2023 Database of Faculty Summer Research Projects
Projects by Category
- Humanities: Literature, arts, civics, ethics, social systems, politics
- Sciences: Natural sciences, social sciences, and mathematics
- Education: Teaching & learning approaches
- Business, Technology, & Design
- Health-related: Physical, emotional, psychological
Humanities Science Education
Business, Technology, & Design Health-Related
Scroll down to see all projects
Humanities
Project 1: Muslim Student Associations and Campus Ministry;
Project 2: Religious Minorities on College Campuses
| Faculty Mentor | Kathleen Garces-Foley |
|---|---|
| Academic School | School of Humanities |
| Contact Information |
kgarcesfoley@marymount.edu
|
| Appropriate Majors/Programs | Social Sciences and Humanities |
| Position Availability | Project 1 & 2 Summer 2023 (May be held on campus or remotely, as mutually agreed with the faculty mentor.) |
| Title Project 1 |
Muslim Student Associations and Campus Ministry |
| Description Project 1 |
Students researchers will identify, map, and analyze local and national examples of university Muslim Student Associations and campus ministries for Muslim students as part of a 5-year national study of campus ministry and chaplaincy. For more information on the national research project see https://www.missouristate.edu/LSCCM/about-the-study.htm. |
| Title Project 2 |
Religious Minorities on College Campuses |
| Description Project 2 |
Students researchers will gather data on university-sponsored and university-adjacent programs designed to support religious minorities on campuses. This research is part of a 5-year national study of religion on campuses. For more information on the national research project see https://www.missouristate.edu/LSCCM/about-the-study.htm. |
| Date Posted | 06-Mar-23 |
Enchanting the City: Positive Images of Cities in Picture Books
| Faculty Mentor | Katie Peebles |
|---|---|
| Academic School | School of Humanities |
| Contact Information | kpeebles@marymount.edu |
| Appropriate Majors/Programs | Art, Communication, Education, English, Graphic Design, History, Liberal Studies, Philosophy, Politics, Theology, Education, Psychology, and Sociology |
| Position Availability | Summer 2023 (May be held on campus or remotely, as mutually agreed with the faculty mentor.) |
| Description | Many picture books are set in beautiful countryside or idyllic small towns. In contrast, urban settings seem crowded and dirty. Recently, however, more books are imagining city neighborhoods that are magical in themselves. This kind of reframing goes beyond the theme of finding nature within the city. Instead, it imagines an urban landscape that is beautiful because of its distinctive characteristics. This approach also lends itself to place-based education and helping children find magic in their surroundings, knowing that adults value them, too. While not dismissing the real difficulties and inequities many children encounter, these new books emphasize beauty and hope. The student researcher will investigate the social and historical context of picture books with positive images of cities, analyze the interconnections of text, images, and culture, seek out more examples of urban picture books, and/or improve and add to the project website. This project will contribute to an article and an online database of picture books with positive depictions of cities. |
| Date Posted | 06-Mar-23 |
Science
The efficiency of Police in the Presence of Bad Outputs
| Faculty Mentor |
Dr. Erik Alda
|
|---|---|
| Academic School |
School of Social and Behavioral Sciences
|
| Contact Information |
ealda@marymount.edu
|
| Appropriate Majors/Programs |
Criminal Justice, Psychology, Economics
|
| Position Availability | Summer 2023 (May be held on campus or remotely, as mutually agreed with the faculty mentor.) |
| Title Project 1 |
The efficiency of Police in the Presence of Bad Outputs
|
| Description Project 1 |
This project seeks to examine police efficiency in the presence of bad outputs. Bad outputs are defined as undesired results police produce. These include, for example, incidents of police violence or police engagement in criminal activity, among others. To this end, the project will draw on open-source administrative data to create a novel dataset on police human, physical, and financial resources and police officer arrests by type of offense. Once the dataset is created, the project will provide insights on how police performance is affected by the presence of bad outputs. The study will be sent out for publication with full co-authorship with the student.
|
| Date Posted | 15-Feb-23 |
Project 1: Quantification of membrane proteins in muscle fiber formation by Western Blot Analysis
Project 2: Quantification of gene expression of membrane proteins in muscle fiber formation using quantitative RT-PCR
Project 3: Impact on muscle fibers formation through siRNA mediated inhibition of integral membrane proteins
| Faculty Mentor | Dr. Susan Agolini |
|---|---|
| Academic School | School of Science, Mathematics, and Engineering |
| Contact Information | sagolini@marymount.edu |
| Appropriate Majors/Programs |
Biology, Biochemistry, Bioengineering
|
| Position Availability | Summer 2023 (On-campus) |
| Title Project 1 |
Quantification of membrane proteins in muscle fiber formation by Western Blot Analysis
|
| Description Project 1 |
This project is part of an ongoing effort to identify the relationship between the expression of specific membrane proteins and the stages of muscle fiber formation. We will quantify the levels of these membrane proteins in C2C12 cells (a mouse skeletal muscle-like cell line) by Western blot analysis at various stages from single-cell myoblasts to a multinucleated muscle fiber. The family of membrane proteins being examined has been implicated in numerous membrane-membrane fusion events. Preliminary investigation by this lab indicates that the expression of these proteins may be correlated with myoblast fusion, a critical step in muscle development and regeneration. Aberrant myofiber formation has been implicated in sarcopenia and muscle diseases such as dystrophies. The results of this study will help form the basis of a research grant submitted in collaboration with Dr. Shama Iyer and will be disseminated at student research conferences, national conferences, and research journals.
|
| Title Project 2 |
Quantification of gene expression of membrane proteins in muscle fiber formation using quantitative RT-PCR
|
| Description Project 2 | This project is part of an ongoing effort to identify the relationship between the level of specific gene expression (at the RNA level) and muscle fiber formation. t. This work will be carried out by quantifying the expression of mRNAs of a select group of membrane proteins in C2C12 cells (a mouse skeletal muscle-like cell line) by qRT-PCR at various stages of development from myoblast to muscle fiber. The specific genes we are interested in have been implicated in numerous membrane-membrane fusion events. Preliminary investigation by this lab indicates that the expression of these genes may be correlated with myoblast fusion which is a critical stage in muscle development and regeneration. Aberration in this process has been implicated in skeletal muscle dysfunction such as in sarcopenia and various dystrophies. The results of this study will help form the basis of a research grant submitted in collaboration with Dr. Shama Iyer and will be disseminated at student research conferences, national conferences, and research journals. |
| Title Project 3 |
Impact on muscle fibers formation through siRNA-mediated inhibition of integral membrane proteins
|
| Description Project 3 |
This project is part of an ongoing effort to identify the role of specific integral membrane proteins in muscle homeostasis, injury, repair, and disease. By reducing the levels of RNA expression of specific integral membrane proteins in C2C12 muscle cells using siRNA, we will be able to determine the impact of these genes on muscle differentiation. The specific genes we are interested in have been implicated in numerous membrane-membrane fusion events. Preliminary investigation by this lab indicates that the expression of these genes may be correlated with myoblast fusion which is a critical stage in muscle development and regeneration. Aberrant myoblast fusion has been implicated in skeletal muscle dysfunction such as in sarcopenia and various dystrophies. The results of this study will help form the basis of a research grant submitted in collaboration with Dr. Shama Iyer and will be disseminated at student research conferences, national conferences, and research journals.
|
| Date Posted | 20-Feb-23 |
Project 1: Governing Ideologies in Eastern Europe;
Project 2: Comparative Labor Policy
| Faculty Mentor | Dr. Matthew Bergman |
|---|---|
| Academic School | School of Science, Mathematics, & Engineering |
| Contact Information | MBergman@marymount.edu |
| Appropriate Majors/Programs | Economics, Psychology, Sociology, Politics, Criminal Justice (other majors appropriate with quantitative methods experience) |
| Position Availability | Summer 2023 (May be held on campus or remotely, as mutually agreed with the faculty mentor.) |
| Title Project 1 |
Governing Ideologies in Eastern Europe |
| Description Project 1 |
After a period of liberalization following the fall of communism and in preparation to join the European Union, recent evidence suggests that the countries of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) appear to be backsliding. The Austerity of the Euro Crisis pushed politics in a more economically conservative direction, the Migration crisis of 2015 saw these countries being the most hostile towards accepting immigrants (e.g. Hungary built a border fence), and most recently nations have been drifting more conservative culturally (e.g. by 2020, 1/3 of Poland had declared itself “LGBT-free”) and opposing Europe-wide initiatives. While these anecdotes are newsworthy, we are lacking measures that track the governing ideology of these countries over time. This project seeks to fill that void. First the researcher will identify which parties held government positions from 1990 onward in 11 CEE countries. Then ideological trends will be analyzed, not only on the economic left-right dimension, but also on dimensions of social conservatism, environmentalism, foreign policy, multiculturalism, etc. The goal of the research will be to publish the dataset in an academic journal. Ideally, the student would be available after the summer term to read, edit, and revise drafts of an academic journal article. |
| Title Project 2 |
Comparative Labor Policy |
| Description Project 2 |
The OECD collects data on a variety of social and labor market programs, including public provision of childcare, public employment services, job training, employment incentives, disability and rehabilitation services, direct government job creation, and start-up incentives. Analysis of traditional welfare policy instruments (e.g. Pensions, Unemployment Insurance, and Healthcare) and employment protection legislation have identified clusters of countries with similar characteristics. This has resulted in the ability to classify nations into one of 5 “worlds of welfare” or one of 3 “varieties of capitalism”. What is lacking is a systemic analysis of classifying these new forms of labor market spending. The first part of the project would be an inductive classification schema using cluster and/or principal component analyses to create a framework subsequent comparative research. If and how these national groupings have changed overtime would also be of interest. The goal of the research will be to share this schema with the larger academic community through conference presentations and publication(s) in academic journals. Ideally, the student would be available after the summer term to read, edit, and revise drafts of an academic journal article and/or present at conferences. The student should have experience with quantitative methods used in the social sciences. |
| Date Posted | 06-Mar-23 |
Project 1: Creating Immersive Virtual Worlds
Project 2: Machine Learning and AI in Computer Vision
Project 3: Enhancing Go Baby Go Vehicles
| Faculty Mentor | Dr. Eric Bubar |
|---|---|
| Academic School | School of Sciences, Mathematics, and Engineering |
| Contact Information | ebubar@marymount.edu |
| Appropriate Majors/Programs |
Engineering, Computer Science
|
| Position Availability | Summer 2023 Project 1 & 2 (May be held on campus or remotely, as mutually agreed with the faculty mentor.) Project 3 (On Campus) |
| Title Project 1 |
Creating Immersive Virtual Worlds
|
| Description Project 1 |
The student will learn an open-source game engine (Unity). They will complete basic tutorials to explore the use of this software in creating virtual/augmented reality (VR/AR) experiences. A focus will be made on creating virtual worlds that are usable on the Meta Quest 2 VR headset. Significant technical skills with Windows OS and interest in computers, possession of a high-quality gaming-caliber computer with advanced GPU, and an interest/familiarity with virtual reality gaming are desirable (though not strictly necessary) qualifications for interested applicants. |
| Title Project 2 |
Machine Learning and AI in Computer Vision
|
| Description Project 2 |
Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence are emerging technologies that are poised to revolutionize how society functions. In this project, students will use the Google Mediapipe ML framework to develop a live-tracking system for human pose estimation. A variety of challenges will be addressed with this project including 1) determining accuracy and precision of pose estimates 2) integration of kinect camera depth-sensing for ground-truth comparisons 3) generation of training data towards building a database of ML models for automated common exercise pose identification 4) development of a balance-sensing algorithm using an inverse pendulum model of biomechanical movement and 5) integration of the above into a customized, arcade game system for deployment as PC and/or android applications. |
| Title Project 3 |
Enhancing Go Baby Go Vehicles
|
| Description Project 3 |
The Go Baby Go program has provided low-cost solutions to help children with mobility challenges to gain independence in movement. This program, primarily operated by the DPT program at Marymount University sponsors multiple annual build events where electric toy cars are adapted to safely and comfortably allow kids to move. This project aims to adapt use 3D design, 3D printing and electronics/robotics to create a modular system to allow control of a Go Baby Go car using a variety of input methods such as push buttons, joysticks, and mobile applications. |
| Date Posted | 17-Feb-23 |
Maternal Contributions to Toddlers’ Language Development
| Faculty Mentor | Dr. Linda Cote-Reilly |
|---|---|
| Academic School | School of Social and Behavioral Sciences |
| Contact Information | lcote@marymount.edu |
| Appropriate Majors/Programs | Psychology, Education, Nursing, and other majors |
| Position Availability | Summer 2023 (May be held on campus or remotely, as mutually agreed with the faculty mentor.) |
| Description | This project explores mothers’ contributions to toddlers’ language development. Students will complete the CITI researcher ethical training, assist with literature review, data analysis, and write-up of a research report for publication. The data for this project has already been collected. The student will learn how to use the SPSS data analysis program and become familiar with APA format. |
| Date Posted | 06-Mar-23 |
Project 1: Assessing Semantic Memory in Alzheimer’s Disease: Animal Fluency
Project 2: Assessing Semantic Memory in Alzheimer’s Disease: Animal vs. Supermarket Fluency
| Faculty Mentor |
Catherine Diaz-Asper
|
|---|---|
| Academic School |
Social & Behavioral Sciences
|
| Contact Information |
cdiazasp@marymount.edu
|
| Appropriate Majors/Programs |
Psychology, Health Sciences, CJ, IT
|
| Position Availability | Summer 2023 Project 1 (May be held on campus or remotely, as mutually agreed with the faculty mentor.) Project 2 (On Campus) |
| Title Project 1 |
Assessing Semantic Memory in Alzheimer’s Disease: Animal Fluency
|
| Description Project 1 |
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is associated with impairments in cognition, including semantic memory (our general knowledge about the world). One way to measure semantic memory is through the use of the animal fluency test, where participants generate the names of as many animals as they can in one minute. Studies have shown that patients with AD typically produce fewer words on this task relative to healthy older people, and also show deficits in clustering (producing words within semantic subcategories) and switching (shifting between clusters). Little is known about whether these deficits can be seen before a person is diagnosed with AD, however. This project seeks to understand how performance on the animal fluency task changes as a function of cognitive decline over time. Using de-identified secondary data, we will examine the total output, the number of clusters, and the number of switches in a group of older people who were tested at two different time points, 2-3 years apart. We will also correlate these data with measures of cognitive decline. The results of this project will be published in an academic journal and will inform how neurodegeneration affects semantic storage and access.
|
| Title Project 2 |
Assessing Semantic Memory in Alzheimer’s Disease: Animal vs. Supermarket Fluency
|
| Description Project 2 | Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is associated with impairments in cognition, including semantic memory (our general knowledge about the world). One way to measure semantic memory is through the use of semantic verbal fluency tasks, where participants generate the names of as many items within a broad category as they can in one minute. Two of the most common semantic fluency tasks are to generate names of animals and supermarket items. While these two tasks are often used interchangeably, they differ in significant ways: animal fluency requires general world knowledge of categories of living things; whereas supermarket fluency requires specific knowledge of inanimate items commonly purchased when shopping. This project seeks to understand how performance changes as a function of the type of semantic fluency task in a group of older people. Using de-identified secondary data, we will examine differences in performance across these two tasks in older people who are healthy, have a mild cognitive impairment, and have AD. The results of this project will be published in an academic journal and will provide guidance as to the most appropriate semantic fluency task to use for the differential diagnosis of cognitive decline associated with AD. |
| Date Posted | o6-Mar-23 |
Portrayals of Police Officer Mental Health in Television Crime Dramas
| Faculty Mentor |
Dr. Sarah Fischer
|
|---|---|
| Academic School |
School of Social and Behavioral Sciences
|
| Contact Information |
sfischer@marymount.edu
|
| Appropriate Majors/Programs |
Criminal Justice, Communication, Forensic and Legal Psychology, Psychology, Sociology, English
|
| Position Availability | Summer 2023 (May be held on campus or remotely, as mutually agreed with the faculty mentor.) |
| Description |
Crime dramas are prevalent on both cable television and subscription services. Existing research mainly focuses on how crime dramas portray criminals, including criminals’ gender, race, and mental health. However, no existing research has examined how crime dramas portray police officers’ mental health. This research hypothesizes: 1) police officers in crime dramas are frequently portrayed as “experiencing stress” from their jobs, especially after investigating gruesome crimes and helping traumatized victims 2) although officers are portrayed as stressed in television crime dramas, that stress is only rarely discussed as part of mental health 3) when officers discuss job-related stress or mental health, they are frequently shown as relying on negative coping mechanisms (like alcohol use) and (4) officers are rarely shown as utilizing positive coping mechanisms (like talk therapy, asking for help, and mindfulness). This research utilizes a content analysis methodology to examine data to assess how officers’ mental health and coping strategies are portrayed in Law and Order: Special Victims Unit Season 21. The results will be presented at the American Society of Criminology’s November 2023 Conference and developed into a research article.
|
| Date Posted | 06-Mar-23 |
Project 1: Health Passport;
Project 2: RWJF Racial Health Equity Project
| Faculty Mentor | Dr. Patricia Heyn, |
|---|---|
| Academic School | School of Science, Mathematics, & Engineering |
| Contact Information | Patricia.Heyn@Marymount.edu |
| Appropriate Majors/Programs | Interdisciplinary |
| Position Availability | Summer 2023 (May be held on campus or remotely, as mutually agreed with the faculty mentor.) |
| Title Project 1 |
Health Passport |
| Description Project 1 |
Our study goal is to bring together Marymount University’s health experts into one comprehensive Interdisciplinary Academic-to-Community Health and Wellness program to serve the health needs of older adults living in Arlington and surrounding areas. We will provide a personalized Health Passport Tool to our participants designed to support a healthy lifestyle. The ALOHA study will advance intergenerational activities by enabling our students to serve as community health agents. The student will review the literature and design a human research protocol. The study will be presented at the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. |
| Title Project 2 |
RWJF Racial Health Equity Project |
| Description Project 2 |
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) is the largest American philanthropic organization focused solely on health and healthcare. The recent grant of $1 Million awarded to members and partners of the Cochrane US Network, including Texas Christian University (TCU), RTI International, Campbell Collaboration, Marymount University, and Georgia College, will support critical research to center racial health equity in systematic reviews through national consensus building. RWJF defines health equity to mean that everyone has a fair and just opportunity to be as healthy as possible, which requires removing obstacles to health such as poverty, discrimination, and their consequences. Systematic reviews—rigorous and comprehensive syntheses and critical appraisal of evidence—is a gold standard research tool to improve the dissemination of evidence-based practices that can reduce or eliminate disparities. To date, guidance documents for systematic reviews have not routinely considered health equity when- selecting topics, considering outcomes, conducting a critical appraisal, assessing the applicability of evidence to specific populations or settings, nor when communicating findings to key stakeholders and communities. |
| Date Posted | 06-Mar-23 |
Project 1: Mechanotransduction in skeletal muscle injury and recovery
Project 2: Quantification of gene and protein expression of integral membrane proteins in aging skeletal muscle
Project 3: Skeletal muscle fiber formation with mutations associated with ventricular septal defects
| Faculty Mentor |
Shama Iyer
|
|---|---|
| Academic School |
School of Science, Mathematics & Engineering
|
| Contact Information |
siyer@marymount.edu
|
| Appropriate Majors/Programs |
Engineering, Sciences
|
| Position Availability | Summer 2023 (On Campus) |
| Title Project 1 |
Mechanotransduction in skeletal muscle injury and recovery
|
| Description Project 1 |
Mechanotransduction or the process by which cells convert mechanical stimuli into biochemical signals plays a key role in skeletal muscle homeostasis, injury, and repair. In this project, we will be quantifying gene and protein expression of proteins involved in mechanotransduction in skeletal muscle injury and subsequent recovery. A previous investigation by this lab has shown an increase in mechanotransduction signaling in muscle disease and in aging muscle. Using the pharmaceutical intervention to target this signaling, we will further analyze the impact by quantifying gene and protein expression and correlating it to muscle function. The results of this study will form the basis of a research grant submitted in collaboration with Dr. Susan Agolini and will be disseminated at student research conferences, national conferences, and research journals.
|
| Title Project 2 |
Quantification of gene and protein expression of integral membrane proteins in aging skeletal muscle
|
| Description Project 2 | Sarcopenia, or age-related loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength, has been linked to an increased risk of falls and other injuries, morbidity, and mortality. In this project, we will be quantifying gene and protein expression of specific integral membrane proteins in young, middle-aged, and aged murine skeletal muscle. A previous investigation by this lab has shown that protein expression of these integral membrane proteins is altered in muscles in a murine model of muscle disease, and is associated with muscle fiber formation, a critical stage in muscle development and regeneration. The results of this study will help form the basis of a research grant submitted in collaboration with Dr. Susan Agolini and will be disseminated at student research conferences, national conferences, and research journals. |
| Title Project 3 |
Skeletal muscle fiber formation with mutations associated with ventricular septal defects
|
| Description Project 3 | Ventricular septal defects (VSD), the most common type of congenital heart disease, or heart abnormalities that develop before birth, occur in more than one in three hundred births (one of the most common birth defects). Mutations in the GATA4 transcription factors are associated with VSD. However, a majority of patients with VSD are asymptomatic. GATA4 transcription factor plays a key role in skeletal muscle fiber homeostasis, injury, and repair. Here, we will examine the impact of this mutation on myogenesis (skeletal muscle fiber formation) by assessing the role of this mutation in the cell cycle, mechanotransduction (the process by which a cell converts mechanical stimuli into biochemical signaling), and integral membrane protein-mediated fusion. We will use western blot analysis, qRT-PCR, and immunofluorescence techniques using C2C12 (mouse skeletal muscle-like cell line) cells, with siRNA-mediated inhibition of gene expression of GATA4 (modeling non-functional GATA4 as seen in the patients with mutations). The results of this study will help form the basis of a research grant submitted in collaboration with Dr. Susan Agolini to examine the long-term impact of disease-associated mutations and will be disseminated at student research conferences, national conferences, and research journals. |
| Date Posted | 06-Mar-23 |
Project 1: Developing Pedagogical Chemistry Tools (Physical Card Game)
Project 2: Developing Pedagogical Chemistry Tools (Virtual Card Game)
Project 3: Developing Pedagogical Chemistry Tools (Smart Application)
| Faculty Mentor | Dr. Deana Jaber |
|---|---|
| Academic School | School of Science, Mathematics, & Engineering |
| Contact Information | djaber@marymount.edu |
| Appropriate Majors/Programs | Science, Education, and IT |
| Position Availability | Summer 2023 (May be held on campus or remotely, as mutually agreed with the faculty mentor.) |
| Title Project 1 |
Developing Pedagogical Chemistry Tools (Physical Card Game) |
| Description Project 1 |
Game-based instructional design is well established in the literature as a creative teaching supplement. Games have been used for teaching purposes and have yielded successful pedagogical results. In this research project, the student researcher will design a card game for a chemistry concept that students struggle to understand. The student researcher will also collect data to analyze the effectiveness of the tool they designed on student learning of the subject matter. Our research group has developed two card games that have been published in the Journal of Chemical Education in 2017 and 2019. This project would be a perfect fit for a student looking to work on a research project where chemistry and education intersect. We plan to present this work at regional and national conferences as my research students have done previously as well as publish our findings in leading academic journals. |
| Title Project 2 |
Developing Pedagogical Chemistry Tools (Virtual Card Game) |
| Description Project 2 |
Gamification has emerged as an excellent tool for improving educational outcomes. At the turn of the 21st century, online teaching became increasingly popular in higher education. Unsurprisingly, the continuing advancement of technology is an important reason why online teaching continues to expand in higher education. Although the growing presence of online teaching is telling of its significance, the 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has solidified its importance. To address the academic concerns that emerged during the ongoing health crisis, educators sought pedagogical tools that could potentially enhance the online teaching experience to ultimately foster a more engaging and socially connected online learning environment. To that effect, we want to develop an online version of the card games we have created to allow educators to use these tools in an online environment as well as test the effectiveness of these virtual tools on student learning. |
| Title Project 3 | Developing Pedagogical Chemistry Tools (Smart Application) |
| Description Project 3 | Our research group develops pedagogical tools for chemistry education in different formats: physical, virtual, and smart applications. To enable learning processes to occur inside and outside the classroom, we would like to convert these educational tools to a smart applications to allow for learning to occur via mobile applications. This research project will be focused on converting physical and virtual games to a smart application that students can access anytime and anywhere from the devices they spend the most time using. We will also test the effectiveness of these smart applications on student learning. |
| Date Posted | 06-Mar-23 |
Detention Assessment Instrument’s Impact on Virginia Public Safety Outcomes
| Faculty Mentor | Dr. Courtney Porter |
|---|---|
| Academic School | School of Social and Behavioral Sciences |
| Contact Information | cporter@marymount.edu |
| Appropriate Majors/Programs | Forensic and Legal Psychology, Criminal Justice, Psychology |
| Position Availability | Summer 2023 (May be held on campus or remotely, as mutually agreed with the faculty mentor.) |
| Description | The student will assist Dr. Porter in the analysis of data from Virginia’s Department of Juvenile Justice and work on a literature review examining the use of risk assessment tools and detention alternative practices in reducing public safety concerns in the community. The Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative (JDAI) focuses on the elimination of the overuse of detention, promoting a “least restrictive” environment for juveniles involved in the juvenile justice system. Using data from the largest county in VA, this study will attempt to answer the following questions: (1) Did juveniles released or under community supervision prior to court commit a new offense before scheduled court hearings? (2) Did juveniles released or under community supervision prior to court fail to appear for scheduled court hearings? |
| Date Posted | 06-Mar-23 |
Education
Project 1: Teacherpreneurs: Redefining leadership in education and business
Project 2:“I got the idea from Instagram”: Social media’s role in teachers’ professional development
| Faculty Mentor | Dr. Paula Cristina R. Azevedo |
|---|---|
| Academic School | School of Education |
| Contact Information | pazevedo@marymount.edu |
| Appropriate Majors/Programs | Any major |
| Position Availability | Summer 2023 (May be held on campus or remotely, as mutually agreed with the faculty mentor.) |
| Title Project 1 |
Teacherpreneurs: Redefining leadership in education and business
|
| Description Project 1 |
Our image of entrepreneurs and industry leaders is either someone in a business suit about to make a million-dollar deal or the Silicon Valley tech genius innovating in a basement. But, what if entrepreneurs and leaders can emerge from unexpected places, such as school buildings? Teacherpreneurs are PK-12 classroom teachers who are entrepreneurs publishing education material. This project involves analyzing images, texts, and hashtags of the Instagram feeds of popular teacherpreneurs. We’ll be analyzing survey responses and interviews of teacherpreneurs. The goal of the research is to better understand teacherpreneurs’ motivations, their business strategies (including marketing), and their perspective on teacher leadership. This project is perfect for a student who is curious, eager to learn, and detail-oriented.
|
| Title Project 2 |
“I got the idea from Instagram”: Social media’s role in teachers’ professional development
|
| Description Project 2 |
Do you love scrolling through your social media feeds to get the latest updates and interesting ideas from your favorite influencers? Then this is the project for you! In this project, you’ll help analyze the results of a survey about teachers’ use of social media and how it impacts their professional development, and its impact on their teaching practices. The goal of the research project is to understand how PK-12 teachers view social media as it relates to their professional development and the improvement of their teaching practices.
|
| Date Posted | 20-Feb-23 |
Application of Syllabus Challenge Part II
| Faculty Mentor | Dr. Marcia Baldanza and Dr. Nicci Dowd |
|---|---|
| Academic School | School of Education |
| Contact Information | mbaldanz@marymount.edu and ndowd@marymount.edu |
| Appropriate Majors/Programs | Any and all |
| Position Availability | Summer 2023 (May be held on campus or remotely, as mutually agreed with the faculty mentor.) |
| Description | When considering issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion and how they manifest in higher education, some groups, including students of color, non-traditional students, first-generation students, working students, and older students, are often marginalized. After successful application of the 2022 Syllabus Challenge, we now want to extend this knowledge to our course critical assignments. To accomplish this, we seek to apply Universal Design for Learning and DEI. We believe that by applying a UDL DEI lens to our learning environments, we can: • further effect networks of the “why” of learning, • identify the recognition networks of “the what” of learning and • develop strategic networks of the “how” of learning. The Syllabus Challenge Part 2 project has two goals: 1. To examine and revise our critical assignments through the lens of UDL and DEI by extending the summer 2022 Syllabus Challenge. 2. To create an online toolkit for faculty that consolidates and extends existing resources in an easy-to-use tool for self-evaluation. We plan to present our work at our College of Health and Education’s Research Meeting in the fall, post our work and curated tools to the School of Education website and write a paper for publication. |
| Date Posted | 30-Jan-23 |
Constituting Community: A Heuristic Examination Of Tools And Opportunities For Deepening Connectivity And Engagement of Asynchronous Doctoral Students
| Faculty Mentor | Shannon Melideo |
|---|---|
| Academic School | School of Education |
| Contact Information | smelideo@marymount.edu |
| Appropriate Majors/Programs | Any majors interested in qualitative and quantitative research |
| Position Availability | Summer 2023 (May be held on campus or remotely, as mutually agreed with the faculty mentor.) |
| Description |
Effectively building community in learning environments has long been touted as an impactful influence on student success. While online doctoral students are participating in their education in a synchronous and/or asynchronous manner, the need for a community still exists. In fact, research has shown us that feelings of isolation have contributed to the high attrition rate of 50-70% in online doctoral programs. Part-time doctoral students are at further risk of isolation and loneliness in their online studies due to the decreased nature of their weekly engagement. Cultivating a community of learners requires time, extensive effort, and diligence. I am interested in learning what technological integrations, specific verbiage, frequency of communications, types of messaging, and approaches best engage doctoral students in order to help them build and sustain their learning communities. A review of the literature was completed to situate the research. Part-time doctoral students of a thriving new program are the targeted participants and will be surveyed to ascertain their input and beliefs related to planned and organic community building in their program. Using thematic coding examination of professors’ weekly course announcements will be completed seeking themes, patterns, and recommendations. A mixed methods approach utilizing a heuristic evaluation will be completed to study this phenomenon. I hope to disseminate the results at an international conference and through the conference’s publication. |
| Date Posted | 06-Mar-23 |
Project 1: SNAPSHOT of the 300+ EdD doc students: DEI in the EdD pipeline?
Project 2: The Power of Personal Connections: Online Programs Use of Strategic Engagement Strategies to Enhance the Online Experience
| Faculty Mentor | Dr. Lisa Turissini |
|---|---|
| Academic School | School of Education |
| Contact Information | lturissi@maqrymount.edu |
| Appropriate Majors/Programs | Any interested major & Programs |
| Position Availability | Summer 2023 (May be held on campus or remotely, as mutually agreed with the faculty mentor.) |
| Title Project 1 |
SNAPSHOT of the 300+ EdD doc students: DEI in the EdD pipeline?
|
| Description Project 1 |
The online doctorate program in Educational Leadership & Organizational Innovation has enrolled over 300 students in the last few years. Where are all of these professional students from? What US states are/are not represented? What are the most common undergraduate degrees? masters degrees? What are all of their current occupations? What is the gender breakdown? Racial breakdown? Age ranges? The students’ dissertation topics could be especially interesting to categorize based upon their literature review topics. What are these change-makers hoping to transform in their fields? Let’s see if you can sort the demographics of our EdD students. How interesting to determine and classify trends, similarities/differences, and themes of these 300+ students. Develop a matrix, graphics, or other visual means to display this data. Research Question: With diversity, equity, and inclusion being such an important part of the workplace, is our EdD program’s students representative of today’s diverse classrooms and workplaces? Dissemination will be University-wide via a presentation with an accompanying visual (PPT, google slides/CANVA). This information would be interesting to present at the Student Research Conference as well. The University community would benefit from seeing the EdD student diversity data and how this data aligns with the recruitment/retention of students |
| Title Project 2 |
The Power of Personal Connections: Online Programs Use of Strategic Engagement Strategies to Enhance the Online Experience |
| Description Project 2 |
During and after COVID, colleges moved many courses/programs to an online format. In doing so, faculty struggled with how to best engage students Is it possible to maintain students’ attention and participation in coursework and activities comparable to students being in a face to face environment? Based upon the literature, many recent studies have been done to determine best practices that faculty can implement to keep online students engaged and to feel a part of a learning community. Let’s put together some resources for faculty to use to maintain an engaging, supportive, and caring online learning environment. We have a number of MU faculty who have been using such strategies and I’m sure there are more than can be uncovered to support all faculty. Dissemination would be in the form of a powerpoint/google slides presentation regarding the research and then the strategies that best support UG and GRAD student learning in an online environment. This research can be published or presented at the SRC. Other educational venues would welcome this topic as well. |
| Date Posted | 13-Jan-23 |
Business, Technology, & Design
Environmental Regulations and Eco-Innovations
| Faculty Mentor | Dr. Amel Ben Abdesslem |
|---|---|
| Academic School | School of Business |
| Contact Information | abenabde@marymount.edu |
| Appropriate Majors/Programs |
Business Administration, Economics, IT
|
| Position Availability | Summer 2023 (May be held on campus or remotely, as mutually agreed with the faculty mentor.) |
| Title Project 1 |
Environmental Regulations and Eco-Innovations
|
| Description | Environmental regulations are a critical instrument in mitigating the negative impacts of economic activities on the environment. These regulations aim to ensure that industries and businesses operate in a manner that is environmentally sustainable. In recent years, eco-innovations have emerged as a significant strategy for reducing the negative impact of economic activities on the environment. Eco-innovations refer to new products, processes, and technologies that have a lower environmental impact than their predecessors. The project aims to investigate the effectiveness of environmental regulations in promoting eco-innovations and identifying the key factors that influence the adoption of eco-innovations in developing and developed countries. The research fellow’s role is twofold: 1. He/she/they will draft a short literature review on recent empirical studies; 2. He/she/they will identify and collect data on the adoption of eco-innovations, the level of compliance with environmental regulations, and the factors that influence the adoption of eco-innovations. The ideal candidate for this fellowship must have excellent attention to detail. They should be able to meticulously collect and analyze data, as well as produce a short literature review that is accurate and reliable. The candidate must also have strong research skills, be self-motivated, and have a keen interest in environmental policy and eco-innovations. |
| Date Posted | 17-Feb-23 |
Sensory Changes: Researching Optimal Interior Materials for the Aging
| Faculty Mentor | Moira Denson |
|---|---|
| Academic School | School of Art & Design |
| Contact Information | mdenson@marymount.edu |
| Appropriate Majors/Programs | Any/ All but hold a passion and interest to research interior design materials or the physical environment needs of the Aging adult. |
| Position Availability | Summer 2023 (May be held on campus or remotely, as mutually agreed with the faculty mentor.) |
| Description Project 1 |
In 2020, I co-authored a publication titled Environmental Design- Accommodating Sensory Changes and Mobility Limitations in the Older Adult. This work inspired me to re-think several accessory dwelling units (ADUs) that I originally designed in 2010 but now with a new focus on meeting the needs of the aging consumer. In collaboration with a local interior designer/ MU alum, I’m looking to share these revised renderings as examples to illustrate optimal interior design living spaces. This project will explore how the illustrated renderings can be combined with approachable ways to share data/ information to get the message out about healthy interior spaces for the aging adult. The work will be shared through community-focused publications and as references in the MU Interior Design Classrooms. |
| Date Posted | 06-Mar-23 |
Project 1: Corporate Fraud and Analyst Forecasts
Project 2: Political Ideology and Analyst Career
Project 3: ESG disclosures in the banking sector
| Faculty Mentor |
Dr. Noor Hashim
|
|---|---|
| Academic School | School of Technology and Innovation |
| Contact Information |
nhashim@marymount.edu
|
| Appropriate Majors/Programs |
Accounting, Finance
|
| Position Availability | Summer 2023 (May be held on campus or remotely, as mutually agreed with the faculty mentor.) |
| Title Project 1 |
Corporate Fraud and Analyst Forecasts
|
| Description Project 1 |
Given the significance of class action lawsuits and their extensive coverage in the business press, they provide an interesting setting to examine the role of analysts in the financial market. The project will examine whether financial analysts’ questions and managers’ answers during earnings conference calls contain information regarding the future filing of class action law suits, and whether this information can help predict future corporate fraud. We expect financial analysts to provide that helps with fraud detection because of existing evidence showing that analysts can detect 16.9% of the total corporate fraud cases revealed by external governance mechanisms, which is higher than the percentage of the cases brought to light by auditors (11.3%), suggesting that analysts may be as competitive as auditors in terms of overseeing managers according to Dyck et al. (2010). The sample will consist of class action lawsuits from the Stanford Law School Securities Class Action Clearinghouse filed for publicly traded US firms between 2010 and 2020. The framework will extract signals such as sentiment features, emotion features, topic features, and lexical features, which are then fed into machine learning classifiers for fraud detection. |
| Title Project 2 |
Political Ideology and Analyst Career
|
| Description Project 2 | The project is interested in the political dissimilarity between analysts, their employers and the firms they follow. Employees who hold political views at odds with the organizational majority may find themselves in an unwelcoming or awkward workplace—leading to dissatisfaction, disengagement, or even departure. Employees whose values match their organizations’ are considered a good fit, and they typically seek to maintain the employment relationship (Kristof-Brown, Zimmerman, & Johnson, 2005). Dissimilar employees with “discrepant values” are expected to leave (Chatman, 1989; O’Reilly, Chatman, & Caldwell, 1991). The project build on this to examine whether the political affiliation of the equity analysts affects: a) their job separations (i.e. whether they move up or down the brokerage house hierarchy), and b) their stock coverage (i.e. whether they cover large and important stocks within their industry). The project will use publicly available data from the Federal Election Commission (FEC) that maintains a database of donations made by individuals to federal candidates and parties. The study will examine the contributions of analysts and company management to political campaigns. Even though employers may have become more tolerant of employees’ displays of political affiliation, the project is expected to make a contribution by highlighting an obstacle to analysts’ career advancement. Understanding the implications of this obstacle is important to enable and promote an equitable working environment. |
| Title Project 3 |
ESG disclosures in the banking sector
|
| Description Project 3 | Environmental, social and governance reporting is important to demonstrate how companies create and support long-term values. ESG reporting can also strengthen corporate reputations and trust with investors. Increased regulations and consistency related to ESG disclosures is strongly supported by users and preparers. Recent research by Park, Yoon and Zack (2022) shows that equity analysts can predict negative ESG incidents. Understanding and forecasting risks that firms face are important aspects of analysts’ work and are valuable to their clients. Analysts react to negative ESG news by significantly downgrading their forecasts for the firm (Derrien et al. 2022). Schiemann et al. (2022) also find that analyst forecast errors are generally higher for firms with higher exposure to ESG controversies. The proposed project will examine the needs for ESG disclosures in the banking sector as opposed to other sectors. The project will help answer questions of whether the banking industry is less sensitive to ESG incidents. This research topic is timely and has important policy implications as the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) considers appropriate ESG disclosure mandates. The project will use a unique dataset covering firm-day level data from RepRisk about negative operational incidents that are classified into ESG issues. |
| Date Posted | 17-Feb-23 |
Data handling and management for a spatial analysis
| Faculty Mentor | Dr. Uma Kelekar |
|---|---|
| Academic School | School of Business/ School of Health Sciences |
| Contact Information | ukelekar@marymount.edu |
| Appropriate Majors/Programs | Business, Data Science, Health Promotion, and Education |
| Position Availability | Summer 2023 (May be held on campus or remotely, as mutually agreed with the faculty mentor.) |
| Description | The student researcher will be working on a dataset of geographic locations of dentists in the state of Maryland and helping with data cleaning, matching datasets, and creating a robust panel database of all dentists over time. This can be done in EXCEL. The next step of analysis would be geocoding the locations and creating maps in Tableau. The research questions will include examining the density of dentists across rural/urban areas, the co-location of Emergency Departments (EDs), and its relationship with how people use dental care in the E.Ds. Proficiency in Excel is required, and Tableau will be a plus. |
| Date Posted | 06-Mar-23 |
A Design Science Approach to Construct SCAP Platform and Communicate Cybersecurity Risks
| Faculty Mentor | Dr. Michelle Liu |
|---|---|
| Academic School | School of Technology and Innovation |
| Contact Information |
michelle.liu@marymount.edu
|
| Appropriate Majors/Programs |
D.Sc. in Cybersecurity
|
| Position Availability | Summer 2023 (May be held on campus or remotely, as mutually agreed with the faculty mentor.) |
| Title Project 1 | A Design Science Approach to Construct SCAP Platform and Communicate Cybersecurity Risks |
| Description Project 1 | Cyber Threat Intelligence (CTI) and Risk Management (RM) are two separate but highly correlated domains. To calculate risk, organizations must collect and analyze CTI information effectively and efficiently from all reliable resources. However, organizations face paying hefty fees to security vendors, sometimes more than one, in order to address the problem. Moreover, the intelligence (e.g., vulnerability scores) received may be greatly varied depending on security vendors, thus, is not reliable and only usable within the security vendors platform. The purpose of this research is to apply a design science perspective to address the challenge of standardizing the format and nomenclature by which security software communicates information about software flaws and security configurations. The objectives of this project include: 1) to determine if developing an open framework around Security Content Automation Protocol (SCAP) would be feasible for organizations and if so, 2) to explore what factors should be considered during its development. The student will present the research in the annual MU Student Research Conference. The student and the faculty mentor will co-author papers based on the project and present it in a regional conference. The ultimate goal is to submit the refined paper to a high-impact, peer-reviewed journal for publication. |
| Date Posted | 04-Mar-22 |
Cybersecurity Implications of the CHIPS and Science Act
| Faculty Mentor | Dr. Donna M. Schaeffer |
|---|---|
| Academic School |
BILT: School of Technology & Innovation
|
| Contact Information | donna.schaeffer@marymount.edu |
| Appropriate Majors/Programs |
DSc, Masters or Bachelors in IT or Cybersecurity, MBA, Political Science, Science
|
| Position Availability | Summer 2023 (May be held on campus or remotely, as mutually agreed with the faculty mentor.) |
| Title Project 1 |
Cybersecurity Implications of the CHIPS and Science Act
|
| Description Project 1 | The CHIPS and Science Act was recently signed into law by President Biden. The act provides apx. $280 billion in new funding for domestic research and manufacturing of semiconductors in the United States. This research project aims to develop a taxonomy of related cybersecurity issues that decision makers need to address, such as supply chan security, workforce development, and global trade policy. The results will be presented at an academic conference and published as a journal article. |
| Date Posted | 17-Feb-23 |
Health-Related
Project 1: Dinner for One? Older Adults and Single-Use Plastics;
Project 2: A healthy climate: Health professionals’ views on climate change advocacy
| Faculty Mentor | Julia Kish Doto |
|---|---|
| Academic School | School of Health Sciences and Human Performance |
| Contact Information | jdoto@marymount.edu |
| Appropriate Majors/Programs | Health Sciences, Biology, Nursing, Communication, Education |
| Position Availability | Summer 2023 (May be held on campus or remotely, as mutually agreed with the faculty mentor.) |
| Title Project 1 |
Dinner for One? Older Adults and Single-Use Plastics |
| Description Project 1 |
Consumer plastic usage contributes to climate change. Older adults who live alone often turn to purchasing take-out food in single-use plastic containers or purchasing food in plastic single-portion containers to prevent food waste. This project will examine older adult consumers’ views on the avoidance of plastic objects, in particular single-use plastics and food packaging. Students will work with the faculty mentor to design, conduct, and deliver an interactive education program for older adults on the topic. They will also deliver and assess findings from pre- and post-test surveys on the topic with older adults in Arlington. |
| Title Project 2 |
A healthy climate: Health professionals’ views on climate change advocacy |
| Description Project 2 |
The goal of this project is to assess public health professionals’ perceived roles in climate change advocacy. We will use the World Health Organization’s Climate Change and Health Survey to assess the willingness of Virginia Public Health Association (VPHA) members to engage in climate advocacy activities, including climate-friendly programs, and policies, with local, state, and community public health partners. Students will work with faculty mentors (Dr. Doto and Dr. Francavillo) to replicate the nationwide quantitative survey described above with VPHA members and compare findings with those from non-public health Virginia residents and national baseline data. Students may also assist with subsequent qualitative data collection activities (i.e., interviews, and focus groups). |
| Date Posted | 06-Mar-23 |
The Lived Experience of Nurse Leaders of Acute, In-patient Facilities During the Covid Pandemic March 12, 2020 – March 31, 2021
| Faculty Mentor | Dr. Judith Fruiterman |
|---|---|
| Academic School | Malek School of Health Professions |
| Contact Information | jrogers@marymount.edu |
| Appropriate Majors/Programs | Nursing |
| Position Availability | Summer 2023 (May be held on campus or remotely, as mutually agreed with the faculty mentor.) |
| Description | The purpose of this study utilizing Gadamer’s hermeneutic, phenomenological construct, is to consider the shared perceptions, feelings, and common lived experiences of nurses who served in nurse leader positions in inpatient facilities during the Covid epidemic, March 12.2020 to March 31.2021. Awareness and understanding of the validity of the nurse leader’s own reaction as well as essential role challenges during this unprecedented and historic public health crisis are important as it bears influence on nurse leader practice, education, and research. This study will explore (a) the perception of vulnerability experienced by these nurse leaders; (b) the common immediate and lingering components of the lived experience of these nurse leaders; (c) these nurses leaders’ perceptions of their professional and personal readiness for such an experience; (d) the preparation nurse leaders need to be able to practice in similar future situations; and (e) the personal and professional attributes that enhance a nurse leader’s ability to perform under such difficult circumstances. |
| Date Posted | 06-Mar-23 |
Balance Training for Older Adults with Cognitive Impairment
| Faculty Mentor | Dr. Julie Ries |
|---|---|
| Academic School | School of Health Sciences |
| Contact Information | jries@marymount.edu |
| Appropriate Majors/Programs |
Physical Therapy, Health Sciences, Nursing, Education, and others
|
| Position Availability | Summer 2023 (May be held on campus or remotely, as mutually agreed with the faculty mentor.) |
| Description | This research project will assess the feasibility of using a remote web-based delivery of a balance training program for people with dementia and their care partners. The Otago Exercise Program (OEP) is a publicly available program of strength and balance exercises that we will adapt to bring to individuals with dementia. Student researchers may participate in research activities including, but not limited to: assisting with literature review and annotating articles, creating comprehensive exercise class videos from existing videos of exercises, creating/adapting recruitment materials for prospective participants, creating/adapting online forms for data collection, develop/organize online class using Canvas Learning Management System, and the possibility of participant interaction assisting in overseeing online administration of the balance intervention (timeline dependent). If the funded student is local, there may be the potential for participant interaction opportunities in the form of assisting with in-home data collection (timeline dependent). |
| Date Posted | 06-Mar-23 |
National Death Row Survey
| Faculty Mentor | Dr. Brittany Ripper |
|---|---|
| Academic School | School of Behavioral and Social Sciences |
| Contact Information | bripper@marymount.edu |
| Appropriate Majors/Programs |
Criminal Justice, Psychology, Forensic and Legal Psychology, Politics
|
| Position Availability | Summer 2023 (May be held on campus or remotely, as mutually agreed with the faculty mentor.) |
| Description | Death rows in many states have moved beyond traditional solitary confinement death rows to congregate death rows. However, there is much to be learned about the psychological well-being and experiences of individuals housed on congregate death rows compared to solitary confinement death rows. The research fellow will assist in the development of a national survey of individuals on death row. The survey will include questions about mental health, programming on death row, and the overall experience of living under a sentence of death. Work products from this project will include publications and conference presentations. |
| Date Posted | 06-Mar-23 |
