Category: SRS Round 1 (January 2024)

CEO Political Ideology and Organizational Outcomes (Prof. Justin Davis)

1 student is sought for a project on “CEO Political Ideology and Organizational Outcomes” with Prof. Justin Davis that will begin on 6/3/2024 and last for 4 weeks

Project Description:

The CEOs of large listed U.S. companies often make substantial personal contributions to political candidates. This is known because of the Federal Election Campaign Act which requires the collection and reporting of all contributions of $200 or more to political candidates. Management and finance researchers have discovered numerous connections between a CEOs political ideology (measured with publicly available political contribution data) and firm-level outcomes such as corporate social responsibility and performance. I seek to contribute to this active line of research, in which new connections are even recently being made (Bhandari and Golden, 2021; Chandler et al., 2023; Weng and Yang, 2023). My plan for the project involves an initial literature review and development of a research methods study, in which I will publish access to a program I have developed for collecting CEO political contribution data. I believe this is necessary because, to my knowledge, such a program does not exist. This leads researchers to develop such a program individually, resulting in a lack of replicability and access. Upon completion of the research methods study, I plan to continue the project studying novel connections between the political ideology of executives and firm-level outcomes.

Prerequisites

Special Comments

Project Information

Estimated Start Date: 6/3/2024

Estimated End Date: 6/28/2024

Maximum number of students sought: 1

Contact Information: Prof. Justin Davis (jdavis2@wlu.edu)

Neuromorphic Control for Micro Aerial Vehicles (Prof. Simon Levy)

1 student is sought for a project on “Neuromorphic Control for Micro Aerial Vehicles” with Prof. Simon Levy that will begin on 6/10/2024 and last for 10 weeks

Project Description:

The student and I will continue my ongoing research in using neuromorphic (i.e., biologically realistic) sensing devices and control algorithms for micro-scale (100mm, 100grams) indoor aerial vehicles, as described in Levy, S.D. (2020) Robustness Through Simplicity: A Minimalist Gateway to Neurorobotic Flight. Frontiers in Neurorobotics, 16 March 2020. Our goal is a follow-up to this publication in the same journal.

Prerequisites

Student should have completed the Computer Science major through the level of CSCI-209 (Software Engineering).

Special Comments

Student is not required to take any specific course(s) with me. Having been invited to spend part of summer 2024 as a visiting professor in the TENNLab at the University of Tennessee Knoxville, I anticipate an opportunity for the student to spend some of the 10 weeks working with me and my colleagues there.

Project Information

Estimated Start Date: 6/10/2024

Estimated End Date: 8/16/2024

Maximum number of students sought: 1

Contact Information: Prof. Simon Levy (levys@wlu.edu)

City of Glass: Engraving a Legend (Prof. Terry Vosbein)

2 students are sought for a project on “City of Glass: Engraving a Legend” with Prof. Terry Vosbein that will begin on 6/3/2024 and last for 10 weeks

Project Description:

Stan Kenton’s 1948 performance of “The City of Glass” revolutionized the jazz landscape, pushing the boundaries of big band music. It was performed once, in a concert at the Chicago Opera House. The music has laid dormant at the University of North Texas, except for one Danish band’s performance in the 1990s. It has never been published. The Stan Kenton Research Center possesses a scan of the original 1948 music manuscript. The Center is the world’s only center dedicated to the music of the jazz bandleader. I am its founder and curator. This project aims to transform the historic handwritten documents into a meticulously engraved, modern edition suitable for scholarly exploration and publication. The student scholar(s) on this project will transcribe these scanned manuscripts into the Finale notation software. This meticulous process involves a note-by-note input of each part. Subsequently, the compiled score will undergo rigorous editing, formatting, and preparation for publication. By producing a polished and accurate edition of “The City of Glass,” I aim to make this masterpiece accessible to musicians, researchers, and enthusiasts alike. The endeavor aligns with the Stan Kenton Research Center’s mission to preserve and promote the rich musical legacy of Stan Kenton.

Prerequisites

Students must have a working knowledge of standard music notation and the software, Finale.

Special Comments

This project is well suited for virtual work.

Project Information

Estimated Start Date: 6/3/2024

Estimated End Date: 8/9/2024

Maximum number of students sought: 2

Contact Information: Prof. Terry Vosbein (vosbeint@wlu.edu)