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 Spring 2025.
To apply for these positions, please visit the Qualtrics application form, and refer to the Research Support webpage for further details.
Spring 2025 Projects
Project 1: INTEGRAL: Intersectional Narratives of Trans* Epistemologies and Gender-Resilient Academic Lives
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Taylor McNeill (LBC), Justin Gutzwa (Department of Higher and Lifelong Education)
Terms: Spring 2025
Maximum number of research positions: 1
Expected hours/week: 10 hours per week
Location: Either remote or in person is acceptable
Decades of research has explored how gender shapes people’s experiences in mathematics environments. However, the experiences of trans* people are virtually absent in this literature. This is significant as trans* people often hold a wider range of gendered experiences and, thus, hold unique expertise on gender dynamics. This interview-based qualitative study explores the gendered and intersectional experiences of trans* mathematicians, including doctoral students and faculty, to advance gender equity in postsecondary mathematics environments
Project specific qualifications or preferences:
Academic or lived experience engaging in issues of equity for trans*, neurodivergent, and racially marginalized populations is preferred.
Project 2: Understanding student reasoning about social and biological inequities
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Shahnaz Masani and Dr. Jennifer Doherty
Term: Spring and Summer 2025
Maximum number of research positions: 1
Expected hours/week: 10 hours/week in Spring and 20 hours/week in summer
Location: In person only: student must be available regularly in East Lansing
Overview
Why does the Gilpin neighborhood in the city of Richmond have higher temperatures and rates of asthma as compared to other parts of the city that are Whiter and wealthier? Why do cancer mortality rates differ by race in the US?
Often, as we make sense of why racial disparities occur and persist, we draw on ‘individualistic’ explanations that focus on individuals’ choices and behaviors, which ignore broader societal structures and policies that influence these outcomes. Further, even when we think systemically, we often focus on present-day systems or outcomes, missing important historical context. For the example of Richmond, from an individualistic perspective, we might focus on an individual’s physical activity levels or diet, ignoring the broader historical and social contexts that impact an individual’s access to open spaces or food.
Further, being able to reason through the root historical cause and the steps that led to the creation and perpetuation of inequities can help us identify specific policies or practices to enact positive change. For example, understanding how historical policies like redlining influence urban ecosystems and human health provides a deeper understanding of why we see environmental and health inequities in Richmond and how best to address them.
In this study, we ask: (a) What knowledge resources and reasoning do students draw on as they make meaning of racial disparities in ecosystems and human health? (b) Do they draw on similar resources and reasoning across multiple questions or contexts? (c) What discipline(s) or classes do they identify as relevant to understanding and challenging the disparities?
Through this project, you will work with a team of faculty and students to develop your qualitative research skills, by helping to conduct, transcribe and analyze surveys interviews.