Category: SRS 2025 (all projects)

CLOSED: Finding Exquisite Integers (Carrie Finch-Smith)

On campus: this project is scheduled to begin on 6/2/2025 and run for 10 weeks, finishing on 8/8/2025.

Project Description

One of the coolest numbers is 509203, and another interesting number is 78557. These numbers have a fascinating property, and this research project focuses on finding other numbers that also have it. There are Fibonacci numbers that have this special property, as well as Lucas numbers, Perrin numbers, Padovan numbers, triangular numbers, Nexus numbers, … you get the idea. We will look for other sequences of numbers that also contain numbers with this interesting property.

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Prerequisites

Students must be able to add and multiply integers. More importantly, successful applicants will be curious and persistent!

Special Comments

Project Information (subject to change)

Estimated Start Date: 6/2/2025

Estimated End Date: 8/8/2025

Estimated Project Duration: 10 weeks

Maximum Number of Students Sought: 6

Research Location: On campus

Contact Information: Carrie Finch-Smith (email: finchc@wlu.edu)

CLOSED: Machine Learning Models of Beliefs, Values, and Expectations (Jon Eastwood)

On campus: this project is scheduled to begin on 6/16/2025 and run for 6 weeks, finishing on 7/25/2025.

Project Description

This summer’s research will build on research done with SRS students last summer, laying the groundwork for my new project on cynicism and distrust in public life.  This summer, we will use a variety of machine learning models to explore patterns of distrust and cynicism in global public opinion, focusing on World Values Survey data (https://www.worldvaluessurvey.org), joined with country and country-year data from a variety of sources (UN Human Development Reports, the World Bank, and more).  This will include using random forest models to predict individuals’ trust responses and then using these models to select important features for explanatory modeling.  We will also use generalized additive models (GAMs) to explore patterns of interest to the PI and to student researchers, as appropriate.  Questions to explore include the relationship between measures of institutional functioning and (dis)trust, population heterogeneity and (dis)trust, and economic performance and (dis)trust).

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Prerequisites

Some prior experience working with applied data science (R or Python) is expected.  It would be ideal if student researchers already have some fluency with basic wrangling and data visualization using the tidyverse suite in R.

Exposure to social science theory (e.g., sociology, anthropology, political science, economics) would be helpful.

If applicants have questions about their preparation in these respects they are encouraged to reach out to the professor.

Special Comments

Students with otherwise strong credentials but who don’t have prior R experience could satisfy this requirement by enrolling in the professor’s 1-credit “R for Social Scientists” course in winter, 2025.

Project Information (subject to change)

Estimated Start Date: 6/16/2025

Estimated End Date: 7/25/2025

Estimated Project Duration: 6 weeks

Maximum Number of Students Sought: 3

Research Location: On campus

Contact Information: Jon Eastwood (email: eastwoodj@wlu.edu)

CLOSED: Comparing AI Music to Human Composed Music using Benford’s Law (Sybil Prince Nelson)

On campus: this project is scheduled to begin on 6/9/2025 and run for 6 weeks, finishing on 7/18/2025.

Project Description

Benford’s Law is a mathematical principle that predicts the distribution of leading digits in naturally occurring datasets. It’s commonly used for detecting anomalies in financial records and identifying fraudulent behavior, such as social media troll accounts. This summer, our research lab will explore novel applications of Benford’s Law in the analysis of music through three distinct projects: Project 1 will focus on comparing AI-generated music to human-composed music, using Benford’s Law to determine whether statistical differences exist in their digit distributions. This could potentially reveal unique patterns inherent to human creativity versus algorithmic composition. Project 2 will create a comprehensive database of songs, including metadata like genre, artist, and Benford-related statistics, to serve as a foundation for future research in music analytics. Project 3 will develop a simulation that generates original music that conforms to Benford’s Law. This involves building algorithms capable of composing music that statistically aligns with the expected leading digit patterns. Students involved will gain experience in statistical modeling, programming, and music data analysis, bridging the gap between mathematics, computer science, and music. No prior experience is requiredójust curiosity and a desire to explore the creative possibilities at the intersection of these disciplines.

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Prerequisites

Knowledge of music and/ or computer programming will be helpful.

Special Comments

There is the potential to attend a conference in November 2025 in South Korea depending on the results of this research.

Project Information (subject to change)

Estimated Start Date: 6/9/2025

Estimated End Date: 7/18/2025

Estimated Project Duration: 6 weeks

Maximum Number of Students Sought: 4

Research Location: On campus

Contact Information: Sybil Prince Nelson (email: sprincenelson@wlu.edu)

Unraveling the Spider’s Circadian Clock (Natalia Toporikova)

On campus: this project is scheduled to begin on 6/2/2025 and run for 8 weeks, finishing on 7/25/2025.

Project Description

Are you fascinated by the intricate workings of nature’s timekeepers? Do you have a passion for interdisciplinary research? Are you ready to spin a web of knowledge about arachnid chronobiology? If so, we have an exciting summer research opportunity for you! We anticipate 2 students joining our dynamic lab team to explore the biological mechanisms of the spider’s circadian clock. This cutting-edge research project aims to show how these eight-legged marvels regulate their internal rhythms. We welcome applications from students across various majors(or inspiring majors), including: Computer Science( Develop websites to conduct data analysis), Physics (Create models of circadian systems), Engineering (Signal processing of spider locomotion activity), Neuroscience (Design and conduct spider behavior experiments), Data Science (Analyze complex behavioral datasets) ï Biology: Investigate gene expression patterns related to circadian rhythms

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Prerequisites

Appreciation for spiders and eagerness to learn more about them. Ability to work collaboratively in a diverse team. Commitment to learn Python programming language

Special Comments

To accomplish the project, you must learn how to work with data frames in Python (pandas library). If you are not familiar with pandas, you need to take either Biol-187, Intro to Data Science (Winter 2025) or Biol-297, Behavioral Data Science (Spring 2025)

Project Information (subject to change)

Estimated Start Date: 6/2/2025

Estimated End Date: 7/25/2025

Estimated Project Duration: 8 weeks

Maximum Number of Students Sought: 2

Research Location: On campus

Contact Information: Natalia Toporikova (email: toporikovan@wlu.edu)

USDA Midwest Climate Hub: An Assessment of Climate Services (Ryan McCoy)

Hybrid: this project is scheduled to begin on 6/2/2025 and run for 8 weeks, finishing on 7/25/2025.

Project Description

Climate services involve the production, translation, and utilization of climate information to aid in decision-making. These services aim to provide timely and tailored information to decision-makers and stakeholders in the face of growing climate variability. In doing so, climate services are a critical resource for bolstering climate resiliency and adaptation. This project, funded by the United States Department of Agriculture (Grant #5030-21600-001-014-G, PI: Prof. Ryan McCoy, Environmental Studies), will evaluate climate services offered by the USDA Midwest Climate Hub (MCH)–an organization tasked with providing regional-specific climate information to stakeholders in the $76 billion agricultural industry in the Midwest. In doing so, this assessment will provide a baseline measure of the value of these services, including their social, economic, and ecological impacts, as well as identify areas for improvement in service delivery and development. As part of this project, student researchers will work in collaboration with the PI, federal organizations, and other government partners to analyze survey data, as well as produce internal reports and external publications relating to MCH’s climate services. In doing so, students will play a pivotal role in increasing the awareness, accessibility, and usability of climate information for agricultural stakeholders in the Midwest, as well as support climate resiliency in U.S. food systems.

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Prerequisites

Students should have some experience in mixed methods research and data analysis, and some familiarity with R and similar programs by the project start date. Courses relevant to this position include, but are not limited to, the following: -ENV 390 Topics: Applied Mixed Methods in Environmental Studies -SOAN 111 R for Social Scientists -SOAN 222 Data Science Tools for Social Policy

Special Comments

Research for this project will primarily take place on campus in Lexington, VA, with options for hybrid work. In addition, there is the potential for travel to the USDA Midwest Climate Hub located in Ames, Iowa at the National Laboratory for Agriculture and the Environment.

Project Information (subject to change)

Estimated Start Date: 6/2/2025

Estimated End Date: 7/25/2025

Estimated Project Duration: 8 weeks

Maximum Number of Students Sought: 2

Research Location: Hybrid

Contact Information: Ryan McCoy (email: rmccoy2@wlu.edu)

CLOSED: Measuring physiological parameters in ground squirrels that hibernate (Jessica LaPrice)

On campus: this project is scheduled to begin on 6/2/2025 and run for 8 weeks, finishing on 7/25/2025.

Project Description

Students will work with 13-lined ground squirrels and their tissues to examine physiological interactions of food intake and reproduction. This summer may include a week-long travel trip to live-trap animals in the field. Activities will include live animal work (including daily animal care, measurement of metabolic rate, assisting with blood draws on lab animals), molecular lab work (including western blots and tissue sectioning), and computer work (including data analysis, and reading, critiquing, presenting, and writing scientific papers).

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Prerequisites

Students must have successfully completed the Biology intro sequence (BIOL 111 & 113) by spring 2025 to participate. Completion of a physiology course is recommended but not required.

Special Comments

A week-long domestic travel trip may be required at some point in the summer research experience to live-trap animals in the field and return them to W&L. This will likely involve camping and working outside under hot, cold, or rainy conditions. An interview with Dr. LaPrice is required for consideration for the position.

Project Information (subject to change)

Estimated Start Date: 6/2/2025

Estimated End Date: 7/25/2025

Estimated Project Duration: 8 weeks

Maximum Number of Students Sought: 2

Research Location: On campus

Contact Information: Jessica LaPrice (email: jlaprice@wlu.edu)

CLOSED: Foreign Direct Investment by Indian MNEs (Pooja Thakur-Wernz)

Remote: this project is scheduled to begin on 6/2/2025 and run for 10 weeks, finishing on 8/8/2025.

Project Description

This project focuses on the international expansion of Indian multinational enterprises through foreign direct investment (FDI). As part of this project, the SRS will work on data collection and cleaning. Specifically, the students will work on identifying the locations of the various foreign subsidiaries of the Indian firms. This data is available in raw form from the PROWESS database and the students will have to input the cleaned data into Excel.

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Prerequisites

Understanding of basic data collection using Excel.

Special Comments

During summer of 2025, the students will be able to do this work remotely, if needed. The student has an option to continue working on the project in Fall 2025 or Winter 2026 as part of a Directed Independent Research course. If the student is engaged and makes significant contributions to the manuscript, during the research process, they may be to invited join as a co-author.

Project Information (subject to change)

Estimated Start Date: 6/2/2025

Estimated End Date: 8/8/2025

Estimated Project Duration: 10 weeks

Maximum Number of Students Sought: 3

Research Location: Remote

Contact Information: Pooja Thakur-Wernz (email: pthakur-wernz@wlu.edu)

CLOSED: Dancers Talking Dance: Critical Evaluation and Response for New Choreography (Jenefer Davies)

Remote: this project is scheduled to begin on 6/16/2025 and run for 8 weeks, finishing on 8/8/2025.

Project Description

Students will learn the primary ways of conveying technical feedback for dance including verbal, visual, and kinesthetic processes and gain insight into understanding individual artistic vision, perspective and approach to making choreography. A specific critical feedback method will be taught and employed to create a common language when speaking about dance. Using these tools, students will review submissions for dance guest artists for 2025-26 and respond verbally and in writing to each. Reflection sessions will be conducted with each student and they will discuss their ranking of specific proposals, why they made particular choices, and provide individual responses to the works reviewed. Particular attention will be paid to a breadth of perspectives, cultures, and identities to create experiential opportunities and to highlight representation in dance.

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Prerequisites

Students should have studied and rehearsed choreography with faculty and/or guest artists and performed that work in a fully produced dance concert at W&L.

Special Comments

Taking DANC220: Dance Composition during winter term is recommended but not required.

Project Information (subject to change)

Estimated Start Date: 6/16/2025

Estimated End Date: 8/8/2025

Estimated Project Duration: 8 weeks

Maximum Number of Students Sought: 3

Research Location: Remote

Contact Information: Jenefer Davies (email: daviesj@wlu.edu)

CLOSED: Quantifying grassland soil carbon and productivity in Yellowstone National Park. (Bill Hamilton)

On campus: this project is scheduled to begin on 6/2/2025 and run for 8 weeks, finishing on 7/25/2025.

Project Description

In continuation of a 10-year collaboration with the National Park Service (NPS), we will begin the quantification of the carbon sequestration potential of Yellowstone grasslands by integrating soil and plant measurements with stable isotope enrichment experiments in the field and in the lab. This data will contribute to bison and grassland management decisions as well as ecological knowledge.

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Prerequisites

ENV 110 or BIOL 111/113

Special Comments

Potential trip to Yellowstone for 2 weeks in July.

Project Information (subject to change)

Estimated Start Date: 6/2/2025

Estimated End Date: 7/25/2025

Estimated Project Duration: 8 weeks

Maximum Number of Students Sought: 3

Research Location: On campus

Contact Information: Bill Hamilton (email: hamiltone@wlu.edu)

Reconstructing Volcanic Processes at Mt Ijen (Nicholas Barber)

On campus: this project is scheduled to begin on 6/9/2025 and run for 10 weeks, finishing on 8/15/2025.

Project Description

You will join Prof. Barberís Volcanology and Igneous Petrology (V.I.P.) to study the lavas produced by Mt. Ijen volcano, East Java. These samples were gathered on a field trip with W&L students last summer. We are attempting to reconstruct the eruptive history of Ijenís many volcanic vents, with a focus on Kawah Ijenís 1817 eruption. You will study sample microstructure, analyze 2D and 3D textural data, gather first-of-its-kind geochemical/microstructure data, and produce computational models (using QGIS, Python, and/or MATLAB) that fit your observations. You will do this in collaboration with local (Virginia Tech) and international (Cambridge, McGill, Gadjah Mada) partners. You will also participate in professional scientific conferences like the Geological Society of Americaís annual meeting in the Fall of 2025 (thanks to generous EEG department support) following our summer work together. I am looking for one to two students.

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Prerequisites

Ideally, the student will have prior experience with geoscience related cousework. However this is not required. If interested in relevant coursework: registering for EEG 322: Volcanology or any section of our “Dynamic earth” intro course this winter, or prior completion of EEG 211 (Earth materials) or EEG 105 (Volcanoes of the US) last academic year will be sufficient

Special Comments

Travel will be regional to visit supporting research facilitites/analogue field sites. 90% of work will be completed on campus in my lab.

Project Information (subject to change)

Estimated Start Date: 6/9/2025

Estimated End Date: 8/15/2025

Estimated Project Duration: 10 weeks

Maximum Number of Students Sought: 2

Research Location: On campus

Contact Information: Nicholas Barber (email: nbarber@wlu.edu)