Mentor Match
Do you want to pursue an independent study project? Do you want to apply to be a Tolmas Scholar? Then it's time to find a mentor!
Mentors assist students with research and scholarly efforts or independent study courses. The Mentor Match program offers an avenue for you to find someone with whom you would like to collaborate.
The UNO researchers listed below have all volunteered themselves as potential mentors. Read about their research interests and student projects, and if something looks interesting to you, complete the below request form!
Applications for the Tolmas Scholar program are currently under review. Mentor Match applications will re-open in January 2021.
If you have any questions about this program, contact Elizabeth Sigler at esigler@uno.edu.
Mentors by College, Department/School
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College of Business Administration (COBA)
- Department of Accounting
- Department of Economics & Finance
- Department of Management & Marketing
- School of Hotel, Restaurant, & Tourism Administration
Department of Accounting Mentor Research Interests Student Projects Mentor Programs Gina Rosa International financial reporting quality; Auditing-internal and external US financial reporting standards; International financial reporting standards; Audit quality Tolmas Scholars; Mentor Match Department of Economics & Finance Mentor Research Interests Student Projects Mentor Programs Mohammad Kabir Hassan Financial Institutions and Markets; Corporate Finance; Investments; Emerging Markets and Financial Development; International Finance; Applied Economics; Islamic Economics, Banking and Finance FinTech; Financial Inclusion; Community Banking and Economic Development; Stock Market Mechanics; Economic Development; Ethical Finance; Financial Literacy; Prison Reform and Incarceration Tolmas Scholars; Mentor Match Robert Penick Real Estate Finace and informaiton concerning all aspects of the Real Estate Industry. Public Adminsistration research and Urban Studies research Residential Real Estate how do I get started in the industry: Commercial real estate business and how does it work; Financing of a business or just the purchase of a house or building; City and small towns administration challenges; where have all the urban folks gone to now with the city costs and problems; why study urban cities now that some are shrinking? Tolmas Scholars; Mentor Match Luca Pezzo Asset pricing empirics and theory
Web Page: LinkTolmas Scholars Department of Management & Marketing Mentor Research Interests Student Projects Mentor Programs Woohyun Cho (Service) Operations Management; Supply Chain Management; Air Transportation Tolmas Scholars; Mentor Match Nicole Fuller Disinvested business environments; inner cities; economic development; corporate social responsibility Surveying local businesses; collecting data on businesses from online databases Tolmas Scholars; Mentor Match Hamed Ghahremani Mentor Match Randy Kearns Healthcare management; disaster operations; burn mass casualty care; surge capacity/capability; emergency medical services
Web Page: LinkHealthcare management and policy; disaster medicine; disaster preparedness Tolmas Scholars; Mentor Match Elyria Kemp Emotions and decision-making; consumer well-being; healthcare Social marketing initiatives which promote regulation strategies to help reduce anxiety and depression in young people Sathiadev Mahesh Electronic Commerce; Machine Learning; Business Information Systems Tolmas Scholars; Mentor Match Dong-Jun Min Consumer information processing; Learning, memory and perception; Judgment and decision making under risk Selective processing of product features in advertising; the influence of sequential marketing communications on consumer behavior Kyeong Sam Min Consumer psychology; Marketing strategy; Cross-cultural consumer behavior; Services marketing; Communication strategy Tolmas Scholars; Mentor Match Dinah Payne Business ethics; the legal environment of business; international management Tolmas Scholars; Mentor Match Donald Zimmerman Healthcare management; patient experience; quality of care; community and public health Improving the personal experience of patient care; improving physician/patient communication; health literacy and treatment burden; healthy lifestyles and the social determinants of health; dementia and end of life choices; student health issues; and migrant/immigrant health Tolmas Scholars; Mentor Match School of Hotel, Restaurant, & Tourism Administration Mentor Research Interests Student Projects Mentor Programs Bridget Bordelon Tourism Policy and Planning; Tourism Crises Management; Cross Cultural Perspectives on Travel; Tourism and Technology (Virtual Reality Applications); Food Allergy Policy (Accommodations, Airlines, and Attractions) Tolmas Scholars; Mentor Match Han Chen Hospitality human resources management; organizational behavior; international hospitality management; hospitality consumer behavior; revenue management Generation Z restaurant/hotel consumers; green cruise and consumer behaviors Tolmas Scholars David Pearlman Travel and tourism; destination marketing; quality service operations; technology applications Tolmas Scholars; Mentor Match Mark Springfloat Culinary arts; restaurant operations; purchasing and cost control; menu design; wine Tolmas Scholars; Mentor Match -
College of Engineering (COE)
- Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering
- Department of Electrical Engineering
- Department of Mechanical Engineering
- School of Naval Architecture & Marine Engineering
Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering Mentor Research Interests Student Projects Mentor Programs Satish Bastola Terrestrial hydrological modeling, Ecohydraulic and ecohydrologic processes, climate and global change on natural hazard, shoreline dynamic modeling, beach nourishment Impact of climate change on flood and drought hazards; parameterization of soil hydraulic model, comparison of several evapotranspiration calculation methods; spatial downscaling of satellite soil moisture for hydrological and agricultural application; environmental remote sensing using unmanned aerial vehicle, Assess the future flood risk in road-stream intersection of Louisiana; Mapping of urban vegetation distribution using drone and satellite imagery Tolmas Scholars; Mentor Match Gianna Cothren Urban and rural environmental hydrology; Hydrologic modelling; Geographic Information System (GIS) applications in water resources; Physical, chemical, and biological wetland functions Tolmas Scholars; Mentor Match Malay Ghose Hajra Geotechnical Engineering; Coastal Restoration; Sustainability; Drone technology; Geothermal Energy In-situ testing and monitoring of coastal deposits; Use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UASs) to monitor coastal hazard, design mitigation measures, and evaluate long term health of Louisiana coastline; Erosion and subsidence evaluation of coastal deposits; Sedimentation and resuspension of dredged sediments; Numerical model development to predict and evaluate long term performance of Louisiana coastal restoration and protection projects; Design and evaluation of Geothermal energy systems Tolmas Scholars; Mentor Match Norma Jean Mattei Sustainable engineering and construction; engineering ethics, leadership and diversity; management of large watersheds; testing of materials and structural testing Tolmas Scholars; Mentor Match Department of Electrical Engineering Mentor Research Interests Student Projects Mentor Programs Dimitrios Charalampidis Image processing, signal processing, and pattern recognition (texture segmentation/classification, medical imaging, remote sensing applications, FPGA applications); machine learning (neural networks, clustering algorithms, applications in power systems)
Web Page: LinkTolmas Scholars; Mentor Match Huimin Chen Information Fusion; Target Detection and Tracking; Statistical Signal Processing; Prognostics and Health Management Tolmas Scholars; Mentor Match Jeffrey Gray Autonomous robotics; image processing; robotics fabrication (examples only) navigational design and programming; high performance drive systems; imaging and image processing; sensor and computer networking Tolmas Scholars; Mentor Match Kim Jovanovich Lasers; fiber optics; spectroscopy; illumination; communications (examples only) (1) Develop optical sensors to measure a variety of situations including temperature, presence of liquids, gases, etc. (2) design and build atmospheric optical communications systems for voice/music (3) design and build fiber optic communications systems supporting digital voice systems (4) Using interferometry measure quality of fiber optic connector endfaces. Tolmas Scholars; Mentor Match Department of Mechanical Engineering Mentor Research Interests Student Projects Mentor Programs Uttam Kumar Chakravarty Advanced design and manufacturing; Computational and experimental mechanics of solids and structures; Multifunctional, smart/adaptive, and composite materials and structures; Fluid-structure interaction; Small-scaled unmanned aerial systems
Web Page: LinkTolmas Scholars; Mentor Match Paul Herrington Stress analysis; Finite element analysis; Statistical aspects of material behavior Tolmas Scholars Damon Smith Advanced Materials for Additive Manufacturing (3D Printing); Additive Manufacturing Design; Sustainable Manufacturing Material development and/or product design for biomedical applications; Development of natural fiber-reinforced bioplastics for additive manufacturing Tolmas Scholars; Mentor Match Ting Wang Both in experiments and computational fluid dynamic (CFD) simulations:
Gas Turbine Power Systems -- Gas Turbine Aerofoil Heat Transfer, Mist/Steam Cooling, Transitional and Turbulent Boundary Layer Convective Heat Transfer, Compressor Inlet Fogging and Wet Compression, Curved Flow, Reversed Combustor Flow Aerodynamics, Dump Diffuser Aerodynamics, Jet Impingement Cooling, film cooling.)
Power Plant and Clean Coal Technology -- Coal/Biomass Co-Gasification, Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) Power Plant, Integrated Mild/Partial Gasification Combined Cycle (IMPGC), Techno-Economic Analysis of Power Plants, NOx Emission Reduction.
Fundamental Thermo-Flow Science -- Multiphase Flow, Phase Changes in Flashing, Condensing, Evaporation, Heat Transfer Enhancement on Micro Structured Surfaces, Flow Instabilities, Separated Flow Transition, Phase-Doppler Particle Analyzer (PDPA) scheme, Six-Wire Hot/Cold Wire Anemometry Scheme, 3-D Transient Liquid Crystal Scheme.
Applied Thermo-Flow Engineering -- TurboPiston Pump, Calcination of Petroleum Cokes, Desalination Evaporators, Paper Drying.
Combined Cooling, Heating, and Powering (CCHP) -- Micro-CCHP, Absorption Chillers.(a) Application of using chemical looping to capture CO2 to reduce emissions from industrial plants such as power plants, chemical and petrochemical plants, cement plants, etc. (b) An innovative approach to compress natural gas (NG) and hydrogen for NG cars and fuel-cell cars. (c)Use computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to design high-efficient and low-emissions boilers and gasifiers. (d) Cooling enhancement for paper industry. (e) Instrumentation for wind tunnel testing (f) Simulation of power plant designs
Web Page: LinkTolmas Scholars; Mentor Match School of Naval Architecture & Marine Engineering Mentor Research Interests Student Projects Mentor Programs Brandon Taravella Hydrodynamics; biomimetic robots; hydroelasticity; ship stability Development and programming of eel-like robot; Participation in experiments of eel-like robot; Experiments to determine effects of high-speed vessel slamming; Computer simulations of high-speed vessels; Computer simulations of ships in waves Tolmas Scholars; Mentor Match Nikolaos Xiros Marine & Electromechanical Systems Engineering Tolmas Scholars; Mentor Match Vincent Xiaochuan Yu Ship/offshore platform motions and responses; numerical modeling and model tests of dropped objects; mooring system analysis and design; risk assessment and hazard mitigation in offshore engineering; cable dynamics (mooring, riser, pipeline, etc.); FEM analysis of ship and offshore structures, smart structures, etc. (1.) Experimental tests of dropped objects and numerical calculations, including CFD simulations; (2.) Analysis and design of offshore wind turbine; (3.) Addictive manufacturing (3D printing) of structural components of ships and offshore structures; (4.) Mooring/riser/pipeline analysis; (5.) Ocean platform design Tolmas Scholars; Mentor Match -
College of Liberal Arts, Education, & Human Development (COLAEHD)
- Center for Hazards Assessment, Response, & Technology (CHART)
- Department of Anthropology & Sociology
- Department of Curriculum, Instruction, & Special Education
- Department of Educational Leadership, Counseling, and Foundations
- Department of English
- Department of Film & Theatre Arts
- Department of Fine Arts
- Department of History & Philosophy
- Department of Music
- Department of Planning & Urban Studies
- Department of Political Science
- UNO Transportation Institute
Center for Hazards Assessment, Response, & Technology (CHART) Mentor Research Interests Student Projects Mentor Programs Monica Teets Farris Public Policy, Hazard Mitigation, Community Education and Outreach, Floodplain Management, Community Rating System (CRS)
Web Page: LinkParticipate in a repetitive flood loss area analysis for the City of New Orleans Tolmas Scholars; Mentor Match Department of Anthropology & Sociology Mentor Research Interests Student Projects Mentor Programs Francis Adeola Environmental sociology; Social research methods and statistics; Rural and International development; Environmental justice; Human rights; Social change There are a number of projects available for students’ assistance, including data entry and processing, tabulation of results of statistical analysis, exploration of the evolution of environmental justice movement, exploration of case studies of environmental problems in Louisiana; a comprehensive review of the literature and meta-analysis of the effects of social capital on disaster outcome; and mapping the paths of least resistance in Global e-waste movements. Tolmas Scholars Aziza Bayou Economic anthropology; globalization, colonialism; pedagogy Tolmas Scholars; Mentor Match David Beriss Food and Culture; Ethnicity and Race; Migration; France; United States; Caribbean
Web Page: Link1) Participate in collecting material for and analysis for project on restaurants and social movements. 2) Assist in data collection for project on food writing and New Orleans food culture. Tolmas Scholars; Mentor Match Mary Ann Davis Demography; Gender; Child Adoption; Aging; Social Work Tolmas Scholars; Mentor Match D. Ryan Gray Historical archaeology; urban archaeology in New Orleans; race and segregation; spirituality and religion; WWII MIA recoveries in Europe
Web Page: LinkI welcome student projects on any topic dealing with the archaeology of New Orleans and Louisiana. Students are welcome to use resources housed at the UNO archaeology lab or materials from archaeological projects around the city. Current projects include excavations at Storyville, at 810 Royal Street in the French Quarter, and at locations of Spiritual Churches in the city, a study of fish remains from sites around the city (with Dr. Martin O'Connell from the Pontchartrain Institute and Dr. Ryan Kennedy, zooarchaeologist), and ongoing efforts at cataloging and conserving collections from prehistoric and historic sites throughout the area. Tolmas Scholars; Mentor Match Jeffrey Parker Cities, neighborhoods, gentrification, place reputation, urban politics
Web Page: LinkCities, neighborhoods, gentrification, place reputation, urban politics Tolmas Scholars; Mentor Match Department of Curriculum, Instruction, & Special Education Mentor Research Interests Student Projects Mentor Programs Paul Thomas Bole 21st Century teacher preparation, New teacher induction, Special Education (high incidence exceptionalities including the intersection of ELL and SPED), General Education (secondary social studies), and Academically Gifted (including gifted kids with disabilities) Tolmas Scholars; Mentor Match Department of Educational Leadership, Counseling, & Foundations Mentor Research Interests Student Projects Mentor Programs Brian Beabout Urban school leadership; educational change; school choice; charter schools; school community relations
Web Page: LinkCommunity engagement in charter schools; Charter school facility locations; Unionization in charter schools Tolmas Scholars Christopher Belser School Counseling; Career Development across the Lifespan; STEM Career Initiatives; Child & Adolescent Counseling School Counselors & STEM Career Development; School Counselors & Engagement with Research; Undergraduate Career Planning Courses; STEM Recruitment & Retention; School Counselors and Adverse Childhood Experiences Tolmas Scholars Marc Bonis Bone Density; Osteoporosis & Sarcopenia; Obesity; Functional Movement Systems; Reflexive Performance Reset Updating FMS (Functional Movement System) Database; Research regarding RPR (Reflexive Performance Reset); Research regarding EMG (Electromyography); Developing a Strength & Conditioning Certification Clinic and Program Tolmas Scholars; Mentor Match Elizabeth K. Jeffers Educational Policy Studies; Qualitative Research Methodology; Educational Leadership; Social Foundations of Education; Sociology Tolmas Scholars; Mentor Match Carlen McLin Public Health - Health Systems Management; Gerontology; Healthcare Diversity, Health Promotion, Disaster Preparedness Tolmas Scholars; Mentor Match Ann O'Hanlon Gerontology; Attitudes about Aging; Self-perceptions of aging Tolmas Scholars; Mentor Match Michelle Wade Connection within a Digital Age; Telemental Health; Technology and Counseling; Working with Polyamory; Counseling clients who identify within the BDSM and kink communities; Human Sexuality Tolmas Scholars; Mentor Match Zarus E. P. Watson Social Systems Theory & Social Influence; Multiculturalism and Diversity-based consultative Issues within Organizations; Identity-Conditioned, Trans-generational Trauma among socially ascribed groups and communities; Multiculturalism in Psychotherapy, Consultation, Testing & Research Department of English Mentor Research Interests Student Projects Mentor Programs Jade Hurter Poetry; topics of particular interest include representations of women in art; death and the erotic; women in Greco-Roman mythology; desire; transformation
Web Page: LinkMentor Match Department of Film & Theatre Arts Mentor Research Interests Student Projects Mentor Programs Diane Baas Design; Lighting Design and Technology; Technical Direction; Ensemble Practice
Web Page: LinkTolmas Scholars; Mentor Match Laszlo Fulop Documentary Production; History of Documentary Film; Editing; Screenwriting; History of Cinema
Web Page: LinkWork on a documentary with Prof. Fulop (help research, produce, shoot, and edit) Tolmas Scholars; Mentor Match L. Kalo Gow Theatre/Film/TV; Movement/Choreography; Voice; Play/Screen-Writing; Directing
Web Page: LinkTolmas Scholars; Mentor Match Kevin Griffith Scenic Design; Contemporary Theatre Literature; Methods and Materials of Stagecraft; Scenic Painting and Sculpture
Web Page: LinkTolmas Scholars; Mentor Match Hamp Overton Film Production; Cinematography; Lighting Research current and past cinematographers work; Help create lighting scenarios as illustrations pieces; Research current/future technology in cameras, lighting equipment and post production manipulation software Tolmas Scholars; Mentor Match Department of Fine Arts Mentor Research Interests Student Projects Mentor Programs Anthony (Tony) Campbell Currently working toward a solo exhibition at the New Orleans Mint
Web Page: LinkStudents will work in the capacity of an Artist assistant. This will include working on numberous art projects in sculpture, printmaking, photography and digital. Tolmas Scholars Ariya Martin Analog photography; alternative processes- cyanotype, platinum palladium, lith printing, book making
Web Page: LinkTolmas Scholars; Mentor Match Anna Mecugni Tableau vivant and reenactment, particularly in modern and contemporary Italian art, theater, and film; the intersection of contemporary art and social justice, with particular interest in listening practices and community engagement; women’s and gender studies Tolmas Scholars Kathy Rodriguez Painting; Drawing; Design; Early Modern and Modern Art History
Web Page: LinkTolmas Scholars; Mentor Match Department of History & Philosophy Mentor Research Interests Student Projects Mentor Programs Günter Bischof US Diplomatic; WW II; Cold War; US-Austrian Relations; Biography
Web Page: LinkTolmas Scholars; Mentor Match Marc Landry Central European History; Environmental History; Modern European History; Energy History; World History
Web Page: LinkTolmas Scholars; Mentor Match J.P. Messina Political philosophy; the history of ethics Is there a coherent notion of private censorship, and if so, when is such censorship permissible?; can private companies and organizations (social media companies, employers, etc.) violate rights to free speech?; what is state authority, and what is the state authorized to do? Tolmas Scholars; Mentor Match Mary Niall (Molly) Mitchell 19th-century slavery, resistance, freedom and self-liberation
Web Page: LinkCollect fugitive slave advertisements for the FOTM archive; work with the FOTM team (including faculty and students at Cornell University, U of Alabama, Ohio State, and U of Kentucky) to support on-going initiatives with FOTM, including K-12 outreach, local archival research, and historical geography/GIS features. This work can be completed virtually. Tolmas Scholars; Mentor Match Jake Monaghan Political philosophy, criminal justice ethics, policing, prisons, punishment What does good and permissible policing look like?; What policy changes would make our criminal justice system more just? Tolmas Scholars; Mentor Match Andrea Mosterman (Dutch) Atlantic History, Early America, Slavery, Transatlantic Slave Trade, Early New York Tolmas Scholars; Mentor Match Dan Shahar Ethics (especially Environmental Ethics); Political Philosophy; Political Economy
Web Page: LinkLots of people object to the “factory farming” of animals, but what about factory farming is most problematic, and what standards should we use to evaluate meat producers?; How can we empower the citizens of New Orleans to protect themselves against the long-term dangers of climate change and other environmental threats? Tolmas Scholars; Mentor Match Chris Surprenant Criminal/civil justice (theoretical issues and policy reform); free speech and open intellectual inquiry (theoretical issues and policy reform); education (theoretical issues and policy reform); applied ethics and the history of philosophy; philosophy of sports and games; entrepreneurship; strategy and strategic thinking
Web Pages: Link, LinkTolmas Scholars; Mentor Match Department of Music Mentor Research Interests Student Projects Mentor Programs Brian Seeger Jazz Performance; Jazz Composition; Acoustic and Electric Guitar; Music Production; Digital Audio Editing and Mixing
Web Page: LinkTolmas Scholars; Mentor Match Robin Holtz Williams Piano; Piano Pedagogy; Chamber Music Tolmas Scholars; Mentor Match Department of Planning & Urban Studies Mentor Research Interests Student Projects Mentor Programs Monica Teets Farris Public Policy, Hazard Mitigation, Community Education and Outreach, Floodplain Management, Community Rating System (CRS)
Web Page: LinkParticipate in a repetitive flood loss area analysis for the City of New Orleans Tolmas Scholars; Mentor Match Juana Ibanez Cultural Ecology; Geography; Archaeology; Latin America; Urban environments Tolmas Scholars; Mentor Match Michelle Thompson Community & economic development; Applied Geographic Information Systems; neighborhood / city / regional / international planning; housing; Service Learning
Web Page: LinkStudents can participate in parcel-based research focusing on community reinvestment or revitalization. Field & e-research may include participation in neighborhood surveys using historic property assessments and/or property condition surveys. With integrated public-private data, students may develop skills using applied public participation geographic information systems (computer mapping) crowd-sourced data in Citizen Science projects. Knowledge of GIS is not required but is desired. Tolmas Scholars; Mentor Match Guang Tian GIS; Urban Planning; Transportation; Smart Growth; Transit-Oriented Development (TOD)
Web Page: LinkHow the way a city is built affects people travel in it and how that affects the city's economy, public health, and environment; What make a city more walkable and bikeable; How is New Orleans the same or different with other cities in the U.S. and the world. Tolmas Scholars; Mentor Match Department of Political Science Mentor Research Interests Student Projects Mentor Programs Eric Van Holm The role of entrepreneurship in solving social problems; barriers to entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial thinking in underrepresented communities; neighborhood change and the impact of gentrification on displaced communities; zoning regulations and the impacts on city growth and change. Data entry and analysis for surveys being collected; data collection related to zoning regulations; helping run community clinics with entrepreneurs Tolmas Scholars; Mentor Match Steven Mumford Nonprofit Leadership; Program Evaluation; Nonprofit Collaboration; Organizational Learning; Applied Quantitative & Qualitative Research Students will help plan and conduct a needs assessment and economic impact study of the local nonprofit sector, in collaboration with the Greater New Orleans Foundation. Duties will include conducting background research and phone interviews with local nonprofit Executive Directors about their capacity needs and analyzing and reporting results for the general public. Tolmas Scholars; Mentor Match UNO Transportation Institute Mentor Research Interests Student Projects Mentor Programs James "Jim" Amdal Public Transit; Container on Barge; Marine Transportation; Streetcars of New Orleans; Resilient Transportation; Liquified Natural Gas Tolmas Scholars; Mentor Match Bethany Stich Public policy and administration; Freight-based economic development; Intermodal Transportation; International Trade; Energy, the Environment and Navigation Policy Analysis; International Trade Pattern Identification; Global Energy Market Analysis; Port Development Projects; Rail Development Projects; Trucking Industry Issues Tolmas Scholars; Mentor Match Tara Tolford
(with Bethany Stich, PLUS)Active transportation; public transit; urban planning; transit-oriented development; data collection and evaluation Evaluation of New Orleans bike infrastructure implementation; pedestrian and bicycle planning; public transit planning and policy; recreational trails development; complete streets policy; regional intercity rail; transit-oriented development; campus transportation planning; green infrastructure; public health impacts of transportation; adaptation urbanism Tolmas Scholars; Mentor Match -
College of Sciences (COS)
- Department of Biological Sciences
- Department of Chemistry
- Department of Computer Science
- Department of Earth & Environmental Sciences
- Department of Mathematics
- Department of Physics
- Department of Psychology
Department of Biological Sciences Mentor Research Interests Student Projects Mentor Programs Nicola "Nicky" Anthony Conservation biology; molecular ecology; ecological genomics
Web Page: Link, LinkNon-invasive genetics and behavior ecology of wild mandrills; host-parasite co-evolution in an endemic Caribbean anole lizard; ecology and evolution of central African rainforest vertebrates Tolmas Scholars; Mentor Match Joel Atallah Comparative developmental biology; Drosophila genomics, bioinformatics, and the computational analysis of biological datasets
Web Page: LinkA comparison of the maternal-zygotic transition in embryos of closely related insect species; Deciphering gene regulation at the transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels; Analyzing the role of transposable elements in evolution. Charles "Chuck" Bell Phylogenetic Systematics of Plants
Web Page: LinkMolecular systematics of plants including Valerianceae, Symphoricarpos, Linathus, Leptosiphon, and others; Determining the wild relatives of the sweet potato; Divergence time estimation; computer simulation studies; RADseq and GBS methods. Tolmas Scholars; Mentor Match Kelly Boyle The role and influence of sound on the biology of marine and freshwater fishes; investigating variation in auditory morphology in fishes; testing hearing ability in fishes; and examining the behavior of fish species that communicate by producing sound; studying potential human impacts, such as noise from boats and ships, on the behavior of sound producing fishes Describing the diversity of sounds from wild fish choruses recorded in the Gulf of Mexico; examining auditory morphology variation in fishes using high resolution computerized tomographic data (microCT) of fish specimens in conjunction with dissection and histological analyses; working with and learning how to curate a natural history collection of fish specimens Tolmas Scholars; Mentor Match Mary Clancy eukaryotic mRNA modification; regulatory RNAs; microbial genetics Current work in the laboratory is focused on identifying and analyzing proteins necessary for RNA-mediated pathways governing meiotic cell differentiation in this organism. In one pathway, production of an RNA-modifying enzyme promotes entry into the meiotic cycle. The production of the modifying enzyme is itself regulated by an “antisense” RNA that inhibits production of the sense RNA. Together, these processes ensure that meiosis will occur only in the correct cells (diploids) and under the correct environmental conditions. Tolmas Scholars; Mentor Match Erin Cox Marine benthic ecology; seagrass ecology; marine botany; aquatic and marine macrophyte physiology
Web Page: LinkStudent projects could include examining aspects of ocean acidification impacts on seagrass seedling development and seagrass ecology, composition of benthic organisms on artificial reefs in the Northern Gulf of Mexico, contribution of epiphytic diatoms to seagrass bed production Tolmas Scholars; Mentor Match Simon Lailvaux Evolution; Ecology; Life-History
Web Page: LinkExercise response in lizards; predicting locomotor performance in extinct animals; neurochemistry, performance, and mate choice in crickets; mechanical trade-offs among locomotor performance traits; cricket sexual conflict; aging and longevity in animals Tolmas Scholars; Mentor Match Zhengchang Liu Genetics; cell and molecular biology; yeast research
Web Page: LinkTolmas Scholars; Mentor Match Carla Penz Comparative morphology; wing colors and flight; evolution; systematics
Web Page: LinkUsing collection specimens, students can study butterfly color patterns and / or morphology. Examples would be: the study of wing shape as associated with flight behavior, or how color patterns differ between various butterfly species. Tolmas Scholars Bernard "Barney" Rees Animal physiology and biochemistry; Fish physiology; Animal, cellular, and molecular responses to low oxygen Students are involved with routine characterization of responses of fish to environmental stress, in particular decreased oxygen concentration. Former students have measured changes at the organismal level (behavior, oxygen consumption), tissue level (blood oxygen-carrying capacity, tissue enzyme activities), and molecular level (specific proteins and mRNAs). Live animal handling and husbandry might be involved depending upon the student and the project. Tolmas Scholars; Mentor Match Wendy Schluchter Microbial physiology; cyanobacterial photosynthesis; biosynthesis of light-harvesting proteins and environmental influences on gene expression. Cyanobacteria alter the composition of their light-harvesting proteins for photosynthesis (phycobilisomes) in response to light intensity, light quality, and nutrient availability. Their phycobilisomes (PBS) are composed primarily of phycobiliproteins (PBP). Phycobiliproteins range in color from yellow to red to purple to blue, depending upon which of a combination of four possible chromophores called bilins are covalently attached to these proteins. Students would be involved in cloning and expressing cyanobacterial proteins inside E. coli to recreate the entire biosynthetic pathway for each phycobiliprotein Tolmas Scholars; Mentor Match Department of Chemistry Mentor Research Interests Student Projects Mentor Programs David Podgorski Analytical chemistry; environmental chemistry; contaminate processing and fate; organic biogeochemistry Photodegradation of hydrocarbon metabolites in groundwater; Fluorescence profiling of marine dissolved organic matter Tolmas Scholars; Mentor Match Viktor Poltavets Solid-state chemistry; materials chemistry; energy storage materials; heterogeneous catalysis; density functional theory calculations Rechargeable batteries: synthesis of new cathodes with multiple electron transfer; Heterogeneous catalysis: ammonia for renewable energy storage (new catalysts for ammonia decomposition) Tolmas Scholars; Mentor Match Steven "Steve" Rick Computational studies of aqueous, ionic, biological and polymeric systems Recent advances in algorithm development and computer architecture have greatly increased the ability of computational methods to play a major role in chemistry, enabling computer simulations to provide valuable insight into the structure and dynamics of materials. Our lab is interested in a range of systems, from both aqueous and non-aqueous liquids to biological systems. These studies include biological ion channels, stimuli responsive polymers, and ionic liquids Matthew Tarr Environmental photochemistry: Free radical initiated pollutant transformations, photochemical and photocatalytic degradation of pollutants and nanomaterials; Extended reality in chemistry education Measure effects of photochemistry on oil, nanomaterials, and other pollutants in aquatic systems; Make and test nanomaterials for photocatalysis; Develop and test extended reality tools for chemistry education Tolmas Scholars; Mentor Match Mark Trudell The focus of our current research is to gain a greater understanding of the chemistry of transition metal encapsulated halloysite (M@Hal) nanocomposite materials. The information learned in this study will aid in the design of new heterogeneous catalytic systems that can be tailored to meet specific sustainable green chemical applications. Currently, the primary objective of our research is to investigate the synthesis and structural characterization of new M@Hal nanocomposites. The following systems will be the focus of the investigation: Pd@Hal, Ir@Hal, and Rh@Hal. These noble metal systems have been selected as targets for development based upon the broad and often complimentary range of reactivity observed in organic transformations by the corresponding homogenous metal-ligand systems. The secondary objective will be to evaluate the M@Hal nanocomposites as catalysts for organic reactions. The focus of this part of our studies will be aimed at the conversion of biomass-derived organic compounds into fine chemical building blocks. In addition, part of this investigation will focus on the development of green applications using these new materials as heterogenous catalyst in aqueous solvent systems. Development of new green organic reactions catalyzed by M@Hal Tolmas Scholars; Mentor Match John Wiley Solid State Chemistry; Nanomaterials The student will utilize low temperature reaction strategies to modify various layered compounds so as to create nanoscrolled materials. High temperature synthesis, followed by exfoliation, will be used in the formation of the nanoscrolls. Various oxide and non-oxide compounds will be investigated, and in some cases, nanoparticles will be captured so as to make nanopeapod structures. The student will learn about the methods used in synthesis, simple crystallography, and electron microscopy. Tolmas Scholars; Mentor Match Phoebe Zito Environmental Chemistry; Analytical chemistry; photochemistry; biogeochemistry Detection of nanomaterials in aqueous and biological matrices, reactive oxygen species in contaminated water, oil spill research, method development for 18O isotopes detection in aqueous solutions, instrumentation development for mass spectrometry, fluorescence profiling for marine water samples to investigate effects of ocean acidification at different depths in the ocean Tolmas Scholars; Mentor Match Department of Computer Science Mentor Research Interests Student Projects Mentor Programs Mahdi Abdelguerfi Environmental Informatics, Machine Learning, Big Data
Web Page: LinkSee link in Research Interests Tolmas Scholars Shaikh Arifuzzaman Big Data Analytics/Mining; Graph (Network) Mining; Parallel Algorithms; High Performance Computing; Machine Learning Network Data Visualization; Designing MapReduce-based Parallel Algorithms for Big Data; Designing GPU-based Algorithms for Big Data; Analyzing Large-scale Biological Data; Mining and Analysis of Large Social Networks (e.g., Facebook, Twitter); (Or, any similar Topics Involving scalable computing and big data) Tolmas Scholars; Mentor Match Adlai DePano Computer Science Education; Computational Geometry; Algorithm Analysis; Theory of Computation; Applied Mathematics Tolmas Scholars; Mentor Match Farjana Eishita Human Computer Interaction (HCI), Augmented Reality (AR), Video Games
Web Page: LinkVideo Games in Mental Health, Augmented Reality in Games Tolmas Scholars; Mentor Match Md Tamjidul Hoque Machine Learning; Artificial Intelligence; Bioinformatics; Computer Vision; Data Science and Optimization
Web Page: LinkMachine-Learning Algorithm Optimization; Object Detection, Recognition, and Tracking; Drone Image Processing; Natural Language Processing; Risk Prediction; Neural Network Optimized by Genetic Algorithms; Effective Gene-Protein-Regulatory-Network (GPRN) development; Functional Morphology and Performance Prediction; Sampling Algorithm development; Protein Folding and RNA/DNA Binding Prediction; Anomaly Detection in Drug usage; Recommender Systems Tolmas Scholars; Mentor Match Abdullah Yasin Nur Network Measurement and Analysis; Network Topology Discovering and Modeling; Network Security; and Graph Theory Tolmas Scholars; Mentor Match Ben Samuel Interactive Narrative; AI-Driven Game Design; Social Simulation; Computationally Assisted Performance
Web Page: LinkPotential student projects include using an existing, novel artificial intelligence system to produce believable, empathetic virtual characters (for video games and other contexts), assisting in the development of a mixed-initiative game that encourages players to craft their own stories, and helping to increase the accessibility and distribution of an award-winning game that combines social simulation, world generation, and live improvised performance. Tolmas Scholars; Mentor Match Atriya Sen Artificial intelligence; Computational logic; Automated scientific discovery; Cognitive systems; Philosophy of computer science; bioinformatics Anything related to AI: open to discussion. Tolmas Scholars; Mentor Match Christopher Summa Protein structure refinement; simulation of macromolecules; statistical analysis of protein structures; computational design of water-soluble membrane proteins; and optimization and analysis of molecular energy functions; problems that involve the use of computers to model molecular structures, design molecules such as proteins, and study their function and dynamic behavior using simulations Students would work on a problem involving refinement of protein structure, simulating macromolecules, performing statistical analysis of protein structures, computational design of water-soluble membrane proteins, or optimization and analysis of molecular energy functions Tolmas Scholars; Mentor Match Phani Vadrevu Web security; network security; malware detection and analysis
Web Page: LinkMost of the projects, if successful, will lead to an academic publication at a reputed computer security conference. Develop a mobile app that helps in measuring the practicality of a particular kind of phishing attack on the mobile platform; Enabling automatic analysis of malicious obfuscated JavaScript used on the web; Detecting malicious activities on the web (eg: cross-site scripting, phishing, malvertising and some newer nuisances like cryptojacking etc.) by dynamically analyzing JavaScript execution in real-time Tolmas Scholars; Mentor Match Minhaz Zibran Software Engineering, Software Security, Human Computer Interaction
Web Page: LinkCode Clone Detection; Clone Visualization; Code obfuscation Tolmas Scholars; Mentor Match Department of Earth & Environmental Sciences Mentor Research Interests Student Projects Mentor Programs Mark Kulp Stratigraphy; Coastal Geomorphology; Sedimentology Mapping of geomorphologic change across the northern Gulf of Mexico through the use of historical and recently acquired imagery; Correlation of stratigraphic units to better understand the framework of the Louisiana shelf; Documentation of the shallow stratigraphy below modern barrier islands; Investigations of the relative sea level change across the northern Gulf of Mexico Tolmas Scholars; Mentor Match Robert Mahon Sedimentology; stratigraphy; sediment transport; fluvial geomorphology; precambrian geology Grain size fining along river delta fronts; Dynamics of sediment transport and construction of subaqueous delta levees; 3-dimensional evolution of river and tidal bedforms and their stratigraphic deposits; Analyzing advection and diffusion of sediment particles over mobile beds with bedforms Tolmas Scholars; Mentor Match Martin T. O'Connell Aquatic ecology; fisheries management; fish biology; ichthyology; conservation biology Processing and identification of larval fishes and invertebrates as related to measuring their responses to possible settlement cues; Assessing the interaction of non-native Rio Grande Cichlids and native fishes in Bayou St. John and City Park; Determining if Louisiana populations of Sheepshead Minnows practice inter- and intra-species cleaning behavior or lepidophagy; A survey for populations of Southern Redbelly Dace in stream of Louisiana’s Florida parishes; Surveying for non-native island apple snails in southeastern Louisiana; Surveying City Park for possible species' refugia; Tracking non-native water hyacinth; Examining fish specimens for the presence of microplastics; and Preliminary survey for limpkin in City Park. Tolmas Scholars; Mentor Match Brad Robison Petroleum Geology; Subsurface Interpretation; Salt Tectonics Tolmas Scholars Department of Mathematics Mentor Research Interests Student Projects Mentor Programs Peter Bierhorst Statistics; Quantum Information Theory; I focus on the statistical analysis of experimental demonstrations of quantum nonlocality; I also study potential applications of these experiments to real-world problems in communication and cryptography Understand Bell's Theorem, which shows that "local hidden variable" explanations of quantum mechanics are impossible; Re-examine various analyses of quantum nonlocality experiments that claim to have found exotic, unanticipated effects, to (probably) find the flaw in reasoning; Study the limits on the type of correlations that can be established between two and/or three people if they exploit the resource of shared quantum-entangled particles. Tolmas Scholars; Mentor Match Linxiong Li Statistics; biostatistics; survival analysis; reliability Tolmas Scholars; Mentor Match Xueyan "Sherry" Liu Spatial statistics; I will focus on developing new statistical methods for analyzing spatial data in terms of clustering of a single species and co-localization of multiple species; Applications can be used in geography, biology, social sciences, etc. To study stochastic processes and spatial statistic theory; to develop R algorithms and packages for calculating clustering degrees and co-localization degrees; to work on simulations and real data applications of the indices. Tolmas Scholars; Mentor Match Jairo Santanilla Actuarial science; Mathematical finance; Stochastic differential equations Data analysis in actuary; Preparation for actuarial exams (Society of Actuaries) Tolmas Scholars; Mentor Match Tumulesh Solanky Statistics. In particular, deriving sampling strategies where the sampling cost is high, such as in clinical trials where the subjects are human beings. The overall goal is to achieve precise estimation of key parameters based on a smallest possible sample. I am looking at the data for some clinical trials for selected antipsychotic drugs, which have been approved by FDA and have gone through independent clinical trials. The goal would be to see if using the current research methodologies, one could achieve the same precision as in the published studies, based on a smaller sample. Department of Physics Mentor Research Interests Student Projects Mentor Programs Juliette Ioup Signal processing and deconvolution; underwater acoustics; acoustics of musical instruments Signal processing; acoustic signal analysis of whale and dolphin clicks; acoustic signal analysis of musical instruments; data clustering techniques Tolmas Scholars; Mentor Match Kendal Leftwich Science Education; Signal Processing Introducing scientific research to high school students; deconvolution or noise removal of signals (acoustic signals as well as images) Tolmas Scholars; Mentor Match Leszek Malkinski Thin film technology, micro-origami techniques, magnetic materials for information technology and wireless communications, spring-magnets, magnetoelasticity, magnetoelectric and multiferroic composites for biomedical applications, spin electronics, micro-electro-mechanical systems, new generation of solar cells, liquid crystals, triboelectric effect Triboelectric effect- converting surface charges into volume charges Ashok Puri Optics of Condensed matter; Surface Optics; Magneto-Optics; Electronic properties of Semiconductors; and Continuum Mechanics Investigating characteristics of fluid flow through a porous medium using both analytical and numerical techniques; Numerical investigation of Non-Fickian diffusion with generalized source; Investigation of dynamics of biological films using numerical methods. Tolmas Scholars; Mentor Match Weilie Zhou Semiconductor nanomaterials synthesis; Renewable energy; Nanodevices; Electron microscopy Growth II-VI Nanowire Arrays; Fabrication of Photovoltaics, Sensors, and Photo-detectors Tolmas Scholars Department of Psychology Mentor Research Interests Student Projects Mentor Programs Elliott Beaton At the Stress, Cognition, and Affective Neuroscience (SCAN) Laboratory, we study how the physiological effects of stress shape development in children at high risk for mental illness in adulthood. To this end, we use a variety of methods to study children including interviews and questionnaires, computer-based cognitive games, brain imaging, hormone and immunological analyses, and reactive physiological measures such as heart rate and blood pressure. Spatial sound detection study; MRI diffusion tensor image processing and analyses; Portable EEG system and mindfulness training validation study Tolmas Scholars Sarah Black Clinical psychology; developmental psychopathology; mood disorders; psychoneuroendocrinology
Web Page: LinkRecruitment; running participants; coding behavioral data; conducting literature searches; assisting graduate students Tolmas Scholars; Mentor Match Christopher Harshaw Social Behavior and Cognition; Mouse Models of Autism; Homeostatic Mechanisms; Developmental Psychobiology; Behavioral Neuroscience
Web Page: LinkEffects of early-life inflammation on development of brain and behavior, particularly autism- and ADHD-related outcomes; Early-life exposure to antipyretics and neurodevelopment; The impact of the 'social hormone,' oxytocin on social and thermoregulatory phenotypes Tolmas Scholars; Mentor Match Tracey A. Knaus Web Page: Link Tolmas Scholars; Mentor Match Yuliya Kotelnikova Developmental psychopathology; assessment; measurement; personality disorders; adaptive and maladaptive personality traits; children; adolescents; taxonomy of psychopathology; structural equation modeling
Web Page: LinkThe main focus of the lab at the moment is on developing new measures of child temperament based on parent report and observational methods. Your tasks will include assisting graduate students with literature searches, participating in lab meetings on measure development, recruiting families to participate in our study, assisting graduate students with data collection during lab visits, video coding of behavioral and affective data Tolmas Scholars; Mentor Match Roberto Refinetti Biological psychology; biological rhythms; behavioral neuroscience; body temperature regulation; thermal sensation
Web Page: LinkProjects vary over the years, but they all involve either human or animal subjects and they investigate behavioral or physiological mechanisms (including neural mechanisms) related to biological rhythms (particularly circadian rhythms) and thermal biology. Tolmas Scholars; Mentor Match -
Earl K. Long Library
Earl K. Long Library Mentor Research Interests Student Projects Mentor Programs Brandon Wright Adler Information literacy instruction, strategy, and management; Curriculum development; Legal research; Libraries and social justice; Prison law libraries Tolmas Scholars; Mentor Match Jeanne Pavy Open access publishing; open educational resources; author rights & copyright; digital scholarship Tolmas Scholars; Mentor Match