2025 Project Proposals

Initiation is the most regulated step of translation and is mediated by a host of protein initiation factors. We focus on an initiation factor called eukaryotic translation initiation factor 3, or eIF3. eIF3 is the largest and most complex of the initiation factors and has recently emerged as an important player in the regulation of translation. And yet, its precise molecular roles are not well understood.

Our research is focused around three principle avenues of inquiry. First, we are leveraging next- and third-generation sequencing technologies to explore the role that eIF3 plays in the translation of mRNA transcripts across the genome in living cells. Second, we are employing biochemical tools to interrogate the molecular workings of eIF3 and its interaction with the ribosome. Finally, because eIF3 is in fact not one protein but a larger complex of several proteins, we are dissecting the specific contribution of each of these constituent proteins to the molecular roles of eIF3. Students working in my lab gain experience with a variety of approaches, including molecular biology techniques, protein expression and purification, in vitro biochemical assays, next- and third-generation sequencing approaches, and the computational analysis of large datasets.

BIOL 107 & 108 (or equivalent)
Internal Motivation
Accountability
Excellent attention to detail
Willingness to try, fail, and try again

Students should directly address why they are interested in my research and how it is connected to their academic interests at Vassar and/or their plans after graduation. Students should also describe any research experience they have had, any relevant courses they have taken, as well as any obstacles that have previously prevented them from acquiring research experience

10-week URSI: May 27 - August 1

All applicants will be interviewed.

North eastern forests in the US and Canada are home to many mammal species, including moose (Alces alces). These large ungulate herbivores face many challenges as temperatures increase and less snow and cold weather dominate in the systems they call home. Combined with temperature stress, food availability and exposure to parasites presents increased incidence of mortality rates within these populations. To better understand how moose in the northeast region of the US may handle stress, we are studying the distribution of food resources for moose at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest located in central New Hampshire.

The project involves surveying plant species especially favoured by moose at the Experimental forest and participating in mapping of those food resources. Most of the summer will be spent up at Hubbard Brook surveying vegetation with a field crew dedicated to studying the forest at Hubbard Brook.

Ability to hike outside all day in all types of weather conditions, ability to take good field notes, ability or interest in learning plant identification, ability to work with a team of other students and project leaders, GIS would be useful but not required

Please email me to describe your interest in the project. All applicants will be interviewed.

10-week URSI: May 27 - August 1 - research will be conducted in New Hampshire

In collaboration with the Genomics Education Partnership (GEP; a consortium of faculty and students at multiple colleges and universities), we will use network analysis approaches to better understand the evolution and function of biological pathways. This project is focused on annotating genes found in well characterized signaling and metabolic pathways across the Drosophila genus with the long-term goal of determining how the regulatory regions of genes evolve in the context of their positions within a network. Our current focus is on the Insulin Signaling pathway which is well conserved across animals and critical to growth and metabolic homeostasis. Students working on this project this summer will learn how to annotate genes in Drosophila species (i.e. determine gene location, structure, and predicted protein product), reconcile gene models from annotations by our GEP student collaborators, and then conduct evolutionary analyses. If time allows, we may also contribute to another GEP research project that is using similar comparative genomics approaches to identify changes to genes that might have contributed to weaker eggshells in the small number of remaining Puerto Rican Parrots. These are completely computational projects, but prior coding experience is not necessary.

Completion of BIOL 108 is required.

Required skills: attention to detail, strong organization skills, willingness to work independently and in teams, eagerness to learn new concepts and skills

10-week URSI: May 27 - August 1

Submit the form and I will contact applicants.

Insects are the most diverse group of animals on Earth, with over 1 million described species and an estimated total of over 20 million in total. Insects play a vital role in ecosystems, as pollinators, predators, and decomposers. They are also a major source of food for many other animals. However, insect populations are threatened in many regions, and habitat loss due to human activities is among the most prescient threats to insect biodiversity.

Students will take part in broad studies on insect biodiversity. We will collect specimens via various trapping and netting techniques, identify specimens, and calculate species richness, evenness, and diversity across different ecosystem types. Additionally, students will learn proper preservation techniques, creating an insect collection that will be used by Vassar students in the future.

At least 2 biology courses. Ecology is not a requirement but useful.

Feel free to reach out to me via email, I'd be happy to chat, but this is not necessary. I'll be reading all resumes and transcripts regardless.

All applicants will be interviewed. 10-week URSI: May 27 - August 1

The Pater lab is conducting research to understand the physiology of woody vines on the preserve, including two native species and two non-native species. Data collection will be done on sites throughout the preserve, including some experimental plots at the field station. Students will be sampling plant material and taking measurements of photosynthesis and water potential of plants in the field.

Students must be comfortable working outdoors. The work can be physical, including plant maintenance and transportation of equipment on the preserve. Students should have at minimum completed BIOL 107 and 108, with preference given to students who have taken courses in ecology or other plant science courses.

Students should email me to indicate their interest. Previous research experience is not necessary, I am looking for students who enjoy being outdoors and want to work as part of a team to investigate ecological issues that are happening right here on campus.

Students should have at minimum completed BIOL 107 and 108, with preference given to students who have taken courses in ecology or other plant science courses.

Please email me to describe your interest in the project. All applicants will be interviewed.

8-week URSI: May 27-July 18

The student will work with Riverkeeper staff to collect and analyze water quality samples as part of Riverkeeper's monthly sampling program, which runs from May–October. The student will collect samples on the Riverkeeper monitoring boat and measure nitrate and phosphorous utilizing Hach kits and a multi-sensor probe. They will also assist with sample collection, packing and shipping for additional water quality projects. Data collected by the student, as well as additional data collected by Riverkeeper staff and partners, will be analyzed by the student to better understand water quality trends in the estuary. Water quality analysis methods utilized by the Vassar advisor may also be included in the study to better understand water quality or to compare methodologies. Data may be collected from over 100 sites in the estuary including sites that are included in order for us to better understand how climate change is impacting the system and sites in environmental justice communities to better understand any disproportionate impacts of poor water quality on recreational access or drinking water safety.

Submit the form and I will contact applicants. 10-week URSI: May 27 - August 1

This project seeks to design and synthesize a new class of catalysts based on group 13 metals in the +1 formal oxidation state. These novel compounds are predicted to have unusual electronic structures, which will enable a variety of chemical bond activations that are typically mediated by more expensive, and oftentimes toxic, transition metals. The inherent differences between main group (p-block) and transition (d-block) metals may also lead to the discovery of unknown complementary reactivity. Successful efforts will open up new fields of chemical research in catalysis using nontoxic, earth-abundant metals. Group members will be trained to handle highly reactive molecules using Schlenk techniques and a nitrogen-filled glovebox to avoid oxygen and water. Compounds synthesized in lab will be analyzed using nuclear magnetric resonance (NMR), UV-Visible, and infrared (IR) spectroscopies, as well as by X-ray diffractometry. Computational methods such as density functional theory (DFT) will also be used to help us gain a deeper understanding of the electronic structures and reactivities of these new chemical compounds.

Interested students must have completed at least one chemistry laboratory course at Vassar. It is recommended that students have also completed organic chemistry (CHEM 244/245).

10-week URSI: May 27 - August 1

Submit the form and I will contact applicants.

The proposed research describes the development of iron complexes for regioselective and catalytic C(sp3)-H bond activation. This will be achieved by synthesizing a novel tridentate CNC-pincer ligand containing a central pyridyl moiety and two strongly donating cyclic (alkyl)(amino)carbene arms to yield reactive iron complexes. The strong field carbenes of this ligand platform will stabilize low spin electronic configurations for iron across multiple oxidation states, providing access to two-electron reactivity more commonly associated with expensive second- and third-row transition metals. These complexes will be tested in stoichiometric bond activations, which will be followed by the discovery of iron-catalyzed dehydrogenations of alkanes. Moreover, it is proposed that these C-H bond activations will be further elaborated to include the direct functionalization of petroleum-derived feedstocks. Primary alkylsilanes and alkylboranes will be synthesized from simple alkanes using new methodologies based on iron, the most abundant and least expensive transition metal.

Interested students must have completed at least one chemistry laboratory course at Vassar. It is recommended that students have also completed organic chemistry (CHEM 244/245).

10-week URSI: May 27 - August 1

Submit the form and I will contact appplicants.

Humans and microbes have a complex relationship. The advent of antibiotics allowed humans to fight pathogenic bacterial infections that threatened our livelihood. However the imbalance of symbiotic microbial populations in the body, which can be caused by lifesaving antibiotics, has been implicated in many areas of human health. We will use biochemical and biophysical techniques to characterize proteins involved in antibiotic resistance transfer or key biosynthetic pathways from one of the following microbial species: Salmonella Typhimurium, Staphylococcus aureus, or Bacteroides ovatus. These studies help to provide further understanding of essential microbial processes at the molecular level. Students working in the lab will gain experience with gel electrophoresis, protein expression and purification, in vitro enzyme assays, and protein crystallization.

Required Course: Chem 125.
Optional/Preferred Courses: Bio 107 (or equivalent intro bio course); Bio 272 (preferred)

Please write a short paragraph (less than 200 words) describing your academic/career interests, and what unique or interesting perspective you think you bring to science.

10-week URSI: May 27 - August 1

Submit the form and I will contact the applicants.

The term "fullerenes" describes a class of molecules which are all-carbon cage-like structures of n carbon atoms, Cn. The most stable and most common cage size is C60, followed by C70. Both C60 and C70 are present in the carbon soot matrix which is produced when graphite is vaporized in an electric arc at reduced pressure. Other carbon cage sizes are also produced, for example those of 76, 78, 82, 84 and 96 carbon atoms but in much lower amounts. By incorporating rare earth metals (for example lanthanum, La) in the graphite being vaporized in the arc flame, small amounts of endohedral metallo-fullerenes (that is, carbon cages with one or more metal atoms trapped inside) are produced. This project will use the Vassar arc-vapor synthesis reactor to produce novel metallofullerenes and will then investigate their subsequent surface functionalization by using, for example, the Prato reaction.

8-week URSI: May 27-July 18

All applicants will be interviewed.

With this project we will synthesize a series of 1,2,3,4-tetrahydrocarbazoles (THC's) formed via a Borsche-Drechsel cyclization. The method consists of a one pot synthesis of a substituted phenylhydrazine hydrochloride and a substituted cyclohexanone in the presence of antimony trioxide as a catalyst in methanol solvent at reflux temperatures. Products will be isolated, purified and characterized by 1-H NMR, 13-C NMR, GC/MS, IR, elemental analysis and X-ray crystallography. The THC's will then be employed to synthesize metal coordination complexes with group 4 metals (Ti, Zr, Hf) to investigate and tune the binding mode of the THC ligand to the metal center.

Interested students must have completed Organic Chemistry 244/245 before the start of URSI, and experience with NMR would be helpful but is not required.

10-week URSI: May 27 - August 1

Please email me to describe your interest in the project.

The properties and reactivity of a surface can be modified via the covalent attachment of functional molecules. Electrografting is a powerful surface functionalization technique that employs an applied voltage to drive bond-forming reactions at the surface of an electrode. While this method has numerous advantages, such as generalizability to many different electrode materials, the rapid speed of the attachment makes it difficult to control and typically results in the formation of disordered, insulating multilayers. In this project, we will systematically vary deposition variables, such as molecule concentration and applied voltage, to understand their effect on the molecular deposition rate and the resulting electrode properties. This information will be used to build quantitative models that enable better control over molecular loading of surfaces. Student researchers will gain experience in thin film electrode fabrication and numerous electroanalytical techniques, including cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy.

Interested applicants should have completed CHEM 125 (lecture and lab).

In your application, please describe your motivation for seeking a summer research position, including your interest in this specific project, any skills/knowledge you hope to gain, and how this experience will benefit your anticipated career trajectory.

 

Students do not need to contact me prior to applying unless they have specific questions about the project.

10-week URSI: May 27 - August 1

Submit the form and I will contact applicants.

If you looked at the data from 100 different behavioral experiments, chances are that you'd encounter about 100 different ways of recording that data. Researchers have their own preferences about file formats, naming conventions, folder organization, and documentation. This adds a lot of friction to data sharing, a core component of the open science movement. In this project, we will work on refining and implementing a data standard called Psych-DS (https://github.com/psych-DS/psych-DS) for experiments conducted with jsPsych (https://www.jspsych.org). jsPsych is a widely used platform for conducting behavioral research, and adding Psych-DS support will help advance the goal of creating a shared data standard across behavioral research. This project began last summer and is partially complete. Work this summer is likely to focus on a combination of technical development and community outreach through writing technical documentation and tutorials. One exciting consequence of implementing a data standard is that data becomes machine readable, enabling new technologies to be built on top of the standard. Depending on the student's interests, we may explore this facet of the overall project as well.

This project will involve a combination of conceptual work related to experimental methods and programming work to implement the data standard in jsPsych. jsPsych is written in JavaScript. While previous experience with JavaScript is not required, students should be comfortable with programming in at least one language. Experience with research methods, collaborative code development (e.g., GitHub), and JavaScript are all benefits.

Students should submit an application that highlights their experiences with programming and experimental methods. For example, including a link to a previous project or a description of previous work is very helpful.

10-week URSI: May 27 - August 1

Submit the form and I will contact applicants.

When we design a new behavioral experiment, we typically follow in the footsteps of researchers who have done related work. We might use the same or very similar kinds of measures, tasks, and manipulations. This means there is a lot of opportunity for shared experiment building, where researchers-in theory-don't need to reimplement (e.g., program from scratch) experiments that have already been done. But the reality is that this is challenging to do for a variety of reasons, and most experimenters either build experiments from scratch or try to find an existing implementation that is very close and modify it. In this project, we'll continue working on tools that my lab has developed to make it easy for researchers to create shareable, open-source modules for assembling experiments. Our primary focus will be development related to https://www.github.com/jspsych/jspsych and https://www.github.com/jspsych/jspsych-timelines. Depending on the interests of the students, we may also explore other facets of the broader jsPsych project, such as AI-augmented experimental design and mobile app compatibility.

This project will involve a combination of conceptual work related to experimental methods and programming work to implement the data standard in jsPsych. jsPsych is written in JavaScript. While previous experience with JavaScript is not required, students should be comfortable with programming in at least one language. Experience with research methods, collaborative code development (e.g., GitHub), and JavaScript are all benefits.

Students should submit an application that highlights their experiences with programming and experimental methods. For example, including a link to a previous project or a description of previous work is very helpful.

10-week URSI: May 27 - August 1

Submit the form and I will contact applicants.

This project is a continuation of work begun in the summer of '22 when we built a full-scale humanoid robot (torso only) to be used in student and faculty research projects and in classroom demonstrations. this was the first humanoid robot project at Vassar, and, although it was used to complete a senior thesis, the robot had only the simplest of control systems, none of them autonomous. The last two summers have focused in increasing the capabilities of the software for the robot. We now have in place a working speech to text and text to speech system, a simple but effective object recognition vision system, and we have developed an interactive game that can be used in human-robot interaction research. We have a basic framework for behavioral control, and at present we are working to develop a hierarchical control system that could be integrated with the sensory capabilities we have developed so that the robot can respond in movements (e.g., reach-and-grasp) as well as via speech during interactions. Thanks to the generosity of URSI, which funded 3 students for this project last year, we made tremendous progress on software development. Our next hurdle is integrating the functional pieces of code into a complete system. Systems integration is always the most difficult problem in robotics of any kind, but especially when attempting to create realistic behaviors in a robot that is supposed to be a simulacrum. The problems divide into two classes requiring slightly different patterns of expertise, so two students would be ideal in order to make maximal progress on this project.

Coursework or other experience in cognitive science (especially embodied-situated approaches) and computer science are extremely important. Prior experience with autonomous robots is a definite plus but not required.

All applicants will be interviewed. 10-week URSI: May 27 - August 1

A large body of research and theory in cognitive science tells us that the way intelligence is embodied has a great deal to do with how that intelligence works and what it is capable of accomplishing. Our humanoid robotics project has been discovering and re-discovering the value of this perspective for the last three summers as we the Humanoid Autonomous Robot for Experimental Research (HARPER) for use in research projects and classroom demonstrations. We are currently using version 1.0 of Harper as a platform for developing software to allow the robot to engage in intelligent action in real time. However, the HARPER 1.0 design has a number of design limitations and is not sufficiently robust for long term use. We are therefore working on HARPER 2.0, which is designed to address those limitations. During the last two summers we have made several prototypes of an arm and hand (by far the most complicated body part) and are nearly ready to complete a fully functional pair of arms. Next steps will include design of the torso and systems for attaching it to a mobile platform. The neck and head are also in line for prototyping. The goal is to have functional arms available by end of summer for integration with software systems we are developing (see Project #1). The work will focus primarily on the mechanical and electrical engineering of the body but will at times require some simple coding during performance testing.

A solid background in embodied-situated approaches to cognition is important. Mechanical skills and aptitude are highly desirable, including work with hand tools, power tools, 3D printers, and other fabrication techniques. Some understanding of coding in any language is desirable. Knowledge of CAD software is especially valuable. Background or experience in electronics is a real plus as well.

All applicants will be interviewed.

10-week URSI: May 27 - August 1

Project Summary: Governments and companies are exploring new Ocean-Based Climate Solutions that aim to engineer the ocean's natural systems to store more carbon. One proposed solution is Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement (OAE), where alkaline minerals, effectively "antacids", are added to the ocean to facilitate CO2 uptake. Key questions remain: Would it work? And how would marine organisms respond? Of particular interest are organisms that make shells; if shell growth increases when alkalinity is added, then OAE would be less effective and fundamental changes to the ocean's carbon cycle may result. In this project, we will grow foraminifera in the laboratory under different OAE scenarios. Foraminifera are small, shell-building marine protists that live in the plankton. We will test the hypothesis that increased alkalinity will enhance foraminifera shell growth, and use our findings to predict changes to future ocean chemistry and carbon storage.

Description of Activities: This project will involve 4 weeks of laboratory work and training at Vassar and 6 weeks of laboratory and field work at the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences (BIOS). Field activities will include regular plankton collection excursions with nets on a small 26' boat. We will conduct a wide range of laboratory tasks including manipulation of seawater chemistry, seawater chemistry measurements, various microscopy techniques, processing of plankton tows, and tasks associated with culturing foraminifera, which involves using small paintbrushes and pipettes to feed, manipulate, and photograph individuals of 0.1-0.5 mm in size. All expenses associated with field work will be paid for, including travel, housing, and food. We will also do science communication and community engagement work in the field. Students will work on a team of ~8 researchers from Vassar, NOAA, BIOS, and Oregon State University, including other undergraduates, graduate students, and professors, all of whom will be passionate about ocean critters and creating a safe and inclusive environment in the field.

This research sits at the intersection of Earth Science, Biology, and Chemistry. Students should have completed at least one 200-level Earth Science with a lab. Students with a 200-level lab-based Chemistry or Biology course plus additional ESCI background will also be considered. Attention to detail and ability to work well in a team will be key skills for this project. Preference will be given to students who are interested in continuing this work into the academic year as a thesis or independent project.

Students will prepare for fieldwork and receive training at Vassar for 4 weeks from Jun 1-28 (4 weeks). We will travel to Bermuda from ~June 29-Aug 10th (6 weeks).

If travel is not possible due to federal funding changes, this project will take place at Vassar using local foraminifera

Submit the form and I will contact applicants.

Beavers (Castor fiber, Castor canadensis) have been repopulating the Northeast United States and altering the hydrological and biogeochemical cycles of river networks in this region. Beavers create impoundments in otherwise channelized streams that alter the flow of water, solutes, and particulates in watersheds. Lakes, wetlands, and other transient storage zones within a river network are thought to provide ecological services by helping to filter and attenuate nutrients. However, their specific impact on water quality over seasons is still relatively unknown, especially in urban streams of the Northeast US.
This summer project is part of a larger study to quantify the effect of beaver impoundments on water quality in urban streams. Several field and lab methods are used in tangent to measure nutrient processing rates in beaver-impounded streams. The efficacy of each method depends on the scale of interest, water conditions, and seasons. In this summer project, we aim to quantify the variance in nitrate uptake across methods to more effectively compare biogeochemical processing within a whole watershed.

Prerequisites: ENST 124 and CHEM 125

Desired Skills: Experience using the ion chromatograph system, experience collecting surface water and groundwater samples for chemical analysis

Submit the form and I will contact applicants.

10-week URSI: May 27 - August 1

Suppose that Happy Burger only sells chicken nuggets in cartons of 6, 9, or 20. What is the largest number of nuggets that cannot be made by some combination of these cartons? Understanding this problem and its natural variations leads to the the theory of numerical semigroups. Despite their simplicity to define and the volume of worked devoted to their study, there are many questions about numerical semigroups which remain open today. In this project we will explore a natural, but previously unstudied, generalization of numerical semigroups to the realm of totally positive algebraic integers. The project has flexibility to go in several directions depending on the fellow's background and interest.

Math 261 (introduction to number theory) is required and Math 361 (modern algebra) is preferred. Mathematical maturity, openness to learning new mathematics, and creative problem solving are all necessary.

8-week URSI: June 9-August 1

Please email me to describe your interest in the project: thyde@vassar.edu

The locomotion of C. elegans (Caenorhabditis elegans), a microscopic worm, has been studied to further the understanding of the neuronal mechanism of locomotion since this nematode has only 302 neurons. C. elegans is a model organism that is easily maintained with a life span of only 14 days. In this study, we measure the Largest Lyapunov Exponent (LLE) of the locomotion using Dynamic Optical Diffraction (DOD) to compare the worms' agility after maturing in different gravitational fields. In this context, the LLE (agility) refers to the divergence rate of phase trajectories. The phase space is an n-dimensional space with the first axis representing light intensity and the subsequent n-1 axes, with the final axis representing the (n-1) time derivative.

The locomotion of C. elegans carries a positive LLE, an indicator of chaos. This is an application of chaos theory, and our motivation is to understand neuroscience through chaos theory. The locomotory characteristics of nematodes are related to the neurons within them. According to Cohen et al., the locomotion of nematodes is dependent on motor neurons, which suggests that the study of complexity within the nematode's locomotion is also related to its neuronal circuitry.

Must have: calculus intro physics

Preferred:
Experimental Physics
Classical Physics
Modern Physics

10-week URSI: May 27 - August 1

Submit the form and I will contact applicants

This is related to the first project. This will investigate how noise affects the calculation of the Lyapunov exponent. We will be using data taken from a CMOS camera. We will average different numbers of pixels for the time series and reduce noise that way. At one point, the pixels will be too large, and the average will wash out the chaotic features. We are interested in what the threshold is.

10-week URSI: May 27 - August 1

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The goal of this project is to obtain new, analytic insights into the strong-coupling dynamics of quantum field theories, by embedding them in a supersymmetric system and breaking supersymmetry in a controlled way.

In the real world, the interactions between the fundamental particles are often strong, and it is a challenge to identify a controlled, analytic framework for analyzing their properties. On the other hand, supersymmetry provides a fruitful laboratory for analyzing the phases of related particle physics systems with similar properties, as the extra symmetry often allows for exact results.

In this project, we will follow perturbations of a supersymmetric theory to a non-supersymmetric one and use these connections to constrain the possible strong coupling phases. Students will explore the space of supersymmetry-breaking perturbations, and analyze the role that quantum corrections play in determining the effective physics---are semiclassical results "good enough", or do the quantum corrections change the conclusions? In complicated systems, can we streamline the computation of the quantum corrections?

Interested students should send me an email so we can set up an appointment to discuss the project, expectations, and their relevant experience.

Please email me to describe your interest in the project.

10-week URSI: May 27 - August 1

This will be a physics education research (PER) project with a focus on the laboratory component of an introductory physics course. I need a student to help me in developing this component. The student helper will be intricately involved in testing new approaches based on current research. They will also help me with a continuing research review of the literature regarding lab development (of which there is ample). There will be lots of testing of equipment in scenarios which according to the literature promote students' lab skills. These skills include experimental design, specific scientific skills (e.g. data analysis) that the research seems to indicate is required for the typical physics undergraduate to succeed in their career. Time will be spent on methods of assessment as well (both research of the literature and development) and we will investigate and implement new assessment tools such as the PMQ (physics measurement questionnaire). We should be able to come out of the project with 2 or 3 complete "labs" and specific plans for more.

The student would have to have done well in an introductory physics course (ideally at Vassar) and ideally be a physics major. The student should be able to quickly learn about and work with the multitude of software and hardware used in a modern physics laboratory and class. Ideally student should be a self starter and can work independently. Should be interested in education and how students learn as well and have an interest in reading through journal articles.

8-week URSI: May 27-July 18

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Resilience is characterized by effective coping, emotional agility, and the capacity to adapt and recover from stress (Bonanno, 2004; Masten, 2007; Skodol, 2010, Steinhardt & Dolbier, 2008, Tugade, 2011).  This project will examine strategies of resilience in practice, with the aim of assessing their long-term effects and broader impacts, particularly for young women.  The challenges faced by women today—ranging from societal pressures and inequity to mental health concerns — call for innovative approaches for building empowerment and resilience. In recent years, stress levels among college students in the U.S. have risen alarmingly, with a disproportionate amount experienced by young women. Indeed, this is a public health concern. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH, 2024), young women are more likely to experience depression and anxiety compared to their male peers. This has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, with many reporting increased mental health issues. This project examines the outcomes of participating in a structured program using mind-body practices to enhance women’s empowerment (reducing anxiety and depression, enhancing self-confidence, increasing self-awareness, and fostering resilience). The scientific study of embodied learning will bring new learning opportunities to the broader community developed by the research team.

Submit the form and I will contact applicants.

10-week URSI: May 27 - August 1

Understanding human empathy has never been more important. While it has been studied by psychologists for years, there is no singular theory that adequately describes human empathy. Despite this most agree that individuals may display indistinguishable empathic behavior while relying on cognitive and emotional processes that vary a great deal. Simply put, some people empathize because they "feel" the emotion of others, some people empathize because they "understand" the emotion of others, and many people do some of both. Alongside these individual differences there is a developmental course to the acquisition of empathy that relies on both the maturation and coordination of emotional and cognitive processes. This project endeavors to examine individual differences in cognitive and emotional perspective-taking, as well as differences in emotional understanding and regulation during late-stage adolescent development. This vantage point in development is particularly relevant to understanding how mature empathy emerges as it is the last point where humans are allowed the "practice time" of adolescence before they enter the realm of mature social expectations. This project will also seek to better understand how different types of lived experience during adolescence shapes the development of the components of empathy (described above).

Preference will be given to students who have completed relevant courses, including a Psychological Science research methods course that focuses on human behavior. Students are encouraged to submit a writing sample.

Submit the form and I will contact applicants.

10-week URSI: May 27 - August 1

"What were you thinking"? May be the most used phrase among parents of adolescents. This question makes sense, given the Centers for Disease Control consistently report that accidents cause more than twice as many deaths as any other source among 12-19-year-olds. Simply the "bad decisions" or "poor judgment" frequently observed during adolescence upset many adults because these decisions are more likely to be lethal than at any other point in the lifespan. Advances in neuropsychology have shown that the limbic system of adolescents become increasingly sensitive to/interested in risk-taking and sensation-seeking. Interestingly, these changes happen when impulse control/behavioral regulation, in the prefrontal cortex, is still developing and not as functional as it will be in early adulthood. The current project will use functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to explore differences between adolescents and adults while they are engaged in an ecologically valid decision-making task. Both groups will be challenged to make safe decisions about everyday events that vary in potential personal danger. The project will focus on identifying the relative coordination of the cognitive and emotional processes that contribute to the unique ways in which many adolescents decide if a potential behavioral choice is a "good idea."

Preference will be given to students who have completed relevant courses. Students are encouraged to submit a writing sample.

10-week URSI: May 27 - August 1

The lifetime prevelance of anxiety disorders in the US is 31.1% and 6.8% have suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The leading clinical treatment for anxiety and stress-related disorders is exposure therapy. Exposure therapy involves "exposing" individuals to the things they fear. Mechanistically, exposure therapy is based on principles of extinction. In extinction, a previously conditioned stimulus is presented repeatedly without a negative consequence to gradually reduce the negative emotional response. While this paradigm has led to a great understanding of extinction processes per se, the translatability of this procedure to the laboratory is lacking. This URSI proposal seeks to model extinction processes using a generalization stimulus. The URSI project requires interest in behavior, psychology, cognition, and/or neuroscience. Courses in Introduction to Neuroscience & Behavior (Neuro 105), Research Methods in Physiological Psychology (Psyc 249), and Principles of Physiological Psychology (Psyc 241) are desirable, but not required. Basic animal handling skills, chemistry lab skills, and data analytic skills are also desirable. The project will involve working with a team that will include fellow URSI students and faculty. See the Memory Neuroscience Lab website for more information about our research.

Submit the form and I will contact applicants

10-week URSI: May 27 - August 1

Empathy has many psychological and interpersonal benefits (Wolgast et al., 2020, Zaki, 2020). But what about the costs? Psychologists know considerably less about the potential challenges and costs of experiencing relatively high levels of empathy. The costs of empathy have been explored mostly through self-report studies examining burnout or compassion fatigue, particularly in healthcare-related fields (e.g., Cavanagh et al., 2020; Delgado et al., 2023). This research project will explore the self-regulatory costs of different forms of empathy. The research questions focus on whether empathic concern, empathic responding, and perspective taking create different levels of cognitive and emotional demands which may lead to subsequent problems in self-regulation. The research may consider the effects of empathy on controlled and automatic processes related to social understanding, emotion regulation, cognitive control, or impulsiveness. The research may also consider possible ways of bolstering self-control in the face of circumstances designed to engage empathy reactions.

Preference will be given to students who have completed relevant courses, including a Psychological Science research methods course that focuses on human behavior. Students are encouraged to submit a writing sample.

10-week URSI: May 27 - August 1

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Avoidant personality disorder is characterized by social inhibition and avoidance, excessive concerns about rejection or negative evaluation, and feelings of personal inadequacy (DSM-5-TR: American Psychiatric Association, 2022). This research project will focus on promoting social engagement and more positive interpersonal and self-evaluations in individuals with avoidant personality styles. The specific direction of the project will be developed with the URSI fellow. Our project will also be guided by findings from a number of pilot studies. Some potential variables of interest include promotion focus orientation, open-mindedness, trust, safety-cues, and acceptance.

Preference will be given to students who have completed relevant courses, including a Psychological Science research methods course that focuses on human behavior. Students are encouraged to submit a writing sample. Please indicate if you have Python or JavaScript experience.

10-week URSI: May 27 - August 1

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Astrocytes are glial cells known for their supportive roles influencing neuronal communication and activity. Previous research has demonstrated a role for astrocytes in cognitive processes such as spatial working memory. When astrocytes are active, increases in concentrations of calcium are seen in the cell. Additionally, astrocytes communicate with each other through calcium waves, thereby making calcium signaling an important measure for astrocytic activity. We aim to achieve a broader understanding of the role of astrocytes in the hippocampus by imaging astrocytic calcium activity in adult Long-Evans rats during a delayed spontaneous alternation task using fiber photometry and astrocyte-specific virus that leads to astrocytes expressing a calcium sensor that fluoresces when calcium is present. We plan to assess the effects of glucose, which has previously been shown to enhance spatial working memory, on astrocyte activity during spatial working memory.

Requirements:
animal husbandry experience
experience with behavioral methods and immunohistochemistry
completed CITI training and be approved to work with the animals

10-week URSI: May 27 - August 1

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Astrocytes are star shaped cells in the brain that control blood flow, move resources into the brain and waste out of the brain, and provide other forms of support to make sure neuron activity is regulated and maintained. In particular, astrocytes provide support at synapses, or the points of connection in between neurons that are modified with learning, memory, and attention. Astrocytes recycle glutamate, the major excitatory neurotransmitter in synapses. Too much glutamate can lead to loss of connections between cells (which are crucial for transmission of information) and eventually cell death. Too little glutamate can lead to a lack of communication between neurons and prevent synaptic strengthening that are thought to be the basis of learning and memory. Astrocytes also provide metabolic (energy) resources for neurons. The proposed research will use drugs that specifically target enzymes in the astrocytes that are critical for recycling glutamate or metabolic enzymes to help us understand the unique role of astrocytes in glutamate recycling and metabolism. This basic science will help us find the potential function of astrocytes in neuropsychological disorders such as epilepsy, intellectual disability, ADHD, schizophrenia, and Alzheimer's disease.

Requirements:
animal husbandry experience
experience with behavioral methods and immunohistochemistry
completed CITI training and be approved to work with the animals

10-week URSI: May 27 - August 1

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Children are born into a world filled with social inequalities (e.g., wealth disparities between racial groups). Children not only notice these disparities, they also intuitively form explanations to make sense of them. In particular, young children tend to form intrinsic explanations for the disparities they encounter, attributing them to groups' intrinsic natures, innate abilities, or inborn characteristics. These intrinsic explanations contribute to the formation of prejudice by leading children to conclude that marginalized groups are intrinsically inferior (Rhodes & Mandalaywala, 2017). Optimistically, recent research has found that even young children are capable of forming extrinsic explanations for disparities -- in other words, attributing them to groups' extrinsic circumstances, access to opportunities, or treatment by other people (Peretz-Lange et al. 2021). Children who form extrinsic explanations recognize marginalized groups as extrinsically disadvantaged, rather than intrinsically inferior. How parents and caregivers promote extrinsic explanatory thinking in children? The present work will examine whether describing disparities as "unfair" can be a simple way to leverage children's early aversion to unfairness as a way to help them recognize extrinsic inequalities. Although using "unfair" language has been widely recommended, no empirical research examines its impact (see Scott, Shutts, & Devine, 2020 for a call for research).

8-week URSI: May 27-July 18

Children are born into a world filled with social inequalities (e.g., wealth disparities between racial groups). Children not only notice these disparities, they also intuitively form explanations to make sense of them. In particular, young children tend to form intrinsic explanations for the disparities they encounter, attributing them to groups' intrinsic natures, innate abilities, or inborn characteristics. These intrinsic explanations are positively correlated with early prejudice (Peretz-Lange et al. 2021), but their causal impact on prejudice remains the subject of debate (Bailey & Knobe, 2024; Leshin & Rhodes, 2024). In the present study we will experimentally manipulate children's intrinsic explanations for achievement disparities and assess the resulting impact on prejudice toward low-achieving groups. In contrast to past work which has often collapsed across two different types of intrinsic explanations -- biological explanations (e.g., "she was born with a big brain") and behavioral explanations (e.g., "they are a hard worker.") -- we will directly compare biological and behavioral explanations' impact on children's prejudices toward low-achieving groups. We predict that behavioral explanations, moreso than biological explanations, will drive prejudice toward low-achieving groups. This study will therefore shed light on the mechanisms driving prejudice development, advancing basic research with important translational implications.

8-week URSI: May 27-July 18

Mice, like humans, are a social species which engages in various social behaviors. Our lab has shown that FVB mice lacking the Fmr1 gene, a model of the human Fragile X Syndrome however, are hypersocial. This is coupled with enhanced learning of a task for a social reward, raising the possibility that enhanced valuation and/or motivation for social interaction could underlie their hypersocial phenotype. Our lab has tested the hypothesis that hypersocial mice find social interaction more rewarding, but negative data from that experiment shows that this may not be a factor. Instead, that data suggests that hypersocial mice may exhibit an enhanced motivational drive for social interaction. This URSI project is a continuation of the work testing this hypothesis, and will assess whether manipulating motivational drive for social interaction impacts acquisition of the instrumental task. This project involves extensive animal handling, behavioral testing, and data processing.

Previous rodent handling and research experience as well as successful completion of Research Methods in Physiological Psychology preferred, but not required.

10 week project.

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Dopamine (DA) neurons play an important role in mediating social behavior. During social interaction there is an increase in activity of DA neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTADA). Inhibition of these neurons leads to reduced sociability whereas increasing their activity promotes sociability. Our lab is interested in measuring DA neuron activity in real time during social interactions, and we've established a fiber photometry-based approach which relies on calcium-dependent fluorescence as an indicator of cell activity. This, coupled with DeepLabCut for pose estimation and behavioral analysis allows us to assess the relationship between VTADA activity and social behavior in animals with varying degrees of sociability. This URSI project is a continuation of ongoing work in the lab and will involve animal handling, surgery, behavioral testing, immunohistochemistry, microscopy, and data analysis

Extensive experience in rodent handling and at least some familiarity with surgical procedures is required. These may have been obtained through successful completion of Research Methods in Physiological Psychology. If a second position on this project becomes available, that student should have some experience with rodent handling and behavioral testing, but will not be required to have had surgical experience.

8 week project starting June 9^th

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Our lab is interested in the neural mechanisms of social behavior. Much of our methodology involves video-recording animals (mice) while they engage in social tasks and then analyzing those videos for behaviors of interest. Until recently, this analysis was done through clunky, expensive computer programs that constrained experimental protocols or even old-fashioned hand-scoring. Today, however, open-source tools abound and markerless pose estimation (DeepLabCut, for example) approaches allow researchers to deploy machine-learning-based tools to analyze behavior without constraints of preprogrammed software. This URSI project aims to explore several such algorithms, including SimBA, DeepOF, and MoSeq, and develop an analysis pipeline which, once established, will be applied to the analysis of behavior temporally linked to neural activity. Initial work will employ already collected videos, but opportunity exists for involvement in data acquisition as well, depending on student interest.

Knowledge of Python required, experience with AI/machine learning tools preferred.

10-week URSI: May 27 - August 1

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Vassar’s new Institute for the Liberal Arts building features an array of state-of-the-art renewable energy systems, including geothermal heating and cooling, solar photovoltaic electricity generation, and solar thermal water heating. Several other buildings on campus also feature solar PV arrays and heat pumps. Are these systems performing as expected? If not, what accounts for divergences from expectations? What lessons can be learned, and how can these inform efforts to install similar systems in other buildings? Working closely with the Director of Sustainability and the Sustainability Fellow, the student researcher will dig deeply into performance data, compare that data with theoretical models provided by the engineers that built the systems, and use further research to develop an analysis that explains what they find.

Applicants should love working with data and have experience with manipulating and analyzing data. Some experience using Excel spreadsheets would be helpful. It is not expected that the student will be familiar with renewable energy systems, but a strong interest in learning about renewable energy systems (including the engineering aspects) is essential. Strong applicants will possess a high level of attention to detail, have a demonstrated ability to work independently, and be comfortable working with complexity.

Submit the form and I will contact applicants. 10-week URSI: May 27 – August 1