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This project investigates how Black women who taught K-12 science describe and navigate Racial Battle Fatigue (RBF) and the biological, psychological, and physiological stressors that precede “breaking points.” Using a Black feminist epistemology and narrative inquiry, the undergraduate research will analyze de-identified interview transcripts and available narratives to identify patterns in stress exposure, coping, and recovery. Typical work involves qualitative coding (episodic and thematic), building annotated timelines of stressor cascades, and producing digital expressions (voice over imagery, ��animations, ai generated movies) that translate findings for community audiences. The objective is to illuminate how layered stressors accumulate and to craft accessible representations that can inform healing-centered practices for STEM learning.

Prerequisites: No experience necessary
Academic Level: ��Rising Sophomores, Juniors & Seniors
Undergraduate Major: STEM education, media technology, information science, psychology
Computer Coding: ��No coding
Hosting Department: School of Education

This project investigates the cellular heterogeneity of neurons within the brain's "reward center", the ventral tegmental area. Though well known for its dopamine neurons, several genetically-distinct dopamine and nondopamine cell-types exist within the ventral tegmental area. The intrinsic electrical properties of these neurons are largely unknown. The student will record and analyze electrical signaling properties of genetically-distinct ventral tegmental area neurons to examine whether they exhibit different levels of excitability, plasticity, ion channels, and receptors. The objective is to better understand the cellular heterogeneity of neurons within the "reward center" in order to better develop cell-type specific treatments for neuropsychiatric disorders.

Prerequisites: No experience necessary
Academic Level: ��Rising Sophomores, Juniors & Seniors
Undergraduate Major: Psychology, neuroscience, physiology, engineering, computer science, or other related field
Computer Coding: ��Coding will be performed, no prior experience required ��
Hosting Department: Neuroscience

This project investigates the influence of mid-latitude cyclones (storms) on the ocean around Antarctica (the Southern Ocean). The student will analyze output from climate model simulations to quantify the role of storms in generating anomalies in ocean circulation (e.g., current speed) and biogeochemical properties (e.g., ocean acidity, phytoplankton photosynthesis). Typical work involves coding in Python, making maps, and interpreting statistical analysis with guidance from the research team. The objective is to better understand how storms influence ocean properties using a numerical model, in a region of the ocean that is difficult to directly observe.

Prerequisites: No experience necessary, student should be interested in atmosphere-ocean interactions, storms
Academic Level: ��Rising Sophomores, Juniors & Seniors
Undergraduate Major: Atmospheric Science, Oceanography, Applied Mathematics, Mathematics, Statistics, Physics, Chemistry
Computer Coding: ��Coding will be performed, No experience required ��
Hosting Department: Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences

We are studying interaction networks for rocky intertidal communities in the Gulf of Maine. We have already built a detailed food web for the system, and we are seeking a motivated undergraduate intern with an interest in natural history, community ecology, and network science to help us build a network of non-trophic interactions. The intern will conduct a literature review on possible interactions between species in the system. We will use these data to build an interaction network, then compare the structure of this network to our food web and other networks built using computational means.

Prerequisites: No experience necessary, student should be interested in Natural history, biodiversity, community ecology, organismal biology, marine science, network science
Academic Level: ��Rising Sophomores, Juniors & Seniors
Undergraduate Major: Biology, Environmental Studies, Statistics, Computer Science, Math, Engineering
Computer Coding: ��Coding will be performed, No experience required ��
Hosting Department: Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences

Research projects in the Sleep and Chronobiology Laboratory focus on understand the physiology of sleep and circadian rhythms in humans and the health and safety consequences of sleep and circadian disruption—such as, cardiometabolic dysregulation and impaired cognition. Research projects also explore the development of circadian and sleep biomarkers, and strategies to promote sleep and circadian health, to enhance alertness and maintain health and safety when sleep and circadian rhythms are challenged; as well as circadian medicine and sleep-based treatment strategies. The laboratory examines molecules in biological specimen (e.g., metabolites, microbiome, proteins, hormones, immune cytokines), many aspects of physiology (e.g., brain wave, eye movements, heart rate, temperature recordings, energy expenditure), and cognition (e.g., reaction time, memory, executive function, visual performance). Typical work for SMART students includes hands on exposure to ongoing research studies/data collection and identification of a research question that is of interest to the SMART student that can be examined using archival data from the laboratory.

Prerequisites: No experience necessary, student should be interested in Humans and team science
Academic Level: ��Rising Sophomores, Juniors & Seniors
Undergraduate Major: Biology, Physiology, Neuroscience, Psychology��
Computer Coding: ��Coding will be performed, No experience required ��
Hosting Department: Integrative Physiology

This project explores how robotic perception can be enhanced by distributing intelligence across embedded skin sensors. The student will develop and train lightweight neural networks in Python/PyTorch and deploy them to microcontroller-based chips using Arduino code. These models will operate on proximity data directly at the sensor level, serving as building blocks for higher-level task and motion planning. Typical work involves coding, training and testing small AI models, experimenting with deployment on embedded devices, and evaluating performance trade-offs between centralized and distributed intelligence. The objective is to assess whether breaking apart an end-to-end AI system into distributed components can improve efficiency, robustness, and scalability in robot perception.

Prerequisites: No experience necessary; Student should be interested in Machine Learning & AI: Interest in training and deploying lightweight neural networks, model compression, and edge AI. Robotics & Motion Planning: Curiosity about how perception and planning integrate in robotic systems. Embedded Systems: Enthusiasm for working with microcontrollers (Arduino, ESP32, etc.) and deploying AI on resource-constrained hardware.
Academic Level: ��Rising Juniors & Seniors
Undergraduate Major: Computer Science, Robotics, Statistics, Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Applied Mathematics
Computer Coding: ��Coding will be performed; Python Experience is required ��
Hosting Department: Computer Science; Robotics��