Research

Describe the proposed internship in terms of what the student will DO and LEARN:  The proposed internship will provide the early career undergraduate researcher with the opportunity to: (1) identify scholarly articles, across disciplines, in rural health education through the completion of a literature review; (2) categorize literature in an annotated bibliography, with instruction and supervision from the researcher; (3) develop the online survey using the approved questionnaires, with instruction and supervision from the researcher; and (4) analyze the data collected, using SPSS 11, with instruction and supervision from the researcher. 

List the specific benefits to the student that will result from this internship: The student will benefit from this internship by being involved in the data collection and analysis of the first phase of participants, and be an integral part of preparing for the dissemination of results. The researcher will acknowledge the contribution of the intern on any presentations or publications resulting from this study. 

Time commitment: 6 hours/week for 12 weeks. 

Additional qualifications for the intern, if relevant. Familiar with the Cline library online databases, computer skills, and willing to learn.

Provide any additional comments that are relevant: I believe this is a great opportunity for an undergraduate research intern to learn the basic components of the research process. I'd be excited to work with the student and have the opportunity to mentor a future researcher.

Faculty mentor: Debbie Nogueras

Intern: Jeanette Hopper

Describe the proposed internship in terms of what the student will DO and LEARN: This study systematically examines sampling in quantitative second language research which, when lacking in size or breadth/variety, introduces threats to both internal validity (via low statistical power) and external validity (i.e., generalizability). The main task of the student will be to assist with data collection. More specifically, the student will code primary studies for a number of substantive and methodological features related to sampling in second language research (e.g., sample size; learner demographics such as age; contexts of second language research such as educational level). Many of the analyses for this type of work are relatively straightforward and the student may be involved in this phase of the research as well. 

List the specific benefits to the student that will result from this internship: (1) As an intern for this project, the student will have the opportunity to engage in cutting edge and highly interdisciplinary research. Specifically, this study bears relevance to a number of fields, including foreign language teaching, education, linguistics, psychology, and quantitative research methods, and this internship will position the student well for graduate studies in any of these as well as a number of other related fields. (2) The intern will become familiar with the relative strengths and weaknesses of different primary research methods as well as meta-analytic methods, which are well-established or gaining momentum as a means for reviewing previous research in many fields (e.g., education) and are the methodology par excellence in many others (e.g., medicine, psychology). (3) Depending on the intern’s interest and objectives, there may be an opportunity to co-author and publish one or more articles on this or a related topic.

Time commitment: Six hours/week for 12 weeks

Additional qualifications for the intern, if relevant. Preferred qualifications: (1) Major in one of the following fields: psychology, English, foreign language, education, math/statistics, sociology, or a related field; and (2) coursework in research methods (e.g., PSY 230, PSY 302W)

Provide any additional comments that are relevant: I very much look forward to teaching the student intern the conceptual as well as procedural foundation of meta-analytic research and to seeing him/her learn from the process of collecting and analyzing data for this project.

Faculty mentor: Luke Plonsky

Intern: Kaiyla Darmer

Describe the proposed internship in terms of what the student will DO and LEARN:  Geochemical data are derived from a mass spectrometer that uses a laser to drill a 25-micron-width hole into the zircon crystal, mix the ablated material with a plasma, and measure the resulting concentrations of rare earth elements. The undergraduate intern will learn a relatively simple computer program called Iolite, which uses the raw data from the mass spectrometer to reduce data. What the program cannot do, however, is assess the reduced data for anomalies and understand these anomalies. The undergraduate intern will compare profiles from different crystals with three objectives. (1) Highly unlikely patterns may reflect misidentified crystals that were analysed, but that cannot contribute meaningful data (i.e., minerals other than zircon); (2) the data may reveal distinct groupings that suggest different sources areas; (3) the data may allow correlation of the crystals with intrusive remnants of the volcanic arc. Even a “null” set that shows no patterns of any kind will give the student intern experience in assessing the validity of data sets. Thus, the intern will learn a computer program, will learn to assess the quality of individual parts of a data set, and will apply these skills to interpreting patterns found in the complete sets.

List the specific benefits to the student that will result from this internship: The student intern will work with me and with my new graduate student. S/he will benefit from watching the graduate student develop a complex research project and will be encouraged to go in the field with her to collect samples and learn field research methods (although this would not be part of the I2S-funded activities). The results obtained by the intern will be a part of a peer-reviewed publication, and assuming that the student wishes to continue to be part of the project, s/he will learn how research is done from sample collection to publication. At minimum, the student will be co-author on an abstract to a professional meeting.

Time commitment: 6 hours/week for 12 weeks 

Additional qualifications for the intern, if relevant. It will be useful for the intern to have at least one semester of chemistry and a minimum 3.0 GPA.

Provide any additional comments that are relevant: This project can easily be the basis for a Hooper Undergraduate Research Award proposal.

Faculty mentor: Nancy Riggs

Intern: Robyn Cypher

Describe the proposed internship in terms of what the student will DO and LEARN:  The student intern will (1) be engaged in a literature search and review on the topic of teacher education; (2) be mentored in constructing and administering a survey instrument for a sample of current teacher education students; and (3) assist with data analysis.

List the specific benefits to the student that will result from this internship: Through this internship the student will investigate and learn about the field of teacher education. The intern will engage in the research process through literature search and review, through construction and deployment of a survey instrument, and through analysis of literature and research data.

Time commitment: 6 hours/week for 12 weeks

Additional qualifications for the intern, if relevant. Experience in/familiarity with a teacher education program

Provide any additional comments that are relevant: I am engaging in this project along with Dr. Jean Ann Foley, Associate Professor, Department of Teaching and Learning. We will jointly supervise and mentor the undergraduate intern.

Faculty mentor: Joseph C. Wegwert

Intern: Chloie Stelton

Describe the proposed internship in terms of what the student will DO and LEARN: The intern will be actively involved in conducting community needs assessment and identifying local individuals/ organizations. The intern will be working with a groups of students by helping them create relationships to individuals and/or community organizations, helping the students identify an issue and connect this to the particular individual or organization, and helping raise questions regarding how to gain access/ entree into a community, how to establish rapport, and how to navigate the complex issues of representation and research. In addition, the intern will conduct interviews and transcribe these for analysis and conference presentation. The intern will learn the following: (1) basic elements of community-based research including identifying community needs, gaining access and entree, building relationships, conducting and transcribing interviews, completing an IRB application for human subjects, addressing ethics of research particularly with more vulnerable population; (2) how to mentor students and work in collaborative teams; (3) how to connect research to activism through the use of images; (4) a better knowledge of the larger Flagstaff community and how to become involved in civic engagement; and (5) how to analyze data and write up research for conferences.

List the specific benefits to the student that will result from this internship: As a mentor, I will meet with the intern weekly guide the student through the practical questions of conducting research. In addition, the intern will benefit from gaining a better understanding of the community, learn how to become more involved, develop a greater sense of connection to the university, and develop skills to take on leadership positions. 

Time commitment: 6 hours/week for 12 weeks

Additional qualifications for the intern, if relevant. The applicant should have some knowledge of (and be active in) the university and broader Flagstaff community, should have strong interpersonal and public speaking skills, should feel comfortable working with diverse populations both on and off campus, should have strong writing skills and some interest in conducting interviews and community-based research. Applicants should not be taking more than 15 credits and should not be involved in student teaching or other kinds of internships.

Provide any additional comments that are relevant: The project falls within the scope of both a scholarly and a creative project. The research questions are as follows: (1) How does focusing on social, environmental, and cultural issues in Flagstaff connect first year students to their local communities? (2) How do first year students develop their identities as activists through a “Photography as Activism” class?  There will also be two Teaching Assistants helping students in this class.

Faculty mentor: Gerald Wood

Intern: Victoria VanPuyvelde

Describe the proposed internship in terms of what the student will DO and LEARN:  The student will learn fundamentals about social cognitive neuroscience research, theoretical issues and how to design experiments to test theories. S/he would read some of the most critical literature in the field, help in constructing experiments, help in collecting and analyze data, and have the opportunity to present at conferences and even perhaps publish in a journal, though that would require participating in the lab beyond the one-semester internship period. More generally, the student would learn about the scientific method, the human mind/brain, and interpersonal and professional skills.

List the specific benefits to the student that will result from this internship: One challenge to social cognitive neuroscience research is the length of time it takes to carry an individual experiment from conception to completion. Between weeks or months spent putting stimulus sets together, to months collecting, processing and analyzing data, to writing a manuscript for publication often takes two years. Given that this internship is designed to get students engaged early in their undergraduate careers, the program is ideal for my lab as it gives students the chance to start on research earlier than is typical (junior year in the psychology department). A student with the kind of jump-start on his/her research career that would come from this internship would give him/her a distinct advantage when applying to top-notch, competitive graduate schools, due to the depth in which s/he would learn the tools of neuroscience research.

Time commitment: 5-6 hours/week for 12 weeks

Additional qualifications for the intern, if relevant. I am looking for bright, motivated students who have an unquenchable thirst for understanding the world around them.

Provide any additional comments that are relevant: I run the NAU Social and Cognitive EEG Lab. We collect electrical brain data from the surface of the scalp in order to determine how the brain enables us to have empathy and compassion for others. The lab publishes the research in neuroscience journals and presents research at international neuroscience and psychology conferences. All students in my lab get a thorough introduction to the field and working knowledge of electrical brain recordings.

Faculty mentor: C. Chad Woodruff

Intern: Taran DePaola

Describe the proposed internship in terms of what the student will DO: The student will learn to identify the major bark beetle species found in ponderosa pine forests in northern Arizona.  The intern will assist in the identification, counting, and sorting of important pine killing insects.  The intern will also learn to identify the complex community of mites found on beetles as part of a collaborative project with scientists in Wisconsin and Georgia.

List the specific benefits to the student that will result from this internship: Benefits to the student include (1) experience in a research lab; (2) work on interesting research with other undergraduate and graduate students in the lab; (3) learn to identify important insect pests of pine; (4) learn the scientific method; (5) become proficient at using laboratory equipment such as microscopes; and (6) potentially be a co-author on a scientific presentation at national meetings 

Time commitment: 6 hours/week for 12 weeks 

Additional qualifications for the intern, if relevant.Some experience using a microscope.

Provide any additional comments that are relevant: The research for this project began during the summer.  The student will also have the opportunity to learn about other interesting research in the mentor’s lab such as the use of sounds to deter bark beetles, termites, and other wood infesting insects. 

Faculty mentor: Richard Hofstetter 

Intern: Barbara Sugarman

Describe the proposed internship in terms of what the student will DO: The student intern will work as a member of a team to use ArcGIS (the most extensively used Geographical Information Systems program) to produce a geographically referenced database for volcanic rocks of the central Anatolia region of Turkey.  The student will compile a comprehensive table of geochronologic (age) and geochemical data from literature sources and field reports, under the guidance of the mentor and two graduate students.  The student will import these data into ArcGIS and help to produce maps that display chemical changes in magmatic activity in space and time.

List the specific benefits to the student that will result from this internship: 
 The student intern will (1) work as a member of a multidisciplinary international team, helping to produce a product of immediate interest to a broad audience; (2) learn ArcGIS and/or enhance their skills in using it (employers in many areas of sciences deem GIS-related skills highly valuable); (3) become familiar with creating maps (cartography); (4) become familiar with the methods for various age determinations of geologic materials (from compiling the age information) and for geochemical data sets; (5) become more conversant with data accuracy and precision, and with statistics; and (6) learn more about the geologic history of Turkey, specifically, and about thinking about geologic events in space and time. 

Time commitment: 6 hours/week for 12 weeks

Additional qualifications for the intern, if relevant.The ideal student intern candidate will (1) have a general aptitude for using software programs (no programming experience needed); (2) a willingness to persist with learning and using a new one; and (3) be able to work as a team member but also to work independently after proper instruction.

Provide any additional comments that are relevant: A similar and widely used geographically located data set, NAVDAT, has been created for the western U.S.  The database can be accessed at navdat.org.  A major difference is that this is web-based rather than the target here, which is an ArcGIS base.  With the GIS database, the student intern, the mentor, her graduate students, and other investigators on the project - and, eventually, all scientists - can explore the spatial and temporal variations in magmatic activity in this tectonically active and complex region.  The resulting maps will help to identify whether there are geographical trends in volcanic activity that can be related to other geologic events in the region, whether there are punctuated periods of activity separated by magmatic lulls, whether there are chemical changes in time and/or space, and whether there are areas for which additional data are needed (to be generated as part of this NSF-funded project).

Faculty mentor: Mary Reid

Intern: Sarah Colombo

Describe the proposed internship in terms of what the student will do: The intern will work closely with the mentor to assist in collecting data for a project investigating the effects of stress on immune function in college students.  In this project, the intern will (1) coordinate recruiting male volunteers to participate in an in-lab study; (2) assist in data collection for the study by actively participating in running the in-lab stress manipulation (data from female volunteers has already been collected); and (3) participate in analyzing data collected. 

List the specific benefits to the student that will result from this internship:
The benefits include (1) learning about how research is conducted in psychology, (2) learning about the protection of human subjects in research, (3) learning how to recruit study participants, and (4) working closely with a faculty mentor to learn the techniques used in data collection and data analysis. More specifically, the intern in this position would learn how to use equipment in the lab for physiological data collection (BioPac system for recording heart rate, skin conductance, blood pressure), immune marker analysis ("wet lab" equipment for conducting enzyme immune assays or EIAs), and statistical analysis (Excel and SPSS software). As an additional benefit, the intern will work closely with the mentor and develop a professional relationship with a faculty member. 

Time commitment: 4-6 hours/week for 12 weeks 

Additional qualifications for the intern, if relevant.The intern should have a GPA above 2.5. Although not required, some background or coursework in psychology, biology, or chemistry may be beneficial for this internship.

Provide any additional comments that are relevant: This internship will be a discrete component of a larger on-going project designed to study the effects of realistic psychological stress (participating in a mock job interview) on the activity of the immune system.  It is well known that stress can impair the immune system, making people more vulnerable to infections and more likely to get sick. The goal of this line of research is to better understand some of the differences between individuals and how stress affects their immune systems.  For example, why might the stress of a job interview impair the immune system of one individual, but not another?

Faculty mentor: Melissa Birkett 

Intern: Lauren Johnson

Describe the proposed internship in terms of what the student will do: This will be a research internship in the area of health policy, specifically a study on the history and future of aging and end-of-life medical care in the industrialized world.  The intern will (1) become oriented to the project (working hypothesis, nature of evidence under examination) through background reading (that the mentor will supply) and discussions with the mentor; (2) learn data summary methods specific to the project and which are widely used in history and the social sciences; (3) learn literature search techniques, e.g., JSTOR; and (4) conduct independent research, summarizing a variety of sources, including articles from journals, newspapers, magazines, books, and websites.

List the specific benefits to the student that will result from this internship: The student will (1) learn about research project design; (2) learn and practice research methodology in history and the social sciences; (3) learn about health policy, specifically the history and future of aging policy and end-of-life medical care in the Europe and the United States. 

Time commitment: 6 hours per week for 12 weeks 

Additional qualifications for the intern, if relevant.Interest in social policy, health care, public health, gerontology, knowledge of European and/or U.S. history is a plus, but not required.  French language skills are NOT required for this internship.

Provide any additional comments that are relevant: This would be an ideal internship for a student in history, social sciences, health professions, or pre-med studies.  The intern will work directly with the mentor on his third book.  The mentor is just returning from a 6-month Fulbright stay in France where he conducted archival and library research on European aging politics, retirement systems, and end-of-life medical care.  Further, the mentor sits on the on-campus pre-med interview committee and has often found that students know surprisingly little about the US health care system in which they intend to make a career.

Faculty mentor: Paul Dutton 

Intern: Christina Harman

Describe the proposed internship in terms of what the student will DO: The student will design and develop an electronic liquid crystal display board that will be integrated with a wireless sensor/actuator networks used for sensing and control of ecological systems.  The display will plug into an existing system and show, in real time, information about what the network is sensing and actions it is performing.  The intern’s second major task is to develop, under the mentor’s supervision, an interactive display about cyberinfrastructure for NAU’s Southwest Experimental Garden Array (SEGA) to be shown at NAU’s Mountain Campus Science and Engineering Day and be the project’s representative for this interactive display. 

List the specific benefits to the student that will result from this internship: The selected student will learn valuable engineering skills at both the systems level and within the discipline of electrical and computer engineering.  Technical skills gained will include electronic systems design, digital hardware design, computer software design, and how knowledge learned in the classroom is applied in a real engineered system.  The student will also gain meta-skills that are perhaps even more important to a successful career including verbal communication, teamwork, and solving open-ended problems.  The intern will benefit from a motivating and exciting research environment in the mentor’s laboratory, and especially an atmosphere that emphasizes peer mentoring and collaborative problem-solving.

Time commitment: 6 hours/week for 12 weeks

Additional qualifications for the intern, if relevant.If possible, the student should have already taken either EE 280 or EE 222 (preferably both) and have a GPA of at least 3.3 to have sufficient background to succeed in the project.

Provide any additional comments that are relevant: Students are already working in the mentor’s laboratory on the cyberinfrastucture architecture, design, and implementation of the SEGA project (NSF MRI grant DBI-1126840).  The project does not provide funds for public education and outreach, yet it is a high-profile international project with outstanding potential.  There will be networks installed at two sites (The Arboretum at Flagstaff and The Nature Conservancy’s Hart Prairie Preserve) where this display technology will motivate visitors to learn about SEGA and how it integrates STEM disciplines to tackle critical research questions in ecology and climate change.

Faculty mentor: Paul Flikkema 

Intern: Aiden Shef

THIS INTERNSHIP HAS BEEN CANCELLED.

Describe the proposed internship in terms of what the student will DO: The student will be involved in project development and proposals for recreation impact assessment on federal lands.  In addition, the student will be working with a graduate student and the mentor on Sonoran Desert National Monument's recreation impact assessment (Phoenix, AZ).  Following an introduction to the area of "recreation impact assessment", the student will participate in on-going field work (data collection), data entry, and data analysis/reporting.  If available, the student may attend a project reporting session with a federal agency.  This will be an active research internship!

List the specific benefits to the student that will result from this internship: (1) Understanding the research cycle for funded projects.  (2) Experiencing on-site work related to recreation impact assessment.  (3) Engaging in project work related to data entry.  (4) Understanding the techniques of data analysis and the critical importance of agency reporting.

Time commitment:  72 hours during the fall semester to include an introductory meeting (1-2 hours) and field work (data collection) which might include 2 weekends (Friday, Saturday, & Sunday)

Additional qualifications for the intern, if relevant.Willing to (1) be involved in field work outside of Flagstaff (on weekends); (2) participate in field data collection and camp overnight in remote locations; (3) learn data entry techniques and experience actual field data entry; and (4) understand the importance of high quality data collection, analysis and reporting.

Provide any additional comments that are relevant: The student should be comfortable camping in remote areas, comfortable spending multiple days in the outdoors, and dedicated to collecting and protecting the integrity of research data in the field.  The mentor has worked with federal agencies (primarily the Bureau of Land Management) on recreation impact assessments to inform agency decisions related to site capacity and environmental needs and would like to share her expertise and enthusiasm for this important work.

Faculty mentor: Pam Foti 

Describe the proposed internship in terms of what the student will DO: For this internship, the student will gather historical information from archives and collect demographic data from the latest census about the population, earnings, housing, and businesses in the Southside neighborhoods affected by the Rio de Flag relocation.   

List the specific benefits to the student that will result from this internship: The student intern will learn about the Southside and develop knowledge and skills in community building, research methods in archival research, historical analysis, content analysis, and use of demographic data in formulating effective public policy.  The student will contribute to a growing body of knowledge that can be utilized by students, researchers, community residents and policymakers to help analyze the effect of proposed Rio de Flag relocation projects designed to reduce flooding in the Southside and to improve development in the area.

Time commitment: 4-6 hours/week for 12 weeks

Additional qualifications for the intern, if relevant.Students interested in community development, Ethnic Studies, and historical methods would benefit the most from this internship, but students from all disciplines are eligible.

Provide any additional comments that are relevant:
On the south side of Route 66, the Rio de Flag River flows through Southside and there is always a risk of flooding during periods of high runoff.  This means development has been severely limited since FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) announced the area a flood zone in 1983.  The internship will provide important information that can help analyze conditions from historical, economic, and social perspectives, while learning interdisciplinary methods and methodologies.  In the past four years, students taking ES 391 (Special Topics) have benefited from community research projects located in the Southside, which provided real-world opportunities for learning and engagement, resulting in oral histories, a mural project, a virtual walking tour, lesson plans and history games focusing on the Southside, and research manuscripts.

Faculty mentor: Ricardo Guthrie

Fall Intern: Stephanie Smith

Describe the proposed internship in terms of what the student will DO: The student will learn to identify the major bark beetle species found in ponderosa pine forests in northern Arizona.  The intern will assist in the identification, counting, and sorting of important pine killing insects.  The intern will also learn to identify the complex community of mites found on beetles as part of a collaborative project with scientists in Wisconsin and Georgia.

List the specific benefits to the student that will result from this internship: Benefits to the student include (1) experience in a research lab; (2) work on interesting research with other undergraduate and graduate students in the lab; (3) learn to identify important insect pests of pine; (4) learn the scientific method; (5) become proficient at using laboratory equipment such as microscopes; and (6) potentially be a co-author on a scientific presentation at national meetings 

Time commitment: 6 hours/week for 12 weeks 

Additional qualifications for the intern, if relevant.Some experience using a microscope.

Provide any additional comments that are relevant: The research for this project began during the summer.  The student will also have the opportunity to learn about other interesting research in the mentor’s lab such as the use of sounds to deter bark beetles, termites, and other wood infesting insects. 

Faculty mentor: Richard Hofstetter 

Fall Intern: Amanda Robinson

Describe the proposed internship in terms of what the student will DO: The student will transcribe interviews as well as go in the field to help the mentor shoot a documentary of a film crew (directed by Elle Schneider and produced by Joe Rubenstein) using a Digital Bolex 16mm digital cinema camera (www.digitalbolex.com) to shoot a short Western.  The documentary workflow will be a part of research for a book.

List the specific benefits to the student that will result from this internship: The student will get hands-on experience in helping with the book research, field observation, and documentary production.  The intern will also receive valuable experience in meeting professional filmmakers and camera designers on the forefront of an emerging new technology.

Time commitment: 72 hours during the fall semester.

Additional qualifications for the intern, if relevant.The intern will need to be (1) interested in digital cinema and documentary work, (2) organized, and (3) willing to travel for the documentary shoot.

Provide any additional comments that are relevant: The holy grail of independent filmmakers is to shoot RAW video with an inexpensive camera.  Several companies are releasing cameras this summer and the mentor’s book research (for Focal Press) will include field interviews of the camera makers and filmmakers using these cameras.

Faculty mentor: Kurt Lancaster 

Intern: Kent Wagner

Describe the proposed internship in terms of what the student will DO: The student will assist the mentor in researching a 26 x 36-foot Navajo weaving that is scheduled to be the focal point of an exhibit at a new museum in Winslow, Arizona.  There is considerable archival information on the weaving due to its spectacular nature and the fact that it was highly publicized by the Hubbell family (of Hubbell Trading Post fame) who commissioned it.  

List the specific benefits to the student that will result from this internship: The student will learn primary archival research and curatorial skills that will aid them in a possible future museum or gallery career and/or a career as a scholar.  This project provides a unique opportunity for a student to learn how primary research is done since the main object of the research is represented in a number of archives in the state of Arizona.

Time commitment: 6 hours per week for 12 weeks 

Additional qualifications for the intern, if relevant.3.25 minimum GPA

Provide any additional comments that are relevant: The new museum that will display this weaving is being organized by the Winslow Arts Trust and will reside in the old Santa Fe Railroad depot adjacent to La Posada in Winslow.  This weaving, which was completed by Julia Joe in 1932, is reputed to be the largest Navajo weaving ever created.  The Winslow railroad depot is being converted into a state-of-the-art museum space, which will feature Navajo weavings and contemporary art produced by artists residing along the old Route 66 corridor.  It will also feature a site-specific artwork by famed contemporary artist James Turrell, who is completing a major earthwork project, Roden Crater, nearby.  The mentor has been asked to curate the exhibition of weavings for this space, set to open in the summer of 2013.

Faculty mentor: Jennifer McLerran 

Intern: Emily Moxley

Describe the proposed internship in terms of what the student will DO: The student will assist with the preparation of biochemical protein solutions, buffers, and reagents. The student will also perform atomic force microscopy, a technique used to generate 3D topographical images of surfaces with nanoscale resolution and also measure forces with pico-Newton resolution.

List the specific benefits to the student that will result from this internship: The student will (1) learn how to accurately prepare chemical solutions; (2) learn how to utilize sensors, electrical signals, and actuators to measure and manipulate physical systems; (3) be exposed to various concepts outside his/her home discipline through participation in an interdisciplinary project; (4) participate within a larger, active research group; and (5) have the opportunity to work on a publication stemming from the work.

Time commitment: 6 hours/week for 12 weeks

Additional qualifications for the intern, if relevant.Student should come from a scientific field, preferably chemistry, biology, environmental engineering, or mechanical engineering.

Provide any additional comments that are relevant: The student intern’s work would be part of an existing collaboration between the Mechanical Engineering, Chemistry, and Biology departments aimed at understanding the role of titin and actin proteins in activated muscle tissues.

Faculty mentor: Brent Nelson 

Intern: Evan Willis

Describe the proposed internship in terms of what the student will DO: This internship is designed to familiarize an undergraduate student with many aspects of conducting fieldwork, entering data, and preliminary data analyses.  The student intern will assist with projects involving rare and declining gartersnakes, and general herpetological inventories.  The student will also be encouraged to assist with USGS-led herpetological projects as time permits.  

List the specific benefits to the student that will result from this internship: A student in this internship would gain that necessary career experience, plus simple data entry and analysis skills. Depending on student interest, this could be followed with post-internship assistance in preparing and publishing a small project, another area in which students typically lack experience.  Due to the mentor’s collaborations with many federal and state agencies (AZ Game and Fish Department, USGS, US Forest Service, US Fish and Wildlife Service, AZ State Parks), she is in a unique position of being able to provide students with exposure to working with multiple research and land and wildlife management agencies.  The mentor will focus on fostering student career professionalism, in the context of interacting with different state and federal agency representatives.  That aspect of the internship could lead to future successful employer contacts.

Time commitment: 5 hours per week for 12 weeks 

Additional qualifications for the intern, if relevant.Must be capable of hiking in field (outdoor) conditions carrying 20-30 pounds.

Provide any additional comments that are relevant: During teaching biology classes at NAU, the mentor has heard many times from upper-level students that they lack field experience.  They are thus put at a disadvantage when applying for summer or post-college jobs and internships.  This kind of experience is one the faculty member would like to provide on a more formal basis, with sustained mentoring, rather than simply providing short-term volunteer experiences.

Faculty mentor: Erika Nowak 

Intern: Robert Scott

Describe the proposed internship in terms of what the student will DO: (1) The mentor has a book contract with Springer Press for a book on this topic; the first draft of the manuscript is due September 15.  The student intern would assist with final preparation of this manuscript. In addition, the student would help with revisions that will take place September-December 2012. (2) The mentor will be beginning an experimental project related to public opinion and women terrorists in the Fall in which people will be presented mock news reports to assess the role of gender (of the attacker and respondent) in response to terrorist attacks.  This is a joint project with researchers at Pepperdine University and Oklahoma State University. The student would assist with administering the experiment, background research, and some data analysis. 

List the specific benefits to the student that will result from this internship: The student intern will learn research skills, data analysis skills, and writing skills. The student will be acknowledged in the mentor’s book for contributions made to the publication.  The intern will be able to put what is learned in the classroom to direct and practical application on the research project. S/he will also learn to write for an academic journal and have a potential opportunity to participate in a national conference (Midwest Political Science Association conference in April 2013) and/or publishing in a top tier journal. This will greatly improve any student’s chance of graduate school in political science or related disciplines or on law school applications. In addition, the faculty mentor would be able to write a more detailed letter of recommendation for the student after working together closely on this project.

Time commitment: 6 hrs/week for 12 weeks

Additional qualifications for the intern, if relevant.None.

Provide any additional comments that are relevant: The mentor has experience working with undergraduate research interns and finds it particularly rewarding.  In the Spring 2013, the mentor has a content analysis project to conduct.  The mentor has newswires of all women heads of government and ministers of state, defense and interior where the leader acted on or spoke about terrorism.  Content analysis was conducted on the European leaders last summer (with help from undergraduates). Content analysis needs to be completed on the other leaders.  If this fall’s internship is successful, the student may be able to help with this content analysis and work intimately on the paper that will come out of this content analysis. Depending on the contribution of the student, he/she would have an opportunity to be a co-author on the final paper (a joint project with a faculty and student at Pepperdine University).

Faculty mentor: Lori Poloni-Staudinger

Intern: Kelsey Robinson

Describe the proposed internship in terms of what the student will DO: The student intern will work as a member of a team to use ArcGIS (the most extensively used Geographical Information Systems program) to produce a geographically referenced database for volcanic rocks of the central Anatolia region of Turkey.  The student will compile a comprehensive table of geochronologic (age) and geochemical data from literature sources and field reports, under the guidance of the mentor and two graduate students.  The student will import these data into ArcGIS and help to produce maps that display chemical changes in magmatic activity in space and time.

List the specific benefits to the student that will result from this internship: 
 The student intern will (1) work as a member of a multidisciplinary international team, helping to produce a product of immediate interest to a broad audience; (2) learn ArcGIS and/or enhance their skills in using it (employers in many areas of sciences deem GIS-related skills highly valuable); (3) become familiar with creating maps (cartography); (4) become familiar with the methods for various age determinations of geologic materials (from compiling the age information) and for geochemical data sets; (5) become more conversant with data accuracy and precision, and with statistics; and (6) learn more about the geologic history of Turkey, specifically, and about thinking about geologic events in space and time. 

Time commitment: 6 hours/week for 12 weeks

Additional qualifications for the intern, if relevant.The ideal student intern candidate will (1) have a general aptitude for using software programs (no programming experience needed); (2) a willingness to persist with learning and using a new one; and (3) be able to work as a team member but also to work independently after proper instruction.

Provide any additional comments that are relevant: A similar and widely used geographically located data set, NAVDAT, has been created for the western U.S.  The database can be accessed at navdat.org.  A major difference is that this is web-based rather than the target here, which is an ArcGIS base.  With the GIS database, the student intern, the mentor, her graduate students, and other investigators on the project - and, eventually, all scientists - can explore the spatial and temporal variations in magmatic activity in this tectonically active and complex region.  The resulting maps will help to identify whether there are geographical trends in volcanic activity that can be related to other geologic events in the region, whether there are punctuated periods of activity separated by magmatic lulls, whether there are chemical changes in time and/or space, and whether there are areas for which additional data are needed (to be generated as part of this NSF-funded project).

Faculty mentor: Mary Reid

Fall Intern: Maria Underwood

Describe the proposed internship in terms of what the student will DO: The faculty mentor has been pursuing research in numerical semigroups for several years.  During that time, several technology-based tools have been developed to aid in this research, most notably a C++ program to display information about specific numerical semigroups based solely on a set of generators; a Mathematica program to compute all numerical semigroups of a fixed Frobenius number; and a "qtix" program that displays tree graphs of irreducible numerical semigroups with a common Frobenius number.  The student intern would be expected to (1) become familiar with each of these technology-based tools, (2) attempt to merge the technologies into a single program, (3) become well-versed in how these technologies enhance research efforts in numerical semigroups, and (4) possibly help the mentor develop a primer to give to future undergraduate researchers or collaborators to streamline the process of becoming more familiar with how these programs work. 

List the specific benefits to the student that will result from this internship: The student intern will become extremely proficient in the use of, and subsequent research involving, these technology-based tools.  It is also hoped that the intern will want to continue working with the mentor as an undergraduate researcher after the I2S work is completed.  The faculty mentor intends to steer the intern towards a career in mathematics. 

Time commitment: 6 hours per week for 12 weeks 

Additional qualifications for the intern, if relevant.The intern should (1) be at least a sophomore mathematics major; (2)  have successfully completed MAT 320W; and (3)  have an interest in the possibility of pursuing research in mathematics as an undergraduate. 

Provide any additional comments that are relevant: The bulk of the mathematics that underlies numerical semigroups is fairly straightforward; the selective use of these technology tools makes research in this area of mathematics even more accessible and understandable.  In other words, becoming fluent with these programs is important.  In addition, the mentor takes his role to develop young mathematicians very seriously, and being given the opportunity to introduce undergraduates to research in mathematics is something that he values.

Faculty mentor: Jeff Rushall

Intern: Taryn Laird

Describe the proposed internship in terms of what the student will DO: The student will (1) help collect leeches in the field; (2) perform weekly cleaning and feeding of the lab specimens, in this case leeches; (3) set up a mating experiment where leeches are paired together in a mating pairs and placed either in source water or water contaminated with endocrine disrupting compounds; (4) make weekly observations on any behaviors presented by the leeches including parental care behaviors; and (5) analyze these behaviors.  Once the experiment is complete, the intern will perform molecular analyses to identify paternity of the offspring.  This intern will be able to identify any differences in fitness and behaviors associated with contaminated water.

List the specific benefits to the student that will result from this internship: The student will (1) learn animal husbandry and field collection methods; (2) learn how to come up with a question and a testable hypothesis and how to create a sound experimental design; (3) become adept at observing and documenting behavioral data; (4) learn how to perform statistics on these data; (5) become proficient at molecular techniques; and (5) learn how to write up results in a scientific manner for publication.

Time commitment: 6 hours/week for 12 weeks

Additional qualifications for the intern, if relevant.This intern must have basic knowledge of biological methods, must be responsible, and take initiative because live animals are at stake.

Provide any additional comments that are relevant: The mentor’s research projects investigate mating and other behaviors in invertebrates.  This project will help answer basic evolutionary and behavioral questions regarding the evolution of sexual reproduction and fitness in a hermaphroditic species.  These basic questions contribute to our understanding of mechanisms of evolution and behaviors in humans and other mammals.

Faculty mentor: Stephen Shuster 

Intern: Shayla Mulhern

Describe the proposed internship in terms of what the student will DO: This study investigates the effects of suggestions presented during hypnosis to dilate (increase blood flow and temperature and decrease blood pressure) and to constrict (decrease blood flow and temperature and increase blood pressure) blood vessels in the periphery (hands/arms) as a function of hypnotic susceptibility and type of suggestions, correlating these with changes in EEG brainwaves.  The intern will experience full involvement in all aspects of this study including assisting with participant recruitment, testing of hypnotic susceptibility, configuring and attaching of EEG and blood flow measures and computer monitoring equipment, recording, processing, and analysis of data, preparation of presentations and posters, and presenting results at regional and national conferences, all under the close supervision of the faculty mentor.  

List the specific benefits to the student that will result from this internship: The student will directly experience most of the steps involved in the conduct of psychophysiological research.  The intern will also be a part of an active research team assisting with this study, allowing full collaboration with all aspects of the study with the exception of the original conceptualization and design of the study, as these components have already been conducted, the project has received IRB approval, and pilot testing has been completed.

Time commitment: 6 hours/week for 12 weeks

Additional qualifications for the intern, if relevant.The intern must be an independent, highly motivated, and responsible undergraduate.  S/he will be carefully trained in all of the above procedures, but will be expected to take on an increasing leadership role in the conduct of this study, with the assistance of the mentor and the rest of the research team.

Provide any additional comments that are relevant: Each semester, the mentor’s research team is comprised of between 10 and 15 undergraduate and graduate students, working together on from 2-4 different research projects.  They work very closely together (meeting formally as a group in weekly team meetings and informally frequently throughout the week in the lab) to support each others' responsibilities and become very collegial and nurturing, very much a "research family" devoted to carrying out the project(s) duties.  This dynamic involvement in the research team is a most invigorating, stimulating, and formative process and a growth and learning experience for interns. Most leave excited about research and with a presentation or publication manuscript under their belts. The mentor’s over-arching goal is to excite students with the research process and into the continued pursuit of careers in science.

Faculty mentor: Larry Stevens

Intern: Jasmine Benjamin

Describe the proposed internship in terms of what the student will DO: The student’s internship for this research in Nicaragua entails activities in (1) acquisition, registration, correction, and land cover classification of satellite imagery; (2) analyses of change detection and spatial distribution patterns; and (3) organization of ground reference data, land cover information, and newly mapped socio-economic data.  This student internship work belongs to a regional collaborative effort that aims to examine tropical deforestation in the areas that need to be prioritized for reforestation and conservation effort in western Nicaragua in order to maintain habitat connectivity.  The objective of the student internship is to identify the socio-political factors that influence recent deforestation and reforestation patterns in Nicaragua.

List the specific benefits to the student that will result from this internship: This internship will prepare the student to interface research on natural and human systems to create novel analysis techniques and knowledge about processes and changes in land use and land cover.  It will provide the student an opportunity to gain interdisciplinary expertise and in-depth understanding of the linkage between socio-economic conditions, human activities and drivers of land use, and land cover change. 

Time commitment: 6 hours/week for 12 weeks

Additional qualifications for the intern, if relevant.Preferred qualifications include experiences with data entry and organization, or basic geospatial techniques obtained from coursework. 

Provide any additional comments that are relevant: In the Rivas Isthmus of western Nicaragua, colonization and agricultural practices have altered species richness and critical ecosystem functioning and processes.  Paso Pacifico, a non-profit organization, and collaborators have implemented conservation efforts in order help minimize the degradation to critical areas as well as to maintain and enhance habitat connectivity in a biological corridor.  These projects include conservation of the critically endangered black-handed spider monkey, restoration of native tree species, and land use and land cover mapping using remote sensing techniques.  The spider monkey project included identification of spider monkey habitat, implementation of a long-term monitoring program for spider monkeys, and involvement of local people through both education and in helping to implement conservation of this species.  The reforestation project has been carried out in order to provide habitat connectivity and conservation, as well as to help mitigate effects of climate change.  Furthermore, a project in collaboration with NAU’s Lab of Landscape Ecology and Conservation Biology (LLECB), was put forth in order to determine changes in land cover types, in particular tropical dry forest, through geospatial analyses.  The collaboration between Paso Pacifico and LLECB will utilize information from the abovementioned projects and gather other critical spatial data in order to help prioritize areas for future conservation and restoration efforts.

Faculty mentor: Yung-Ho Ophelia Wang

Intern: Cecilia Marella

Describe the proposed internship in terms of what the student will DO: Several areas have been identified for the student intern in this College of Health and Human Services and Flagstaff Unified School District collaborative study.  The specific duties may be tailored to the student's interests, but will definitely include data entry.  Other opportunities include data collection with middle school students, meetings with faculty and teachers about the interventions, data analysis, and writing. 

List the specific benefits to the student that will result from this internship: 1. Learning about the research process. 2. Participate in school-based research to understand how to operationalize an idea and identify barriers to implementation. 3. Systematic data entry and collection. 4. Learn how to work with multiple disciplines in community-based research. 

Time commitment: 6 hours/week for 12 weeks

Additional qualifications for the intern, if relevant.Familiarity with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel) required. Familiarity with Microsoft Access preferred, but not required.  Interest in physical activity would be ideal. 

Faculty mentor: Meghan Warren 

Intern: Araceli Olivas

Describe the proposed internship in terms of what the student will DO: The student will assist in the development and writing of business ethics cases as well as the teaching notes for the cases.  Research sources will include the popular press, law review articles and other journal articles.  There is opportunity to draft parts of a paper for publication. 

List the specific benefits to the student that will result from this internship: The student will get significant writing experience and feedback as well as exposure to journal and law review research. 

Time commitment: 6 hours/week for 12 weeks

Additional qualifications for the intern, if relevant.It would help if the student has taken ACC 205 but it is not necessary. 

Provide any additional comments that are relevant: The mentor’s research focuses on business ethics and constitutional issues, with case studies related to finance, CIS, marketing, and corporate governance already completed.  Case studies still to be developed are in economics, accounting, and management.

Faculty mentor: Eric Yordy 

Intern: Taylor Snell