UROP Project

History, Religion, Emotion, Mormonism, Government

Research Mentor: Will Perez, he, him
Department, College, Affiliation: Religion - American Religious History, Arts and Sciences
Contact Email: wgperez@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: No, the project is remote
Remote or In-person: Fully Remote
Approximate Weekly Hours: 6-7,
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link: Not participating in the Roundtable

Project Description

Short Summary:
I am interested in identifying what "happiness" was in nineteenth century antebellum America and how it was manifest in religion and politics. To "pursue happiness" is at the heart of American identity, but because happiness is a contested emotion, its pursuit has led to longstanding conflict and even violence. My main case studies in this research project are white American Christians in the 1800s and Mormonism (The Church if Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints). Both groups are pursuing happiness in diverging ways and are responding to what they perceive as threats to happiness, and ultimately to democracy. This study has relevance for our own social and political moment. The UROP researcher will assist with this project by helping to sift through relevant historical material and find the sources needed to better understand happiness in America and to tell the story and make the argument intended by this dissertation.

Dissertation Summary:
The concept of happiness was forever etched into the American psyche when Thomas Jefferson proposed that its pursuit was a self-evident and God-given right. As the new republic fashioned for itself a model for happiness, it endowed that emotion with religiopolitical significance, associating it with notions of democracy, enlightened individualism, and the burgeoning “American dream.” While happiness came to be understood as a predominantly private endeavor, a collective fear of its suppression kept its pursuit a matter of public interest. Americans’ fear of losing happiness was often manifest in various forms of violence perpetrated against perceived threats to its attainment. Appeals to preserving and perpetuating happiness served as a disciplining force that established standards for citizenship, public performance, race relations, and gender roles. In this dissertation, I will establish the white mainstream antebellum understanding of happiness—specifically how this understanding was entrenched in religiopolitical rhetoric. I argue that in many ways, the American pursuit of happiness became the mainstream’s governance of happiness.
In exploring this governance, I will refine the concept of religiopolitical identity, primarily as it relates to the aim of securing happiness. This merging of ideology with theology played a central role in American popular democracy’s enforcement of appropriate avenues by which to pursue happiness. It was also key in outsider attempts to subvert and reroute those avenues. The early Mormon movement, spurred by its own fears that happiness was at stake in the wake of increased industrialization and secularization, provided an alternative religiopolitical identity with which to pursue it. I argue that this difference in the understanding of happiness and its pursuit was at the heart of America’s generally negative response to Mormonism in the nineteenth century. Mormons pursued happiness through means that were more collectivistic than individualistic, seemingly anti-democratic, and that entailed a reconfiguration of race relations and gender and family dynamics. Mormonism embraced an older framework of communal republicanism that feared the nation was descending into anarchy. On the other hand, the American public feared that Mormonism was a slippery slope by which the nation could crumble into monarchy. The battle between the Latter-day Saints and the religiopolitical collective of the American people makes clear that, despite it being an unalienable privilege, in the antebellum United States there was a right and a wrong way to pursue happiness.
Almost from the beginning, Americans’ general disdain of monarchy, authoritarianism, and deceit brewed fear among non-Mormons and contributed to the branding of Mormonism as fraudulent. By extension, this also meant for them that Mormonism’s version of happiness and the means whereby it should be attained was duplicitous and insincere. As Mormons sensed internal and external forces closing in on their own prospects for happiness, they doubled down on their efforts to secure it. I argue that these efforts are reflected in early Latter-day Saint lingo as to the means of happiness and its roadblocks in their experience, their efforts at militancy and alternative forms of government, and expansive attempts to gather and link the human family for time and eternity. The resulting theology and practice showcase how the early Latter-day Saints presented a divergent approach to prevailing formulations of happiness. In the end, this approach would not be tolerated.
Throughout the nineteenth century, both the Latter-day Saints and the American majority fomented anxieties and acted out of fear that the other party would make happiness unattainable. Ultimately, as early Latter-day Saints pursued happiness in heterodox ways, they helped reify mainstream understandings of what was and what was not authentic American happiness. Lastly, I argue that the Latter-day Saint assimilation into the mainstream was not just one of orthodoxy and patriotism, but of proving an emotional compatibility with the status quo.


Research Tasks: Tasks are primarily the reading through primary source material archived online (i.e. nineteenth century women's diaries, historical newspaper, etc.) and extracting content that is relevant to the study at hand pertaining to Mormonism, Americanism, Christianity, and happiness.

Other tasks include proofreading drafts of thesis/conference presentation work, finding/checking sources, etc.

Skills that research assistant(s) may need: Required - Basic internet/database search proficiency.
Required - Ability to organize material and maintain accurate lists of sources.
Required - Ability to relay material/information in a professional and timely manner.

Meteorology, Weather, Instruments, Observation, Analysis

Research Mentor: Mr. Shawn Smith,
Department, College, Affiliation: Center for Ocean-Atmospheric Prediction Studies, Arts and Sciences
Contact Email: srsmith@fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor):
Research Assistant Supervisor Email:
Faculty Collaborators: Prof., Ms. Mark Bourassa, Kristen Briggs
Faculty Collaborators Email:

Looking for Research Assistants: No
Number of Research Assistants: 1
Relevant Majors: Meteorology, Marine Science, Computer Science, Scientific Computing, Engineering
Project Location: 2000 Levy Avenue, Building A, Suite 292, Tallahassee, FL 32310
Research Assistant Transportation Required: City of Tallahassee bus service, Innovation Park line.
Remote or In-person: In-person
Approximate Weekly Hours: 5-10,
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link: Not participating in the Roundtable

Project Description

Ever wondered how weather observations are made over the ocean? Or how these observations support weather forecasting? Do you have an interest in weather instrumentation or computers? One of the primary sources of high-quality weather observations over the oceans is research vessels. These ships typically are equipped with fully automated weather stations (AWS) that record the ship’s position and motion, along with a wide range of weather and near surface ocean observations. The Marine Data Center (MDC) at FSU routinely receives AWS data from over 35 research vessels operating across the world’s oceans. Our team routinely monitors these observations to ensure they are of high quality, and we frequently communicate with technicians on the ships that are responsible to maintain the AWS. When problems are discovered, we reach out to the ship as soon as possible so that repairs can be made, limiting the number of days when suspect observations are collected. In addition, researchers at the MDC use these weather observations to investigate the exchange of heat, moisture, and momentum between the ocean and atmosphere. These interactions are key drivers for weather systems over the oceans that have significant impact on commercial shipping, energy producers, fisheries, and a the public at large.

The goal of this UROP project is to analyze and evaluate weather observations from the AWS on research ships contributing to the MDC. Possible projects include
(1) Examining suspect wind observations from a sonic anemometer and working with the technicians on the vessel hosting that instrument to determine the source of the erroneous data
(2) Running algorithms to estimate the heat, moisture, and momentum exchanges (known as fluxes) from several research cruises to the Southern Ocean. In this analysis, the UROP would be identifying the range of extremes that exist in a part of the ocean known to have some of the most severe storms on the globe. Observations from this region are rare and highly valuable to the scientific community.
(3) Using space-based satellite observations to evaluate and confirm the existence of extreme weather and flux events identified from research vessel AWS data.

This research project will provide students with an introduction to weather instrumentation used on ships, an understanding of the instruments’ technical capabilities and limitations, the opportunity to work with the scientific data formats used for weather observations, and experience in programming and data analysis necessary to process and evaluate AWS data. The students may also interact (virtually) with technicians working on active research vessels.


Research Tasks: The student will learn about the methods and technology used worldwide by research vessels to make high-quality weather observations, including gaining an understanding of the challenges of making measurements in the marine environment.
The student will be tutored in how to read and understand the technical specifications for weather instruments and will learn how to use the technical documents to understand the raw sensor data and use it to identify potential errors in observations.
The students will also use data collected during past research cruises and, if helpful satellite observations, to gain skills in computer programming (e.g., Python), data analysis, introductory statistics, and preparing scientific plots and graphs.

Students will be expected to report regularly to their scientific mentors during team research meetings. They will prepare graphs and tables to present their research results and will present their results via their UROP poster to the MDC and at the FSU UROP Symposium. For Fall 2024, we anticipate the student will work in person at our lab in Innovation Park.


Skills that research assistant(s) may need: Required: Basic computer skills (e.g., familiar with Mac or PC environment, web browsing, Microsoft office suite). A willingness to learn new techniques, be very detail oriented, and to participate as part of a team.
Recommended: Introductory knowledge of computer programming (e.g., C, C++, Python) and familiarity with LINUX operating environment. We anticipate the student will be able to learn many concepts and coding techniques during the project.

HIV, sexual health, health disparities, Black women

Research Mentor: Dr. Brittany Lane, she/her
Department, College, Affiliation: Center of Population Sciences for Health Equity, Nursing
Contact Email: blane2@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 but should be interested in health-related issues
Project Location: 2010 Levy Avenue, Building B, Suite 3600 Tallahassee, FL; project can also be remote
Research Assistant Transportation Required:
Remote or In-person: Partially Remote
Approximate Weekly Hours: 5 hours/week,
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link: Not participating in the Roundtable

Project Description

This project explores how individual, interpersonal, community and societal-level factors influence HIV-related partner communication among young women in South Africa, focusing on different partnership types (e.g., age-disparate, transactional, casual, and committed). It examines whether age, education, and parental status moderate these relationships. Additionally, the study investigates how participation in a cash transfer intervention impacts these relationships over time. The findings will inform the development of targeted HIV prevention interventions by addressing sexual health communication strategies within diverse relationships.

Research Tasks: literature review, attend meetings

Skills that research assistant(s) may need: Recommended skills: experience searching academic databases, ability to synthesize research findings, communication skills, and interest in health disparities

hurricanes, weather, meteorology, atmosphere, industry

Research Mentor: Jeremiah Otero, he/him/his
Department, College, Affiliation: Moody's HWind, N/A
Contact Email: jeremiah.otero@moodys.com
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor): Chana Keating she/her/hers
Research Assistant Supervisor Email: chana.keating@moodys.com
Faculty Collaborators:
Faculty Collaborators Email:

Looking for Research Assistants: No
Number of Research Assistants: 1
Relevant Majors: Earth, Ocean, & Atmospheric Science
Computer Science
Project Location: 799 West Gaines Street Suite 105
Research Assistant Transportation Required: Yes
Remote or In-person: Partially Remote
Approximate Weekly Hours: 5,
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link: 2:00–2:30 EDT on Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday:
https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_YzExMGI4MDQtN2JjMC00ZTJiLWFkOGItY2YwYmZhZjhkZjU1%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%221061a8b8-b1ee-4249-bb84-9a2cd2792fae%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%22e6c2a066-1418-48fc-8101-2a0d8ec6bb96%22%7d

Project Description

Curious about tropical cyclone (TC) research and operations in industry? Consider applying to work as a research assistant with Moody’s HWind. Our group monitors the North Atlantic and Eastern Pacific basins for tropical activity and creates “snapshots” of TC winds during real-time events. Clients in insurance, government, and academia utilize HWind products to anticipate claims, prepare event responses, and perform research. The selected student will perform research aimed to help improve HWind products and operations. Specific projects are flexible depending on the student’s interest and skillset. For example, we would like to have a robust and statistical comparison of HWind and National Hurricane Center TC tracks. We are also interested in comparing the TC structure and intensity of HWind snapshots to reanalysis datasets such as ERA5. Lastly, the student researcher could work to create a dataset with relevant TC statistics that can be used for context throughout the TC season. For instance, if three Category 5 hurricanes occurred in September, how would this stand out statistically from historical records? In addition to these research related projects, the student will also observe real-time operations. The student may also learn how to provide tropical weather briefings, which provide important context for our analysts prior to shifts.

Research Tasks: The student will primarily perform data analysis on preexisting datasets. This will include a combination of sorting/organizing, math, and visual plotting. We will also provide online resources and literature for the student to learn more about tropical cyclone structure and relevant processes.

Skills that research assistant(s) may need: Proficiency in Microsoft Excel is required. Some experience with coding in Python is recommended. Students must have their own working laptop and be interested in studying impactful weather.

Homicide; Violence; Victimization; Disability; Hate Crime

Research Mentor: Dr., Prof., Brendan Lantz, He/Him/His
Department, College, Affiliation: Criminology and Criminal Justice, Criminology and Criminal Justice
Contact Email: blantz@fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor): Dr. Marin Wenger She/Her
Research Assistant Supervisor Email: mwenger@fsu.edu
Faculty Collaborators:
Faculty Collaborators Email:

Looking for Research Assistants: No
Number of Research Assistants: 3
Relevant Majors: Criminology, Sociology, Public Health, Psychology, Open to all majors
Project Location: On FSU Main Campus
Research Assistant Transportation Required: No, the project is remote
Remote or In-person: Partially Remote
Approximate Weekly Hours: 5-10,
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link: Not participating in the Roundtable

Project Description

Violence against people with disabilities is a serious social issue, and fatal violence—specifically violence committed by family members and caretakers—is of particular concern. Addressing this violence requires understanding the details of these incidents and their outcomes, yet detailed data focusing specifically on victims of such violence does not currently exist. Following this, this research project will create a detailed database of known homicides of disabled people killed by family members and caretakers in the United States, spanning the last several decades. During the research period, the research team will assist with collecting information—via media reports, newspapers, and other sources—on disabled homicide victims, analyzing patterns in these cases, and writing and disseminating research reports.

Research Tasks: Reading and summarizing previous research on violence toward people with disabilities; collecting information and coding data from various news and media sources; potentially analyzing research results; assistance with research summaries.

Skills that research assistant(s) may need: Recommended experience with Excel

Alzheimer's disease, spatial orientation, rodent animal disease models

Research Mentor: Dr. Aaron Wilber, He/Him/His
Department, College, Affiliation: Psychology, Program in Neuroscience, Arts and Sciences
Contact Email: wilber@psy.fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor): Shawn Moseley He/Him/His
Research Assistant Supervisor Email: moseley@psy.fsu.edu
Faculty Collaborators:
Faculty Collaborators Email:

Looking for Research Assistants: No
Number of Research Assistants: 2
Relevant Majors: Neuroscience, Psychology, Biology, Computer Science, Math
Project Location: On FSU Main Campus
Research Assistant Transportation Required: Yes
Remote or In-person: Partially Remote
Approximate Weekly Hours: 10-12,
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link: Not participating in the Roundtable

Project Description

The goal of this project is to assess impaired memory reactivation (replaying sequences of activity that were recorded during a learning task during post-task sleep) as a possible cause of impaired ability to get oriented in space we have observed in mouse models of Alzheimer's disease. Another available project is to access which normal systems in rats are responsible for spacial orientation and disrupt these systems using drugs or optogenetics (laser light inactivation).

Research Tasks: - Assist with analyzing brain recording and behavioral data for transgenic mouse models of Alzheimer's disease.
- Assist in data collection by performing behavior experiments.
- Section and stain brain tissue and assist with quantifying positive cells in specific brain regions.

Skills that research assistant(s) may need: Basic science background recommended. We will teach needed skills.

Action Recognition, Deep Learning, RF Sensing

Research Mentor: Dr. Xin Liu, He/Him/His
Department, College, Affiliation: Computer Science, Arts and Sciences
Contact Email: xl24j@fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor): Jackie Ye He/Him/His
Research Assistant Supervisor Email: zy22b@fsu.edu
Faculty Collaborators:
Faculty Collaborators Email:

Looking for Research Assistants: No
Number of Research Assistants: 2
Relevant Majors: Computer Science, Electrical Engineering
Project Location: On FSU Main Campus
Research Assistant Transportation Required: No, the project is remote
Remote or In-person: Partially Remote
Approximate Weekly Hours: 10,
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link: Not participating in the Roundtable

Project Description

Other than previous approaches, instead of using Wi-Fi signals to generate a human skeleton sequence, we would generate a human mesh sequence and use it for action recognition. Using human mesh sequence as raw data will bring more information compared with using skeleton sequence, for instance, body surface, torso rotation, etc., which would improve the accuracies of the final action recognition. On the other hand, due to the significant increase in data size, mesh based deep learning model will require much more computational resources. Thus, an efficient down-sampling methodology becomes critical in this project.

Research Tasks: Research Tasks:
a. Literature Review:
1. Past papers survey
2. Sampling methods they have used
3. Data categories they have used
4. Deep learning models
b. Data collection: Both RGB and RF data, total 868 data clips with 13 persons
c. Data analysis:
1. Robustness of the RF based mesh (Wi-Mesh)
2. Effectiveness of different down-sampling methods
3. Deep learning results of mesh sequences with different numbers of vertices

Skills that research assistant(s) may need: Programming skills in C or Python are required.
An interest in developing wireless signal processing and machine learning algorithms is required.

Self-transcendence, Mindfulness, Meditation, Pain, EEG, fNIRS

Research Mentor: Adam Hanley, he/him/his
Department, College, Affiliation: Brain Science and Symptom Management Center, Nursing
Contact Email: adam.hanley@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: Innovation Park: Research Foundation Building B, 2010 Levy Ave Suite B3607, Tallahassee, FL 32310
Research Assistant Transportation Required: Yes
Remote or In-person: In-person
Approximate Weekly Hours: 10,
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link: Wednesday September 4th from 2:00 pm to 2:30 pm: https://fsu.zoom.us/j/93594140392
Thursday September 5th from 2:00 pm to 2:30 pm: https://fsu.zoom.us/j/94622413068

Project Description

The proposed project is a single-site, two-arm, randomized controlled trial comparing the impact of four, 30-minute sessions of mindful breathing instruction across four weeks with four, 30-minute sessions of mindful breathing + direct pointing instruction on chronic pain patients’ self-transcendence and pain. Our central hypothesis is that direct pointing instruction will enable a chronic pain patient to move beyond their pain perception box and, thereby, decouple their self-schemas from pain, disrupting chronification of the pain experience.

Research Tasks: Recruit participants using online and in-person methods; Consent research participants; Collect and compile data from a variety of sources including self-report instruments, electroencephalography (EEG), and functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS).

Skills that research assistant(s) may need: Recommended:
Curiosity and Enthusiasm: A genuine interest in the research topic and a passion for learning.
Problem-Solving Skills: Ability to troubleshoot issues and find creative solutions.
Attention to Detail: Precision in data collection and documentation.
Strong Work Ethic: Commitment to meeting deadlines and completing tasks efficiently.
Communication Skills: Clear and effective written and verbal communication.
Teamwork: Ability to collaborate with other researchers and contribute to group efforts.
Adaptability: Willingness to learn new methods and adapt to changing project needs.
Time Management: Efficiently balancing research responsibilities with academic and personal commitments.

Mindfulness, Breathwork, Music, Pain, Anxiety

Research Mentor: Adam Hanley, he/him/his
Department, College, Affiliation: Brain Science and Symptom Management Center, Nursing
Contact Email: adam.hanley@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: Tallahassee Orthopedic Clinic - Canopy Clinic
Research Assistant Transportation Required: Yes
Remote or In-person: In-person
Approximate Weekly Hours: 10,
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link: Wednesday September 4th from 2:00 pm to 2:30 pm: https://fsu.zoom.us/j/93594140392
Thursday September 5th from 2:00 pm to 2:30 pm: https://fsu.zoom.us/j/94622413068

Project Description

This project will compare brief (i.e., <5 minute) mind-body interventions (mindfulness, breathwork, music) delivered to patients in the x-ray waiting room at a walk-in orthopedic clinic. The primary aim of this project is to identify quick and effective ways to make patients feel more comfortable during the idle wait time often experienced when seeking medical care.

Research Tasks: Approach participants in the clinic waiting room; Briefly describe the project; Hand participating individuals a tablet and some headphones on which they will complete the study survey and listen to the mind-body intervention; clean the headphones between each use.

Skills that research assistant(s) may need: Recommended:
Curiosity and Enthusiasm: A genuine interest in the research topic and a passion for learning.
Problem-Solving Skills: Ability to troubleshoot issues and find creative solutions.
Attention to Detail: Precision in data collection and documentation.
Strong Work Ethic: Commitment to meeting deadlines and completing tasks efficiently.
Communication Skills: Clear and effective written and verbal communication.
Teamwork: Ability to collaborate with other researchers and contribute to group efforts.
Adaptability: Willingness to learn new methods and adapt to changing project needs.
Time Management: Efficiently balancing research responsibilities with academic and personal commitments.

Medical textiles, breathability, nonwoven, protection

Research Mentor: Dr. Josephine Taiye Bolaji,
Department, College, Affiliation: Retail and Textile Entrepreneurship, Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship
Contact Email: jtb24@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: Chemistry, physics, chemical and materials engineering, biomedical science/engineering.
Project Location: On FSU Main Campus
Research Assistant Transportation Required:
Remote or In-person: In-person
Approximate Weekly Hours: 8,
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link: Not participating in the Roundtable

Project Description

According to the literature, some commercially available nonwoven fabrics used in medical textile application (gowns, masks, sheets, etc.) fail to meet the standard requirement for air, liquid, and moisture penetration levels which also determines the breathability properties of the fabric. Breathability is important because in items such as mask, it is critical for the fabric to both be breathable and also have the ability to prevent the penetration of airborne disease particles. Therefore the purpose of this research is to evaluate and determine the right fabric properties that ensures optimum breathability and protection. Commercially available nonwoven fabrics typically used in medical textiles will be employed in this study.

Research Tasks: Literature review, data collection, data analysis, data sorting, cleaning, and processing, test specimen preparation, conducting experiments, preparing drafts for presentations (oral and poster) and manuscripts,

Skills that research assistant(s) may need: Required.
Literature search, compilation, and synthesis; basic statistical analysis (Excel)
Recommended.
SPSS and other statistical packages; design/illustration capabilities.