UROP Project
Mapping the Premodern Body: A Digital Humanities Study of Medieval and Early Modern Anatomical Knowledge
History, medicine, manuscripts, digital humanities, anatomy
Research Mentor: Baylee Staufenbiel, She/her
Department, College, Affiliation: History, Arts and Sciences
Contact Email: bstaufenbiel@fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor):
Research Assistant Supervisor Email:
Faculty Collaborators:
Faculty Collaborators Email:
Department, College, Affiliation: History, Arts and Sciences
Contact Email: bstaufenbiel@fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor):
Research Assistant Supervisor Email:
Faculty Collaborators:
Faculty Collaborators Email:
Looking for Research Assistants: Yes
Number of Research Assistants: 2
Relevant Majors: Open to all majors
Project Location: On FSU Main Campus
Research Assistant Transportation Required: Remote or In-person: Partially Remote
Approximate Weekly Hours: 5-10, Flexible schedule (Combination of business and outside of business. TBD between student and research mentor.)
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link:
Not participating in the roundtable
Number of Research Assistants: 2
Relevant Majors: Open to all majors
Project Location: On FSU Main Campus
Research Assistant Transportation Required: Remote or In-person: Partially Remote
Approximate Weekly Hours: 5-10, Flexible schedule (Combination of business and outside of business. TBD between student and research mentor.)
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link:
Not participating in the roundtable
Project Description
This project looks at how people understood and represented the human body in medieval and early modern Europe. Before modern anatomical textbooks and atlases, information about the body appeared in manuscripts, medical texts, diagrams, illustrations, and early printed books. Many of these materials have now been digitized by libraries and museums, but they are spread across different collections and can be difficult to study together.The goal of this project is to find examples of anatomical texts and images and bring information about them together into a searchable dataset. We will record basic information about each source, such as when and where it was made, by whom, the publisher, author, possible translations and copies, where it is currently held, what parts of the body it represents, what text or image it contains, and how it relates to other examples.
Once we have collected enough material, we can use the dataset to look for patterns. For example: Do certain kinds of anatomical images become more common during particular periods? Do different ways of representing the body appear in different places? Do the same images appear alongside different medical texts? What changes when anatomical information moves from handwritten manuscripts into printed books?
The larger goal is to use digital tools to make connections between historical sources that are now scattered across libraries and collections around the world.
Research Tasks: Students working on this project may:
Search digital libraries, museum collections, manuscript databases, and other online resources for medieval and early modern anatomical texts and images.
Enter information about sources into a shared spreadsheet or database.
Help decide how information should be categorized and recorded.
Find additional information or metadata when needed about manuscripts, books, images, authors, dates, and places.
Learn how to analyze written or printed materials across time, space, and place.
Depending on interest and experience, create maps, timelines, charts, visualizations, or other ways of presenting data.
Learn how historians evaluate incomplete or uncertain evidence and how those uncertainties can be represented accurately in a digital dataset.
Students will not be expected to arrive knowing how to work with medieval manuscripts or historical medical texts. Training will be provided, and tasks can be divided according to students’ interests and strengths. Students will have the opportunity to pursue a smaller questions of their own using material gathered by the team.
Skills that research assistant(s) may need: Required:
Ability to use a computer and learn how to enter and organize information in a spreadsheet or similar format.
Attention to detail.
Willingness to learn unfamiliar material and ask questions.
Ability to follow an agreed system for recording information.
Ability to work independently and as part of a research team.
Recommended but not required:
No particular major or academic background is required. Students in history, computer science, information technology, data science, biology, pre-medical fields, art history, classics, languages, or other areas may all be a good fit for the project.
Experience with spreadsheets, databases, coding, data visualization, digital humanities, historical research, languages, or medieval and early modern history is welcome but not required.
Students are not expected to have all of these skills. Different students may contribute different strengths to the team. For example, a student with a history background may help interpret historical sources while a student with a computing background could help determine how information can efficiently be organized and analyzed digitally. Students will learn from one another as well as from the mentor.
Mentoring Philosophy
My goal as a mentor is to help students become comfortable with the process of research, including the fact that research often involves uncertainty, experimentation, and learning new skills along the way. I do not expect students to begin the project already knowing how to work with historical sources, digital humanities methods, or specialized research tools. These skills can be learned through the project.At the beginning, I will provide precise instructions, examples, and smaller tasks so that students can become familiar with the sources and methods we are using. As they gain experience, students will have more opportunities to direct parts of the project. I encourage students to ask questions, especially when they encounter information that is unclear or does not fit neatly into the categories we have created. Recognizing and grappling with uncertainty is an important part of all research.
I also want students to contribute the knowledge and skills they already have. Because this is an interdisciplinary project, students may approach the material from very different backgrounds. A historian, computer science student, biology student, or art history student may notice different problems and possibilities in the same corpus. I want students to learn from each other and recognize interdisciplinary in even small things like data analysis.
Ultimately, I want students to leave the project understanding how historical research works. I want them to develop practical research skills and make an identifiable intellectual contribution to a digital project that has real world benefits for researchers.
Additional Information
Many of the manuscripts that the students will encounter are in various languages, such as Latin, French, Italian, Old English German, etc.Many are also handwritten and require paleography to read them. I don’t expect students to be able to actually read the manuscripts or the early books themselves. What they will need to be able to read is the library or museum databases that have already been established.
Link to Publications
3rd Placemaking through Community Collaboration
FSU/Providence Community Partnership 3rd Placemaking
Research Mentor: Ms. Rahni Wright, She/Her
Department, College, Affiliation: Gulf Scholars Program at the FAMU-FSU COE -Resiliency , N/A
Contact Email: rbs02c@fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor):
Research Assistant Supervisor Email:
Faculty Collaborators:
Faculty Collaborators Email:
Department, College, Affiliation: Gulf Scholars Program at the FAMU-FSU COE -Resiliency , N/A
Contact Email: rbs02c@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: 1800 Indian River, Tallahassee, FL 32310
Research Assistant Transportation Required: Yes Remote or In-person: In-person
Approximate Weekly Hours: 6, Outside of business hours
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link:
Number of Research Assistants: 3
Relevant Majors: Open to all majors
Project Location: 1800 Indian River, Tallahassee, FL 32310
Research Assistant Transportation Required: Yes Remote or In-person: In-person
Approximate Weekly Hours: 6, Outside of business hours
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link:
- Day: Wednesday, September 2
Start Time: 2:30
End Time: 3:00
Zoom Link: https://fsu.zoom.us/j/96364466303?pwd=W8TCPuHnGbSqqCY49rGFyOfH3cjPl8.1
Project Description
Resiliency is a project that is a part of the Gulf Scholars Program at the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering. This project is an ongoing companion to the four-semester undergraduate program that is designed to support student progress in community engagement and research about the Gulf Region. Resiliency is a new addition to the program to open the base program to more students who are not currently accepted as Gulf Scholars. Resiliency is open to all students enrolled in classes at FAMU-FSU College of Engineering (COE) and all students at FSU.Originally, Gulf Scholars did individual projects to support the Providence Garden’s goals of
1. Increasing Providence neighbor participation in having a garden plot
2. Increasing Providence neighbor education around growing food
Resiliency now supports third place community building to benefit students and neighbors of the COE.
Resiliency works on our Gulf Scholar learning outcomes of experiential learning and interdisciplinary work. Additionally, Resiliency supports the student skill building around moderating burnout, understanding the nature of change, understanding what to do with failure, intercultural communication, and collaboratively identifying issues.
Resiliency addresses this skill building within the scope of food security and mental health.
This UROP project seeks to have one student focus on college student participation and have two students look at community participation. Each have different desires that would have to be met to determine 3rd placemaking for the garden.
Research Tasks: Interact with the community at the Providence Community Garden Workdays (3rd Saturday of each month) 10-Noon
Determine the best way to increase community garden participation through interviews, surveys and research.
Develop at least one event to be hosted during the for the community to test the feedback.
Analyze the event (and past events) for success and improvements.
Repeat as time and resources allow.
Skills that research assistant(s) may need: The student will need to have some familiarity with social media communications (recommended). They are required to speak to strangers and be comfortable with or be willing to hold conversations with people they don't know. They must be comfortable or willing to become comfortable with getting quick feedback from multiple people as the "lessons" most often come from peers and people outside of the academic structure (required). The student will also need to coordinate with other members of this project to survey on foot (in a peer-pair) throughout the community (required). They must be comfortable with partner work (required).
Mentoring Philosophy
This mentorship rests within the rest of your full life. I need for you to keep me abreast of your changes as we work together toward our mutual goals. We will discuss what is important to this project and what you find important to your academic and skills development. Communication is key to the support and maintenance of your comfort and boundaries.Additional Information
There are several active organizations that work in the garden therefore there are many other students to work with. Engineers Without Borders is one of the reoccurring student organizations that are interested in project making that would support 3 place use of the space.There is parking available right at the site. The researchers would get access codes and keys to the garden during their research time. There are additional resources from the Providence Neighborhood (multiple iPads for Qualtrics surveys and/sign in, speaker and microphone for events.
https://fsu.zoom.us/rec/play/ou1KtySQoOwp5iKd5fv2JXwWJj5Br9MHgEq9kRVoXQGGEq9swehHYpL-Q3SBfNSgYPz8Ohc2uUnF5qsI.ssuo8bG5SFnmLcCS?accessLevel=meeting&canPlayFromShare=true&from=my_recording&continueMode=false&oldStyle=true&componentName=rec-play&originRequestUrl=https%3A%2F%2Ffsu.zoom.us%2Frec%2Fshare%2FJNcL_T4HxXEGiqOOCmqblaUz8TlwdYCijMBCt6Cy6ppO4hqId6Hxuauj6SKdsuZg.dkBjoD6RLRqEx9wO&autoplay=true&startTime=1788374650000
Link to Publications
https://eng.famu.fsu.edu/gulf-scholars-program/community-innovationOnline Dating Implications for Sexual Health and Personal Well-Being: Attachment Style and Hyperpersonal Effects in Online Dyadic Communication
online dating; attachment; sexual health; well-being; communication; risk behavior; mental health
Research Mentor: Trayana Kaleycheva, She/her/hers
Department, College, Affiliation: School of Communication, Communication and Information
Contact Email: tkaleycheva@fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor):
Research Assistant Supervisor Email:
Faculty Collaborators:
Faculty Collaborators Email:
Department, College, Affiliation: School of Communication, Communication and Information
Contact Email: tkaleycheva@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: Communication, Media Studies, Psychology, Family Studies, Social Work, Sociology.
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: Communication, Media Studies, Psychology, Family Studies, Social Work, Sociology.
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
Online dating has become one of the most common ways U.S. adults meet romantic partners, yet accumulating evidence shows that people who use dating apps consistently report higher rates of depression, anxiety, emotional dysregulation, and loneliness, as well as rising rates of sexually transmitted infections than those who do not. These findings raise serious questions about what the implications of online dating platforms are for our mental and sexual health. This proposal will combine a large-scale survey with in-depth personal interviews to examine how two powerful psychological forces (the hyperpersonal effects of online communication that can make people feel artificially closer and more intimate than they really are, and the deep-seated attachment patterns people develop in childhood and then display in their adult relationships) shape the choices app users make about sex and love and the impact on their psychological well-being. This project will test whether people who struggle with attachment insecurities are the ones most harmed by dating app use, seeking to identify who is most at risk, to explain the hidden psychological mechanisms driving that risk, and to generate practical knowledge that can directly inform how these platforms are designed, how mental health services address the issue, and how public health campaigns promote safer, healthier relationships in the digital age.Research Tasks: Data analysis – I need up to two assistants to help me with the textual analysis of the interview data for my dissertation (qualitative work). They can also observe the data collection process and help with other analysis-related tasks.
Skills that research assistant(s) may need: Experience with textual analysis, preferably qualitative content analysis (required).
Experience with software/s for qualitative data analysis (recommended).
Experience/ strong interest in conducting interviews (recommended).
Mentoring Philosophy
My mentoring philosophy centers on building an environment of mutual growth, where I learn from my mentees as much as they learn from me. I take seriously the responsibility of listening: before I set direction for a project, I make space for mentees to articulate their own ideas, questions, and needs, and I treat those as legitimate inputs into how we proceed together.Critical thinking is the engine of everything we do. Rather than handing mentees answers or procedures to follow, I push them to interrogate assumptions, weigh evidence, and defend their reasoning, so that the research process itself becomes a training ground for independent judgment.
I want mentees to leave with two intertwined sets of gains. The first is technical: fluency in the specific research methods and tools our research work demands. The second, but equally important, is interpersonal: empathy, the ability to collaborate on a team, the confidence to lead when needed, the skill of giving and receiving constructive feedback, and clear communication. These qualities combine technical competence with effective, sustainable work with other people.
My end goal as a mentor is to inspire and facilitate each mentee’s own pursuit of knowledge and meaning, not only within their research and careers but across their broader lives as well. I see mentoring as successful when a mentee leaves not merely having produced good work, but having grown into someone who thinks more rigorously, relates more thoughtfully to colleagues, and carries a genuine curiosity forward into whatever they do next.
Additional Information
Link to Publications
Carbon Nanotube Z-Stitching of Hybrid Carbon-Carbon Composites for Enhanced Thermal Conductivity and Interlaminar Toughness
Z-stitching, Carbon-Carbon Materials, Thermal and Electrical Conductivity
Research Mentor: Mr. Bryan Carpio, He/him
Department, College, Affiliation: High Performance Materials Institute, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering
Contact Email: bc21g@fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor):
Research Assistant Supervisor Email:
Faculty Collaborators:
Faculty Collaborators Email:
Department, College, Affiliation: High Performance Materials Institute, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering
Contact Email: bc21g@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: Mechanical Engineering, Materials Engineering, Industrial Engineering
Project Location: 2005 Levy Ave, Tallahassee, FL 32310
Research Assistant Transportation Required: The Innovation Route (The Seminole Express system) Remote or In-person: In-person
Approximate Weekly Hours: about 5-10 hours a week , During business hours
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link:
Not participating in the roundtable
Number of Research Assistants: 1
Relevant Majors: Mechanical Engineering, Materials Engineering, Industrial Engineering
Project Location: 2005 Levy Ave, Tallahassee, FL 32310
Research Assistant Transportation Required: The Innovation Route (The Seminole Express system) Remote or In-person: In-person
Approximate Weekly Hours: about 5-10 hours a week , During business hours
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link:
Not participating in the roundtable
Project Description
This research investigates the use of three-dimensional through-thickness stitching to improve the performance of carbon-based composite materials. The project focuses on integrating carbon nanotube (CNT) yarn through layered carbon-fiber preforms to create a 3D-reinforced composite structure. The primary goal is to determine how stitching configuration and density influence through-thickness thermal transport and the mechanical strength of the composite. The research includes composite fabrication, specimen preparation, materials characterization, thermal and mechanical testing, and analysis of experimental data.Research Tasks: Literature review; preparation and fabrication of carbon-fiber composite specimen; manual through-thickness stitching using CNT yarn; measurement and documentation of stitch patterns and densities; specimen preparation for thermal and mechanical characterization testing; collection and organization of experimental data; calculation and analysis of thermal and mechanical properties; microscopy; comparison of stitched and unstitched composite specimens; data visualization; and assistance with interpreting and presenting research findings.
Skills that research assistant(s) may need: Required: Reliability, attention to detail, willingness to learn, ability to follow laboratory safety procedures, and careful documentation of experimental work.
Recommended: familiarity with composite materials, materials science, mechanical engineering, or related fields; basic experience with data collection and analysis; proficiency with Excel or similar software; comfort working with small specimens and repetitive fabrication tasks
Mentoring Philosophy
My mentoring philosophy is centered on creating opportunities for students who are genuinely curious, motivated to learn, and excited about contributing to cutting-edge research in aerospace engineering. I was fortunate to have a mentor who recognized those same qualities in me early in my research experience and invested the time to teach me how to become an independent and capable researcher. That experience strongly influences the way I hope to mentor others.I believe mentorship should extend beyond teaching students how to perform laboratory procedures. While I want my mentees to develop practical skills in specimen preparation, materials characterization, laboratory equipment, data collection, and safe research practices, I also want them to understand why the work they are doing matters. I encourage students to ask questions, learn from mistakes, take increasing ownership of their work, and connect individual laboratory tasks to the larger research of our field.
One of the most valuable skills my own mentor taught me was how to communicate research effectively. For that reason, I place particular importance on helping students learn how to explain their methods, results, and significance to both technical and non-technical audiences. My goal is for students to leave the research experience not only with stronger technical skills, but also with greater confidence, independence, and the ability to communicate the value of their work to others.
Additional Information
Link to Publications
Car or Bus? Understanding University Students’ Transportation Choices and Barriers to Public Transit Use
Transportation behavior; public transit; student mobility; parking; sustainability; travel behavior; university policy; behavioral decision-making
Research Mentor: hbejanyan@fsu.edu Hayk Bejanyan,
Department, College, Affiliation: Askew School of Public Administration and Policy, Social Sciences and Public Policy
Contact Email: hbejanyan@fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor):
Research Assistant Supervisor Email:
Faculty Collaborators:
Faculty Collaborators Email:
Department, College, Affiliation: Askew School of Public Administration and Policy, Social Sciences and Public Policy
Contact Email: hbejanyan@fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor):
Research Assistant Supervisor Email:
Faculty Collaborators:
Faculty Collaborators Email:
Looking for Research Assistants: Yes
Number of Research Assistants: 2
Relevant Majors: Open to all majors. Students in Public Administration, Political Science, Economics, Urban and Regional Planning, Geography, Sociology, Psychology, Business, Statistics, or related fields may find the project particularly relevant.
Project Location: On FSU Main Campus
Research Assistant Transportation Required: No, the project is remote Remote or In-person: Partially Remote
Approximate Weekly Hours: 7, Flexible schedule (Combination of business and outside of business. TBD between student and research mentor.)
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link:
Number of Research Assistants: 2
Relevant Majors: Open to all majors. Students in Public Administration, Political Science, Economics, Urban and Regional Planning, Geography, Sociology, Psychology, Business, Statistics, or related fields may find the project particularly relevant.
Project Location: On FSU Main Campus
Research Assistant Transportation Required: No, the project is remote Remote or In-person: Partially Remote
Approximate Weekly Hours: 7, Flexible schedule (Combination of business and outside of business. TBD between student and research mentor.)
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link:
- Day: Monday, August 31
Start Time: 2:00
End Time: 3:00
Zoom Link: https://fsu.zoom.us/j/95674055682 - Day: Wednesday, September 2
Start Time: 12:00
End Time: 1:00
Zoom Link: https://fsu.zoom.us/j/95745511330
Project Description
Transportation is an important component of the university experience, affecting students’ time, expenses, access to campus, parking demand, traffic congestion, and environmental sustainability. Although public transportation provides an alternative to private vehicles, many university students continue to prefer driving to campus.This project seeks to understand the factors that influence students' decisions to drive rather than use bus transportation and to identify changes that could make public transit a more attractive alternative.
The research will examine factors such as travel time, convenience, reliability, flexibility, bus frequency, accessibility of stops, parking availability and cost, safety, comfort, weather, class schedules, and students' perceptions of public transportation. The study will also explore whether students have accurate information about the relative costs and travel times associated with different transportation options.
The project will use a mixed-methods approach combining a review of existing research, student surveys, campus observations, and potentially interviews or focus groups. Students may also compare travel scenarios involving private vehicles and public transportation.
The broader goal is to identify the most important barriers to bus use and develop evidence-based recommendations that universities and transportation providers could consider to encourage more sustainable and efficient student transportation choices.
Research Tasks: Research assistants will participate in several stages of the research process, including:
Conducting a literature review on student transportation behavior, public transit use, and transportation choice.
Helping refine research questions and hypotheses.
Assisting with the development and testing of a student transportation survey.
Recruiting survey participants and collecting data.
Conducting structured observations of transportation patterns at selected campus locations.
Collecting information about transportation alternatives, including estimated travel time, cost, frequency, and accessibility.
Cleaning and organizing survey and observational data.
Conducting descriptive statistical analyses and, depending on the students' interests and skills, introductory regression or choice-model analysis.
Assisting with interpretation of findings.
Developing tables, figures, and visualizations.
Reviewing relevant university transportation policies and practices.
Developing policy recommendations based on the findings.
Preparing an abstract and research poster for the FSU Undergraduate Research Symposium.
Skills that research assistant(s) may need: Required:
Strong interest in research and willingness to learn; reliability and ability to meet agreed deadlines; attention to detail; ability to communicate professionally and work collaboratively; basic familiarity with Microsoft Excel or similar software.
Recommended but not required:
Previous coursework in statistics, research methods, economics, public policy, transportation, sociology, psychology, or related fields. Experience with survey research, Excel, R, Python, SPSS, Stata, GIS, or data visualization would be helpful but is not necessary.
No previous research experience is required. Students will receive guidance on research methods and project-specific tasks.
Mentoring Philosophy
My mentoring approach is based on learning through active participation in the research process. I view undergraduate research as an opportunity for students not only to assist with an existing project but also to develop their own research skills, professional interests, and confidence as researchers.At the beginning of the project, I will work with each research assistant to understand their academic interests, existing skills, and learning goals. Responsibilities will initially be clearly structured, with additional independence provided as students gain experience. Research assistants will participate in different stages of the project, including research design, literature review, data collection, analysis, interpretation, and presentation of findings.
I encourage students to ask questions, challenge assumptions, propose ideas, and take ownership of parts of the project. Mistakes are treated as part of the learning process, provided that students communicate openly and use feedback to improve their work.
We will meet regularly to review progress, discuss challenges, and connect specific research tasks to broader methodological and policy questions. I will also provide feedback on students' analytical, writing, presentation, and research skills. By the end of the project, my goal is for research assistants to understand how an initial real-world problem can be transformed into a research question, investigated systematically, and translated into evidence-based recommendations.
Additional Information
This project is particularly appropriate for students interested in solving practical problems that affect everyday university life. Research assistants will have an opportunity to contribute to a project with direct implications for transportation, parking, sustainability, student experience, and university policy.The project does not require previous expertise in transportation research. Students from different academic backgrounds are encouraged to apply. Research responsibilities may be adjusted according to each student's interests, including quantitative analysis, surveys, behavioral research, policy analysis, data visualization, or transportation planning.
I would also slightly change the conceptual framing from “Why do students prefer driving rather than taking a bus?” to “What explains students' transportation choices, and what would make public transit a viable alternative to driving?”
That is stronger academically because you are not assuming in advance that students prefer driving. You first test whether they do, identify who prefers driving, determine why, and then estimate what could change that behavior. It gives you hypotheses that the UROP students can actually test and makes the project look much more like publishable research.
Link to Publications
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5784-0607The Question of Palestine in the UN General Debate
Text anlaysis, Ideology, Foreign Policy, United Nations, Middle East, UN speeches, International Law
Research Mentor: Hashim Malallah,
Department, College, Affiliation: Political Sceince, Social Sciences and Public Policy
Contact Email: hm22o@fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor):
Research Assistant Supervisor Email:
Faculty Collaborators:
Faculty Collaborators Email:
Department, College, Affiliation: Political Sceince, Social Sciences and Public Policy
Contact Email: hm22o@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: Political science and pre-law are preferred, but not required.
Project Location: On FSU Main Campus
Research Assistant Transportation Required: Remote or In-person: Fully 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: 3
Relevant Majors: Political science and pre-law are preferred, but not required.
Project Location: On FSU Main Campus
Research Assistant Transportation Required: Remote or In-person: Fully 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
When and why do leaders with different ideological orientations publicly support or criticize parties involved in conflict? I examine how left and right leaders differ in their UN General Debate discourse when they address global audiences using the Question of Palestine as a case study. While existing literature use the corpus of UNGD speeches in a variety of applications, relatively few studies classify political stance or sentiment on any global issue using speech data. To address this gap, I use a Transformer-based deep learning model to classify UNGD speeches based on their targeted stance and sentiment towards Israel and Palestine. I propose and test competing theoretical expectations about the effect of leaders’ ideology on rhetorical support for Israel and Palestine from 1947 to 2023. Using panel matching with difference-in-differences, I show that shifts to non-left governments increase attention to the Question of Palestine, whereas shifts to left governments reduce references to Israel’s right to exist and increase negative sentiment toward Israel. The findings are not solely driven by issue salience or selection into agenda topics, as they hold even in sessions when the question of Palestine is not on the agenda. The results imply that ideology shapes not only foreign policy preferences but also the attention to and expression of those preferences.In the next step of this project, I expand my classification scheme on UNGD speeches to evaluate causal mechanisms underlying support for Israel or Palestine. I will create a new handbook for hand coding that involves the following dimensions: human rights, colonialism, economic development, arms control.
Research Tasks: Hand coding UN General Debate speeches based on a handbook that include specific instructions. Students will read through speeches, learn patterns, and classify speeches based on the 4 dimensions: human rights, colonialism, economic development, arms control.
Skills that research assistant(s) may need: Attention to detail, interest in International law and international organizations!
Mentoring Philosophy
My mentorship philosophy centers on incorporating students’ ideas into my projects and giving them meaningful opportunities to contribute to the research process. I like to walk research assistants through each step of the project, allowing them to express their ideas and teaching them how we do quantitative political science research at the graduate level. My goal is to assist undergraduate students who are seeking graduate level studies in the social sciences, exposing them to how computational research can be used to answer pressing humanitarian and global issues.Additional Information
Link to Publications
https://hmalallah.github.io/HashimMalallah/Foudation Models and Agentic Systems for Multi-hazard Prediction
multi-hazard prediction, foundation models, agentic AI, spatiotemporal learning, graph learning, uncertainty quantification, scientific machine learning
Research Mentor: xc25@fsu.edu Xueqi Cheng, Mr.
Department, College, Affiliation: Department of Computer Science, Arts and Sciences
Contact Email: xc25@fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor):
Research Assistant Supervisor Email:
Faculty Collaborators:
Faculty Collaborators Email:
Department, College, Affiliation: Department of Computer Science, Arts and Sciences
Contact Email: xc25@fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor):
Research Assistant Supervisor Email:
Faculty Collaborators:
Faculty Collaborators Email:
Looking for Research Assistants: Yes
Number of Research Assistants: 2
Relevant Majors: Open to all majors, preferring students with good CS and AI backgrounds.
Project Location: On FSU Main Campus
Research Assistant Transportation Required: No, the project is remote Remote or In-person: Fully Remote
Approximate Weekly Hours: 10, During business hours
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link:
Number of Research Assistants: 2
Relevant Majors: Open to all majors, preferring students with good CS and AI backgrounds.
Project Location: On FSU Main Campus
Research Assistant Transportation Required: No, the project is remote Remote or In-person: Fully Remote
Approximate Weekly Hours: 10, During business hours
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link:
- Day: Friday, September 4
Start Time: 2:00
End Time: 2:30
Zoom Link: https://fsu.zoom.us/j/5746622766
Project Description
Natural hazards often interact. Two or more hazards may occur in the same region within a meaningful time window, and an earlier hazard may change the likelihood or severity of a later hazard. For example, a tropical cyclone can lead to flooding, while a wildfire can increase later flood risk by changing vegetation and soil conditions. Predicting these compound and cascading events requires models that can learn relationships across different hazards.This project will study how foundation models and agentic systems can improve multi-hazard prediction. The foundation model will learn shared representations of hazard events, their surrounding conditions, and their spatial and temporal relationships. Hazard-specific components will process different forms of input data, while a shared model will estimate the probability, type, timing, and severity of subsequent hazards.
The agentic system will coordinate data, models, and evaluation tools available through PyHazards. Given an observed hazard, location, and time horizon, the agent will select suitable resources, construct a prediction workflow, run approved models, check the results, and generate a report with predictions, uncertainty, and supporting evidence. The project will model predictive relationships between hazards but will not claim that one hazard caused another based only on their co-occurrence.
The two undergraduate researchers will work on focused components of this broader project. One student will assist with model experiments and evaluation. The other will assist with agent development and testing. They will receive starter code, structured research tasks, regular technical guidance, and access to AI coding assistants. They will not be expected to build the complete system independently.
The expected outcomes include tested model and agent components, quantitative experiments, documented code, and a research report. Strong results will be prepared for submission to a workshop at a major AI conference and may contribute to a main-track submission.
Research Tasks: 1. Literature review
The students will read a selected set of papers on multi-hazard prediction, foundation models, spatiotemporal learning, and AI agents. They will summarize the research questions, methods, and limitations and discuss them during weekly meetings.
2. PyHazards onboarding
The students will learn the basic structure of PyHazards and reproduce existing examples using provided instructions and starter code. They will become familiar with its datasets, models, experiment configurations, and evaluation tools.
3. Data inspection and validation
Using prepared scripts, the students will inspect hazard data, check data quality, and verify the spatial and temporal relationships used to construct multi-hazard events. They will document missing data, unusual cases, and possible sources of bias.
4. Model experiments
The student focusing on foundation models will run controlled experiments using provided training pipelines. The student will compare shared multi-hazard representations with single-hazard baselines, test selected model components, and analyze when cross-hazard learning improves or reduces performance.
5. Agent development and testing
The student focusing on agentic systems will help define tools, prompts, and test cases for the research agent. The student will test whether the agent selects compatible resources, completes the requested workflow, reports the correct results, and avoids unsupported conclusions.
6. Evaluation and error analysis
Both students will organize experimental results, compare model and agent performance, examine failure cases, and create clear tables and figures. They will work with the mentor to determine which results support the research conclusions.
7.Documentation and research communication
The students will document their experiments and code, present progress during lab meetings, and contribute figures, results, and written sections to a final research report or conference paper.
Skills that research assistant(s) may need: Required
- Responsible and dependable. Students should complete agreed tasks and communicate early when they encounter problems.
- Hard-working and persistent. Research often involves unsuccessful experiments, debugging, and repeated revision.
- Willing to learn. Students should be open to feedback, unfamiliar methods, and new research tools.
- Strong foundations in mathematics, especially linear algebra, calculus, probability, or statistics.
- Basic understanding of artificial intelligence or machine learning through coursework, self-study, or project experience.
- Ability to work respectfully with the mentor and another student.
Recommended
- Basic familiarity with Python.
- Experience with an introductory machine learning or deep learning course.
- Interest in natural hazards, weather, climate, or scientific applications of AI.
- Experience with data analysis, PyTorch, Git, or Linux is helpful but not required.
Advanced programming experience is not required. Starter code, technical guidance, code reviews, and AI coding assistants will be available throughout the project.
Mentoring Philosophy
I view mentoring as a partnership in which students receive clear structure, honest feedback, and increasing ownership of their work. At the beginning of the semester, I will meet with each student to understand their goals, assess their current preparation, and define a focused role that matches their interests. We will agree on written goals, responsibilities, and milestones.We will hold a weekly team meeting to review progress, discuss problems, and plan the next steps. I will also meet with each student individually to provide feedback and discuss workload, learning goals, and professional development. Early in the project, I will provide selected readings, starter code, demonstrations, and close technical support. As students gain confidence, I will give them more responsibility for proposing experiments and interpreting results.
I value responsibility, curiosity, persistence, and honest communication more than prior technical experience. Students should feel comfortable asking questions and reporting failed experiments. We will treat failures as opportunities to examine evidence, improve methods, and learn.
Feedback will be specific, timely, respectful, and two-way. I will help students use AI coding assistants responsibly while ensuring that they understand and verify the work they submit. We will discuss research integrity, reproducibility, authorship, and credit at the start of the project. Students who make substantive contributions to a paper will be included as coauthors.
Additional Information
Link to Publications
https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=MWnSFPMAAAAJ&hl=en; https://labrai.github.io/PyHazards/The Gremlin’s Bedlam
Music Composition; Tuba; Concerto; Orchestration
Research Mentor: Dr. Clifton Callender, he/him
Department, College, Affiliation: Composition, Music
Contact Email: jg20w@fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor):
Research Assistant Supervisor Email:
Faculty Collaborators:
Faculty Collaborators Email:
Department, College, Affiliation: Composition, Music
Contact Email: jg20w@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: Music, Music Theory, Music Composition, Music Education, Music Performance, or related fields. Students with strong interests in contemporary music, orchestration, acoustics, or interdisciplinary musical research are also encouraged to apply.
Project Location: On FSU Main Campus
Research Assistant Transportation Required: No, the project is remote Remote or In-person: Partially Remote
Approximate Weekly Hours: 5–7 hours per week, 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: Music, Music Theory, Music Composition, Music Education, Music Performance, or related fields. Students with strong interests in contemporary music, orchestration, acoustics, or interdisciplinary musical research are also encouraged to apply.
Project Location: On FSU Main Campus
Research Assistant Transportation Required: No, the project is remote Remote or In-person: Partially Remote
Approximate Weekly Hours: 5–7 hours per week, Flexible schedule (Combination of business and outside of business. TBD between student and research mentor.)
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link:
- Day: Thursday, September 3
Start Time: 12:00
End Time: 2:00
Zoom Link: https://bio.site/tubagruber
Project Description
The Gremlin’s Bedlam is an ongoing research and creative project centered on the development of a new concerto for solo tuba and orchestra. The project investigates how a contemporary composer can expand the expressive and virtuosic possibilities of the tuba while maintaining effective relationships among the soloist, orchestra, musical form, and acoustic properties of the instrument.Research assistants will contribute to the investigative foundation of the composition by examining historical and contemporary tuba repertoire, orchestration practices, extended techniques, instrumental acoustics, and approaches to concerto writing. Particular attention will be given to how composers address balance, register, articulation, timbre, endurance, resonance, and the projection of a low-register solo instrument against an orchestra.
The research will directly inform compositional decisions in The Gremlin’s Bedlam. Students will have the opportunity to observe how scholarly and analytical research moves from repertoire study into practical artistic decisions within the development of a substantial new musical work.
Research Tasks: Research assistants may:
Conduct literature and repertoire reviews related to the tuba, orchestration, concerto writing, and instrumental acoustics.
Identify and study significant historical and contemporary works featuring solo tuba.
Analyze scores and recordings to investigate orchestral balance, register, timbre, texture, and treatment of the solo instrument.
Research conventional and extended tuba techniques and their notation.
Organize research findings, repertoire examples, and bibliographic sources.
Compare approaches used by different composers to integrate low brass soloists with large ensembles.
Assist with documenting the compositional and research process.
Participate in discussions connecting research findings with developing passages of The Gremlin’s Bedlam.
Contribute to the preparation of research findings for presentation at the FSU Undergraduate Research Symposium.
Skills that research assistant(s) may need: Required:
Curiosity and willingness to engage with unfamiliar music and research.
Reliability and ability to complete independent research assignments.
Ability to communicate findings clearly.
Recommended:
Ability to read music.
Familiarity with music theory or score reading.
Experience performing a brass instrument or studying composition.
Familiarity with orchestral repertoire.
Basic experience using academic databases, citation systems, or music notation software.
Prior experience with tuba performance is not required.
Mentoring Philosophy
My mentoring philosophy centers on giving students meaningful ownership of their research while providing the structure and guidance necessary for them to succeed. I want research assistants to understand not only what they are researching, but why their findings matter to the larger project.Students will begin by identifying their individual interests, existing strengths, and areas they would like to develop. Research responsibilities can then be shaped around those interests while contributing to the broader investigation surrounding The Gremlin’s Bedlam. I will meet regularly with research assistants to discuss findings, answer questions, establish achievable goals, and connect their research to the evolving composition.
Because creative research often involves experimentation, I want students to feel comfortable proposing ideas, questioning assumptions, and discovering that an initial approach may not produce the expected result. Those moments can become valuable parts of the research process.
My goal is for each assistant to finish the project with greater independence as a researcher, stronger analytical and communication skills, and a tangible understanding of how research can directly influence the creation of a new artistic work.
Additional Information
This project combines traditional academic research with creative practice. Research assistants will be able to follow the development of a contemporary concerto from research and repertoire analysis through compositional decision-making. Depending on the project's development and the student's interests, opportunities may also arise to observe rehearsals, review developing score materials, or interact with performers regarding the practical application of the research.Link to Publications
Distributed Fiber Optic Sensing of Temperature and Strain in Geotechnical and Materials Engineering
Fiber Optic, Geotechnical, Foundations, Pavements
Research Mentor: Scott Wasman,
Department, College, Affiliation: Civil and Environmental Engineering, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering
Contact Email: swasman@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: swasman@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: Majors with laboratory and/or technical foundational components (sciences and mathematics)
Project Location: Engineering Campus
Research Assistant Transportation Required: Remote or In-person: In-person
Approximate Weekly Hours: 5-10, Flexible schedule (Combination of business and outside of business. TBD between student and research mentor.)
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link:
Number of Research Assistants: 1
Relevant Majors: Majors with laboratory and/or technical foundational components (sciences and mathematics)
Project Location: Engineering Campus
Research Assistant Transportation Required: Remote or In-person: In-person
Approximate Weekly Hours: 5-10, Flexible schedule (Combination of business and outside of business. TBD between student and research mentor.)
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link:
- Day: Wednesday, September 2
Start Time: 1:00
End Time: 2:00
Zoom Link: Scott Wasman is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting. Topic: Scott Wasman UROP Time: Sep 2, 2026 01:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada) Join Zoom Meeting https://fsu.zoom.us/j/98342058499 Meeting ID: 983 4205 8499
Project Description
Fiber optic sensing of temperature and mechanical strain in lab and field geotechnical and pavements systems is an emerging field of civil engineering. This type of sensing is very sensitive to small changes and is more cost effective than traditional sensing. Application of fiber to lab and field measurements offers a better understanding of these systems under physical and climatic stress, a primary focus of the professor. The project will involve working in the professors group to perform temperature and strain sensing of limestone, asphalt, reinforced concrete in the lab and in the field. Specific activities will be: working with samples, bonding fiber to samples, application to small models in the lab and field, using lab equipment to apply rate of strain load, data collection, data analysis, coding in Python or Matlab (if of interest), participating in research group presentations, participating in publications. The project will provide the student to work with fiber optics and learn a very new and promising technology that has applications beyond civil engineering, both large scale (>10 km) and small scale (mm), (aerospace, medical, biomedical, environmental, geology, oceanography, security, energy, power systems).Research Tasks: Literature review, experimental planning and setup, using lab equipment, data collection, data analysis, presenting results in a research group setting.
Skills that research assistant(s) may need: Required: interest in working in a lab and working with sensors, generally competent in excel, motivation to overcome challenges and communicate with professor.
Recommended: Curiosity about material behavior.
Mentoring Philosophy
Encouraging growth through challenges. Research is challenging and always a learning experience. I often work with mentees to develop their ability to learn how to learn, an important outcome that is useful in all aspects of life.Additional Information
Link to Publications
Power, Capital, and Agency in Doctoral Advising Relationships
advising; survey research; student agency; mentoring; power
Research Mentor: Charlotte M. Hayes, she/her/hers
Department, College, Affiliation: Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, Education, Health, and Human Sciences
Contact Email: cmh18cw@fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor):
Research Assistant Supervisor Email:
Faculty Collaborators:
Faculty Collaborators Email:
Department, College, Affiliation: Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, Education, Health, and Human Sciences
Contact Email: cmh18cw@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. This research would be especially relevant to education, sociology, psychology, or other social science majors, but I am happy to work with any student who is interested in the scope of this work.
Project Location: On FSU Main Campus
Research Assistant Transportation Required: No, the project is remote Remote or In-person: Fully Remote
Approximate Weekly Hours: 5-8, Flexible schedule (Combination of business and outside of business. TBD between student and research mentor.)
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link:
Number of Research Assistants: 1
Relevant Majors: Open to all majors. This research would be especially relevant to education, sociology, psychology, or other social science majors, but I am happy to work with any student who is interested in the scope of this work.
Project Location: On FSU Main Campus
Research Assistant Transportation Required: No, the project is remote Remote or In-person: Fully Remote
Approximate Weekly Hours: 5-8, Flexible schedule (Combination of business and outside of business. TBD between student and research mentor.)
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link:
- Day: Monday, August 31
Start Time: 3:30
End Time: 4:30
Zoom Link: https://fsu.zoom.us/my/cmh18cw - Day: Tuesday, September 1
Start Time: 12:00
End Time: 1:00
Zoom Link: https://fsu.zoom.us/my/cmh18cw - Day: Wednesday, September 2
Start Time: 12:30
End Time: 1:30
Zoom Link: https://fsu.zoom.us/my/cmh18cw - Day: Thursday, September 3
Start Time: 1:00
End Time: 2:00
Zoom Link: https://fsu.zoom.us/my/cmh18cw - Day: Friday, September 4
Start Time: 1:30
End Time: 2:30
Zoom Link: https://fsu.zoom.us/my/cmh18cw
Project Description
This dissertation project examines power, capital, and agency in doctoral advising relationship within education related PhD programs. Drawing on theories of capital and power, this study creates two complimentary surveys - one for doctoral students, one for faculty advisors - to explore self perceptions of cultural, economic, social, and symbolic capital and how these perceptions are connected to advising relationships, agency, and responses to professional interactions. The full project will include three related papers: the first paper will focus on doctoral student survey responses, the second paper will focus on faculty advisor survey responses, and the third paper will examine connections across and between the student and faculty surveys to better understand how advising relationships are experienced.The undergraduate research assistant will help support the early stages of this project by helping develop the foundation for survey recruitment and survey design. One major component of this stage of the project involves building a faculty contact database from publicly available education related PhD program websites. Another major component will involve identifying and summarizing existing survey based research on cultural capital, economic capital, social capital, symbolic capital, student agency, mentoring, and advising relationships. Through this work, the undergraduate research assistant will gain experience with literature searches, survey development, sampling strategies, research organization, and the process of building a dissertation study from the ground up.
This project would be a good fit for students interested in higher education, graduate education, mentoring, sociology, student success, survey research, or social science research more broadly.
Research Tasks: The undergraduate research assistant will help with the following tasks:
1. Building a faculty contact database from publicly available education related PhD program websites to include faculty names, titles, emails, program affiliations, URLs, and relevant notes.
2. Conducting literature searches for published survey studies on cultural, economic, social, and symbolic capital.
3. Identifying existing survey measures related to student agency, advisor/advisee relationships, power, comfort raising concerns, help seeking, and advising/mentoring relationships.
4. Creating a survey measures metric that summarizes relevant scales, survey items, response options, sample populations, and reliability information when available.
5. Across all tasks: maintaining organized documentation of search strategies, sources reviewed, and decisions made during contact collection and literature review.
Skills that research assistant(s) may need: - Detail oriented and able to enter information accurately (required)
- Able to communicate clearly when questions or problems arise (required)
- Ability to work independently with guidance (recommended)
- Comfort using Excel (recommended)
- Ability to search academic databases or willingness to learn database search strategies (recommended)
- Interest in higher education, graduate education, mentoring, survey research, or social science research (recommended)
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Mentoring Philosophy
I see undergraduate research assistants as emerging scholars and collaborators. My goal is to provide structured guidance while helping the student develop transferable research skills in literature searches, survey development, data organization, research ethics, and scholarly communication. I aim to create a mentoring relationship grounded in care, transparency, reciprocity, and active listening. I want students to understand how each task contributes to the larger research process and to see themselves as meaningful contributors to knowledge production.My mentoring approach recognizes that students bring valuable lived experiences, questions, and strengths to the research process. I hope to create a space for students to ask questions, name areas they want to grow, and connect the project to their own academic and professional interests. I believe mentoring should include clear expectations, regular communication, and scaffolded opportunities for independence. I will provide training and examples at the beginning of each major task, offer feedback throughout the year, and encourage the student to reflect on what they are learning.
Through this project, I hope the student gains confidence navigating academic literature, organizing research materials, thinking critically about survey design, and understanding how research projects are developed. My goal is for the student to leave with stronger research skills, a clear sense of their own scholarly interests, and greater confidence in their ability to contribute to academic research.