Current Research Projects with LBC Faculty
Here at Briggs we value undergraduate research experiences, as we know they set our students up for success as scientists. Each year, many of our faculty have projects for which they need student assistants. Below, find opportunities to work with LBC faculty members on research in Fall 2023 and Spring 2024.
Fall 2023–Spring 2024 Projects
Determining Conspicuousness of Warning Colors under Different Predator Visual System
Faculty Mentor: Dr. J.P. Lawrence
Term: Fall 2023 – Spring 2024
Maximum number of research positions: 2
Expected hours/week: 7.5 hours per week
Location: Student may work in-person or remotely
Handshake Application Link
Overview
How organisms perceive color and pattern can vary from organism to organism. While we see colors of a flower as bright and beautiful, a bee sees hidden patterns in UV that our eyes cannot detect. For this reason, we often make erroneous assumptions about how other organisms perceive the world around us. Species with warning coloration are a particular area of interest due to their bright and conspicuous coloration. However, very little has been done to explain how this variation is perceived by different predator groups, and as such, we often assume that particular colors or patterns are distinguishable to predators. For this research, we will be using spectrometric data as well as standardized photos to model how different animals perceive color signals. Students working on this project will develop a pipeline to analyze spectra as well as standardized photos of poison frogs and bugs to determine whether their colors are visible to a variety of predators, including birds and invertebrates, and how conspicuous or cryptic they are in a wild environment. In order to do this, students will work with the statistical platform R to use predeveloped packages such as pavo 2 and colorize. Students should have comfort and familiarity with how to use R. By the end of this project, students should be able to present their findings at a research symposium (i.e., UURAF) and write it up for possible publication.
Project-specific qualifications or preferences: Familiarity with the statistical program R
Diverse Narratives of Blackness in Healthcare
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Nilüfer Akalin
Term: Fall 2023 through Spring 2024
Maximum number of research positions: 2
Expected hours/week: 5 hours per week over 30 weeks
Location: in person (in East Lansing)
Handshake Application Link
Overview
In recent years, discussions about racial disparities within the healthcare system have gained significant attention. However, within the broader discourse on healthcare inequalities, there exists a complex layer related to the experiences of Black individuals, particularly drawing a distinction between U.S. born Black individuals and non-U.S. born Black immigrants (Greer 2013; Hamilton 2019). This research proposal aims to delve into the nuances of the Blackness experience within the healthcare system, focusing on the impact of citizenship status, sense of belonging, and language proficiency.
Black immigrants constitute a substantial portion of the U.S. population, contributing to the rich diversity of the nation (Hamilton 2019). Despite this diversity, research addressing the differential experiences of Black immigrants in healthcare contexts remains limited. Citizenship status has been shown to influence access to healthcare services and treatment options (Van Natta et al. 2019), raising questions about the extent to which this status might shape the healthcare experiences of Black immigrants in comparison to U.S. born Black individuals. Furthermore, the sense of belonging within the American healthcare system, along with language proficiency, can significantly influence interactions with healthcare providers, utilization of services, and overall health outcomes (Maleku, Kim, and Lee 2019).
By exploring the variations in experiences between these two groups, this study seeks to not only contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of healthcare disparities but also shed light on the unique challenges that Black immigrants may encounter within the healthcare system. Ultimately, this research could provide insights to guide policy efforts aimed at reducing healthcare inequities and improving the overall health and well-being of all Black individuals.
The methodology of the research will be qualitative. We will conduct 40 interviews in total with individuals located in Lansing, Eaton and Kent counties.
Project specific qualifications or preferences: Someone interested and passionate about healthcare disparities and who is interested in doing literature review and conduct interviews.
Understanding the Quality of Chemistry Educational Videos on YouTube
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Ryan Sweeder
Term: Fall 2023 and Spring 2024
Maximum number of research positions: 1
Expected hours/week: 5 hours/week for Fall and Spring semesters
Location: In person
Handshake Application Link
Overview
The advent of websites like YouTube has provided a way for learners to get additional just-in-time instructional help outside of the classroom. This is good as it has the potential to help meet the unique and diverse needs of students. However, the instructional quality of chemistry videos available on sites like YouTube varies greatly. Thus, learners or instructors looking for quality videos frequently need to spend considerable time to find what they seek. This project will evaluate the instructional quality of frequently watched chemistry videos using a set of measures that have been shown to positively affect learning, and then use these data to create a curated database of videos for several core chemistry concepts. To support conceptual chemistry learning, instructional videos should include a focus on things such as connecting the various levels of chemistry instruction (macroscopic, particulate, and symbolic), three-dimensional learning, causal mechanistic reasoning, and active engagement of students in the learning process, all characteristics which research has shown to support deep conceptual learning of core chemistry concepts. The student selected for this project will gain familiarity with the expected criteria for quality chemistry educational videos and then work to catalog frequently viewed or the top results for relevant general chemistry topics. The result will be that the researcher helps identify appropriate videos for analysis and contribute to building the curated database of videos that will then be disseminated broadly to support both students and instructors of general chemistry.
Project specific qualifications or preferences: Students must have completed general chemistry or an equivalent course. Students must be available in Fall 2023 on Wednesdays from 1:00–3:00 p.m. for a research project meeting.
Understanding how undergraduate learning assistants think of and practice equity in their teaching positions
Faculty Mentor: Drs. Shahnaz Masani, Clausell Mathis, Rachel Barnard
Term: Fall 2023 and Spring 2024
Maximum number of research positions: 2
Expected hours/week: 5 hours/week for Fall and Spring semesters
Location: Either remote or in person is acceptable
Overview
STEM classrooms are not neutral spaces. Research shows that several factors, from the prioritization of Eurocentric norms and values to historical legacies of racism, sexism and ableism make STEM disciplines and classrooms exclusionary to students from historically underrepresented and marginalized groups. Despite this evidence, STEM faculty often perpetuate inaccurate narratives of meritocracy, objectivity and neutrality when describing their classrooms and disciplines. They draw on ‘equality-based’ explanations of equity and color-evasive ideologies that explain racial phenomena without explicitly naming race or racism as a cause of oppression and inequities in STEM.
Importantly, an instructor’s conception of equity has direct impacts on their mentoring and teaching practice. Faculty with color-evasive, equality-based conceptions of equity are more likely to adopt mentoring approaches that are harmful to students from historically underrepresented and marginalized groups. They are also less likely to notice racialized events in the classroom or adopt student-centered, inclusive teaching practices.
Whether STEM undergraduate learning assistants (ULAs) hold similar conceptions of equity is a question yet to be answered. This question is especially important, given that essential roles in the classroom, and the fact that ULAs often engage in more direct contact with students than faculty. We aim to assess ULAs conceptions of equity and their knowledge and self-reported practice of equitable teaching through surveys and semi-structured interviews that examine their dispositions around a range of topics around issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion in university STEM courses. Understanding how ULAs understand and enact equity and equitable teaching practices will help us identify potential sources of inequity in STEM classrooms, as well as to inform pedagogical or professional development training offered to these groups. As an undergraduate researcher, you will help transcribe and qualitatively analyze data from surveys and interviews with ULAs and work with the research team to co-write the research manuscript.
Project specific qualifications or preferences: Must have taken at least 1 STEM course at the university which had ULAs as part of the instructional team, experience as a ULA is preferred but not required, someone interested and passionate about inclusion and equity in STEM.
Spring 2024 Projects
Perspectives of trans allyship in medical education
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Andrea Kelley
Term: Spring 2024
Maximum number of research positions: 1
Expected hours/week: 8 hours for 12 weeks
Location: Either remote or in person is acceptable
The application for this project will open in November or December
Overview
This project will be analyzing a qualitative data set for perspectives on allyship by transgender and gender diverse medical students and medical residents. I have already created a de-identified proto-set, and it will need to be coded and analyzed. The undergraduate research assistant will assist with literature review, coding and analysis, and manuscript write-up.
Project specific qualifications or preferences: Considering the delicate nature of the topic, the ideal student researcher will have career interests in LGBTQ+ health and/or relevant lived experience.