| Full Name | College | Department | Discipline | Phone | Room | Topic Interests | Skills needed | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alexander Agoulnik | Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine | Human and Molecular Genetics | Human Molecular Genetics | 305-348-0570 | AHC1 419B | aagoulni@fiu.edu | Relaxant hormone signaling Hormonal effects in reproduction. | Transgenic manipulations of mouse genome. Prerequisites are: basic molecular-genetic techniques mouse handling. Bench work in the lab and research experiments. |
| Irina Agoulnik | Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine | Human and Molecular Genetics | Endocrine Cancers | 305-348-1481 | AHC1 419C | iagoulni@fiu.edu | Prostate cancer. Breast cancer. Steroid receptor signaling steroid receptor co-regulators. General biology, genetics, organic chemistry, and prior participation in journal club. Some prior mouse husbandry experience. | Conducting research experiments, maintaining records of experiments in the lab note book, attending lab meetings, presenting obtained research data, and reading relevant research literature. |
| Iqbal Akhtar | Steven J. Green School of International and Public Affairs | Religious Studies | Religious Studies | 305-348-2186 | DM 359B | iakhtar@fiu.edu | Khoja history, Islamic political thought, Indian and East African History | Translation, Field work, library research, etc. |
| Alliete Rodriguez Alfano | Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing and Health Sciences | Communication Sciences and Disorders | Bilingualism, speech development, hearing loss, assessment of speech-language disorders | 305-348-0362 | AHC3 437 | aalfano@fiu.edu | My main research interests involve bilingual speech and language development in children, both with and without hearing loss, auditory rehabilitation for people with hearing loss, and Spanish assessment development and/or adaptations. | Ability to attend weekly Zoom meetings CITI training completed or able to complete Bilingual in English and Spanish a plus but not required Strong writing skills and the ability to write independently within specified topics. |
| Timothy Allen | Arts, Sciences and Education | Psychology | Neuroscience and Behavior | 305-348-8425 | AHC4 314 | tallen@fiu.edu | See http://allenlab.fiu.edu for up to date information. The Neurocircuitry & Cognition Lab contributes to understanding how the hippocampus and the prefrontal cortex give rise to cognition and behavior using the latest anatomical, surgical, neurophysiological, pharmacological, viral, opto- and chemo-genetic approaches. My emphasis is on the circuitry of agranular medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), the hippocampus (HC), and mPFC-HC interactions involving the nucleus reuniens of the thalamus (RE) and perirhinal cortex (PER). Dysfunction in this system has been linked to the cognitive symptoms in several disorders including but not limited to frontotemporal dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, schizophrenia, and epilepsy. The lab is unique by innovating a cross-species neurobehavioral research platform for greater translational value that runs experiments in rodents (small animals), pigs, and humans (target species). Our goal with all this is to help understand the brain, and benefit medical diagnostics and therapeutics. | Strong academic record in STEM courses buffered with a broad liberal arts education. Working toward graduate school in a related discipline (e.g., neuroscience, biomedical engineering, biochemistry, psychology, etc.) and/or medical school. Bench experience and MATLAB or Python experience helpful but not required. |
| Jose R. Almirall | Arts, Sciences and Education | Chemistry and Biochemistry | Analytical Chemistry and Forensic Chemistry | 305-348-3917 | AHC4 361 | almirall@fiu.edu | Materials analysis with Laser Ablation ICP-MS for provenance and sourcing Explosives analysis with SPME/GCMS and SPME/IMS. | Laboratory experiments. |
| M. Hadi Amini | Engineering and Computing | School of Computing and Information Sciences | Optimization, Machine Learning, Data Analytics, Distributed Computing and Intelligence, Distributed Sensing, Critical Infrastructure Resilience, Smart Cities | 305-348-9936 | CASE 238A | moamini@fiu.edu | Theory: theoretical optimization and learning algorithms, distributed algorithms, sensor networks, interdependent networks, and cyberphysical resilience. Application: healthcare, social network, energy systems, transportation electrification. Research Directions: Optimization, Machine Learning, Data Analytics, Distributed Computing and Intelligence, Distributed Sensing, Critical Infrastructure Resilience, Smart Cities. | Please see lab website and email the mentor for more information: https://solid.cs.fiu.edu/ |
| Astrid Arraras | Steven J. Green School of International and Public Affairs | Politics and International Relations | Political Science | 305-348-1692 | SIPA 408 | arrarasa@fiu.edu | Democratization, human rights, social movements, and political violence and revolutions. | Library research. |
| Daniel Bagner | Arts, Sciences and Education | Psychology | Clinical Child Psychology | 305-348-7548 | DM 142 | dbagner@fiu.edu | Child externalizing behavior problems, parent-training interventions, and infant development. | Library research, participant recruitment, and coding videotapes of parent-child interactions. |
| Lorraine Bahrick | Arts, Sciences and Education | Psychology | Developmental Psychology | 305-348-3380 | DM 263 | bahrickl@fiu.edu | Infant perceptual and cognitive development, face perception inter-sensory perception autism memory development. | Library, running subjects, recruiting subjects, data tabulation, research lab meetings and clerical (photocopying). |
| Manuel Alejandro Barbieri | Arts, Sciences and Education | Biological Sciences | Cellular and Molecular Biology | 305-348-7535 | AHC1 318C | barbieri@fiu.edu | Cellular and molecular biology; biochemistry | Experience will include lab research and hands-on experiments. |
| Abhijit Barua | Business | School of Accounting | Accounting | 305-348-3404 | MANGO 342 | baruaa@fiu.edu | Earnings management. Corporate governance | Read related chapters from his textbook and accounting standards; Collect data by searching SEC websites; Do statistical analysis; Write up a paper |
| Janki Bhimani | Engineering and Computing | School of Computing and Information Sciences | Computer Science | 305-348-9934 | CASE 238B | jbhimani@fiu.edu | Primary research focus - Flash-Based Storage Systems, Big Data Processing, Cloud Computing, High-Performance Computing, Parallel and Distributed Computing, Performance Modeling, Resource Management, and Capacity Planning for various emerging inter-disciplinary research domains. | https://damrl.cs.fiu.edu will provide more information about our on-going projects. Please email jbhimani@fiu.edu for more information. |
| Charles Bigger | Arts, Sciences and Education | Biological Sciences | Biology/Immunology | 305-348-3100 | MARC 278 | biggerc@fiu.edu | Various immune defenses of marine invertebrates, environmental influences on immune defenses, and invertebrate genetics. | Running experiments on campus or library research. |
| Heather Blatt | Arts, Sciences and Education | English | Medieval literature | 305-348-4583 | DM 467B | hblatt@fiu.edu | Medieval English literature and language; book and reading history; medieval food culture | Library research, language work, and writing. |
| Werner U. Boeglin | Arts, Sciences and Education | Physics | Physics | 305-348-1711 | CP 236 | boeglinw@fiu.edu | Experimental Nuclear and Plasma Physics | N/A |
| Richard Bone | Arts, Sciences and Education | Physics | Physics | 305-348-3082 | CP 213 | boner@fiu.edu | Physics of human vision Macular pigment and age-related macular degeneration. | Running experiments and data analysis. |
| Alicia Boymelgreen (Aron) | Engineering and Computing | Mechanical and Materials Engineering | Microfluidics, Soft Matter, Active matter, Micro/nanoplastics | 305-348-3696 | EC 3444 | aboymelg@fiu.edu | #1 Impact of Micro and Nanoplastics on early stage development of marine species: In this project, we expose fish embryos and larvae to micro/nanoplastics and examine how the plastics accumulate in the fish and the impact on their development. The project will involve learning fabrication of microfluidic systems, optical microscopy, programming in MATLAB including image anaylsis. #2 Individual and collective behavior of active colloids Active colloids are small particles ( usually 3-15um in diameter) which draw energy from their surroundings and convert it into mechanical energy. Single particles will move in random paths while concentrated systems with many particles will exhibit collective behavior often observed in nature like swarming and clustering. In this project, we explore the motion of metallodielectric Janus particles (comprised of one dielectric (insulating) and one metallic (conducting) hemisphere under applied electric fields and measure the mobility of single particles and collective systems as a function of electric field frequency, particle size, concentration. | Students should possess at least some of the following skills and have a willingness to learn other skills listed Technical Skills: Knowledge of Partial differential equations, Fluid dynamics (not compulsory but helpful), Programming (MATLAB/Mathematica/Python). Soft skills: Critical analysis, strong writing and communication skills - including preparation of scientific reports and oral presentations using PPT, team player, shows initiative and responsibility for work. |
| Pip Brant | Communication, Architecture + The Arts | Art And Art History | Visual Arts | 305-348-2897 | VH 216 | brantp@fiu.edu | Inter-media projects that involve art and other disciplines. | Help with installation and art production as well as research in latest computer applications to fibers projects. |
| Anna Bricker | Engineering and Computing | Civil and Environmental Engineering | Air quality monitoring, air pollution dispersion, chemical transformation of pollutants in the environment, analytical chemistry. | 305-348-3825 | EC 3746 | abernard@fiu.edu | Dispersion and chemical transformation of pollutants in ambient air. Indoor air pollution. Molecular markers to trace pollutants in the environment. Applications of chemistry principles in environmental engineering analysis and remediation processes. | Persistence, organization, creativity, judgment. Basic wet analysis laboratory skills. |
| Jeremy Chambers | Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work | Environmental Health Sciences | Mitochondria-Cell Communication | 305-348-4648 | AHC4 232 | jwchambe@fiu.edu | Mitochondrial signaling cascades that control cancer cell metabolism. Mitochondrial signaling events that promote aging and Parkinson's disease. Constructing methods to detect protein-protein interactions in real-time. | There is no pre-requisite course work that I require for a student to join my lab. I only expect students to be motivated to perform biomedical research. My lab personnel and I will provide them with all of the training they require to perform research in my lab. Literature based research, running experiments in biochemistry and cell biology, attending seminars related to research, and potentially attending meetings and seminars at the mentor's discretion. |
| Hitendra S Chand | Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine | Immunology and Nanomedicine | Immunology, Cell and Molecular Biology, Respiratory Diseases, COVID-19, E-Cig | 305-348-1472 | AHC1 418C | hchand@fiu.edu | The Chand lab’s primary research involves understanding the mechanisms of pulmonary and systemic inflammation and tissue remodeling in respiratory and aging-associated diseases. The lab primarily studies Gene-Environment interactions by investigating the interplay of host genetic factors with the environmental toxicants and microbial pathogens under following high-priority projects: - Coding and Noncoding Transcripts in Inflammatory Responses - Mitochondrial Dynamics, Tobacco Products (E-Cigs),and Nanomedicine -Interaction of HIV, Tobacco Smoke, and Opioids at the Lung-Brain Axis -Understanding the Impact of COVID-19 on Innate Mucosal Immunity -Pathophysiology of HIV, COPD, and Alzheimer’s Disease | Interest and passion to learn cell and molecular biology of human diseases and work with the like-minded team of researchers/scholars. |
| Maria Charters | Engineering and Computing | School of Computing and Information Sciences | Computer Science | 305-348-7981 | CASE 333 | mcharter@fiu.edu | Nanotechnology applications in medicine Nanotechnology applications in making a smart city Nanotechnology applications in the home | I like topics having to do with the application of technology in daily life, and I believe a student with a major in Computer Science would be better able to research and apply his/her course work to "real world" applications. I would like the student to be at least in a sophomore year of studies at FIU, so that he/she will have completed at least up to the 2nd year of computer science courses. Researching online databases of current results involving nanotechnology, contacting via email or phone the direct researchers of this technology, and perhaps asking to observe any experiments being conducted or read experiment results in this field. I would expect the student to read the latest journals on nanotechnology, as well as network to make contact with the most current and advanced researchers in this field, within the U.S. and abroad. |
| Shu-Ching Chen | Engineering and Computing | School of Computing and Information Sciences | Computer Science | 305-348-3480 | CASE 257 | chens@cs.fiu.edu | Multimedia, databases, and network. | Programming and running experiments. |
| Peter J. Clarke | Engineering and Computing | School of Computing and Information Sciences | Software Engineering/Software Testing | 305-348-2440 | CASE 212A | clarkep@cis.fiu.edu | Model-Driven Software Engineering, testing in CS1-CS3, and prediction of faulty software components. | Completion of the following courses: Software Engineering I and Introduction to Software Testing. |
| Erika Coles | Arts, Sciences and Education | Psychology | Clinical Child Psychology | 305-348-4087 | AHC1 139 | ecoles@fiu.edu | Behavioral treatments for ADHD. | Interested in collaborating with a student on a project utilizing our Saturday Treatment Program. Library research, direct treatment delivery as a paraprofessional, and data collection. |
| Helen Z Cornely | Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing and Health Sciences | Physical Therapy | Physical Therapy and Gerontology | 305-348-1968 | AHC3 538A | cornelyh@fiu.edu | Fall preventions and balance interventions for older adults, health promotion through physical activity in older adults with or without chronic disease, and self-management programs. | Literature reviews, getting research articles, field work with exercise or health promotion programs, data collection, and data entry. |
| Elizabeth Cramer | Arts, Sciences and Education | Teaching and Learning | Special Education | 305-348-2425 | ZEB 345A | cramere@fiu.edu | Overrepresentation of minority students in special education; inclusion of diverse students with exceptionalities; general education teacher preparation to effectively instruct students with disabilities. | Library research, school based observations and interviews, and data analysis. |
| Debra Davis | Engineering and Computing | School of Computing and Information Sciences | Human-Computer Interaction, Computer Science Education | 305-348-1219 | CASE 342A | dledavis@fiu.edu | Human-Computer Interaction, User Experience Research, Computer Science Education, Online Learning, and Cognitive Development | Library research, running experiments, data analysis, possibly user experience design (if appropriate for the project) |
| Matthew DeGennaro | Arts, Sciences and Education | Biological Sciences | Mosquito and Coral genetics | 305-348-2201 | AHC1 319A | mdegenna@fiu.edu | I am a neurogeneticist with over 25 years of experience in biomedical research. Throughout my scientific career, I have used molecular genetics to address biological questions. My graduate training at NYU Medical Center was with Ruth Lehmann, one of the founders of developmental genetics, who has made fundamental contributions to the fields of germ cell and RNA biology. My postdoctoral training at Rockefeller University was with Leslie Vosshall, a leader in the field of olfaction who initially identified the insect olfactory receptors and determined their unique mechanism of action. During my post-doc, I created the first mosquito mutant using zinc-finger nucleases to initiate the molecular genetic analysis of olfactory receptor function in Aedes aegypti. My work revealed new knowledge about the integration of host cues, mosquito host-preference, mosquito nectar-seeking, and the mechanism of DEET repellency. My laboratory at Florida International University’s seeks to understand how mosquitoes find their human hosts by understanding the salient cues that attract and repel mosquitoes. We are also conducting functional studies to understand coral bleaching using sea anemone and jellyfish models. My results have appeared in a number of peer-review publications including Nature, Developmental Cell, Current Biology, PLOS Genetics, and the Journal of Biological Chemistry. | Working in my lab requires 10 to 20 hours per week and at least a 1 year commitment. Prior research experience is welcomed. |
| Andrea Denise Raymond | Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine | Immunology and Nanomedicine | Immunology; Virology; Neurobiology; Substance abuse (Opiates and Marijuana) ; Biomarkers of HIV-associated diseases; Exosome Biology | 954-270-6964 | AHC1 446 | adraymon@fiu.edu | Research interests lay in understanding how exosomes contribute to antiviral innate immunity and HIV-associated pathologies in the context of substance abuse. Student project: Study how immune activation modulates the content and functional effects of exosomes derived from B-cells and/or brain cells. | Skills needed to join the lab include an understanding of molecular biology techniques and using web-based Bioinformatic databases(web-gestalt, DIANA, etc.) to analyze data. Computer, math skills, and an understanding of basic lab techniques and procedures are needed. Graduate students will train the student in cell culture, SDS/PAGE, Western blots, and digital droplet PCR(ddPCR). The student project should ideally be completed within a 1-year time frame. |
| Maria De Los Santos | Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing and Health Sciences | Nursing and Health Sciences | Nursing | 305-348-7703 | AHC3 322A | delossan@fiu.edu | Motivation for behavior change for improved health outcomes; health promotion; illness prevention | Literature review, development of a data collection instrument, development of theoretical framework, determining methodology to be utilized, data collection, interpretation of data, IRB application and manuscript development for publication. |
| George S. Dulikravich | Engineering and Computing | Mechanical and Materials Engineering | Engineering and Computing | 305-348-7016 | EC 2710 | dulikrav@fiu.edu | 1. Computational fluid dynamics 2. Inverse design methods 3. Evolutionary design optimization | Programming new software and/modifying existing software. |
| Juan Carlos Espinosa | Steven J. Green School of International and Public Affairs | The Honors College | Comparative Politics | 305-348-6795 | DM 233 | espinosj@fiu.edu | Political culture and politics and the arts | Students with an interest in the intersection of politics and culture. They should have well-developed research skills, be inquisitive, creative, and open to interdisciplinary approaches to their chosen topic. Students must be capable of library and online research, and will attend occasional field trips to sites in the South Florida area. |
| Scott H. Fingerhut | Law | Law and Honors College | Criminal Constitutional Law, Criminal Procedure, Judicial Process And Policy, Trial Practice, Pretrial Litigation And Advocacy | 305-348-7541 | RDB 1021 | fingerhut@fiu.edu | Application of the scientific method to law enforcement determinations of reasonable suspicion to detain and probable cause to arrest. | The project is limited only by the student's imagination. At a minimum, though, it will require legal research and writing, along with oral presentations. |
| Leslie Frazier | Arts, Sciences and Education | Psychology | Developmental Health Psychology | 305-348-2045 | DM 260 | frazier@fiu.edu | Any topic having to do with psychosocial influences on health, well-being, and quality of life | For an Honors research project, I would expect a student to generate a research idea and develop it into a feasible research study which they would then conduct, analyze, and write up as a scientific conference presentation or publication |
| Jose Gabilondo | Communication, Architecture + The Arts | Law | Law | 305-348-5943 | RDB 2042 | gabilond@fiu.edu | Corporate and international finance and Cuban legal studies. | The full range of research and writing activities. Organization, strong writing skills, personal maturity, and quantitative skills are desired. |
| Trudy Gaillard | Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing and Health Sciences | Undergraduate Nursing | Research, Older adults, community based participatory research | 305-348-7818 | AHC3 240 | tgaillar@fiu.edu | I currently have a grant from the NIA to explore barriers, facilitators and motivators to research participation of older adults. We will be conducting focus groups with participants and a family members to explore these issues. | I would like bilingual persons to assist in recruiting African Americans, Haitian Creole and Hispanic/Latino/Latinax older adults and a family member to the above research project. In addition, they should be willing to provide reports, be a part of a research team. They will server as focus group facilators, be able to assist with zoom meetings, be friendly and professional. Finally, they will be involved in assisting older adults in completing online survey about healthy aging. |
| Ruben Garrote | Steven J. Green School of International and Public Affairs | The Honors College | Religious Studies | 305-348-1620 | DM 246 | garroter@fiu.edu | Classical and Religs of Mythology, Church and State | N/A |
| Bernard Gerstman | Arts, Sciences and Education | Physics and Honors College | Bio Physics | 305-348-3115 | CP 232 | gerstman@fiu.edu | Protein folding, protein aggregation, and protein engineering | Computer modeling. |
| Anuradha Godavarty | Engineering and Computing | Biomedical Engineering | Near-Infrared Optical Imaging, Cancer imaging, Diabetic foot ulcers & wound monitoring | 305-348-7340 | EC 2675 | godavart@fiu.edu | Our Optical Imaging Laboratory focuses on various clinical applications of near-infrared optical imaging technology. Some of the key ongoing projects include: Development of hand-held and smartphone based optical devices for non-contact imaging of tissues. Development of potential biomarkers for assessing diabetic foot ulcers via physiological imaging for tissue oxygenation changes (in collaboration with Univ of Miami Wound Care Center) Correlation of radiation dermatitis and tissue oxygenation changes in radiation-therapy treated cancer subjects (in collaboration with Miami Cancer Institute) | One or more of the following: * Hands-on experimental skills * Data management * Programming skills - Matlab, Python/C-Sharp, App development * Clinical coordination * Electrical circuits * Fundamentals of biomedical optics * Writing/Presentation skills * Team work ability And more important than all - self-motivation and interest to learn any of the above skills (even if you have none). |
| Juan Gomez | Law | Law | Immigration and Human Rights | 305-348-7541 | RDB 1010 | jcagomez@fiu.edu | Popluations being persecuted in Refugee/Migrant Producing Countries. Causes of Systemic Dysfunctions in Countries that Produce Refugees/Migrants. Possible Solutions to Causes of Outward Migration in Refugee/Migrant Producing Countries. | Interest in Human Rights, Immigration/Migration, Willingness to Work Hard |
| Liana Gonzalez | Arts, Sciences and Education | Teaching and Learning | Special Education | 305-348-6667 | ZEB 248B | lgonzal@fiu.edu | Inclusion of students with disabilities, teacher preparation/retention, and teaching in multicultural, urban settings | Library research. |
| Paulo Graziano | Arts, Sciences and Education | Psychology | Clinical Psychology | 305-348-4007 | AHC4 459 | pgrazian@fiu.edu | Pediatric Obesity; Early intervention for children with disruptive behavior problems; various research topics within the context of my lab research | Need to be familiar with research methods; data entry/checking; coding of videos; literature review |
| Abderrachid Hamrani | Engineering and Computing | Mechanical and Materials Engineering | Computational mechanics | N/A | N/A | hamrani.abderrachid@gmail.com | Physics Based Machine Learning: Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning are revolutionizing problem solving across several domains, including computational mechanics. We have already seen preliminary successes in the use of machine learning techniques within the computational sciences, such as the use of surrogate models for fast evaluation, improved accuracy in reduced-order modeling, and simplifications of workflows. The initial promise of machine learning techniques in better and faster solutions for physics problems offer the hope for future many possible technical advances. | - Self-motivated, focused and hard-working individuals with an ability for creative and innovative thinking. - Applicants with good academic backgrounds from Computer Science, Applied Mathematics, Applied Physics, Mechanical engineering. |
| Jin He | Arts, Sciences and Education | Physics | Biophysics/nanoscience/nanobiotechnology | 305-348-4376 | CP 227 | jinhe@fiu.edu | Study molecular interaction and reaction in a confined nanospace. Develop single-entity detection methods Apply nanobiotechnology to cellular biology and tissue engineering. | N/A |
| Xudong He | Engineering and Computing | School of Computing and Information Sciences | Computer Science | 305-348-1831 | CASE 364 | hex@cs.fiu.edu | Software system modeling, analysis, and development | A student needs to have solid computer science background, strong analytic ability, and wants to pursue a graduate degree in computer science. Performing formal model modeling and analysis of software systems; and building software systems. |
| Michael Heithaus | Arts, Sciences and Education | Biological Sciences | Marine Biology/Ecology | 305-348-2864 | CASE 453 | heithaus@fiu.edu | Predator-Prey Interactions; Trophic Structure; Animal Behavior | Field work, Lab work, Literature Search, Data Analysis, Manuscript Preparation |
| Kenneth R. Henry | Business | School of Accounting | Accounting Information Systems | 305-348-4210 | MANGO 330 | henryk@fiu.edu | Inter-Organizational systems pattern matching case-based reasoning. | Library research. |
| Rosemary Hickey-Vargas | Arts, Sciences and Education | Earth and Environment | Geoscience | 305-348-3471 | PC 315B | hickey@fiu.edu | I have opportunities for students to work on volcanic processes, magma formation, and volcanic hazards. | Students would have to know how to use a binocular microscope and ideally a polarized light microscope. Microscopy and chemical analysis. |
| Gail Hollander | Steven J. Green School of International and Public Affairs | Global and Sociocultural Studies | Geography | 305-348-2593 | SIPA 319 | hollande@fiu.edu | Agriculture and food studies; climate change and urban studies. | Library research; archival document research; interviews and field work |
| Joshua Hutcheson | Engineering and Computing | Biomedical Engineering | Cardiovascular disease mechanisms and diagnostics | 305-348-0157 | EC 2612 | jhutches@fiu.edu | Our research goals are to understand the mechanisms through which cells maintain and remodel tissues in order to diagnose, prevent, and treat cardiovascular disease. | Curiosity |
| Krish Jayachandran | Arts, Sciences and Education | School of Environment, Arts and Society / SERC | Environmental Microbiology/Soils | 305-348-6553 | CASE 137 | jayachan@fiu.edu | Bio-control of Invasive Species in South Florida Everglades Soils, Nutrient Cycling Microbial Structural, Functional Diversity Conservation of Endangered plant species in South Florida Pesticides Fate, and Transport - Biodegradation/Bioremediation. | Conducting field, greenhouse, and laboratory experiments. Apply statistical analysis to interpret the results. |
| Ranu Jung | Engineering and Computing | Biomedical Engineering | Neural Engineering; Computational and Experimental Neuroscience | 305-348-3722 | EC 2602 | rjung@fiu.edu | Understanding and improving sensorimotor control in people with neurological disabilities or limb-loss (such as spinal cord injury, cerebral palsy, amputation); Neuroprostheses; Neural engineering devices for interfacing with the nervous system | Library research; running experiments; data analysis; writing reports; presenting their work in journal clubs, local and national conferences |
| Suman Kakar | Steven J. Green School of International and Public Affairs | Criminal Justice | Criminal Justice | 305-348-5992 | PCA 352B | kakars@fiu.edu | Law, medicine, crime, juvenile justice, domestic violence, and police. | Library research field research and phone/in-person surveys/interviews. |
| Sakhrat Khizroev | Engineering and Computing | Electrical and Computer Engineering | Nanotechnology | 305-348-3724 | EC 3955 | khizroev@fiu.edu | Nano magneto-electronic Information. Processing quantum computing nano devices. Molecular electronics nano devices for Spintronics nano medicine. | Nano magneto-electronic information processing molecular electronics nano medicine. |
| Lou Kim | Arts, Sciences and Education | Biological Sciences | Art And Science | 305-348-7315 | AHC1 218C | kiml@fiu.edu | Mechanism of directional sensing of eukaryotic cells signal transduction pathways regulating cell fate decision. | Running experiments, preparing a power point presentation, and documentation of the results. |
| Janine King | Communication, Architecture + The Arts | School of Architecture | Interior Design | 305-348-6630 | PCA 387B | jking@fiu.edu | Relationship between workplace environmental characteristics and worker productivity, relationship between privacy and worker productivity, and the relationship between worker communication and worker productivity. | Library literature review, small field experiment, and data gathering and analysis. |
| Nagesh Kolishetti | Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine | Immunology and Nanomedicine | Drug delivery, polymers, nanomedicine, formulations | 305-348-0458 | AHC1 417B | nkolishe@fiu.edu | Nagesh Kolishetti, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Immunology and Nano-Medince at the College of Medicine, FIU. Kolishetti completed his Masters in Chemistry and Ph.D in the area of Polymer Science. Kolishetti's postdoctoral training was focused in the areas of Nanomedicine and Drug Delivery. Before joining FIU, Kolishetti was leading the chemistry division at Partikula LLC, a startup company focused in developing mitochondria targeted therapeutics, platinum prodrugs and metabolic modulators. Kolishetti's current research focus is in the areas of drug delivery and nanomedicine using polymeric and metallic nanoparticles with applications in cancer and HIV therapies. | Motivation to learn and don't leave things in between once started. Research experience in lab is a plus. |
| Suzanne Koptur | Arts, Sciences and Education | Biological Sciences | Plant Ecology, Evolutionary Ecology | 305-348-3103 | OE 232 | kopturs@fiu.edu | Interactions between ants and caterpillars on plants with extra floral nectarines, nectar secretion under different environmental conditions, pollination herbivores improving urban habitats with wildlife gardening. | Field work and greenhouse and lab experiments. |
| Lidia Kos | Arts, Sciences and Education | Biological Sciences | Molecular and Cell Biology | 305-348-2135 | AHC1 219A | kosl@fiu.edu | Development of neural crest derived lineages: melanocytes and Schwann cells Development of the mammalian cardiac conduction system. | Running experiments with genetic database searches. |
| Jason Kostrna | Arts, Sciences and Education | School of Education and Human Development | Kinesiology and Exercise Science, Psychology | 305-919-4074 | AC1 320 | jkostrna@fiu.edu | Dr. Kostrna’s research focuses on understanding how attention influences decision-making and emotion in sport and exercise. In sport, attention and anticipation are essential elements for emotion management and decision-making. Dr. Kostrna's research attempts to gain insight into human attention, emotion, and decision-making through sport psychology. In exercise, manipulation of attention improves affective response and may increase adherence rates. Dr. Kostnra's research attempts to improve exercise adherence through testing various attentional, motivational, and emotional strategies on a wide variety of populations. | The research laboratory is located at the Biscayne Bay Campus and while daily attendance at BBC is not required, frequent (typically twice a week) attendance is required. Potential students are encouraged to complete the CITI training program for ethical conduct in Human Subjects Research (HSR), the Social-Behavioral-Educational (SBE) track, as soon as possible. CITI is partnered with FIU and should be no cost to the student. Experience with sport and exercise populations, CPR, and/or first-aid training is preferred but not required. |
| George J. Kyparisis | Business | Information Systems and Business Analytics | Information Systems and Business Analytics | 305-348-3403 | RB 204B | kyparis@fiu.edu | Research in the area of mathematical scheduling. | Computer programming in Excel/Basic etc. |
| Fenfei Leng | Arts, Sciences and Education | Chemistry and Biochemistry | Biochemistry | 305-348-3277 | AHC4 222 | lengf@fiu.edu | Transcription-coupled DNA supercoiling and Protein-DNA interaction. | N/A |
| Arturo S. Leon | Engineering and Computing | Civil and Environmental Engineering | Flood Control, Stormwater management, Extreme events Modeling | 305-348-1370 | EC 3361 | arleon@fiu.edu | Smart and resilient flood control, mitigation of violent geysers (air-water flows), optimal reservoir operation under uncertainty, sustainable stormwater management, computational hydraulics (CFD) and physical modeling of hydraulic structures. More at: https://web.eng.fiu.edu/arleon/index.html | (1) Highly-motivated students (2) MATLAB experience is desirable but not necessary |
| Cesar Levy | Engineering and Computing | Mechanical And Materials Engineering | Mechanical Engineering | 305-348-3643 | EC 3442 | levyez@fiu.edu | Fracture mechanics and fatigue analysis sensors using carbon nanotubes. | Learning a finite element (FEM) package, modifying an existing FEM program, using the modified FEM package to extract data based on certain parameters, and running multiple cases to evaluate effect of parameters. Students should be able to conduct library research, reading, and run test cases. |
| Robert Lickliter | Arts, Sciences and Education | Psychology | Developmental Psychobiology | 305-348-3441 | DM 249 | licklite@fiu.edu | Development of perception fetal learning and memory (animal). | Completed research methods and statistics course. |
| Cheng-Xian Lin | Engineering and Computing | Mechanical And Materials Engineering | Thermal/Fluid and Energy | 305-348-0537 | EC 3445 | lincx@fiu.edu | Solar energy, energy efficiency, HVAC, electronic cooling, and heat exchanger technologies | N/A |
| Wei-Chiang Lin | Engineering and Computing | Biomedical Engineering | Biomedical Engineering | 305-348-6112 | EC 2673 | wclin@fiu.edu | Optical diagnosis Pediatric brain tumors Pediatric epilepsy. | Optical diagnosis; students should take BME 4562, Biomedical Optics, to enhance their knowledge about optical engineering. Literature search, design, and build prototype instrument (with other graduate students), and discuss research findings with the group. |
| Yuan Liu | Arts, Sciences and Education | Chemistry and Biochemistry | Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Pharmacology, and Toxicology | 305-348-3628 | CP 338B | yualiu@fiu.edu | Study on trinucleotide repeat instability via DNA damage and repair that is associated with human neurodegenerative disease and cancer. | Students are expected to do their work on the bench. |
| Tara Loughrey | Arts, Sciences and Education | Psychology | Behavior Analysis | 305-546-7797 | N/A | tloughre@fiu.edu | Behavior analysis applications for parent training, telehealth behavioral health treatment modalities, as well as applications of Skinner's verbal behavior. | Familiarity with single case design and applied research. |
| Peter Machonis | Steven J. Green School of International and Public Affairs | Modern Languages and Honors College | French and Linguistics | 305-348-2379 | DM 498B | machonis@fiu.edu | (1) English Phrasal Verbs and Idiomatic Expressions; (2) Lexicon-Grammar, i.e., syntactic analysis of some aspect of student's native language; (3) Quebec French as spoken in Hollywood, FL | Dictionary work, web-based research, and analyzing large collections of idioms or other expressions in one's native language. Involvement in the Quebec French project, a field research project in Hollywood, FL. |
| Todd Makse | Steven J. Green School of International and Public Affairs | Politics and International Relations | Political Science | 305-348-8451 | SIPA 405 | tmakse@fiu.edu | Elections and voting behavior, legislative politics, public opinion | I would expect the student to have taken American Government (POS 2041), one or more upper-level courses in the area relevant to the research project (e.g. POS 3424, 3443, 4122, 4233). Methods of Political Analysis (POS 3703) would be desirable but not necessary. Library research, online research, data entry using Excel. |
| Kalai Mathee | Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine | Human and Molecular Genetics | Molecular Microbiology and Infectious Diseases | 305-348-0628 | AHC4 223 | matheek@fiu.edu | Molecular Genetic Studies of Bacterial Pathogenicity Using Pseudomonas aeruginosa as the Model Organism. She also works on bioinformatics, comparative genomics and microbial metagenomic profiling | N/A |
| Bruce Mc Cord | Arts, Sciences and Education | Chemistry and Biochemistry | Analytical/Forensic Chemistry | 305-348-7543 | CP 313 | mccordb@fiu.edu | Genetic typing of nucleic acids, microfluidic detection of drugs in body fluids, electrospray mass spectrometry, and nanomolecular devices. | Running experiments under the supervision of myself and advanced graduate students. |
| Adriana G. McEachern | Arts, Sciences and Education | Psychology | Counseling Psychology and Counselor Education | 305-348-3391 | ZEB 326 | mceacher@fiu.edu | Child and sexual abuse, emotional maltreatment in the classroom, and cross cultural and multicultural issues in counseling exceptional student education. | Library research, assisting in conducting experiments, and collecting data. |
| Anthony Mcgoron | Engineering and Computing | Biomedical Engineering | Image Guided Therapy for Cancer | 305-348-1352 | EC 2442 | mcgorona@fiu.edu | 1. Image Guided Therapy: Drug delivery/drug development for cancer imaging and therapy 2. Molecular Imaging: Nuclear Medicine and Optical Imaging 3. Nanotechnology | Nanoparticle based drug development for simultaneous imaging and therapy. Students will learn cell culture techniques. Should know how to use Excel, PowerPoint, and Matlab. Students would assist graduate students in the laboratory with their experiments. This may be theoretical (computational modeling, computer algorithms, etc.), wet lab (simple chemistry, cell culture, drug dosing, cell toxicity assays). Mechanically building or assembling devices or instruments necessary for the research. Ordering materials in the lab. Keeping inventory. Helping to keep the laboratory maintained. Students will do literature search, compile data, and learn to present data. |
| Assefa Melesse | Arts, Sciences and Education | Earth and Environment | Environmental Studies | 305-348-6518 | CASE 168 | melessea@fiu.edu | Spatially distributed watershed modeling, geospatial applications to hydrology, wetland restoration evaluation, vegetation pattern, and hydraulic response modeling. | Library research, field experimenting, and modeling. |
| Mohiaddin Mesbahi | Steven J. Green School of International and Public Affairs | Politics and International Relations | International Relations | 305-348-1857 | SIPA 435 | mesbahim@fiu.edu | Culture and religion in int'L relations, Islam and world politics, int'L relations of Central Asia, and Middle East national security studies. | Library research. |
| Eric Messersmith | Steven J. Green School of International and Public Affairs | Asian Studies | Asian Studies | 305-348-2186 | DM 342C | messerse@fiu.edu | Zen Buddhism, tea Ceremony, and martial arts. | Library research and field work |
| Jaroslava Miksovska | Arts, Sciences and Education | Chemistry and Biochemistry | Chemistry | 305-348-7406 | OE 318 | miksovsk@fiu.edu | Conformational dynamics in proteins. Functinalization of zelite-like metal organic framework. | General chemistry, organic chemistry coursework and laboratory completed. Student must also be capable of running experiments. |
| Audrey Miller | Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing and Health Sciences | Nursing and Health Sciences | Nursing | 305-348-4570 | AHC3 525A | apemille@fiu.edu | Preventive health care for Children. Oral health care for Children nutrition. Sickle Cell Anemia. | Preventive health care for Children. The student must have a working knowledge on literature review and search and an interest in children's health. Library research, literature review, and data collection. |
| De Etta Mills | Arts, Sciences and Education | Biological Sciences | Biology/IFRI | 305-348-7410 | OE 118 | millsd@fiu.edu | Molecular DNA profiling of soil microbial communities, non-human DNA profiling for equine, bovine and avian forensics. | Running experiments. |
| Matthew C. Mirow | Law | Law | Law, Legal History, Latin American Law | 305-348-8347 | RDB 2063 | mirowm@fiu.edu | Latin American constitutional law, and legal history. | Running experiments. |
| Anthony Miyazaki | Business | Marketing and Logistics | Marketing | 305-348-2571 | RB 333 | miyazaki@fiu.edu | Communication of risk information for products and services; privacy issues in online marketing; pricing practices of service firms. | Assist in development of research scope; conduct some library research; help in collecting, coding, and analyzing data; assist in writing research paper. |
| Rebecca Mojica | Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing and Health Sciences | Occupational Therapy | Occupational Therapy Adult Rehabilitation , Management | 305-348-8122 | AHC3 421 | remoji@fiu.edu | Culture & Diversity Occupation Based Interventions Mental Health Aging in Place | N/A |
| Michaela Moura-Kocoglu | Arts, Sciences and Education | Center for Women's and Gender Studies | Feminist Theory; Gender Violence; Gender Dimension of Genocide; Indigenous Feminism and Literature | 305-348-1201 | DM 210 | mmoura@fiu.edu | Women and Genocide Global Online Gender Violence Indigenous Feminism | Ideal candidates have taken at least one Women's and Gender Studies course, and an interest in gender/ social justice issues. Expectations: Well-developed research skills (library and online); conduct interviews or surveys; solid writing skills. |
| Rajamani Narayanan | Arts, Sciences and Education | Physics | Theoretical Nuclear Physics | 305-348-1012 | ASTRO 204 | narayanr@fiu.edu | Theory of elementary particles (quarks, electrons etc.) and the evolution of the universe close to the big-bang era. | Use visualization techniques on the computer to understand some properties of elementary particles in nature. |
| Jai Navlakha | Engineering and Computing | School of Computing and Information Sciences | Computer Science | 305-348-2744 | CASE 384 | navlakha@cs.fiu.edu | Computer applications, programming data structures and algorithms. | Library/Internet research, good writing, and communication skills. |
| Marilys Nepomechie | Communication, Architecture + The Arts | School of Architecture | Architecture | 305-348-1887 | PCA 283B | nepomech@fiu.edu | Mid-century architecture and Miami and Havana hotel architecture housing | Library research, Digital model building, and Interviews/ filming. |
| William Newburry | Business | Business | Management and International Business | 305-348-1103 | MANGO 446 | newburry@fiu.edu | Factors influencing corporate reputations of emerging market multinationals and operational difficulties of emerging market multinationals (e.g., Multilatinas) when they invest in developed countries. | Either of the topics above. Student would need the ability and motivation to conduct secondary research, along with some basic exposure to the process of questionnaire development. Student must be able to perform library research, questionnaire development and administration. |
| Diann Newman | Chaplin School of Hospitality and Tourism Management | School of Hospitality and Tourism Management | Human Relations/Organizational Behavior | 305-919-4523 | HM 214 | newmand@fiu.edu | Emotional Intelligence leadership. | Library research and data collection. |
| Fernando Gabrielo Noriega | Arts, Sciences and Education | Biological Sciences | Molecular Biology, Physiology of mosquitoes. Vector Biology. | 305-348-6632 | AHC1 304B | noriegaf@fiu.edu | 1. Regulation of synthesis of hormones in mosquitoes. 2. Genomics and Proteomics of the neuroendocrine system in mosquitoes. 3. Nutritional regulation of gene expression in mosquitoes. | I would like them to have their own projects. Design their own experiments and manage every step involved in scientific research. |
| Kevin O'Shea | Arts, Sciences and Education | Chemistry and Biochemistry | Organic Chemistry | 305-348-3968 | CP 310 | osheak@fiu.edu | Photochemistry and environmental chemistry. | Literature search and laboratory work. |
| Olatokunbo Osibogun | Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work | Epidemiology | Public Health, Epidemiology | 305-348-7826 | AHC5 481 | oosibogu@fiu.edu | Cardiovascular health, Tobacco control, Women's health | Statistical skills, literature review |
| Nezih Pala | Engineering and Computing | Electrical and Computer Engineering | Engineering | 305-348-3016 | EC3975 | npala@fiu.edu | Indoor localization for smart building applications. Portable biosensors. Portable THZ cameras for security imaging. | Designing and implementing circuits, programming. |
| Justin Parent | Arts, Sciences and Education | Psychology | Center for Children and Families | 305-348-3232 | AHC-1 236 | jparent@fiu.edu | The Child and Family Well-being Clinic and Lab develops, and tests family-based prevention and intervention programs focused on how families influence child adaptive and maladaptive development. | Library services, Microsoft Office proficiency |
| Amy Paul-Ward | Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing and Health Sciences | Occupational Therapy | Occupational Therapy And Medical Anthropology | 305-348-3104 | AHC3 424A | paulward@fiu.edu | Understanding the experience of adolescents in foster care and improving the transitional outcomes of adolescents leaving the foster care system. | Literature reviews, questionnaire development, one on one interviews with participants, and data entry. |
| Frederick Perry | Business | School of Accounting | Legal Environment of Business | 305-348-2581 | MANGO 328 | fvperry@fiu.edu | The International Law of Terrorism | N/A |
| Jeremy Pettit | Arts, Sciences and Education | Psychology | Clinical Psychology | 305-348-1671 | AHC1 249A | jpettit@fiu.edu | Depression and suicide-related behaviors | Must have some prior research experience in psychology and depends on the nature of the project. |
| Garrett Pierman | Steven J. Green School of International and Public Affairs | Political Science | Political Theory, International Relations, Philosophy, Contemporary Political Theory, Philosophy of Technology | N/A | N/A | gpier018@fiu.edu | My current project focuses on the ways in which the internet has become a space in which democratic politics is increasingly difficult. I am also interested in the politics of race, class, and gender and the theorization of world-altering events. | Strong analytical skills, critical thinking, library research, and commitment to learning. |
| Vladimir A. Pozdin | Engineering and Computing | Electrical and Computer Engineering | Wearable health monitoring devices, organic electronics, and microphysiological systems. | 305-348-7788 | EC 3982 | vpozdin@fiu.edu | Flexible electronics and novel optical sensors for wearable health monitoring devices. Instrumented microphysiological system for directed cell growth. | Micro/nanofabrication for flexible circuit boards, PCB layout, Silicon Labs firmware development, Wi-Fi security protocols, flexible antenna design, optical device fabrication and characterization, cell culture, chemical synthesis. Mostly importantly, willingness to learn new topics and skills. |
| Nagarajan Prabakar | Engineering and Computing | School of Computing and Information Sciences | College of Engineering | 305-348-2033 | CASE 382 | prabakar@cis.fiu.edu | database applications; telepresence robotics; Software design for robot navigation; Coordination of swarm of telepresence robots; Educational game design for school children | I would expect a very rigorous system development work |
| Nipesh Pradhananga | Engineering and Computing | Moss School of Construction, Infrastructure and Sustainability | Construction Technology and Visualization | 305-348-0224 | EC 2983 | npradhan@fiu.edu | Interested in application of virtual reality, 3d modeling, real-time sensors and data analysis in construction engineering problems | Prepare for, design and conduct experiments; analyze data from the experiments |
| Jean Rahier | Steven J. Green School of International and Public Affairs | Global and Sociocultural Studies | Social and Cultural Anthropology | 305-348-0224 | SIPA 328 | jrahier@fiu.edu | Cultures and performances of the African diaspora black immigrants to the United States race relations in Latin America. | Project dependent. If the project is an anthropological one, library research and fieldwork (at the very least) would be necessary. |
| Sharan Ramaswamy | Engineering and Computing | Biomedical Engineering | Stem Cell Mechanobiology, cardiovascular mechanics, heart valve tissue engineering | 305-348-2532 | EC 2361 | sramaswa@fiu.edu | Platelet adhesion studies, Heart valve substitute developments | Literature searches, experiments, and scientific writing |
| Jessica Ramella-Roman | Engineering and Computing | Biomedical Engineering | Optics | 305-348-3015 | AHC4 330 | jramella@fiu.edu | The Medical Photonics Laboratory (MPL) conducts research in bio-photonics and focuses on the investigation of non-invasive methodologies for diagnosis of disease based on light-tissue interaction. We are developing new imaging methodologies combining polarization sensitive techniques and non-linear microscopy to investigate anomalous organization of the extracellular matrix in several biological environments. We are utilizing these methodologies to investigate preterm labor a condition that affects 10 to 15 % of all pregnancies with severe consequences to mother and child. We are also researching early signs of Diabetic Retinopathy through the combination of imaging spectroscopy and Two-photon excitation phosphorescence lifetime imaging. We are working with TAMU, UCLA, and RICE on a new NSF funded ERC: PATHS-UP. This cross-institutional academy-industry partnership is aimed at developing affordable health devices and systems for underserved communities, with an emphasis on diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. | Desire to learn and good attitude. Desired are matlab skills and desire to conduct experimental work. |
| Raju Rangaswami | Engineering and Computing | School of Computing and Information Sciences | Computer Science | 305-348-6230 | CASE 386 | raju@cis.fiu.edu | Operating systems, storage systems, and multimedia security. | Student will typically work on formulating a new problem, create a solution, implement the solution, and evaluate it with experiments. |
| Raphael Raptis | Arts, Sciences and Education | Chemistry and Biochemistry | Inorganic Chemistry, X-ray Crystallography | 305-348-7529 | VH 203 | rraptis@fiu.edu | Synthesis and study of redox-active multinuclear transition metal complexes. Study of electron transfer, charge localization/delocalization, catalysis, MRI contrast agents, radiochemistry. | General Chemistry, Organic Chemistry and labs, interest in a research career. |
| Kathleen Rein | Arts, Sciences and Education | Chemistry and Biochemistry | Chemistry | 305-348-6682 | CP 323A | reink@fiu.edu | Isolation and characterization of natural products from algae and identification of genes related to natural product biosynthesis | N/A |
| Joerg Reinhold | Arts, Sciences and Education | Physics | Physics | 305-348-6422 | CP208 | reinhold@fiu.edu | Research and development on new detectors for particle and nuclear physics. Data analysis and Monte Carlo simulations for nuclear physics experiments. Monte Carlo simulations for Medical Physics problems. | Research and development on new detectors for particle and nuclear physics. Data analysis and Monte Carlo simulations for nuclear physics experiments. Monte Carlo simulations for Medical Physics problems. Students should have taken the introductory sequence Physics w/Calculus and at a minimum currently be enrolled in Modern Physics. Knowledge of a programing language, especially C or C++ is desirable.Testing detectors, analyzing data, running computer simulations. |
| James Riach | Arts, Sciences and Education | Earth and Environment | Anthropology | 305-348-1209 | AHC5 366 | riachj@fiu.edu | 1. Community-based resource management in rural Amazonian populations. 2. Creative approaches to integrated health, development, and conservation strategies in rainforest environments. 3. Ethnoecology/ethnobotany | Library research and first hand field work involving interviews and possibly sampling of any of the following: plants, animals, water, or soil. |
| Jennifer Richards | Arts, Sciences and Education | Biological Sciences | Botany and Wetlands Ecology | 305-348-3102 | OE 233 | richards@fiu.edu | Wetland plant ecology, especially how plants respond to the hydrologic and nutrient challenges presented by the aquatic environment, and the landscape and community ecology of south Florida vegetation. Biology of invasive plant species with an emphasis on understanding vegetative and sexual reproduction in these species and how these processes affect invasiveness. | N/A |
| Jorge Riera Diaz | Engineering and Computing | Biomedical Engineering | Neuroscience, Brain Imaging, Computation/Modeling | 305-348-4948 | EC 2671 | jrieradi@fiu.edu | The primary research interest of the Neuronal Mass Dynamics (NMD) laboratory is the development of methods for the integration of different brain imaging modalities. These methods will found direct translations into clinical practice, for instance in the diagnosis and intervention of a variety of brain disorders. Although epilepsy and migraine constitute our primary focuses of attention, other brain disorders (e.g., Alzheimer Disease and Autism) will be included later on in our portfolio. For each disorder, our research focused on three major areas: a) abnormalities of the cortical microcircuits, b) the biophysics of the neurovascular decoupling and c) genetic imprints by inflammatory processes. These three areas of interest are linked via Biophysical Models developed in the lab. Members from the NMD lab evaluate their methods using pre-clinical models (i.e. rodents) of each brain disorder and, in collaborations with local hospitals, translate them into the clinical field. In the NMD lab, two groundbreaking techniques have been developed. The first one is a high-resolution 3D silicon-based probe (Neuronexus Tech) and the second one is an EEG mini-cap both for electrophysiological recordings at different brain scales (Cortech Solutions). These techniques are combined with both standard observation modalities and computational models for mesoscopic phenomena in the cerebral cortex. https://nmd.fiu.edu/ | Either MATLAB programming, willing to perform neurosurgery in rodents, or data mining |
| Tonette S. Rocco | Arts, Sciences and Education | Educational Leadership and Policy Studies | Adult Education and Human Resource Development | 305-348-6151 | ZEB 361A | roccot@fiu.edu | Disability studies, disclosure, older workers, equity issues, and social justice. | Since I have never worked with an undergraduate student, it would depend on the student. |
| Mark Rossi | Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing and Health Sciences | Physical Therapy | Physical Therapy | 305-348-3478 | AHC3 431 | rossim@fiu.edu | Physical performance after knee replacement. Driving safety after right knee replacement. | Library research. Using Equipment in Lab. Organizing data on spreadsheets. |
| Masoud Sadjadi | Engineering and Computing | School of Computing and Information Sciences | College Of Engineering And Computing | 305-348-1835 | CASE 212E | sadjadi@cis.fiu.edu | Autonomic Computing, Pervasive Computing, Mobile Computing, Distributed Computing, Software Engineering, Adaptive Software, and Adaptive Middleware. | Developing research programs, running experiments, writing technical paper, developing software documentation, and reviewing technical papers. |
| Nadja Schreiber Compo | Arts, Sciences and Education | Psychology | Legal Psychology | 305-348-3384 | DM 165 | schreibe@fiu.edu | Investigative Interviewing and witness memory. | N/A |
| Bennett Schwartz | Arts, Sciences and Education | Psychology | Psychology | 305-348-4025 | DM 283 | schwartb@fiu.edu | Primate behavior, animal cognition, and human memory. | N/A |
| Laura Serbus | Arts, Sciences and Education | Biological Sciences | Cell Biology | 305-348-2201 | AHC1 219B | lserbus@fiu.edu | The cellular and molecular basis for Wolbachia-host interactions. How host environmental conditions affect intracellular Wolbachia proliferation. | Handling and rearing of fruit flies, mass dissections of fruit fly tissues, usage of excel to organize the resulting proteomic data, and mining of online databases/pubmed to further understand and interpret the data. |
| Margaret Sibley | Arts, Sciences and Education | Psychology | Clinical Child Psychology | 305-348-3005 | AHC1 246 | msibley@fiu.edu | Behavioral Interventions for Teenagers with ADHD Understanding the Symptom Expression and Impairment of Adolescents with ADHD | Student must demonstrate excellent performance as an undergraduate research assistant in our lab for at least one semester prior to beginning an Honors Thesis. |
| Althea (Vicki) Silvera | FIU Library | Library/English | Caribbean Literature, History And Art | 305-348-3136 | GL 422 | silverav@fiu.edu | Caribbean literature and Caribbean art. | Library research, community activities, and interviews. |
| Fabian Soto | Arts, Sciences and Education | Psychology | Computational Cognitive Neuroscience | 305-348-8423 | AHC4 460 | fasoto@fiu.edu | 1) How people represent faces, and how learning and cognitive factors influence how people represent faces. For example, how categorizing people by sex or race might influence how we perceive their faces. 2) How people represent information that is newly-learned. For example, how learning an association between a face and an outcome (positive or negative) is encoded in the brain, and how it influences the sensory encoding of the face. We perform purely-empirical research on these topics (behavioral studies on face perception and learning), which could interest students without a quantitative background, and also purely-computational research (simulations with neurocomputational models), which could interest students with a quantitative background. | For empirical research: 1) Proficient programming experience (any language) and willingness to learn new programming languages (python, JavaScript, R) 2) Good performance in stats and research methods courses. For computational research: 1) Intermediate to advanced experience (any language) and willingness to learn new programming languages (python, JavaScript, R). 2) Strong quantitative skills, as demonstrated by excellent performance in courses covering two or more of the following topics: calculus, matrix algebra, probability, statistics, machine learning, computer vision. |
| Neptune Srimal | Arts, Sciences and Education | Earth and Environment | Earth Sciences | 305-919-5969 | AC1 380A | srimal@fiu.edu | Thermo-barometric studies of metamorphic terrains. Dating of Monazites using Electron Microprobe. I would need some time to think of other suitable research topics more focused to the skill level of the student. | Library research and lab work. |
| Dionne Stephens | Arts, Sciences and Education | Psychology | Psychology and African Diaspora Studies | 305-348-1809 | DM 203 | stephens@fiu.edu | Sexual risk taking, health disparities, racial/ ethnic minority women, sexual/ dating scripts, and identity development. | Library research, running experiments, entering data, transcription, preparing conference presentations, and recruitment of research sites. |
| Philip Stoddard | Arts, Sciences and Education | Biological Sciences | Biology | 305-348-0378 | AHC1 219C | stoddard@fiu.edu | Animal behavior endocrinology. Electric fish, tiny cousins of the formidable electric eel that communicate with electric signals. Explore communication at every level, from the ecological forces that drive natural selection, to behavioral signaling and mate choice, to neurochemistry and endocrinology of signal contorl, to metabolic partitioning and physiological trade-offs, to the proteins that move ionic charge. | Summarize literature design, run experiments, analyze data, and write a research paper. |
| Alexandra Coso Strong | Engineering and Computing | School of Universal Computing, Construction, and Engineering Education | Engineering Design Education, Systems Design, Faculty Development | 305-348-2480 | EC 1269 | alexandra.strong@fiu.edu | Currently, my research team, ReDes, (a.k.a. researching engineering, design, and educational systems) includes a diverse group of undergraduate and graduate students. We collaborate on a range of projects in areas such as • engineering design education: Through this work, my team and I are trying to understand how to improve design education for engineers both by understanding what happens in the classroom now and what engineers experience in industry. • educational change at Hispanic-Serving Institutions: Many of the projects we work on focus on students and instructors at Hispanic-Serving Institutions, like FIU. One project, for instance, is exploring how to better support lecturers within engineering departments at HSIs who are trying to improve student learning and the student experience in their courses. • graduate engineering education: Graduate students are often an underrepresented group within educational research. Given that some will become faculty members, they are also a critical part of how we might bring about educational change within engineering. Thus, I have a few upcoming projects that are examining the experiences of graduate students in engineering. | Enthusiasm for exploring and enhancing engineering education. Passion and patience for learning new research methods. Desire to collaborate with others to learn and conduct research. Researchers in this group use both qualitative (e.g., interviews, analysis of documents/text) and quantitative (e.g., surveys, statistical analysis) research methods. In addition, we do a lot of reading of research articles to learn more about previous research and to help us better explore our areas of interest. |
| Jacob David Sudol | Communication, Architecture + The Arts | School of Music | Music Technology and composition | 305-348-0109 | WPAC 145B | jsudol@fiu.edu | Music technology, psychoacoustics, and music composition. | Library and online research, and developing hardware, software, creative projects, and cultural studies (particularly East Asian culture). |
| Michael Sukop | Arts, Sciences and Education | Earth and Environment | Hydrogeology | 305-348-3117 | PC 326 | sukopm@fiu.edu | Computer modeling of fluids, chemicals, and heat; developing graphical user interfaces for computer models; laboratory measurements of effective porosity in carbonate rocks. | Library research, computer modeling, computer code development, laboratory and field work. |
| Krishnamurthy Surysekar | Business | School of Accounting | Accounting | 305-348-3259 | MANGO 341 | suryseka@fiu.edu | The ethical dimensions of executive compensation, what can we learn from the Enron and other accounting scandals?, and is more regulation of the accounting profession needed? | Library research and writing. |
| James Sutton | Arts, Sciences and Education | English | English (Renaissance Studies) | 305-348-1270 | DM 452 | suttonj@fiu.edu | Shakespeare related topics; Renaissance literature; Renaissance cultural studies. | A lot of library and internet research on their topic in first semester, and a carefully plotted and planned writing schedule in the second, resulting in a first rate thesis of 40-50 pages with a substantial bibliography. |
| Ibrahim N. Tansel | Engineering and Computing | Mechanical And Materials Engineering | Engineering | 305-348-3304 | EC 3474 | tanseli@fiu.edu | 1) Modeling and interpretation 2) Development of health monitoring systems | 1) Literature survey 2) Performing experiments 3) Writing paper. |
| Kimberly Taylor | Business | Marketing and Logistics | Marketing | 305-348-3318 | RB 341A | taylork@fiu.edu | Consumer behavior and consumer satisfaction; Negotiations and impact of personal factors on outcomes Families and culture, particularly inter-racial and inter-cultural families. | Library research, assist with running experiments, data entry and tabulation, and the possibility to design and run own study. |
| Jamie Theobald | Arts, Sciences and Education | Biological Sciences | Neurobiology | 305-348-7319 | CASE 110 | theobald@fiu.edu | Insect neurobiology and behavior mathematical modeling of neurobiology and behavior | Depending on the project, lab work with insects, data collection, and possibly field collecting and filming. Also for some types of projects, programming, mathematical modeling, and simulation. |
| Markus Thiel | Steven J. Green School of International and Public Affairs | Politics and International Relations | Political Science | 305-348-2323 | SIPA 403 | thielm@fiu.edu | European Politics, international relations and regionalism/regional Integration. | Library and online research, and possible field work (depending on the subject). |
| M.O. Thirunarayanan | Arts, Sciences and Education | Teaching and Learning | Learning Technologies | 305-348-2085 | ZEB 344A | thiru@fiu.edu | Impact of Technology on Education and Society; Training Teachers to Use Technology to Facilitate Teaching and Learning; Creativity; Entrepreneurship. | They should complete human subjects training. Students should be able to search library and other databases to locate and retrieve scholarly papers, develop surveys, collect data, and computerize the data for analysis. Knowledge of SPSS will be helpful. |
| Fereshteh Toosi | Arts, Sciences and Education | Art and Art History | Art and Digital Media | 305-348-2897 | VH236 | fhamidit@fiu.edu | Public art, performance art, environmental art, socially-engaged art, activism, digital art, documentary, VR, AR, environmental studies, nature contact, non-human communication, climate change, ecology, emergent strategy, Anthropocene studies, horticultural therapy, occupational therapy, recreational therapy, walking and pilgrimage, mindfulness, mental health, complementary medicine, herbalism. The Nature Connection Arts Lab is a multidisciplinary laboratory dedicated to exploring the connection between non-human and human health through contemplative art and creative research. By engaging the mutual benefits of nature connection, our projects support a creative culture to resist climate crisis and ecological devastation. Read more on the website and email me if you have any questions: http://fereshteh.net/project/nature-connection-arts-lab/ | Curiosity, enthusiasm, and experience with documentary, video, and performing arts will be very helpful. An interdisciplinary interest in both nature and culture is a must. Students may be involved with many different activities, from grant writing, documentation, phone calls, marketing, library and internet research. Assisting with studio projects may involve occasional field trips around South Florida. |
| Andres Tremante | Engineering and Computing | Mechanical and Materials Engineering | Thermo Fluids | 305-348-0149 | EC 3362 | tremante@fiu.edu | Renewable energy power systems, biofuels, thermodynamics, fluid Mechanics, and heat transfer. | Library research. |
| Nikolaos Tsoukias | Engineering and Computing | Biomedical Engineering | Biomedical Engineering | 305-348-7291 | EC 2674 | tsoukias@fiu.edu | Cell electrophysiology and Calcium dynamics Vasoreactive signaling in microcirculation Ion channel expression in hypertension | N/A |
| Victor M. Uribe | Steven J. Green School of International and Public Affairs | History | History | 305-348-2961 | DM 398 | uribev@fiu.edu | Colombian migration to the United States (recent), domestic violence (history of), and legislation on money laundering evaluation. | Library research; conducting electronic survey; gathering database. |
| Walter Van Hamme | Arts, Sciences and Education | Physics | Astronomy | 305-348-3670 | CASE 461 | vanhamme@fiu.edu | Modeling binary star light and velocity curves, interacting binary stars, and extrasolar planets. | Literature search, learning how to use certain computer programs, data entering, and computer experiments. |
| Enrique Villamor | Arts, Sciences and Education | Mathematics and Statistics | Mathematics | 305-348-2056 | DM 414B | villamor@fiu.edu | Differential equations Applied calculus Numerical analysis. | Read books and papers. |
| Eric Wagner | Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work | School of Social Work | Clinical Psychology | 305-348-5612 | AHC5 536 | wagnere@fiu.edu | My research group has four ongoing NIH-funded clinical research projects, all of which involve the evaluation and testing of intervention approaches for teenagers with substance use and related problems (e.g., interpersonal aggression, HIV risk). | Library research, phoning subjects, and running experiments are all possibilities |
| Lufan Wang | Engineering and Computing | Moss Department of Construction Management | Construction Management | 305-348-3172 | EC 2934 | lufwang@fiu.edu | - Smart, sustainable, and resilient buildings, infrastructure systems, and cities - Big data analytics and machine learning - Building energy and water efficiency - Energy-water nexus - Human-centered analysis - Digital twin | - Programming (e.g., Python, R) - Automation and AI (e.g., Machine learning, deep learning, computer vision) |
| Marcie Washington | Steven J. Green School of International and Public Affairs | Politics and International Relations | International Relations | 305-348-3754 | SIPA 414 | mrwashin@fiu.edu | Collective action and conflict; State security and migration; memory,time,space, identity, and conflict; and peace and conflict studies | Depending on the subject, students will engage in either library and online research or field work. |
| James Webb | Arts, Sciences and Education | Physics | Astronomy/Astrophysics | 305-348-3964 | ASTRO 201 | webbj@fiu.edu | Extragalactic astrophysics - specializing in quasars, supermassive black holes theory and observations. Life in the universe Physics of music | Basic grounding in physics and/or astronomy |
| Stephen Winkle | Arts, Sciences and Education | Chemistry and Biochemistry | Biophysical Chemistry | 305-348-2855 | CP 309 | winkles@fiu.edu | Protein binding to DNAs, carcinogen binding to DNAs, and unusual protein structures | Conducting experiments and analyzing their results. |
| Stanislaw F. Wnuk | Arts, Sciences and Education | Chemistry and Biochemistry | Chemistry | 305-348-6195 | CP 352 | wnuk@fiu.edu | Organic chemistry of nucleosides with applications in biochemistry and in anticancer and antiviral medicine. Research involving invention of mechanism-based inhibitors of enzymes vital to cancer cell and/or virus proliferation. | Running experiments and analyzing spectroscopic data. Literature research. |
| Kirsten E. Wood | Steven J. Green School of International and Public Affairs | History | History | 305-348-2803 | DM 396 | woodk@fiu.edu | Taverns, hotels, bars, and restaurants in the United States and the Caribbean, 1780-1900 travel narratives in the United States and the Caribbean, and 1780-1860 comparative gender roles in the United States and Great Britain. | Library/archival research. |
| Mehmet Yavas | Arts, Sciences and Education | English | Linguistics | 305-348-2992 | DM 468A | yavasm@fiu.edu | Acquisition of first language sound system; Acquisition of sound systems in bilingual children. | Data collection and transcription. |
| Michael Yawney | Communication, Architecture + The Arts | Theatre and Honors College | Theatre | 305-348-7545 | WPAC 139A | myawney@fiu.edu | Dramaturgy-devised and verbatim theater | The activity would depend upon the project. However, almost all theater work starts with research, either in the library or in the field. This is usually followed by extensive notes, rehearsals or sketches looking for an approach to the projects artistic needs using the research. The final stage assembles the actual project. |
| Changwon Yoo | Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work | Biostatistics | Machine Learning, Big Data Analytics, Statistical Genomics, Bioinformatics | 305-348-4906 | AHC5 472 | cyoo@fiu.edu | Statistical Machine Learning Group (SMLG) is led by Dr. Changwon Yoo. We mainly analyze big and complex data using Big Data Analytics (BDA), e.g., statistical and machine learning methods. Projects of SMLG ranges from clinical translational models to gene-gene and gene-environmental interactions in chronic diseases using BDA. We are currently supported by national and international grant funds from agencies such as NIH and SNUH. Visit http://smlg.fiu.edu/ for more information. | Quantitative, analytical, and programming skills. Above all, love to learn new skills. |
| Mirroslav Yotov | Arts, Sciences and Education | Mathematics and Statistics | Algebra, Algebraic Geometry | 305-348-3170 | DM 413A | yotovm@fiu.edu | Homological Mirror Symmetry Singularities of function on toric spaces Topology of Lefschetz fibrations. | The student will definitely need to work with a lot of books (library)and with preprints online as well. |
| Jinlin Zhao | Chaplin School of Hospitality and Tourism Management | School of Hospitality and Tourism Management | Strategic Management | 305-919-4540 | HM 356 | zhaoj@fiu.edu | Environmental scanning of hospitality and tourism industry; strategic management in the hospitality and tourism management; competitive analysis of hospitality and tourism companies | Library research, running experiments, or field work. |