UROP Project

Exploring Apparel Options for NICU Mothers: Development of a Nursing and Kangaroo Care Garment System

Apparel Design, NICU, Breastfeeding
JLRC Headshot.jpg
Research Mentor: Dr. Jessica Ridgway Clayton, She/Her
Department, College, Affiliation: Retail Entrepreneurship, Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship
Contact Email: jridgway@fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor):
Research Assistant Supervisor Email:
Faculty Collaborators:
Faculty Collaborators Email:
Looking for Research Assistants: No
Number of Research Assistants: 2
Relevant Majors: Open to all majors.
Project Location: On FSU Main Campus
Research Assistant Transportation Required:
Remote or In-person: Partially Remote
Approximate Weekly Hours: 5-10 hrs, 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

Approximately 360,000 premature babies are born in the US each year, which means 1 in 10 babies are born before the 37th week of the 40-week gestational period (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2022). This pre-term birth rate is among the worst of high-resource nations (March of Dimes 2021 Report Card, 2021). Moreover, premature delivery often results in the baby requiring time in a hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). The NICU provides premature babies with crucial medical assistance that is necessary for the baby’s health and survival. However, the NICU also creates many barriers for mothers to participate in essential activities including breastfeeding and kangaroo care. Kangaroo care is a method of holding a baby that involves skin-to-skin contact. This activity has been shown to promote breastfeeding and increase breastmilk supply, which in the NICU may be inhibited by biological and environmental barriers. Research has shown that mothers who give birth prematurely are less likely to initiate breastfeeding and the duration in which they breastfeed is shorter compared to mothers who give birth to full-term babies. Thus, the goal of this project is to address this problem by creating a series of garments that would help to facilitate kangaroo care in the NICU. As a result, the garments would help to promote breastfeeding (and milk expression) for mothers and their premature babies in the NICU environment.

Research Tasks: Tasks will include data collection, conducting interviews, prototype development, and interview transcription/coding.

Skills that research assistant(s) may need: Required: ability to multitask, good communication skills.
Recommended: ability to sew to create prototypes, working knowledge of photoshop and illustrator to create sketches.

Mentoring Philosophy

I believe that mentorship is a true partnership between faculty and students. I enjoy helping to facilitate the mentees' goals and help them to build output that would help them gain employment in the future. Respect is at the core of any great mentoring relationship and I always encourage open and honest communication.

Additional Information


Link to Publications

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPMvaSPADHk

***Electric Vehicle Promotion in Rural Communities for Environmental, Social, and Economic Sustainability

Electric Vehicle, Sustainability, Machine Learning, Data Analysis
Research Mentor: Dr. Guang Wang,
Department, College, Affiliation: Computer Science, Arts and Sciences
Contact Email: gw22g@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: Computer Science, Statistics, Civil Engineering, Industria Engineering, Geography, Social Science Majors
Project Location: On FSU Main Campus
Research Assistant Transportation Required:
Remote or In-person: Partially Remote
Approximate Weekly Hours: 10 hours, 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

Despite billions of dollars of federal investments that promote transportation electrification, rural communities are still largely left behind with very low EV penetration and few charging resources. EV usage in rural communities may be more beneficial for environmental, social, and economic sustainability due to the longer driving distances and high driving frequencies of rural communities for different personal and professional uses (e.g., for purchasing daily necessities, recreation, work, and transporting agricultural implements, etc). Therefore, adopting EVs in rural communities not only helps improve environmental benefits but also has the potential to promote an equitable transition to clean energy and mitigate the wealth disparity between rural communities and urban communities. In this project, we propose to develop a data-driven socially informed framework to help promote EV adoption for rural innovation towards environmental, social, and economic sustainability. In doing so, we aim to address multiple complicated technical and real-world challenges by performing the following tasks.
(i) Investigating drivers and barriers to EV adoption in rural communities. We plan to conduct comprehensive analyses of barriers and drivers from different stakeholders’ perspectives (e.g., rural residents, charging infrastructure operators, utility agencies, and governments). We will use mixed methods, including surveys, panels, and big data analytics.
(ii) Predicting charging demand in rural areas. Based on our accessed large-scale fine-grained human mobility data and socioeconomic data from both urban and rural areas, combined with EV charging data from urban areas, we plan to extract social activity patterns (e.g., visitation frequency and dwelling time) and charging patterns (e.g., charging duration and frequencies). We then plan to predict charging demand in rural areas based on rural mobility patterns, socioeconomic status, and charging patterns in urban areas.
(iii) Combining the predicted charging demand with other real-world conditions like population and POI distributions, we plan to design a decision-support tool to help deploy charging infrastructure by balancing different practical factors, such as (a) improving charging infrastructure accessibility to satisfy charging demand of EVs, (b) increasing charging resource utilization to improve the profitability of operators, and (c) reducing potential impacts on power grids, etc.

Research Tasks: Students will conduct literature review about electric vehicle (EV) adoption and deployment. Different datasets including survey data, mobility data, and US census data will be analyzed. Machine learning models will be built for charging station siting and charging demand prediction.

Skills that research assistant(s) may need: Literature review experience is recommended.
Data collection and analysis skills are required.
Experience in Python is recommended.

Mentoring Philosophy

My mentoring goal is to encourage every student to learn something. Based on my previous mentoring experiences, I think all students are talented and my role as a teacher is to guide them to knock on the correct door. To this end, my mentoring philosophy concentrates on the following two principles: (i) inclusiveness and equity to each student, and (ii) encouraging students to ask questions. I treat all students with respect and maintain academic fairness. In addition, I strive to create an equal learning environment and make students feel comfortable and supported. I think students can improve their performance after they know what they do not know, and a very effective way is by asking questions, so I usually encourage students to ask questions.

Additional Information


Link to Publications

http://guangwang.me/

Evaluation of Protective Clothing and Performance Apparel for the Fire, Medical, Occupational, and Athletic Industries

Testing, Laboratory, Thermal Comfort, Firefighter, Female Firefighter, Athlete
Research Mentor: Dr. Meredith McQuerry,
Department, College, Affiliation: Florida State University, Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship
Contact Email: mmcquerry@fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor):
Research Assistant Supervisor Email:
Faculty Collaborators:
Faculty Collaborators Email:
Looking for Research Assistants: No
Number of Research Assistants: 3
Relevant Majors: Retail Entrepreneurship, Exercise Physiology, Engineering, Material Science, Biology, etc.; Open to all majors
Project Location: On FSU Main Campus
Research Assistant Transportation Required:
Remote or In-person: In-person
Approximate Weekly Hours: 5-10 hours/week, During business hours
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link: Wednesday, Sept. 6th 1:30-2pm
https://fsu.zoom.us/j/93816904155

Project Description

Join Dr. Meredith McQuerry's research team in the ThermaNOLE Comfort Lab and Textile Testing Laboratory (located in William Johnston Building) to evaluate current state-of-the-art performance technologies in firefighter, athlete, military, and other occupational fields. Home to the only dynamic sweating thermal manikin (ANDI) at a public institution in the Western Hemisphere, the ThermaNOLE Comfort Lab evaluates how textiles/clothing impact human heat loss, thermoregulation, and other physiological responses. The lab team also routinely conducts human wear trials of firefighting and other PPE. Students this fall and spring may have a unique opportunity to be part of a federally funded project to study the performance of firefighting PPE specifically for women in the fire service.

Research Tasks: Laboratory based data collection using bench top and large scale instrumentation, data analysis, human subject research, three-dimensional body scanner, pull literature for manuscripts, work with industry, fire service, and government entities, gain experience from lab team members at FSU.

Skills that research assistant(s) may need: Close attention to detail; respect for supervisor and peers; kind, respectful, and open communication; takes initiative to achieve tasks proactively and early; willingness to learn and to work hard; excitement and passion for learning and laboratory based research

Mentoring Philosophy

As a former recipient of the university undergraduate research mentor award (2018) I like to think of myself as a strong mentor. Mentoring is something that comes naturally to me and I greatly enjoy it. My mentoring philosophy is to expose students to as many opportunities within research as possible through my multiple labs, grants, and research projects so that they too, may take advantage of those opportunities to launch them into their careers with the most potential and in the most successful ways possible. I routinely send UROP students to conferences to present their work, hire them as full time undergraduate research assistants at the conclusion of the UROP program, and stay in touch with them well into their careers, even collaborating on peer-reviewed published research to this day. Facilitating and observing a student's passion for their subject area via hands-on research is a privilege that I value and work to cultivate in my lab environment.

Additional Information


Link to Publications

https://jimmorancollege.fsu.edu/about/faculty-staff/faculty-meredith-mcquerry

Video Library of Students with Autism and Intellectual Disability

autism, video, math, disability, education
Screenshot 2023-05-16 at 11.12.13 AM.png
Research Mentor: Dr. Jenny Root, she/her/hers
Department, College, Affiliation: School of Teacher Education , Education
Contact Email: jrroot@fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor): Dr. Alicia Saunders she/her/hers
Research Assistant Supervisor Email: afsaunders@fsu.edu
Faculty Collaborators:
Faculty Collaborators Email:
Looking for Research Assistants: Yes
Number of Research Assistants: 1
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

We are creating a video library of math instruction for students with autism and intellectual disability. The videos come from a federally-funded research grant that is developing and evaluation a problem solving curriculum for middle school students. We want to create a video library that can be used widely to train teachers, administrators, and researchers on providing evidence-based math instruction.

Research Tasks: 1. Video analysis
2. Video editing
3. Website design

Skills that research assistant(s) may need: Required:
1. Proficiency with Microsoft and Google suite of products (e.g., sheets/excel, docs/word, slides/PPT)
2. Attention to detail and ability to follow directions / take initiative
3. Experience with light video editing (no preferred software).

Recommended:
1. Experience working with students with disabilities
2. Experience or skills in basic web design (e.g., Wix, wordpress)

Mentoring Philosophy

The greatest joys of my faculty career thus far have come from teaching and mentoring students. I aim to foster an inclusive, interdisciplinary intellectual community that gives everyone space to participate in and contribute to our research. Rather than pretend we can disconnect our personal selves from our professional selves, we celebrate, honor, nourish, and acknowledge all parts of each other as each of those parts benefit our community. From my perspective, mentoring students in research requires attention to both the hard and soft skills necessary to achieve their professional goals. For my students this includes helping them navigate the current hidden curriculum of the academy while simultaneously advocating for changes to the reduce systemic barriers and inequities it currently perpetuates. I accomplish this through both planned and incidental learning opportunities.

Additional Information

Check out our social media:
Instagram: @drjennyroot @gcalab.fsu
Twitter: @Dr_Jenny_Root

Link to Publications

https://www.gcalab.org/

Interpersonal physiological synchrony in the prediction of patient suicidality in clinician-patient dyads

psychology; suicide; clinical; psychophysiology; patient-care
Research Mentor: Ms. Michelle Jeon, she/her/hers
Department, College, Affiliation: Clinical Psychology, Arts and Sciences
Contact Email: jeon@psy.fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor):
Research Assistant Supervisor Email:
Faculty Collaborators:
Faculty Collaborators Email:
Looking for Research Assistants: No
Number of Research Assistants: 1
Relevant Majors: Prefer Psychology/Neuroscience and students interested in pursuing a research career, but willing to take other majors.
Project Location: On FSU Main Campus
Research Assistant Transportation Required:
Remote or In-person: In-person
Approximate Weekly Hours: 10+ (may be less, depending on research participation and recruitment), Flexible schedule (Combination of business and outside of business. TBD between student and research mentor.)
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link: Not participating in the Roundtable

Project Description

The Overarching Aim of this study is to investigate the efficacy of interpersonal physiological synchrony in clinician-patient dyads as a predictor of patient suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Specifically, we wish to test the superiority of interpersonal physiological synchrony as a measure of interpersonal dynamics, compared to self-report measures of interpersonal needs, in aiding clinician assessment of patient suicide risk. The study will involve the examination of heart rate variability synchronization patterns in clinician-patient dyads in relation to clinician assessment of patient suicide risk and patient suicidal thoughts and behaviors repeatedly assessed over the course of eight weeks, as well as the impact of patient-clinician characteristics on synchronization patterns and the acceptability and feasibility of implementing a routine heart rate monitoring in an outpatient psychology setting. Of note, this study is funded by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

Research Tasks: - Administer interview-based assessment of suicidal thoughts and behaviors to clinical outpatients in the FSU Psychology Clinic
- Work with clinician/patient dyads in data collection, including heart rate variability data using an electrocardiogram
- Attend weekly meetings (scheduled to be either Tuesday or Thursday mornings, around 9-9:30AM, lasting for 1.5 hrs) with other research assistants involved in the study to establish inter-rater reliability of interview measures
- Minor tasks (e.g., data entry, literature search, assistance with creating tables, etc. for manuscript preparations)

Skills that research assistant(s) may need: - CITI certification required (although not having it at the time of the interview will not be an issue - several RAs did not have CITI certification at interview and were able to acquire it easily and quickly after the offer was given)
- Experience in research methods (specifically course provided by the Psychology Department) is recommended but not required.
- Good interpersonal skills and empathy in working with diverse, clinical outpatients required.
- Comfort in administering questions pertaining to suicide (and hearing patients talk about their suicidal thoughts and behaviors) required.

Mentoring Philosophy

My mentorship philosophy is facilitating a collaborative, inclusive, and "win-win" dynamic with my students. Specifically, I aim to encourage mentee growth and demonstrate dedication towards their professional development, which can translate into mentee engagement, cohesion among mentees and the broader research team, and in turn, research productivity that rewards both the mentee and mentor. I also strive to foster an inclusive environment within my research group and students are strongly encouraged to demonstrate cultural humility and respect for diversity. Additionally, students are encouraged to develop their own research questions and pursue independent projects in my group, instead of doing research limited to my personal interests. I also practice mentorship according to the clinical supervisor model, in which the mentor-mentee relationship reflects a balance of validation and problem solving and the mentor strives to be a role model in demonstrating effective behaviors that the mentee can learn from. An example includes practicing of validation in my interaction with all students, which in turn, has translated into student practice of validation with their peers and clinical outpatients as part of study procedures. Ultimately, my expectation is that students walk away from this experience as promising, young investigators who can think independently, demonstrate empathy and validation, and also serve as supportive, inclusive mentors to their own students down the road.

Additional Information

I very much welcome students with historically marginalized identities (and you will be welcomed into my team of diverse RAs). Diversity is a huge plus!

Link to Publications

https://afsp.org/grant/interpersonal-physiological-synchrony-in-prediction-of-patient-suicidality

Reproductive Biology and Energetic Costs of Gestation in Sharks and Rays

Reproduction, Embryonic development, marine, energetics
IMG_8025.jpg
Research Mentor: Ms. Annais Bonilla-Johnson, She/her/ella
Department, College, Affiliation: Biological Sciences, Arts and Sciences
Contact Email: Abm21e@fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor):
Research Assistant Supervisor Email:
Faculty Collaborators:
Faculty Collaborators Email:
Looking for Research Assistants: No
Number of Research Assistants: 2
Relevant Majors: Open to all majors
Project Location: 3618 US-98, St Teresa, FL 32358
Research Assistant Transportation Required: Yes
Remote or In-person: In-person
Approximate Weekly Hours: 5 , Flexible schedule (Combination of business and outside of business. TBD between student and research mentor.)
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link: tuesday (1:00 pm- 1:30), Wed (2:30-3 pm), Thursday (1pm - 1:30 pm), if none of these times work but someone is interested, please contact me.

Annais Bonilla-Johnson is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: UROP Roundtable
Time: This is a recurring meeting Meet anytime

Join Zoom Meeting
https://fsu.zoom.us/j/93149221385

Meeting ID: 931 4922 1385

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Project Description

Elasmobranchii’ s diverse reproductive strategies pose an unknown amount of risk to pregnant females from the level of embryonic maternal investment. This study aims to investigate the frequency and nutritional content of intrauterine histotroph secretions of Matrotrophic stingrays in Eastern Gulf of Mexico and assess the effects of embryonic maternal investment on the physical performance of gravid females throughout gestation.
Mature female Hypanus sabinus and Rhinoptera bonasus will be collected throughout all stages of gestation with seines, gillnets, and otter-trawls independently and in collaboration with Fish and Wildlife Research Institute’s Fishery-Independent Monitoring Program. These specimens are euthanized and dissected to remove developing embryos and ova for organic dry weight procedures and to quantify embryonic maternal investment at all stages of gestation. Histotroph will be assayed for total energic content, carbohydrates, fatty acids, proteins, and lipids.
Lastly, 10 H. sabinus will be collected at early gestation and transported to Florida State University Coastal and Marine Laboratory facilities for respirometry trials. The individual’s average oxygen consumption rate will be measured over a six-hour trial period and repeated every three weeks for six months to identify changes in physical performance at as gestation progresses.
Identifying intraspecific and interspecific variation in fluids that provide embryonic nourishment is integral to understanding how these reproductive strategies contribute to elasmobranch fitness. Negative physiological effects during gestation would directly impact a female and her litters ‘ability to survive in the wild during their most vulnerable life stage.


Research Tasks: dissections, weighing of developing embryos, measuring of disk width of adult female and developing embryo rays, use of oven to remove water content, use of oven through various temperature changes to remove organic matter, statistical analysis of data, reading of primary literature, animal husbandry, project construction, and presenting findings verbally.

Work will take place 45% at FSU's main campus, 45% at FSU Coastal and Marine laboratory, and 10% virtually. Most work will take place during normal business hours, however there is the occasional tasks that may need to be completed outside. Hour will vary by week, some weeks may be light, while other weeks may be heavy.


Skills that research assistant(s) may need: Required:
Dependable (some animals will rely on you to eat)
Ability to follow directions
Attention to detail
Passion and desire to learn new skills and knowledge
Willingness to handle dead and live specimens (with safe methods taught to you)
Lift 20 lbs

Preferred:
Ability to provide own transportation to and from the marine lab (possibility for transportation to be provided for assistants occasionally)
Ability to be on a boat

Mentoring Philosophy

My mentoring philosophy is to provide opportunities for the students to learn the skills and knowledge they desire that will assist them in their career goals. To do this, I begin by learning about them, their background, career goals, and what they hope to achieve/learn by the end of the project. My method when teaching students how to perform methods is to have them read up on the background, watch it be completed, and have them perform the methods with supervision until they have proven dependable and accurate in their performance. Mutual respect is important, as in science, we all mess up. Once this has been established along with trust, I hope that students will feel comfortable will relaying if something undesirable happened so we can adjust the experiment and use it as a learning opportunity for when science goes unexpectedly. Although I learn and teach in a way desirable to me, I am open to suggestions and learning other ways of teaching and relaying methods. I am adamant in giving the mentee ownership of their work and am open to a collaborative relationship rather than authoritative.

Additional Information

If this project interests you and you do not feel you have the skills required, but you are capable and willing to learn, please apply.

Link to Publications

https://marinelab.fsu.edu/labs/grubbs/

Motivations underlying responses to unfairness

Motivation, punishment, restoration, unfairness, group-dynamics
Research Mentor: Jose Jose Martinez, He/him/his
Department, College, Affiliation: Psychology, Arts and Sciences
Contact Email: jmartinez@psy.fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor):
Research Assistant Supervisor Email:
Faculty Collaborators:
Faculty Collaborators Email:
Looking for Research Assistants: No
Number of Research Assistants: 3
Relevant Majors: Open to all majors
Project Location: On FSU Main Campus
Research Assistant Transportation Required:
Remote or In-person: In-person
Approximate Weekly Hours: 5-10, Flexible schedule (Combination of business and outside of business. TBD between student and research mentor.)
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link: Tuesday, September 5th, from 5:30pm-6:30pm and Wednesday, September 6th, from 5:30pm-6:30pm
NOTE: Zoom issues on September 5th, 5:30-6pm session. Updated zoom link is here: https://fsu.zoom.us/j/7877038068

Project Description

When you see someone behaving selfishly or unfairly towards others, and you have the power to do something about it, what do you do? Do you punish the wrongdoer? Do you help the victims? Or, do you do a combination of both (punish wrongdoer and help victims)? Many people say they will do both - punish a wrongdoer and help a victim(s) - if and when they have unlimited resources and when responding to the unfairness does not come with a cost. However, the story becomes much more complicated when people (a) have limited resources and (b) when responding to unfairness involves an altruistic component (i.e., responding comes at a cost to the self, typically in the form of resources).
For this project, we will be examining the motivations underlying people's responses to unfair behavior in groups. My own previous work on this topic has suggested that a desire for retribution (giving someone "their just deserts"), social approval, and deterrence are all important motivations that predict whether someone will punish a wrongdoer and/or help a victim, even at a cost to one's own resources. This research project will be a replication and extension of that work by expanding the consideration of motivations predicting punishment/helping behavior, such as punishing/helping in order to show one's "strength" or power, humiliate a wrongdoer, etc. The study will take place in-person in a research lab in the department of psychology.

Research Tasks: UROP assistants will be involved in all aspects of the research process: literature reviews, data collection with participants, data analysis, etc. In addition, UROP researchers can expect to meet with me as a group on a weekly basis and one-on-one every two weeks. For these meetings, we will have a discussion about goals (mine as a mentor, and yours as a mentee) and the research process more broadly (how to think more deeply about the work we do, how to formulate research questions, how to design studies, etc).

Skills that research assistant(s) may need: No skills necessary. Any experience you have with data analytic techniques and/or lab research is definitely a plus, but not necessary for this project.

Mentoring Philosophy

Research is exciting. However, it can also be intimidating at times. As a mentor, my goal is to get you to a place where you can (a) continue to find research exciting, (b) be able to feel unintimidated by the research process, and (c) gain the skills necessary to be a conscientious researcher and consumer of information.
One thing I've learned as a mentor to UROP and non-UROP undergraduate research assistants is that mentorship styles are not a one-size-fits-all. If mentorship styles were put on a scale from 1 (we'll email once a month) to 7 (in constant contact with you), some mentees may benefit from a 2 and others may benefit from a 6. Therefore, one of my goals in the early stages of working together will be to understand your goals and see what kind of mentorship style will work for us.

Additional Information

Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions at jmartinez@psy.fsu.edu

Link to Publications

https://sites.google.com/view/joseleonmartinez/home

Cocoa in the Dark: Film Festival Strategy and Understanding the Film Market

Film, Festival, Filmmaking, Post Production, Pre-Production
RHT Headshot - 9.22.jpg
Research Mentor: Professor Ryan Hope Travis, He/Him
Department, College, Affiliation: School of Theatre, Fine Arts
Contact Email: rht21@fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor):
Research Assistant Supervisor Email:
Faculty Collaborators:
Faculty Collaborators Email:
Looking for Research Assistants: No
Number of Research Assistants: 1
Relevant Majors: 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 hours per week, Flexible schedule (Combination of business and outside of business. TBD between student and research mentor.)
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link: Not participating in the Roundtable

Project Description

I am an actor, writer, director, theatre-maker, and filmmaker. Last summer ('23) I completed my debut feature film, "Cocoa in the Dark." The film is inspired by actual events, a composite of several stories. The film follows an 18-year-old who navigates fatherhood, high school, then eventually a 7-year prison sentence for a crime he didn’t commit. The film shines a light on the U.S. criminal justice system and how it grossly fails the working poor and most egregiously, people of color. As Research Assistant, you will participate in the film festival distribution phase of the project. The film will be compelling to festival organizers because of the urgency of the moment, the relevancy of the story, and the diverse composition of the filmmakers involved. I have written and directed 12 short films, many of which were accepted into film festivals in LA, NYC, Austin, Miami, Atlanta, and more.

Research Tasks: There is one primary research task for this project: data collection. We will screen a film or two to determine the best path forward, but gathering information about film festivals, similar films, and market trends are our goals. *What does "Data Collection" mean for this project? We will gather data about various national and international film festivals and generate a flow chart of deadlines, application fees, etc. to be used in the spring semester. In other words, you and I will build a strategy for how and when the film ("Cocoa in the Dark") will be distributed to the film festival market.

The other component of this UROP project is pre-production. My sophomore film will go into production summer '24. Your supplementary research task will include "breaking down" the new script. You will identify the various elements needed to produce the film. This skill is one of the building blocks to successfully produce a film. (P.S. You will have a lot of support to complete the aforementioned research tasks. I got you!)

Skills that research assistant(s) may need: Recommended (basic) proficiency in MS Excel and MS Word.

Mentoring Philosophy

Empowering students to be creators is important to me. The most influential people of our time are creators of their own content/products/ideas. When students are given the tools to generate and execute their own ideas, they become trailblazers of their artistic and professional paths, instead of passive participants. No matter what field a student prepares to enter, knowing their worth and value is vital. TIME is the ultimate currency, our most valuable resource. Being efficient, productive, and effective are especially rewarding when pursuing something that brings us joy. As a teacher, I seek to create safe, brave spaces where students are encouraged to be “wrong.” Lifting the burden of being “right” is the starting place for every classroom (and mentor/mentee relationship) I inhabit. Success in my effort to create such an environment enables students to tap into the well of their full potential. P.S. "Flow" is key.

Additional Information


Link to Publications

https://www.arcable.com/work#/cocoainthedark/

Investigating Strategy Flexibility in Algebra

cognitive factors, math problem solving, math strategy selection,
IMG_9683.JPG
Research Mentor: first name is preferred Qiushan Liu, she,her
Department, College, Affiliation: Psychology, Arts and Sciences
Contact Email: liu@psy.fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor):
Research Assistant Supervisor Email:
Faculty Collaborators:
Faculty Collaborators Email:
Looking for Research Assistants: No
Number of Research Assistants: 2
Relevant Majors: Open to all majors
Looking for students who are interested in gaining research experience with regard to psychology.
Project Location: Depending on the project, research assistants may need to be doing data collection in the middle school/high school.
Research Assistant Transportation Required: I am happy to provide transportation if the research assistant does not have their own.
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: Wednesday 12-12:30am https://fsu.zoom.us/j/92145458500 Meeting ID: 921 4545 8500. If you are unable to attend, you are welcomed to email me at liu@psy.fsu.edu for more information about the project.

Project Description

The current study is interested in further exploring the underlying reason behind the phenomenon where sometimes students are aware of multiple strategies to solve a math problem, including the innovative strategy. But, when asked to solve the problems, they rarely use the innovative strategy. The current study investigated how conceptual and procedural knowledge and executive function relates to student's ability to use various strategies adaptively.

Research Tasks: literature review
data collection
data analysis under supervision


Skills that research assistant(s) may need: There is no specific skill required.
Previous experience working with middle school or high school students would be ideal.

Mentoring Philosophy

As a mentor, I view my mentee as collaborators rather than just student. Thus, I respect their opinion and an important mentoring goal for me is to provide my mentee with the opportunity and ability to achieve their professional/personal goal.
To help my mentee to identify their goals, I will have them experience each stage of research so they can decide if they are interested in it. I try my best to help my mentee to achieve their professional goals. One of my previous UROP student is interested in data analysis, and so I spend most of our meetings showing them the data analysis script and having them learn data analysis by practicing.
As a mentor, I view my mentee as equal. During our interaction, I do not try to be dominating and use my knowledge to guide my students rather than forcing them to complete tasks I assigned them. I am currently collaborating with another student, helping her to develop her own project. During our collaboration, I encourage my mentee to come up with research ideas rather than telling her what project she should work on. While I let my student to take the lead, I still give them guidance and support them. For example, I would give my students literature that I think is relevant for her to read and use my knowledge to help her when she is stuck.

Additional Information


Link to Publications


Building an Association of Rescuers to Honor Civil Courage in Hitler’s Germany

History, Holocaust, Women, Jewish, Intermarriage
Research Mentor: Dr. Dr. Nathan Stoltzfus, He/Him/His
Department, College, Affiliation: History, Arts and Sciences
Contact Email: nstoltzfus@fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor): Mr. Liam Wirsansky He/Him/His
Research Assistant Supervisor Email: ljw16d@fsu.edu
Faculty Collaborators: Dr. Dr. George Williamson He/Him/His
Faculty Collaborators Email: gwilliamson@fsu.edu
Looking for Research Assistants: Yes
Number of Research Assistants: 4
Relevant Majors: Open to all Majors
Project Location: On FSU Main Campus
Research Assistant Transportation Required: No, the project is remote
Remote or In-person: Partially Remote
Approximate Weekly Hours: 7, Flexible schedule (Combination of business and outside of business. TBD between student and research mentor.)
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link: Thursday, September 7th: 6-6:30pm (https://fsu.zoom.us/j/92236214388)
Thursday, September 7th: 6:30-7pm (https://fsu.zoom.us/j/92236214388)

UROP Roundtable Recording: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YKzTsNJi3KkSsLTLh0VI_vBiJVuuCTY6/view?usp=sharing
Link to Powerpoint Presentation: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1xkGE9vSiGoCxevuLf28wQLE-NF0gUnaAMhwNt_f0ZLU/edit?usp=sharing

Project Description

The Dorothy and Jonathan Rintels Professorship for Holocaust Studies has established a website, RosenstrasseFoundation.org, to commemorate and encourage acts of civil/ humanitarian courage (Zivilcourage). An initial step in the ongoing work of the Rosenstrasse Foundation is dedicated to the commemoration of German Jews rescued from the Holocaust through the refusal of their non-Jewish partners to divorce, in the face of continuous, enormous pressures from propaganda and the Gestapo, as well as from neighbors, colleagues and their own families of birth. Our related fields of emphasis are women’s defiance, particularly during Nazi Germany, and civil courage more generally. So often in the memory of Hitler and the Holocaust, voices of evil are magnified, given our fascination with it. The Rosenstrasse Foundation’s mission is to give resisters and rescuers the last word, not the Nazi perpetrators, and includes the following initial focus:

1) Education about the significance of the rescue of approximately 2,000 Jews through a street protest in Nazi Berlin in early 1943, which also highlights the place of women in demonstrating civil courage to defy Hitler. The Rosenstrasse Protest serves as a model and an inspiration concerning the capacity and responsibility of individuals to make a difference. This civil courage is distinguished from traditionally recognized acts of resistance, such as the military conspiracy to kill Hitler, through its public expression carried on by actions of civilians in everyday life, in order to defend their integrity and families. It is identified with what the Czech dissident Václav
Havel called “the attempt to live in the truth,” a form of defiance rooted in everyday life of civilians who defy mass conformity in order to live in light of their own consciences.

2) Honoring the memory of this rescue together with the women who displayed this important civil courage form of resistance. These protesters and other German non-Jews rescued their Jewish partners beginning with noncompliance to the regime and German society. They thwarted the Nazi dictatorship's intentions to carry out fully its fundamental objective of "racial purification" long enough for some 11,000 German Jews to survive—nearly all of Germany’s “full” Jews (in Nazi vocabulary) who survived outside of Nazi camps, without going into hiding. They received ration cards from the Reich and the Gestapo had their addresses as well.

3) Establishing a network and an association of descendants and relatives of those who experienced the Rosenstrasse protest along with others from German intermarried couples, so that these persons may get to know each other. We seek to accumulate an archive of personal narratives, documents, and texts.


Research Tasks: Student researchers help support the foundation through their contributions, with the UROP objectives including the facilitation of the maintenance of a webpage for each family of descendants and relatives of those who experienced the Rosenstrasse Protest, or the rescue of a German Jew through intermarriage. Relatives and descendants will be engaged to build their family pages, using photos, stories, documents that relate their experiences.

Student tasks include any or all of the following, depending upon student interests:

Identify survivors and descendants and help them establish a family webpage of stories, photos, documents.
Locate organizations, persons, or media commemorating Rosenstrasse.
Maintain and develop/design the Rosenstrasse Foundation website in all aspects.
Genealogical research to identify persons who are descended from German intermarriages who wish to document their family history on the foundation website; contact organizations for the same purpose.
Identify and announce relevant events, link articles and archives, write or edit Wikipedia articles on related topics such as intermarriages in Nazi Germany and the survival of German Jews in intermarriages.
Write articles to publish or broadcast in outlets identified by the Foundation and supported with ideas for stories from it.
Identify the ways that Germans have responded to the request from the Schroeder-Fischer government (1998-2005) to honor acts of civic courage (Zivilcourage) to build civil society, and how we could initiate forms of honoring of the Rosenstrasse Protesters.

We are thrilled that our student research assistants are the ones conducting the research and doing the related work that supports these goals!

Skills that research assistant(s) may need: Some knowledge of web design and/or German welcomed but not required.

Mentoring Philosophy

UROP researchers will participate in weekly meetings with Liam Wirsansky (FSU, BA, M.S., & FSU Director of Research and Development of the Rosenstrasse Foundation) who will supervise and facilitate coordinating the research and developing the needed skills and historical context for students to be successful alongside the direction of Dr. George Williamson and other student assistants that already work with the foundation.

Additional Information


Link to Publications

Rosenstrassefoundation.org