UROP Project

luxury, consumer behavior, sustainability, diamonds, price

Research Mentor: Ms. Talalah Khan, She/Her
Department, College, Affiliation: Communication, Communication and Information
Contact Email: tk18bf@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: Marketing majors
Communication major
Stats majors
education 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: 7-10,
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link: Not participating in the Roundtable

Project Description

There is a rising demand for lab-grown diamonds and a decline in the sales of real diamonds in 2024. The research aims at exploring whether this consumption phenomenon extends to other gemstones in the luxury jewelry industry and what the underlying psychological process influencing such consumer decisions. Particularly, the research study would focus on whether such changes in demand stem from price-sensitivity factors or sustainability ones.

Research Tasks: Literature Review and data collection

Skills that research assistant(s) may need: Literature reading and finding adequate sources of information
Report writing

true crime, media studies, communication

Research Mentor: ajohns@fsu.edu Ashley N Johns, She/her
Department, College, Affiliation: School of Communication, Communication and Information
Contact Email: ajohns@fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor):
Research Assistant Supervisor Email:
Faculty Collaborators: Kaylin Lane & Alessandra Noli
Faculty Collaborators Email: kl23g@fsu.edu

Looking for Research Assistants: No
Number of Research Assistants: 3
Relevant Majors: Open to all but most related to communication or criminology
Project Location: On FSU Main Campus
Research Assistant Transportation Required: Yes
Remote or In-person: Partially Remote
Approximate Weekly Hours: 5-7 hours per week, flexible schedule,
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link: Tuesday, September 3 from 5-7pm

THURSDAY ROUNDTABLE CANCELLED AND RESCHEDULED DUE TO PERSONAL CONFLICT FOR RESEARCHER-- if you are unable to attend the Friday session but have any specific questions regarding the project, please do not hesitate to reach out via email at ajohns@fsu.edu

Friday, September 6 from Noon to 1pm
Zoom link: https://fsu.zoom.us/j/97837126853

Project Description

This study seeks to understand the ways male and female homicide offenders are portrayed to true crime content consumers. Based on a social constructionist perspective, the gendered portrayals of murderers in true crime content may influence how people perceive gender differences in the world around them, especially in relation to crime.

We will seek to answer the following answer:
How does the show portray the female homicide offenders?
How does the show portray the male homicide offenders?
How do the portrayals of male and female homicide offenders differ?

To examine these questions, we will analyze all 17 seasons of Snapped: Killer Couples, a popular television show airing on the Oxygen network and streaming on Peacock. This show presents a unique research opportunity as each episode features a male and female perpetrator, allowing an equal representation of gender portrayals for analysis.


Research Tasks: Prepared to watch episodes of a true crime show that may include sensitive or difficult topics
Coding using a codebook and memo-ing after each episode (we will provide the codebook and coding/memoing training during the UROP position)
Assisting in analysis of results
Research-related writing


Skills that research assistant(s) may need: Research writing (recommended)
Time management (required)
Ability to watch a show for analysis, not necessarily for pleasure (required)

database, programming, web development

Research Mentor: Amanda Lovett,
Department, College, Affiliation: Center for Ocean-Atmospheric Prediction Studies, Arts and Sciences
Contact Email: alovett@coaps.fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor):
Research Assistant Supervisor Email:
Faculty Collaborators: Shawn R. Smith
Faculty Collaborators Email: smith@coaps.fsu.edu

Looking for Research Assistants: No
Number of Research Assistants: 1
Relevant Majors: Computer science, computer engineering, information technology, scientific computing, or a related field
Project Location: 2000 Levy Avenue, Building A, Suite 292
Research Assistant Transportation Required: FSU bus system provides transport between main campus and Innovation Park
Remote or In-person: In-person
Approximate Weekly Hours: 5-10,
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link: Not participating in the Roundtable

Project Description

If you are looking for a research project that will allow you to gain real world experience with programming, web development, and relational databases, this is the project for you. The Marine Data Center (MDC) at FSU is looking for a student who is willing and eager to develop a web interface that will be actively used by the data management team at the MDC.

The MDC receives data from numerous research vessels on a daily basis, which includes variables such as air temperature, sea level pressure, wind speed/direction, and more. Not only does the MDC process and store this variable information, metadata regarding how these variables are obtained (ex. What device was used) is stored as well. In some instances however, we want to ignore new, incoming metadata.

The goal of this project is to develop a web interface in which users can add, remove, or modify unique variable identifiers that are stored in a blacklist. Currently the only way to make changes is manually through a MySQL interface, which is not user friendly. The student will learn HTML and PHP development, how to use MySQL and develop an understanding of relational databases, and how to make technical information accessible to non-technical users via a web user interface.

Research Tasks: The student will be responsible for developing web-based code to assist data analysts and senior scientists, and will do so under the guidance of in-house software developers. They will learn to read and understand existing code systems and validate code results through testing and debugging. Additionally, the student will obtain hands-on experience with relational databases by learning about database queries and how to efficiently execute them. In the end, the student will integrate their code into an existing web user interface that is used operationally by the MDC staff. The student will be expected to report on their progress to superiors on a weekly basis and communicate should any issues arise.


Skills that research assistant(s) may need: The ability to learn new programming languages and frameworks, paying attention to detail, and communicating effectively with team members will be essential. Any level of experience with past programming projects, specifically those involving HTML, PHP, and databases will be beneficial, but is not necessary. Experience with Linux or using a command line interface is desired, but not required.

drug delivery, nanoparticles, lipids, insulin, microscopy

Research Mentor: Prof. Ayyalusamy Ramamoorthy,
Department, College, Affiliation: Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering
Contact Email: aramamoorthy@fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor): Dr. Samuel McCalpin
Research Assistant Supervisor Email:
Faculty Collaborators: Prof. Jamel Ali
Faculty Collaborators Email:

Looking for Research Assistants: Yes
Number of Research Assistants: 3
Relevant Majors: Biochemistry, Biomedical, Biophysics, Neuroscience, Materials, Physics
Project Location: On FSU Main Campus
Research Assistant Transportation Required:
Remote or In-person: In-person
Approximate Weekly Hours: 10-20 hours,
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link: Not participating in the Roundtable

Project Description

Two different NIH-funded projects:
1) Development of lipid nanoparticles for drug delivery.
Optimize the lipid nanoparticles to stabilize drugs and enable efficient drug delivery.
2) Investigation of protein aggregation associated with Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, ALS, and type-2 diabetes.
Carry out biophysical experiments such as fluorescence, dynamic light scattering, and NMR experiments.

Research Tasks: Participants are expected to carry out sample preparation and experiments. Also, expected to read the relevant literature.

Skills that research assistant(s) may need: Basics chemistry/biochemistry or biomedical engineering or Physics. Previous experience is desirable.

Juvenile justice, theraputic justice, teen court

Research Mentor: Professor Alexandra Cockerham,
Department, College, Affiliation: Interdisciplinary Social Science, Social Sciences and Public Policy
Contact Email: amg08k@fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor): Dr. James Cockerham
Research Assistant Supervisor Email: jmc09m@fsu.edu
Faculty Collaborators: Prof. Radha Modi
Faculty Collaborators Email: rmodi@fsu.edu

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: Partially Remote
Approximate Weekly Hours: 5,
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link: Not participating in the Roundtable

Project Description

Students will have the opportunity to join in on the research process that is the result of a grant with the North Carolina Department of Public Safety, Division of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. This research aims to determine the effects of teen courts on recidivism in North Carolina. Teen courts are a diversion program serving as an alternative to processing juveniles through the traditional justice system. Given the nature of teen courts, specifically their unique ability to connect offending juveniles to their crime and the comprehensive nature of including the youth’s parents, peers, and community in the sentencing process, we believe that this is a unique diversion source that will have reductionary effects on an at-risk youth’s propensity to enter and a court involved youth’s propensity to re-enter the system. In this project we sent out surveys to all 100 counties in North Carolina to learn more about the structure of teen court and juvenile justice in each county. The survey results provide unique insight into the juvenile justice system in North Carolina.

Research Tasks: We envision that our research assistant would help work on more of the qualitative components of this project. In addition to conducting a handful of site visits, observations and interviews, we also sent a survey out to each of the 68 teen courts in North Carolina. This allowed us to gather information on the type of teen court model that is used (i.e, adult judge model, youth judge model, mixed models, peer jury model, youth tribunal, etc.) and types of sentencing that are typically handed out. W also sent a survey to the 32 counties that do not use teen court as an option to learn more information about their best practices with regard to options for diverting youth from the traditional justice system.

We hope that our UROP research assistant would help us review the survey results from across North Carolina. This would involve reviewing relevant literature, compiling descriptive information regarding the teen courts in North Carolina and detailing patterns observed.

Specific ideas below:
1. Literature review on therapeutic justice
2. Survey Results Analysis-- Students will review the survey results from the teen court project. They will summarize general impressions of the teen court landscape and/or any patterns observed across counties in the way that teen court operates.
3. Site Visit Analysis- students will review site visit notes to better understand teen court operations in specific teen courts.
4. Manuscript Editing-- Students will review the manuscript for publication and provide edits.

Skills that research assistant(s) may need: Required- ability to read academic articles, ability to summarize descriptive statistical information

instruction, qualitative, pedagogy, Africa, teacher skills

Research Mentor: Dr. Adrienne Barnes-Story,
Department, College, Affiliation: Florida State universtiy, N/A
Contact Email: aeb02@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: Education
Project Location: On FSU Main Campus
Research Assistant Transportation Required:
Remote or In-person: In-person
Approximate Weekly Hours: 5-10,
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link: Tuesday, September 3, 2024 - 1:00-1:30pm (https://fsu.zoom.us/j/93685962389)
Wednesday, September 4, 2024 - 3:00-3:30pm (https://fsu.zoom.us/j/94419176628)

Project Description

The Large Class Pedagogy research project uses a mixed methods exploratory approach to investigate instructional practices utilized by teachers in overcrowded classrooms in low- and middle-income countries and develop profiles of teachers who can effectively manage teaching large classes. The purpose of this research is to determine what effective instructional methods are in use in low-resource classrooms with more than 80 children in order to inform later intervention research.

Research Tasks: qualitative data analysis

Skills that research assistant(s) may need: recommended skills: familiarity with qualitative data analysis; familiarity with primary school classroom instruction
required skills: time management

artificial intelligence, mental health, career readiness, disabilities

Research Mentor: sdong3@fsu.edu Shengli Dong,
Department, College, Affiliation: Florida State University, Education, Health, and Human Sciences
Contact Email: sdong3@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: 4
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,
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link:

Project Description

This project will examine presenting issues triggered by the intersectionality of disability and mental health among transition youth with disabilities in an era of AI technology. Transition youth with disabilities experience a great amount of challenges in their academic and career pursuits. The advancements of AI technology not only bring promises in assisting them to achieve their academic and career goals but also present difficulties in navigating their academic and career journey. This project will explore options and strategies to foster mental health and assist academic and career exploration and development for transition youth with disabilities.

Research Tasks: • 1. Literature review
• 2. IRB application
• 3. Data collection and analysis
• 4. Manuscript writing


Skills that research assistant(s) may need: • 1. Good writing skills (required)
• 2. Literature review experiences (required)
• 3. APA format style (recommended)
• 4. Data collection and analysis (recommended)
• 5. Knowledge on and experiences with Qualtrics and SPSS (recommended)

gaming, health, anthropology, stress, healing

Research Mentor: Dr. H Francois Dengah, He/Him/His
Department, College, Affiliation: Anthropology, Arts and Sciences
Contact Email: francois.dengah@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: Preference for anthropology, psychology majors.
Sociology, social work are also desirable.
However, all majors will be considered.
Project Location: On FSU Main Campus
Research Assistant Transportation Required:
Remote or In-person: In-person
Approximate Weekly Hours: 5+,
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link: Not participating in the Roundtable

Project Description

I have been studying the therapeutic potential of online gaming (e.g., World of Warcraft, FF14, Guild Wars) for over 10 years. I am expanding this study to look at the health benefits of face-to-face (co-operative) gaming found in many table top games. Specifically, I am examining the therapeutic potential of creating and "embodying" avatars/characters, such as those found in Dungeons and Dragons, Vampire: The Masquerade, and other tabletop roleplaying games.

We will examine the personality traits of both the player and the character, the "relationship" between player and character, and measuring the psychological well-being of individuals as they engage with their characters over time (e..g., pre-post gaming session, longitudinal health measurements.)

RAs will conduct participant-observation will tabletop groups by both observing and playing with them. Interviews will be conducted with members to elicit their experiences with their avatars. Psychological surveys will also be given to evaluate the healing potential of different types and relationships with characters.

Research Tasks: Ethnography
Participant-observation
Interviews
Data collection and analysis
Presentations and Publications

Skills that research assistant(s) may need: Required: Interest in Gaming, Health, Psychology, and/or Culture
Required: Dependable, Hard-working
Recommended: Previous anthropological or psychological courses
Recommended: Ethnographic skills (but these will also be taught to RAs)

memory, neuromodulation, imagination, attention, eye-tracking, fMRI, behavior, brain stimulation

Research Mentor: Molly Hermiller, she/her
Department, College, Affiliation: Psychology, Arts and Sciences
Contact Email: mhermiller@fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor): Marissa Munroe
Research Assistant Supervisor Email: mam20jz@fsu.edu
Faculty Collaborators:
Faculty Collaborators Email:

Looking for Research Assistants: No
Number of Research Assistants: 6
Relevant Majors: Psychology
Neuroscience
Project Location: On FSU Main Campus
Research Assistant Transportation Required:
Remote or In-person: In-person
Approximate Weekly Hours: 9,
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link: Thursday, Sept. 5th from 1:00pm-1:30pm (https://youtu.be/_0b2s7x-ncw -- Recorded Video)

Project Description

The Hermiller Lab studies long-term episodic/autobiographical memory processes - the cognitive process that allows us to mentally travel back in time to recall our prior experiences. We use neuroimaging (fMRI) to measure the brain while it's performing memory, noninvasive brain stimulation (TMS) to modulate the memory networks, and measure behavior (memory tasks, eye-tracking). We have several projects with specific aspects that UROP students may lead, including:
- What is the relationship between imagination vividness and memory performance?
- What is the relationship between attention and hyper-vigilance (PTSD vs. healthy control population), and their interactions with memory performance?
- Can we use brain stimulation to differently target social-based memories vs. spatial memories?
- What is the nature of false memories?
- How do patterns of eye movements relate to memory formation and retrieval?
- How does physical movement (e.g., walking versus standing) affect our ability to form memories?

Research Tasks: - literature review
- participant recruitment, screening, and scheduling
- data collection (fMRI, brain stimulation, behavioral assessments)
- data management
- data analyses
- lab meeting presentations
- coding tasks and analyses

Skills that research assistant(s) may need: We will teach you the specific methods pertaining to data collection in our lab.

We do require the following skills:
- professional
- open to learn
- teamwork
- ability to identify where you need extra training/help

Central nervous system, functional connectivity, 21.1 Tesla fMRI

Research Mentor: scho@magnet.fsu.edu Shinho Cho, Dr. Cho
Department, College, Affiliation: National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, N/A
Contact Email: scho@magnet.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: STEM, but not limited
Project Location: National High Magnetic Field Lab, 1800 E Paul Dirac Dr, Tallahassee, FL 32310
Research Assistant Transportation Required: Yes
Remote or In-person: In-person
Approximate Weekly Hours: At least 10 hours a week,
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link: Shinho Cho, Ph.D. is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Roundtable, MagLab MRI Research
Time: Friday, Sep 6, 2024 12:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting
https://fsu.zoom.us/j/9026558468?omn=98248872516

Meeting ID: 902 655 8468

Project Description

Small animal MRI is crucial in preclinical research. It enhances our understanding of neural behavior, cognition, and CNS-targeted drug testing while aiding in tumor diagnosis and treatment. Recent technological advancements have improved the study of live animal brains, deepening insights into brain functions such as sensation, perception, memory, and higher-order cognition. In my lab, we use a rat model to explore the mechanisms of sensation and perception through stimulation-evoked functional activation in the somatosensory system, employing various MRI techniques. Our goal is to understand how brain networks process sensory information and form memory, ultimately translating these findings to better understand neurological disorders like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and Obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Research Tasks: In my lab, students engage in various research-related tasks, gaining hands-on experience and developing essential skills.
- MRI Operation: Students will learn to operate the world's strongest magnet (21.1 Tesla) and participate in brain imaging studies with rats and mice. They will assist in facilitating imaging sessions and, ultimately, gain the expertise to operate the MRI independently.
- Technical Development for MRI Acquisition and Data Analysis: Students will be introduced to the fundamental theories and techniques of high-speed, high-resolution imaging sequences. They will then have the opportunity to develop novel imaging sequences by modifying and enhancing existing sequences.
In data analysis, students will work on analyzing data from ongoing imaging research, utilizing basic statistical software to conduct studies, develop research hypotheses, and improve data interpretation.
- Animal Surgery and Handling: Students will receive hands-on training in essential animal brain surgery, including implanting various biophysical sensors in animal brains. They will learn how to anesthetize animals and perform basic surgical procedures, supporting crucial experimental activities. Ultimately, students will learn to independently conduct surgeries such as intracerebroventricular fluid extraction, injection, and intravenous drug infusion.

Skills that research assistant(s) may need: Required:
Computer programming (e.g., Matlab, C/C++, Python, or R)
Excel & PowerPoint skills
Communication and scientific writing
Recommended:
Basic knowledge in biology, neuroscience, chemistry, electrical engineering and/or physics