Category: SRS Round 2 (January 2025)

CLOSED: Humanitarianism: Concept and Practice (Mohamed Kamara)

Hybrid: this project is scheduled to begin on 6/2/2025 and run for 6 weeks, finishing on 7/11/2025.

Project Description

Why and how do we undertake humanitarian actions? Why, for example, is Europe so quick and generous in its support of fleeing Ukrainians when it does everything to block non-European migrants from crossing into its territories? Is it because, as the governing pigs in George Orwell’s 1945 novel, Animal Farm, proclaim: “All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others”? How did we get to and how do we explain the kind of thinking that sees some humans as superior and others as inferior? Who deserves to be helped? Who doesn’t? Where is the ‘human’ in humanitarianism? This is a new research project I hope will culminate in a monograph. One of the chapters of said monograph will examine the life and work of two Western humanitarians who lived, worked, and died in Equatorial Africa during the first half of the twentieth century: Albert Schweitzer (1875-1965), a native of Franco-German Alsace and William McCutchan Morrison (1867-1918), an 1887 graduate of Washington and Lee University’s school of law, and a Rockbridge, Virginia native. Through this immersive work, students will hone their research skills and further their knowledge about humanitarianism as a global concept and practice.

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Prerequisites

No prerequisites necessary.

Special Comments

No requirements other than enthusiasm and willingness to engage challenging questions.

Project Information (subject to change)

Estimated Start Date: 6/2/2025

Estimated End Date: 7/11/2025

Estimated Project Duration: 6 weeks

Maximum Number of Students Sought: 3

Research Location: Hybrid

Contact Information: Mohamed Kamara (email: kamaram@wlu.edu)

“Analysis of Community-University Relationship Survey” (Sascha Goluboff)

On campus: this project is scheduled to begin on 6/9/2025 and run for 8 weeks, finishing on 8/1/2025.

Project Description

The Community-University survey, administered by the Office of Community-Based Learning, aims to understand the relationship between Washington and Lee University and the Lexington, Rockbridge, and Buena Vista community. Information gathered will focus on community members’ thoughts about their interactions with the university and its employees, students, and alumni, as well as their experiences on campus. Their answers will benefit the further development of community-university relationships. The student researcher will work closely with the Director of Community-Based Learning, with support from CBL Office staff, to analyze and interpret the data using quantitative analysis via statistical software such as SPSS, Stata, R or other programs. Opportunity exists for coauthoring an article based on this research.

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Prerequisites

Students should have taken courses in data science and/or statistics and be comfortable working independently with the software.

Special Comments

Remote work is an option.

Project Information (subject to change)

Estimated Start Date: 6/9/2025

Estimated End Date: 8/1/2025

Estimated Project Duration: 8 weeks

Maximum Number of Students Sought: 1

Research Location: On campus

Contact Information: Sascha Goluboff (email: goluboffs@wlu.edu)

CLOSED: Algorithm Design in Online Scheduling (Kefu Lu)

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

Project Description

When given a collection of tasks to finish which have deadlines, which one should be prioritized first? How much time should be assigned to each task? Is it even possible to finish them all? The study of scheduling in computer science is about figuring out the optimal schedule to run programs in order fulfill quality of service metrics. This project will focus on finding the best algorithms to address a series of scheduling problems in the context of distributed computing – where there are a bunch of programs to run and also a bunch of computers to run them on! In this project, students will be learning about algorithm design, efficiency, and approximation algorithms. Discussing algorithm design problems in person is most productive for research, especially in the beginning. We can also switch to more flexible meetings later on if you wish to do so. The hope is that we discover an algorithm which works well and then we can submit the result for publication. In any case, this should be an interesting glimpse into the process of algorithm design.

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Prerequisites

This project does not require any programming. However, it is preferable if you have taken CSCI-111 OR CSCI-112.

Special Comments

Students who are currently taking or have taken CSCI-211 will be starting off ahead as they will have a lot of additional context. I highly encourage you to set up a quick chat if you have questions about the project.

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: Kefu Lu (email: klu@wlu.edu)

Assessing Drinking Water Suitability and Challenges of Springs and Private Wells in Virginia (Madhumita Chakraborty)

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

Project Description

Did you know that over 1.7 million Virginians rely on private wells for their drinking water, while many others turn to roadside springs? These unregulated water sources are a lifeline for many households, yet their safety and quality remain a pressing concern. Here’s where you come in! Join an exciting research project that dives into the heart of spring and private well water quality in Rockbridge County and the surrounding areas. Together, we’ll explore critical questions, such as: (a) What contaminants are lurking in our springs and wells, if any? (b) How many people are at risk from these contaminants? (c) Who is most at risk from exposure to these contaminants? Are certain communities more vulnerable than others? (d) Do the contaminant profiles in spring water differ from those in well water? In other words, are spring water users exposed to a different set of contaminants than well water users? By participating, you’ll gain hands-on experience in water sampling, analyzing contamination patterns, and GIS-based spatial data analysis while making a real-world impact. This project isn’t just about water testing—it’s about connecting science to society. Your efforts will contribute to identifying inequities in water access and guiding potential interventions to ensure safe drinking water for all. Interested? Let’s tackle these essential questions together and make a difference!

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Prerequisites

For success in the project, you should have: (a) Enthusiasm for engaging in extensive fieldwork: While prior experience in field or lab settings is not required, you must be eager to actively participate in water sampling and laboratory analysis, learning and developing these skills throughout the project. (b) Willingness to travel off campus: You should be ready to travel to other laboratories for water quality analysis. (c) Curiosity and passion: A genuine interest in water quality issues and a drive to make a meaningful impact.

Special Comments

The work will involve: (a) three to four weeks of fieldwork, primarily consisting of day trips. (b) two to three weeks of off-campus travel for sample analysis at external laboratories.

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: 2

Research Location: On campus

Contact Information: Madhumita Chakraborty (email: mchakraborty@wlu.edu)

CLOSED: Toward a hyper-empirical gravitational wave source localization routine based on the Northstar algorithm (Tom McClain)

On campus: this project is scheduled to begin on 6/23/2025 and run for 8 weeks, finishing on 8/15/2025.

Project Description

The primary purpose of this research project is to determine if it is possible to build a hyper-empirical gravitational wave source localization routine around the Northstar algorithm I developed some years ago. This routine would use empirical signal modeling techniques similar to those (presumably) used by neural networks to perform source localization very quickly (i.e., on the same time scales as a neural network) while maintaining full control over parameter choices and failure modes (like the traditional approach using numerical templates from general relativity). Depending upon the success or failure of the initial builds, the project may also include testing or refinement of the routine, from small tweaks in program parameters up full runs on realistic data sets using cutting-edge GPUs on Amazon Web Services.

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Prerequisites

The ideal candidate would have completed PHYS 111, PHYS 112, and CS 111, and would have at least a small amount of experience with SciPy or NumPy. But the most important criteria is engagement; interested students should apply regardless of previous experience.

Special Comments

Project Information (subject to change)

Estimated Start Date: 6/23/2025

Estimated End Date: 8/15/2025

Estimated Project Duration: 8 weeks

Maximum Number of Students Sought: 3

Research Location: On campus

Contact Information: Tom McClain (email: mcclaint@wlu.edu)

CLOSED: Enslavement at Liberty Hall: Uncovering the Archaeology and Forgotten History of W&L’s Iconic Back Campus (Donald Gaylord)

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

Project Description

During the summer of 2025 Professor Gaylord will continue his research at Liberty Hall, the location of the iconic 18th-century campus of our predecessor institution, Liberty Hall Academy. In the 1970s, Professor John McDaniel and roughly a decade of W&L students excavated here, focusing largely on the academic period of the site’s occupation (1782-1803). Professor Gaylord’s research has shown that after the Liberty Hall Academy House burned down in January 1803, the two subsequent land owners held roughly one hundred African Americans in bondage at Liberty Hall as the labor force for agriculture and light industry over the years between 1803 and the American Civil War. Our work this summer will focus on excavation in the yard spaces around the Foundation at Liberty Hall—Liberty Hall Structure 9—the academy’s Steward’s House/Dining Hall, which later served as the center of enslaved life at Liberty Hall Plantation. Enslaved people lived here, but they also likely operated a forge, cooked and ate, performed washerwoman and seamstress work, and operated one of the earliest African American schoolhouses in the Valley of Virginia. Additionally, we will concentrate on artifact processing and analysis in trying to understand what life was like for the people held in bondage at Liberty Hall. We will excavate while the weather allows, we will process and analyze the sediments and artifacts when the weather keeps us indoors, and we will visit archives in Rockbridge and Augusta County that hold many of the documents related to Liberty Hall.

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Prerequisites

It would be best if they have taken an archaeology class with me, especially Field Methods in Archaeology, but I can get them up to speed in the week of preparation before the AIM Program in Archaeology starts.

Special Comments

They will be better off to take my Field Methods in Archaeology class during spring term, or an individual study with me during winter term, but they will not be required.

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: 2

Research Location: On campus

Contact Information: Donald Gaylord (email: gaylordd@wlu.edu)

CLOSED: Illuminating New Catalytic Transformations (Erin Gray)

On campus: this project is scheduled to begin on 6/9/2025 and run for 8 weeks, finishing on 8/1/2025.

Project Description

Nitrogen-containing organic molecules have broad applications as pharmaceuticals, materials, and agrochemicals; therefore, the development of new strategies to make and break carbon–nitrogen bonds is essential. Our research aims to design catalytic methods to manipulate carbon–nitrogen bonds, making the preparation of these important products more sustainable, cost effective, and efficient. Students in the Gray Group will gain experience in using synthetic organic chemistry laboratory techniques and instrumentation as they design and conduct experiments, interpret data, and examine the scientific literature.

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Prerequisites

Organic Chemistry I (CHEM 241) is preferred but not required

Special Comments

Project Information (subject to change)

Estimated Start Date: 6/9/2025

Estimated End Date: 8/1/2025

Estimated Project Duration: 8 weeks

Maximum Number of Students Sought: 3

Research Location: On campus

Contact Information: Erin Gray (email: egray@wlu.edu)

CLOSED: Literary Constructions of Paradise in the Work of John Milton and Toni Morrison (Genelle Gertz)

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

Project Description

This project develops a journal article on the literary construction of paradise in seventeenth-century poet John Milton’s epic, _Paradise Lost_ and Toni Morrison’s 1998 novel, _Paradise_. Little scholarship exists on Morrison’s novel in relation to Milton’ _Paradise Lost_, and this article seeks to address the important revisions Morrison makes to Milton’s founding text. The article takes into account existing scholarship on Milton and Morrison, and considers Morrison’s preface to her novel where she explicitly mentions Milton’s construction of paradise, describing its foundational role to literary tradition while also critiquing it. Concepts of whether paradise is exclusionary, and how as a concept it engages with American history of race, religion and gender portrayed in Morrison’s novel will be central to this article’s scope. Also germane is the conversation and dialogue formed by these two texts together, including the ways in which Morrison’s novel responds to and revises Milton’s epic form.

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Prerequisites

Preferably, students will have taken English 392 Fall 2024: Pride and Paradise. Familiarity with John Milton’s _Paradise Lost_ and Toni Morrison’s _Paradise_ is required.

Special Comments

No travel required.

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: Remote

Contact Information: Genelle Gertz (email: gertzg@wlu.edu)

CLOSED: Examining the Tax Credit-Tax Deduction Tradeoff (Iguehi Rajsky)

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

Project Description

This study will examine the relation between the R&D tax credits available for the manufacture of certain products and the donations of these products to nonprofit organizations.

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Prerequisites

Excel and MS Word is required. Knowledge of basic financial accounting rules required. Knowledge of Stata and/or python would be helpful.

Special Comments

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: 2

Research Location: Remote

Contact Information: Iguehi Rajsky (email: irajsky@wlu.edu)

CLOSED: Nonlinear Gaming Skill Demographics (Elizabeth Matthews)

Hybrid: this project is scheduled to begin on 6/16/2025 and run for 10 weeks, finishing on 8/22/2025.

Project Description

Current research in academia uses a linear or binary distinction in participants when categorizing them by their video game skill level. My research has shown this to be an unreliable and non-standardized metric within academia, and next I intend to develop a nonlinear gaming personas categorization to better improve others’ research. You will need to perform user studies and statistical analysis in the programming language R.

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Prerequisites

CSCI 209 completion is required. Prior knowledge of the programming language R or statistical methods recommended but not required.

Special Comments

Project Information (subject to change)

Estimated Start Date: 6/16/2025

Estimated End Date: 8/22/2025

Estimated Project Duration: 10 weeks

Maximum Number of Students Sought: 2

Research Location: Hybrid

Contact Information: Elizabeth Matthews (email: lmatthews@wlu.edu)