VIP Teams
1) “Botanical Garden Communities” led by VIP mentor Dr. G. Denise Carroll
Students will investigate aquatic and terrestrial communities at the garden to determine organismal composition in each habitat. Their investigations can help to determine how to conserve or increase diversity.
2) “Mentoring Adults as Teachers to Help Students (MATHS)” led by VIP mentor Dr. Heidi Eisenreich
Impacting PK-6 students by helping adults understand mathematical concepts. Building a community of math learners
3) “Breaking Barriers: Research Adventures in Disability Studies” led by VIP Mentor Dr. Karin Fisher and Dr. Stephanie Devine
Embark on a transformative journey by joining the Breaking Barrier’s class, where curiosity meets action. In this dynamic virtual course, you’ll explore the rich landscape of disability research, uncovering untold stories and challenging conventional wisdom. Through engaging discussions and hands-on activities, you’ll learn to navigate the ethical complexities of research and harness the power of data to drive change. With opportunities to present your findings at conferences and coauthor publications with Drs. Fisher and Devine, you’ll expand your academic horizons and make a tangible impact on the world around you.
4) “Sustainable Aquatic Systems” led by VIP mentors Dr. Anthony Siccardi; Dr. Heather Joesting; Ms. Brigette Brinton
Managing water utilization is a growing concern for many US states. Our team’s research is focused on water sustainability through projects involving aquaponics/hydroponics, recirculating aquaculture systems, algal turf scrubbers and constructed wetlands.
5) “BIG-IDEAS” led by VIP Mentor Ms. Suzanne S. Hallman
Business Innovation Group (BIG) created the Innovate workshop to give community members the tools and resources they need to THINK BIGger.
6.) “Microfluidic Device Development for Biological Assays (MDDBA)” led by VIP Mentor Dr. Dragos Amarie
Engaging students in designing, developing, and fabricating microfluidic devices to be used in live cell migration experiments. Using selected polymers, students build a network of channels, smaller than the human hair, that split and recombine flows of chemicals to generate and study 2D concentration landscapes that could stimulate or inhibit cell migration. For example, future studies of cancer cells’ response to such chemical landscapes could lead to a better understanding of cancer relapse.
7.) “PB&J (Protein Biochemistry and Just about everything in the intersection of chemistry and medicine)” led by VIP Mentor Dr. Mark Vincent Dela Cerna
Cancer remains one of the most common causes of death in the US. We are interested in identifying and characterizing proteins that may be involved in cancers and ultimately finding molecules that can inhibit the function of these proteins. In the future, we hope that these molecules will be the basis of some cancer therapeutics. Currently, our efforts are focused on a family of proteins called Protein Tyrosine Phosphatases that are involved in regulating cellular signaling pathways.
8.) “A Path to Future – Bridge to Engineering Science and Technology (BEST)” led by VIP Mentor Dr. Hossein Taheri
Students will conduct research, explore innovative engineering solutions, design and manufacturing. Students will learn how to bring their ideas to the real world and test their performance while learning about new engineering technologies such as Computer Aided Design and Manufacturing (CAD/CAM) and 3D
printing.
9.) “Natural Composites For Remediation of Emerging Pollutants (NCREP)” led by VIP Mentor Dr. Rocio Perez
Students will be able to evaluate the use of natural polymers such as cellulose to design and synthesized composites; decreasing the amount of organic solvents in the process. Students will also study the capacity of these natural composite to extract emerging pollutants from several environmental samples such as water and soil.
10.) “CAS: Connecting Academics and Service” led by VIP Mentor Dr. Urkovia Andrews
Students experience designing and implementing service based projects through partnerships with the surrounding community.
11.) “Writing Research Articles as Proficient Scholars (WRAPS)” led by VIP Mentor Dr. Shainaz Landge.
The WRAPS project is to bridge the barriers between student research scholars and writing peer-reviewed research articles. Its main goal is to help students develop
confidence, exposure and proficiency in writing scientific articles. By offering a strategic structured pathway to navigate the research article writing process, WRAPS will
not only empower students with the writing process but also will enhance the broader skill (time management, discipline, self-awareness, communication, teamwork, and adaptability) set necessary for academic and professional success.
12.) Fungi in the Environment led by VIP Mentor Dr. Sara Gremillion
Students involved in this team will explore research focusing on interesting fungi in the environment. Projects include will target: i) What fungi live inside of plant leaves and what abiotic factors alter those relationships; ii) Do fungal leaf spot pathogens of peanut undergo sexual reproduction leading to increased fungicide resistance; and iii) What fungi may be causing zombie-like behavior in millipedes in Coastal GA.
13.) Bridging Brain Science and Consciousness led by VIP Mentor Dr. Meenalosini Vimal Cruz
Students will engage in intellectually stimulating research that integrates diverse viewpoints from neuroscience, brain signal analysis, and human consciousness. This extensive study will explore various dimensions of human consciousness, including meditation, mindfulness, controlled breathing, and emotional analysis, investigating how these practices affect brain signals. Students from different disciplines, such as Biology, Psychology, Health Science and Computer Science, can work together in this study. The primary goal is to develop a deep understanding of the mechanisms behind consciousness expansion and its effects on physical and mental health.
14.) Water Assessment Techniques and Educational Resources (WATER) led by VIP mentors Dr. Asli Aslan and Dr. Lacey Huffling.
Students will be able to enroll and investigate innovative water research and work with a diverse range of students, mentors and communities to tackle the multidisciplinary issues in water research.
15.) “Soil and Water Environment – Emerging Pollutants (SWEEP)” led by VIP Mentor Dr. Jianzhou He
In this SWEEP project, students will unravel the fundamental fate and transport processes of emerging pollutants in soil and water environments. Students will also leverage innovative, cost-effective engineering solutions to mitigate the impacts of emerging pollutants on human health and the ecosystem. Participating in this project in a team-oriented approach with well-defined tasks will equip students with the state-of-the-art research ideas, thoughts, and skill sets, leading to a productive and high-quality learning outcome for the individuals.
16.) E.L.I.T.E. (Empowered Living through Inclusive Training & Exercise) led by Dr. Stephen Griffin
An adapted physical activity program that conducts personal training for individuals (kids and young adults) with disabilities. Super Eagles pairs an American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) Inclusive Fitness Specialist with an individual with disabilities to perform an 11-week personal training program. The purpose of the program is to improve physical strength, cardiovascular endurance, balance, flexibility, and neuromuscular performance for individuals with disabilities in order to improve their health and live a more independent life.
BRINGING FRESHMAN IN ON RESEARCH
Additional Resources to Join in Future – VIP Teams
“First Year Experience – Introduction to Research VIP (FYE – VIP)” led by Prof. Jessica Orvis and Dr. Shainaz Landge
Introducing Freshmen students in authentic research experiences and to explore the creative projects in different VIP teams so that scholars in the following semester are ready to join the research team!
Last updated: 4/22/2022