SPARK Projects

Faculty Mentor: Bridgitte Barclay, English and Environmental Studies, bbarclay@aurora.edu

The goal of this project is to create an interdisciplinary conversation in Environmental Studies (ES) at AU and other institutions offering ES by building an Open Educational Resource (OER) textbook that is free to students and adaptable to ES instructors. Most existing OER texts are Environmental Science, but most universities have Environmental Studies, an interdisciplinary field that encompasses public policy, socioeconomics, literature, art, history, and more. Student fellows will work on already planned chapters for the textbook, as well as additional topics that we identify as a research group.

Possible tasks for SPARK fellows:

• Researching articles on current environmental news and issues that could be linked out
• Meeting with other students to gather information
• Providing feedback on audience and tone

This project is a good fit for students who are:

• Detail-oriented
• Interested in environmental issues and research
• Comfortable with discussion and providing feedback

Faculty Mentor: Michael Belbis, Exercise Science, mbelbis@aurora.edu

The AU EXS Lab is currently collecting data on the effects of acute resistance exercise on skeletal muscle oxygenation and exercise tolerance. This study focuses on post-activation performance enhancement (PAPE), which enhances voluntary muscular performance after high-intensity conditioning. While PAPE's impact on muscle power output is well established, its effects on cardiovascular outcomes and endurance are less clear. The purpose of this investigation is to define the impact of PAPE on skeletal muscle oxygenation and exercise tolerance during cycling exercise. Another project examines topical salicylates, used to treat muscle pain, and their potential impact on skeletal muscle oxygenation. The impact of acute topical salicylate application on skeletal muscle microvascular function (reactivity) and oxygenation is not yet defined. The purpose of this investigation is to define the impact of topical salicylate application on skeletal muscle oxygenation at rest, thus improving our understanding of this treatment’s mechanisms.

Possible tasks for SPARK fellows:

• Collecting physiological data on human research subjects in the lab
• Research on concepts that shape experimental approaches
• Collaborate with advanced students in the lab

This project is a good fit for students who are:

• Committed to “the scientific process”
• Willing to ask questions and learn
• Interested in physiology

Faculty Mentor: Richard Boniak, Biology, rboniak@aurora.edu

Annual counts of plants and soil analysis has been an ongoing effort with upper level students in the field and lab. This research will expand existing efforts to understand the seed bank. The student would be working in the lab/office to help develop seed viability and profile of the seed bank.

Possible tasks for SPARK fellows:

• Use a microscope to help identify seeds from soil plugs
• Enter and organize data in the spreadsheet
• Grow seed plugs in the greenhouse and help count the species
• Germinate collected seed and test for viability

This project is a great fit for students who:

• Have an interest in plants
• Enjoy using a microscope
• Are interested in data collection and organization

Faculty Mentor: Christina Bruhn, Social Work, cbruhn@aurora.edu

This project has been active since 2011. We have 13 years worth of longitudinal data with opportunities for students to participate in data analysis, report writing, and potential publication. We collect and analyze data on approximately 1,000 children per year. The data we collect include youth surveys, parent surveys, staff surveys, youth behavioral data, attendance at school day programs, grades, test scores, and demographic/program participation data. We also conduct structured observations and focus groups with after-school program participants. We utilize Survey Monkey for survey collection, and we conduct phone-based surveys with parents of program participants. We utilize Excel to organize data and SPSS to analyze data. We produce school- and grant-specific reports yearly and provide guidance to programs to inform their decision-making and to promote program improvement.

Possible tasks for SPARK fellows:

• Conducting observations in after-school program settings and focus groups
• Entering data and creating graphs and charts
• Developing draft text to support reporting and/or publication
• Researching after-school programs
• Participating in meetings with project staff and directors

This project is a good fit for students who:

• Have an interest in using analysis of data to support positive social change
• Are detail-oriented

Faculty Mentor: Juan Colon Santana, Chemistry, jsantana@aurora.edu

Fellows will work with a differential scanning calorimeter to draft a user manual. This project will provide both theoretical knowledge and practical skills. The student will begin by exploring calorimetry principles, such as heat transfer, specific heat capacity, and thermodynamics. Math will be minimized unless the student is interested. The student will set up and calibrate the system, ensuring accurate measurements. Hands-on experience includes trial experiments to verify equipment operation and data collection. Fellows will compile findings into a clear manual with operating instructions, theoretical background, safety guidelines, troubleshooting tips, and sample data. Visual aids like diagrams and graphs will clarify processes. Collaboration with me is key, and all work with the equipment will be under my supervision. By the end, the student will gain an understanding of calorimetry, system operation, and scientific writing skills.

Possible tasks for SPARK fellows:

• Researching calorimetry principles
• Setting up and calibrating the system and troubleshooting issues
• Collaborate on writing the user manual

This project is a good fit for students who:

• Like to collaborate
• Want to build critical thinking skills
• Have curiosity and initiative
• Are interested in the technical aspects of science

Faculty Mentor: Sara Johnson, Psychology, sjohnson@aurora.edu

A senior Psychology major and I are interested in whether different parts of Democratic candidate Kamala Harris' identity may affect potential voters' attitudes toward her. We are designing an experiment where different parts of Harris' identity (Black, Indian, biracial, and female) will be emphasized. Participants will then be asked to rate her competence, leadership, and presidential potential.

Possible tasks for SPARK fellows:

• Finding existing research on race, ethnicity, and gender
• Formatting, printing, and administering surveys
• Monitoring electronic data collection
• Cleaning and screening of survey data
• Generating AI images

This project is a good fit for students who:

• Have an interest in research, data, or statistics
• Possess general knowledge of current events, including the 2024 election
• Are interested in social science (psychology, sociology, political science, policy)

Faculty Mentor: David Lash, Computer Science, dlash@aurora.edu

The project will develop a professional website using a content management system like WordPress. Students will work with the client, develop mockups or prototypes for review, decide on the proper tool to use, incrementally develop the site, and deploy the final project to a website hosting platform. Students will gain valuable insight into the development process, customer interaction, and how content management systems work.

Possible tasks for SPARK fellows:

• Review content management systems
• Meet with the client
• Develop the website

This project is a good fit for students who:

• Have an interest in learning how professional development works
• Want to work with a real client
• Are interested in learning to use a content management system through their own initiative

Faculty Mentor: Caleb Lewis, Economics, clewis@aurora.edu

Neurodiverse workers face discrimination in many work-related settings. This experiment is designed to measure the extent of hiring discrimination against the neurodiverse. The goal of the project is to determine the role of labor market discrimination in the disparities in labor market outcomes between neurotypical and neurodiverse workers. The experiment is a correspondence study where simulated job applications are sent to real online job postings. Variations in the qualities of the applications are experimentally designed such that differences in callback rates provide evidence of discrimination against neurodiverse applicants. This project has the potential to inform policy and improve the working conditions and labor market outcomes of many Americans.

Possible tasks for SPARK fellows:

• Submitting applications and collecting data
• Analyzing job postings and collecting data on posting requirements
• Researching labor market outcomes for neurodiverse workers
• Reviewing archival articles and files for organization and analysis

This project is a good fit for students who:

• Have an interest in economics or social science research
• Know how to use excel or are willing to learn
• Have good organizational and time-management skills

Faculty Mentor: John McCormack, History and Religious Studies, jmccormack@aurora.edu

Police, legal, and medical procedurals represent one of the most popular genres of American TV over the last 50 years. Their enduring appeal and the many variations on the formula make it a great place to examine representations of religion in popular culture. The book we will be editing will consist of approximately 15 essays by different authors working in the fields of sociology, communication, theology, and history. Together, they will investigate how these shows reflect ongoing changes in American religious and spiritual practices and how they influence the views of the tens of millions who have watched them.

Possible tasks for SPARK fellows:

• Reading and discussing articles about police and legal procedural shows
• Researching existing scholarship in related fields
• Copy editing draft chapters of the book
• Analyzing episodes of police procedurals

This project is a good fit for students who:

• Enjoy watching TV/film
• Have an interest in writing, editing, and publishing
• Are curious about how religion shapes pop culture

Faculty Mentor: David Rudek, Psychology, drudek@aurora.edu

We will examine if individuals’ beliefs in free will and dualism are connected to beliefs in pseudoscience, specifically exploring if having weaker free will beliefs and/or beliefs in dualism are linked to a reduced need for control and therefore less acceptance of pseudoscientific claims. Recent research suggests that mind/body dualism may be more connected to these outcomes than free will. How free will and dualism extend to areas specifically related to our personal need for control is less clearly understood. As trust in science continues to decrease in modern society, a better understanding of these beliefs is needed.

Possible tasks for SPARK fellows:

• Conducting literature reviews
• Developing a methodology
• Collecting data on human participants
• Learning skills in statistical analysis

This project is a good fit for students who:

• Are curious about scientific thinking
• Can be creative in designing studies
• Have an interest in psychological research

Faculty Mentor: Mark Soderstrom, History, msoderst@aurora.edu

Ivan Kalashnikov (1797-1863) was Siberia's first native-born novelist, and he wrote novels designed, as he put it, “to acquaint readers with Siberia.” Writing in the romantic style typical of the era, he wrote historical novels in the style of writers such as James Fenimore Cooper and Walter Scott. My project is a translation of Kalashnikov's first novel, The Daughter of Merchant Zholobov, which he published in 1831. In addition to being of interest to historians and literature scholars, the novel offers an accessible introduction to Siberian history that I think could work well in undergraduate courses on Russian history. Although this is a translation of a Russian novel, student fellows do not need to have any knowledge of the Russian language or history.

Possible tasks for SPARK fellows:

• Reading the novel in the English translation
• Providing feedback on the translation
• Suggesting revisions or annotations

This project is a good fit for students who:

• Enjoy reading novels
• Are attentive to language and word choice
• Have curiosity