly inform an ongoing collaborative research project on social media representations of rural life and agroecological movements.
Research Tasks: Students will work on two core tasks, with an optional third for those with technical interests:
1. Annotated bibliography and literature mapping
Students will identify, read, and annotate academic sources across a set of defined themes relevant to the project. These themes include: influencer culture and the commodification of lifestyle; digital representations of rurality, nature, and sustainability; pastoral aesthetics and their cultural politics; gender and labor in alternative food and back-to-the-land movements; and social media as a site of environmental discourse. The goal is to find sources, to understand what conversations are happening across media studies, environmental humanities, cultural anthropology, and geography, and to see how those conversations might speak to each other. Students will produce structured annotation entries that summarize each source’s argument, note its disciplinary location, and flag connections to other sources and to the project’s core questions.
2. Close analysis of accounts and synthesis
Students will conduct sustained close analysis of two or three English-language social media accounts that represent rural, agricultural, or “simple living” lifestyles, attending throughout to the ethics of studying public social media content. Working from a shared set of analytical prompts, students will attend to how these accounts construct rural life, i.e., what is shown and what is left out, how labor appears or disappears, how gender is performed, what kind of viewer the content addresses, and how audience responses circulate meanings back.
Students will then bring this material into conversation with the scholarship they have assembled, producing short synthesis memos of 3-5 pages. For example: how do scholars currently understand the relationship between social media aesthetics and environmental politics, and does that framework capture what these accounts are actually doing? What does the literature say about gender and the rural imaginary, and where does it fall short?
3. Digital methods exploration (for interested students with technical inclination)
Students interested in digital methods will survey what tools currently exist for collecting publicly available social media content at scale, including posts, captions, and comments. This involves comparing available scraping and data collection tools, understanding their technical requirements, costs, and platform-specific limitations, and assessing how well each tool fits a small-scale academic project. The deliverable is a methodological memo: a clear-eyed comparison of what is currently feasible and what tradeoffs each option involves.
Skills that research assistant(s) may need: Strong reading and writing skills: required
Ability to engage with academic texts and summarize arguments accurately: required
Interest in or familiarity with social media platforms: recommended
Curiosity about digital media, environmental politics, or cultural representation: recommended
Familiarity with academic databases (JSTOR, Google Scholar): helpful, and can be taught
Basic technical literacy or interest in digital methods: recommended for students interested in Task 3
Mentoring Philosophy
I begin mentoring by meeting students where they are. First- and second-year students rarely have research experience, and my job is to build it through small, concrete steps that gradually develop competence and confidence in their own thinking. Three commitments follow from this.1. Scaffolding: I structure research tasks so that each is achievable while building toward something larger. A student who has never read an academic article learns first to identify its argument, then to situate it among others, then to see what a body of scholarship does and doesn’t address.
2. Ownership: I begin by asking what each student hopes to get from the experience, and shape their work accordingly. I provide structure and guidance, but within that structure I expect students to make decisions, pursue their own hunches, and bring their curiosity to the work, which becomes easier as their confidence grows. I treat students as junior researchers developing their capacity to ask questions.
3. Collaboration: My research assistants meet regularly as a group, not only with me, so that they learn to think alongside peers and challenge each other’s readings. This co-learning is central to how I teach and work.
Throughout, I give direct, specific feedback and share my own thinking openly, including its uncertainties. Good research involves not knowing, getting stuck, and revising, and students should feel comfortable saying “I don’t understand this yet.” Ultimately, I want them to leave this experience with a sense of what it means to think carefully about the world.